Jerusalem, Jan 31 : Israeli troops on Sunday shot and killed a Palestinian after he attempted to stab a soldier in a West Bank crossroad, the Army said.

The incident took place at the Gush Etzion Junction, a crossroad in a major settlement bloc south of Jerusalem, reports Xinhua news agency.

An Israeli military spokesperson released a photo of three kitchen knives taped to a stick, saying it used for the attempted attack.

Video footage surfaced on Israeli media showed the suspect pulling an object from his pocket and starting to run towards a soldier before being shot and falling to the ground.

The army said he was "neutralized" and later confirmed he was dead.

No injuries among the Israeli forces were reported.

Over the past years, lone Palestinian attackers, usually not affiliated with any militant organization, have carried out a string of alleged stabbing, shooting, and car-ramming attacks against Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank.
Ever since his death in December, the people who knew Jorge Sanchez have taken comfort in knowing that he lived a full life  that it would take most people 150 years to experience all the love and joy he fit into 50. One friend called it a long short life.

He was a bon vivant, said Leslie McLean, a friend. He was somebody who would accept every social invitation and then actually go to every social invitation and actually be able to be really present.

Shortly after he died, and with less than a days notice, 134 people showed up on a Zoom to remember Sanchez. Maria Leticia Gomez, another friend who considered Sanchez family, looked at all of the faces on the screen. She knew Sanchez had other friends, but this was more than that; nobody seemed to be a casual acquaintance. Just the level of connectedness between Jorge and each and every one of those individuals was amazing, she said. We can have only so many close friends, but he seemed to be close friends with and know and care about so many people, about them, about their children, about their parents.

These relationships and his busy days sustained Sanchez, said Jose Miguel Vazquez, his partner of 14 years. And losing much of that to the coronavirus pandemic is what killed him, Vazquez said. His sisters and close friends agree.

In previous years in life, he had depressions, deep depressions, Vazquez said. But he could always lift himself out of the dark with dinner parties and art openings and trips to the Russian River. As months of social distancing were extended with no real end in sight, that sort of healing became less and less possible.

The man who loved water, who worked with gay and bisexual Latinos at the nonprofit Aguilas, who could get anybody to open up about the deepest of subjects was, friends say, an indirect victim of the pandemic.

Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle

On the morning of Dec. 11, Vazquez became worried when his calls to Sanchez werent going through. The two men lived apart, but near each other in San Francisco  they had tried sharing a home early on, but Vazquez can be messy and Sanchez was a meticulous person.

During his lunchtime, Vazquez went to Sanchezs apartment in the Mission District. He knocked, but there was no response. He tried his keys, but the door was locked from the inside. I started feeling this kind of panic, he said.

Eventually he climbed in through the bathroom window. He found Sanchez cold in his bed, the covers pulled up around him. His necklace and rings were on the bedside table next to him  proof, Vazquez believes, that he got ready to go to sleep thinking he would wake up the next day. He was 50 years old and had no known health problems.

Sanchezs friends and family dont know exactly what happened. The official cause of death is pending and may be for months to come. But here is what Vazquez and others imagine, after talking to his primary care physician: Maybe Sanchez had mixed himself a cocktail or poured a glass of wine the evening before, as a way to unwind. When youre alone, Vazquez said, depression and anxiety kicks harder because your brain is spinning and spinning and spinning. When it got time for bed, though, maybe his mind wasnt any quieter, so he took a pill to help  hed taken sleeping aids for years  and then another, until finally he drifted off for the last time.

Courtesy Maria Leticia Gomez 2012

For the past year, there has been story after story about the mental health toll of the pandemic and the social isolation it has forced upon so many. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have tried to track the fallout. According to one study, released last summer, adults in the United States were three times more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety disorder in July than they were in the second quarter of 2019. They were four times more likely to experience symptoms of depression. One in 10 adults has reported starting or increasing substance use because of COVID-19. Because of methodological differences in surveys, this isnt an exact year-over-year comparison, but the evidence points to what many know firsthand to be true: The pandemic has taken a toll on mental health.

This is really difficult for people, and the social isolation is one of the things that, as a mental health professional, were always encouraging people to socialize more, said Jonathan Horowitz, a clinical psychologist and director of the San Francisco Stress and Anxiety Center. The pandemic has put us in a difficult spot. We cant focus on that one aspect of life thats really, really important.

Humans are social animals, Horowitz said, and isolation is always considered to be a risk factor for mental illness and other disorders. Even casual daily interactions with co-workers or strangers waiting in line for coffee can be key drivers of happiness.

The loss of all this, of travel and shared meals and evenings out with friends, can be particularly hard for people like Sanchez.

Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle

Sanchez was born on the first day of October 1970 in Bogota, Colombia, a city of 7 million high in the Andes Mountains. As he moved from Colombia to London, Los Angeles, New York City and finally the Bay Area, where he finished his anthropology degree at UC Berkeley, he seemed to carry Bogota and its rich history and culture with him. It was like he had stepped out of a (Gabriel) Garcia Marquez novel, his friend McLean said. There was something timeless about him, in the kind of wonderful way of being old-fashioned.

His apartment on Guerrero Street felt, in some ways, like a reproduction of a 1960s or 70s apartment in Bogota, said his longtime friend Ignacio Valero, like he had transported a little bit of his life from Bogota back to San Francisco. It was small and warm and full of books on every subject. He had a dark green velvet couch  very plush  where friends would gather when he hosted salons, or tertulias, before an art opening or after a night at the opera. Hed light candles, turn on soft music, pass around chocolates and pour glasses of wine. He always had excellent wines, Valero said. The nights were open-ended, no rushing, precisely as long as they needed to be. Jorge was a person who added, he said. He always added something. A person who adds and doesnt take away.

His father had wanted him to be an architect, Vazquez said, but Sanchez was too interested in people to spend his life designing buildings. He wanted to be an anthropologist because he was very interested in working and knowing how people think and grow. He was always very curious about the human community.

It didnt matter a persons age or background: Sanchez found a way of connecting with people.

He made everybody feel seen, and it was sincere, Gomez said. He could get into conversations with rocks.

Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle

Sanchez spent much of his life working at various organizations with Latino LGBTQ youth and their families. Sanchez was close with his mother and father, Vazquez said, but it had taken a while for them to accept their son was gay. Sanchez understood that acceptance was essential, that without it, youth were more likely to experience any number of negative health outcomes. He also worked in HIV/AIDS prevention, both here and in Cartagena, Colombia.

Vazquez and Sanchez met in 2006. It was a week before Thanksgiving, and Sanchez was giving a presentation at Aguilas, a community and support center for gay and bisexual Latinos. The two sat together, surprised they hadnt crossed paths earlier. When they bumped into each other at a friends impromptu housewarming, Sanchez and Vazquez acknowledged what theyd felt that first night.

Sanchez was like air, Valero said, and Vazquez is a very present, very grounded person. They were a wonderful combination. We always consciously or subconsciously reach for our complement.

In October, they talked about getting married. Vazquez called a friend at City Hall to figure out exactly what theyd need, but in the end they decided to wait. They didnt want to do the ceremony over Zoom. We decided we should get married as soon as they opened City Hall, he said. Obviously, that never happened. That makes me very sad.

Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle

Last weekend, Vazquez organized a very different kind of celebration.

Everybody who talks about Jorge mentions how much he loved the water. He would jump into any pool, lake or ocean. Hed splash around in puddles and spend days swimming in the Russian River. The water was his element, Vazquez said. Thats the reason why I wanted to give him a last ride around the bay.

So last weekend, Vazquez boarded a sailboat with Sanchezs two sisters, a couple of friends and his partners ashes. He couldnt release the ashes into the bay, but he had collected some sand from their special spot on Baker Beach and scattered that instead, watching it disappear into the blue.

The sky was bright between days of gray and rain, and as the sailboat cut back and forth underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, dozens of friends looked down from the span. They hollered and blew kisses and cried and hugged. They shared some mezcal and poured a little over the side of the bridge. Some threw flowers. Babys breath. Sunflowers. White roses.

From the boat, it looked like it was raining flowers.

If you need help If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or anxiety, help is available: For a 24-hour, peer-run, mental health hotline, call 855-845-7415. For emergency psychiatric services, call 628-206-8125. For more resources, visit sf.gov/takecaresf See More Collapse

Ryan Kost is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkost@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RyanKost
I was tickled when Mitch McConnells campaign turned the derogatory Cocaine Mitch slander into a successful fund-raising effort t-shirt for the Team Mitch Cartel Member. Likewise, McConnell agreed that he was the Grim Reaper when it came to socialist schemes trying to make their way through the Senate. But lately, hes been less than clever, leaving the conservative high road for middle-of-the-road politics.

The results of this latest election truly shocked and surprised all of us, though in hindsight what other recourse did Democrats have? They lied to the American people, Congress, the FBI, the intelligence agencies, the FISA court, Muellers task force, and most likely themselves trying to convince themselves that theyd never be found out. They made fools of themselves and had only electoral deceit and fraud to fall back on to get the win in 2020. Not just at the top of the ticket, either; this corruption goes right to the bone.

Now is the time for McConnell to work his magic throughout the Republican party, at federal and state levels. His cartel has his back and is counting on him to ensure that the 2022 elections are truly legitimate and fair. He simply cant do that while sauntering the halls of Congress arm-in-arm with the beneficiaries of electoral theft.

Now is not the time for the former Majority Leader to walk away from his posse, nor to turn his reapers scythe on us. Since his recent statements about Trump, which upset many of us, hes surely had time to review the records and come to the only honorable and defensible conclusion.

President Trump called for us to stand with him against the steal. He did not call for violence or insurrection. He asked us to make our displeasure known. A mass of patriotic humanity did so simply by gathering. While we were gathered and Trump was still speaking, the troublemakers, obviously running the gamut of Americas political spectrum, took it upon themselves to engage in unacceptable violence against a federal building and the Capitol Police force.

Yes, Mitch lost the prime Senate position, for now. But if hell chill out, well do our best to deliver it for him again in 2022. Conservatives and liberals alike are already lining up against Joe Biden. We dont like it that his abuse of the Executive Order process is neutering our elected Congress.

No self-respecting conservative should join hands with the likes of the schoolyard bully Senator Schumer to share power. None should forget his behavior during the Kavanaugh hearings; his accusations against Congressman Nunes during the Mueller debacle; and his lies about President Trump and Congressman McCarthy to AIPAC. Sharing a ride with a scorpion is never a safe bet.

Remember who signed the check, that paid for the dossier, that beguiled the courts, that issued the warrants, that took down the people, that paid the price, that failed, in the end, to burn down the house that Trump built. In addition to Hillarys campaign, the Democratic National Committee signed the check.

Schumer is one of the most senior Democrats in the country and would surely have been in on the decision to move forward in that way. One cannot share power with the power-hungry. Every good soul and true knows that only one hand can wear and wield the ring of power. Given the current state of affairs that hand will not be Senator McConnells, no matter what assurances he receives, as long as the Senate is evenly divided and the Dems occupy the White House.

Please, Senator McConnell, do not entrust our future to the Democrats, particularly those who stood by silently as others among them, most notably Congressman Schiff, lied to the American people day in and day out for years saying I have the evidence. The only evidence Schiff had was what eventually came out  all the collusion and corruption was on the part of the Democrats in an unsuccessful bid to remove a duly elected President from office. Can anyone believe that any of them were unaware of this?

Senator Schumer and all his partisan colleagues can be counted on to be steadfast in their support for their partys platform  a platform with clearly stated goals that can only be attained by abolishing the Senate filibuster. That would likely ensure one-party rule, rather than governance, of our fair country, and its ultimate ruination.

The Democrats platform goals include statehood for Washington, D.C. I suggest, instead, that we complete the retrocession and return the rest of the city to Maryland. That gives the residents of the city a governor, a state legislature, Senators, and Representatives, and would not upset the current racial and political balance.

Democrats are now calling for statehood for Puerto Rico, though the platform limits itself to bailing out the island after the devastating hurricanes. They make no mention, however, of the gross corruption, fraud, and diversion of assistance the taxpayers already provided. How about a side of justice with those duplicative funds?

Democrats intend to expand US-funded abortion services to the entire world and to mandate them throughout our own country, regardless of our constitutionally acknowledged and guaranteed freedoms. They plan to restructure the federal court system from the Supremes on down. They want to turn the Postal Service into a service-fee free federal bank and create another federally managed infrastructure bank.

Democrats are pledged to abolish private charter schools and provide free college education, including for illegal immigrants. The first would devastate quality education in many inner cities, and the second would bankrupt America, and further indoctrinate its young people.

Team Mitchs cartel delighted in McConnells delicious ripostes and supported him in his leadership of the Senate and in his campaign for his current term. We have admired and respected him. We hope he does us the courtesy of not abandoning us to retain some fraction of leadership power for a short time. For as much we like Mitch, we love Trump. Mitch, dont take your love to town.

UPDATE: If Senator McConnell was relying on the word of Senator Manchin to prevent the abolition of the filibuster and packing the Supreme Court, lets hope he is now well disabused of that trust. Just look at what Manchin did to energy independence for North America and reliable cleaner energy to replace coal, as well as the damage to thousands of American and Canadian workers, their families, their communities, their ancillary businesses, and their workers, families, and communities. A flip-flopper such as this is not a firm foundation upon which to build bi-partisanship.

Anony Mee is a retired public servant.

IMAGE: Mitch McConnell. Rumble screengrab.
The HER Act would codify the right before U.S. law of NGOs abroad to use their own funds to recommend and support abortion and post-abortion services. It also stymies future administrations who would condition U.S. aid on silence.

Meanwhile, the reprieve offered by Mr. Biden might last only one presidential term.

That is the concern, as we approach the resumption of the relationship with USAID now, Mr. Cooke said, what happens in four years time, and to what extent do we embed ourselves in that again, because it is difficult for an organization like us to scale up and scale down so quickly. Partisan application of health funding undermines credibility and breaks down local relationships that will take years to rebuild, Jonathan Rucks, senior director of policy and advocacy at PAI, the global health and reproductive rights organization told me. Regaining trust will take time, particularly after this latest version of the rule.

Donald Trump broadened the policy when he came into office in January 2017, relabeling it with the Atwoodian phrase Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance. While under the previous Republican administrations the policy was applied only to family and reproductive aid organizations, about $600 million in annual U.S. funding, Trump attempted to silence all health care organizations that received or hope to receive American aid  including those who working on everything from tuberculosis to HIV/AIDs  some $9 billion to $12 billion in annual U.S. funding. (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced yet another expansion of the policy in 2019.)

In January 2019, amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, published a paper outlining how the expanded policy had, as a result, disrupted global H.I.V. prevention and management.

Under President Barack Obama, USAID money and American funding supported a move toward integrated health care. Integration meant women in rural areas and low-income communities could say, vaccinate their toddlers and newborns, learn about long-term contraception and be checked out for cervical and breast cancer all in one visit. This strategy makes intuitive sense both in reaching those for whom clinics are far, or those who cant take time away from work; it allows for more comprehensive and holistic health care since it stretches dollars. But integration also made all those services far more vulnerable to disruption by the newly expanded policy. Mr. Trumps rule created mass confusion among providers, required endless red tape and rewriting of materials, and sowed enormous fear of running afoul of rules regarding U.S. aid. It also simply shut down services.
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In the Battle of Brexit, we've become used to familiar heroes and villains. The prevailing narrative usually has Team Brussels as the good guys, while Boris Johnson's Brexit Britain stands for everything that is cheap, shoddy and nasty.

The roles were well and truly reversed by the EU's move to trigger Article 16 and block Covid-19 vaccines entering Northern Ireland. Despite the subsequent backtracking, the bloc inflicted more damage on itself in a few hours than Leavers have done over the past four years.

It embarrassed and shamed itself, and it must own its own mess if it's to begin to restore its tarnished reputation.

Since the 2016 referendum, a trail of senior EU figures have visited Northern Ireland. They sermonised on podiums, and stood in border fields, telling us how committed they were to protecting our peace process.

Yet the first minute they're presented with an inconvenience, the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement goes out the window and they're in bully mode, preparing for a hard border.

We know what Boris Johnson is. His relationship with the truth has at times been as elastic as Donald Trump's. But those affable EU blokes seemed to genuinely care as they parroted phrases about the special circumstances in Northern Ireland. Had they ascended any further up the moral high ground, they'd have developed nose bleeds.

The British Government's record on Covid-19 is absolutely horrendous. It has done almost everything wrong, as the UK's appalling death rate shows.

Yet credit where credit's due: on the vaccination issue, it's been superb, although of course there's room for all to go wrong in the not too distant future. But, so far, 7.8m people have received their first jab - more than six of biggest EU countries combined.

The bloc sat on its hands while London placed orders during the summer. Brussels bureaucracy also meant slower authorisation of individual vaccines.

The UK has inoculated about 11% of its population, the EU 2%. The inefficiency that critics have long pointed out is in full public view during this pandemic. Rather than admit to its own failures, Brussels and the likes of Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner in charge of health, threw the proverbial toys out of the pram.

With the ink on the Northern Ireland protocol barely a month dry, the EU threatened to rip it up. It not only handed a massive propaganda victory to its opponents, but set a precedent.

It claimed that "societal difficulties" would be caused by the lack of vaccines. This provides ample ammunition for Jim Allister, Jamie Bryson and those in the DUP who want to trigger Article 16 over food supply issues.

The EU showed that selfishness and arrogance aren't just Tory traits. The Remain parties here wasted no time in calling Brussels out. Alliance said the planned move was unjustified and unwarranted, Sinn Fein branded it ill-judged, and the SDLP said it was at odds with the spirit of "cooperation, compromise and solidarity across national borders" needed to fight Covid-19.

Regardless of their strong words, the EU has made these parties' job of defending the Northern Ireland protocol much more difficult.

Brussels' attempt to launch a vaccine war to cover its own incompetence was a very low blow - and both sides in our Brexit divide know it.
If you ever needed proof that British high society is a very small world, look no further than publicist Matthew Freud's new relationship.

The well-connected PR guru used to date Jemima Khan  and now, I can reveal, he is dating her brother's ex-wife. Matthew took up with Sheherazade Goldsmith, after meeting through mutual friends.

Astonishingly they didn't previously know one another despite their families intertwining.

Matthew, 57, and Jemima (once a Goldsmith herself, of course) dated in 2016, while 46-year-old Sheherazade  or Shazza to her friends  was married to Jemima's brother, politician Zac Goldsmith, for 11 years before they split in 2010, having had three daughters together.

If you ever needed proof that British high society is a very small world, look no further than publicist Matthew Freud's new relationship. Pictured: Jemima Khan with Sheherazade Goldsmith

She went on to date Mexican screenwriter Alfonso Cuaron, while Zac married Alice Rothschild.

News that Matthew and Shazza are now together comes two weeks after The Mail on Sunday revealed that film director Jemima is dating her friend Gillian Anderson's former boyfriend Peter Morgan, writer of Netflix series The Crown.

Yesterday, a source close to Matthew and Shazza said the pair met between lockdowns through a work project linked to Sheherazade's jewellery business, Loquet London.

The well-connected PR guru used to date Jemima Khan (left together)  and now, I can reveal, he is dating her brother's ex-wife. Matthew took up with Sheherazade Goldsmith (right), after meeting through mutual friends

The friend said: 'Over the course of an admittedly gratuitous amount of meetings, they started spending time together and rather gingerly began a relationship which, so far, is properly lovely to watch happen.

'Not only did the project allow Matthew and Shazza to meet, but the lockets they worked on sold like hot cakes and raised lots of money for a teenage mental health charity.'

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when there's a gathering of the extended family...

A gift that's hard to bear

And the winner of my least romantic Valentine's gift idea of 2021 is the Houses of Parliament.

Rather than rely on the old favourite of a bunch of flowers, they seem to think we should delight our loved ones with a House of Commons teddy bear or box of chocolates  or even a House of Lords branded bottle of champagne.

All are on offer at the Houses of Parliament website.

Who said our politicians have lost touch with what the public really want?
The most vulnerable categories of the population will be vaccinated first.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that vaccination against the coronavirus in Ukraine should be free.

The president and Health Minister Maksym Stepanov discussed in detail this aspect of immunization, which is scheduled for February, the press service of the President's Office wrote on its wbsite on January 30.

Read alsoUkraine to receive 117,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within COVAX in Feb"Vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine will be free. This is exactly the care and protection that the state must provide to the citizen during the pandemic, from which the whole world is suffering. I don't know how much the vaccine will cost in private hospitals, but for most Ukrainians, this prevention [of the virus] may strain the wallet. And the COVID-19 vaccine is not what the state should make money from," Zelensky said.

In turn, Stepanov noted that the vaccination plan envisaged the provision of services free of charge to everyone. Moreover, the most vulnerable categories of the population will be vaccinated first.

"Soon we'll present and explain in detail the plan on how to get the coronavirus vaccine. We'll be able to administer first [Covid-19] vaccines to doctors and mobile groups. Of course, the elderly are among the priority groups to be vaccinated. We are also actively and effectively working within the COVAX initiative. Given the capacity, that is how many people we can vaccinate within a month, we have an even distribution of public funds, which will be enough to cover all vaccination needs," Stepanov said.

At the same time, Zelensky spoke in support of market development so that Ukrainians who have funds could get COVID-19 vaccine on their own. Immunization will be voluntary. However, both the president and the health ministry believe that Ukrainian citizens, being health conscious and understanding the challenges, will adhere to the vaccination plan.

"We always have disputes about even already known vaccines. This time, it's about not only national programs, but about a global program to protect the population worldwide. Getting a coronavirus vaccine is not just to protect yourself and get rid of annoying masks. It's also a concern for the entire population, it's a contribution to the fact that we'll all return to normal life and restore world communications," the president said.

At the same time, Stepanov assured that the vaccines would be tested many times. So, Ukrainians will be offered high-quality vaccines that will be stored in appropriate conditions.

Other related news reports

Reporting by UNIAN
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 23-year-old man who is suspected of exploiting a government subsidy provided due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, reports Fuji News Network

According to police, Sena Yuki utilized about 300 persons in several prefectures to submit fraudulent applications for the Subsidy Program for Sustaining Businesses, netting the ring around 300 million yen.

On July 20, police raided locations connected to Yuki in the capital and Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture and seized 100 items, including at least one personal computer, smartphone and bankbook.

Thus far, police have accused Yuki and accomplice Ryuto Tamura, 21, of working together to submit one such fraudulent application last June.

The governments Subsidy Program for Sustaining Businesses offers 1 million yen to sole proprietors, including freelancers, who have experienced a loss of income since the pandemic began last year.

Yuki used social media to collect members of the ring, which was structured like a pyramid with him at the top.

Second in command was Tamura. The funds from the each application were distributed such that Yuki received 80 percent and Tamura and the applicant received 10 percent each.

Sena Yuki is active on social media (FNN)

Social media

Yuki, who manages a bar, lives in a high-end apartment in the Aobadai area of Meguro Ward. He also owns a residence in Sendai.

On social media, he regularly boasts about his luxurious lifestyle, including dining at a Michelin-starred sushi restaurant.

Tripoli, Jan 31 : Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that the government will secure food aid for over 50,000 families in Tripoli, the country's largest northern city which is currently facing tough circumstances.

"We will also work to secure other kinds of support as fast as possible," Diab said on Saturday.

This past week, Tripoli witnessed four consecutive days of violent protests leaving hundreds of people injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

Demonstrators took to the street in the city to protest against the Covid-19 lockdown measures which led to increased poverty amid absence of support.

The January 26 protests in Tripoli led to the injury of 76 people and the arrest of five others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is more than just a political or territorial entity as he addressed the 125th anniversary celebrations of the Prabuddha Bharata, a monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order started by Swami Vivekananda in 1896.

"Swami Vivekananda named this journal as Prabuddha Bharata to manifest spirit of our nation. He wanted to create awakened India. Those who understand Bharat, are aware that it is beyond just political or territorial entity," he said at the event organised by the Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati in Uttarakhand.

Prime Minister Modi cited several measures of his government to assert that they are in line with Swami Vivekananda's vision to help the poor and said from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change, India is now providing solutions to the world's problems. Addressing the anniversary celebrations of the journal, Modi listed several schemes, including opening of bank accounts and health insurance for the poor, to assert that they were in line with Swami Vivekananda's vision.

"If the poor cannot access banks, banks must reach them -- that is Jan Dhan Yojana. If the poor cannot access insurance, it must reach them -- that is Jan Suraksha scheme. If the poor cannot access healthcare, it must reach them -- this is Ayushman Bharat scheme," Modi said. Swami Vivekananda had said the remedy for weakness is not brooding over it, but thinking of solutions, the prime minister stated.

"When we are thinking in terms of obstacles we get buried in them, but when we think in terms of opportunities, we get the way to move forward," he said. "Take the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. What did India do? It did not just see the problem and remain helpless, India focused on solutions. From producing PPE kits to becoming a pharmacy for the world, our country has gone from strength to strength," the prime minister said.

India is at the forefront of developing COVID-19 vaccines and just a few days ago the country launched the world's largest vaccination drive, he said. "We are using these capacities to also help other nations," Modi added.

Noting that climate change is another obstacle that the whole world is facing, he said, "We did not only complain about the problem, we brought a solution in the form of International Solar alliance." "We are also advocating greater use of renewable resources. This is the Prabuddha Bharata of Swami Vivekananda's vision being built. This is an India which is giving solutions to the world's problems," he said. Swami Vivekananda named this journal as Prabuddha Bharata to manifest spirit of the nation as he wanted to create an awakened India, Modi said.

"Swami Vivekananda saw India as a cultural consciousness that has been living and breathing for centuries, an India that only emerges stronger after every challenge despite contrary predictions," he said. The journal 'Prabuddha Bharata' has been an important medium for spreading the message of India's ancient spiritual wisdom. Its publication was started from Chennai (erstwhile Madras), where it continued to be published for two years, after which it was published from Uttarakhand's Almora.

In April 1899, the place of publication of the journal was shifted to Advaita Ashram in Uttarakhand's Mayavati and it has been published from there ever since. Some of the greatest personalities have left their imprint on the pages of 'Prabuddha Bharata' through their writings on Indian culture, spirituality, philosophy, history, psychology, art, and other social issues.

Luminaries like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sister Nivedita, Sri Aurobindo, former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, among others, have contributed to the journal over the years.
The Delhi on Sunday passed three resolutions, including requesting to take over as president of the party.

The other two resolutions passed during a meeting of party senior leaders sought the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, a party statement said.

The meeting was also attended by AICC general secretary and in-charge of Delhi, Shaktisinh Gohil.

"The party passed three resolutions unanimously, requesting to take over as the president of the Indian Congress, and demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for their failures'," the statement said.

Delhi president Anil Kumar moved the resolutions.

"Considering the disturbed and dangerous political situation in the country, needs a dynamic and powerful leader like at the helm, he said.

Kumar said Gandhi has been waging a determined battle to expose the "misdeeds" of the central government, and that his leading from the front as Congress president was an urgent need to boost the confidence and morale of party workers.

The other resolutions demanded the resignation of Shah and Kejriwal for their "mishandling" of the farmers tractor rally on January 26 and the subsequent violence in Delhi, the party statement said.

No immediate reaction was available from the BJP or AAP on the Delhi Congress resolutions.

Gohil underlined that it was time for Congress workers to close ranks and work unitedly to strengthen the party in Delhi, by following the directions and guidelines of party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

The meeting was attended by former Union ministers Jagdish Tytler and Krishna Tirath, ex-MP Ramesh Kumar, and Kiran Walia, Haroon Yusuf, among others.

(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 day ahead of the Union Budget, which is likely to report a huge fiscal deficit, the government has got some cushion with (GST) collection touching a record high of Rs 1.19 trillion in January.

Since the figure pertained to collection till 6 pm on January 31, some more is expected to come into the government coffers for the month.

GST collection surpassed Rs 1 trillion for the fourth straight month due to economic recovery and because of government measures to tighten its noose on tax evaders.

GST collection grew 8 per cent during the month on a high base of Rs 1.10 trillion in January last year and breached the earlier record of Rs 1.15 trillion of December 2020, the data released by the Ministry of Finance on Sunday showed.

Collection posted growth for the fifth straight month in January after months of disruption caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.

The collection mostly accounts for transactions done in December. The number of GSTR-3B returns filed for January touched 9 million against 8.7 million in December.

The robust collection is important since the Centres has crossed the Budget estimate by 45.5 per cent till December 2020-21. While it is not expected that the government will rein in the deficit at 3.5 per cent of GDP as was projected in the estimates, the collection will play a role in narrowing the deficit in the wake of increased expenditure on health, muted receipts, low direct taxes, and stimulus packages.





ALSO READ: Like Bollywood, rating agencies underrate emerging faces: CEA Subramanian

 during January 2021 are the highest since the introduction of GST and have almost touched the Rs 1.2 lakh crore mark. The above Rs 1 lakh crore for a stretch of last four months and a steep increasing trend over this period are clear indicators of rapid economic recovery post pandemic, the Ministry of Finance said in a release.





The ministry also attributed the collection to the closer monitoring of fake billing, deep data analytics using data from multiple sources including GST, income-tax and Customs IT systems, and effective tax administration.

In addition to the sustained economic revival witnessed in the past few months, the increased collections are also on account of the initiatives taken by the tax administration to curtail evasion, monitor input tax credits and build taxpayer profiles based on other databases, said M S Mani, senior director at Deloitte India.

Sources at the Directorate General of GST Intelligence said the authorities had arrested 274 persons so far in a nationwide drive launched in mid-November.

All the segments yielded more in January over December. Central GST collection rose to Rs 21,923 crore against Rs 21,365 crore, and the state GST mop-up increased to Rs 29,014 crore against Rs 27,804 crore. The compensation cess was also higher at Rs 8,622 crore against Rs 8,579 crore in the previous month.

Lalit Mehta.

Note to readers: Morning Stars is a series of interviews with achievers across fields about their morning routine and how they get ready for the day ahead. Mornings bring optimism and a fresh start. And how we spend them sets the tone for the day.

As an overworked student at IIM-Ahmedabad, Lalit Mehta did not have the luxury of starting his day on his terms. One sleep-deprived morning, he even had an LLTT - Looking London Talking Tokyo - moment when he gave an unrelated answer to a professors question.

Mehta is now the CEO of fintech company Decimal Technologies. How he begins his day is in his control. And while he is not fussy about his breakfast, he is particular about 30 minutes of me-time.

Excerpts from an interaction.

Are you a morning person? What time do you get up on working days?

I am a morning person who likes to wake up by 6 am or at the break of dawn. The peace that time offers and the chance to be with oneself start off the day on a positive note. This me time sets the base for the rest of my day.

How many hours of sleep do you need?

I used to get about five hours of sleep before COVID-19. Now I get 6-7 hours of sleep as there is no travel or long-distance commute required anymore.

What would mornings be like during college/ university days? Can you share a funny anecdote?

I studied at IIM Ahmedabad from 2007-2008. IIM-A was a place with late nights and syndicate groups to work on case studies and assignments. A typical day used to end at 2 or 3 am and we would have our first lecture around 8:30 am. Or 9:30, if we were lucky.

Once I reached the class half asleep. The professor asked me to explain my analysis of the case hed given us as an assignment. I confidently held forth. The class was silent and I could see that something was wrong, but I continued. After some time, I noticed that my classmates and the professor were smiling. The professor had to tell me that not only was I wrong about the case but also the subject.

Do you reach for your phone for news/ messages right away or do you stay offline for a while?

I spend about 20-30 minutes with myself before I access any electronic device. That half an hour in the morning is the time for me to reflect and analyse any thoughts that I may have had on the previous day and also check if the intuitive mind and logical mind concur on strategic stuff. After this, the daily dose of digital starts.

What are the two or three things you do in the morning that are important for you to start the day on the right note?

As I said, the first 30 minutes of the day are crucial for me. I need the first half an hour to be peaceful and quiet.

What is your regular news source in the morning?

I usually prefer to get my news from mobile apps. InShorts, Mint, ET and Moneycontrol are some I frequently use. With mobile phones becoming our primary source of information, news apps are a great way to keep yourself updated on real-time happenings in the world in an easy to read format.

What do you like to see on the breakfast table?

When it comes to food, Im pretty easygoing. When at home I love to have some fruits and light Indian breakfast like poha or upma. My favourite cuisine is Thai. I like to go to a Thai place whenever I have an opportunity.

Are there two or three cities that you worked in and know well? If yes, what did you like about mornings in those places?

Over the years, Ive worked in a few places. The ones that stand out are Gurgaon and New York.

I currently live in Gurgaon. The best thing about being here is my family. I get to start my day with them around.

Ive worked in New York for a few years. The energy in the city in the morning is amazing. I remember feeling as if everyone around is out on a mission towards positivity.

Any song or tune that you like to listen to in the morning, or which captures the morning mood for you?

I like listening to light meditational music in the morning, but my favourite is Sufi and fusion music. I like Nescafe Basement and Coke Studio.

What are weekend mornings like?

Weekend (Sundays) are different in more ways than one. I like to eat a large Indian breakfast and sometimes I like to cook for everyone. I like to ride a bike too. The winter chill makes it all the more fun.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on January 30 failed to convince the Australian lawmakers to change the policy that requires tech giants to pay news media outlets for content, Australias Treasurer said in a televised interview. Josh Frydenberg stated on Australian Broadcasting Corps Insiders program on Sunday that Facebooks Chief Executive Officer could not convince him to back down in what he described as a very constructive dialogue. The Australian treasurer added that the tech boss had reached out to him to talk about the code and its impact on Facebook. Australias new media law reforms require tech firms like Google and Facebook to pay the news organisations for displaying their content online.

Read: Regulator Says Australia Must Address Google Ad Dominance

Read: Google 'experiment' In Australia Filters Out Major News Websites From Search Results

Addressing the Australian press the communications lawmakers had re-iterated that the public broadcasters funding legislation will not be negotiated despite potential windfall from the new media code. The media law was introduced in the Australian Parliament, just over a year after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its Digital Platform Inquiry  final report1 (DPI), which revealed loopholes of unregulated online media platform and unpaid news that led to misinformation online.

Despite strong pushback from Facebook and Alphabet Incs Google, ACCC released a mandatory code of conduct (Code) to regulate digital platforms by paying for the verified news content to the media organisations. Mark Zuckerberg, who had attempted to negotiate Australias codes of conduct, failed once again, even as Google announced the licensing program to pay publishers moving forward.

Read: Australia To Produce AstraZeneca Jabs Onshore

Read: Australia: Scientists Embark On Voyage To Count Krill Population In Antarctic

What does Australias media 'mandatory code' address?

According to Australian lawyer, McCullough Robertsons analysis, Australian Government, in conjunction with Screen Australia and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), introduced papers on how to regulate the multi-platform media landscape and digital platforms. One year after ACCCs Digital Platform Inquiry, the Australian government introduced the draft mandatory code of conduct in 2020 known as the "News Media Bargaining Code" announced by communications minister Paul Fletcher. Australia will head a Senate inquiry into the proposed legislation this month. The purported code aims to regulate:
In the early hey-days of the Range Rover, following its introduction in the 1970s, it was the vehicle of choice for the British rangers. The...
Harry Dunn's alleged killer Anne Sacoolas 'remains willing to discuss a resolution with the UK authorities' despite Joe Biden's administration describing the refusal to extradite her as 'final'.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Sacoolas said their position had not changed and they wanted 'nothing more than to find a path forward'.

When asked if they were working towards an alternative resolution in the case, the US Department of Justice declined to comment.

Mr Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, said she and Tim Dunn, Harry's father, wanted to sit down with Sacoolas once the prosecution was over to 'rebuild our shattered lives'.

The 19-year-old was killed when a car crashed into his motorbike outside US military base RAF Croughton in August 2019.

Mr Dunn, 19, was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside US military base RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August 2019

The suspect, 43-year-old Anne Sacoolas, had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf by the US government following the crash and she was able to return to her home country

Sacoolas, 43, had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf by the US government and was able to return to her home country.

She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving but an initial extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in January last year.

State Department spokesman Ned Price was the first member of President Joe Biden's administration to speak about the case and maintained the same position as the previous government.

He said in a statement: 'The United States government has declined the United Kingdom's request for extradition of a US citizen involved in a tragic vehicle accident that occurred in the United Kingdom. Our decision in that regard was final.

Joe Biden's administration said the decision not to extradite Sacoolas was 'final' and maintained the same position as the previous government

Mr Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, said she and Tim Dunn, Harry's father, (pictured together) wanted to sit down with Sacoolas once the prosecution was over to 'rebuild our shattered lives'

'At the time the accident occurred, and for the duration of her stay in the UK, the US citizen driver in this case had immunity from criminal jurisdiction.'

The Foreign Office said Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab raised the case with new secretary of state Antony Blinken in their first telephone conversation on Wednesday.

But speaking after Mr Price's statement, Sacoolas's lawyers said: 'We have been and remain willing to discuss a resolution with the UK authorities.

Since Harry's death his family, including his mother Charlotte (pictured), have campaigned to have Sacoolas face justice in Britain

'Anne would like nothing more than to find a path forward and to provide the family some measure of peace.'

Reacting to the statement from Sacoolas's lawyers, Ms Charles said: 'It is good to see that Mrs Sacoolas remains willing to find a resolution. We need that so much.

'This has never been about vengeance or retribution for us but justice for our boy and accountability.

'When the prosecution is all over, Tim and I hope to meet with Mrs Sacoolas so that both families can begin to rebuild their shattered lives.

'We know she and her children are victims too. We have so many questions we need to have answered and we need the inquest and public inquiry to have answers to them.'

Earlier this week, Charlotte Charles, Mr Dunn's mother, appeared on ITV's Lorraine today where she reissued her plea to Mr Biden, asking for Sacoolas to be sent to England.

Ms Charles told the programme's host Lorraine Kelly: 'My plea to President Biden needs to really reach over to him and we sincerely believe that he has received my plea.

Charlotte Charles, Mr Dunn's mother, appeared on ITV's Lorraine earlier this week where she reissued her plea to Mr Biden, asking for Anne Sacoolas to be sent to England

'We are very hopeful, Radd [Seiger], our spokesperson, bless him, has been continuing to have talks with senior officials both in London and in Washington, those talks are picking up momentum and we do hold out a lot of hope, we are feeling quite positive.'

Lorraine said that President Biden was probably one of the few people who knows what Ms Charles was going through, having lost a child himself.

Mr Biden's first wife and youngest child were killed in a car accident after a tractor-trailer carrying corn broadsided the family's Chevrolet station wagon.

Neilia, 30, and 13-month-old daughter Naomi, had been out shopping shortly before Christmas in 1972.

Beijing, Jan 31 : Wearable brand Huami has announced that its third-generation wearable chip is coming soon.

At the Innovation Conference 2021, Huami Founder and CEO, Huang Wang, has reportedly revealed that the company is planning to launch its third-generation self-developed wearable chip.

He feels as the technology on chips advances, the capital investment also jumps up. This can look bad at the start, however, this is reaching the end consumer. As a result, the overall production cost can be reduced, reports GizChina.

Unfortunately, the executive did not name the chipset yet. However, the company may keep its naming structure and will call it Huangshan No. 3.

The company has been a pioneer in Smartwatches, AI-based smart wearable solutions and fitness tracking apparatus. It also stepped into the world of self-developed wearable chips in 2018 with the release of Huangshan No. 1.

The company brought back the momentum with the Huangshan 2 chipset in June 2020.

Huami used this chip in many of its smart products, has an architecture based on the RISC-V instruction set. It also has a C2 co-processor and an independent Neural Processing Unit.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 31, 2021 - 10:39 | Arts, All, Japan

The Japanese government is planning to review copyright rules to prevent possible legal violations by costume role players, as the number of people dressing up as animation and game characters continues to grow.

While wearing a character costume does not infringe copyright, a violation could occur if an individual is paid to do so, such as to make an appearance at an event.

Shinji Inoue, minister in charge of the "Cool Japan" strategy for the promotion of Japanese pop culture overseas, said Friday the government plans to review commercial copyright rules regarding fair use by the end of the fiscal year in March.

"To further promote 'cosplay' culture, it is important to have an environment in which people can feel safe and enjoy themselves," Inoue said.

The government is not planning to revise the copyright law as it fears stricter regulations would drive people away from cosplay. Instead, it plans to share specific examples of situations in which cosplayers may be asked to pay for copyright to enhance awareness.

Related coverage:

Train inspired by anime "Demon Slayer" begins limited time run

Japanese women feeling pressured by rise of perfect "mama": study

Hatsune Miku affirms global star status with second Europe tour

The government has already heard from creators as well as cosplayers, including Enako, who has been appointed the government's Cool Japan ambassador on the issue.

Some cosplayers have pointed to the need for a framework to enable them to contact copyright holders to secure permission.

Taro Yamada, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Research Commission on Intellectual Property Strategy, has proposed creating a database to allow people to easily identify copyright holders.

"We need a framework to protect both (creators and cosplayers)," Yamada said.

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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Body Area Network Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Body Area Network Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Body Area Network Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Body Area Network Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Body Area Network Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 25.23% over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

Body Area Network (BAN) is a short-range wireless network of sensors operating in, on and around the human body. These sensors operating in BAN can either be wearable and/or implantable. Healthcare information from these sensors are sent to servers, which can be either personal or central. BANs can be either Intra-BAN or Inter-BAN. In Intra-BAN, communication occurs between wireless sensors and personal communication devices. In Inter-BAN communication occurs between wireless sensors and centralized servers. Sensors that are used in BAN are classified into three types: Physiological, Bio-kinetic and Ambient. Physiological sensors measure blood pressure, glucose level, body temperature, blood oxygen, etc. Bio-kinetic sensors measure angular rotation and acceleration of human body movement. Ambient sensors measure environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, sound pressure, light among others

Request for Report Sample: https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=155

Rising population of people above 65 years across the globe is driving growth of body area networks. Global elderly (over 65 years) population growth is growing at a CAGR of 3% per annum from 2010 till 2016. For UK, the population is growing at a CAGR of 2.4% per annum from 2010-2016. This situation requires high healthcare expenditure by governments. BAN devices helps in continuous monitoring of individuals and lowers the footfall in hospitals reducing government healthcare expenditure outlay. BAN devices can provide continuous monitoring of health of patients with chronic conditions. Globally there is an increasing number of elderly people suffering from long term ailments. There is leading to the rise in BAN devices which reduces government healthcare expenditure

BAN consists of wearable and implant devices where wearable devices holds the lion share. Global wearable devices market is anticipated to grow from 64 million in 2015 to 359 millions in 2019 growing at a CAGR of ~54.0% from 2015-2019. Rising number of wearables is increasing the adoption of body area networks. In global wearable's market smart watch and wrist band hold ~90.6% market share in 2015. Millennial having high disposable income and health conscious are increasingly using wearable devices. This is also increasing the adoption of body area networks. Sensitive physiological information of body area network device users are transmitted through communication networks. Unethical hacking of the network will lead to availability and unauthorized use of personal information. This is a major concern for users of body area network. Body area networks are short networks and operate at very low power. This partially makes the system secure as networks weak signals are undetectable at long distances.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Body Area Network Market encompasses market segments based on technology, devices, end-use industry and country.

In terms of technology, the global Body Area Network Market is segregated into:

Bluetooth

ZigBee

Wi-Fi

Others

By devices, the global Body Area Network Market is also classified into:

Wearable Devices

Implant Devices

By end use industry, the global Body Area Network Market is also classified into:

Healthcare

Sports

Others

By country/region, the global Body Area Network 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/body-area-network-market/155#content

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as

Abbott

Ericsson AB

Fujitsu

GE Company

Bluetooth SIG

IBM

Intel Corporation

Telefonica SA

STMicro

Renesas

Others players have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Body area etwork 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 Body Area Network 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 Body Area Network 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 IBM, STMicro, Fujitsu, Intel 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 Body Area Network caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Body Area Network 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 Body Area Network Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Body Area Network 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/body-area-network-market/155
After Kamala Harris gave the speech of her life on Nov. 7  declaring victory in the election and cementing herself as the first African American, first South Asian and first woman to be elected vice president  one of her good friends back in San Francisco sent her a text.

Sitting on her sofa, Amelia Ashley-Ward had just finished watching Harris thank the women who came before her, saying, I stand on their shoulders. She was crying as she texted Harris: Phenomenal! I love you so much. So very proud! (Because even vice president-elects have friends who send Im proud of you texts  the kind that normal people get when they do something like, say, get a raise at work.)

Ashley-Ward assumed she wouldnt hear back anytime soon, but 15 minutes later, while every major news channel was still running footage of the celebration, her phone buzzed. Thank you honey. Love you very much, it read.

I was just shocked, because she must have been with her family, her husband and (President-elect Biden), but she hit me right back and thanked me and told me she loved me, said Ashley-Ward, the 63-year-old publisher of San Franciscos oldest Black newspaper, the Sun-Reporter. I was just blown away.

Outside of the Black community and political activist circles in San Francisco, Ashley-Ward is a relative unknown. But inside the Black community, shes a minor celebrity whose newspaper has significant influence over the lives of its readers, including who they vote for.

The Sun-Reporter was founded in 1944 and has been publishing weekly ever since. The paper costs 30 cents an issue, and readers can find it at Bay Area newsstands and inside local Black churches and businesses, or, for $20 annually, get it delivered to their homes. We are a trusted voice in the community when it comes to political campaigns and elections, said Ashley-Ward. People call and they wait for our recommendation to see what they must do. The paper is trusted because it covers issues that its readers actually care about, readers who have historically been neglected by the mainstream press.

The Sun-Reporter is an example of the significance of the Black press in America, Harris said at a 2019 event celebrating the papers 75th anniversary. There are issues that are unique to the Black community, and until we have true diversity in the press we must rely on papers like the Sun-Reporter.

We are able to plead the cause for people who normally would not have a voice in the daily papers, Ashley-Ward said. We dont want others speaking for us. The paper helps Black residents with the decisions that they need to govern their lives: their health, their wealth, their education, their transportation, she added, and it has an underlying mission to keep knocking down the walls of injustice and racism.

Jen Siska

Its an invaluable resource for the Black community in San Francisco  especially in a post-Trump presidency world. We thought we had made gains until Trump was elected and you had all this violence and racism and hatred and police brutality, said Ashley-Ward. Its like, what in the world? These people were sitting back, they had this inside of them, they just didnt let it out until they felt comfortable and they got a license from somebody in the White House to do so. So we have a lot of work to do again on race relations and bringing people back together.

Ashley-Ward has been at the newspaper her entire professional career  it is her lifes work. She studied journalism and photojournalism at San Jose State University and started at the paper as an intern in 1978. When she graduated, she accepted an entry-level reporter position where she made $140 a week. I heard that he was quite tight with money, she said of her former boss, Dr. Carlton Goodlett, the iconic co-founder of the paper and an influential African American civil rights leader. But I liked being there, I was happy there, I was comfortable there. I was brought up to believe that once youve been trained, you are obligated to bring something back to the community.

Ashley-Ward wrote stories about Maya Angelou, Anita Hill and Rosa Parks, and she started winning journalism awards. When the printing press broke down, shed leave her house in the middle of the night to take the paper to another printer and make sure it got out on time. She got promotion after promotion, and in 1997 when Goodletts health declined, she became the Sun-Reporters editor and publisher.

I put in a lot of time to keep that paper going. It had to be me, she said. Thats a phrase shes also used about Harris. It had to be you  I love you, Madame Vice President, she texted her friend the Friday before the election was called. Harris promptly texted back: Weve been on this journey together for a long time. Thank you sister Amelia. Love you.

Over 40 years after Ashley-Ward accepted her internship from Goodlett, shes kept the paper going. Goodlett was a child psychologist and a medical doctor and the first publisher to get the Black press into the White House, said Ashley-Ward, who named her only child after her former boss. He was an amazing, brilliant man. So I didnt try to walk in his footsteps; I tried, as they say, to put on my own pumps and walk my own walk.

Jen Siska

That walk includes what you might call activist-journalism: raising the voices of Black women and helping them get into positions of power. Weve had our legacies (at the paper), but mine has to be the two women that I helped, said Ashley-Ward. One of those women is San Francisco Mayor London Breed, whom she championed despite controversy. (I lost friends, I lost political leaders, I lost probably some revenue, Ashley-Ward said of her support for Breed.) But the person shes supported the longest is now the vice president.

Harris and Ashley-Ward met about 20 years ago at a womens conference. She was a new assistant D.A. and so I wanted to meet her and she wanted to meet me, said Ashley-Ward. At the time, Ashley-Ward was good friends with then-District Attorney Terence Hallinan, whom the paper had supported for years. But that friendship came to an end when Harris decided to run for district attorney in San Francisco and Ashley-Ward threw her support behind her.

It kind of put me in the middle of a little mess, said Ashley-Ward. I had to break from the Hallinan tradition and my friendship with the Hallinans to wrap my arms around this young, talented African American woman, who people told, Its not your turn, you wait your turn.

At the Sun-Reporter anniversary celebration, Harris remembered how the papers publisher stood up for her. But one voice spoke loudly and said, I know it is your time, and I will have your back, Harris said. And that was Amelia Ashley-Ward.

Ashley-Ward believed so much in the young candidate that when Harris called her feeling discouraged, Ashley-Ward joined her in campaigning.

She called me one day when it had gotten really bad. She said, Amelia, Im not gonna win. I said, Well, lets see about that. You can win. So I got a cable car for about three or four hours. I put other African American leaders on that cable car; Kamala got on, and we drove all across the city, Ashley-Ward said. She won that election big time.

Andrew Harnik / Associated Press 2020

What began as a networking relationship quickly blossomed into something much deeper: They championed each others career achievements as Harris became attorney general and then senator, they met each others friends and family, supported each other through the deaths of their mothers and joined each other for girlfriend lunches, Warriors games and concerts in Oakland.

We hit it off because shes just a down-to-earth sister. She laughs easily. She would join me for concerts with Beyonce. Shed be the first one to throw up her hands, shake her body and say, hey! said Ashley-Ward. It was easy to become friends with her. I loved her mother. I was able to spend time with her mom and her sister, Maya. Its just a great family. We just became friends. We like a lot of the same things.

Ashley-Ward also appreciated Harris candid relationship advice.

I had this boyfriend that she didnt really approve of and she would say, Hes so not worthy of you, said Ashley-Ward, laughing. Shes just a nurturer. She could only do it to a good friend because I know how to take it.

Now, over two decades later, theyre both at turning points in their careers: Harris is in the White House and Ashley-Ward is at a crossroads for the paper, which has survived despite having to compete in the swiftly evolving internet age with minimal online presence. But despite the struggles of running a local newspaper, she said, she has no interest in leaving the industry to join her good friend in Washington, D.C.

Jen Siska

Oh, Im 63 now. I know I dont look 63, but Im 63 now, said Ashley-Ward, chuckling. Im not seeking anything  although I do think she will be president one day. I will always be supportive of her and I dont need to have a job to do it.

For now, her focus is on keeping the newspaper alive and fighting injustice through the written word.

At the end of the day, when they preach my eulogy, theyll say I really did it my way, but more importantly I was able to bring about change, and I put my selfishness aside and I helped to uplift other brilliant, young Black women who wanted to be in the political world to help other people, Ashley-Ward said.

Now, shes focused on the next generation. Kamala is going to join with President Biden to help heal this country, she said. And Im going to sit back and see if I can bring along some help and wrap my arms around other young women and use my paper to tell their stories and to keep them out there so that people will know who they are when they run for office.

In other words, shes looking for the next Kamala Harris.

Learn more To receive home delivery of the Sun-Reporter, subscribe by sending an email to: sunreporter@sbcglobal.net. About this story This story was produced in partnership with Represent Collaborative (Rep Co), a media initiative focused on issues of racial and social justice that works to produce stories about Black and brown communities. Learn more at www.representcollaborative.com See More Collapse

Laura Lane is a freelance writer. Email: culture@sfchronicle.com
You may have noticed brighter night skies recently as we experienced a full moon. NASA reports the event, called the Wolf Moon, began Thursday afternoon and ended Saturday morning. But did you notice any changes in your personal sleep patterns in the days leading up to the full moon?

As the latest full moon was beginning, a new study was released suggesting that a full moon can affect human sleep cycles. Researchers confirmed that the nights leading up to a full moon have more natural light available after the sun goes down.

The new research found that in the days before a full moon, people go to sleep later in the evening and sleep for shorter periods of time.

The results were reported in a study appearing in the publication Science Advances. The research was led by biology professor Horacio de la Iglesia of the University of Washington.

When we looked at the data it was right there - we didnt expect that pattern at all, de la Iglesia said in a video about the findings. He said the study provided clear evidence that a persons sleep-wake cycle is synchronized with changes the moon goes through.

The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit Earth, but it takes 29.5 days to complete a full cycle from New Moon to New Moon. The new study measured the sleep patterns of test subjects as the moon progressed through at least one whole 29.5-day cycle. Some subjects were tested through two moon cycles.

On average, people involved in the study slept about 52 minutes less on nights before a full moon. They also went to bed about 30 minutes later. The research showed that people had the latest bedtimes and the shortest amount of sleep during the nights that were three to five days before a full moon.

I became one of the subjects of the study and when I looked back on my own data I could not believe how much my sleep changed, de la Iglesia said.

Effect on sleep in different areas

Past studies by de la Iglesias team and other research groups have shown that access to electricity has a clear effect on sleep. So the team included this element in their research.

The study involved 98 individuals living in three different communities of Toba indigenous people in Argentina. Each community had different access to electricity. One rural community had no electricity access, while a second had only limited access. A third community was in a more populated area and had full access to electricity.

Sleep data was collected electronically from the individuals through wrist monitors. The research team said it believes this method resulted in more effective data than some past studies that depended only on user-reported sleep data.

In addition to the indigenous communities, the researchers also examined sleep data on 464 college students in the Seattle, Washington area. That data had been collected for a separate study. The researchers said they discovered the same moon cycle patterns in the sleep data from the students.

Although the effect is more robust in communities without access to electricity, the effect is present in communities with electricity, de la Iglesia said.

The scientists say further research is needed to help explain other possible causes for the changes in sleep patterns in the test subjects. Such causes could involve biological differences in individuals or social patterns within communities.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the University of Washington, Science Advances and NASA. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - New Research Suggests Full Moon Can Affect Sleep Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

pattern  n. a particular way that something is often done or repeated

cycle  n. a series of events that happen in a particular order and are often repeated

synchronize  v. make something happen at the same time as something else

access  n. the ability to use or take part in something

indigenous  adj. produced in or existing naturally in an area

monitor  n. a device used to measure something, such as heart rate

robust  adj. strong and healthy
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A Sinn Fein councillor hailed the controversial funeral of former IRA prisoner Eamon 'Peggy' McCourt as a "great send-off".

The PSNI is investigating the funeral in the Creggan area of Derry on Monday for breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

Tina Burke, who sits on Derry City and Strabane District Council, wrote on social media: "Today we laid a stalwart of the Derry republican family to rest" and "Great send-off for an even greater man."

Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly has admitted "two or three" Sinn Fein councillors paid their respects from the roadside.

However, the party is staying silent on whether Ms Burke was among this number and has ignored questions on the matter.

DUP councillor Maurice Devenney, whose mother's funeral last November was limited by Covid-19 restrictions, said it was incumbent on Sinn Fein to name those councillors from the party in attendance.

He added: "Sinn Fein needs to name the councillors who attended this funeral, in so much as they might have information that could help the police investigation into Covid breaches.

"By not doing so, they are putting forward a hypocritical message to the public, one of 'do as we say, not as we do'.

"We have all been affected by the restrictions and it's not good for Sinn Fein to be seen to openly breach them. It damages public confidence."

Writing on social media, Ms Burke spoke of the loss she felt at the death of Mr McCourt.

The 62-year-old, who died of Covid-19, was a former IRA prisoner and was shot and seriously wounded by the army in 1981.

Two other republicans, George McBrearty and Charles Maguire, died in the attack.

"Peggy McCourt was always there. He dedicated his life and his family to the struggle. He will forever be remembered for his kindness and strength," wrote Ms Burke.



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"My heart is broken for my dear friends and family as they lay their father, husband, grandad, brother, uncle to rest."

Mr McCourt's family yesterday told of how they had cut ties with Sinn Fein over the fallout from his funeral.

The row between them broke out over whether his name should be added to the republican 'roll of honour' in Derry.

In a post on Facebook, the late IRA man's son, also called Eamon, wrote: "Today the Fisher and McCourt family have had to cut all ties with the republican movement and Sinn Fein.

"We really wish it didn't have to come to this - in fact we never thought this would've ever been a situation - but we will always be certain that they have made a mistake today in not honouring Oglach Peggy McCourt to the roll of honour here in Derry, the town he fought (for) and made a better place."

Police have confirmed that officers used body-cams to secretly film the cortege and check for breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

More than 100 mourners attended the funeral in the Creggan area which should have been limited to a maximum of 25 under current lockdown restrictions.
Since it was first detected in China in 2019, the new coronaviruslike all viruseshas undergone changes to the underlying code that determines its structure and behavior. Many of these genetic mutations have little impact on the viruss ability to infect humans or spread through populations. But others, like those seen in recent variants found in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa, can produce a more transmissible pathogen, as surging infections in those places suggest.

The more people the virus infects, the more chances it has to evolve, according to Theodora Hatziioannou, a Rockefeller University virologist who is studying the new variants.

Since the start of the pandemic, scientists using SARS-CoV-2 samples collected around the globe have been cataloging these genetic mutations. This has allowed them to build a family tree charting how the virus is evolving.

Here are some milestones in evolution of the Covid-19-causing virus and how tweaks to its genetic code led to the new, potentially more infectious strains that are making their way around the world:

Decisive Mutation

Early last year, scientists detected a mutation in Europe that makes the virus more transmissible than the original versions detected in China.

The mutation, called D614G, alters the shape of spike proteins on the surface of the virus, making it more efficient at binding to and infecting cells.

Variants with the D614G mutation quickly overtook earlier versions of the virus.

By June, it had replaced the ancestral virus," said Jeremy Luban, a University of Massachusetts Medical School virologist who has studied the mutation. Everywhere it went, it became the dominant strain."

Summertime Spread

A new variant, known as 20E (EU1), was first detected in Spain last summer.

It has since spread widely throughout Europe.

20E (EU1) doesnt appear to have mutations that make it more transmissible than early variants. Rather, it may have just been in the right place at the right timea popular European holiday destination at the height of summer. It could be summertime travel, it could be because you got rid of all your restrictions or it could be because its more transmissible," said Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, who led a study on the variant.

The New Variants

The variants detected recently in the U.K. and South Africa have several novel changes in their spike-protein genes.

Scientists think one mutation these variants share could help the virus attach to and enter cells. The recently detected variant from Brazil shares a key spike-protein mutation with the one from South Africa.

What were seeing is exactly what we expect to see. The surface proteins of the virus are under tremendous pressure to change," said Sean Whelan, a virologist at Washington University in St. Louis. All the virus really cares about is multiplying...If it can get into the cells of the [host] and avoid the immune system of that host, it will multiply. Whether it causes disease is a different question."

Some scientists worry the variant from South Africa could be better at evading antibodies produced in response to natural infection and vaccination.

Preliminary estimates suggest the variant from the U.K. is 50%70% more transmissible than earlier versions of the virus. And U.K. scientists said recently that early data suggested it could also be deadlier.

The variants found in the U.K. and South Africa have become the dominant types in countries where they were first detected.

The variant from the U.K. has spread widely abroad. As of late January, it had been reported in 70 countries and territories. The variant from South Africa has been reported in more than 30.

The variant from the U.K. had been detected in more than two dozen U.S. states through late January.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected it could become the dominant domestic strain by mid- to late March unless steps are taken to slow it. The variants first found in South Africa and Brazil have also been detected in the U.S.

The full extent of their spread is difficult to gauge. Aside from the U.K. and Denmark, few countries with active outbreaks have done extensive genetic sequencing of the virus, said Dr. Hodcroft.

At the moment, almost the rest of the world is a blind spot."





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A suspicious fire on Friday destroyed prominent Harare physician Johannes Marisa's house in Ruwa's Riverside suburb in a suspected act of robbery.

Marisa, who is also the president of the Medical and Dental private practitioners of Zimbabwe Association (MDppZA), told Standardpeople that he received a call while he was at his clinic in Kuwadzana after the double-storey house went on fire.

"I received a call from my wife informing me that the house was on fire just after 3pm yesterday [Friday]," Marisa said.

"The fire gutted the top part of the building, causing extensive damage to the main bedroom and other rooms.

"It took nearly two hours to extinguish the blaze, but the damage had been done. I lost almost everything in the inferno. The children who were upstairs had to jump through the windows into the arms of the neighbours who had come to assist."

Marisa said no one was injured and the cause of the fire was yet to be established as of yesterday.

"We are not sure of the cause of the fire, but from preliminary investigations, it looks like a robbery. There was money [in us dollars] stashed in a bag that disappeared from the wardrobe. There was no trace of that money, save for a few notes in local currency that we found later," he said.

There was an attempted robbery at Marisa's Kuwadzana clinic two weeks ago.

Contacted for comment, national police spokesperson Assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was not yet aware of the incident and referred this publication to the Harare provincial police spokesperson who could not be reached yesterday.

Marisa runs Westview Medical Group comprising clinics and maternity hospitals in Zimre park, Ruwa and Kuwadzana. Standard
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin - Connecticut chapter officials Jan. 8 presented a $5,000 check to Dr. Anka Badurina, executive director at Building One Community, a Stamford-based charity that helps new immigrants in Connecticut. (L-r): GOPIO-CT executive vice president Prasad Chintalapudi, trustee Joe Simon, Badurina, trustee and comptroller Dr. Thomas Abraham, and board members Srinivas Akarapu and Rajneesh Misra. (photo provided)
A career criminal jailed for stealing a backpack belonging to tragic teenager Noah Donohoe is already back walking the streets.

Recovering heroin addict Daryl Paul was sentenced to three months' jail for theft following a hearing at Belfast Magistrates Court last Thursday, but he was freed later that day because of time spent on remand.

The 33-year-old, who has 194 convictions, told Sunday Life he was willing to retrace the steps he took before finding the bag with Noah's mum Fiona and her legal team.

"I'd like to bring the Donohoe family through my last steps and explain to them about a possible witness at the art college. I'd also appeal to anyone who knows facts, not fiction, to tell Noah's mum what they know," he said.

Paul discovered Noah's rucksack, containing his laptop and schoolbooks, propped up against a wall on York Street in Belfast city centre a short time after the teenager went missing in June. The 14-year-old bizarrely discarded the bag during a cycle journey from his home on the Ormeau Road.

The police said CCTV proved Paul never encountered the schoolboy, whose body was discovered in a storm drain off the Shore Road six days later. A post mortem found that Noah had died from drowning.

The PSNI previously insisted Noah had not been attacked or chased and the coroner has appealed for an end to speculation in the case.

Recalling his movements that day, Paul said: "I walked from Centenary House (a Salvation Army hostel) up through St Anne's Square, where the restaurants and gym are, and up the side of the art college. That's where I found the bag and where I noticed a guy with tattoos looking at it. He could be an important witness and I would ask him to come forward if he hasn't already."

After discovering the rucksack, Paul took it to his flat on Cliftonville Avenue in north Belfast. Instead of handing it into police who were frantically searching for the St Malachy's College pupil, he tried to sell the laptop at a Cash Converters two days later, only for staff to turn him down because he had no photographic ID and the computer was missing its charger.

On June 25 police released images of Noah's bag which a member of staff at the shop recognised. Detectives who examined CCTV from the store identified Paul, who was already being questioned in custody for shoplifting. The rucksack was recovered at the flat of a female friend.

It would be another five months before he was arrested and charged with theft - an offence which he pleaded guilty to last Thursday.

Paul accepts his behaviour was appalling. He is also adamant that Noah's North Face jacket, which has never been recovered, was not inside the rucksack. The schoolboy discarded it minutes after throwing away his bag.

"Anything I can do to help, I will because I feel bad," he said.

His offer of help comes after deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill met with Chief Constable Simon Byrne to discuss Noah's case, saying she had "grave concerns" about the investigation into his death.

Noah's aunt Niamh Donohoe said she hoped the comments would "add renewed vigour" to the police probe.
The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 53 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 44 are locally transmitted, including four more cases from the construction site at Hong Kong International Airports third runway.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said among the local cases, 17 have unknown sources of infection.

She noted that the airports Three-runway System construction site cluster has recorded a total of 15 cases, including 13 workers and two of their family members.

Additionally, two buildings in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai have been included in the compulsory testing notice.

Seven buildings in the specified areas will also be included in the notice.

Among the nine imported cases, six arrived from Indonesia, while the remaining three are from the Philippines and Russia.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.
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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None of the nine nuclear weapons states have joined the TPNW; they boycotted the negotiations and the vote in the United Nations General Assembly.

by Vijay Prashad

On January 22, 2021, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) became international law for the 122 states who signed the agreement in July 2017. The TPNW, as with most treaties, is summed up in one sentence (article 1a): Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to Develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. There is no complexity here. This is a treaty to ban nuclear weapons.

Hideous Weapons

Wilfred Burchett was the first non-Japanese journalist to visit Hiroshima. His first dispatch for Londons the Daily Express (September 5, 1945) was entitled The Atomic Plague. In Hiroshima, 30 days after the first atomic bomb destroyed the city and shook the world, Burchett wrote, people are still dying, mysteriously and horribly Hiroshima does not look like a bombed city. It looks as if a monster steamroller had passed over it and squashed it out of existence. I write these facts as dispassionately as I can in the hope that they will act as a warning to the world The damage is far greater than photographs can show It gives you an empty feeling in the stomach to see such man-made devastation.

In 1952, Sakamoto Hatsumia primary school student who had experienced the terror of the bombingwrote a short poem: When the atomic bomb drops/day turns into night/people turn into ghosts. It is simple and elegant, a plea from the darkness to abolish nuclear weapons. This is what the hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic nightmare of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been demanding since 1945. Their pleas have been heard around the world, but not in the capitals that have developed these hideous weapons.

Nuclear Weapons Today

Nine countries of the 193 member states of the United Nations possess nuclear weapons. Two of themthe United States of America and Russiahave more than 90 percent of all the 13,410 warheads. Four countriesthe U.S., Russia, the UK and Francehave at least 1,800 warheads on high alert, which means that they can be fired at very short notice.

To compare the warheads currently deployed with the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima is enough to make the heart stop: the yield from the Little Boy used on Hiroshima is estimated at 15 kilotons, whereas the yield from one W88 warhead that is deployed on a Trident II submarine is estimated at 475 kilotons. It is not just the number of nuclear weapons that are available; the current nuclear weapons, many of them deployed on submarines and ships, are far more lethal.

None of the nine nuclear weapons states have joined the TPNW; they boycotted the negotiations and the vote in the United Nations General Assembly. In October 2020, the U.S. government circulated a letter asking those governments who signed the treaty to withdraw from it. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 2017Nikki Haleysaid that the TPNW threatens the security of the United States; she condescended to the 122 governments that joined the TPNW, saying, do they really understand the threats that we have? Iran, incidentally, voted with 121 other countries for the TPNW.

Over the course of the past few years, the U.S. administration has undermined the three core treaties for disarmament: the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, which has now metamorphosed into the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), as Prabir Purkayastha wrote in January 2020. Appetite for serious nuclear disarmament has simply not been evident. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office in the U.S. estimates that the government will spend $1.2 trillion between 2017 and 2046 to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The other eight nuclear weapons states will follow suit but far behind, since in these matters the United States drives this terrifying agenda.

Threats Against China

While 122 countries voted to ban nuclear weapons, the United States pursued a project to threaten China with a nuclear attack. In August 2019, the U.S. withdrew from the INF treaty, tested two intermediate-range missiles, and then posted an order for a variety of cruise and ballistic missiles. When the U.S. government sought bases for these missiles around China, its Asian allies balked. They do not want to inflame the already tense situation between the United States and China.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in 2020 that the U.S. Department of Defense has ramped up its efforts against China. These threats grew more and more explicit later that year. Bidens nominee to be the new U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Donald Trumps administration was right to be tough on China.

The presence of these missiles on U.S. naval vessels and the development of hypersonic cruise missiles as well as open threats against China simply make it impossible for Beijing to dismantle its nuclear arsenal. To do so would be tantamount to surrender before a U.S. attack. Chinas government, meanwhile, has said that it welcomes the establishment of nuclear-free zones, including the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty.

At a press briefing in July 2020, Fu Cong, Chinas director-general of the Department of Arms Control and Disarmament in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that his country would be willing to enter into disarmament negotiations if the U.S. arsenal (at 5,800 nuclear missiles) drops down to the Chinese level (300 nuclear missiles). The U.S. knows full well the huge gap between the Chinese and American nuclear arsenals, both in terms of quantity and sophistication, said Fu Cong. For the U.S., hyping up the China factor is nothing but a ploy to divert world attention, and to create a pretext, under which they could walk away from the New START, as they have done on so many other arms control treaties. The real purpose is to get rid of all possible restrictions and have a free hand in seeking overwhelming military superiority over any adversary, real or imagined.

Nuclear Ban

Public opinion, even in many NATO states, favors a total ban on nuclear weapons. After the treaty went into force on January 22, Beatrice Fihn of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) addressed nuclear weapons states, Your weapons are now banned. Permanently. You are on the wrong side of international law, the wrong side of history, and the wrong side of humanity. In 2017, ICAN won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nuclear disarmament has a long history. In 1961, the U.S. and the USSR signed the McCloy-Zorin Accords or the Agreed Principles for General and Complete Disarmament, which called for general and complete disarmament but also that war should no longer [be] an instrument for settling international problems. Gone is that spirit. It needs to be revived.

This article was produced by Globetrotter.

Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter. He is the chief editor of LeftWord Books and the director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has written more than 20 books, including The Darker Nations and The Poorer Nations. His latest book is Washington Bullets, with an introduction by Evo Morales Ayma.
Pune: A local court has rejected an application seeking injunction against the use of `Covishield' as brandname by the vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India (SII), the company said on Saturday.

SII is producing a coronavirus vaccine named Covishield, co-developed by the University of Oxford and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca. The Indian government has purchased 11 million doses of Covishield vaccine.

While the court order was not available immediately, the lawyer of Cutis-Biotech, which had filed the suit, said it would file an appeal in the high court.

On January 4, Cutis-Biotech, a pharmacertical firm, filed a suit in the civil court claiming it was a prior user of the brandname Covishield, and sought to restrain SII from using the name.

SII had told the court that the two companies operate in different product categories and there is no scope for confusion over the trademark.

"Court has rejected the application," said SII's lawyer Hitesh Jain.

Advocate Aditya Soni, lawyer of Cutis-Biotech, said the order copy was not yet available, but operative order was read out in the court. "We will file an appeal against the order in the high court," he said.

Live TV
A fire that ripped through a building on the Ocean City boardwalk Saturday morning caused extensive damage to Playlands Castaway Cove, an outdoor amusement park.

The Ocean City Fire Department responded to the multi-alarm fire, first reported at 7:40 a.m., on the 1000 block of the boardwalk.

The arcade and offices of Playlands Castaway Cove, as well as Hamburger Construction Company and Dairy Queen, suffered extensive damage from the west wind-fueled fire. Required structural firewalls between properties also worked effectively, according to a press release, sparing neighboring buildings.

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Smoke from the fire could be seen from as far away as Atlantic City. At one point, from the 9th Street bridge, smoke appeared to engulf the entire amusement park. The decorative pirate ship  which was located above the boardwalk entrance of the arcade  was reduced to a skeletal frame.

To our family and loyal guests, we thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, a message on Playlands Castaway Cove Facebook page stated. We would like to thank all of the first responders for their hard work and pray for their continued safety throughout todays events.

To our family and loyal guests, we thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We would... Posted by Playland Castaway Cove on Saturday, January 30, 2021

The post also said the amusement facility will rebuild and anticipated being open in the spring.

The fire was deemed under control as of late Saturday morning, but firefighters remained on scene to fully extinguish the blaze. Numerous local fire departments, as well police and rescue squads, responded to the scene.

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

There were no occupants in the building at the time of the fire, and no fire-related injuries were reported, however first responders were still being assessed for injuries related to the extreme cold.

While there appears to be no structural damage to the boardwalk, further inspection will be required. The cause of the fire at this time is unknown and remains under investigation.

The public is asked to remain clear of the area until the response is over, and full access to the 1000 block of the boardwalk will be restored once conditions allow.

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle a fire on the Ocean City Boardwalk at Playland's Castaway Cove, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Firefighters battle at fire at Playland's Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com.

By Celestin Monga





CAMBRIDGE  In recent decades, the U.S.-Africa relationship has disappointed both sides. Republican and Democratic U.S. presidents alike have treated the continent with benign neglect, if not with outright contempt, and the United States has duly fallen behind China, India, and France in terms of overall trade with Africa.



Although Barack Obama, America's first black president, launched a modest "Power Africa" initiative, his four trips there are mostly remembered for his lectures on "good governance." And this from an administration that turned a blind eye to autocrats in countries hosting U.S. military bases, and then joined forces with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a misguided and costly military intervention in Libya. The consequences for the Sahel and beyond have been catastrophic.



Then came Donald Trump, who did not even consider Africa a destination worth visiting. His racist insults about the continent ("shithole countries") confirmed his disdain, and will not soon be forgotten or forgiven. True, Trump's administration did acknowledge that lasting stability, prosperity, independence, and security in Africa are in America's national interest.



But his pledges to advance trade and commercial ties, and to counter Islamic terrorism, did not materialize. Instead, the administration weaponized trade policy by suspending duty-free status for some African exports under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act, in retaliation against Rwanda for its efforts to protect its garment industry.



Now, the arrival of President Joe Biden's administration provides an opportunity to rekindle the U.S.-Africa relationship. Typically, articulating an Africa strategy is not a top priority for new American presidents. In Biden's case, he has taken office at a time of heightened global fears about COVID-19, ongoing economic uncertainty, and deep geopolitical division. And for its part, Africa is suffering its worst economic performance in a generation, setting the stage for persistent misery, social unrest, and violent conflict in the future.



Nonetheless, the sheer depth of these problems makes this a perfect time for bold initiatives. To be sure, Africa  a dynamic region with great resilience, high aspirations, abundant resources, unbounded creativity, and plenty of ideas  should not rely on any foreign power for its political and economic future.



The fuse of prosperity and peace must be lit from within. But, because trade is the main engine of growth and socioeconomic development for African economies (all of which are small and open), and because the U.S. remains the world's dominant economic player, Africans are looking to the Biden administration to propose a new course.



To that end, the U.S. can reap major political and economic benefits by acting symbolically, strategically, and operationally. For starters, the Biden administration can set the tone for a new partnership with several costless overtures. Official statements acknowledging Africa's enormous contribution to human civilization and the urgent need for it to reclaim a prominent role in world affairs would convey respect and help change perceptions.



And a U.S. commitment to support permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council for the African Union, and to co-finance peacekeeping missions in the Sahelian region and the Lake Chad Basin would cement this.



At the strategic level, the U.S. should offer a new vision for its approach to the continent, shifting from a focus on geopolitical stakes and countering China, which led to disastrous results during the Cold War, to a true partnership based on mutually beneficial business relationships and delivering visible results. That means going beyond meager bilateral projects that aim only to plant an American flag.



For example, the U.S. should take a leadership role in ensuring that COVID-19 vaccines quickly make their way to Africa. This would be consistent with Biden's priorities and send a strong signal that the era of benign neglect is over.



For too long, the U.S. has been content to support any African dictator who offers cooperation in the fight against terrorism (or secure access to mineral extraction), on the grounds that doing so is necessary to prevent chaos. But this policy has failed: the U.S. has ended up with dictators and chaos at the same time.



Without falling into the self-righteous trap of pursuing regime change, the Biden administration should treat bad African leaders the way the U.S. treated communist autocrats in Eastern Europe. Moral clarity is of the essence.



Finally, at the operational level, renewed pragmatism toward Africa could deliver quick and valuable wins. The first task should be to de-politicize the macroeconomic policies promoted by international institutions and development banks where the U.S. dominates.



African monetary policies should be open to domestic intellectual and policy debates, just as they are in other parts of the world. Similarly, African strategies for fiscal policy, financing, and debt management should reflect current knowledge, not old static accounting orthodoxies.



With these considerations in mind, a first bold objective for the Biden administration would be to set a target date for ending U.S. foreign aid to Africa, with the goal of replacing the current politicized bilateral aid instruments with new trade finance and facilitation programs.



Second, America could improve its standing in Africa by recognizing that its distortionary agricultural subsidies negatively affect global prices for many commodities, thereby lowering growth rates in Africa. By reforming its own agricultural financing, the U.S. could trigger similar positive policy changes across OECD countries, as well as encourage African industrialization  all of which would benefit both America and Africa.



Third, engagement by the U.S. with China, the European Union, Japan, India, and public and private financiers would help to de-risk investment in Africa and facilitate financing for productive infrastructure. By targeting sectors where African countries have a comparative advantage (agroindustry, light manufacturing, and cultural and creative industries), and by supporting the construction of special economic zones and industrial parks, the U.S. can help stimulate global demand, generate growth, and create employment in Africa and advanced economies alike.



Finally, collaborating with private investors to build first-rate educational and cultural institutions in Africa would strengthen America's soft power there. The best response to China's export of Confucius Institutes is not Sinophobic rhetoric, but concrete action to foster learning and knowledge accumulation in Africa.



The new U.S. administration cannot rely on symbolism alone. Strategically and operationally, too, a new relationship with Africa requires a cooperative framework that embodies the principles of dignity and mutual respect.





Celestin Monga, a former managing director at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and a former senior economic adviser at the World Bank, is visiting professor of public policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. His article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


New Delhi, Jan 31 : Farmers have amplified their internal security at Singhu border protest site following the fresh incident of violence on Friday. Vigil at checkpoints and interrogation of any unfamiliar face has been increased to prevent any untoward incident which they are anticipating.

Naujawan Bharat Sabha President Rupinder Singh said that youth wings of the farmers unions have been told to guard the protest site and not let any suspicious person infiltrate the area.

The youth are patrolling the perimeter of the protest site in groups. Mahendar Pal Singh from the Ganna Sangharsh committee, Hoshiarpur, who was leading one such group, told IANS that young farmers are keeping vigil round the clock in shifts.

"The protest site is an open area, we have to remain alert 24/7, especially after the violence that took place on Friday. Our shifts are divided. My shift starts at 4 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m. From then, it becomes the responsibility of some other farmer to manage the security," he said.

The farmers also informed that more than a thousand young volunteers guard the site in two to three shifts. Key entry and exit points are manned by 5-10 volunteers. The three routes within the protest site -- exit to Kundli, TDI mall and a fast food outlet are under the watch of hundreds of young volunteers.

Another farmer, Majinder Dhannata, said that the farmers do not trust Delhi Police any more after the violent incidents two days ago. "Ab apni suraksha apne haath hai (now the security becomes our own responsibility)," he added.

"We have taken the matter of internal security in our own hands now. The police were complicit in the attack by the goons that day and they are no more trustworthy. On Friday, they stood and only watched. We can't rely on them and their barricades," Dhannata added.

The farmers were also seen carrying large wooden and bamboo staffs, but clarified that these are not to threaten anyone, but are a measure of self-defence. "Don't interpret us as an aggressive group after seeing sticks in our hands. These are just a measure to control the crowd if they get unruly at any given point of time," Mahendar Pal said.

On Friday, violence erupted at the protest site after over 500 persons claiming to be locals got past three layers of security barricades and pelted a farmers' camp with stones, leading to a clash between them and the agitating farmers. They claimed that the farmers' agitation affected their livelihood. However, farmers alleged that the crowd had gathered at the behest of the BJP.

Besides, the entry to the stages where farm leaders address the crowd and give speeches are also under restriction. We are not allowing everyone, said volunteers of Kisan Sangharsh Committee, when asked about the low number of audience present there.

Rupinder Singh said that a security room has been created near the main stage. "10 people present there at all times. Additional team of 25 persons maintain vigil nearby. Another trolley next to the main stage has 10-15 volunteers who can be called for assistance round the clock," he added.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said doors for talks with the government were open for the protesting farmers despite the violent incidents in January 26, the unions showed willingness to continue the discussions but said nothing short of repeal of the laws will suffice.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), one of the main groups representing the farmers, said at a press conference that the farmer associations are open for discussions. However, they will continue to demand repeal of the Acts along with legal guarantee for MSP.

Meanwhile, a freelance journalist was arrested from the Singhu border on Sunday for allegedly misbehaving with the police personnel on duty at the farmers protest site there, officials said. A case was registered against him and he has been arrested now, a senior police officer said, a day after the scribe was detained. Police had earlier said that they placed barricades at the border following the violence on Friday to ensure that no one could get through.

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NEW HAVEN  It is simply a matter of saving lives, according to city officials.

The officials, including Mayor Justin Elicker, and a number of city residents, among others, made that clear this week when they testified in favor of a transportation safety bill that would allow municipalities to use automated cameras to track speeders, set speed limits and increase the rights pedestrians have in crosswalks in the state.

The bill, H.B. No. 5429, is being considered by the state legislatures Joint Committee on Transportation and co-sponsored by Rep. Ronald Lemar, D-New Haven, and Rep. Josh Elliott, D-Hamden, among others. A virtual public hearing was held on the measure.

Elicker expressed strong support for the measure, noting that New Haven has seen a significant number of pedestrian and bicycle deaths in recent years related to speeding and dangerous driving, including 11 in 2020.

He described automatic traffic cameras as a notable step, saying that it would reduce speeding, lower fatalities and, by only using license plate information to identify vehicles, allow for the law to be enforced in a racially equitable way.

Passage of this bill will save lives, and do so responsibly, said Elicker. The number of people from New Haven testifying today underscore the importance and urgency of this issue.

More than 100 New Haven residents and officials submitted testimony in favor of the bill, according to the state legislatures website.

Doug Hausladen, city director of transportation and parking, noted in his testimony that New Haven has the highest percentage of residents who walk (14%) or bike (4%) to work of the 10 largest cities in New England.

These users share the transportation system with thousands of motor vehicles every day, vehicles which can kill them instantly, said Hausladen.

Superintendent of Schools Illene Tracey said the bill was critically important for ensuring the safety of our school children, particularly automatic cameras, which would send a clear message to the public that safety around our vulnerable populations is of the highest importance.

Police Chief Otoniel Reyes noted the department had been called on to deal with a rise in violent crime, thus focusing its resources on that aspect of life in the city. Traffic stops can also pose a risk to officer safety ... lead to negative interactions with the public, and can result in disparate impacts to communities of color, he said.

I know that there are concerns from police agencies across the state that struggle with adequate staffing and resources. I encourage this committee to hear their concerns and ensure that this bill achieves the goal of greater safety and reduced administrative demand across departments. I believe that on balance, the reduced staffing demands as a result of this bill will be more beneficial than any unforeseen administrative impacts it may create, said Reyes.

Kai Addae, a member of the Safe Streets group in New Haven, also voiced support for automated cameras, as well as the creation of a statewide Vision Zero council, which would be tasked with considering the future of pedestrian safety in the state.

The traffic safety measures in this bill are necessary and far overdue, said Addae.

Heather Gerkin, dean of the Yale Law School, noted the death of Chris Lim, who was struck and killed while riding his bicycle in October near the intersection of York Street and South Frontage Street.

Chriss death was an immense loss for our community. He was an extraordinarily talented student with a remarkable future ahead of him, said Gerkin, noting that three people have died at the intersection in the last 10 years. As a resident of Connecticut, I know that H.B. 5429 will make my community safer. As a parent and a dean, I never again want to console a grieving family after the death of a child that could have prevented by a bill like this one.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  San Miguel Corporation has organized a community reseller program as part of its livelihood support for former settlers of its 740-billion airport project site in Bulakan, Bulacan.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said that through the initiative, former residents of Brgy. Taliptip can start their own cooperative business reselling Magnolia Chicken and Purefoods-branded frozen products, with assistance from the conglomerate.

We will make sure our people will be there to watch over them, monitor their progress, and help them make their business succeed, Ang said. As with our TESDA training programs, this is open to all former residents. They just have to organize themselves, and we will extend the same support.

The first community store under the program was opened last January 24. SMC said it provided the initial inventory of products for free, as well as freezers needed for the shop.

Im happy too that the initial feedback for the pilot store has been very positive and encouraging for the former Sitio Kinse residents. We will immediately replicate these stores for other groups of relocatees so more people can benefit from this program, Ang said.

Last year, residents of the soon-to-rise New Manila International Airport were relocated to nearby homes provided by SMC. Besides the newly launched reselling program, the company has also coordinated with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority in providing them skills and livelihood training. Ang said this is part of keeping SMCs promise to prioritize the locals for economic opportunities arising from the airport project.

The company added that it will also provide supplemental community-based business skills training, which will allow former residents to enhance their income from the fishing trade. Meanwhile, SMC said other locals took up dressmaking and cookery courses and were given toolkits to start small businesses.

The new airport, which is planned to span some 2,500 hectares, is eyed to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport once operational in a few years. SMC bagged a 50-year franchise to build and operate the NMIA after President Rodrigo Duterte skipped signing the measure into law on time.
Foreign Affairs Ministry repatriates 28 Indonesian fishermen from India

January 31,2021 | Source: Tempo

Twenty-eight fishermen from KM BSK 45 vessel of Aceh Province were repatriated home on Saturday, January 30, by using Garuda aircraft. The 28 fishers were detained in Andaman, India, since March 2020, for entering the region without complete documents. They also allegedly conducted illegal fishing in Andaman waters.



The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry and Embassy of New Delhi (KBRI New Delhi) provided legal assistance, consultation visit to the prison, and logistic needs.



The Indonesian fishermen were finally freed by the court on January 8, 2021. Before they were sent home, KBRI New Delhi performed PCR tests to make sure they are free from the coronavirus.



Once they arrived in Jakarta, the 28 fishers conducting quarantine based on the health measures set by the Covid-19 task force. The ministry also coordinated with Aceh Government and Fisheries Ministry to organize the fishers repatriation to their places of origin.







In 2020, the Foreign Affairs Ministry attempted to free and repatriate 22 Aceh fishermen from India and 51 from Thailand.



To avoid such cases from recurring, the Foreign Ministry, Aceh government, and Fisheries Ministry continue the Public Awareness Campaign, as well as strengthening the capacity of the fishermen, hoping they will have more knowledge and understanding about the borderline when go fishing.

 Tempo Media Group

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
As Alabama pushes forward in its rollout of vaccines, the state this week saw its first confirmed case of the highly contagious coronavirus strain from the United Kingdom.

And the steady global spread of other variants from Brazil and South Africa, the latter found in South Carolina this week, are raising the stakes to immunize Americans as quickly as possible.

Yet new uncertainties are arising about how effective the existing vaccines will be against the mutations and whether it will be necessary to roll out a modified version of the shots.

Thats the newest wrinkle with COVID, said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Just when we thought we got on top of it and are developing and now deploying the vaccine, here we have some new mutations that come up.

Experts like Schaffner are hopeful that the existing vaccines will still be effective against the new strains but say more research is needed.

On Friday, Dr. Antony Fauci called the arrival of new variants in the United States a wake up call to vaccinate as many Americans as possible as quickly as possible to stymie the virus from spreading and mutating further.

It is an incentive to do what weve been saying all along: to vaccinate as many people as we can, as quickly as we possibly can, he said.

The current Moderna and Pfizer vaccines appear to be effective against the highly contagious UK variant, which was identified in Montgomery and Jefferson counties this week and is rapidly becoming the dominant COVID-19 strain in the United States. New research this week shows the strain may also cause more severe cases.

Johnson and Johnson announced Friday that its vaccine, which is pending FDA approval, is somewhat less effective, with 57 percent efficacy against the South African variant, compared to 72 percent with the original strain. The South African variant was identified in South Carolina this week in two individuals with no apparent connection and no travel history.

Moderna is modifying its vaccine for use on the South African strain, just in case that turns out to be necessary as more becomes known.

A Brazilian variant is causing particular concern among scientists because of how quickly it has spread so far. This week, the variant was identified in Minnesota in a person who had traveled to Brazil.

The problem with a novel virus is its got so much room to grow and shift and change to optimize itself, said Harvard School of Public Healths Dr. Michael Mina. The question is how quickly is it going to keep updating itself?

Experts say more research should be conducted into how effective the vaccines are against the South African strain, which has currently deviated the most from the original virus.

Whatever mutation happens, the vaccine manufacturers can keep up with it, but given the multiplicity of strains circulating at one time, that may be a challenge, said Dr. Schaffner.

Dr. Mina, from Harvard, said he is less confident that the existing vaccines can be updated for any and all future variants. Assuming it is possible to successfully modify the existing vaccines, it may make sense to first wait and see where the virus is heading,

If we do make a change to the vaccine, by the time that rolls out, we might have a new virus on our hands again or a new version of this virus, he said.

But Dr. David Kimberlin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, is hopeful that a modified vaccine will not be needed.

What we know right now is pretty reassuring. It looks like the people getting the current vaccines have protection, he said. What we know today may not be what we know a week from now or a month from now.

Rolling out an updated vaccine would come with a slate of complications, like whether new trials would be necessary.

And then there would be renewed questions of which vaccine priority groups to give the shots to first, especially if some of the most vulnerable people have already been immunized and younger people have yet to receive any doses, Dr. Mina said.

Its going to be a real challenge to do it well and (equitably), he said.

Were already seeing massive difficulties in getting equitability in the distribution of vaccine rollouts.

And its not clear how willing some people will be to line up for a hypothetical third shot, whether it is a booster or a new vaccination. Recent polls show only three-quarters of Americans say they definitely or probably would get a vaccine.

People have COVID fatigue already, said Dr. Schaffner. Theyre going to come back to us and say what do you mean, why didnt you take care of this virus the first time around? Now you are saying there are new strains? Give me a break

For now, expanding rapid testing, mask wearing, and social distancing are the most powerful tools to prevent future mutations of the virus, said Dr. Mina.

The best thing we can possibly do to assist the vaccines, to make sure the vaccines are keeping their protective nature, is to get cases as low as they can get through other means, he said.

Dr. Kimberlin, at UAB, urged Alabamians to get a vaccine when its their turn.

Between now and then and after then, wear masks, and stay six feet apart, he said. Those are going to be the kinds of things that get us through this period as we learn more about the variants.
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Steve Mnuchin and Louise Linton arrive for a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump at the White House on April 24, 2018. Alex Brandon/AP Photos

Actress Louise Linton has released the trailer for her new film, 'Me You Madness.'

Linton, the wife of former Treasury Secretary, plays a serial killer hedge fund manager.

The film, also featuring Ed Westwick, will be released on VOD on February 12, 2021.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Louise Linton, the actress and wife of former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, has released the trailer for her new film, 'Me You Madness,' in which she plays a serial killer hedge fund manager.

The comedic thriller written, directed, produced, and starring Linton also features Ed Westwick, best known for Gossip Girl, playing a thief and potential murder victim of her character, Catherine Black.

The trailer begins: "My name is Catherine Black. You may think that I'm a materialistic, narcissistic, self-absorbed misanthrope. I don't deny it. I'm a hedge fund manager. I'm addicted to fashion, the accumulation of money, exercise, and sex. My life is incredible."

Read More: 24 media leaders who are on the job market: The TV, film, and streaming free-agent execs who could make big moves in 2021

The actress previously caused controversy after she went viral for holding a sheet of freshly printed money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington DC wearing long, black leather gloves.

Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton hold up a sheet of new $1 bills at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington DC on November 15, 2017. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photos

Three months later, Linton posted a photo on Instagram of her leaving a government plane with Mnuchin and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell with the hashtags #hermes, #valentino, #roulandmouret, #tomfordsunnies," according to Vanity Fair.

Vanity Fair added that after a commenter said, "glad we could pay for your little getaway," she responded by "implying the woman was a poor slob who earned less in a year than Linton and her husband paid in quarterly taxes." She later released a statement apologizing.

Linton also came under fire in 2016 after writing a memoir based on her time volunteering in Zambia in 1999. It was considered so offensive that it was pulled from sale, The New York Times noted.

Story continues

Before joining the Trump administration, Steve Mnuchin worked as a Hollywood producer and served as Executive Producer on Suicide Squad, the New York Post reported.

Prior, he made a fortune as a hedge fund manager. He told The New York Times: "I watched Louise create this film from first draft to final edit. I'm proud of her drive, tenacity, and spirit. The movie is highly entertaining and very good fun."

Me You Madness will be released on VOD on February 12, 2021.

Read the original article on Insider

KABUL  Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab received Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu to discuss bilateral relations and the peace process.

Discussing Afghan-Chinese expanding relations, Minister Nab called for a greater Chinese role in advancing peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Chinese Ambassador conveyed his leaderships strong will for strengthening bilateral relations and supporting sustainable peace in Afghanistan.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to focus on the underfunded healthcare sector when she unveils the Union budget for fiscal 2021-22 in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic global health crisis has transformed into an economic and social contingency, stretching Indias healthcare systems beyond its limits. A stressed healthcare infrastructure, limited diagnostic capacity and constrained manpower made it all the more difficult to deal with the pandemic. The highly infectious disease seems to be now receding in the country, with fewer cases being recorded each day. It has, however, left the government pondering that the sector needs a major boost to stay prepared for such pandemics.

This years budget is going to be special as it will test the governments fiscal prudence towards key sectors like health, in times when the economy is struggling to come out of the pandemic. Even in the best of times, the countrys healthcare expenditure towards healthcare has been dismal and expecting the government to apply a magic wand in distress is asking for too much. This coupled with additional spending required for covid vaccination will leave little freedom for the government to spend towards long-term healthcare improvements," said Himanshu Sikka, leadhealth, nutrition and, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) at IPE Global, an international development consultancy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said that the government will boost healthcare spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025 from the existing 1.15%, but the sector has continued to receive minimal funding so far. The sector received 69,000 crore in this fiscal years budget up from 62,659 crore in 2019-20.

Healthcare and economy experts believe the budget may focus on public-private partnerships (PPP) and local firms, further tweaking of viability gap funding options to attract private investors. It may also contain investments in health to boost indigenous manufacturing of medical devices and PPEs, as well as raw materials for drugs.

India should step up public investment on health comparable to nations with similar per capita GDP. Further, private sector participation in manufacturing of medical equipment, drugs research may be encouraged through... direct budgetary support," said Dr Sarit Rout, additional professor, Indian Institute of Public Health, Bhubaneshwar.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 20:04:10|Editor: huaxia

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Kan Zhenhua (L) talks with a medical worker at a community COVID-19 testing site in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 30, 2021. Kan Zhenhua, who has settled down in Hainan Province, decided to aid her hometown Harbin as a volunteer along with her daughter Jin Xin after the COVID-19 outbreak there in January 2021. From Jan. 21, 2021, Kan and her daughter volunteered to guide and register individual information for citizens and upload data at a community COVID-19 testing site. "I hope the experience as a volunteer could make Jin Xin improve herself and grow. We are mother and daughter, and we are also comrades amid the fight against the coronavirus," said Kan Zhenhua. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
On the tax front, it is important to make it easy for both the lessor and lessee to avoid tax leakage.

The International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)s Gujarat International Finance Tech-City (GIFT) is the first smart city in India that is fast emerging as an attractive destination for financial services players. After the setting up of the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) [being the Unified Regulator for IFSC], it has witnessed some path-breaking regulations and policy announcements in a very short span of time for different aspects of financial services such as banking, stock-broking, investors in IFSC, etc.

Recently, the IFSCA permitted Global In-House Centres (GICs) of financial companies to be set up in IFSC. The Alternative Investment Funds regime is also attractive and it should see funds/fund managers setting up base in IFSC soon. One must also applaud the IFSCA on being very open to suggestions from investors and pro-development. The IFSCA works closely with the government to address the changing business environment/needs and providing more business opportunities/competitive advantages for units in IFSC. Whilst a lot has already been done, some of the key tax considerations which the government may address in the Budget 2021 to make IFSC more attractive are:

Banking units in IFSC

Banks set up in IFSC can invest through Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) route (post-seeking FPI license) into the domestic market and such income from FPI activity shall be governed by Section 115AD (special tax regime applicable for FPI). Such income is not eligible for a tax holiday. However, in order to encourage banks to set up in IFSC and to make it simpler for them to operate, the entire income of the banking unit, including income from FPI activity should be eligible for deduction under section 80LA.

Recently, non-delivery based forward trading has been permitted to banks in IFSC. In order to encourage their clients, i.e. the banks clients, such as hedge funds to also trade in the IFSC market, a tax exemption could be proposed for the foreign funds earning income from such trading, to move their trading to IFSC. Without clarity on the taxation of NDF trades, there is an apprehension that it may be taxed at the maximum rate and hence the market may not pick up.

Relaxation of MAT for stock broking

The IFSCA has permitted eligible foreign entities to set up a branch office as a stockbroker or GIC. The income from such a branch would be eligible for tax holiday [section 80LA]. However, such a branch would be liable to pay tax on its book profits under the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) provisions disregarding tax holiday otherwise available. These units should be exempted from MAT provisions or MAT rate should be reduced. This would reduce the imbalance between the overall tax cost for such branches vis-a-vis stock broking units of domestic entities in IFSC which would be paying tax under the concessional tax regime provided under section 115BAA of the Act (post-the tax holiday period) and to whom MAT provisions are not applicable.

Objective criteria for fund managers

In order to address the likely invocation of General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) by tax officers, objective criteria for fund managers in IFSC (e.g. certain minimum activities, employees, etc.) must be laid down. Further, the criteria could vary depending on the size of the fund or it could be spelt out for each fund while granting approval depending on the peculiarities of each structure. This would address subjectivity around the applicability and invocation of the GAAR provisions and provide certainty.

Dividend, repatriation of funds

The earlier benefit of dividend being tax-free should be reinstated for dividend income earned by the parent companies from their subsidiaries incorporated in IFSC. Also, the buy-back/income distribution tax should not be made applicable to companies set up in IFSC. This shall allow companies in IFSC to upstream profits / repatriate the capital in a tax-efficient manner. For all foreign investors/lenders, the ability to repatriate capital and ease of winding up operations is very important.

Therefore, this would give a good boost to foreign investors. Equally important is the ease of winding up operations and repatriating balance capital. These ease of business measures would go a long way in boosting the confidence of foreign investors to come to IFSC.

The above are only a few thoughts to make IFSC more attractive. Theres lots more coming up in IFSC like aircraft leasing, which has been recently recognized as a financial services activity. It is important that a light-touch regulatory regime be put in place to attract global lenders.

On the tax front also, it is important to make it easy for both the lessor and lessee to avoid tax leakage. The authority could consider blanket exemption from withholding tax for interest received/earned by financer (i.e. entity undertaking lending to entities engaged in aircraft leasing activity) on loan advanced to the entity undertaking aircraft leasing activity; to the interest portion of finance lease rentals earned/received by SPV from the airlines; and lease rentals payable by airlines to SPV.

This would reduce the administrative burden of obtaining Nil withholding tax certificate under section 197 of the Act given that units in IFSC (i.e. Financer/SPV) would be claiming tax holiday.

The mutual funds and foreign lending companies are other new and exciting businesses in IFSC to watch out for. Here also it will be important to put in easy and lucid tax and regulatory policies.

So far one of the key complaints of the foreign investors was on the ease of doing business in India. IFSCA, with its attractive policies, a very proactive regulator and a conducive business environment seems to have addressed these concerns.

The writer is Partner and Head, Financial Services Tax, KPMG in India and Nilesh Pal, CA
Join Jenny Green this Monday at 10am when she'll be playing a great new charity song!And well be featuring the song all week...To coincide with Childrens Mental Health Week 2021 , pop icon Billy Ocean has teamed up with the Young Voices Choir to release a new and uplifting recording of the Bill Withers classic Lovely Day.

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Hope Summit Christian Church in Rochester reports it was broken into twice overnight between January 21st and 22nd.

Pastor Jeff Matteson says he was getting ready to head into work that Friday morning, when he received a call from his wife who also works at the church, saying it was evident their office had been broken into.

Matteson says police arrived soon after to make sure the building was clear.

Security footage shows a man got into the building around 10:30 P.M, and again later at 1:45 A.M, spending about an hour inside each time.

Matteson believes the man broke into a door with a knife, and that entrance has since been secured.

The church found the suspect took personal items like cash, laptops, and other electronics.

Matteson says he is grateful it wasn't any worse, and has since been able to see the brighter side of things.

We want to see justice of course, but at the same time, we believe in healing, we believe in second chances, we believe in next steps, Matteson says. He adds, Moments like these show how awesome people can be, you end up seeing a darker side of humanity, but at the same time, the awesome people show up in force as well."

The suspect is described a 58 tall.

The church asks anyone who recognizes the man or has any information to contact Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477.
New Delhi:

Pakistan once again rejected India's demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav on Sunday. Further, while rejecting the demand, Pak said it would be a "travesty of logic" to link his case with Indian civilian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails.

India had on Saturday sought consular access to the 46-year-old Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer sentenced to death in April by Pakistan's Field General Court Martial for "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities."

Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement on Sunday that "the Indian attempt to equate Commander Jadhav's case with civilian prisoners and fishermen is a travesty of logic.

"It claimed Jadhav was a serving Indian Navy officer "and was sent to Pakistan by its intelligence agency RAW for espionage, terrorism and subversive activities which resultedin loss of many innocent lives and damage to property."

ALSO READ: India again asks Pak to provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav

Pakistan has dismissed India's consular access request to Jadhav more than 15 times. And India has accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating the Vienna Convention by doing so.

India moved the International Court of Justice againstJadhav's death penalty and the ICJ on May 18 restrainedPakistan from executing the death sentence. Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that hewas kidnapped from Iran where he was dealing with his business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. The denial for consular access came a day after India and Pakistan exchanged a list of prisoners lodged in each other's jails.

READ: Jadhav case: India slams Pakistan over 'confessional video'

According to the list Pakistan shared with India, at least 546 Indian nationals are lodged in its jails. The lists were exchanged as per the provisions of thebilateral agreement on consular access signed on May 21, 2008.

As per the pact, such lists have to be exchanged twice a year, on January 1 and July 1. The Foreign Office also said that Pakistan is committed to implement the 2008 agreement and ensure that humanitarian cases are not held hostage to politics.

"We expect India toreciprocate through action rather than rhetoric." It said five Indian nationals, who had completed theirsentences, were repatriated on June 22.

"In contrast, 20 Pakistani civilian prisoners who have completed their sentence still await repatriation, while consular access to 107 Pakistani fishermen and 85 civilian Pakistani prisoners is also pending," it said. "Indian humanitarian claims appear contrary to reality in view of the impossible conditions imposed for medical visas for Pakistani patients," it claimed.

With PTI inputs

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Thousands of protesters carrying the British flag march near the Hong Kong harbour in July 2019 (Kin Cheung/AP)

The number of people from Hong Kong making the decision to leave their hometown and move to Britain since Beijing imposed a strict national security law on the Chinese territory last summer is expected to swell to hundreds of thousands.

Thousands have already made the decision, some because they fear punishment for supporting the pro-democracy protests that swept the former British colony in 2019.

Others say Chinas encroachment on their way of life and civil liberties has become unbearable, and they want to seek a better future for their children abroad. Most say they do not plan to ever go back.

Expand Close A British National Overseas passport and a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China passport (Kin Cheung/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A British National Overseas passport and a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China passport (Kin Cheung/AP)

The moves are expected to accelerate now that five million Hongkongers are eligible to apply for visas to Britain, allowing them to live, work and study there and eventually apply to become British citizens.

Applications for the British National Overseas (BNO) visa officially opened on Sunday, though many have already arrived on British soil to get a head start.

The British government said some 7,000 people with BNO passports  a travel document that Hongkongers could apply for before the city was handed over to Chinese control in 1997  have arrived since July on the previously allowed six-month visa.

It estimates that over 300,000 people will take up the offer of extended residency rights in the next five years.

Andrew Lo, founder of Anlex Immigration Consultants in Hong Kong, said: Before the announcement of the BN(O) visa in July, we didnt have many enquiries about UK immigration, maybe less than 10 a month.

Now we receive about 10 to 15 calls a day asking about it.

Expand Close A protester holds a Hong Kong colonial flag in a shopping mall during a 2020 protest against Chinas national security legislation for the city (Kin Cheung/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A protester holds a Hong Kong colonial flag in a shopping mall during a 2020 protest against Chinas national security legislation for the city (Kin Cheung/AP)

Mike, a photojournalist who wanted to be identified only by his first name, said he plans to apply for the visa and move to Leeds with his wife and young daughter in April.

His motivation to leave Hong Kong came after the citys political situation deteriorated following the anti-government protests and he said he realised that the citys police force was not politically neutral.

The police have been criticised by pro-democracy supporters for brutality and the use of excessive violence.

Mike said moving to Britain was important as he believed the education system in Hong Kong would be affected by the political situation and it would be better for his daughter to study in the UK.

Mr Lo said that with the new visa, the barrier to entry to move to the UK becomes extremely low, with no language or education qualification requirements.

BNO passport holders need to prove that they have enough money to support themselves for six months and prove that they are clear of tuberculosis, according to the UK government.

Currently, Mr Lo assists three to four families a week in their move to the UK. About 60% of these are families with young children, while the remaining are young couples or young professionals.

Expand Close Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the visa offer showed Britain was honouring its historic ties with Hong Kong (Leon Neal/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the visa offer showed Britain was honouring its historic ties with Hong Kong (Leon Neal/PA)

Cindy, a Hong Kong businesswoman and the mother of two young children, arrived in London last week.

In Hong Kong she had a comfortable lifestyle. She owned several properties with her husband and the business she ran was going well. But she made up her mind to leave it all behind as she felt that the citys freedoms and liberties were eroding and she wanted to ensure a good future for her children.

Cindy, who wanted to be identified by her first name only, said it was important to move quickly as she feared Beijing would soon move to halt the exodus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that the visa offer showed Britain was honouring its profound ties of history with Hong Kong, which was handed over to China on the understanding that it would retain its Western-style freedoms and much of its political autonomy not seen on mainland China.

Beijing said on Friday that it would no longer recognise the BNO passport as a travel document or form of identification, and criticised Britains citizenship offer as a move that seriously infringed on Chinas sovereignty. It was unclear what effect the announcement would have because many Hongkongers carry multiple passports.

Beijing drastically hardened its stance on Hong Kong after the 2019 protests turned violent and plunged the city into a months-long crisis.

Since the security laws enactment, dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested, and the movements young leaders have either been jailed or fled abroad.

Because the new law broadly defined acts of subversion, secession, foreign collusion and terrorism, many in Hong Kong fear that expressing any form of political opposition  even posting messages on social media  could land them in trouble.

Miriam Lo, who runs Excelsior UK, a relocation agency, said: This is a really unique emigration wave  some people havent had time to actually visit the country theyre relocating to. Many have no experience of living abroad.

And because of the pandemic, they couldnt even come over to view a home before deciding to buy.
https://www.aish.com/tp/i/gl/Criticism-the-Right-Way.html

Rashi, 18:1, Dh: And Yitro heard: His name was also Yeter, because he added one section to the Torah, [that beginning with] and you will see.

Shemot, 18:17: The father-in-law of Moshe said to him, the thing that you do is not good...

Shemot, 18:21: And you will see from among the entire people, men of accomplishment

The Portion begins with the reaction of Moshes father-in-law, Yitro, to the miracles that the Jewish people experienced on their journeys out of Egypt. Rashi notes that Yitro had seven names, and one of them was Ytser, meaning additional. Rashi explains that this name was given him because he merited to add a whole section in the Torah, later in the Portion - which Rashi describes as the section starting with and you will see - when he suggested a new system of judgement to replace the present system whereby Moshe would deal with every case. Thus, this name is a great praise to Yitro for achieving such a unique feat of adding a whole new section to the Torah. However, a question on Rashis explanation arises: When Rashi refers to the passage where Yitro made his suggestion, he seems to begin in the middle of the passage. The passage begins with Yitro telling Moshe in Chapter 18, verse 17, The thing that you do is not good Only four verses later in verse 21, does he say, And you will see. Why does Rashi not describe Yitros suggestion from the beginning of the dialogue between Yitro and Moshe?

One Torah Scholar answered that this passage is coming to praise Yitro for his meriting to add a section in the Torah. The first four verses of the passage involving Yitro are not positive words, rather they are words of criticism of what was wrong with the existing system. Only in verse 21, does he begin to propose a new system of judges. The praise of Yitro is not for his criticism because it is very easy to criticize without giving any constrictive ideas, rather he is applauded for offering an alternative. This teaches a very important lesson  seeing whats wrong with the situation does not require any great character traits, indeed, it often indicates an ayin rah  a propensity to focus on the negative in an unhealthy way. However, discerning how to rectify the problems requires an ability to think positively and constructively.

It is apparent that the character trait of being critical can be used for the good or for the bad. Based on this idea, we see that one aspect of using it for the good is that it should be the springboard for positive change. Indeed, Rabbi Yerucham Levovits, the Mashgiach (spiritual guide) of the Mirrer Yeshiva, writes that Yitro was a highly critical person but he used it for the good.1

One way of discerning whether a person uses a trait in the correct way is if he only applies it to other people or if he uses it to improve himself. The wrong way of applying ones critical nature is if a person only uses it to see what is wrong with everyone else but does not use it to analyze his own failings or mistakes. Yitro used his critical nature to question whether he was living in the correct way and to search for the truth. The Sages tell us that he worshipped every type of idol and he realized that they were all false. And when he recognized the correctness of the Torah, he did not allow himself to ignore the implication of that truth, rather he admitted that he had been wrong in his beliefs and he changed his whole lifestyle and joined the Jewish people.

In Torah, the trait of being critical is essential to ones Torah learning and general life outlook. There is no place in Judaism for blindly accepting what one hears without questioning it and trying to understand it. A person with a critical nature is more likely to come to the truth.2 Moreover, we learn from Yitro that using a critical eye in a positive way is the platform for achieving necessary changes in the world. Yitro saw what was wrong with the system of judgment and did not suffice with criticizing it, rather he sought and found an alternative. Indeed, it seems that all the great achievers among the Jewish people saw what was wrong with a certain situation and did something positive to rectify it. The following story illustrates one of the most striking examples of this.

There was once a meeting of many of the leading Rabbis of the generation and the descendants of the leaders of the previous one, including the Chofetz Chaim. Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna, the great Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron, stood up to speak and he surprised everyone, saying that there was one person who had achieved more for the Jewish people than everyone who was present, and their illustrious ancestors. Moreover, he confidently asserted that once he would tell the audience who it was, they would all agree. Who was this great person?

It was Sarah Shenirer; she was a seemingly ordinary woman who lived at a time where there was no formal Torah education for Jewish girls. Consequently, young women from observant families were leaving Torah in great numbers. The scale of this tragedy was magnified by the fact that many Torah scholars were unable to find an appropriate match given the lack of suitable women. It is no exaggeration to say that the very future of the Jewish people was in great danger. Sarah Shenirer recognized the threat, questioned the status quo, and, amidst great opposition founded the first network of Torah schools for girls, Beit Yaakov. With the guidance of leading Sages, such as the Chofetz Chaim and the Gerrer Rebbe, she succeeded beyond her wildest expectations and, effectively assured the future of Torah observance. Surely, many people were aware of the serious situation at the time, but only Sarah Shenirer applied the trait of criticism to motivate herself to find a positive solution.

The examples of Yisro and Sarah Shenirer teach us how to apply criticism in a positive way.
No word to criticise the way Bengal CM, chief secretary insulted PM: BJP''s Suvendu Adhikari on Friday''s cyclone review insulted PM: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari on Friday's cyclone review meeting.

The second in a series of informative talks about the early days of Tauranga will be held this evening in Gate Pa.

The Battle of Pukehinahina - Gate Pa - in 1864 is one of the most significant events in the history of the city.

Historians Buddy Mikaere and Lt Col Dr Cliff Simons will explore why this battle happened, what happened during and after the battle and its importance for Tauranga today.

St. George's Anglican Church in Gate Pa sits on the site of the Battle of Pukehinahina and was packed last Sunday as people gathered to hear the first talk in the series from Cliff who outlined the story of the early Christian missionaries who made Tauranga their home.

Each year we offer free lectures to help the community understand our city's history and how it shapes our present, says the churchs vicar, Rev. John Hebenton.

Cliff is a well-known historian, speaker and author who specialises in New Zealand's colonial and military history. He recently released the book Soldiers, Scouts and Spies, a military history of the New Zealand Wars 1845-1864.

Buddy is a former director of the Waitangi Tribunal and is a consultant, author and historian. Buddy and Cliff are the co-authors of the book: Victory at Gate Pa? and will offer both their up-to-date research done for their book published in October 2018, and the work they have done since for the reprint.

Tonight, Sunday January 31, at 7pm, Buddy and Cliff will co-present a lecture on The Battle of Pukehinahina  Gate Pa.

St George's Church operates with the kaupapa of  let everyone who enters here be reconciled, says John. There will be an opportunity for questions and discussion at the end of each lecture.

A koha  donations  will be collected at the door to help cover the costs.

For more information please contact Rev. John Hebenton on: John.Hebentontssf@gmail.com or go to the website: www.stgeorgesgatepa.com



Mount Greylock Superintendent: Virtual Racist Incident Work of Student from Another District

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Mount Greylock Regional School District on Saturday announced that the racist Zoom-bombing incident in a high school classroom this week was the work of a student from another school district.

Superintendent Jason McCandless made the announcement in a letter to the Mount Greylock community that was posted on the middle-high school's social media accounts.

"On Friday afternoon, the principal of Mount Greylock Regional School, Mr. [Jake] Schutz, was emailed an apology from a student in another school district who is taking responsibility for their own action of impersonating a Mount Greylock student online and playing music with highly offensive lyrics containing a racial epithet," McCandless wrote.

He wrote that "local school authorities will have the opportunity to hold this student to account."

On Saturday evening, McCandless confirmed in an email to iBerkshires.com that the other school district was aware of Mount Greylock's determination, "and in fact brought their suspicions to the Mount Greylock administration."

McCandless thanked the Williamstown Police Department for its work since the Jan. 21 incident and the Berkshire County District attorney's office for its offer of assistance during the investigation.

The student who admitted to the incident apologized for their actions and asked that the apology be forwarded to the individual Mount Greylock student whose identity was used to trespass in a virtual classroom.

"I now realize how bad, unacceptable, and disgusting my actions were," McCandless' letter quotes the student's apology. "It was never my intention to hurt or make anyone feel targeted.

"I truly apologize to the students, teachers and administrators who were affected by my action. I am especially sorry to the student who felt targeted and hurt by my decision. It was never my intention to make someone feel targeted or hurt."

McCandless indicated that the fact that the incident appears not to have been the work of a Mount Greylock student, the conversation it has sparked about school climate will continue.

"No matter the 'who' or the 'where' of this incident, the incident has served as a stark reminder that hate, fear, intimidation, and language that disrespects not only an individual but an entire people, and all who stand with our neighbors, are real," McCandless wrote. "We are reminded that neither these beliefs nor actions will be tolerated or overlooked in our community.

"This incident serves as a stark reminder that we must continue to find ways to ensure that every student and every family member have the absolute and inalienable right to feel safe, to feel welcome, to feel they belong, and to feel they are home."

McCandless also addressed a separate concern arising from Saturday's announcement itself: the security of the versatile classrooms that figure to be a major part of public education as the COVID-19 pandemic continues this winter and spring.

"School officials will continue to seek how the student from another district had one of our class links, and the school has instituted further security protocols to keep this from happening again," he wrote.
A Jewish refugee who fled the Nazis with his family from Austria during World War II has bequeathed an undisclosed fortune to the French village whose residents hid them from persecution for years.

Eric Schwam, who arrived in Chambon-sur-Lignon with his parents and maternal grandmother in February 1943, is believed to have left around two million euros to the village in southeast France.

Schwam, who died aged 90 on December 25, made his decision to make the village the sole beneficiary of his will in 'gratitude' for the welcome he received from the residents 78 years ago.

'It's a large amount for the village,' Mayor Jean-Michel Eyraud said.

Eric Schwam, who arrived in Chambon-sur-Lignon with his parents and maternal grandmother in February 1943, is believed to have left around two million euros to the village in southeast France

Schwam, who died aged 90 on December 25, made his decision to make the village the sole beneficiary of his will in 'gratitude' for the welcome he received from the residents 78 years ago

He declined to specify the amount since the will was still being sorted out, but the town's deputy mayor Denise Vallet, who told a local website that she met with Schwam and his wife twice to discuss the gift, said it was around two million euros ($2.4 million).

Schwam and his family arrived in 1943 and were hidden in a school for the duration of the war, and remained until 1950.

He later studied pharmacy and married a Catholic woman from the region near Lyon, where they lived.

Around 2,500 Jews were taken in and protected during World War II by Chambon-sur-Lignon, whose residents were honoured as 'Righteous Among the Nations' by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre (file photo)

A commemorative plaque of the rescue of Jews during their WWII persecution is affixed on the village school of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon

In his will, Schwam wrote that he wanted 'to thank them for the welcome many extended me in the field of education', according to CNN.

Eyraud said Schwam asked that the money be used for educational and youth initiatives, in particular scholarships.

'In his will, the only thing he [Schwam] indicates is that he made this choice in gratitude for the welcome the inhabitants of Chambon gave him during the war,' Vallat told France3.

Chambon-sur-Lignon, located on a remote mountain plateau in southeast France, has historically had a large Protestant community known for offering shelter to those in need.

Around 2,500 Jews were taken in and protected during World War II by the village, whose residents were honoured as 'Righteous Among the Nations' by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre.

Chambon-sur-Lignon, located on a remote mountain plateau in southeast France, has historically had a large Protestant community known for offering shelter to those in need

Over the centuries the village of Chambon-sur-Lignon has taken in a wide range of people fleeing religious or political persecution, from priests driven into hiding during the French Revolution to Spanish republicans during the civil war of the 1930s, and more recently migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa

Schwam's father was a doctor, while his mother Malcie created a library in the Rivesaltes camp in 1942, one of the many set up to imprison Jews.

Friedal Reiter, a young Swiss social worker, wrote a diary that contained information about the family's history. It is thought that Reiter helped the family move to Chambon-sur-Lignon after the Rivesaltes camp closed in November 1942.

Schwam was placed in a children's home run by Secours Suisse, a sub-sector of the Red Cross of Switzerland which helped children during the Second World War. His mother also worked there.

The entire family survived the war - and his parents returned to Austria. Schwam later studied pharmacy at the University of Leon in 1950 and graduated in 1957.

Over the centuries the village of Chambon-sur-Lignon has taken in a wide range of people fleeing religious or political persecution, from priests driven into hiding during the French Revolution to Spanish republicans during the civil war of the 1930s, and more recently migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa.
A Korean gentleman and his son. Circa late 19th century. Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



In the 1880s, Lillias Underwood, an early American missionary in Korea, wrote:



"No matter how old one is, without a top-knot [a Korean] is never considered a man, addressed with high endings, or treated with respect. After assuming the top-knot, no matter how young, he is invested with the dignities and duties of a man of the family, takes his share in making the offerings and prayers at the ancestral shrines, and is recognized by his ancestors' spirits as one of the family who is to do them honor, and whom they are to protect and bless."



Facial hair was also valued by Korean males. An American gold miner in the northern part of Korea recalled one of his Korean subordinates asking him for a page from his hometown newspaper. The page had an image of a full-bearded man and the Korean miner cut it out and pinned it to the wall of his room. Allegedly, he prayed  either to the picture or to his own god  to one day be granted a similar beard.



With hair being so highly prized by the Korean male population it might surprise you to know that an 1885 patent request in the United States for "a new and improved Hair-Cutting Machine" had its origin in Jemulpo (modern Incheon). According to the inventor: "The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved machine for clipping and cutting the hair on persons' heads, which is so constructed that it need not be operated by hand nor connected with exterior mechanism."



It probably comes as no surprise that the inventor wasn't Korean. He did, however, work for the Korean government: he was Vladimir S. Bekofsky, an employee of the Corean Customs Service and possibly the first Russian to live in Jemulpo.





A Korean teacher and his male pupils. Circa late 19th century. Robert Neff Collection



Born in Archangel, Russia on July 15, 1845, at some point Bekofsky made his way to Vladivostok where he found employment as a marine engineer. Although the Russian port was relatively new, Bekofsky apparently thought he could make better money in Shanghai and eventually moved there at the beginning of 1883.



He appears to have had a rather adventurous spirit (along with a wife and two daughters to support) and when he learned the Korean government was establishing its own Customs Service, he immediately submitted his application  carefully noting that he held "a government certificate as an engineer theoretical and practical,"  and was promptly hired.



In mid-June 1883, Bekofsky arrived in Jemulpo which, at this time, was mainly a collection of wooden shacks. He was placed in charge of construction and within two months had the Customs Service's foreign employees comfortably situated in new quarters. However, some of these employees were married and did not wish to be separated from their families  including Bekofsky  and soon began to move their families to the port.



In late September, Bekofsky's wife and two daughters arrived and took up residence in Hwato  an area just outside of Jemulpo  in, ironically considering his occupation, a dilapidated house that was later declared to be unhealthy. Unsurprisingly, his daughters found little to amuse them in Korea and apparently returned to Shanghai after spending only a short time in the primitive port.





The port of Jemulpo in the 1890s. Robert Neff Collection



Mrs. Bekofsky, however, elected to remain with her husband until the Gapsin Coup in December 1884 disproved the description of Korea being the "Land of the Morning Calm." Unrest in the capital and fear that it would spread, compelled the handful of Western women in the port to be removed to Nagasaki  they did not return until late the following month.



When his wife returned, they moved into the General Foreign Settlement of Jemulpo where it was thought they would be free from the infrequent-violence and rampant disease. It also was closer to his office and gave him more time to tinker with his inventions.



Not only did he invent the earlier-mentioned "Hair Cutting Machine" but also a car-coupler (for trains) in July 1886, a music recorder two months later and, in January 1887, a Balanced Cooking-Stove  "a practically balanced stove designed particularly for use on shipboard" because it would "always maintain a horizontal position, no matter to what extent the ship may roll."



Shortly after inventing the Balanced Cooking-Stove, Bekofsky completed his contract with the Korean government and immigrated to New York with his family. Unfortunately, like many of these early sojourners, once he left Korea he disappeared from the pages of history.





Bekofsky's patent request for his hair-cutting machine in 1885




A historic shoe company in Britain is feeling financial pressure because of Britains withdrawal from the European Union.

One hundred ninety-two-year-old Trickers makes costly shoes and boots that can sell for more than $600. The company has sold products to everyone from Prince Charles to shoe fans in Japan. But, the company director, Martin Mason, worries about the new price of doing business with the EU.

Costs from companies that ship Trickers products to buyers in the EU are growing. These extra costs could reach more than $135,000 a year for the company.

The trade deal reached in December of last year between Britain and the EU avoided costly tariffs. But Trickers is finding that paying the EUs value-added tax (VAT) has become a lot more complex for direct sales to shoe buyers.

British exporters must now use different tax rates for the European Unions 27 member states. Trickers has permitted shipping companies to collect the tax. Now, the shippers are seeking extra payments for each package sent to the EU from the shoe factory in Northampton.

It is a problem for companies on both sides of the border. The process is also causing delays in the arrival of goods. Shipments that used to take one day to arrive are now taking three or four. Also, when the shippers make mistakes, it causes more delays and paperwork.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the recent problems with trade are small and to be expected under a new system. Johnson points to the possibility for export growth if Britain gets trade deals with the United States, India and other countries.

Prices up, profits down

Adding to Trickers problems are VAT costs from shipping companies for shoes returned to its base in Northampton. Some wholesalers, businesses that sell to other businesses, are sending the shoes back. So are EU customers in need of shoe repairs.

The expected Brexit-related costs of about $136,690 a year would be equal to almost 10 percent of Trickers online sales. This in turn represents about 15 percent of total profit at Trickers, Mason said.

Brexit refers to Britain officially ending its EU membership, a move that took place one year ago.

The new taxes have led the company to raise prices for EU customers and pay the rest of the costs from its profits. I think all companies here in the UK are getting extra costs as a result of the deal, Mason said.

Mason spoke to Reuters news agency from an empty shop floor in the factory. Normally, 86 employees would produce 1,000 pairs of shoes a week.

Last year, during the first stay-at-home orders, was the first time they had ever been closed, he said. Weve been through...world wars, financial crises, stock market crashes, said Mason.

Even during the world wars, we were open, making boots for the army, he said. Dealing with Brexit and the coronavirus combined has made things much harder. We will get through it. It will be tough," he said.

British government budget experts say the countrys economy could be about four percent smaller under Brexit in 15 years time. However, Mason said Brexit has led to a few good possibilities for his company, which exports about 85 percent of its shoes.

An agreement with Japan would be a help and an agreement with the United States might lower import tariffs. Japanese customers make up more than 30 percent of Trickers business. About 15 percent comes from the EU.

But for now, Masons immediate need is to deal with the VAT issues. He said he hopes that common sense wins and that the problems of getting products into Europe will be solved.

It is a bit of a barrier to recovery after COVID, he said. But... if wise heads get together and solve some of these issues, then hopefully it will become easier.

Im Alice Bryant.

Reuters news agency reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

ship v. to send a product to a buyer or customer

tariff n. a tax on imports or exports by a government

value-added tax (VAT) n. a tax that is collected whenever a product or service is sold including among suppliers or wherever value is added

package n. a container holding some good, product or object that is sent somewhere

tough adj. difficult

customer n. someone who buys a good or service from a business
(Natural News) California is supposedly emerging from its worst surge of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) yet, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is refusing to disclose relevant data that would allow the entire state to open back up, despite early on in the pandemic committing to maximum transparency.

State health officials claim that the data measurements being used are very complex and would only confuse and possibly mislead people were it to be released to the general public.

Dr. Lee Riley, chairman of the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health infectious disease division, vehemently disagrees.

There is more uncertainty created by NOT releasing the data that only the state has access to, Dr. Riley wrote in an email, adding that releasing the data would also allow outside experts to analyze it and make their own decisions about whether or not to lift lockdown restrictions.

Under Newsoms ever-changing plan, California counties now have to reach certain benchmarks for virus data such as per capita infection rates in order to qualify for reopening. Some counties are supposedly doing better than others, however there is no way to know for sure as the associated data is being withheld.

The state is relying on data models that officials are using to project whether infections, hospitalizations and deaths are likely to rise or fall. Based on this, some counties are able to reopen for indoor dining, say, while others are being ordered to stay closed.

Theres no data  Newsom is reopening California at random

Everything changed after Thanksgiving, however, when Newsom tore up his playbook, to quote KTVI. Rather than take the county-by-county approach he promised, Newsom rewrote the script and decided to merge all counties into one of five regions.

Each region is evaluated using a single measurement, intensive care unit (ICU) capacity, as the determining factor for whether it gets to open or has to remain closed. No considerations are being made for remedial interventions such as vitamin D therapy.

Four of these five regions, which are home to 98 percent of Californias population, were told that they had to stay closed until ICU capacity fell below a 15 percent threshold.

As of Jan. 18, none of Californias five regions met this requirement. Just one day later, however, the state announced that the stay-at-home order for the 13-county Greater Sacramento region, a heavily populated area, would be lifted.

Both outdoor dining and worship services were once again allowed, and hair and nail salons were told they could reopen. Retailers were also given the green light to allow more shoppers at a time inside their stores.

Local officials were confused, however, as no reasoning was given for this sudden change. No data was provided, and the only thing disclosed was that projections for ICU capacity had changed in some way.

While ICU capacity in the Greater Sacramento area was below 10 percent at the time, health officials came to the determination that it would exceed 15 percent within four weeks.

What happened to the 15 percent? asked Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious diseases control expert at UC San Francisco. I was surprised. I assume they know something I dont.

Department of Public Health (DPH) spokeswoman Ali Bay told The Associated Press (AP) that state officials are using a new future capacity projection, along with other models, to adjust reopening guidelines.

At the moment the projections are not being shared publicly, she stated.

California Health and Human Services (HHS) Agency spokeswoman Kate Folmar added that officials are providing twice-weekly updates about which regions can reopen, and that this constitutes as transparency.

These fluid, on-the-ground conditions cannot be boiled down to a single data point  and to do so would mislead and create greater uncertainty for Californians, she said in a statement.

More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

KTVU.com

NaturalNews.com
Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnams 13th National Party Congress held a working session on Saturday afternoon and announced a list of 200 people elected to the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee, including 180 full and 20 alternate members.

-- The 13th Party Central Committee is scheduled to convene its first plenum on Sunday to elect the Party General Secretary, as well as members of the Politburo, Secretariat, and Central Inspection Committee.

Society

-- The Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 41 local COVID-19 infections from 6:00 pm on Saturday to 6:00 am on Sunday, raising the countrys tally to 1,781, with 1,456 recoveries and 35 deaths.

-- Vietnam has detected a new coronavirus variant originating in South Africa in a 25-year-old South African expert who had been quarantined upon his arrival in Hanoi on December 19. He tested positive for the novel coronavirus on December 23 and was confirmed as patient No. 1,422.

-- Police in the central city of Da Nang confirmed on Saturday they had detected six illegal Chinese migrants on January 29 and 27, including five border jumpers and one with an expired visa.

-- One teacher and 35 third-grade students at an elementary school in Hanoi have been quarantined after coming into close contact with a boy who was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on Saturday evening.

-- Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh said on Saturday they had traced approximately 12,000 people linked to two COVID-19 clusters in the locality and have conducted COVID-19 tests on nearly 8,000 of them.

-- Officers in Hanoi confirmed on Saturday they had arrested a 32-year-old man for repeatedly raping his friends girlfriend after picking her up from a wedding party in northern Thai Binh Province on January 18.

Business

-- Vietnamese airlines on-time performance (OTP) from December 19, 2020 to January 18, 2021 reached 95.4 percent, a year-on-year rise of 9.7 percent, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Meanwhile in UP's Baghpat, a 'sarv khap mahapanchayat' took place at the Tehsil ground with farmers pouring in from nearby districts as well in tractor-trollies

New Delhi/Ghaziabad: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government was just a "phone call away" for talks with the farmers agitating against the farm laws, union leaders on Sunday said a "respectful solution" should be found but they will not agree to anything "under pressure".

Farmer leaders Rakesh and Naresh Tikait demanded that the government release the protesters to create a conducive environment for talks, even as Modi, during his monthly radio address, said that the country was saddened by the "insult" to the Tricolour on the Republic Day, referring to the violence at Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade.

As hundreds of farmers continued to converge at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border following a tearful Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait's impassioned appeal on Thursday, the ripples spread deeper in western Uttar Pradesh where a mahapanchayat was held in Baghpat in support of the stir, the third in as many days in the key region.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal met Rakesh Tikait, joining several other leaders from the Opposition parties who have visited the protest site to extend their support.

The farmers will honour the dignity of the prime minister, but are also committed to protecting their self-respect, the Tikait brothers who are leading the agitation asserted, even as they warned that the farm laws issue could cost the BJP dear electorally.

"They (Farmers) are free to vote anyone, we cannot ask them to vote for a particular party...if a party has hurt them, why would they bring it to power again?" Naresh Tikait said. Both the leader said they were open to talks with the government to find a "middle path".

Modi had on Saturday said his government's offer on agri laws made to protesting farmers "still stands" and the Centre was just a "phone call away" for talks, days after violence broke out in parts of the National Capital on Republic Day.

Rakesh said they will honour and respect the dignity of prime minister, and added the farmers don't want the government or Parliament to "bow down to them". But at the same time, he added, they will also ensure the self-respect of farmers is protected.

During their 26 January parade, scores of protesters had stormed the Red Fort, with some of them hoisting religious flags on its ramparts.

The two leaders condemned Republic Day violence and said it was unacceptable, even though they alleged it was the result of a conspiracy. They said the Tricolour was above everything and they will never let anyone disrespect it.

The Delhi Police has registered nearly 40 cases and made over 80 arrests in connection with the violence and vandalism.

The government should release our men and prepare an environment conducive for talks. A respectful solution should be reached. We will never agree to anything under pressure, Rakesh Tikait asserted.

Naresh, the elder of the two Tikait brothers and Bharatiya Kisan Union national president, (BKU) told news agency PTI, "Talks are necessary. A solution should be found,"

"The middle path could be that the BJP government assures farmers it won't implement the three laws during its tenure. We will also try convincing the farmers. What else can be better than this?" he suggested. "We respect the prime minister's post...farmers should be respected too," he said.

Naresh and Rakesh are sons of Mahendra Singh Tikait, once counted among the tallest farmer leaders of the country.

More tents came up at the UP gate protest site in Ghazipur on Sunday and many waited for hours to talk to Rakesh Tikait or click a selfie with him.

The farmer leader remained busy meeting his supporters and talking to the media, halting only when his voice gave away. A Bharatiya Kisan Union member said Rakesh has not been able to sleep for more than three hours a day for the past three days.

Small groups of farmers took out marches, carrying the Tricolour and shouting slogans.

Shiromani Akal Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, whose party pulled out of the NDA government over the three farm laws, met Tikait for around 10 minutes.

Earlier, Congress' UP president Ajay Kumar Lallu, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary and Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala had visited the protest site to extend support.

In Baghpat, a 'sarv khap mahapanchayat' took place at the Tehsil ground with farmers pouring in from nearby districts as well in tractor-trollies. It was the third 'mahapanchayat' of farmers in the region after a massive congregation in Muzaffarnagar on Friday and in Mathura on Saturday, both resolving to support the ongoing BKU-led protest.

BKU leader Rajendra Chaudhary told the crowd, the movement has to be continued with full strength.

The two-month-long protest against the farm laws appeared to be losing steam after widespread violence during a tractor parade by farmers on the Republic Day, but an emotional appeal by Rakesh Tikait gave it a fresh lease of life.

Delhi's Singhu border also saw more farmers from Punjab and Haryana joining the protest, even as some complained of poor internet connectivity and difficulties in getting water and food supplies.

The Opposition parties are likely to raise the issue of farm laws vociferously in Parliament and have already stepped up attack on the government.

Several parties, including the Congress and the SAD, and media bodies on Sunday condemned the police action against two journalists who were picked up during the farmers' protests at the Singhu border for allegedly misbehaving with police personnel. They said such crackdowns impinge on the media's right to report freely and interferes with its right to freedom of expression.

Freelance journalist Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh (with Online News India) were detained by Delhi Police last evening for allegedly misbehaving with personnel on duty. While Singh was later released, the police arrested Punia on Sunday.

The Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India and the Press Association demanded Punia's immediate release and said no journalist should be disturbed while carrying out their duties at any place.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the farmers were deeply hurt by the BJP's moves to "defame" them.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar expressed dismay over NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's tweets criticising the farm laws, saying they were a mix of "ignorance and misinformation" about the legislation, and hoped that the veteran leader will change his stand after knowing the "facts".

In a series of tweets, Pawar had on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the `Mandi' system.

Tomar said Pawar, who is a veteran leader, is also considered well-versed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. "Pawar himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier."

"Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts," Tomar said on Twitter and went on to stress that the "apprehensions" expressed by Pawar have no basis.

Meanwhile, a fresh war of words also erupted between the AAP and the ruling Congress in Punjab, with the former demanding that the state police provide security to the protesting farmers at Delhi borders and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh terming it "arbitrary, absurd and irrational".

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of UP have been protesting at Delhi's borders for over two months now, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The government has offered some concessions including keeping the new farm laws on hold for 1-1.5 years and the Supreme Court has set up a panel to look into the matter while keeping the contentious legislation in abeyance for two months.

However, the agitating farmer unions have rejected both and intensified their stir.
SCRANTON  Police arrested three people from outside the region on drug charges after finding crystal methamphetamine worth $46,000 hidden under the hood of their vehicle in the air filter.

The bust occurred Friday as a result of an investigation by the Scranton Police Departments Special Investigations Division and Street Crimes Unit into the sale of crystal methamphetamine in and around the city, police said Saturday.

The arrests occurred when the three suspects arrived at an unidentified local hotel with intent to deliver crystal meth, police said.

Officers executing a search warrant found a large amount of crystal meth with a street value of $46,000 hidden in the air filter of the defendants vehicle, police said.

Police identified the trio as Richard Smoke Oakley, 50, Javier Rivera Lopez, 42, and Justine Thorn, 29, of Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Oakley also possessed 9 grams of the drug, police said.
Massachusetts public health officials on Sunday reported another 2,546 cases of COVID-19 and 46 new COVID-linked deaths.

The latest data from the state Department of Public Health brings the estimated number of active cases to 71,948 statewide. Since the pandemic hit the U.S. a year ago, at least 498,145 Massachusetts residents have tested positive and 14,287 have died, according to DPH.

Sundays state totals come as Congress and the Biden administration debate the next round of COVID-19 relief. The Biden administration has proposed a $1.9 trillion package including $1,400 stimulus checks to Americans earning under $75,000 and couples earning less than $150,000. A group of 10 Republicans sent a letter to the White House this weekend calling for a $600 billion compromise that included $1,000 checks, with caps set at $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for families.

Some Massachusetts lawmakers have joined a progressive push for monthly $2,000 checks during the pandemic, which some polls suggest is supported by a majority of Americans.

State officials administered 93,918 new molecular tests to determine Sundays data. More than 13.6 million tests have been administered over the duration of the crisis.

The seven-day average rate of positive tests stands at 3.61%. The rate has trended downward, though its still much higher than the low of 0.8% reached in September. Excluding COVID tests at colleges and universities, which have kept case counts low and tested frequently, the states seven-day average is 5.3%.

As of Sunday, 1,676 people were hospitalized with the virus, including 371 in intensive care unit and 231 patients who are intubated. The seven-day average of hospitalizations has been dropping this month and is currently at 1,858, DPH said.

There are 192 cities and towns currently labeled by DPH as at high risk for COVID spread.

Residents 75 and older are up first and were able to start booking appointments this past week as the state rolls out Phase 2 of its COVID vaccination plan. But many had trouble booking an appointment online. Gov. Charlie Baker has said officials will be setting up a vaccine hotline to help residents navigate the states online portal.

More than 26 million Americans have contracted the virus and more than 440,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Total COVID cases by county:

Barnstable County: 8,703

Berkshire County: 4,501

Bristol County: 50,261

Dukes County: 775

Essex County: 77,363

Franklin County: 1,780

Hampden County: 37,186

Hampshire County: 5,654

Middlesex County: 101,919

Nantucket County: 1,082

Norfolk County: 40,400

Plymouth County: 35,999

Suffolk County: 71,597

Worcester County: 59,449

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IndiGo, Indias largest carrier by fleet and domestic market share, has been propelled to the seventh spot worldwide by capacity according to the latest rankings from OAG. The airline wouldnt have expected to be as big just yet, had it not been for COVID-19. The last year or two has seen IndiGo expand on international routes in a manner that no other airline from India has before.

As the airline declared a loss last week, the CEO was as candid as ever to explain that profitability would return when the airline scaled up to 100 percent of its capacity on the domestic front and was able to start international services.

IndiGo has 332 A320neo on order while the order for A321neo stands at 398 aircraft. Only 30 of the A321neos have been delivered. With capacity restrictions in place in terms of departures, the airline has been extensively deploying its A321neos and opting to bench the A320neo. Not only do they provide capacity, they also provide the long legs to offer charter flights to places  where the airline has not flown in the past  either as scheduled or as charter.

While the airline is in focus globally to have climbed the ranks in top airlines by capacity and for having accepted deliveries of the maximum number of A320 family aircraft in 2020, the next frontier is international. IndiGo has held slots at London Heathrow  the most coveted airport to operate in the world due to its slot restrictions  but has shied away from flying there due to prohibitive costs to induct a widebody and question marks over sustainability of widebody operations.

Focus on international

IndiGo moved beyond the usual melee of Gulf operations, which airlines from India have stuck to in the past on narrowbody aircraft. IndiGo expanded far and wide  to China, Turkey, Vietnam  and even offered codeshare services, a phenomenon not regularly associated with low-cost carriers.

Vande Bharat data

The secret of where the airline would fly in future could lie in the numbers of the Vande Bharat Mission. The mission, which initially started as a rescue and relief mission for Indians abroad, has since been used to start limited commercial flights under the air-bubble arrangement, with all flights being counted under the same, including charters.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation website shows 22.61 lakh passengers having arrived on charter flights while the Air India group carried another 12 lakh passengers. When the Indian government first mounted a mission to Wuhan, epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, the nation was surprised with the number of Indians who were in Wuhan.

As the Vande Bharat Mission progressed, more and more surprises started tumbling out. With Indians across the world and many destinations hitherto unconnected by any carrier or by an Indian carrier there could be potential in the future.

The Air India group operated to over 30 destinations where Indian carriers were not serving as part of the Vande Bharat Mission and out of these, many become immediately available for IndiGo  in terms of range, with the A321neo as well as the traffic potential for a narrowbody to balance costs. These include places such as Cairo, Kiev, Moscow, Manila, Almaty, Bishkek, Nairobi and Jakarta.

Come 2024, when the A321XLR is available and gives the airline a range of over 8,000 km, IndiGo could potentially fly to Mauritius and Bali. The airline has so far not specified the number of A321XLR it intends to operate and for a large customer like IndiGo, typically aircraft manufacturers allow a swap even at a later date.

IndiGo will get help from cargo operations to break even earlier than what it would with just passenger ops.

Tail Note

In an unprecedented move, the airline had announced that it would operate to seven new domestic destinations between now and May. Unprecedented because the airline has always kept its plans close to its chest and has believed in surprising the competition.

IndiGo is unlikely to announce international plans since there is no visibility on when international services could start. But there is no hiding the fact that its fleet structure is such that the airline is looking to establish a good international network from India, targeting the Origin-Destination crowd, which would accept slim seats in exchange for not having to go through the transit experience.

With longer battery life on the phone and content that can be downloaded before boarding, all that the airline would need is a charging port, hopefully making it available without looking for ancillary revenue.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
As disruptive events go, last years combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated oil market crash certainly rank as one of the dramatic events Tom Petrie has seen in his career.

Participating in Hart Energys virtual Executive Oil Conference, Petrie, chairman of Petrie Partners, said the industry is getting back to something like the old normal but were not there yet.

His forecast shows a modest recovery in drilling activity that will be limited largely by operators focused more on returning capital to shareholders than on an aggressive drilling program.

That is part of what he called the self-correcting forces now at work. Coming into the new year, he said the worst-case scenario was for oil prices ranging from low $40s to high $50s, even $60. But the scenario continues to improve, and he said his best guess now is for oil prices in the mid-$40s to mid-$50s.

I see recovery coming this year, Petrie said. I do believe were headed toward a new normal, but it will probably take more than this year to get to the peak benefit of it. He sees the beginning of progress in 2022 that will gain momentum in 2023-2024.

I dont think we need to establish confidence in long-term oil and natural gas pricing and predictability. We do need to see the benefits of scale coming from the consolidation wave and Chapter 11 filings now underway, thats been underway for over a year and is beginning to show up. I think were going to be looking to see the capital discipline exhibited by the industry this time around that was lacking over the last decade and see if capital allocators have learned their lesson from when they took their eye off the ball, he said.

Petrie does see challenges ahead, beginning with President Biden putting the nation back into the Paris Climate Agreement.

I suspect it will not be quite the same path in trying to get back into the agreement that he anticipates, he observed. Hell find out theres high expectations particularly for the US to be leading participation. Biden wants to do that, but the price of doing that is something he is going to have to take account of. There are things that could impair the economic recovery and job growth by rejoining.

Then there is what he called the new form of geopolitical normal that now includes Israel thanks to normalization of relations with several Arab countries. It also includes Iran and Bidens hopes of getting that country back to the negotiating table on its nuclear ambitions, which could impact the US relationship with Saudi Arabia and could tilt Saudi Arabia into multi-lateral relations with China and Russia in addition to the US. Turkeys involvement in ending Libyas civil war also has it in the geopolitical mix, Petrie said.

Dominant among the challenges facing the industry is the new administrations focus on climate and its decarbonization initiatives, desired progress on renewables, recognition of and addressing global energy poverty and mitigating the disruptive changes of some of those strategies.

The rise of natural gas as a large-scale source of energy when renewables like wind and solar fail because the sun isnt shining and the wind isnt blowing offers opportunities for traditional oil and gas companies to make a difference, he said.

Despite the ongoing geopolitical and climate change uncertainty, there remains a clear need for natural gas to play a constructive, even transformative role in a lower carbon energy world, Petrie said.
As the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine intensified around the world, China said that it has increased the number of vaccines undergoing clinical trials to 16 from 11 to step up supplies at home and abroad.

China is conducting clinical trials of 16 COVID-19 vaccines, seven of which have entered phase-III trials and one has conditionally hit the market, Wu Yuanbin, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology, was quoted as saying by the state-run CGTN TV.

Wu made the comments during a haematology conference on Saturday.

Yang Sheng, Deputy Director of China's National Medical Products Administration's drug registration bureau, said last month that a total of 11 Chinese vaccine candidates are in different stages of testing at home and abroad.

Currently, China is vaccinating people at home and some countries abroad with two vaccines. The Chinese government has given conditional approval to Sinopharm while the results of the phase-3 trial is yet to be released.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is reviewing the trials of both the vaccines.

China has said that so far 46 countries have expressed their desire to import the China-made vaccines.

Respiratory-disease expert Zhong Nanshan said on Sunday that the mass inoculation of homegrown COVID-19 vaccines underway in China shows the vaccines are safe and effective.

The two vaccines currently in use in China - the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) COVID-19 vaccine and the CoronaVac vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd. - are both inactivated vaccines that are relatively safe, Zhong said at the launch ceremony of an event in south China's Guangdong province.

According to the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), more than 24 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in China till Sunday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"The rate of the vaccines' mild adverse reactions, which include fever, soar arms and other symptoms, is six per 100,000 people," Zhong said.

The rate of severe adverse vaccine reactions is one in a million, only one third of that of flu vaccines, he said.

(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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A mass COVID-19 vaccination site at LA's Dodgers Stadium was forced to temporarily shut down Saturday after dozens of anti-vaxxers descended on the venue and disrupted the long line of drivers waiting to get their dose.

About 50 protesters, including members of anti-vaccine and far-right groups, gathered outside the entrance earlier this afternoon with picket signs decrying the vaccine and casting doubt on the pandemic, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Members of the crowd were seen holding up placards reading: 'COVID=SCAM', 'COERCION IS ILLEGAL', and 'Mark of the beast ahead', as motorists lined up at the vaccine site, one of the largest in the country.

The demonstration prompted officials to shut the entrance for an hour as precaution, stalling hundreds of people who had been waiting in line for hours.

About 50 protesters, including members of anti-vaccine and far-right groups, gathered outside the COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, disrupting the long line of drivers waiting to get their dose

Members of the crowd were seen holding up placards reading: 'COVID=SCAM', 'COERCION IS ILLEGAL', and 'Mark of the beast ahead'

The LAPD confirmed the fire department had shut the gates of the stadium for an hour as a precaution, stalling hundreds of drivers who had been waiting on line for hours

Drivers with a vaccine appointment enter a mega COVID-19 vaccination site set up in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Saturday

A man wearing a protective mask is seen reading a sign from protesters after they gathered outside his car

One man who drove from his home in La Verne and had been waiting for an hour for his vaccination when the stadium's gates were closed, said activists were telling people the virus is fake and that vaccines are dangerous.

'This is completely wrong,' German Jaquez told the Times. 'I've been waiting for weeks to get an appointment. I am a dentist; I am taking a big risk being around patients. I want to be safe for my patients and for my family. The vaccine is the only way to beat the virus.'

On Twitter, musician Mikel Jollett said he and his mother were among the hundreds of drivers waiting to get their shots when the line suddenly came to a standstill for 'half an hour'.

'There has been no communication from the LAPD as to how long the entrance will be closed. They closed the gate as the protestors approached, presumably to stop them from entering the facility itself. Now nobody is going in. This is the largest vaccination site in the country,' he tweeted.

In a later update, Jollett said police squad cars eventually 'arrived in force' and opened the gates to the facility, forcing protesters to step aside and allow motorists to enter the stadium.

LA resident Adam Michaelson, who had also driven to get the vaccine with his mother, said protesters were allegedly directing cars out of the line

Michaelson shared photos of the crowd of anti-vaxers blocking the gates of the vaccination facility

Were at the mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium to get my mom the vaccine. The antivax protestors have approached the entrance to the site. The LAPD have now closed the gate. We have been sitting here for about half an hour. Nobody is moving. pic.twitter.com/GrJPA5wrqx  Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) January 30, 2021

'FINAL UPDATE: My 69-year-old high risk mom Bonnie got the jab! She said she could hardly even feel it. We teared up. We've waited a year for this. Get your vaccine. My love to all of your families,' he said in a subsequent tweet.

'We will not be deterred and threatened,' Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted after the site reopened

LA resident Adam Michaelson, who had also driven to get the vaccine with his mother, said they nearly didn't make it in due to the crowd of protesters.

'Got my mom the #vaccine shot today at Dodger Stadium. Almost didn't get in. Anti vax protesters blocked gates. Someone impersonating a cop directed cars out of line, others harassed people. Lots of MAGA hats & gear too. These people are cancers on our civilization,' he said in a tweet.

The LAPD later released a statement confirming the site had been closed by the Los Angeles Fire Department, not the police, and said no incidents of violence were reported.

'We are aware of social media posts referring to protestors showing up at the Dodger Stadium COVID-19 vaccination site. Preliminary reports are that protestors remained peaceful. The LAPD did NOT close the gates, and per LA City Fire, all scheduled vaccines will be delivered,' police said on Twitter.

One woman shared a photo of the informational pamphlets (left) distributed by protesters listing the alleged risks and dangers of the vaccine

A post on social media described the demonstration as the 'SCAMDEMIC PROTEST/MARCH'

An official said the fire department planned to reopen the vaccination site about 3pm. The site is usually open from 8am to 8pm.

After it reopened, Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted: 'We will not be deterred or threatened. Dodger Stadium is back up and running.'

A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Garcetti said no appointments were canceled despite the 55-minute disruption.

A post on social media described the demonstration as the 'SCAMDEMIC PROTEST/MARCH.'

It advised participants to 'please refrain from wearing Trump/MAGA attire as we want our statement to resonate with the sheeple. No flags but informational signs only.

'This is a sharing information protest and march against everything COVID, Vaccine, PCR Tests, Lockdowns, Masks, Fauci, Gates, Newsom, China, digital tracking, etc.'
All eyes will be on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she presents Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday. The Budget this year will be keenly watched as it comes on the back of a year when the economy was ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. The National Statistical Office (NSO) has forecast a 7.7 per cent contraction in India's GDP in 2020-21. The finance minister is expected to announce measures to continue the nascent recovery seen in the economy. Here are the thing to watch out for in this year's Budget:

Fiscal Deficit

In simple terms, fiscal deficit is the shortfall in government's income as compared to its spending. It is measured as a percentage of GDP. The government had set a fiscal deficit target of 3.5 per cent for 2020-21. However, with the government's tax receipts under pressure because of the pandemic, it is widely believed that it will overshoot the target. The Economic Survey 2020-21, tabled in the Parliament on Friday, also said the government is likely to miss its fiscal deficit target for the year. Moreover, with the need to boost spending to revive the economy, the government is expected to set a higher fiscal deficit target for 2021-22.

Also read: Budget 2021: Top 5 expectations of middle class

Disinvestment target

The finance minister had announced an ambitious disinvestment target of Rs 2.1 lakh crore in the Union Budget for 2020-21. However, adverse market conditions because of the pandemic affected government's plans, and it has been able to raise only Rs 15,220 crore so far. The finance minister may set a higher disinvestment target in this year's Budget, including initial public offering of LIC and sale of Air India, which it couldn't complete.

The government has already declared its intentions for privatisation of state-owned companies. As part of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' package, it had last year said there will be a maximum of four public sector companies in strategic sectors and that the government-owned firms in other sectors would eventually be privatised. Higher proceeds from disinvestment will help the government to step up spending.

Tax benefits for salaried class

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people save and spend their income. The finance minister is likely to announce measures to increase money in the hands of salaried class to boost spending, which in turn will help the economy. She can go for changes in income tax slab or increase the tax exemption limit under Section 80C from Rs 1.5 lakh.

Under Section 80C, one can claim tax exemption up to Rs 1.5 lakh on investments in life insurance premium, public provident fund, employees provident fund, equity-linked saving schemes, home loan principal amount, stamp duty and registration charges for property purchase, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, National Saving Certificate, senior citizen savings scheme, ULIPs, tax saving FD for 5 years, infrastructure bonds, among others.

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know

Healthcare spending

The pandemic has made everyone realise the importance of a robust healthcare system. There have been demands from various quarters for the government to increase its spending on healthcare to strengthen the system and be better equipped with future pandemics. The Economic Survey also called for an increase in public spending on healthcare to 2.5-3 per cent of GDP from 1 per cent currently. Besides increasing government spending on healthcare, the finance minister may also announce further incentives and exemptions for health insurance premiums and preventive medical check-ups.

The government can also go for expansion of its flagship public health insurance scheme 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana'. All eyes will also be on the amount the finance minister sets aside for COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Boost for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'

The government's focus on recent times has been on 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or self-reliant India to reduce India's dependence on imported goods. It has already announced production linked incentive (PLI) schemes for many sectors to boost local manufacturing. Continuing with this, the finance minister is likely to announce further measures to boost domestic manufacturing and exports, and create jobs.

Also read: India's policy response after COVID-19 was mature, farsighted: CEA
India's proactive stance during the Covid-19 pandemic is an example of Swami Vivekananda's approach of not feeling helpless in a crisis. Similarly, instead of complaining about the problem of Climate Change, India went for a solution in the form of the International Solar Alliance, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the 125th-anniversary celebrations of 'Prabuddha Bharata', a monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order, started by Swami Vivekananda.

"India's proactive stance during the Covid-19 pandemic is an example of Swamiji's approach of not feeling helpless in a crisis. Similarly, instead of complaining about the problem of Climate Change, India went for a solution in the form of the International Solar Alliance. This is the Prabuddha Bharata of Swami Vivekananda's vision being built. This is an India that is giving solutions to the world's problems," said PM Modi.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that Swami Vivekananda named the journal Prabuddha Bharata to manifest the spirit of our nation.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness that Swami Vivekananda's big dreams for India and his immense faith in India's youth are reflected in India's business leaders, sportspersons, technocrats, professionals, scientists, innovators and so many others.

The Prime Minister asked the youth to move ahead by following Swami Vivekananda's advice in his lectures on Practical Vedanta where he talks about overcoming setbacks and seeing them as a part of the learning curve. The second thing that must be instilled in people is: To be fearless and to be full of self-belief.

PM Modi also asked the youth to follow Swami Vivekananda who achieved immortality by creating something of value for the world.

"Swami Vivekananda did not see spiritual and economic progress as mutually exclusive. Most importantly, he was against the approach where people romanticise poverty," said PM Modi.

Terming Swami Vivekananda as a spiritual giant, a highly elevated soul, the Prime Minister stressed that he did not renounce the idea of economic progress for the poor.

PM Modi concluded that Prabuddha Bharata has run for 125 years, spreading Swami Ji's ideas. They have built upon his vision of educating the youth, and awakening the nation. It has contributed significantly towards making Swami Vivekananda's thoughts immortal.

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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Dr. Tania Stoker has spent more than two decades guiding todays youth from in front of the classroom and the front office.

A Dunmore native now living in Dickson City, Stokers experiences as a kid hanging out with her dad and uncles impacted her future path. They were always building things, and she liked helping them out by measuring or grabbing tools they needed.

As she grew up, living for several years in Illinois before coming back to Northeast Pennsylvania, that fondness for working with numbers developed into an affinity for math, and she ended up earning a bachelors degree in the field from Lehigh University.

I was originally going to be an actuary, but I started tutoring students at Sylvan Learning Center in Easton and working with chairperson of our math department, Stoker said. I really started enjoying the educational aspect.

Stoker decided to go back to school and earned a certification in secondary education from Marywood University. She then spent nine years teaching math at Lakeland Junior-Senior High School, bouncing around among different grades from year to year, which meant that sometimes she had the same students for five years in a row.

That was the big joke, she said.

Those changes kept Stoker fresh, though, as she had to pilot a new math book each year. And it gave her a chance to make a difference in a subject that sometimes frightens students who dont think they can learn it.

I really enjoyed the kids that I had, Stoker said. I really enjoy them connecting with math.

Stoker continued to learn herself, earning a masters degree in secondary education from University of Scranton, a doctorate in human development instructional leadership (aka curriculum) from Marywood and a bunch of certifications in there to do all those jobs, she said. That allowed her to move on from Lakeland to Lackawanna Trail School District, where she served as assistant principal of the high school, principal of the elementary school and then curriculum director. In January 2018, she started her current job as assistant superintendent at Northern Lehigh School District and is taking classes for a special education certificate through Drexel University.

While she had never really thought about moving out of the classroom, Stoker said, she thought she could have a bigger influence on students as an administrator.

In the classroom, you have an impact on kids in front of you. ... Once you become a district administrator, you have an impact on whatever you cover, whether thats a department or an entire district, she said. I like having that ability to impact students in a positive way and work with our teachers and our staff and figure out what their needs are.

Educating students during a normal year is challenging, Stoker said, but with the pandemic, its almost reinventing education.

Education has looked pretty much the same for a long time, she said. And the pandemic, since March 13 when we shut everything down, has really forced us to take a new look at education and how were going to do things but also made us jump ahead a decade in some things we wouldnt have otherwise.

With students not allowed in buildings, she said, educators have had to figure out what modern teaching looks like. But if theres one thing shes learned in her 22 years in the field, its how to think on the fly. The last year has involved all kinds of brainstorming and taking what shes learned, going with her gut and figuring things out.

Stokers years of experience and the knowledge gained over the past year have helped her understand the needs of classrooms and schools.

Its hard to lead others when you dont know what youre living through, she said. Being a math teacher and then a principal and now at the district office, I know what its like to be in their shoes. Im not asking things of them that I wouldnt have expected of myself. ... I know what the principals are going through and what its like to manage a building and do the day-to-day things and have goals and continue to work with faculty to move your buildings ahead.

Stoker has taken all that leadership experience and used it to help her community, too, through the Junior League of Scranton, for which she serves as treasurer and board member.

Growing up, Stoker saw her parents help others in many ways, and she started helping others during high school. She continued to volunteer with different groups on her own as an adult, including St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen and the Ronald McDonald House, serving on the latters Gourmet Gala committee. She even brought students from Keystone College, where she taught as an adjunct, to help at the soup kitchen.

In the Junior League, Stoker felt she had finally found a group of like-minded women who all wanted to go out and help the community.

The nice thing about the Junior League is its not just about volunteering, but its about training professional women. ... We promote volunteering, but we also develop the potential of women, and we learn leadership qualities, Stoker said.

The Junior Leagues current impact area is nutrition and hunger, which in part involves connecting with schools. The group put together healthy snack packs so kids from struggling families would have food for the weekends. The group also participated in an Adopt a Single Mom over the holidays.

A single mom gets recommended, and we go out and we shop for them, wrap up gifts and deliver (them) as a surprise, Stoker said. Many times, theyre sacrificing what they need for themselves for their children to have gifts or clothes or thing that they need.

The local league honored Stoker last year with the Mary Harriman Award, which recognizes a volunteer whose work emulates Junior League founder Mary Harrimans sense of social responsibility and her ability to motivate others through volunteer work, according to the Association of Junior leagues International. Receiving the award was a complete shock, said Stoker, who has enjoyed her role.

Its nice to be able to give back to the community that Ive lived in pretty much my whole life, Stoker said. Its nice to be able to help your neighbor down the street.



Trevor Phillips has criticised a new BLM political party over criticisms the organisation has on the efficacy of vaccines

The founder of a new political party inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement has been caught peddling conspiracy theories about coronavirus vaccines  amid mounting evidence that ethnic minorities are failing to come forward for jabs.

Charles Gordon, the flamboyant businessman behind the Taking The Initiative Party, has been accused of risking the lives of black people by casting doubt on the safety of the injections.

Last night, Trevor Phillips, a former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, led criticism of Mr Gordon, saying: 'Anybody who peddles this kind of nonsense is killing people. Frankly I would say to anybody from a minority community, protect yourself and your family, take the vaccine, and if these people come to your door just shut it in their faces.'

Mr Gordon told an online 'Covid-19: No jab: no job' event organised by his party earlier this month: 'The question is do you definitely want to inject yourself with something that you've been categorically told the Government is taking no responsibility for? If you take that vaccine and die, it's on you There hasn't been enough testing so I don't think it's fair to be trying to force people to take [the jab].'

Responding to anti-vaxx views expressed during the event, he added: 'I do believe the comments made earlier that as far as everyone is concerned it's a big cover-up. The person who spoke earlier said 4 million people have been injected but there have been no reports of adverse effects, but other countries are reporting 10 per cent adverse effects. Those are questions that need to be answered.'

He later added: 'They [the Government] don't give a s*** about the people at the bottom.'

At the same online event, a senior party member described the vaccine as 'pointless' and claimed Madagascar 'already has the herbal cure' for the virus, without providing any evidence.

The party last week also shared tips on its official Twitter feed on 'how to decline a vaccine'.

Their claims come amid growing fears about the low take-up of vaccines among minority groups. According to NHS data, just four per cent of those with black-African and Pakistani ethnicity have had a jab compared to nine per cent of whites. Another survey found only 57 per cent of black, Asian and other ethnic minorities would agree to have the vaccine, compared to 79 per cent of white people.

Celebrities including Adil Ray, Meera Syal and Romesh Ranganathan have decided to counter anti-vaxx propaganda. Ray, the star of BBC comedy Citizen Khan, said: 'We are now fighting another pandemic  misinformation. Communities who are ignored are preyed upon and voices that endanger lives are amplified.'

Charles Gordon, left, launched the TTIP last year with a wide-ranging manifesto

The TTIP is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement

A cross-party group of black MPs has also shared stories of loved ones who have died from the virus to encourage ethnic minorities to sign up for the injections.

The Taking The Initiative Party (TTIP) launched in the wake of last year's Black Lives Matter protests, with policies including the creation of a race offenders' register, paying reparations to black people for historic slavery, and fining the police if they wrongly stop and search people. The party intends to field candidates in this year's local elections.

Mr Gordon, whose sister Nicola Zingwari is registered as the leader of TTIP, arrived at his party's London launch in November in a Rolls-Royce with personalised numberplate. He was joined by Sasha Johnson, the self-styled 'Black Panther of Oxford'.

Mr Gordon, who last night said he would not take the vaccine for at least a year, added: 'I do not hold anti-vaccine views and the Taking The Initiative Party is not anti-vaccine. I and the party are, however, pro-choice. The comments that you have quoted were informed by the 'no jab, no job' stance taken by certain employers.'

Other senior figures in the TTIP include Michael Page, a martial arts fighter who uses the stage name Venom, and Minister Hakeem, a representative of Louis Farrakhan, leader of the controversial Nation Of Islam movement.
Imperial Valley News Center

West Virginia Woman Sentenced for Willful Retention of Top Secret National Defense Information and International Parental Kidnapping

Washington, DC - Elizabeth Jo Shirley, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was sentenced Monday to 97 months of incarceration for unlawfully retaining documents containing national defense information and 36 months of incarceration for international parental kidnapping.

Shirley, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of willful retention of national defense information and one count of international parental kidnapping in July 2020. Shirley admitted to unlawfully retaining a National Security Agency (NSA) document containing information classified at the Top Secret/Secret Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) level relating to the national defense that outlines intelligence information regarding a foreign governments military and political issues. Shirley also admitted to removing her child, of whom she was the non-custodial parent, to Mexico with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of the custodial fathers parental rights.

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 for the National Security Division. She then sought to profit from her betrayal by seeking to sell this information to Russia, one of Americas foremost adversaries, in order to further her criminal abduction of her daughter. 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.

Shirley held a position that required the highest level of trust, said U.S. Attorney Bill Powell for the Northern District of West Virginia. "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.

Ms. Shirley was trusted with our nations highest-level documents when she was given a high-level security clearance," said Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman of the FBIs Pittsburgh field office. "But she betrayed that trust and put our country at risk by stealing classified national security documents, which she later hoped she could sell to Russian officials. We must safeguard this information from foreign adversaries. Todays sentence shows the FBI will not let anyone get away with putting the lives of American citizens at risk.

Shirley served on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, and in August 1994, the Air Force granted Shirley her first TS/SCI security clearance. After leaving active duty, Shirley served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and later in the U.S. Navy Reserves. While serving in the Air Force, she worked on assignments with the NSA. From May 2001 to August 2012, Shirley held various positions with the U.S. Navys Office of Naval Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, and at least five different cleared defense contractors. In connection with these positions, Shirley held TS/SCI security clearances at various times.

In July 2019, Shirley took her six-year-old daughter to Mexico with the intent to contact representatives of the Government of Russia to request resettlement in a country that would not extradite her to the United States. Shirley took with her to Mexico national defense information, which she had unlawfully retained. While in Mexico, Shirley prepared a written message to Russian government officials, referencing an urgent need to have items shipped from the USA related to [her] lifes work before they are seized and destroyed.

On Aug. 13, 2019, the U.S. Marshals Service and Mexican law enforcement located Shirley and her daughter at a hotel in Mexico City. Mexican authorities arrested Shirley pursuant to an arrest warrant the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) had obtained on a charge of concealment of a minor from a custodian.

The FBI subsequently executed search warrants on numerous of Shirleys electronic devices, including devices she took to Mexico in July 2019 and devices the FBI seized from her Martinsburg storage unit in August 2019. Pursuant to the search of the storage unit, the FBI located the NSA document underlying the willful retention of national defense information offense. In addition, pursuant to searches of the electronic devices, the FBI found an Office of Naval Intelligence PowerPoint presentation containing information classified at the secret level and messages Shirley had drafted to Russian government officials while in Mexico, the latter of which the Central Intelligence Agency has determined to include information classified at the secret level.

The FBI Pittsburgh field office and WVSP investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Lara K. Omps-Botteicher and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon with the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Webster County Prosecuting Attorneys Office cooperated in the investigation and prosecution of the case. Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
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Mark Zuckerberg did not convince me to back down, if thats what youre asking, Mr Frydenberg told the ABCs Insiders program on Sunday morning.

The proposed code, deemed unworkable by Google and Facebook, will force the tech giants into binding commercial agreements to pay Australian news providers or risk steep fines up to 10 per cent of their annual revenues. Media companies such as Nine Entertainment Co (owner of this masthead) and News Corp are urging the government to pass the laws so they can be compensated for their content.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg held an online meeting with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher, but Mr Frydenberg said the government was not for turning. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen, AP

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher revealed on Sunday they had discussed with Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg his concerns about the media code. The talks were constructive but did not change Mr Frydenbergs view.

US social media giant Facebook has rebooted talks with local news outlets about payment for content in a sign it may be willing to co-operate and avoid financial penalties being proposed under new media laws.

Small news media companies will warn a Senate committee hearing on Monday to take the tech giants threat to their business seriously, as they push for a workable news media bargaining code following threats by Google to shut down its search engine in Australia if the proposed laws arent altered.

Industry sources familiar with the talks said Facebook started speaking to publishers after its appearance in front of the Senate committee where it faced criticism for not negotiating with media groups. The tech giant is not trying to do deals for its news product but is discussing payment of existing articles in its newsfeed.

Facebook has previously stated it would pull news from its platform if the code went ahead in its current form. The talks indicate it may be willing to come to an agreement to avoid financial penalties.

The renewed talks follow a similar step by Google - which decided to push ahead with the launch of its new product, Google News Showcase, after it was grilled at the first Senate hearing. Google wants to pay publishers for the use of the new product rather than the existence of articles in search. The product is expected to launch this week.

Cooperation from Facebook and Google is crucial for smaller publishers reliant on their platforms for revenue and referral traffic. Country Press Australia, an industry group representing 160 regional and local newspapers, will ask for several changes to the proposed laws when it gives evidence to the committee on Monday. It wants to exclude the ABC and SBS from the code and change the revenue requirements of publishers to be eligible for funding.
Austria and Germany say they will provide medical assistance to Portugal as the country struggles with a surge in coronavirus cases. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Sunday that the Alpine nation will receive intensive care patients from Portugal, without specifying a number.

Kurz said in a tweet that swift, unbureaucratic help was required to save lives, adding that Austria has previously taken in patients from France, Italy and Montenegro. Meanwhile, the German military plans to send medical aid and doctors to Portugal in the coming days. Defense Ministry spokesman Christoph Czwielung said the military will provide personnel and material support though details on the extent and timing were still being finalized.

Portugal has one of the world's worst coronavirus outbreaks relative to its population.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 13:02:25|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 51.3 in January, edging down 0.6 percentage points from December, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Sunday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction. The PMI remained in the expansion zone for the 11th consecutive month.

The slowdown came as a series of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases temporarily affected the production and operation of enterprises, NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said, adding that the period around the Spring Festival holiday is traditionally an off-season for factory activities.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 12 this year. It is an important occasion for family reunions.

NBS data showed the sub-index for production stood at 53.5 in January, down 0.7 percentage points from December, while that for new orders dropped 1.3 percentage points to 52.3.

The new export order and import sub-indexes edged down to 50.2 and 49.8, respectively.

Sunday's data also showed that the PMI for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 52.4 in January, down from 55.7 in December, which also remained above 50 for 11 consecutive months.

Some surveyed enterprises reported that the epidemic situation had affected the normal arrival of employees and some workers had returned home early for the Spring Festival, thus widening the shortage in staffing, according to the statistics bureau.

In the next stage, macro policies should maintain continuity, stability and sustainability, consolidate the foundation for an economic rebound, and further promote the accelerated recovery of manufacturing and small enterprises, said Wen Bin, chief analyst at China Minsheng Bank.

The country is expected to coordinate COVID-19 control with personnel mobility to meet the workforce needs of enterprises and improve the quality of employment, Wen said in a research note on the PMI data.

Lu Ting, chief China economist with securities firm Nomura, said that to fight the latest wave of sporadic and cluster COVID-19 cases, Chinese authorities have tightened social distancing measures, reimposed some locality-based lockdown measures and travel bans, and encouraged migrant workers to stay in the cities of their workplaces for the impending Lunar New Year holiday.

Lu said these measures will likely dent the recovery in the services sector, especially the hospitality industry, but may provide a small boost to industrial production and construction in south China in the holiday season, as workers would remain at workplaces.

"We expect some pent-up demand for services in the second quarter, boosting GDP growth by 0.2 percentage points," Lu said.

Last year, China unveiled a series of special measures in response to the epidemic-induced economic fallout. These measures played an important role in stabilizing the Chinese economy amid the ravaging COVID-19 and global economic recession. The country has vowed not to see a "policy cliff" in 2021 as it aims to keep its macro policies consistent, stable and sustainable to support steady economic recovery.

"China's macro policies will be in line with the needs of sustaining stable and sound economic development, and there will be no abrupt turnarounds," Yan Pengcheng, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, said earlier this month.

Yan underscored the necessity of sustaining supportive measures this year, as some micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have just managed to navigate the COVID-19 slump and still need some time to recover.

But some of the temporary and emergency relief policies cannot be used as "long-term solutions," Yan noted.

With the economy gradually restoring strength, China will make more efforts to stimulate the vitality of market entities via reforms and innovation, which will also provide more space for policymakers to maneuver in the face of a more complicated situation in the future, Yan said. Enditem
Dr. Terry Gaff is a physician in northeast Indiana. Contact him at drgaff@kpcmedia.com or on Facebook. To read past columns and to post comments go to kpcnews.com/columnists/terry_gaff.


A bird's eye view of the farm and picture of Carrie Burnett's parents, who ran the farm as a dairy. ADAMS, Mass.  More than 100 years later, Burnett Farm is still thriving under the same family and the same spirit

Carrie Burnett was surprised when a plaque showed up at her doorstep notifying her that the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation and the Massachusetts Grange have recognized Burnett Farm as a Century Farm.

"I forgot all about it  and then it showed up in the mail," she said.

Burnett said she was contacted by the Massachusetts Farm Bureau last year about the designation and an agent encouraged her to apply for the certification.

She sat down with her mother and started the application process sometime in June. She largely forgot about it until this month when the plaque showed up on her doorstep.

"There is a lot of heritage here on this land, and it is fascinating to sit on the computer and look up the deeds and read about easements," Burnett said.

The farm is one of 132 family farms to be featured in 2020 edition of the Century Farms book.

"There are about 7,200 farms across Massachusetts," said MFBF President Mark Amato in announcing the farm book. "However, less than 2 percent of those farms can be categorized as Century Farms. The farms honored in this book have weathered difficult times and made it through. We want to congratulate them on their accomplishments."

The farm was first owned by Humphrey Anthony Jr., an uncle of Susan B. Anthony, before the Burnetts. He owned the property for a short time, approximately 1898 through 1904. Between 1904 and 1911, the property was managed by George Fassell and Anthony's grandson Edgar Nelson.

Enter Homer and Clifton Burnett, father and son, who originally farmed in Savoy but in 1911 made their way to Adams and purchased 260 acres on East Road on what is now the Adams/North Adams line.

Carrie Burnett said the farm's history is very much available and noted she comes from a family of journalers who recorded the daily tasks on the farm.

"I have my grandmother's journals, my mother's journals, and now I journal, so a lot of it is here," she said. "Sometimes in the morning, I will go through the different journals on the day ... I will see things like when my father was 7 years old what he was doing that day. One day he was looking to go shoot raccoons. There is a lot that has changed with farming and living simply but there is a lot that has stayed the same."

Burnett shared communications between her and the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation agent and noted in 1915 a second floor was built on the original farmhouse, which dates to the late 19th century. In 1932, the dairy barn was built with an attached milk house. It held 60 cows.

Around 1948, the farm purchased its first John Deere tractor marking the change over to mechanical equipment. Douglas Burnett Jr. took over the farm around 1967. He renovated the original farmhouse in 1969 and lived there for 30 years with his wife, Jane, raising his family and farming, reaching peak production of 9,000 pounds of milk per day in 1994.

The Burnetts signed over development rights to the Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program in 1986.

Burnett said her father passed in 2013, which began the shift from a dairy farm to other means of sustainability.

"After my father died, we really went through a process. What were we going to do with 100 acres and a farm that no longer has dairy cows?" she said. "We came to the conclusion that it was too big of an endeavor ... so now we take a collaborative approach. We have three different farmers using different aspects of the farm with the main priority being good land stewardship."

This includes Burnett's daughter Megan. Megan is a sixth-generation farmer who runs Full Well Farm, a community supported agriculture farm, on the property.

Other farmers include Atwell Cattle Raising, which raises heifers for local farmers, and Antonelli's Farm, which crops the hay and sells it across the state.

The Burnetts said it has not been easy keeping the farm going for 100 years and generations have had to adapt. The family has sold produce, firewood, Christmas trees, loam, hay, corn and even now are looking for new ways to become more sustainable.

"Businesses come and go, but we are in a really good place where the land is in use as it should be," Carrie Burnett said.

Burnett was very excited to announce that the family has been working with the town of Adams to bring the long-desired Ashuwillticook Rail Trail extension through the farm.

"I think that having the trail come through the farmlands benefits not only the farm but the community as well," she said. "That said, it's difficult to imagine something different when it's been the same for 100 years, however ... in order to be sustainable and maintain the farm and the land for future generations, an out-of-the-box perspective that moves in sync with the times is required."

She said farmers these days have to think outside the box to survive. Back in the days of her father and grandfather, farmers really just had to worry about their daily tasks, she said. Nowadays farming is a business.

"I think my generation was the first to really start bucking the fact that we needed to do something different," she said. "It has not always been easy, but maintaining the land and keeping it in agriculture has always been the priority."

She urged other farms to apply for the certification to safeguard their history that, like Burnett Farm, will be put in a book released by the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation.

Burnett also urged people to continue to support local farms that are struggling now more than ever.

"Farms brings people back to nature and gives people serenity and a place to hike and walk," she said. "A place to buy food locally. I know during the pandemic being able to walk around the farm has helped me."

Burnett, who lives on the farm, said she is happy that Burnett Farm lives on and to be surrounded by her heritage and family that sadly is one less. Burnett's mother died in August after battling cancer a few months before the farm received the designation.

However, she was certain both her mother and father knew and were ecstatic the farm had reached such a milestone.

"Both of my parents are probably smiling down," she said. "It was truly their legacy."
Retractable bollards could be installed across the tram lines at Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall after a runaway Mitsubishi led a police chase through the popular shopping strip.

Victoria Police and Melbourne City Council will review the possible security upgrades following the incident on Thursday.

Officers had tried to pull over the green Mitsubishi Lancer on nearby Swanston Street, but the car sped away before turning down Bourke Street.

A male passenger got out of the car and ran away as police drew their firearms in a bid to stop the driver.

But he did a U-turn back along Bourke Street and escaped.

The street is partially protected by steel bollards and planters, which were installed following the 2017 Bourke Street car rampage that killed six people and injured 27 others.

However, bollards have not been installed across the tram lines at both ends of the mall so trams can still move easily along the street, the Herald Sun reported.

Officers tried to pull over the green Mitsubishi Lancer on nearby Swanston Street, but the car sped away before turning down Bourke Street (pictured)

The street is partially protected by steel bollards and planters, which were installed following the 2017 Bourke Street car rampage that killed six people and injured 27 others

The upcoming review into Bourke Street security will consider whether it will be necessary to install tram-controlled retractable bollards

The upcoming review into the Bourke Street security will consider whether it will be necessary to install tram-controlled retractable bollards.

That would effectively stop any car from driving down the mall in future.

RMIT urban planning expert Michael Buxton argued the bollards should have been installed following the 2017 car rampage.

'They should be put in, it's an easily available technology and it would solve the problem,' he said.

Monash University Accident Research Centre senior research fellow Dr David Logan said all options should be considered.

'You could (have bollards everywhere) but the place starts looking like a war zone, these things sort of take away that nice, open feel that I think we probably value in the city,' he said.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the review would also look into the existing security measures.

'We want to balance having a welcoming and open city that operates well together with safety - of course, safety is a priority.'

The green Mitsubishi Lancer did a U-turn back along Bourke Street before turning a corner and evading police

Police are seen on Bourke Street Mall on Thursday afternoon a car was seen tearing down the busy shopping mall

How the Bourke Street Mall police chase unfolded Police carry out a licence plate check on a green Mitsubishi Lancer in Swanston Street at 4.55pm on Thursday. The green Lancer leads police down Bourke Street Mall as officers fear a 'hostile vehicle attack'. Bollards along the walkway and a tram block the Mitsubishi from escaping. Police pull a gun on the driver. A passenger flees and the runaway car does a U-turn. Police determine the driver is not trying to harm pedestrians, but is attempting to 'evade police'. Car drives back up Bourke Street Mall before turning left and losing police at Lonsdale Street. Police locate the car locked in an underground carpark on Ashworth Street, Albert Park, at 6.40pm. Driver and passenger remain on the run. Advertisement

Ms Capp said the existing steel bollards and planters proved to be effective protection.

'The bollards worked really well and provided those safety zones for pedestrians, and really limited the travelling of the vehicle and the damage that the vehicle could do,' she said.

Following the police chase on Thursday, officers found the green Mitsubishi Lancer on Ashworth Street in Albert Park with the number plates removed.

There were no reports of injuries from the incident, and police believe the driver was trying to escape arrest and did not intend to hurt people along Bourke Street Mall.

He was last seen in the St Kilda area, and police are urging anyone who has seen the car to call triple zero.

A map detailing the police pursuit that unfolded in Melbourne on Thursday before the Mitsubishi got away

The incident was reminiscent of the devastating Bourke Street rampage of 2017, when James Gargasoulas (pictured) ran down and killed six people in Melbourne's CBD - including a baby boy and a young girl

Gargasoulas injured dozens of bystanders, knocking them to the ground and into walls while driving in a drug-induced psychosis

'The vehicle was followed by the Victoria Police Air Wing and last sighted in the St Kilda area,' a Victoria Police spokesman said.

'Investigations into the incident remain ongoing and the vehicle remains outstanding.'

Witnesses say pedestrians were forced to dive out of the path of the car as it came 'tearing down' the street.

A musician who was performing nearby claimed he watched as a man clambered out of the car after it collided with a bollard.

'I saw screeching tyres and then slam... it was nuts.'

Another witness said 'folks were running in every direction, into the shops,' as the car sped through the streets.

Gargasoulas used a stolen car to mow down pedestrians on the busy Bourke Street mall in Melbourne 's CBD on January 20, 2017, claiming the life of six people (pictured)

He said the officers were 'stymied' in trying to effectively stop the car in its tracks by a tram which cut them off, appearing to 'miss the sound of the sirens'.

Shane Lowe, who saw the incident as it unfolded, told The Herald Sun the driver appeared alone and the front section of the car appeared damaged.

'He was really flooring it, everyone was running up against the walls and into shops,' Mr Lowe said.

The incident was reminiscent of the devastating Bourke Street rampage of 2017, when James Gargasoulas ran down and killed six people in the busy CBD - including a baby boy and a young girl.

Gargasoulas injured dozens of others, knocking them to the ground and into walls while driving in a drug-induced psychosis.

He was sentenced to life in jail at Victoria's Supreme Court on February 22, 2019 with a non-parole period 46 years making him eligible for parole in 2063.

Gargasoulas used a stolen car to mow down pedestrians on the busy Bourke Street mall in Melbourne 's CBD on January 20, 2017, claiming the life of six people (pictured)

The non-parole period of 46 years is understood to be the longest handed down in Australia.

In 2018, Somali-born terrorist Mohamed Khalif stabbed three people, killing one, during a rampage down the same famous street.

He was shot dead by police after his Holden Rodeo loaded with gas cylinders hit a pedestrian as it mounted the kerb and exploded near Swanston Street.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Groups that love guns and hate government have found a cozy home in Michigan, raising concerns among state leaders as threats of violence among such organizations continues to rise.

Militia activity drew national attention last year after the FBI foiled a plot to kidnap and possibly assassinate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but anti-government groups have lurked in shadowy corners of Michigan for decades. Previously on the fringes of society, these groups have stepped into the public during coronavirus protests, Black Lives Matter uprisings and stop the steal rallies, sometimes attending demonstrations to recruit new members.

The Department of Homeland Security Wednesday warned domestic extremists represent a heightened threat in the weeks after the presidential inauguration. DHS cautioned violence could stem from anger about President Joe Bidens electoral victory, COVID-19 restrictions, racial tension and perceived grievances fueled by false narratives.

Sam Jackson, an assistant professor at the University of Albany in New York, uses the term patriot militia to describe anti-government extremists that rose to prominence in the last year. Jackson said these groups, wrapped in the iconography of the founding fathers, frame themselves as the real Americans defending the country against tyrannical internal threats.

Michigan can expect to see more of this militia activity in 2021, according to the Armed Conflict & Event Location Data Project, which collects and analyzes data on political violence across the world. Hampton Stall, a senior researcher at ACLED, said the resurgence of militia groups comes at a time when conservatives are embracing a politics of resistance and expressing disaffection.

Is more militia activity inherently dangerous? Thats a question that remains top of mind for people who track anti-government groups.

The real risk is from the one guy who decides that this needs to be dealt with and hes the one whos going to turn himself into a hero, said Lane Crothers, a professor at Illinois State University who studies far-right groups. I think we have to accept that ours is a society filled with extraordinarily soft targets.

So the question is, do these people decide that they want to create maximum mayhem, or do they want to actually destabilize governance and governing officials?

Most members of militia groups are unlikely to cause any destruction, Crothers said. However, theres a higher potential for people to go down rabbit holes of misinformation and become radicalized as more people become involved, he said.

Members of the Wolverine Watchmen, a small militia cell that plotted to kidnap Whitmer, attack the state Captiol and kill police, also viewed themselves as patriots fighting a tyrannical government, according to federal court records. The group believed Whitmer and other Democratic governors were violating the U.S. Constitution and should be overthrown.

The Wolverine Watchmen had only been active for a year before its members were arrested last October, though many of them had close connections to other militias. The 13-member group was allegedly co-founded by suspects Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison, who operated a training site in Munith.

Its difficult to know exactly how many militia groups are operating and how dangerous they could be; militias come and go over the years, often splintering due to personality conflicts or disagreements about tactics.

Below an overview of groups that are active in Michigan, based on interviews with researchers, news reports and other publicly available information.

A Michigan Militia Corps. patch is seen in this 2010 MLive.com File Photo.

Michigan Militia Corps of Wolverines

Michigan has been central to the modern militia movement since it began in the 1990s.

Militias of that time grew in response to a 1994 law requiring federal background checks for handgun buyers and the deadly Ruby Ridge standoff two years earlier. U.S. marshals attempted to arrest Randy Weaver for failing to appear in court for firearms charges, leading to an 11-day siege of his isolated Idaho cabin and the death of his wife and son by federal agents.

The MMCW, also simply known as the Michigan Militia, was originally formed by gun store owners and veterans in 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the federal government. It was originally led by Norman Olson, U.S. Air Force veteran who no longer lives in Michigan.

As Olson explained during testimony before a Senate subcommittee on anti-terrorism in 1995: Simply stated, the growing threat of centralized federal government is frightening America, hence the emergence of the citizen militia.

The MMCW declined to comment for this story, but the groups origins are well documented by researchers due to its prominent role in the American militia movement. JoEllen Vinyard, a retired Eastern Michigan University history professor, described the group as an alliance of regional militias bound by an obligation to defend against federal overreach.

Vinyard writes in Right in Michigans Grassroots: From the KKK to the Michigan Militia that militias of the 90s were heavily involved in their local communities and tried to overcome negative perceptions attributed to them. Vinyard said todays anti-government groups appear more chaotic and determined to cause trouble compared to far-right militias she studied at the turn of the century.

The MMCW attracted unwanted attention after it was discovered that two men who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 attended an MMCW meeting. Though Timothy McVeigh and Lapeer native Terry Nichols were not members of the MMCW, the incident caused significant harm to the militia movements image.

The MMCW underwent a change in leadership and expelled members that had advocated violence.

In 1999, former members of the MMCW were sentenced to prison for plotting to kill government officials and commit terrorist attacks. Prosecutors said three men who formed the North American Militia plotted to assassinate then-Gov. John Engler, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and federal judges, and plant bombs at federal buildings in Battle Creek and Portage.

A manual on the MMCWs website dated 2015 outlines the command structure and sets requirements for annual meetings, dress code and expectations of behavior.

The MMCW is organized in a military-style hierarchy with a state commander, county commanders and multiple brigades per county managed by a brigade leader. Members also hold a rank modeled after military branches, ranging from private to general.

New members are required to attend three field training exercises during a probationary period, then swear an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

The militia continues to hold training sessions and meetings, with a recent training session scheduled for Jan. 9 in Adrian. It maintains affiliations with regional groups like the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia and Genesee County Volunteer Militia, among others.

MMCW claimed to have thousands of members in the 90s but is believed to be much smaller today. Crothers said the Michigan Militia provided a template for other militia groups across the country.

Timothy Teagan, a member of the Boogaloo Bois movement, stands with his rifle outside the state capitol in Lansing, Mich., Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Boogaloo Bois

Researchers who track extremist groups describe the boogaloo bois as a loosely organized network of far-right activists preparing for a violent civil war.

The groups name is a reference to a 1984 comedy film Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo. By the logic of the joke, a second civil war would be a sequel of sorts.

Stall said the idea originated in firearms messaging boards on 4chan, an online forum. Neo-Nazi groups also used the messaging board to advocate using violence to instigate a race war that would destabilize the government.

The movement is difficult to characterize because of some of the movement wants the civil war to happen, while some of the movement might say we dont want it to happen but we think its inevitable, so we want it to start under our terms and were going to encourage it to start now rather than later, said Jackson, the University of Albany professor.

Similar to the Proud Boys, irony and humor pervades the boogaloo movement. The boogaloo is sometimes referred to as the big luau, so members often don colorful Hawaiian shirts along with rifles and tactical gear.

Several of the men arrested for plotting to kidnap Whitmer were affiliated with boogaloo or expressed sympathy for the movement on social media. Joseph Morrison, the leader of the Wolverine Watchmen, used the alias Boogaloo Bunyan in online circles.

We make up a lot of different mentalities, said Timothy Teegan, a 22-year-old member of the movement. Were constitutionalists, were volunteerists, anarchists; people who are lovers of liberty and just want to be left alone by their government.

Some boogaloo bois have also positioned themselves as pro-Black Lives Matter or in support of anti-fascist protest movements. However, Stall said boogaloo bois generally are pretty far to the right, though there are different factions within the movement.

Phil Robinson, a member of the Michigan Liberty Militia, spoke at Thursday, Sep. 17's gun rights rally about how some groups that show up distract from Second Amendment issues. Photo by Nicole Hester, MLive.Nicole Hester

Michigan Liberty Militia

The Michigan Liberty Militia, founded in Barry County in 2015, was a common fixture at political demonstrations across the state last year.

Members of the militia attended protests against Trumps election loss and COVID-19 executive orders and opposed the removal of a civil war statue depicting a Confederate soldier in Allendale Township.

Michigan Liberty Militia members were a common fixture at anti-lockdown rallies organized by the American Patriot Council, an activist organization created to restore and sustain a constitutional government. The ACP maintains a criminal watch list of public officials that purportedly violated the Constitution, including Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

The ACP was a primary organizer of an April 30, 2020 rally where armed protesters entered the Michigan Capitol, including several men who were later arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer. Protesters demanded entry to the House chambers, while others loomed in the Senate gallery over lawmakers.

Two of the men arrested in the Whitmer kidnapping plot, William and Michael Null, are associates of the Michigan Liberty Militia and were often photographed wearing the groups insignia during anti-lockdown protests.

Michigan Liberty Militia leader Phil Robertson has been quoted saying the Null brothers are not guilty. Stall said he considers Wolverine Watchmen to be an offshoot of the Liberty Militia.

Id say probably the most important militia actors right now are the Michigan Liberty Militia and the Michigan Home Guard, he said.

Other groups were quick to distance themselves from the Wolverine Watchmen. Federal court documents show members of militia groups shared information about the plot with authorities.

Michigan Home Guard

The Michigan Home Guard claims to be the largest and most active militia group in the state. The group did not respond to a request for comment but maintains a website that includes some details about its organization.

The Michigan Home Guard describes itself as a nonpartisan homeland defense force training to protect the Constitution and the people of the United States of America and the State of Michigan. Members are required to attend two training sessions each quarter to remain in the militia.

The militia has several district leaders led by Rick Foreman, the groups commander. Foreman did not respond to attempts to reach him.

Armed members of the Michigan Home Guard stood outside Karl Mankes barbershop last spring as the Owosso barber defied state orders that required he close his business.

Adam Fox, the accused ringleader of the plot to kidnap Whitmer, was reportedly kicked out of the Michigan Home Guard for threatening other members. The militia issued a statement last year condemning the Wolverine Watchmen plot.

Proud Boys rally in downtown Kalamazoo

The Proud Boys

Stall described the Proud Boys as a far-right street movement known for brawling with left-wing activists. The national organization has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In Michigan, local chapters of The Proud Boys participated in anti-lockdown protests, appeared at former President Donald Trumps campaign rallies and clashed with counter-protesters in the streets of Kalamazoo during an August 2020 march through the city.

The Proud Boys arent a militia but are evolving into a more militant organization, Stall said. The use of military-style equipment may have been a response to violence at demonstrations in Kalamazoo and other cities like Portland, he said.

Michigans chapter of the Proud Boys, more so than pretty much any chapter across the country, are way more likely to show up with long rifles and plate carriers and be pretty decked out and look like a militia platoon, Stall said.

According to a website for The Proud Boys Michigan chapter, members must support Trump. The webpage outlines four ranks of membership.

Members in the second degree are expected to get the crap beaten out of you by at least five guys until you can name five breakfast cereals and are prohibited from masturbating. The highest degree of membership is bestowed on members who engage in a major conflict for the cause, including being arrested or being involved in a serious physical fight.

The Proud Boys were active across Michigan last year.

Fennville City Commissioner Morgan Bolles faced calls to resign after the Holland Sentinel reported on his involvement with The Proud Boys. Bolles said he has since disconnected from the group.

Members of the group spoke before the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners during a March 2020 hearing on a resolution to make the county a Second Amendment sanctuary. Three months later, The Proud Boys held a counter-protest in Traverse City in response to a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

Earlier this month, Grand Traverse County Vice Chair Ron Clous displayed his rifle during a public meeting livestream when a resident expressed concerns about The Proud Boys involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Clous, who did not respond to a request for comment, told the Traverse City Record-Eagle he would not denounce the Proud Boys, saying that they were decent guys and they treated us with respect.

Commission Chair Rob Hentschel, who laughed on camera when he saw the gun, also defended The Proud Boys. Hentschel said he did not see how they are a hate group because the groups membership includes people of color.

Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio is a Cuban-American and served as also the Florida director of Latinos for Trump on the former presidents campaign. Stall, the ACLED researcher, said the group loves to highlight Tarrios leadership when confronted with accusations of supporting white supremacy.

White supremacist is a descriptor that doesnt necessarily mean that your group is all white, Stall said. It just means that youre supporting a system that places white people above other people, and I think in a lot of cases the organizations is still that. They are far-right, and will a lot of times dip into bald-faced fascism.

Three Percenters

This is an example of how defining extremist groups can be tricky. Three Percenters (III%ers) are part of the militia movement but not a specific group itself.

Instead, the term refers to a discredited historical claim that only 3% of residents in colonial Americans took up arms to fight against the British. The concept of a small group of patriots standing against tyranny is a core belief of militia members.

Three percenters isnt an organization, theres no chain of command, Jackson said. Instead, its a broad movement of unaffiliated groups that have adopted the rhetoric or the language of Three Percenters into their name or into their group iconography or something like that.

Last summer, a self-proclaimed Three Percenter leader in Wisconsin said he had hosted rifle training for some of the men who were arrested for planning to kidnap Whitmer.

Clinton Township resident Don Atkinson, 50, wore Three Percenter patches on camouflaged fatigues while standing outside Lansings Capitol on the day of President Joe Bidens inauguration. Atkinson, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said the patch is a patriotic symbol.

Atkinson was shocked by the Jan. 6 riots and expressed concern about militias participating in protests. Atkinson, armed with a rifle, said he didnt trust the election result but is willing to give Biden a chance as the new president.

I mean, Im not sure what I could to do shoot him down, so to speak, Atkinson said.

The Base

The Base is a violent neo-Nazi group focused on starting a race war in the U.S. and establish a white ethnostate. A national FBI counterterrorism operation resulted in the arrests of several terror suspects in the last year, including Michigan residents Justen Watkins, 25, and Aflred Gorman, 35.

Watkins was allegedly the groups self-proclaimed leader and ran a paramilitary hate camp in Northern Michigan.

Watkins and Gorman were charged with felony counts of gang membership, unlawful posting of a message and using computers to commit a crime. They were arrested in October, weeks after the Wolverine Watchmen were apprehended.

The charges stem from a December 2019 incident where The Base mistakenly targeted a Michigan familys home they thought belonged to a podcaster who covers the neo-Nazi movement.

The Department of Justice found tactical gear, Nazi memorabilia and weapons during a raid of a Bad Axe farmhouse owned by the father of Watkins friend.

According to Michigan Attorney Generals office, The Base was founded in 2018 and purports to be training for a race war to establish white rule in Michigans Upper Peninsula.

Challenges in 2021

Law enforcement officials and researchers who track right-wing groups warn more unrest could be on the horizon. The forces which led to the rise of armed militias havent gone away.

Vinyard argues in her book that anti-government groups gain mainstream appeal in times of crisis. The global pandemic, shattered economy and contentious election created a volatile environment and plenty of reasons to distrust the government.

People think that they dont have some legitimate grievances, and they do have some legitimate grievances, Vinyard said in an interview. Weve been brought up on the American dream, and many of these people in the rank and file are people who feel like they havent achieved the American dream. They get misinformation, maybe the internet has also fed all of this, but they feel aggrieved.

Biden has entered office with a pledge to fix the countrys ongoing crises and restore unity. But the new administration is also expected to provide militias with an opponent to rally against.

Stall said militias are usually mobilized when Democrats take office. Bidens plans to enact new gun control laws will undoubtedly incite far-right groups, he said.

Crothers said extremist groups will likely remain on edge regardless of what Biden does in office. Demonstrably false information and conspiracy theories were a driving force behind extremist activity last year, he said.

There are people living in an alternate information universe, who are in a conversation with each other, in which the actual facts have long since stopped mattering, Crothers said.

READ MORE ON MLIVE:

Domestic terrorism represents growing threat to United States

Michigan congressman backs bill to track domestic terrorism, stop neo-Nazis from infiltrating police

Politicians who lied about election fraud gave extremists something to fight for, experts say

Extreme rhetoric thrives on alternative social media sites growing after Facebook, Twitter crackdown

Accused Michigan terrorists found natural home among anti-Whitmer sentiment promoted by far right
(Bloomberg) -- Biden administration officials have called an ad-hoc meeting next week with Taiwan government and industry officials, during which theyre expected to pressure Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and its peers to ramp up the supply of vital chips to American automakers.

The virtual conference scheduled for Thursday U.S. time would be the most high-profile meeting between newly appointed Biden administration officials and their counterparts from Taipei. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Murray and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Richard Steffens are scheduled to confer with Taiwan Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua, people familiar with the matter said. Executives from the islands largest chipmakers including TSMC and MediaTek Inc. will also attend a discussion centered on resolving a global shortage of auto chips, they said.

The meeting is intended to forge closer ties between the two sides, the ministry said in a statement to Bloomberg News, without elaborating on the agenda or final attendance list. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing Friday he wasnt aware of the meeting, but reiterated that Beijing opposes official interactions between the U.S. and Chinas Taiwan region.

Global carmakers such as General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. face potentially $61 billion of lost revenue for the year because they cant secure enough of the chips that go into a plethora of vehicle parts. TSMC and other Taiwanese firms are among the worlds most sophisticated chipmakers and produce a significant portion of the semiconductors for everything from cars to laptops.

Read more: A Year of Poor Planning Led to Carmakers Massive Chip Shortage

This week, TSMC vowed to reallocate capacity to support the global automotive industry. Some industry observers say the shortage stemmed from near-sighted planning and under-estimation of a post-Covid rebound in automobile demand, while others argue chipmakers are prioritizing higher-volume and more lucrative consumer electronics such as smartphones.

Story continues

The quagmire reveals the risks for automakers like Ford and Volkswagen AG as vehicles become smarter and technologically more complex. Carmakers with more software and chip expertise are set to face a smoother ride, while those whose traditional strength in metal-bending are potentially more prone to supply hiccups.

The people familiar with the meeting details asked not to be identified talking about a private arrangement that has yet to be made public. A spokesperson for the U.S. State department declined to comment. Representatives for the U.S. Commerce Department, TSMC and MediaTek didnt respond to requests for comment.

We continue to engage with government officials as this remains a critical issue, said Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, the lobbyist for the Detroit-based automakers GM and Ford as well as the U.S. operations of Stellantis NV (formerly Fiat Chrysler). We are grateful for the Biden administrations ongoing assistance and hope it can continue as more key positions are filled.

The meeting will take place as Bidens administration signals strong backing for an island China claims as its own. The U.S. State Department this week urged China to engage in a dialogue with Taiwan and halt military pressure on the island, in an early nod of support for Taipei.

Disputes over Taiwan, which has been one of the biggest flash points between the U.S. and China since the Cold War, have returned to the fore as Washington steps up support for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Read more: U.S. Urges China to Talk With Taiwan in Early Nod From Biden

(Updates with Chinas response in the third paragraph)

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

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An Egyptian prosecution ordered on Saturday the referral of Haitham Kamel Abou Ali to the criminal court over vehicular manslaughter charges after causing the death of a woman in Hurghada while driving his vehicle in an incident that has caused an online uproar lately.

The defendant is accused of wrongfully causing  due to his gross negligence and lack of compliance to the law  the death of Mai Eskander while driving his car under the influence of intoxicants and drugs.

According to a statement released by Egypt's Red Sea prosecution, the official charges levelled up against the defendants as theywere in the possession of cannabis with the intention of consuming it, wrongfully causing the death of Mai Eskander while driving his car.

The defendant, who has been detained, is also accused of deliberately driving against traffic using a vehicle in unsafe conditions, the statement added.

The prosecution based its evidence upon testimonies from five eyewitnesses and the prosecution's inspection of the incident site as well as the defendants acknowledgment during the investigations that he used narcotic and alcoholic substances prior to the accident.

The defendant's claim was supported by a report issued from the narcotic substances analysis department at the health affairs directorate in the Hurghada governorate and another report issued from Hurghada general hospital.

Users of social media were extremely vexed by the incidents, posting a torrent of solidarity messages with the victim and asking for holding of the perpetrator accountable, who is the son of an Egyptian business tycoon hailing from an affluent family.
Australia has gone two weeks without any locally-acquired cases of of Covid-19 since Sydney's outbreaks were contrained.

New South Wales announced on Sunday it had not recorded a locally-acquired case of Covid-19 in 14 days.

Three cases were recorded in hotel quarantine in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday.

Sydney's outbreaks began on December 16 when the virus somehow got into the city's northern beaches and grew at up to 30 cases a day.

A second outbreak began in western Sydney, centred around a bottle shop is Casula, from a patient transport worker.

Australia has gone two weeks without any local transmissions of Covid-19 (pictured, Covid-19 testing facility)

Victoria has gone 25 days without a locally acquired Covid-19 case (pictured, residents in Melbourne)

The northern suburbs was locked down for more than a week and Christmas, New Year's Eve, and Australia Day celebrations were cut to five guests at homes.

These efforts, without a city-wide lockdown or business closures, were enough to defeat both outbreaks.

However, parts of the state are still on alert after fragments of the virus were found in the sewage network at Warriewood, Liverpool and Malabar overnight.

NSW Health says the detections may reflect known recent confirmed cases in these areas, but people living or working there should be on high alert.

The Covid-19 free run was thrown into jeopardy after Victorian health authorities took to Twitter to announce a test had come back with an 'indeterminate result'.

'Follow up tests are under way and precautionary public health actions are being taken,' the Department of Human and Health Services tweeted.

Victoria has gone 25 days without a locally acquired Covid-19 case.

Traces of Covid-19 have also been found in sewerage at six different locations.

The fragments were found at Castlemaine, Cowes and Pakenham on January 27.

The department of health is urging residents and anyone who has visited these areas from January 25 to 27 to get tested if they have symptoms of the virus.

It says the virus detections at each of the locations were weak, and could be due to people who have recovered from COVID-19 continuing to shed the virus.

Fragments were also detected in wastewater in Gisborne, Hamilton and Leongatha.

Fears are mounting Victoria could break its Covid-19 free spell after a test came back with an 'indeterminate result'

Department of Health and Human Services took to Twitter to make the announcement on Sunday

The Covid-19 free run has also encouraged states to reopen their borders.

Health Minister Greg Hunt also says Australia is on track for the roll-out commencing from late February and completing in October.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration gave approval to the Pfizer vaccine last week for the first vaccinations in February.

Mr Hunt said the alternative AstraZeneca vaccine is still subject to TGA approvals, but the latest advice is that will be completed on time and is on track for rollout in early March.

He said the government has spoken to the European Union, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, as well as the World Health Organisation in the past 24 hours, over vaccine supply concerns following regulatory steps by the EU.

'The guidance from the EU is provisional and preliminary at this stage, so I will remain cautious, but that guidance is that the EU regulatory steps are not aimed at Australia, and not expected to affect Australia,' he said.

'But we will continue to engage with the EU on a daily basis.'
As India moves ahead on its growth trajectory, with partial recovery from COVID-19, a strong impetus in manufacturing through the Union Budget 2021 is crucial

In its December State of the Economy report, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revealed that the nation is emerging from the economic slump much faster than anticipated. As India moves ahead on its growth trajectory, with partial recovery from COVID-19 , a strong impetus in manufacturing through the Union Budget-2021 is crucial, say major players in the sector.

Here is the manufacturing sector wishlist:

Chandru Kalro, Managing Director, TTK Prestige

I would like to see the government turn its attention from rural to the urban middle class. I believe tax breaks for the salaried class will be immensely beneficial, including steps to support the housing market. At this time, the middle class need all the help they can get as they have been badly impacted. I would also like to see the Finance Minister promote exports, in keeping with the Make-in-India and anti-China sentiment. For our industry, I would welcome PLI schemes to provide an impetus to Indias manufacturing prospects and the kitchenware industry. Any support when it comes to ease in GST compliance is also something that I am looking forward to.

Rajesh Uttamchandani, Director, Syska Group

We believe the government can offer support to the manufacturing industry through tax reforms and by supporting the expansion of distribution and supply chains. Further, the government could also look at mitigating the legal procedures involved in establishing manufacturing facilities in the country, under its Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Last year, the production incentive scheme (PLI) scheme was announced with an aim to offer opportunities for home-grown and international electronic businesses to improve their manufacturing competences in India. We are confident that government will consider this sentiment and enable India-based organisations to avail of benefits that will help them establish a strong foothold from a manufacturing perspective.

Prakash Chhabria, Chairman, Finolex Industries Limited

We hope Budget 2021 boosts domestic manufacturing across sectors, for a self-reliant economy. We look forward to announcements that will lay emphasis on the progress of the overall agriculture economy. Also, we strongly believe that the governments objective to double farmers income and improve piped water coverage by 2022 is most likely to strengthen both plumbing and agri pipe demand in the near future. The flagship government scheme, Nal se Jal scheme appears to be a major driver of plumbing pipe demand.

Bala Sarda, CEO and Founder VAHDAM India

As an entrepreneur, I expect reduction in Long term Capital Gains Tax on Private Equity and making it at par with the public market. You pay 10 percent tax on investments in stock markets but an entrepreneur pays 27-28 percent tax on a business he has built from scratch . There should be stronger subsidies on import of capital goods used for core manufacturing and value addition for exports. The Budget can look into widening the ambit of Special Startup manufacturing zones for companies or startups which want to foray into manufacturing. This would give the government's "Vocal for Local" initiative a timely fillip.

Ashok Rajpal, CEO and Managing Director, Ambrane India

With the Boycott Chinese Products initiative, we need to invest heavily in the IT infrastructure and manufacturing industry. Thus, we expect tax reforms for the tech sector so as to invest solely in the country with major manufacturing and operating units. This will ultimately help India to push the limits and grow in the most unexpected ways. However, the rebates and tax reforms can help India to be the hub of manufacturers in electronics, automobile and textile in the near future. To give tough competition to leading tech brands worldwide and push post-Covid major setback, Make in India initiative should be new normal for the Indians. Empowering and encouraging the MSMEs and small scale manufacturers can lead to a great pool of jobs for the skilled and trained laborers, resulting in acquisition of brilliant minds for creating a self-sufficient India.

Arjun Ranga, President, All India Agarbathi Manufacturers Association (AIAMA)

One of the key areas that the industry would want the government to address is to extend its support towards expansion of export market as well as incentivising those engaged in exports. The government should look at providing capital subsidies for new units dedicated for exports. Similarly, allowances and reimbursement on legal support and fee for registering Indian brands abroad, fiscal support on action taken to counter the duplicate and pass off products abroad. The government should also look at create a mechanism that appreciates and gives growth based incentives. Offering an additional weightage of Atmanirbhar Allowance of 50% under the Income Tax Act on the cost of materials consumed as well as on the manufacturing expenses incurred in making raw agarbathies. This will provide the much needed relief to the small units who have recently commenced their efforts in making our industry self-reliant and completely indigenous.

KG Prabhu, Chief Financial Officer, Digisol Systems

COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown had a drastic impact on the Indian economy in 2020, however everyone is hoping that the upcoming budget will improve the situation for the next financial year as India looks to recover from the economic devastation with the rollout of COVID vaccine. As last year the government focused on making India a self-reliant economy, thus, we are expecting that the upcoming budget will have measures to boost domestic manufacturing and introduce policies that will allow global companies to invest and manufacture in India.

Rajeev Karwal, Founder-Chairman, MilagrowHumantech

If we want to be a superpower in the hardware manufacturing of new emerging technologies, we must attract global manufacturers of key components. We must stop incentivising or subsidising finished goods assembly of any electronic, telecom, robotics, or IT product. I suggest giving a ten-year tax holiday to companies which invest in setting up semiconductor fabs. They have an investment starting around $8 billion. The technology needs to be upgraded typically every 3-4 years and have huge operating costs. If we have next-gen fabs in India, we shall also control technology and be intrinsically competitive. If no private player comes, the Government of India must invest in these kinds of ventures.

Sunil Agarwal, Chairman, RSH Global

Packaged food, ready-to-eat products, personal hygiene products like sanitisers and disinfectants were some of the products that did well through the pandemic. While the focus for the Budget this year is likely to be on healthcare, other industries will also need a boost. An increase in government spending and incentives to provide stimulus is going to be the key to market revival. Slashing income tax slabs will put more disposable income in the hands of consumers, which may accelerate consumption. We expect budget 2021 to improve overall consumer sentiment and spur consumption across target classes.

Neeraj Bahl, MD and CEO, BSH Home Appliances

The pandemic induced lockdown has resulted in flat growth for the consumer durable industry last year. In the 2021-22 budget, we are hopeful that there will be a relaxation on personal/income tax which will help boost consumer demand and drive growth for the industry. Moreover, the government should also consider reduction in GST rates for products like dishwashers, dryers, refrigerators and air conditioners, which are now evolving from being luxuries to necessities for consumers. We also hope that the government reconsiders the rebate on tax for second home owners, which will go a long way in boosting real estate and therefore the consumer durable sector.

Sharad Malhotra, President, Nippon Paint India

We are also looking forward to the government incentivising consumers through tax breaks and other measures. We are hopeful of enhanced measures that will increase India's ranking in Ease of Doing Business and meet the government's target to scale up manufacturing to 25 percent of the GDP.

Sameer Katole, CEO, CROSSLOOP

With the governments push towards domestic electronics manufacturing with initiatives such as Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, we can expect a rise in customs duties on electronic products. The government should look at restricting, abolishing or giving control to shareholders for Dividend Distribution Tax. Ecommerce platforms have contributed to the economy and hence law relating to TDS under section 194-O on e-commerce transactions should exclude specific cases from the ambit of this provision. The government can look at making stronger efforts towards maintaining TDS at 75 percent of the applicable rates for the coming fiscal year in order to boost liquidity.

Rahul Sharma, President, Aluminium Association of India and Dy.CEO  Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd

It is now even more important to ensure that specific measures are announced in the upcoming Budget which pull the metals sector out of an ongoing challenging phase. The correction of inverted duty structure with reduction of import duties on critical raw materials of the aluminium value chain in the upcoming Budget will go a long way in Made in India aluminium bridging the competitive gap it faces with respect to other major global aluminium producers. With Aluminium production costs in India amongst one of the highest in the world, immediate support pertaining to the rationalisation of power cost by reducing high cess on coal to support power-intensive industries like aluminium is recommended.

Jubin Peter, Founder and Chairman, QThree Ventures

With the right support from the government, we can soon be on the path to becoming the manufacturing hub for the world. I urge the government to incentivise setting up of manufacturing facilities in the country through subsidies, tax holidays; rationalise taxes on TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners. While once considered a luxury, today these products are now essential in most households. Reducing the tax slab will boost demand and thereby enable more sales, helping the economy bounce back faster.

Kishan Jain, Director, Goldmedal Electricals

The government can focus on attracting foreign investment, adopting cutting-edge technology, and enhance exports in order to make India a global manufacturing hub, through its Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India; initiatives. This in turn will boost employment opportunities for citizens which is the need of the hour in a post-pandemic world. We look forward to policies that will leave more money in the hands of consumers as it will help boost demand in the economy.

Dinesh Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, Panasonic Life Solutions India

Sustained investment in Infrastructure by the government, constant effort to introduce FDI in manufacturing including electronic components and sub-assemblies, and conscious support for the real estate developers through priority lending; all of these will assist in stimulating the economy, which is still largely dependent on home demand. Also, commodity prices in the past 8 months have gone out of control and are unpredictable. It is expected that some strict measures are taken to diffuse such situations in the near future as it leads to dilution of business confidence.

Raj Shamani, Founder, Shamani Industries

The budget should be favourable to common tax payers. This year they were the one most affected, they are the ones with maximum EMIs, maximum responsibility and expenses on a recurring basis but because of the pandemic, they have seen the lowest days. Providing some relief to the common man is the need of the hour. With this years budget, I am expecting some relief in the tax slab for the common tax payers. Given the fact that this is the first budget in the post-COVID, the industry is hoping for concrete measures to revive the economy, ways to increase consumer demand particularly in sectors that were hit hard by the Covid crisis like the retail industry, tourism, hospitality etc.

Avneet Singh Marwah, Director, CEO, Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd

This budget is an opportunity for the government to bring dual reforms to domestic TV manufacturing ecosystem. One, boost local production and manufacturing by removing custom duty on panels, and including televisions under the PLI scheme; and second, drive demand by reducing GST from 28 percent to 18 percent as content consumption patterns have changed in the emerging towns as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the efforts of paralysis-hit N S Rajappan in keeping the scenic Vembanad Lake in Kumarakom city of Kerala clean by fishing out plastic waste from it everyday. In his "Mann Ki Baat" programme, the prime minister lauded the elderly man's commitment towards cleanliness, saying all should emulate him and make contributions wherever possible.

"In Kottayam of Kerala there is an elderly divyang, N S Rajappan Sahab. Due to paralysis, Rajappan is incapable of walking, but this has not affected his commitment to cleanliness," the prime minister said.

Responding to the acknowledgement, Rajappan said, "I feel honoured to have been mentioned by the Prime Minister in his Mann ki Baat address."

A few days ago former United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chief Erik Solheim had shared a small video on Rajappan collecting plastic waste from the Lake despite his disability and said he should be made famous.

Rajappan says he is making his living by collecting garbage bottles from the lake. (Image: ANI)

Solheim in a tweet on January 14 had praised the fabulous efforts of Rajappan to clean up the backwaters, beauty of which attracts tourists from all across the world.

"Everyday Rajappan gets into his small boat & collect plastic bottles from Vembanad lake in India. All alone. We should make him famous," he had said. In the 20th episode of Mann Ki Baat 2.0', Modi said the news from Kottayam about the divyang elderly person "makes us realise our responsibilities."

Noting that the past several years Rajappan has been rowing his boat into the Vembanad Lake and taking out the plastic bottles thrown into the water body, Modi said, "Think, how great Rajappan ji's thought is! Taking inspiration from Rajappan ji, we too should, wherever possible, make our contribution to cleanliness," he added.

Rajappan, who uses his hands to move around, said he is making his living by collecting garbage bottles from the lake. "I am paralysed below my knees. I can't walk. I ventured into the lake yesterday also to collect plastic bottles. I got four sacks full of waste bottles," he told reporters. He said he had been doing this work for the past 17 years.

"Every day, I manage to climb into the boat and venture out to collect garbage bottles", he said. Asked about his wishes, the elderly person said his house was in a dilapidated condition. "I need a house. My house doesn't have a proper roof," he said.

With PTI inputs
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Marysville, CA (95901)

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Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 93F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
NEW HAVEN  Days after reopening city schools for some students amid protest around pandemic safety concerns, the district unveiled an online dashboard to provide information about COVID cases connected to NHPS facilities.

The city partially reopened schools to thousands of students up to fifth grade and some high needs students on Jan. 19, then, shortly after, district officials reported the first cases of individuals with COVID-19 who had spent time in a classroom either teaching or learning.

As of Friday, 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in people who had been inside New Haven schools were reported to the parents and staff of seven schools. The schools are: Barnard Environment Studies Interdistrict Magnet School, Bishop Woods Architecture & Design Magnet, Columbus Family School, Conte West Hill School, Benjamin Jepson Magnet, Lincoln Bassett School and Nathan Hale School.

The NHPS website had the day before debuted the dashboard to report the number of positive cases in the schools as well as how many people were undergoing the 10-day quarantine after potential exposure. The site says it will be updated every Monday by 5 p.m.

There were 131 individuals quarantined, as of Jan. 29, the site reported. The online information does not detail what possible exposure led to the number of people quarantining.

Some school districts  including Stamford, East Haven, Brookfield and Middletown  have provided such data dashboards on their websites since they opened schools in the fall. Most provide information about how many teachers and students have tested positive for the virus and how many are quarantining. Some go further in reporting how many schools have been impacted by positive cases.

The district's dashboard was born directly from community feedback expressing the desire to know the impact of (COVID-19) on our schools on our staff and students, Middletown Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner said in a statement. We update it nightly and it provides not only valuable counts and data but more importantly it provides I think a sense of security, health and well-being to our community.

It sends a nightly message that our kids and our schools are safe places, Conner said in the statement said. Yes, the virus impacts schools too, but I think it lets the community know we are on it and we are transparent.

As for New Havens dashboard, It will be updated as soon as we get information, Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey said Friday.

Tracey said district staff are working on unveiling a data dashboard.

The dashboard debuted as the district considers expanding the return to in-person education. Factors under consideration include COVID-19 transmission rates and training of a staff of substitute teachers large enough to accommodate teacher sick days and to fill classrooms for teachers granted Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations that allow them to stay home, Tracey has said.

Tracey has said there are no determined dates for when the next phase-in plan might begin.

Jill Kelly, a parent of a New Haven student and a statistics expert at Yale University, said there are certain things the district should keep in mind if it wants its reporting of COVID data to be effective.

Kelly said the most important thing the district could do is to post the updates as text and not an image so the data can be more easily accessed. She said the district also should post current and cumulative case counts with a link to prior reports, and that data should be broken down by school building so it can be clearer whether some buildings are doing worse than others.

As of Friday, the dashboard was an image, not reported as text, and there were no links to past reports.

Overall, Kelly said she has hoped for better data from multiple levels of government on COVID-19 infection rates.

The state reports cases in some categories so many days in arrears, they are not relevant by the time you see them, she said.

While the NHPS dashboard does not detail possible exposures that led to quarantines, in one recent example confirmed by Mayor Justin Elicker, one teacher and eight students were told to quarantine after a teacher at Bishop Woods School received a positive test for COVID-19 on Jan. 22.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
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President Joe Biden on Friday received his second letter of the week from lawmakers in Rocky Mountain states raising concerns about the Air Forces decision to locate the U.S. Space Command headquarters in Alabama.

New Mexico Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, all Democrats, wrote Biden asking for a comprehensive review of the decision. Earlier in the week, Biden received a similar letter from Colorados congressional delegation.

Both Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque were on the final list of six cities under consideration for the headquarters. But the Trump administration in its final days in power picked Alabama.

We believe New Mexico is uniquely positioned to support Space Commands mission and that a close review of the merits of the January 13, 2021, decision will warrant reconsideration, the New Mexico lawmakers wrote.

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The lawmakers asked that the Biden administration suspend all efforts to plan and create the new headquarters until a thorough review has taken place.

HERRELLS FIRST BILL: U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., introduced a bill that she says would stop some people from spreading COVID. Her office said its the southern New Mexico lawmakers first bill.

The legislation, Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread Upon Entry Act of 2021, or the PAUSE Act, seeks to keep in place a sweeping emergency measure that the Trump administration used to stop immigrants at the border during the coronavirus pandemic.

Civil rights and immigration activists have called on Biden to rescind the practice, which according to some reports has led to the expulsion of migrant children from other countries into Mexico.

The PAUSE Act seeks to keep the Trump-era border practices in effect until at least all state and federal lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, curfews and other COVID-19 mandates end.

Until the lockdowns and emergency declarations have ended, border health protections must remain in place to prevent the introduction of new cases and new strains of the virus at our borders, Herrell said in a statement.

Herrell photos: Despite taking a hard line against the virus at the border, the Democratic Party of New Mexico called out Herrell last week for not taking COVID precautions of her own.

Herrell on Jan. 23 posted a photo on her Facebook page of herself at what appears to be an indoor event with Lincoln County Sheriff Mike Wood. People in the audience in the photo, as well as Herrell and the sheriff, werent wearing masks.

Democrats also criticized her for appearing in a photograph on social media unmasked with four Future Farmers of America students.

Jordan Haverly, a Herrell spokesman, said the photo of Herrell with the students was removed because it received threatening comments. Haverly said in an email that Herrell respects the preferences of the constituents she meets with and abides by the requirements enforced by the counties she visits.

New Mexico Democrats were critical of both pictures.

This is the continuation of a dangerous pattern, said Miranda van Dijk, a spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party.

Ryan Boetel: rboetel@abqjournal.com

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Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu said on Saturday that, at the end of next week, measures will be announced following the investigation from the "Matei Bals" Institute.

"We do not yet know the exact cause at 'Matei Bals', but what is clear is that the pandemic and the necessary treatment for COVID-19 patients have put additional pressure on the staff and infrastructure of those hospitals that treat patients with COVID-19 disease. It is a large number of patients who need oxygen, which is the main medicine for these patients, which makes fire safety, in particular, but not only, particularly difficult in many hospitals in the country. At the end of next week, measures regarding what has already been ascertained, respectively about what will be ascertained after the investigation at 'Matei Bals' will be announced," Voiculescu told a press conference.

The Health Minister also sent his condolences to the families of the victims of the "Matei Bals" fire.

"I wish those who have lost their loved ones a lot of strength and all the others a speedy recovery! We are by the side of the patients and the families of those hospitalized at the 'Matei Bals' Institute," Voiculescu added.

He said he intended to call the families of those killed in the fire.

"I have been in contact with people close to some of the victims," the minister added.

At the same time, he appreciated the efforts of those who intervened and of the medical staff from "Matei Bals".

"I would like to thank them on behalf of the institution I run, both for what happened yesterday, for what they did yesterday, and for their work during all these months of pandemic. Moreover, I would like to thank the entire staff. I would like to tell you that the healthcare system has old sins and these sins are not from yesterday, the day before yesterday, but are at least 30 years old. Yesterday we had nosocomial infections, which caused losses of lives, today we are talking especially about fires and a pandemic, we do not know what other terrible thing will come upon us tomorrow," said the minister.

Voiculescu also said that one of the buildings of the "Matei Bals" Institute did not have an authorization from the Inspectorate General for Emergency Situations (IGSU).

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Purdue Sports)  The No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers downed Iowa in a sweeping fashion for the second straight night (25-16, 25-15, 25-21).

The Boilermaker offense blasted a.426 hitting % in the victory, the best mark against a Big Ten foe since Purdue's .494 hitting clip versus Indiana on September 27, 2017. Additionally, as a team, Purdue recorded just one error through the first two sets.

Junior Jael Johnson continued her impressive start to the 2021 season after producing a career-best with 13 kills and no errors on 19 swings (.684) for the second straight week (previous career-high set a weekend ago at Wisconsin (10, 1/22/21).

Meanwhile setter Hayley Bush secured 43 assists and four kills. Ellis put down 11 kills with two errors on 22 attempts for a .409 attack %, the most kills since Oct. 19, 2019 at Ohio State. Maddy Chinn produced eight kills, bringing her weekend total to 15, a combined career-best in back-to-back outings.

Leading the defense was libero Jena Otec, who tallied 16 digs on the night. Maddie Schermerhorn's 10 digs ties a career-best, which was set the previous evening against Iowa.

THE BREAKDOWN

Set 1 | 25-16

Purdue served up two aces by its ninth point, thanks to the seniors Jena Otec (Score: 3-2 Purdue) and Caitlyn Newton (Score: 9-4 Purdue). In a 7-1 Purdue run, Johnson produced three kills, it's last securing a 10-4 Purdue advantage, a lead the Hawkeyes attempted to chip away at, however Newton added the exclamation point with the team's third ace of the night on a 4-1 run for an insurmountable 18-11 score in favor of Purdue.

Johnson went perfect in the first set, scoring on all four attempts. As a team, Purdue went 16-0-26 (.615) on the attack, with seven Boilermakers contributing points.

Set 2 | 25-15

Iowa stayed within three points of Purdue until Chinn set in motion a 4-0 run, where she collected two of the kills to bring the score to 13-8, Purdue. Despite two kills from Newton, the Hawkeyes scored three straight to crawl within four points of Purdue (Score: 16-12 Purdue). Then, Purdue forced an error and back-to-back blocks to solidify a 5-0 run and an Iowa timeout (Score: 20-12 Purdue). The Boilermakers, allowed just two more kills by the Hawkeyes before finalizing the set, 25-15.

Two freshmen, Savana Chacon and Molly Brown made their collegiate debut in the set.

Set 3 | 25-21

Within the first eight points by either team, the Hawkeyes and Boilermakers were knotted four times, however Purdue began to pull away with a 5-1 run. In the stretch, the Boilermakers saw a pair of kills by Trammell and two stuffs by Ellis, Trammell and Chinn for a 13-8 Purdue advantage. Iowa and Purdue went on to trade points, but the Boilermaker lead was too much to overcome.

Johnson had an evening's-best five kills, while Chinn, Ellis and Koch each secured a trio of kills. Johnson and Koch were errorless in the third set.

UP NEXT

Purdue will return to Holloway next weekend Feb. 5-6, where it will take on No. 7 Minnesota. Friday's 7 p.m. ET match will air on Big Ten Network, while fans can catch Saturday's 5 p.m. ET start on BTN+.

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City officials and the Middleburg Heights Chamber of Commerce recently honored SCAN Hunger Center Pantry founder Lona Gruber for decades of selflessness in feeding the needy, as well as serving countless others through participation in numerous local organizations.

Mayor Matt Castelli marked the occasion during the Jan. 26 City Council meeting, proclaiming it Lona Gruber Day and reading aloud an official proclamation. Gruber listened in via Zoom.

Lona Gruber started the SCAN (Southwest Community Access Network) Hunger Center Pantry more than 20 years ago to help feed the hungry, and hundreds of families have benefited, Castelli said, calling her a driving force.

Lona has never had to turn a family away from SCAN because of lack of food, he said.

Chamber of Commerce President Tim Noe bestowed on Gruber the organizations Lifetime Achievement Award.

I know of no one who has contributed to this community, and the chamber, more than you, whether it be through volunteering, your support of our programs or just the donation of your time, Noe said.

In addition to SCAN and the chamber, Gruber has been Middleburg Heights Community Council president, served on numerous Berea City School District boards, founded Middleburg Heights Salute to the City, served as Middleburg Heights Home Days chairwoman and is a member of the Middleburg Heights Historical Society.

You are an inspiration to us all, Castelli said, a sentiment echoed by City Council members.

As is typical for Gruber, she thanked everyone, but redirected attention to SCAN and the never-ending need for food.

Dont let these things drop, Gruber urged. I couldnt do these things without all the people I talk to all the time, so we need to continue to do that. Please follow suit.

She reiterated that request to cleveland.com.

I want people to continue contributing to the pantry, she said by phone. Please put the word out.

Monetary donations are recommended, with checks made payable to SCAN Hunger Center and sent to SCAN Hunger Center, 398 W. Bagley Road, Williamsport Plaza Shopping Center #7, Berea, 44017.

Read more stories from the News Sun.
GOVERNMENT received a total of $7.37 billion from oil, gas and quarrying/mining companies in fiscal 2018, with the largest payment of $2 billion coming from majority State-owned National Gas Company (NGC).

However, for the period 2019 to 2020, unaudited figures indicate a declining trend in revenue.
Lawton, OK (73501)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 77F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Organs were put on specially chartered flights or were handed from one specialist team to another at hard borders as governments worked in tandem to allow transplant teams to continue operating last year.

All of this was part of a mammoth effort to ensure critically ill patients were still able to receive precious donor organs during the pandemic.

Liver transplant recipient Richard Betteridge at his home in Bendigo.

After the shutdown of kidney transplant services from mid-March to mid-May, the number of people who received organ transplants was 12 per cent lower in 2020 than the previous year, while the number of donors dropped by 16 per cent, the latest national organ donation and transplant data shows.

The greatest drop in both donations and transplants was in April, after kidney transplants were paused, with 33 transplant recipients from 23 organ donors, compared to 120 transplant recipients from 46 donors in April 2019.
A smoker could pay anywhere from 6,000 to 60,000 than their non-smoking counterpart for life assurance according to figures released today by Royal London.

Experts at the leading protection specialist say that many policyholders are unaware of the significant cost savings that can be made on their life insurance premiums if they have given up smoking  with non-smokers benefiting from a reduction in premiums of up to around 50%.

Royal London is highlighting the issue now as this is a time when many smokers make it their New Years resolution to give up smoking once and for all and, after the expense of Christmas, they believe it comes as welcome news to anyone who has successfully managed to quit since January 2020 or before, that this year their life insurance premiums may be reduced dramatically.

Michele Murphy of Royal London explained: When weighing up the advantages of quitting smoking, we generally think about the obvious health benefits and the cost savings to be gained from not purchasing cigarettes frequently  especially given that, from 2021, one packet is set to cost 14.

"However, fewer people may immediately think of the significant cost benefit of quitting in terms of the impact it has on life cover premiums. As you might imagine, smokers pay more in premiums for life insurance than non-smokers, due to many damaging health effects, but people may not be aware of just how sizeable the difference can be between the premiums charged.

Commenting on the cost analysis carried out by Royal London, Ms. Murphy said: The figures speak for themselves - showing massive savings for non-smokers when compared with smokers. A smoker turning 35 on their next birthday will pay over 6,000 more in premiums than their non-smoking counterpart for 300,000 worth of Level Term Life Cover over a 25-year term.

"A smoker turning 45 on their next birthday can expect to pay over 68,300 more than a non-smoker during the course of a Specified Serious Illness policy for 300,000 over a 25-year term. Our experience is that while many people expect that smokers will pay more in premiums; they are surprised how much the cost savings can add up to over the lifetime of the cover.

Royal London says that anyone considering quitting smoking as their 2021 New Years resolution has the added incentive of looking forward to a reduction in premiums next year. To be classified as a non-smoker for insurance purposes you must have not used any tobacco products in the last 12 months, including the use of e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement products such as patches or chewing gum, with no intention to do so in the future. It is possible that your insurance provider may ask you to complete a cotinine test (smoker test). This is a simple test which involves screening a sample of saliva or urine for tobacco use.

Last year the then Minister for Health, Simon Harris, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more important than ever to quit smoking. Smoking impairs lung function and the infectious virus primarily attacks the lungs. Added to that, tobacco is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes. According to a report from the World Health Organisation research suggests that when smokers are affected by the virus that they are at higher risk of developing severe illness and death.

Ms. Murphy concluded by saying, Given the pandemic, more focus than ever has been on our physical health, and with tobacco use being the leading cause of preventable death in Ireland each year, it stands to reason that those that smoke may make giving up the habit a priority in 2021. Fortunately, the prevalence of smoking in Ireland is decreasing  according to HSE figures for the first half of 2020 15.7% of the Irish population smoke, which is down from the 2019 full year figure of 17.1%.

"We are calling on ex-smokers who have successfully kicked the habit since at least 01 January 2020 to go about reaping the financial rewards of their outstanding achievement. If you are a smoker, who is considering quitting, the potential cost savings on your life insurance is another reason to break the habit that you can add to the list.

If youre an ex-smoker since this time last year, we recommend that you get in touch with your Financial Broker who, by assessing your individual needs, will be able to advise you about the potential cost savings for non-smokers. It may be possible for you to avail of cheaper rates and start the New Year by saving money on your insurance policy.
A cargo ship loaded with containers makes its way to a port in Qingdao city, Shandong Province, China, on Jan. 14, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas Communist Party Blames Imported Food for Recent COVID-19 Surges

The claims have led to huge losses for Chinese businesses, global shipping

The news of positive nucleic acid tests on imported food packaging has appeared frequently lately on mainland Chinese media.

State-approved experts quoted by the media have given different opinions on the risk of contracting the virus from imported goods, causing confusion and panic among the people and huge losses for import businesses.

Faced with an increasingly severe domestic situation, as the pandemic worsens in various Chinese provinces amid growing international scrutiny, the CCP and its media mouthpieces in recent months have continued publishing reports claiming that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus originated in other countries, in an attempt to shift attention away from the cover up in Wuhan at the early stages of the pandemic.

State-run media have also frequently reported that China has had cases imported from overseas.

Contradictory Expert Opinions

The World Health Organization has said that there is no evidence people can catch COVID-19 from food or food packaging.

However, Chinese experts have given contradictory opinions as to whether people can be infected by any virus particles on imported products.

Last week, Zhang Wenhong, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Huashan Hospital, which is affiliated to Fudan University, said in an interview with state-run CCTV that, in terms of probability, If someone bought something imported from abroad and became infected by it, so far, no such case has occurred.

The probability is lower than an air crash, he said.

Another expert, Wu Zunyou, chief expert of epidemiology at Chinas Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told Chinese media, If the food nucleic acid test was positive, it may be a live virus, or a dead virus or virus fragment, and it may not be infectious.

He added that the CCP virus does not spread through the digestive tract, and that human stomach acid is strong enough to kill it. So far, no diseases that cause respiratory infections through the digestive tract have been identified.

He advised that people could limit their risk of infection by paying attention to hand hygiene when eating fresh fruit and washing the fruit under running water. There should be no risk of infection, he said.

But last December, Zhong Nanshan, Chinas top virologist, kept suggesting the CCP virus might have been transmitted from imported goods.

He told Chinese media on Dec. 19, 2020, that the CCP virus was originally transmitted person to person. But now, he claimed, there is environmental transmission (surfaces-to-person). This is a new topic that needs scientists to find patterns and study on how to prevent it, he claimed.

In an interview with CCTV on Dec. 29, Zhong also mentioned that the increase in local cases in China may be related to the environment and material transmission, and that imported goods need to be monitored.

A Chinese couple wear plastic coats and protective masks as they shop for groceries at a supermarket in Beijing, China, on Feb. 11, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Businesses Suffer Losses

Given contradicting expert opinions coupled with repeated headlines in mainland media that imported products have tested positive for the CCP virus, many Chinese people are now refusing to buy imported products to avoid any risk of contracting the virus, causing huge losses to import businesses.

For example, after media reported that the surface of imported cherries tested positive for COVID-19, a sharp drop in the price of imported cherries was seen in many places across the country.

Jumbo-sized cherries can only sell for 20 yuan (about $3) per kilo now in Guangzhou markets.

The fruit wholesale market in Jiaxing usually sells cherries for 60 to 160 yuan ($9 to $ 24) per kilo. Now, the cherries earn shop owners no more than 16 yuan ($2.4) per kilo. Kunming merchants have also said that the price for cherries for them has dropped to 20 yuan ($3) per kilo and theyre still hard to sell.

The public caution has put pressure on businesses who had already stocked up with imported goods for the upcoming Chinese New Year.

One wholesaler sold a container of cherries worth more than 1 million yuan ($ 150,000) for only 100,000 yuan ($ 15,000), one media reported. It is normal for a truck of goods to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Impact on Global Cold Chain Operations

The CCPs practice of testing imported foods and other commodities has not only affected Chinese businesses but also disrupted global cold chain operations, with cargo ships waiting in long queues at major Chinese ports for testing.

Trucks transport shipping containers at a dockyard in Qingdao in east Chinas Shandong province on Sept. 25, 2020. (Chinatopix Via AP)

According to a recent report by Bloomberg News, at least four refrigerated ships have been forced to wait for two months near Dalian Port. Nine container ships have been berthed in the port and at least six more are lined up in the Yellow Sea. The congestion caused freight companies to transfer their refrigerated containers to other ports, which in turn has caused congestion in ports such as Qingdao and Shanghai.

And its not just within China that shipping movements have been affected.

According to Philip Gray, an analyst at maritime consultant Drewry, Russian vessels filled with seafood heading to Dalian and Qingdao have had to be re-directed to South Koreas Busan, raising the risk that more ports may become congested.

In the United States, too, companies have been left waiting for empty containers to ship their frozen goods over to China and across the Pacific, according to the Bloomberg report.

The report warned U.S. exporters that there may be further increases in supply chain costs in the near future as a result of the disruptions.

Imported Cases

Chinese local authorities have frequently blamed outbreaks on people who had traveled from abroad, claiming that they contracted COVID-19 while overseas.

In Hebei Province, for example, authorities claimed many infected people had a virus strain that may have originated from Russia.

But The Epoch Times recently obtained an epidemiological investigation report from the Shijiazhuang citys center for disease control and prevention, showing that the first confirmed patient did not have any recent travel history.

An epidemiological investigation report by the Shijiazhuang CDC into the first confirmed patient in Shijiazhuang city, Hebei Province. (Provided to The Epoch Times)

The first confirmed patient was a 61 year-old woman who lived in a village in Shijiazhuang, Gaocheng district.

According to the report, she had no travel history to virus-hit regions of China, nor contact with people who were infected with the virus or had symptoms of the virus.

She also did not travel overseas in January and did not come into contact with people who recently traveled overseas.

She also did not have contact with cold chain transport personnel nor purchase any frozen goods, according to the report.

Mary Hong contributed to this report.

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A record rally in the markets and the resultant increase in trading volume helped Geojit Financial Services to nearly double its net profit to Rs 30.60 crore in the quarter to December. Higher trading volume helped its revenue rise to Rs 104.61 crore in the reporting quarter, up 34 percent from Rs 78.31 crore in the year-ago period.

In the December 2019 quarter, the company had booked a net profit of Rs 15.83 crore, which grew by 93 percent in the reporting quarter, the company said in a statement. "Higher volumes in capital market transactions helped us improve performance during the current quarter," C J George, founder and managing director Geojit Financial Services was quoted in the statement.

As of December, the company's assets under custody and management stood at Rs 47,000 crore across 11 lakh clients. Geojit is one of the oldest and leading investment services companies, with a strong presence in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries with 460 offices.

BNP Paribas, CJ George and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and Rakesh Jhunjhunwala are the major shareholders of the company. It serves the GCC markets through joint ventures and partnerships such as Barjeel Geojit Financial Services in the UAE, BBK Geojit Securities in Kuwait, QBG Geojit Securities in Oman and a business partnership with Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait for Bahrain.

The Geojit counter closed 0.47 percent up on the BSE at Rs 53.20last Friday, on a day when the benchmark Sensex had shed 1.26 percent.
Families who lost relatives in Indonesias Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 flight plane crash on January 30 sued Boeing for operating a defective and a dangerous aircraft. At least three Indonesian families of the victims killed onboard SJ-182 air carrier, filed a lawsuit against the Chicago-based aerospace firm with the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois on January 25, United States' Wisner Law Firm said in a release. Family members looking for settlement claimed in the lawsuit that the 737-500 plane models have a "fatal malfunction" that caused the flight to "auto-dive" and plunge into the Java Sea bed, off the Indonesian coast, north of Jakarta just minutes after the takeoff. The flight, bound for Jakarta to Pontianak, vanished from the radar following a 2:36 pm departure from Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

The lawsuit alleged, that the retarded autothrottle system of the Boeing 737-500 aircraft that controls engine power, caused the Sriwijaya Air crash on January 9 that killed all 62 passengers, including the pilots and the aviation staff. Indonesias air accident investigator agency National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), however, is yet to determine the cause of the crash in the ongoing probe. In a statement to local news agencies, the KNKT alleged that it was trying to locate the CVR of the aircraft to hear the pilots conversation about the glitch. It said, that a report of malfunction on the autothrottle was found logged with a technician in the maintenance log. Planes autothrottle, meanwhile, can be manually operated. The air disasters committee is expected to release a preliminary early February, according to Wisners release, the firm that helped settlements for families from October 2018 Lion Air crash.

Read: Indonesia Volcano Unleashes Lava River In Eruption

Read: Indonesia's Most Active Volcano Erupts, Lava Flows 1,600 Meters Down The Slope

[Rescuers recover a piece of airplane part from Lion Air flight 610 that crashed into the sea during a rescue operation in the waters of Tanjung Karawang, Indonesia.Credit: AP]

Boeing's Safety Overhaul

Boeing remained in the centre of controversies after its aircraft fleet MAX, was suspected fitted with faulty parts. The snag was identified by US-based peak aviation watchdog that announced that the Boeing 300 MAXs and 737 models had faulty wing slats. Federal Aviation Administration identified 20 737 MAXs with faulty slats and 159 planes installed with such parts. Months after the investigation, a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash grounded Boeings best selling MAX jetliners worldwide. The crash was preceded by Lion Air crash in Indonesia. The combines death toll shot to 346. Safety overhaul in Boeings plane, according to the suit filed, was caused due to the faulty part, the families alleged. The lawsuit cited the events when pilots for Lion Aircraft tussled with planes automatic safety system that nosedived the aircraft automatically a few minutes into the flight.

Read: Indonesia Detains Iranian, Chinese Crews Of Seized Tankers

Read: China Asks Indonesia To Treat Detained Sailors Fairly

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New Zealanders are free to restart travel to Australia without quarantining after a six-day suspension was ended by the Morrison government.

The decision not to extend the suspension beyond Sunday was based on advice from acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd after a meeting of the Australian health protection principal committee.

Professor Michael Kidd made the announcement on Sunday afternoon. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

There had been no further confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases in the New Zealand community since the initial three cases of the South African variant were detected.

The travel arrangements allowing people to travel from New Zealand to Australia without quarantining were suspended until 2pm Sunday after two new cases with the highly contagious strain of COVID-19 were detected in Auckland last week.
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Proxy voting rules are to be altered ahead of local elections penned in for May to accommodate people with coronavirus.

Currently people who wish to nominate a friend to vote on their behalf have to give six weeks' notice which would rule out many people struck down by the pandemic or forced to self-isolate.

But the rules are to be changed to allow proxies to be nominated on the same day as a vote, as late as 5pm.

The move comes amid fears that the May elections in England, Scotland and Wales could have to be postponed, over fears for polling station staff and campaigning restrictions faced by political activists.

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: 'People who have tested positive for Covid-19 should be self-isolating. We are putting in place new measures to enable anyone in this position to request an emergency proxy vote at the last minute - right up to 5pm on polling day itself.

Currently people who wish to nominate a friend to vote on their behalf have to give six-week's notice which would rule out many people struck down by the pandemic or forced to self-isolate

But the rules are to be changed to allow proxies to be nominated on the same day as a vote, as late as 5pm.

'This will mean that voters who have Covid-19 or are experiencing symptoms can still have their say in these elections, without having to leave their residence. Anyone who would prefer to vote from home can also request a postal vote in advance.'

The change is due to be made by ministers using secondary legislation.

Almost 40 million people are due to go to the polls on May 6 for votes including for the mayor of London that were delayed from May 2020 because of the first lockdown.

This years polls, the biggest for years, will see seats free in more than 140 councils - including 118 that should have been voted on last year.

Some 13 mayoral contests are also due to take place including in Greater Manchester and London.

Scotland has already introduced a law to make it possible to delay assembly elections and Wales is planning on doing something similar.

Labour mayor Sadiq Khan is among those pressing for the elections to go ahead.

Last November hundreds of millions of people voted in the US presidential election, won by Joe Biden, despite the coronavirus.
Tokyo, Jan 31 : Japan is set to extend the state of emergency over the raging Covid-19 pandemic, as Tokyo and other surrounding areas continue to register a high number of confirmed cases, according to authorities.

The final decision on whether to extend the current state of emergency in 11 of the country's 47 prefectures beyond February 7 will be made next week, reports Xinhua new agency.

However, a local media report on Saturday quoted a source close to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as saying that eight of the 11 prefectures are subject to an extension, covering Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka.

Suga said on Saturday that he needs to "observe the situation a little more" before making a decision.

The extension may range from another three weeks to one month, according to the local media report.

The country's second state of emergency, first declared for Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures on January 7, was expanded to seven other prefectures six days later.

The emergency state included measures such as calling on the public to avoid unnecessary outings and urging food and drink service facilities to shorten their operation hours.

The Japanese government is considering adding Okinawa prefecture where the coronavirus has continued to spread on remote islands to areas subject to the state of emergency.

Meanwhile, the government will consider lifting the emergency in Tochigi prefecture north of Tokyo, as new confirmed cases have dropped significantly.

For a prefecture to lift the state of emergency, its Covid-19 situation must improve from Stage 4 which indicates the worst level on the government's four-point scale.

The standard to determine the stages is based on six key indicators, including the weekly number of infections per 100,000 people and the percentage of available hospital beds for infected patients.
The UISD Board of Trustees was updated on the December STAAR exam results during a special call meeting on Thursday. And at the meeting, it was revealed that the district is preparing for full online testing for STAAR and EOC testing in the next few years.

Details regarding the December UISD end-of-course exams were presented to the board of trustees on Thursday, indicating that at least 20% of students did not test. They will have a chance to retake the test in April and May, but students will still have to return to campus to take the exam.

District officials are now working on a waiver to send to the Texas Education Agency to try to convince them to not let the lack of examination impact graduation.

If approved by the TEA, the STAAR requirement for graduation would be waived and the district could possibly use an individual graduation committee that analyzes the students progress and their course completion data to determine if they meet the state requirement. TEA commissioner Mike Morath has not reached the district at this time.

The waiver advocates to the commissioner to waive the testing as graduation requirements for first-time testers as students have shown to have been struggling during the fall semester. According to Instructional Accountability director Emma Leza, UISD students saw a decline in testing results compared to 2019.

She highlighted the approaching percentage, which indicates the number of students that passed according to the states standards. Leza said that while English test results saw no ground lost and even gained a few percentage points, algebra and biology took instructional losses.

In algebra, test results saw a 16% loss in the approaching category, from 98% down to 82%. And in biology, there was a 10% loss. U.S. history also dropped by 6%.

Leza clarified that the waiver that is being planned to be sent to the TEA is for the students who did not meet the approaching category.

She also pointed out that compared to the state and region, the district showed a gap where UISD students fared better. In algebra, the region and state respectively saw a decline of 28% and 30% approaching results. However, in the months leading up to the final testing period, despite the waiver, principals and staff will be working on instructional plans to help as many students as it can to reach at least the approach level.

With approximately 95% of students learning remotely, their learning environments may be volatile and may impact the students instruction, Leza said.

Meanwhile, online testing is coming to the entire state of Texas.

According to Leza, the state will mandate all online testing by 2023. The move is being monitored by the TEA and will adapt and provide resources to schools and students that need the support, according to Lezas presentation.

The data that will help the TEA and UISD is expected to come in June, and it will be used to plan the 2021-22 year accordingly.

One benefit UISD will see from the online-only will be the quick turnover of grades after completion.

While the shift to online testing for the STAAR and EOC exams will start next year, the district will undergo training and provide additional software to prepare students and staff for the transition. According to Judith Garcia, Instructional Technology Director, the district has purchased new software called Texthelp, which will help the schools emulate what students will see on the online tests and give students a year of practice.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 20:45:20|Editor: huaxia

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Customs staff members check the first "Qilu" freight train running from Jiaozhou, east China's Shandong province to Baku, capital of Azerbaijan in Jiaozhou, Jan. 31, 2021. A freight train carrying 100 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers' goods such as tires and air conditions left Jiaozhou on Sunday, marking the launch of "Qilu" freight train services from Jiaozhou to Baku. (Photo by Xie Hao/Xinhua)
Ireland is not just a good and decent place. It is outstanding. We must remember this during these difficult times, so that we can persevere.

Ireland now ranks as having the world's second highest Human Development Index (HDI), according to the United Nations.

In a week such as this, when the news is full of crisis, it can be too easy to forget that we live in a country that others deem to be a good and decent place.

Though there is always more that can be done, we also need to stop occasionally to take stock of where we are, here and now, on the map of human achievements.

Excessive concentration on problems merely empowers demagogues who claim only they can lead us to salvation from the terrible view of the world that they try to peddle.

It is even arguable that it is a lie to stay silent about good news.

Ireland is among the 10 countries in the world with the highest wealth per adult, according to a 2020 report compiled by Credit Suisse.

Many however, rightly object to the constant emphasis on Ireland's apparent wealth. Especially the many who are poor or excluded.

These objectors ask us to consider those other important things that money can't buy. Things that determine decency - like a nation's health, education, and standards of living for all and, of course, the impact of wealth creation on the environment.

So, consider prosperity - which measures so much more than money.

In the 2020 Legatum Prosperity Index, Ireland ranks as the 12th most prosperous country in the world. It measures a wide range of scores that include everything from safety and personal freedom, through health, education and the natural environment.

By their estimate, Ireland comes sixth best in the world for economic quality and eighth for economic freedom.

At an even more basic level, the United Nations developed the HDI so that progress could be measured annually across the broadest criteria for decency. It uses simple measures such as life expectancy as an indicator of health, access to education and years of education. HDI also measures decency in terms of standards of living and the spread of wealth.

This year's report, as an experiment, also takes account of the environmental effects of this prosperity including countries' carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint.

By these yardsticks Norway, Ireland and Switzerland lead the globe.

It becomes really important to be aware of this success during a month like this while the country struggles with Covid.

We need to remind ourselves that we are a good and capable people. Yes, our systems and politics need to be improved - always - but they also need to be respected and not drowned in a panicked clamour.

If they have brought us to the pinnacle of human achievement described by the UN, can we not trust them to continue to succeed during this difficult time?

It seems that human beings have a natural tendency to notice and value danger and things that are wrong. This is reflected by the daily challenge of most media to cope with the reality that drama makes sales while goodness makes snoozes.

But this is about more than just balance.

If we have learned anything from the Trump era, it is the corrosiveness of fake news, click bait and misinformation. It literally eats away at the fabric of all our systems and institutions.

Our complex world of economics and science depends, above all else, on trust in facts. Aircraft fall from the sky due to counterfeited parts, falsified maintenance checks or pilots who misread their instruments.

Our world runs on facts that must be true.

Good news about achievements and successes are not adornments - they are indispensable. A population unaware of their successes will be easily led to make wrong choices - not just bad choices.

Failing to report the whole truth is as much a lie as any fake news.

Yes, we need our whistle-blowers; yes, we need our campaigners; yes, we need people who are brave enough to prod us at every turn, so that we are never complacent.

But we need blessing-counters too. Optimism can be a delicate thing. It is too easy for lazy cynics to crushingly call out 'but-what-about?'. There is always a 'what-about?' waiting to be fixed, nothing is ever perfect.

One of the striking features of Joe Biden's inauguration was the emphasis on the US constitution and in particular on its 55-word preamble which set the modest goal 'to form a more perfect Union'.

A national objective of forming something 'more perfect' is so wise. It recognises and embraces the reality that we can always improve.

Our national outlook needs balance, we need to find ways to become more aware of our real place in the world. A simple task, it might be imagined, but there are so many groups who need drama and crisis to legitimise their authority. There are many who have vested interests in suppressing good news - indeed, many such goodness suppressors are often those who most loudly proclaim themselves to be do-gooders.

The German language has a specific term 'Gutmensch' for a class of moralising do-gooders who dogmatically preach to all.

Sadly, attempts to describe our successes, much less celebrate them, are likely to be met by outrage from our own Gutmensch, whose cries of 'what-about' will start a whole further media cycle of accusation and defence that will diminish, if not extinguish, any possible hope or learning to be had from success.

But we must persist in sharing the good as well as the bad.

The world can either be made better by one good story at a time, or it can be diminished, one silence at a time.

One of the most famous editors of The New York Times, AM Rosenthal, once advised: "When something important is going on, silence is a lie."
In the past week, Chinese military flights in the South China Sea "at no time" posed no danger to the region's U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike force.

"The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group closely monitored all People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and Air Force (PLAAF) activity. And at no time did they pose a threat to U.S. Navy ships, aircraft, or sailors," the U.S. military's Pacific Command said.

Speaking in anonymity, a U.S. official said that the Chinese plane did not arrive within 250 nautical miles (460 km) of the U.S. Vessels from the Navy.

On January 23, the Chinese army flew a large number of warplanes into the southwest corner of Taiwan's air defense identification zone, including nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and fighter jets (ADIZ). The timing coincided with the Roosevelt group's entry through the Bashi Channel into the South China Sea, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines.

The flight of the Chinese warplanes may have been a reaction to Roosevelt's strategic waterway operations, some analysts said, raising questions about the potential for a conflict to escalate into miscalculation.

The Regional security and diplomatic sources familiar with the situation said that on missions starting mid-morning on January 23, coinciding with the U.S. carrier group passing south of the Pratas, China's air force was dispatched.

China has long been concentrating its military forces on defending itself against the U.S. Now, they are seen carrying out drills to simulate an operation against an aircraft carrier, the sources said.

Almost all the South China Sea's energy-rich waters, where military outposts on artificial islands have been built, are claimed by China. The claim has been declared by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague to have no legal basis.

Parts of the South China Sea are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

In the Sino-US relationship, the waters have become a flashpoint, too.

On the other hand, China is routinely accused by the United States of militarizing the South China Sea and attempting to bully Asian neighbors who may want to tap its vast oil and gas reserves.

ALSO READ: State Attorneys General Remind Biden Any Unconstitutional Actions Will Not Go Unchallenged

South China Sea Navigation and its Freedom

The U.S. Navy routinely conducts, in compliance with The Hague's 2016 decision, in what it calls freedom of navigation operations by vessels close to some of the islands controlled by China, asserting the independence of access to foreign waterways.

The US Pacific Command reiterated that they are determined to continue their operations in the whole region. In which long-standing military alliances with China's neighbors have been maintained.

"The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, demonstrating resolve through our operational presence throughout the region," Pacific Command said.

The latest run-in came only a week after China had passed a new law authorizing their coastguard to fire on foreign vessels that will challenge "national sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" for the first time directly.

The coastguard of China is the region's most strong force of its kind.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The devastating toll of the pandemic on cancer patients is laid bare today.

Tens of thousands have missed out on potentially lifesaving treatment, official figures reveal.

Surgery to remove tumours plummeted by one third during the first wave of coronavirus. From April to August some 21,700 fewer patients had cancer surgery than in the same period of 2019, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The number of patients diagnosed with cancer from April to September last year was 35,592, a fall of one quarter compared with 2019 levels.

Surgery to remove tumours plummeted by one third during the first wave of coronavirus. From April to August some 21,700 fewer patients had cancer surgery than in the same period of 2019, according to Public Health England (stock image)

And in the eight months from April to November, 35,488 fewer patients started cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, down 17 per cent on 2019.

The devastating figures emerged as the head of the NHS said further delays to cancer surgery in recent weeks were a major cause of concern.

An estimated 800 cancer operations were cancelled in the first two weeks of January, as hospitals once again postponed thousands of non-Covid treatments.

Sir Simon Stevens told MPs last week that health bosses were most concerned about the disruption to cancer surgery.

Theres particular pressure on anaesthetists at the moment, many of whom are being diverted to help the critical care surge for coronavirus patients, he added.

Experts last night warned that cancer patients have become collateral damage of Covid-19, putting tens of thousands of lives at risk. Research shows every four-week delay in cancer treatment increases the risk of death by around 10 per cent.

The report by PHEs National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, which shows the scale of disruption for the first time, also found that operations for breast and lung cancer were at just 61 per cent of normal levels in August, the latest month with available complete data. These are the UKs second and third most common cancers.

Charities warned that the backlog has got worse in recent weeks as hospitals across the country scrambled to clear beds for the surge in Covid patients. Some major London hospitals have halted all operations not considered immediately lifesaving.

An estimated 800 cancer operations were cancelled in the first two weeks of January, as hospitals once again postponed thousands of non-Covid treatments. Pictured: Shoukatali Dahya, 80, receiving an injection of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at the Al Abbas Mosque, Birmingham

Cancer charities say figures must rise to well above 100 per cent of previous years to start clearing the backlog. Professor Pat Price, chairman of Action Radiotherapy and founder of Catch Up With Cancer campaign, said: The scale of the cancer backlog created by the first wave was a big enough concern.

But as the second wave rages, the cancer backlog is growing ever bigger and our window of opportunity to tackle it is slipping by fast.

We could now be faced with a Covid-induced cancer backlog that is close to 100,000 patients with the potential of tens of thousands of unnecessary cancer deaths.

The frustration is that it doesnt have to be this way. The question isnt should we save Covid patients or cancer patients. We should and can do both.

The blunt reality is that Government need to be prepared to act with the same political energy, vision and commitment to the cancer backlog crisis as they are putting into the Covid response and the vaccination roll out.

'Anything less and will lose cancer patients unnecessarily.

An NHS spokesman said: When looking at complete and up to date data, its clear that the difference between 2019 and 2020 treatment levels is far less than suggested by this snapshot, as cancer care during the pandemic, including the fast tracking of Covid-friendly drugs, with the majority of treatment going ahead, over 1.3million people having checks and more than 200,000 starting treatment.

While some people chose not to come forward for care during the pandemic, our message is clear  people should continue to come forward for routine screening or get checked if they have a worrying symptom.
Manchester Center, VT (05254)

Today

A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 52F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 41F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") (NYSE: NAK) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 20-cv-06126, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Northern Dynasty securities from December 21, 2017 through November 25, 2020, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Plaintiff seeks to recover compensable damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

If you are a shareholder who purchased Northern Dynasty securities during the Class Period, you have until February 2, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Northern Dynasty engages in the exploration of mineral properties in the U.S. Its principal mineral property is the Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum project comprising 2,402 mineral claims that cover an area of approximately 417 square miles located in southwest Alaska (the "Pebble Project").

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose to investors that: (i) the Company's Pebble Project was contrary to Clean Water Act guidelines and to the public interest; (ii) the Company planned that the Pebble Project would be larger in duration and scope than conveyed to the public; (iii) as a result, the Company's permit applications for the Pebble Project would be denied by the US Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE") and (iv) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.

On August 24, 2020, the U.S. Army released a statement concerning the Pebble Project, stating that it would result in "significant degradation of the environment and would likely result in significant adverse effects on the aquatic system or human environment." The U.S. Army further found that "the project, as currently proposed, cannot be permitted under section 404 of the Clean Water Act." The U.S. Army requested that the Company submit a mitigation plan in response to this finding.

On this news, Northern Dynasty's common share price fell $0.55 per share, or 37.9%, to close at $0.90 per share on August 24, 2020.

On September 21, 2020, the Environmental Investigation Agency released a recording between investigators and Company executives that demonstrated that Northern Dynasty, contrary to previous public statements, actually planned to build a mine that would last up to 180 years.

On November 25, 2020, Northern Dynasty reported that the USACE had rejected its permit applications related to the Pebble Project.

On this news, Northern Dynasty's common share price fell $0.40 per share, or 50%, to close at $0.40 per share on November 25, 2020, damaging investors.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Enrollment of public school students on Staten Island has declined by at least 1.7% compared to last school year, preliminary data from the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) shows.

The data released earlier this month shows enrollment numbers for students in pre-K to 12th grade during the 2020-2021 school year so far.

The enrollment decline on Staten Island is less than the citywide decline, which is down 4%, or a loss of 43,000 students, compared to the 2019-2020 school year, according to unaudited data from the city Department of Education (DOE). The net loss of 43,000 students brings the total number of enrolled students in New York City public schools to approximately 960,000, the DOE stated.

Of the 15 grades (ranging from 3-K to 12th grade), 12 of them saw a decline in enrollment.

The majority of Staten Island schools experienced a decrease in students since last school year.

Of the 78 Staten Island schools listed in the states data, 48 experienced a decrease in enrollment, while 30 schools either had an increase in students or no change in enrollment, state data shows.

Using the Advances interactive tool below, you can search to see how enrollment changed in your school in 2020-2021 compared to the year prior.

To use the search tool:

1. Type the first few characters of your schools name in the first field, for example PS 3 or IS 75. (Note: You must not use periods, as in PS 50. It may not work if you use periods.)

2. A list of schools will appear; simply choose your school from the list.

The search results will show final enrollment figures for 2019-2020 and preliminary figures for the 2020-2021 school year so far. The results also show how enrollment changed year-over-year, according to state data.

DECLINE IN NYC

The DOE explained that there has been a decline in enrollment every year since 2016, but the size of this years decline tracks with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and reflects national trends, which were also impacted by the pandemic. The city has also seen a falling birth rate in the last 13 years in New York City.

Nationally, the 10 largest school districts have all experienced a decline in enrollment this year, ranging from 2% to 8% losses, the agency added.

The DOE said non-mandatory early childhood grades are mostly responsible for enrollment shifts this school year, and there could be COVID-19 related enrollment loss. The drop in 3-K (down 8%) and pre-K (down 13%) represents about 10,000 students out of the citywide decline, the unaudited figures show.

Enrollment in elementary school grades has been declining each year since 2014-2015, the DOE stated, and data this year follows the same direction. Overall, elementary schools have seen a 6% decrease in enrollment compared to the 2019-2020 school year.

Middle school grades experienced a slight decrease in enrollment: sixth-grade enrollment was down 3%; seventh-grade was down 5%; and eighth-grade enrollment didnt change.

The DOE said high school enrollment has been trending downward each year since 2016-2017, and this year, enrollment remained almost the same overall compared to the 2019-2020 school year. Enrollment in grades nine to 12 declined by 0.5%, compared to a 1% decline between the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years.

School Zone: A new newsletter with the updates you need as our schools try to get back to normal. Enter your email address here and hit "subscribe" to receive this weekly newsletter:



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Republican senators introduced legislation this week blocking certain federal funds from flowing to states that issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Senator Marsha Blackburn said Thursday that their coalition of GOP senators introduced the Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act.

The bill targets sanctuary states that allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses despite absence of proof that they live legally in the U.S., reported The Epoch Times.

Apart from Blackburn, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Steve Daines, Jim Inhofe and Mike Braun were part of the group to introduce the bill.

This bill serves as the latest indicator in the differences between Republicans and President Joe Biden's views on illegal immigration, noted Fox News.

Blackburn Urges Following Proper Legal Processes

In a statement, Blackburn said, "No town in America is secure from criminals and terrorists if our borders aren't policed and federal immigration laws aren't fully enforced."

She stressed the importance of rule of law, saying, "We should not reward illegal aliens with driver licenses when they fail to follow the proper legal process."

Read also: 'Squad' Member Pramila Jayapal Backs Measure Decriminalizing Illegal Border Crossings

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, was also introducing companion legislation in the House in February 2020. However, the move died in the Democrat-controlled Congress where it did not receive a vote.

In a January 28 statement, Buck said he was planning to reintroduce the bill on Monday.

The Colorado representative also recalled the "senseless death" of Sean Buchanan which he believed as caused by the green-light sanctuary laws.

"Sean was a loving father of five from Colorado Springs who was struck and killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving under a suspended state-issued driver license," Buck said.

He then went on to say that Buchanan's death could have been "completely preventable."

He urged not to "reward" criminal behavior by allowing sanctuary states to retain their driver's license issuances to illegal immigrants.

What Does the Act Entail?

Under the proposed act, there will be a halt in funding from the Department of Justice grant funding, under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to states that defy the immigration law.

In a year, the program usually gives over $250 million to state and local criminal justice efforts.

Blackburn said that in the fiscal year 2020, states that gave illegal immigrants driver's licenses received more than $53 million under the program.

States that don't comply with the provisions will also be rendered ineligible to receive future funding from the program.

According to CBS 19, 15 states and the District of Columbia allows illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses. Some of the states on this list are California, Oregon, New Mexico, Nevada and Washington.

Related story: Appeals Court Lifts Block on Trump Policy Expelling Migrant Children Without Court Hearings

These states issue licenses if an applicant can provide ID like a foreign birth certificate or passport, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

A state that is particularly targeted in this effort is Oregon that passed the "Driver License for All" law, which no longer necessitates proof of legal residence in the U.S. to get a driver's license.

However, given Biden's immigration agenda, the bill may not get signed even if it gets passed in the House and Senate.



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Temperatures plunged to -15C overnight as hundreds of flood warning remain in place today and eight inches of snow has been forecasted for Tuesday as Britain gets ready for a week of snow and ice.

The mercury dropped as low as minus 6C overnight in England, with temperatures falling to between minus 10C and minus 15C in parts of Scotland.

A yellow warning for ice stretching from western Welsh coasts across to London and East Anglia came into force on 8pm on Saturday, and lasts until 11am on Sunday.

On Saturday evening, the Environment Agency had put in place 90 flood warnings across England, alongside 243 less serious flood alerts, after water levels rose across the country throughout the day.

Yellow snow and ice warnings have been issued across the Shetland Islands which may cause travel disruption.

An Environment Agency Worker is badly injured on Saturday night and suffers a broken leg while attending a flooding incident at Chesil Cove Portland, Dorset

Northern England and parts of Wales could see snow 'pretty much anywhere' with 0.4 inches to two inches likely at lower levels and up to four inches across higher parts.

The highest areas could get 'up to eight inches or so though the course of the day' and meteorologist Simon Partridge predicted that Trans-Pennine routes in particular could have some issues on Tuesday.

The same band of wintry weather is set to move northwards towards Wednesday and take the weather warnings for snow with it with the central belt of Scotland most likely to see disruption.

Mr Partridge said: 'We've got this band of rain sleet and snow that's moving across much of England and Wales through today, that is a real messy mix.'

The mercury dropped as low as minus 6C overnight in England, with temperatures falling to between minus 10C and minus 15C in parts of Scotland. Pictured: Flooding in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, after the River Nene burst its banks

The same band of wintry weather is set to move northwards towards Wednesday and take the weather warnings for snow with it with the central belt of Scotland most likely to see disruption. Pictured: A dog walker on Dunstable Downs near Dunstable, Bedfordshire

Northern England and parts of Wales could see snow 'pretty much anywhere' with 0.4 inches to two inches likely at lower levels and up to four inches across higher parts. Pictured: Snow on the ground in Holwick, County Durham

The picture varied across the country today with much of Devon and Cornwall under a yellow warning for rain, with predictions that as much as 25mm could fall by the end of the day.

Other southern areas experienced wet conditions, but further north sleet, rain and hill snow have triggered a further yellow weather warning.

'They're just getting a cold, wet, miserable day really under that band there,' Mr Partridge said.

A startling 82 flood warnings are in place across England stretching from West Cornwall to the North East with immediate action required while 250 alerts are seen across the country where flooding is possible

Saturday: Yellow weather warnings of snow and ice across central England and rain in the South West (left). Sunday: Yellow weather warning for ice across central England and warning for ice and snow in the Shetland Islands (right)

Canada geese are seen enjoying the wet weather as they paddle in the flooded towpath in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

A 4x4 manages to drive through rising floodwater on the closed B1243 in Lower Apperley, Gloucestershire, on Saturday

Pictures from Gloucestershire this morning showed a children's playground partially submerged in Tewkesbury and vehicles driving through rising floodwaters in Lower Applerlay.

There were similar scenes in Henley on Thames in Oxfordshire, where water was seen rising on to the towpath, surrounding benches and approaching riverside homes.

After more settled but chilly days on Monday and Tuesday, Mr Partridge said: 'It gets a bit more interesting as we go into Tuesday and the middle of the week.'

He predicted a 'much heavier' band of rain to arrive overnight on Monday into Tuesday which will 'quickly turn to snow as it bumps up against cold air' and has triggered further yellow weather warnings for snow and ice.

Mr Partridge said: 'We've got this band of rain sleet and snow that's moving across much of England and Wales through today, that is a real messy mix. Pictured: The flooded towpath in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Tehran, Jan 31 : Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated the necessity for people to abide by health protocols, or the country would face another wave of COVID-19 within the next two months, official news agency IRNA reported.

Rouhani made the remarks during a meeting of the national anti-Covid-19 headquarters on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said that Iran has taken the primary steps to develop and produce the Covid-19 vaccine and the country's experts are confident that the project will be finalized in March so that Iran will begin mass vaccination with the domestically-produced vaccine.

Meanwhile, Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesman for Food and Drug Administration of Iran, on Saturday tweeted the approval of emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccines in Iran.

Iranian health authorities raised the country's overall count of Covid-19 infections to 1,411,731 on Saturday, after 6,317 new cases were registered in the past 24 hours, IRNA reported.

The spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education Sima Sadat Lari said at her daily briefing that 506 of the newly infected had to be hospitalized.

She said 82 new deaths from the coronavirus were registered, raising the death toll to 57,889 in the country. And 1,202,893 cases have so far recovered or been released from hospitals.

The mortality due to the virus and the number of the hospitalized declined in the past week, but the level of compliance with health protocols is also downwards, Sadat Lari warned.

Iran announced its first cases of Covid-19 on February 19, 2020.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
A man has been rushed to hospital with suspected spinal injuries after being attacked by a sheep.

The man was working in a field when a sheep rammed him into a tree and he fell heavily, being injured from both the crushing blow and hitting the ground.

Emergency services rushed to Merebene Road in Kenebri, in northern NSW, just after 9am on Sunday, to reports a man was attacked by the animal on a rural property.

A man. 43, has be rushed to hospital (pictured) after being attacked by a sheep in northern New South Wales

Two road crews and a rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene, where they treated a 43-year-old man for suspected spinal injuries.

He was airlifted to Tamworth Base hospital in a stable condition.

'Jobs involving animals can be quite challenging for paramedics,' NSW Ambulance Inspector Rebecca Medd said.

'They need to be able to get to the patient quickly, but also have to ensure they are not putting themselves at risk of being attacked.'

The man was treated for suspected spinal injuries and airlifted to Tamworth Base Hospital in a stable condition after being rammed by the sheep (stock)

'Family members did a fantastic job to look after the man until NSW Ambulance paramedics and a helicopter arrived.'

The unusual attack comes just days after a man was taken to hospital with leg injuries from being rammed by a goat while bushwalking in the lower Blue Mountains.

The man, aged in his 60s, was taken to the Nepean Hospital in a stable condition suffering knee injuries.
TORONTO - Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:

Imperial Oil logo at the company's annual meeting in Calgary on April 28, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

TORONTO - Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:

Oilpatch earnings

Investors will see financial results from some of the big names in the oilpatch this week. Imperial Oil will host a conference call with analysts to discuss its fourth-quarter results on Tuesday and Suncor will release its results after the close of markets on Wednesday followed by a conference call Thursday. Canada's oil and gas producers are expected to maintain spending discipline in 2021 as optimism from stronger oil prices is offset by fears of weak demand due to new strains of the COVID-19 pandemic.

January jobs numbers

Statistics Canada will release its labour force survey results for January on Friday. The agency reported that the economy lost 63,000 jobs in December, the first decline in jobs since April amid tightened public health restrictions, and that economists expect the losses to continue as the number of new COVID-19 cases continued to rise.

Brookfield update

Brookfield Property Partners releases its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results on Tuesday. Parent company Brookfield Asset Management Inc. has offered US$5.9 billion to buy the stake in the real estate firm that it does not already own.

BCE earnings

BCE will release its fourth-quarter results on Thursday. The telecom giant reported in November that its third-quarter profit fell 20 per cent compared with a year earlier as its revenue also edged lower due to the COVID pandemic's impact on its business and its customers.

Resolute Forest results

Resolute Forest Products will announce its fourth-quarter and full-year results on Thursday. Outgoing CEO Yves Laflamme said in November that positive third-quarter results were due to rallying lumber prices over the summer and profits from tissue sales, despite weaker demand for paper products like newspapers, inserts and flyers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2021.
South Africa has secured 20 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine , the health minister told a Sunday newspaper.

Africa's worst virus-hit country has yet to begin vaccinating its population against Covid-19, stirring criticism over slow procurement and lack of strategy.

A first shipment of AstraZeneca/Oxford jabs produced in India is due to arrive on Monday, with injections expected to start two weeks later.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told The Sunday Times that 20 million additional vaccines had been ordered from US drugmaker Pfizer.

"These vaccines are secured and awaiting manufacturers to submit final agreements with details of delivery dates and exact amounts," said Mkhize.

The health ministry did not respond to several AFP requests for comment.

The new Pfizer order will complement 12 million vaccine doses from the WHO-backed Covax facility, nine million Johnson & Johnson shots and 1.5 million AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines -- pushing the total supply secured so far to over 40 million.

South Africa aims to vaccinate 67% of the population, or 40 million people, by the end of the year.

Some vaccines will be provided by Covax and the African Union, while others will be directly purchased from suppliers.

"We are reasonably comfortable that what we have paid for, signed for and are negotiating for will cover the numbers that we are looking to vaccinate," Mkhize assured.

The minister added that storage of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which needs to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius, would not be an issue.

"We have some capacity, mostly in academic institutions. There are now companies coming forward with storage and transit solutions," he said.

South Africa's coronavirus outbreak has been accelerated by a new variant thought to be more contagious than earlier forms and relatively more resistant to existing vaccines.

To date the country has recorded more than 1.4 million infections and almost 45,000 deaths.

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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On January 24, India and China agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops in eastern Ladakh during the ninth round of the China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting

Emphasising the importance of bilateral relations, China on Friday reiterated that the border issue with India will not be linked with the growth of overall ties with New Delhi, reported Xinhua.

The border issue between China and India shall not be linked with bilateral relations, said Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, at a press briefing on Friday when asked to comment on a recent address on India-China relations delivered by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Speaking at the 13th All Indian Conference of China Studies, Jaishankar on Thursday said that the relationship between India and China were at a 'crossroads' and choices made by the two countries will have "profound repercussions" for the entire world.

"Experiences of the past have taught us the importance of stabilising our relationship (with China) even while adjusting to changes. From that, we can seek proper guidance that will be to the benefit of both nations," the external affairs minister stated.

Zhao acknowledged that Jaishankar's remarks showcase the significance India attaches to its relations with China and stressed that the border issue shall not be linked with bilateral relations.

"This is an important lesson learned through the two countries' efforts over the past decades to keep our ties moving forward," Xinhua quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

He further added that China hopes India will work with it to properly manage differences, promote practical cooperation and bring bilateral relations back on the right track.

On January 24, India and China agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops in eastern Ladakh during the ninth round of the China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point.

The joint press release issued by Defence Ministry on January 25 said the two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of China-India border areas.

The two countries have been engaged in a stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since April-May last year. While China began amassing massive military strength along the LAC, India responded with a befitting build-up.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Edo State has warned parents in the state not to send their children to schools on Monday.

Primary school teachers in the state on January 18 embarked on an indefinite strike, as directed by the NUT over what they described as the state governments failure to meet its 10 points age-long demands.

The demands include payment of the 2013 to 2015 promotion arrears of teachers in Oredo, Orhionmwon, and Uhunmwode local government areas of the state.

The teachers also want a guarantee that they would get their salaries on or before the 27th day of every month as already directed by Governor Godwin Obaseki and the correct implementation of the 30 percent special allowance for teachers in schools with special pupils and all the arrears paid, among others.

The NUT directive counters a government directive through the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, which ordered teachers in public primary schools and school heads to resume academic activities on Monday or risk forfeiture of salaries.

The attention of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Edo State Wing has been drawn to some pronouncements purportedly made by the Edo State Government with regards to the ongoing indefinite strike action embarked on by public primary school teachers and School-Heads in Edo state since 18th January 2020.

Wherein, it has been reported that government has issued a threat of No Work, No Pay, amongst others, to striking teachers with effect from 1st February 2021.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt considers career path policy for teachers

Ordinarily, the NUT Edo State wing would not have bothered to respond to the said pronouncements because they were directed at National Union of Teachers, a body unknown to the constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but considering some parts of the pronouncements that bear teachers issues presently in dispute between NUT, Edo State Wing and Edo State Government.

The indefinite strike action by public primary school-heads and teachers which started on the 18th day of January 2021 is still very much in force, hence by Monday, February 1, 2021, it will continue unhindered in the (18) eighteen Local Government Areas of the state, the NUT said in a statement issued on Sunday.

The statement was signed by the Chairperson and Assistant Secretary-General, Pius Okhueleigbe, and Mike Modesty-Itua respectively.

The NUT called on all well-meaning citizens and institutions in Edo State to prevail on the government to meet the demands of the teachers instead of embarking on arm-twisting tactics and deploying unproductive shenanigans.

361mf.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 16 May 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

The total number of people who shared the 361mf homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the 361mf homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the 361mf homepage on Twitter + the total number of 361mf followers (if 361mf has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the 361mf homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if 361mf has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the 361mf homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button.

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The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site.

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DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English UTF-8English DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Apache/2.2.15 (CentOS) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

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Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for 361mf.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

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Press Release

January 31, 2021 Use vaccine wait to stockpile syringes, freezers because 'we mustn't wait for the horse to build the cart' While the government's global hunt for COVID vaccines has not yet led to deliveries to the hardest-hit country in the Western Pacific, it should, in the meantime, stock up on vaccination supplies such as syringes, which are available in the market. The call was made by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, who said that government should be "building up inventory of important things aside from vaccines, yung mga bagay na walang supply crunch." "You don't have to wait for the horse to arrive before you start building the cart," Recto said, referring to "ancillary requirements" for vaccination that range from PPEs and syringes to refrigerators. "There are also things which cannot be taken for granted, like transportation, and even small things like ice boxes needed for the last mile," Recto said. Government officials have claimed during the recent Senate hearing on the national vaccination plan that the current DOH stockpile of 30.5 million pieces of 0.5 ml syringes, 3.6 million pieces of mixing syringes, 3.8 million safety collector boxes, 3.6 million pieces of face masks, and 151,761 pieces of face shields are enough to meet initial vaccination requirements. "That is the assurance the DOH and IATF people have given us. At sinabi nila na kung kulang, it can be scaled up," Recto said. But Recto said the national stockpile should consider a possible surge in cases on top of regular caseloads of public hospitals. "The other important thing is that this should be forward-deployed now to towns. Hindi pwedeng trickle-down ang mga 'yan, tapos last minute pa," Recto said. "In the case of refrigerators that vaccines will need, there should now be a town-level listing of their availability. Vaccines are like ice cream, you don't buy them in bulk without having a place to store them," he said. "Depende rin sa klase ng bakuna. Swerte tayo kung ang mabibili natin, hindi kailangan ng ultra-low temperature. Pfizer's will need special equipment, while Johnson and Johnson's reportedly has no need for refrigeration," he said. But the good thing about regular freezers, Recto said, "is that these are not single-use disposables like syringes. Kaya pagkatapos ng pandemic, pwedeng gamitin ng ospital o clinic." "So these, like masks, syringes and PPEs either have long or no 'best before' expiry dates. So better to have them in stock now, than waste precious vials of vaccine because a clinic had run out of syringes," he said.
MYRTLE BEACH  In the wake of U.S. Rep. Tom Rice's vote to impeach President Donald Trump and his censure by the state GOP Party, state Rep. Russell Fry is considering running against the congressman in the 2022 GOP primary, potentially presenting Rice's most formidable challenge yet since first winning the seat eight years ago.

Fry, a 36-year-old Surfside Beach Republican, told The Post and Courier he has begun contacting donors and Republican Party members as he explores mounting a campaign against the incumbent 63-year-old GOP congressman.

"Ive been a champion of conservative ideals all my life. Even as a younger member of the delegation, Im in the arena every day as the majority whip working on the issues facing South Carolina," Fry told The Post and Courier. "Im working on them daily."

While Fry said he respects Rice, the state lawmaker said he has heard from supporters and voters asking him to consider running for the seat in the weeks since Rice was one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Trump for inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Fry, a lawyer in his fourth term at the Statehouse, said he would not have voted to impeach the president if he were in Congress.

"When you get unsolicited calls and communications from people throughout the 7th (Congressional District), you pay attention," Fry said. "These people are activists and donors, some of them are friends of mine and some are people Ive never met."

Fry is the latest in a wave of Republican politicians in the 7th Congressional District declaring their interest in a primary challenge of Rice, a Myrtle Beach accountant who was Horry County Council chairman.

State Rep. William Bailey, a second-term lawmaker who was North Myrtle Beach's public safety director, announced his intent to challenge Rice a few days before Fry.

But Fry is considered a more serious threat to Rice, who said the state party was "cowering before Donald Trump" in censuring him on Saturday and not seeing the former president's role in the riot. Rice, who stumped for Trump in his presidential races, was the only Republican in the South to vote in favor of impeachment, and the only member of Congress to support both the objection of the 2020 election results and subsequent impeachment.

Fry is considered an up-and-comer in state GOP politics. He is chief Republican whip in the House, working to develop the party's legislative agenda and rally support on high-profile issues, and former member of the S.C. Republican Party executive committee, the panel that censured Rice.

And, like Rice, Fry, an Eagle Scout who graduated from the University of South Carolina and the Charleston School of Law, hasnt drawn a serious primary challenger in past election cycles.

S.C. House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, said he expects Fry to be a strong candidate, pointing to his "keen ability to network and fundraise."

"He represents his constituents well and works hard to be effective in Columbia, so he would be able to carry those same traits to D.C.," Simrill said. "He has all the foundations in place."

With his state party experience, his ties to representatives from across the region could prove a benefit as Fry rallies support in the district spanning Chesterfield, Dillon, Georgetown, Horry, Marlboro, Darlington, and Marion counties, as well as part of Florence County.

The 7th Congressional District requires a candidate to develop support beyond their home areas. But a majority of the votes are anchored around Horry, giving candidates there an advantage.

The House majority whip position is among the most powerful members of the Statehouse, giving Fry political connections across South Carolina and suggesting he has earned the respect of Republican party leaders as someone capable of helping the party achieve legislative success.

"I think my experiences show the seriousness I treat public policy," Fry said.

Some of his key legislative priorities include addressing the opioid crisis, which earned him the chairman spot on a committee to address the issue, as well as ending human trafficking.

Simrill said Frys work on the opioid crisis showcased his ability to take on a difficult issue and work well with other lawmakers.

"If you look at the success hes had in a short timeframe in Columbia and his ability to work effectively, not only within his own party, but across the aisle, those are the makings of effective leadership," Simrill said. "There are people who like to make a statement, and there are others who like to make a difference. He makes a difference."

If elected to Congress, Fry said, like Rice, would continue supporting conservative issues regarding Second Amendment rights as well as supporting anti-abortion policies. He said he also supports Interstate 73 and would continue to play a role in securing its completion.

Holly Willoughby will reportedly be presented with a cake from her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield as she celebrates her 40th birthday next week.

The popular TV personality's big day is set to land on February 10th and, according to The Sun, there are big plans afoot to mark the occasion on the air.

And with the nation remaining under stringent lockdown rules, the publication reports that Holly is set to enjoy a Zoom party with her celebrity friends.

Birthday plans: Holly Willoughby will reportedly be presented with a cake from her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield as she celebrates her 40th birthday next week

Among those reportedly planning to pop up onscreen for the virtual bash are her pals Emma Bunton, 45, Nicole Appleton, 46, and Tamzin Outhwaite, 50, as well as her big sister Kelly, 42.

The publication quotes the TV personality as saying about her rapidly approaching big day: 'Im really looking forward to it.'

As well as her glamorous pals, Holly will have plenty of company at her 3million south-west London home, which she shares with her husband Dan Baldwin and their three children Harry, 11, Belle, nine, and Chester, six.

Last year, before the COVID-19 pandemic had taken a grip, Holly celebrated her 39th birthday in style with a Mexican fiesta.

Big day: The TV personality's big day lands on February 10th and, according to The Sun, there are big plans afoot to mark the occasion on the air. Pictured last year with Phillip Schofield

Holly was treated to cocktails and delicious snacks by chef Phil Vickery as she toasted to turning another year older with her co-host Phillip, 58, while her sister Kelly shared a sweet throwback picture of the pair to celebrate.

The duo were in high spirits as they raised a glass to Holly's big day, with the birthday girl saying: 'Tequila makes everything better. This is what birthdays are about - margaritas and vats of guacamole!'

Holly was also presented with a delicious looking birthday cake, and later said: 'I couldn't think of a dreamier birthday lunch.'

The TV personality was looking stunning in a Zara dress with a pleated bodice, puffball sleeves and a pretty floral print.

Close celebrity pals: She is reportedly set to enjoy a Zoom party with celebrity pals, including (L-R) Emma Bunton and Nicole Appleton

Friends: Last year, she was feted by a number of her famous friends, including Fearne Cotton

Meanwhile, Holly's sister Kelly took to Instagram to pay tribute to her sibling on her special day, sharing a sweet throwback picture of the pair together.

She captioned the image: 'A throwback sisterly salute for your birthday. Love you for all that you are, all that you have been and all that you are yet to be. Happy birthday sis xxx'.

The star later reposted some messages from friends including Fearne Cotton and Nicole Appleton.

Emma Bunton also paid tribute to her close friend Holly, sharing, 'We are always celebrating!

'I love you, my beautiful friend @hollywilloughby Happy birthday#loyal #heartofgold #special'.

Cheers! Holly celebrated her 39th birthday in style with a Mexican fiesta on This Morning

A man in his 30s is in a critical condition after being shot in the early hours of the morning in Dudley.

Police are appealing for information after the unnamed man was found with serious injuries and rushed to hospital.

The West Midlands force were called to Queens Cross, Dudley, just after 12.35am this Sunday.

The area features a major thoroughfare through the town, which is just West of Birmingham, with shops and a mosque on the high street.

A police spokesman said: 'We're appealing for information after a man has been seriously injured following a shooting in Dudley this morning (31 January).

'We were called to Queens Cross just after 12.35am today.

'A man in his 30s was found with serious injuries and is in a critical condition in hospital.

West Midland Police said he was 'found with serious injuries and is in a critical condition in hospital' after bing called after midnight .

A cordon has been put in place and officers are appealing for information after the suspected shooting incident in the town, which is near to Birmingham.

The police added: 'A cordon has been put in place while enquiries are carried out in the area to try and establish who was responsible.'

'The investigation is at an early stage and we're urging anyone with information to contact us via Live Chat, or by calling 101. Quote 20DY/28354Z/21.'

Over the past five years, offences involving a firearm have increased by 27%, according to the Office for National statistics.

Last year, the body revealed gun crime in the UK had surged by 4% in just twelve months.

Officers rushed to the Queens Cross area of Dudley, which has a major main road as well as shops and a mosque.

More than 9,700 crimes involving firearms taking place in the UK in the year ending March 2019, they said.

More than half of the victims involved in the crimes were in younger age brackets, with 56% aged between 15 and 34.

Offences involving firearms were disproportionately concentrated in urban areas.

Nearly six in 10 offences recorded in five metropolitan police force areas.

The forces were London's Metropolitan force, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside police forces.
As researchers work to better understand the economics of seaweed farming in the United States, the Connecticut Sea Grant is taking the next step toward unlocking the financial potential of the seaweed industry.

The CT Sea Grant, based at the University of Connecticuts Avery Point campus, will lead a three-year initiative to create the business framework needed to revolutionize the fledgling kelp industry into an economic powerhouse.

A federal grant of $766,650 will support the initiative, which will involve nine states where seaweed aquaculture businesses lack the resources needed to grow.

There has been a real need for the information to be produced by this project to support the development of the kelp industry in Connecticut and the United States, Robert Pomeroy, project leader, said in a statement.

Kelp, the most common type of cultivated seaweed in the country, is seen as an important new agriculture product for food, medicinal products, additives and bio-remediation of marine pollutants.

A professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut and a marine resource economist at the Connecticut Sea Grant, Pomeroy will work with experts and colleagues across the country to develop education and outreach programs for seaweed farmers, investors and lenders.

The grant will fund research on existing farms and markets as well as varying regulatory and environmental conditions in different states.

The anticipated outcomes of this project include more access to capital, more informed business decisions by farmers, investors and lenders, increased employment, greater success of business and environmental improvements, Pomeroy said.

Internationally, the seaweed market has expanded rapidly and more than 95 percent of the seaweed now consumed in the United States is grown overseas. About 1 million pounds of seaweed is harvested from U.S. waters, which could be expanded to 4 million pounds annually if barriers could be overcome.

In Connecticut, there are currently 15 permitted kelp growing sites, with four of those growing product.

This effort represents yet another opportunity to listen to aquaculture industry members, understand their needs, and apply local expertise for national scale benefits, said Sylvain Dee Guise, director for Connecticut Sea Grant. This is very exciting, and squarely aligned with the mission of Sea Grant.

The project also builds on another Connecticut Sea Grant-led initiative, the establishment of the National Seaweed Hub in 2019 and first-ever National Seaweed Symposium last year, Pomeroy said. This brought together 100 farmers, researchers, regulators and others to work together to move the industry forward.

This project is fully complementary to the National Seaweed Hub, he said.

The project will address two priorities identified through a national needs assessment of various seaweed stakeholders. The first is to examine the economics of seaweed farming in the United States and the second is the need to help develop business plans for prospective seaweed farmers.

The $766,650 grant is the second largest of 12 awarded by the NOAA Sea Grant program to address the economic and market needs of the U.S. aquaculture industry.

The projects represent Sea Grants commitment to not only understand the science behind aquaculture in the U.S. but also the economics and market possibilities for sustainable aquaculture, said Jonathan Pennock, National Sea Grant Director. We think these projects will provide valuable knowledge and new resources to help strengthen and expand the U.S. aquaculture industry.

dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com
Guwahati/Agartala, Jan 31 : After Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, the state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) has ventured out to the fourth northeastern state of Tripura, aspiring to explore natural gas by conducting a seismic survey.

OIL, India's second largest national 'Navratna' company after ONGC, in terms of total proved plus probable oil and natural gas reserves, has kickstarted its exploration and production operations by launching its first ever seismic survey in southern Tripura bordering Bangladesh.

OIL Deputy General Manager (CC) Tridiv Hazarika said that currently the company has explored huge oil and gas reserves in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh while engaged in exploration works in Mizoram.

According to him, in Assam, OIL produces 3.3 million metric tons (MMT) oil annually and around eight million metric standard cubic meters per day of natural gas.

OIL is producing both oil and natural gas in Arunachal Pradesh while the company is doing exploration work but is yet to discover oil or gas in Mizoram.

"With another milestone for the company, we have commenced seismic survey operations in Santir Bazar (in southern Tripura) -- the OALP-III block AA-ONHP - on January 17.

"Geologically, the block lies in the Tripura-Cachar (Assam) fold belt. Tripura is a border state of the country surrounded on all sides by the deltaic basin of Bangladesh except for a small part in northeast India which adjoins the Cachar district of Assam and the state of Mizoram," Hazarika told IANS.

According to the official, the block AA-ONHP-2018/5, covers an area of 207.74 sq kms.

He said that the Revenue Sharing Contract (RSC) between the government of India and OIL for the block was signed on July 16, 2019 and subsequently the Tripura government had awarded the Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) on October 16, 2019.

The OIL official said that the logistics are challenging in this block and the company has chalked out extensive plans for seamless execution of its exploration campaign.

"While OIL would also be commencing execution of its field development plans in the neighbouring DSF (Discovery Small Field) block Tulamara (Tripura), based on success in its exploration campaign the company intends to carry further exploration activities in Tripura to access more hydrocarbon resources in this gas prolific area." He said that apart from consolidating its position in different northeastern states and Rajasthan, OIL has made conscious efforts to carry out exploration in Category II and III sedimentary basins in line with government of India's thrust for exploration.

"This is in line with the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by enhancing domestic exploration and production aiming to reduce dependence on crude oil imports," Hazarika pointed out.

Another OIL official said that the company has completed first well (well KMC-15) in Kumchai Field in Arunachal Pradesh after the recent resumption of the drilling activities, which was kept in abeyance since 2003 due to non-availability of PML (Petroleum Mining Lease).

"OIL has drawn up ambitious plans for the future, including fast tracking of exploration in Arunachal Pradesh," the official said.

Besides the OIL, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) are the two government-owned companies that have been operating in the northeastern states and found huge oil and gas reserves in Assam and large quantities of natural gas in Tripura (by ONGC).

Several private oil and gas companies are also active in exploration works in different northeastern states. Oil company officials said that if terrorist activities, forest-related restrictions and land acquisition problems do not come in the way, the exploration companies can explore more gas and oil in the northeastern states.

The outlawed terror outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) on Wednesday said that it has set February 17 to decide the fate of the two employees of Delhi-based private sector oil company -- Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd, whom it had abducted last month.

Pranab Kumar Gogoi, a drilling superintendent, and Ram Kumar, a radio operator of Delhi-based Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd, were kidnapped at gunpoint by ULFA-I insurgents from the drilling site in Innao area of Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district on December 21 last year.

ULFA-I, which is currently headed by its "commander-in-chief" Paresh Barua, in a statement issued to the media, said that if the drilling company "fails to take positive steps to secure the release of their employees by February 16, the outfit would take action against one of the hostages Ram Kumar on February 17." Gogoi, a resident of Assam's Sivasagar district, and Ram Kumar, who hails from Bihar's Khagaria district, are heard in a video, released by the ULFA-I, saying that they are now in the captivity of the outfit and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and they urged Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to get them released.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
This is an opinion column.

Its time. Long past time.

Long past time for our state lawmakers to crawl out of the muck and mire of ignorance and legalize medical marijuana.

Long past time to stop cowering behind because-Obama-created-it-it-stinks foolishness and expand Medicaid.

Long past time to ensure anyone proven by the courts to be potentially harmful to themselves or someone in their household is not able to possess a gun.

Long past time to stop two-stepping around our states abhorrent health disparitiesdisparities laid bare for all to see by COVID-19and, at minimum (yes, Im talking to you, Governor,) convene a statewide committee to tell us how to close the embarrassing gap in infant mortality rates between white babies in our state and Black babies, to elevate access to quality healthcare (and living condition that dont threaten their health) for our rural and low-income neighbors so they will have the same equitable opportunity to a long, healthy life as other Alabamians. So the next pandemic does not kill some citizens at twice the rate of others purely due to the randomness of birth.

Long past time to stop pursuing prisons as profit over humanity and truly address the myriad inequities in our criminal justice pipeline that cause too many accused of non-violent offenses to fall destitute simply because they cannot afford bail and created conditions so inhumane the federal government has worn out its paddle admonishing us.

Long past time we exorcise our divisive demagoguery and gather a group of compassionate, erudite, thinkers to discern how we can intentionally and emphatically treat oil racial boils that have not healed, how to redress still-living victims of the state-incited, enabled, or condoned violence for which justice was never achieved. People like Sarah Collins Rudolph, our fifth little girl, who was severely injured and left blind in one eye by the Ku Klux Klan bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963.

Last year, understandably, the state legislature poo-pooed every bill, every issue, every conversation that didnt involve a decimal point, that wasnt a state budget matter. Again, understandably, at the onset of what seems now seems light years ago on the COVID-19 calendar.

That cannot happen again. Alabamians, from domestic violence victims to low-income mothers-to-be unable to afford quality prenatal care, just cannot afford another 365 days of being overlooked, of being ignored. Its already long past time

Long past time for our leaders to stop not caring about all of us, regardless of political party, religion, ethnicity, and sexual or gender preference.

Long past time for us to stop being Alabama, to stop being stone-headed about conditions that diminish our neighbors economic opportunity, their health, their hope.

Long past time for us to stop saying, Thank God for Mississippi since, lets face truth folks, theyre downright more enlightened than we are on a lot of issues.

Seven years after the state embraced numerous criminal just reforms, Mississippis prison population, according to the Department of Corrections, is down 20%thats more than pocket change staying in taxpayers walletsand violent crime statewide is 15th lowest in the nation, according to FBI data.

Were one of only five states not to have at least decriminalized medical marijuana. Mississippi is not among the other four.

Last year, State Sen. Tim Melton (R-Florence) introduced the Compassion Act, a detailed bill that outlines strict criteria for prescribing medical marijuana, after chairing the 18-member Alabama Medical Cannabis Study Commission. Twelve members of that group voted to recommend medical marijuana, three abstained, three voted against it.

The bill passed the Senate but died with so many others in the coronavirus-shorted session. Melton recently pre-filed Senate Bill 46, ostensibly a dusted-off version of the 2020 bill. It rests with the Judiciary Committee.

Among the commissions no voters: State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris. His office told me was he was too busy overseeing the statewide distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations to say whether his stance has changed since 2019 or was impacted by being at the helm of the states unsteady battle against a virus that has staggered our state.

A virus that will soon have killed 8,000 Alabamians.

Last November, disabled Iraqi War veteran and Purple Heart recipient Sean Worsley was released from an Alabama prison after serving 10 months of a 60-month sentence for felony possession of medical marijuana legally prescribed to him in his home state of Arizona to treat PTSD and brain trauma. In 2016, he was arrested while driving through Pickens County even though he had a card authorizing him to use medical cannabis.

Worsley and his wife Eboni are living in Birmingham until they are able to return to Arizona. While here, he still is not able to use medical marijuana.

Because of the difference in his condition before being able to use cannabis and after, we believe it is very beneficial, Eboni tells me. Now, hes back on pharmaceuticals we know are not good for him.

This should never happen again.

Attorney General Steve Marshall remains steadfast in his hard-headed opposition to medical marijuana. His office reiterated his shaky, outdated arguments he made in a letter to lawmakers more than a year ago. He asserts legalization would contradict federal law that makes marijuana illegalalthough 45 states have not let that stand in the wayand draws a dubious, Reefer Madness-like parallel to the respective origins of marijuana and opioids.

All lives matter, right? They certainly should.

If so, lawmakers, show us. This year, during this legislative session, show us with bills, conversations, and actions centered on lives as much as line itemson humanity rather than hubris.

Its long past time.

Unafraid to start uncomfortable conversations, Roy is a voice for whats right and wrong in Birmingham, Alabama (and beyond). His column appears in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as in the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com and follow him at twitter.com/roysj
Central Coast Amateur Radio Club News 31 Jan 2021

The Clubs executive team is pleased to announce that the Clubrooms have reopened. Last week, some time spent hands-on getting back in touch with the experimental side of Amateur Radio along with a practical demonstration of waveforms, signals, and how to translate them on an oscilloscope.

The next general business meeting is scheduled for Saturday the 6th of February, starting at 1pm.

The Club wishes to advise that the 2021 Wyong Field Day is still scheduled to go ahead, on Sunday the 28th of February. The team are closely monitoring public health advice, and a final decision on arrangements will be made next week. Updates will be posted on the Clubs website and social media.

Last week, we mentioned that the clubs youngest member, Adrian VK2ABS would be starting an SSTV net on the 70cm repeater 438.075 MHz. This was the first net that Adrian hosted and safe to say, he nailed it! There were multiple stations dropping by and transmitting their images. Well done, Adrian. The next net will be on Friday the 12th of February at 7:30pm.

There are some temporary changes to the clubs repeater operations while maintenance is carried out. The P25 439.950 MHz mixed mode repeater, the 2 Meter 146.6375 MHz, and 70cm 438.325 MHz D-Star system is currently off the air. In the interim, P25 & D-Star services will be available via the MMDVM repeater on 438.875MHz.

Speaking of Repeaters; in conjunction with the ARNSW Radio Network group, the Club now has a VK-DMR repeater operating on the Central Coast. It's on 438.850MHz with a negative 7MHz offset, and VK-DMR talk groups.

The Clubs Thursday evening net this week was hosted by Alan VK2MG. Given some experiences Alan had going portable on Australia Day, the topic was: Do you have a radio-related horror or otherwise funny story?

Many stations resonated the same story of traveling long distances and leaving key components back at their QTH. The takeaway here is to have a checklist in your go-kit and check it frequently!

Bob VK2AOR and Dave VK2KFU have been mixing it up during the week with the club's Morning Tea net. Bob will be hosting the net on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Dave VK2KFU hosting on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

With Daves experience facilitating nets along with his own spin on This Day in History it is a very enjoyable net to be involved with. A huge thanks go out to Bob and Dave for running the nets, its greatly appreciated. Both nets are on the VK2RAG 2 Metre repeater, 146.725MHz with a 91.5Hz sub-audible tone.

Currently, EchoLink is not available, but the team is working on it.

You can find out more about the CCARC on the web at ccarc.org.au; or on social media by searching for Central Coast Amateur Radio Club. Remember to give the club a like to follow for updates.

Brad VK2NMZ

Vice-President and Publicity, Central Coast Amateur Radio Club.
https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/A-Nation-of-Leaders.html

This weeks parsha consists of two episodes that seem to constitute a study in contrasts. The first is in chapter 18. Yitro, Moses father-in-law and a Midianite Priest, gives Moses his first lesson in leadership. In the second episode, the prime mover is God Himself who, at Mount Sinai, makes a covenant with the Israelites in an unprecedented and unrepeated epiphany. For the first and only time in history God appears to an entire people, making a covenant with them and giving them the worlds most famous brief code of ethics, the Ten Commandments.

What can there be in common between the practical advice of a Midianite and the timeless words of Revelation itself? There is an intended contrast here and it is an important one. The forms and structures of governance are not specifically Jewish. They are part of chochmah, the universal wisdom of humankind. Jews have known many forms of leadership: by Prophets, Elders, Judges and Kings; by the Nasi in Israel under Roman rule and the Resh Galuta in Babylon; by town councils (shiva tuvei ha-ir) and various forms of oligarchy; and by other structures up to and including the democratically elected Knesset. The forms of government are not eternal truths, nor are they exclusive to Israel. In fact, the Torah says about monarchy that a time will come when the people say, Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,  the only case in the entire Torah in which Israel are commanded (or permitted) to imitate other nations. There is nothing specifically Jewish about political structures.

What is specifically Jewish, however, is the principle of the covenant at Sinai, that Israel is the chosen people, the only nation whose sole ultimate king and legislator is God Himself. He has revealed His word to Jacob, His laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His laws, Halleluyah. (Psalm 147:19-20) What the covenant at Sinai established for the first time was the moral limits of power.1 All human authority is delegated authority, subject to the overarching moral imperatives of the Torah itself. This side of heaven there is no absolute power. That is what has always set Judaism apart from the empires of the ancient world and the secular nationalisms of the West. So Israel can learn practical politics from a Midianite but it must learn the limits of politics from God Himself.

Despite the contrast, however, there is one theme in common to both episodes, to Yitro and to the revelation at Sinai, namely the delegation, distribution and democratisation of leadership. Only God can rule alone.

The theme is introduced by Yitro. He arrives to visit his son-in-law and finds him leading alone. He says, What you are doing is not good. (Ex. 18:17) This is one of only two instances in the whole Torah in which the words lo tov, not good, appear. The other is in Genesis (2:18), where God says, It is not good [lo tov] for man to be alone. We cannot lead alone. We cannot live alone. To be alone is not good.

Yitro proposes delegation:

You must be the peoples representative before God and bring their disputes to Him. Teach them His decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the peoplemen who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gainand appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as Judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. (Ex. 18:19-22)

This is a significant devolution. It means that among every thousand Israelites, there are 131 leaders (one head of a thousand, ten heads of a hundred, twenty heads of fifty and a hundred head of tens). One in every eight adult male Israelites was expected to undertake some form of leadership role.

In the next chapter, prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai, God commands Moses to propose a covenant with the Israelites. In the course of this, God articulates what is in effect the mission statement of the Jewish people:

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation. (Ex. 19:4-6)

This is a very striking statement. Every nation had its priests. In the book of Genesis, we encounter Malkizedek, Abrahams contemporary, described as a priest of the most high God. (Gen. 14:18) The story of Joseph mentions the Egyptian priests, whose land was not nationalised. (Gen. 47:22) Yitro was a Midianite priest. In the ancient world there was nothing distinctive about priesthood. Every nation had its priests and holy men. What was distinctive about Israel was that it was to become a nation every one of whose members was to be a priest; each of whose citizens was called on to be holy.

I vividly recall standing with Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in the General Assembly of the United Nations in August 2000 at a unique gathering of two thousand religious leaders representing all the major faiths in the world. I pointed out that even in that distinguished company we were different. We were almost the only religious leaders wearing suits. All the others wore robes of office. It is an almost universal phenomenon that priests and holy people wear distinctive garments to indicate that they are set apart (the core meaning of the word kadosh, holy). In post-biblical Judaism there were no robes of office because everyone was expected to be holy2 (Theophrastus, a pupil of Aristotle, called Jews a nation of philosophers, reflecting the same idea.3).

Yet in what sense were Jews ever a Kingdom of Priests? The Kohanim were an elite within the nation, members of the tribe of Levi, descendants of Aaron the first High Priest. There never was a full democratisation of keter kehunah, the crown of Priesthood.

Faced with this problem, the commentators offer two solutions. The word Kohanim, Priests, may mean princes or leaders (Rashi, Rashbam). Or it may mean servants (Ibn Ezra, Ramban). But this is precisely the point. The Israelites were called on to be a nation of servant-leaders. They were the people called on, by virtue of the covenant, to accept responsibility not only for themselves and their families, but for the moral-spiritual state of the nation as a whole. This is the principle that later became known as the idea that kol Yisrael arevin zeh ba-zeh, All Israelites are responsible for one another. (Shavuot 39a) Jews were the people who did not leave leadership to a single individual, however holy or exalted, or to an elite. Instead, every one of them was expected to be both a prince and a servant; that is to say, every one of whom was called on to be a leader. Never was leadership more profoundly democratised.

That is what made Jews historically hard to lead. As Chaim Weizmann, first President of Israel, famously said, I head a nation of a million presidents.

The Lord may be our shepherd, but no Jew was ever a sheep. At the same time, this is what led Jews to have an impact on the world out of all proportion to their numbers. Jews constitute only the tiniest fragment  one fifth of one per cent of the population of the world  but they make up an extraordinarily high percentage of leaders in any given field of human endeavour.

To be a Jew is to be called on to lead.4

QUESTIONS (AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE)

How can we be both followers and leaders? Do you think that, as a people, we need to prioritise being better followers or greater leaders? How will you answer the call to lead?

NOTES

For the original illustration of this idea, please see Rabbi Sacks comments on Shifrah and Puah in Women as Leaders (Shemot 5781). This idea reappeared in Protestant Christianity in the phrase the priesthood of all believers, during the age of the Puritans, the Christians who took most seriously the principles of what they called the Old Testament. See Josephus, Against Apion 1:22. In the upcoming chapter for parshat Kedoshim, we will delve further into the role of the follower in Judaism.

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The Senate Republicans most likely to work with President Joe Biden on a new coronavirus stimulus bill said Sunday they would support a bill with less than one-third of the $1.9 trillion he proposed for new direct payments of $1,400, aid to state and local governments, and producing and distributing vaccines.

The GOP proposal, to be released Monday, would come out at around $600 billion, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said on Fox News Sunday.

While welcoming GOP willingness to negotiate, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that the $1.9 trillion amount was calibrated to the economic crisis that we face.

What we really need to focus on now is: What do we need to get this economy back on track and what are the resources necessary to do so? he said.

The Republican proposal came out just days in advance of planned Democratic votes designed to prevent a GOP filibuster and allow Congress to pass the Biden plan by majority vote.

The question is not bipartisanship, incoming Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on ABCs This Week.

The question is addressing the unprecedented crisis that we face right now. If Republicans want to work with us, they have better ideas on how to address those crises, thats great. But, to be honest with you, I have not yet heard that, Sanders said.

The proposed Republican compromise backed Bidens proposals for more money for vaccine distribution and help for small businesses, while apparently excluding the $350 billion in state and local aid, a top Democratic priority.

The Senate Republicans signing a letter to Biden and asking to meet with him included Cassidy, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, all of whom worked with congressional Democrats including N.J. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., on a compromise coronavirus spending bill last December that included $600 direct payments.

Their efforts jump-started negotiations that led to congressional approval of a $900 billion stimulus package in the waning days of the 116th Congress.

The presidents team did not reach out to anybody in our group, either Democrat or Republican, when they fashioned their proposal, Cassidy said on Fox. So if you want unity, if you want bipartisanship, you ought to start with a group thats shown its willing to work together for a common solution. They did not.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

Biden spoke with Collins later Sunday and invited her and the other senators who signed the letter to meet with him at the White House for a full exchange of views, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. The meeting will take place Monday afternoon, the senators said in a joint statement.

One area of compromise could be the next round of stimulus checks. Cassidy said the Republicans proposed $1,000 payments targeted to lower-income households rather than the $1,400 under the current formula that would send checks to some families earning more than $400,000.

The direct checks are designed to get cash into the pockets of families who really need it, Deese said on NBCs Meet the Press. Were certainly open to making elements of this package more effective in achieving that goal.

Another senator who signed the letter, Rob Portman of Ohio objected to efforts this week by Democrats in both houses of Congress to pass a budget resolution that would let them avoid a Senate filibuster and pass the COVID-19 package by majority vote under a process known as reconciliation.

What the Democrats are talking about doing is, one, using it right off the bat, without trying to come up with a bipartisan compromise, he said on CNN.

But Portman voted for two budget resolutions in 2017 that prevented Senate Democrats from filibustering their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act(which failed by one vote), and that allowed them to pass their tax law that capped the federal deduction for state and local taxes.

Democrats also learned a lesson from President Barack Obamas administration, when Biden was vice president. A too-small stimulus package, with the cost held down to attract Republican support, was blamed for a tepid recovery after the Great Recession.

Then Democrats spent months in a futile attempt to win GOP support for Obamas health care law, even adopting several amendments proposed by congressional Republicans.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant.

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Before yesterday, no one looked at the fashion e-commerce site Myntra and thought their logo was anything other than an M, but now, thanks to one particular woman, we're all subjected to see that one letter in a very different light.

We've realized, especially in the last year, that getting offended by something that really doesn't matter and making a big deal about it is the new normal and well, that's exactly what happened here.

 Twitter

The company was forced to revamp its logo after a Mumbai-based activist lodged a complaint that it was insulting and offensive towards women, even though almost no one thought that.



Talking to Jagran English, DCP Rashmi Karandikar, Cyber Crime Department of Mumbai police said, "We found that the logo was offensive in nature for women. Following the complaint, we sent an email to Myntra and their officials came and met us. The officials said they will change the logo in a months time."

 Myntra

Of course, this has opened the floodgates of people finding other 'offensive' logos and are complaining on Twitter as a joke and to show how ridiculous the entire thing is.



After dragon fruit, will orange come under fire now?

If #MyntraLogo is changing then Doordarshan also needs to change its logo, it looks like "69"#Myntra pic.twitter.com/XVaLmvUXnp  Karan Padhiar (@karanpadhiar) January 30, 2021

I mean what's wrong with this logo? Only a person with dirty mind could see such lame things.#MyntraLogo pic.twitter.com/sgqcUD6dc1  Eeshi Pancholi (@PancholiEeshi) January 30, 2021

I think Google needs to change their logo#MyntraLogo pic.twitter.com/NgqmOlDMFV  Sunil (@Sunil_9963) January 30, 2021

if @myntra logo is offensive towards women then @LupinGlobal logo is also offensive towards men. Please change it.#MyntraLogo pic.twitter.com/zIp79kEPaa  Ishan Khandelwal (@Ishan2weets) January 30, 2021

Everybody is talking about Myntra logo, meanwhile Gmail logo:#MyntraLogo pic.twitter.com/bMGQC5KRma  Ratnesh (@ratn3sh) January 30, 2021

#MyntraLogo

1. When the lady who filed the complaint saw the logo of myntra

2. Now Myntra has finally changed the logo pic.twitter.com/S7fEGCeqKH    (@3939Mark) January 30, 2021

Does anyone have a problem with @BYJUS LOGO?#MyntraLogo pic.twitter.com/hFygRufsWg  Harsha MV - In it, to WIN it! (@harshamv) January 30, 2021

Hey @myntra here I'm presenting you a neat and clean logo without any vulgarity

You can also hire me as your graphic designer  #MyntraLogo pic.twitter.com/LryK8gyAga   (@memes_walaaa__) January 30, 2021

After so many years seeing this logo I thought it is M from Myntra but some news totally changed my prespective and now I can't even think of old one anymore.#MyntraLogo #Myntra pic.twitter.com/bYdyHBj8Tc  Mohit Agrawal (@MohitAgrawal939) January 30, 2021

#MyntraLogo

*In examination hall*



Roll no 1 Roll no 2

Paper Paper pic.twitter.com/bm9PxDKxB4  Navin tiwari (@Tweet2navin_) January 30, 2021

Okay! now they are triggered by a fuckin M logo. #MyntraLogo  Manan Mir (@MirManan7) January 30, 2021

#MyntraLogo

Need to change this logo too... pic.twitter.com/xc7FhvtSe6  Rohit Singh Shrinet (@shrinetrohit) January 30, 2021

Oh no, no one is safe.It's the letter M, just leave it at that.Focusing on the important issues.Well, this is also the letter M.Now, it'll be a whole movement.Gmail is not safe.The hilarious new logo.Oops.Okay, too far.Not cool.It has?Seems about right.Anyone can be next.Yep.People will find anything to get offended by.For sure.Exactly.
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Data from two new coronavirus vaccine trials have revealed that they have less efficacy in protecting the people from the new South African variant. The trials from Novavax and Johnson & Johnson vaccine indicated that their vaccines have less efficacy. Novavaxs trial showed the efficacy at 50 per cent, Johnson & Johnson said a single shot of its vaccine had 66 per cent.

According to reports by Guardian, Dr Dan Barouch, a researcher at Harvard University medical schools Beth Israel Deaconess medical centre in Boston, who also helped with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine said that the new variant means that this is a different pandemic now. Also, the Serum Institute of India (SII) has now sought the Drug Controller's permission to conduct the bridging study for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India. The pharmaceutical firm has applied for the permission of the Novavax vaccine candidate, just a day after the American firm released data of its UK trial, revealing that the vaccine had an efficacy of 89 per cent.

Read: New COVID-19 Variant Detected In South Africa: Everything You Need To Know About It

The Novavax COVID vaccine candidate, named - NVX-CoV2373 - is a protein-based vaccine, which is now being examined by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for its trial. The Serum Institute, which is already mass-producing Covishield - developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca - in India, plans to begin bulk production of the Novavax vaccine from April. The Indian pharmaceutical firm has also received funding from GAVI - The Vaccine Alliance - for pre-producing and stockpiling the vaccine candidate at risk, similar to the way it did with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in India.

South African variant

During late December, another variant of the existing genome of the coronavirus was detected in South Africa, the health ministry announced last week. As per reports, the new 501.V2 variant in South Africa is also being linked to the drastic speed of transmission of the second wave that also infects younger patients. South African Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize reportedly also said the new strain has been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Read: India-made COVID Vaccines Arrive In Oman; Reflects 'friendship Spanning Millennia'

Even though pathogens mutate all the time and it is also a well-known fact among the scientists, the variant spreading in Britain is named VUI-202012/01 is currently determined to be 70 per cent more infectious than the existing version. Therefore, it has raised fears of overlapping the current virus which has already rocked the world. However, the new variant in South Africa is also causing a reportedly shift in the epidemiological landscape of the country.

Read: 'Wake Up Call': Fauci Alarmed Over COVID Shots' Diminished Results Against Mutated Virus

Also Read: Mumbai's Active COVID-19 Tally Rises To 5567; Patient Doubling Rate Stands At 556 Days

(Image Credits: AP)
Varun Dhawan Resumes Work Post Wedding, Prepares To Begin Shoot For Bhediya

Varun Dhawan is back to the grind days after his wedding to Natasha Dalal. The actor who several work commitments to wrap up on Saturday was spotted in town with actor Abhishek Banerjee at an office in Khar in preparation for their upcoming film Bhediya.

Reports have been doing that rounds that Bhediya, which is a horror-comedy also starring Kriti Sanon, will go on floors in February in Arunachal Pradesh. Helmed by filmmaker Amar Kaushik the first schedule of the film is speculated to go on for two months at a stretch.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by FilmyDotcom (@filmydotcom)

The actor tied the knot with long time girlfriend Natasha Dalal amidst friends and family in low key wedding in Alibaug. There have been several rumours about their honeymoon and a wedding reception for his friends in Bollywood. While Varuns uncle actor Anil Dhawan defused all rumours of the reception looks theres no honeymoon on the horizon too, at least for now, for the newlyweds.

Varun returned to Mumbai two days after his wedding from Alibaug and got down straight to business. Before his wedding the actor had wrapped up his upcoming film Jug Jugg Jeeyo and promotions for Coolie No. 1. It was after the release of the latter that he got down to prepare for his wedding day.
Meghan Markle will be 'snubbing' the royal family if she chooses not to join Prince Harry when he returns to the UK this summer, a royal expert has claimed.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, who is currently living in her $14million mansion in California having stepped back from her royal duties last year, is 'unlikely' to accompany Prince Harry, 36, when he visits his family for the first time since Megxit, sources revealed this weekend.

Insiders said the Duke of Sussex is currently planning to fly to the UK to see the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William  along with his niece and nephews  without Meghan and, probably, their 18-month-old son Archie.

Royal expert Nigel Cawthrone, author of the book Prince Andrew, told FEMAIL the decision would be a 'snub' from the duchess and would cast a 'dark shadow' over the Firm's summer celebrations.

He claimed: 'If Meghan decided not to attend for no reason it would indeed be a snub to her royal in-laws and mark a nadir in the relations between the royal family and the Sussexes.'

It comes following reports Meghan erased her first names from Archie's birth certificate in favour of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex 'in a nod to Princess Diana'.

Meghan Markle will be 'snubbing' the royal family if she chooses not to join Prince Harry when he returns to the UK this summer, a royal expert has claimed. Pictured, Prince Harry, Meghan and Archie

In June and July there are some important dates on the royal calendar that Meghan might miss

Following the news that Meghan is 'unlikely' to return to the UK this summer, sources were at pains to stress that her tentative decision not to accompany her husband is for 'personal and practical' reasons and is not in any way being construed as a 'snub'.

But if she decides not to travel it will save royal officials something of a diplomatic headache.

However, Mr Cawthrone said: 'Travel under the current circumstances is for anyone a daunting undertaking. Travelling back to the UK to see the royal family, will be far more of an emotional necessity to Prince Harry than for Meghan.

'Doubtless, she will make an effort to attend the birthday celebrations of the Queen and Prince Philip in April and June, should the governments coronavirus rules allow any.

'If she decided not to attend for no reason it would indeed be a snub to her royal in-laws and mark a nadir in the relations between the royal family and the Sussexes.

'It would be a public relations disaster that would hang like a dark shadow over the celebrations,' he added.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, who is currently living in her $14million mansion in California having stepped back from her royal duties last year, is 'unlikely' to accompany Prince Harry, 36, when he visits his family for the first time since Megxit, sources revealed this weekend. Pictured, The Queen, Meghan, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate in 2018

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been expected to attend key royal events in June, including Prince Philip's 100th birthday celebrations and Trooping The Colour, the official celebration of the Queen's 95th birthday.

Meghan Markle erases her first names 'Rachel Meghan' from Archie's birth certificate in favour of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex 'in nod to Princess Diana' Meghan Markle has erased her first names from Archie's birth certificate in favour of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex 'in a nod to Princess Diana'. The first names 'Rachel Meghan' were removed from the mother section of the birth certificate to bring it in alliance with Diana's preferred name, 'Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales'. Archie's birth was registered on May 17, 2019, after he was born on May 6. A month later, on June 6, the name was changed, reported The Sun. Archie's birth was registered on May 17, 2019, after his birth on May 6. A month later, on June 6, the name was changed on the certificate (pictured before the change) The Queen's ex-press secretary Dickie Arbiter said: 'Maybe this was an early part of their plan.' Lady Colin Campbell, who spotted the amendment, said: 'It is extraordinary and raises all kinds of questions about what the Sussexes were thinking.' Months after the name change the couple had quit the royal family. MailOnline has contacted a representative of Harry and Meghan for comment. Advertisement

Prince Harry is also due in the UK in July for the long-awaited unveiling of the statue that he and William commissioned in memory of Diana at Kensington Palace.

But there has been widespread, quiet concern that the couple's involvement in the larger family events  and the inevitable public and media furore that would surround their appearance  could detract from the significance of such key occasions.

A source said: 'It should be strongly stressed that there is still an element of uncertainty about this because of the unpredictable Covid situation, but the understanding is the duke is more than likely to come back on his own.

'This is a personal and practical decision by the couple, but it would certainly help officials navigate what is likely to be a fairly tricky situation.'

Another added: 'Her Majesty made very clear when they left the UK that Harry and Meghan were still much loved members of her own family and would be very welcome to attend family events. That still holds true.

'Practically, however, it comes with the need for a certain amount of diplomacy. There is still a great deal of distance between Harry and many family members, particularly his brother. No one wants a repeat of the Commonwealth Service.'

This refers to the Sussexes' final official engagement at Westminster Abbey last March, which saw Harry and William barely acknowledge each other, such was the depth of their rift, which is far from healed.

It will be the first time Harry has seen any of his family since quitting royal duties to pursue lucrative business deals abroad.

Harry, Meghan and Archie have been living in North America, first Canada and then California, since November 2019.

While the couple returned to the UK in early March for a last round of official engagements and meetings, Archie  who will turn two in May  did not accompany them.

He has not seen any of his British relatives since he was six months old.

Harry and Meghan have since made clear they have no plans to return to the UK in any meaningful way  as revealed a year ago by the Mail.

They have bought an 11million mansion in Montecito in California, bagged multi-million-pound deals with companies including Netflix and Spotify and set up an office and non-profit foundation, Archewell.

A third source confirmed they had also been told Harry was likely to return home alone.

'Harry wants to come back for The Queen and Prince Philip's big birthdays. But it looks likely it will be just him,' they said. 'If Meghan comes back, the feeling is that it would overshadow the occasion. People would only be looking at the 'drama' of it all.

'Of course she would be welcome, but a decision not to come would postpone that headache for a while at least.'

The prince is expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage at Windsor, the home he and Meghan decided to keep as a UK base.

Insiders said the Duke of Sussex is currently planning to fly to the UK to see the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William (pictured with Camilla and Kate in March 2020)  along with his niece and nephews  without Meghan and, probably, their 18-month-old son Archie

The prince is expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage (pictured) at Windsor, the home he and Meghan decided to keep as a UK base

The couple have temporarily lent it to Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank.

A spokesman for the Sussexes did not respond to a request for comment.

The pair are said to have had a 'painful' year since Megxit after the couple's nanny moved back to the UK and the pandemic left them feeling 'alone,' the authors of Finding Freedom claimed earlier this month.

Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie, who co-wrote the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell biography, alleged that moving to LA brought difficult changes for the couple who stepped back as senior royals in March last year.

Writing in Grazia, Caroyln Durand said a friend of the couple told her the couple felt 'alone' after their nanny left

To be at the point they are at now, having set up an empire and a charity in just over nine months, shows just how hard they have worked to make this transition a success, said Omid Scobie, writing in Grazia. 'But its taken a lot of work to get here. The journey has been painful.

Omid Scobie added that since making the move to LA the couple have been 'eager to contribute to the community,' particularly in regards to the Covid-19 response, and are keen to put the 'focus back on what mattered'.

It comes after it was reported that Prince Harry was refused permission for a wreath to be laid at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday on his behalf, in another possible sign of a family rift.

The Duke of Sussex, who spent ten years in the armed forces, made the personal request to Buckingham Palace, but was refused due to the fact he had left royal duties in March, The Times reported last November.

The Queen was not thought to have been informed of the request or its refusal, which is said to have 'deeply saddened' the Duke of Sussex, the publication reported.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether Prince Harry's request had been refused.

The new revelation comes days after Princess Diana's former chief of staff warned Prince Harry and Meghan's brand will 'fail' if they move too far from the royal model of 'personal sacrifice and public service'

Last month it was reported that the couple want a 12-month extension to the Megxit deal that would see them keep their royal patronages and head back to the UK to seal the deal in person.

However, sources told Omid that the couple have no such plans, adding: 'They really haven't looked back'.

The new revelation comes days after Princess Diana's former chief of staff warned Prince Harry and Meghan's brand will 'fail' if they move too far from the royal model of 'personal sacrifice and public service'.

According to the Express, royal expert Patrick Jephson has said the couple face an 'evolving brand issue' with their new foundation Archewell.

Speaking during a virtual conference promoting and protecting personal brands, which was organised by a US-based public affairs agency, he said: 'If it departs very much from that great tradition of personal sacrifice and public service that defines the monarchy brand then I dont believe it will succeed.'

He added: 'One could argue that, at it's best, membership of the Royal Family gives you access to the most extraordinary and powerful brand in the world.

'To voluntarily divest yourselves of all those advantages in pursuit of something else is very daring - and we don't even know what that something else is.'



In 1860, a Scotsman named James Wilson presented India's first-ever budget. Interestingly, Wilson had humble beginnings as a hat maker in the UK. As he grew older Wilson became well-read in finance and economics. Eventually, he became a finance member of Viceroy of India Lord Canning's council. He also became a British Member of Parliament. Rising through the ranks he was appointed as Finance Secretary to the UK Treasury. He also served as the Vice-President of the Board of Trade.

Wilson arrived on Indian shores in 1859, a year before he would present the country's first budget. At that time the British government in India was facing financial stress caused by the Revolt of 1857, also known as the First War of Independence. Increased military spending during the turbulent period had drained British resources leading to them owning heavy debts. Wilson, with his expertise on matters of finance and economics, was brought on board to sort out the matter.

"He [Wilson] introduced for the first time in India a financial budget framed upon the English model - inspired the public mind with fresh confidence - brought together the threads of finance which had been broken and scattered by a military and political convulsion - stimulated the operations of the Military Finance Commission to review the numerous branches of civil expenditure - reviewed the existing system of audit and account - besides discharging the multifarious duties devolving on a finance minister and a member of the general government," Economic Historian Sabyasachi Bhattacharya wrote about Wilson in the book 'Financial Foundations of the British Raj'.

Wilson is also credited for introducing the concept of Income Tax, which was hated by the people and caused a major controversy. Some would argue that feelings towards Income Tax among Indians have not changed much since. Being economically liberal Wilson was a proponent of laissez-faire policies.

Apart from presenting India's first budget, Wilson is also known for founding banking giant Standard Chartered Bank. His list of achievements does not end here, Wilson was also the founder of the world-renowned financial magazine 'The Economist'.
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Megan Fox seemingly shot down all the growing talk of an engagement with Machine Gun Kelly with a humorously vulgar post to her Instagram page on Friday.

And one day later, the loved-up couple were the picture of bliss as they made their way to NBC Studios in New York City, ahead of the rocker's performance on Saturday Night Live.

MGK, born Colson Baker, made a show of himself when he briefly picked up his 34-year-old ladylove into his arms and carried her towards the entrance.

Love birds: Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly packed on the PDA during their trip NBC Studios in New York City ahead of his performance on Saturday Night Live

Show time: Kelly, 30, stepped out of their vehicle and picked up his lady into his arms and made his way to wards the NBC Studios entrance in Midtown Manhattan

The pair were first spotted when they stepped out of their hotel and made their way toward an awaiting vehicle.

Fox showed off her fab figure in orange and black snake print pants, a matching top and a long black leather jacket.

She wore her dark brown tresses shiny and long, with added volume and a part in the middle.

The hot and heavy couple were spotted leaving their hotel room on their way to the SNL Studios in Midtown Manhattan

Edgy: The Transformers star, 34, showed off her fab figure in orange and black snake print pants, a matching top and a long black leather jacket

With eager fans hanging in and around the entrance, MGK, 30, rested his left arm lovingly around her shoulder dressed in red pants that were adorned with a long patch of black on the front of each leg.

The ensemble also included a red, long-sleeve shirt with black stars and black shoes.

He rounded up the look with his platinum blonde tresses teased up and spiked in a 1980s style.

Despite the dangers of COVID-19, the couple did not wear protective masks during the trip to the studio.

Rocker style: MGK showed off his edgy style in red pants that were adorned with a long patch of black on the front of each leg and a red shirt with black stars

Coronavirus crisis: Despite the dangers of COVID-19, the couple did not wear protective masks during the trip to the studio

Feeling the energy of the fans and media on the street when they arrived, Kelly stepped out of their vehicle and picked up his lady into his arms and made his way to the entrance.

The couple were then ushered past people looking for photos and autographs and headed inside to get ready for the show.

Machine Gun Kelly is the musical guest, alongside host John Krasinski, in what's the first episode of SNL in 2021.

Making their way: The couple were then ushered past fans looking for photos and autographs and headed inside to get ready for the show

SNL 2021: Machine Gun Kelly is the musical guest, alongside host John Krasinski, in what's the first episode of SNL in the new year

Going strong: Fox and MGK have not been shy in flaunting their love and affection since they went public in the spring of 2020, which was around the time that her split from husband Brian Austin Green was revealed

Spotlight: The couple were beaming as they were showered with attention

Fox flashed a chunky ring on her engagement finger while out with her beau earlier this week, which prompting rumors he may have popped the question.

But by Friday she appeared to shut down all the speculation when she posted a photo on Instagram showing her left hand with a ring on her engagement finger with the words 'F*** YOU' inscribed on it.

Fox and MGK have not been shy in flaunting their love and affection since they went public in the spring of 2020, not long after her split from husband Brian Austin Green was revealed.

Could it be true?! Fox flashed a chunky ring on her engagement finger while out with her beau earlier this week, which prompting rumors he may have popped the question; Megan Fox pictured on Thursday
Thea Fischer takes pictures of security personnel who keep watch on a World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease at Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, January 31, 2021. / Reuters-Yonhap



A World Health Organization team looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday visited the food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan that was linked to many early infections.



The team members visited the Huanan Seafood Market for about an hour in the afternoon, and one of them flashed a thumbs up sign when reporters asked how the trip was going.



The market was the site of a December 2019 outbreak of the virus. Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold in the market. The market has since been largely ruled out but it could provide hints to how the virus spread so widely.



"Very important site visits today - a wholesale market first Huanan Seafood Market just now," Peter Daszak, a zoologist with the U.S. group EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO team, said in a tweet. "Very informative critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019.''



Earlier in the day, the team members were also seen walking through sections of the Baishazhou market - one of the largest wet markets in Wuhan - surrounded by a large entourage of Chinese officials and representatives. The market was the food distribution center for Wuhan during the city's 76-day lockdown last year.



The members, with expertise in veterinary medicine, virology, food safety and epidemiology, have so far visited two hospitals at the center of the early outbreak -Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital and the Hubei Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital.



On Saturday, they also visited a museum exhibition dedicated to the early history of COVID-19.



The mission has become politically charged, as China seeks to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak.



A single visit by scientists is unlikely to confirm the virus's origins. Pinning down an outbreak's animal reservoir is typically an exhaustive endeavor that takes years of research including taking animal samples, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies.



One possibility is that a wildlife poacher might have passed the virus to traders who carried it to Wuhan. The Chinese government has promoted theories, with little evidence, that the outbreak might have started with imports of frozen seafood tainted with the virus, a notion roundly rejected by international scientists and agencies. (AP)



January 31, 2021 / 10:58 PM IST

being retained. Multiple rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmers union leaders have ended in a stalemate. Protesting farmers fear that the new laws will dismantle the MSP system and corporatise farming. The Supreme Court had earlier ordered a stay on the implementation of these contentious laws, hoping it will end the protest. The farm union leaders have also rejected Centre's proposal to suspend implementation of the laws for the 18 months. Some protesters breached barricades and clashed with police on January 26 when the farmers were staging a tractor rally in the national capital. Some also stormed the historic Red Fort. Hundreds of individuals from both, the police and protesters, were injured during the violent incident. The Delhi Police has issued notices to around 20 farmer leaders over the incident, asking why legal action should not be taken against them.

Farmers' Protest Highlights: The 'Delhi Chalo' farmers' protest at border points of New Delhi has entered the 67th day today. Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, are staging a sit-in protest along Delhi borders. The protest started on November 26. The farmers are demanding a complete rollback of the new farm reform laws and a guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system
BEREA, Ohio -- Discussions are under way in Berea about possibly forming a City Council recreation committee.

Mayor Cyril Kleem recently suggested the idea in an email to council members, following up with additional details during the Jan. 19 council meeting. He plans to create an ad-hoc citizens recreation committee, but he believes a corresponding council committee should be formed as well.

Only City Council can create council committees.

We are looking at possibly expanding the recreation center, Kleem explained. We have done some very preliminary concepts, trying to get some ideas for what our needs are and what those costs would be.

The city would not raises taxes to pay for the recreation center improvements, which would be done as cost-effectively as possible, he emphasized.

Were not looking at anything extravagant, Kleem said. I thought it would make sense if the citizens committee worked with a council committee, since ultimately this (facility expansion) would come before you at some point.

The citizens committee would be comprised of regular recreation center users and/or family members who participate in the various programs, he said. It would provide input on the facility expansion, as well as programming.

Council President Jeff Dettmer noted that there has not been a recreation committee since 2011, when the Recreation and Community Services Committee existed.

I dont think theres really been much of a reason to have a rec committee in the last decade or so, but with possible expansion of the rec (center), and also maybe some changing, expanding or evolving of the programming, maybe there is a reason to create a committee for that, Dettmer said.

Thats definitely something we should take under advisement and see if that makes sense to do going forward, Dettmer added.

Read more stories from the News Sun.
A pair of gun-wielding crooks invaded a Bronx home, roughed up the family that lived there and got away with $2,000 cash, cops said Sunday.

The robbers pulled a gun on a 27-year-old man outside his home near Westchester and Mayflower Aves. in Pelham Bay about 2 a.m. Wednesday, cops said.

They forced their way into the residence, while an accomplice stayed outside as a lookout.

They ran into a 75-year-old resident on the ground floor, and threw her to the ground while pointing their gun at her, cops said. When two men on the second floor, ages 50 and 24, heard the commotion and came downstairs they too were forced to the floor at gunpoint.

The invaders took $2,000 cash from the third-floor apartment where the man they drew a gun on outside lives. They fled in late-model white Durango driven by another accomplice, cops said.

The shaken up victims did not need medical attention.

Police released surveillance video Sunday showing the crooks drawing a gun on the first victim outside the building. The video shows a dog got loose at some point in the chaotic encounter.

Cops are asking the publics help identifying and tracking down the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
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Laois farmers are invited to sign up to a new agri-environmental scheme to improve biodiversity on farms.

A statement from the Department of Agriculture said the Programme for Government commits to rewarding farmers for adapting to more sustainable methods of farming and to the development of a new agri-environment scheme capable of delivering broad environmental and biodiversity benefits that will align financial supports with climate objectives.

To advance this objective funding has been made available for 2021 for a results-based agri-environment pilot project.

Payment rates to farmers who get involved will be decided with reference to income foregone, additional costs of specific environmental management and transaction costs. Other capital help may be available.

The pilot will only be open to farmers who have not participated in GLAS and are not in other agri-environment schemes. The application process is expected to open in the second quarter of 2021.

Laois Offaly based Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture welcomed the initiative.

"This is a really valuable consultation because it gives everyone who is interested in farm biodiversity an opportunity to input into the design of a new Agri-Environment Pilot. I hope all stakeholders will participate. Farmer input will be key of course, but the insights from other groups and interested parties will also be invaluable as we try to make sure this really does deliver for the environment.

"It must also deliver for farmers of course and through this, they will be given opportunities and incentives to embrace more environmental practices and benefit from results-based payments for farming with nature. What we now want is an Agri-Environment scheme in which more farmers can adapt their practices for a more sustainable form of agriculture, said the Laois Offaly based senator.

A summary of the current proposal can be accessed at gov.ie - Public Consultation on Proposed Agri-Environment Results Based Pilot Project
An old postcard of Deoksu Palace from the early 20th century Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



On a cold morning in early January 1904  just as the sun began to rise  a small crowd had gathered in a market in Seoul, their attention fixed not upon the wares that were being offered that day, but upon a poster that had been nailed up. A policeman, probably drawn by the crowd's animated whispering, approached and the crowd yielded diffidently as he made a path to the displayed poster. It took him but a few minutes to read the proclamation before he ripped it down, tucked it into his flowing tunic and returned to police headquarters.



At this time, the situation in Korea was dire. Every street corner in Seoul was a den for rumors and opinions of the impending Russo-Japanese War. Discontent over the food and fuel shortages as well as the extreme cold weather further antagonized the public. A small spark of unrest could spread quickly throughout the country, so it was imperative to stamp out any unrest as soon as possible.



The poster the policeman had seized was actually a prophecy of an evil that the author claimed would befall the emperor and the palace. According to it, "the pine forest will suffer a calamity." Many speculated the pine forest was actually a reference to the palace, which was constructed from thousands of trees. The authorities sought out the author of the prophecy, but  fortunately for the prophet  they were unsuccessful. Had they discovered his identity, he would likely have been executed for inciting public disorder.





Deoksu Palace in flames on April 14, 1904 Robert Neff Collection



Within weeks, the Russo-Japanese War began, and Korea found itself the unwilling host to the armies of these military giants. Apparently the prophecy was forgotten until just before midnight on April 14.



It was a windy night and all was silent in the capital, when the smell of smoke and the brilliant glow of flames were discovered coming from Deoksu Palace. The Japanese fire-bells' loud clanging shattered the silence and summoned both Chinese and Japanese firemen to the palace gates. The gates were locked, and though the firemen pounded upon them and yelled for them to be opened, the gates remained locked from within. Not a sound, other than the roar of the fire and the sounds of buildings collapsing, could be heard from within the walls.



The British Legation's marine guards were aroused by all of the commotion, so grabbed fire extinguishers and tried to enter the palace complex through the rear gates, but like the Chinese and Japanese firemen, they found them locked. The marines then made their way to the Imperial Maritime Customs secretary's house and dragged the hand-pump fire engine that was stored there to the front of the Imperial Palace to await entry. Crowds of Korean citizens and foreigners had gathered in the streets, but all were powerless to assist and merely gawked at the inferno.



Flames flared up over the walls, driven by a brisk wind, and several of the foreigners who resided in the area climbed on the roofs of their homes, soaking them with water in an attempt to keep the fire from spreading into the city proper. To a foreigner, it might at first have seemed strange that the gates were still locked and that the hundreds of people who lived within the palace and tended to the emperor were not rushing out of the gates to save themselves.





A view of Deoksu Palace grounds prior to the pandemic in 2019 Robert Neff Collection



Historically, fire, or the threat of fire, had been used as a means of breaching the defenses of the palace during confusion and seizing of power. For this reason, during times of distress, the gates to the palace were immediately locked and a calm demeanor was maintained while the emperor was notified and orders received as to what measures to take.



Although the palace looked relatively quiet from the outside, inside it was bustling with activity as efforts were made to protect the royal family and keep safe as much of the palace and its treasures as possible. The royal family was moved several times in an attempt to keep them safe and eventually found refuge in the library near the American Legation, just like one interpretation of the prophecy had foretold. The American and French ministers stayed with the Korean emperor as he watched the fire destroy his palace.



It is interesting to note that the American Legation's guards were some of the first outsiders to enter the palace that night. They had been summoned by the Korean soldiers within who warned them that the armory, located within the palace, near the wall abutting the American Legation, was in danger of catching fire, and the explosion would do a great deal of damage to the surrounding area. The Americans and the Koreans managed to get the ammunition out of the palace before it could explode.





Deoksu Palace in 2019 Robert Neff Collection



At the nearby Methodist compound, efforts were made to protect the compound's buildings and the patients in the nearby hospital. One missionary wrote: "When the high Audience Hall fell with a crash, & sparks & cinders went up in a cloud, & the whole atmosphere seemed one storm of fire."



Eventually the fire was put out with the combined efforts of Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Americans and British, with their fire engine. The fire destroyed a large part of the palace including valuable documents and books, large amounts of Japanese paper currency and other valuables. Even though the damage was great, there was only one fatality, a young Korean boy who was killed by the flames.



In his diary, Yun Chi-ho, the Korean statesman and Enlightenment Movement activist, wrote:



"Strong and steady east wind, the crowded condition of the boxlike buildings in the Palace and the absence of proper means of arresting, this flame all combined to burn down everything within the walls. Ten years of extortion wasted on senseless and useless buildings  its foundation laid on tears and its hideous colors painted in blood  all reduced to ashes in 3 hours One may say so if this was the end of corruption and despotism."





Deoksu Palace in 2019 Robert Neff Collection
Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, has announced additions to its burgeoning pipeline for the next three years, comprising eight new landmark developments.

Significant hotel signings and new agreements will take place in Manama, Bahrain and Jubail in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, alongside further expansion in the UAE, Qatar and Turkey.

The announcement, which will deliver more than 2,650 keys to market, signals a new phase of recovery for the hospitality specialist, which despite a challenging year, witnessed a positive rebound in business in Q4 2020.

Building on this momentum and leveraging our highly effective core business model, inherent operational strength and our sustainable blueprint for regional expansion, Rotana is well positioned for continued growth and success in 2021 and beyond, said Rotana President and CEO Guy Hutchinson.

The Middle East is the focus of the groups initial signings given it has proven remarkably robust during the pandemic and continues to pursue ambitious multi-sector growth plans. The recent restoration of ties with Qatar is set to positively impact intra-regional travel, trade and contribute toward the recovery of the regions tourism sector. Furthermore Rotana also remains committed to consolidating its portfolio in the UAE, a cornerstone of success for the home-grown hospitality brand.

We are extremely confident the UAE will remain one of the safest countries in the world for domestic and international travel. With the launch of the first federal domestic tourism campaign boosting the countrys local tourism contribution to more than AED80 billion ($21.7 billion), coupled with the vigorous nationwide vaccine drive and steady growth in inbound tourism, the outlook for the industry is bright, added Hutchinson.

As one of the fastest-growing tourism markets in the world, Saudi Arabia continues to be a focal point for expansion and a five-star Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts property will be added to the portfolio in the third quarter of 2021, representing the groups eighth operating hotel in the kingdom. Located in Jubail, a city in KSAs Eastern Province, the property will add 407 keys to Rotanas portfolio and cement the groups status as one of the most dynamic players in the regions upscale segment.

Sustaining strong growth momentum in the coming year and solidifying its presence in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Rotana signed an agreement under its trend-setting hybrid hotel-residence brand, Residences by Rotana, in Manama. Set to open in 2022, the property will feature 483 keys and provide a highly sought-after branded residences option for the long-stay market. The group will also enhance its proposition for long-stay travellers in the city, introducing a 220-key Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana, with a planned opening date of 2023.

Rotana has also penned two deals in Qatar, with the aim of supporting the countrys economic diversification strategy and its vision to attract seven million visitors by 2030. The group recently took over the management of the 250-key Sedra Arjaan by Rotana, located in the heart of Doha, The Pearl Island, and signed a hotel management agreement under the Centro Hotels brand, with a stylish 350-key property set to add a new dimension to Dohas vibrant hospitality scene by 2023.

Strengthening its leadership position in the UAE, Rotana has signed a hotel management agreement under the Rotana Hotels & Resorts master brand. Expected to open in 2023, the property, which is located in Dubai, will boost the groups number of residential and hospitality units in the country by 295 keys.

Further extending its footprint in the European side of Istanbul, Rotana will also be managing two new properties in the heart of the city: Bomonti Arjaan by Rotana and Bomonti Residences by Rotana offering 650 units which are set to open doors to guests in 2022.

The first of many announcements for Rotana over the coming months, the eight new property signings represent another major milestone in the groups development strategy said Makram El Zyr, Corporate Vice President Development. - TradeArabia News Service
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EDWARDSVILLE  A Missouri man was charged Friday with asking a then-13-year-old Pontoon Beach girl to send him explicit photos.

Darrell J. Waeltermann, 30, of Hillsboro, Missouri, was charged Jan. 29 with grooming, a Class 4 felony.

The case was presented by the Pontoon Beach Police Department.

According to court documents, on Sept. 17, 2019, Waeltermann attempted to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice the girl, now 14, to commit child pornography by sending him photographs of her breasts and buttocks.

Bail was set at $50,000, and Associate Judge Ron Slemer added additional conditions.

The motion for additional conditions noted Waeltermann had previously threatened or perpetrated physical abuse toward the victim, and is a continued threat.

Slemer ordered that in addition to bail, Waeltermann was forbidden to intimidate the victim, enter her home, have contact or get within 500 feet of her.

Other felony charges filed Jan. 29 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Tyler J. Shelton, 30, of Alton, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence/no valid insurance card, aggravated driving under the influence while license suspended, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, all Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on April 3 Shelton was found to be driving a 2006 Chrysler 300 while under the influence of drugs, having no valid insurance card and a suspended license. Police also found less than 15 grams of fentanyl. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Taron A. Steward, 20, of Alton, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 28 Steward, who has a prior conviction for theft, was found to be in possession of a Taurus G3C 9 mm handgun. Bail was set at $20,000.

 Darion J. Ellis, 20, of St. Louis, was charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on April 11 Ellis was found to be in possession of a stolen 2004 Saturn Vue. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Liam M. Jones, 23, of Alton, was charged with residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. According to court documents, on Dec. 1 Jones entered a home in the 2600 block of Airport Road, Godfrey, to commit theft. Bail was set at $50,000.

 James E. Wilson, 35, of Bunker Hill, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. According to court documents, on Nov. 8 Wilson attempted to flee from a sheriffs deputy while driving a Ford Ranger, disobeying several traffic control devices. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Dartalyon A. Carson, 30, of Alton, was charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Hartford Police Department. According to court documents, on Oct. 21 Carson was found to be in possession of a stolen or converted 2016 Dodge Dart. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Alexander P. Hesse, 18, of Granite City, was charged with aggravated domestic battery and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, both Class 2 felonies. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 23 Hesse repeatedly attacked a household or family member, resulting in a fractured jaw. Hesse, who has a prior conviction for aggravated battery, was also found to be in possession of a Mossberg 835 shotgun. Bail was set at $100,000.

 Lauren V. Brown, 25, of Alton, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and aggravated battery, both Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 28 Brown attempted to flee from a Granite City police officer while driving a Volvo motor vehicle, reaching speeds more than 21 miles above the posted limit. She also drove the vehicle toward an officer. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Stephanie Gonzales, 48, and Zachary Evans, 58, both of Ft. Worth, Texas, were charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, both Class 2 felonies. The case was presented by the Troy Police Department. According to court documents, on Dec. 14 both were found to be in possession of a stolen Toyota Corolla. Bail was set at $50,000 each.

 Robert G. Veith, 48, of Troy, was charged Jan. 28 with driving while license revoked, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Troy Police Department. According to court documents, on Dec. 17 Veith was found to be driving a motor vehicle on Illinois 162 while having a revoked license stemming from multiple convictions for DUI and driving while revoked. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Andrew C. Fulton, 30, of Madison, was charged Jan. 28 with theft over $500, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Oct. 15 Fulton had unauthorized control over $1,200 of another persons money. Bail was set at $30,000.

 Amy S. Lynch, 39 of Granite City, was charged Jan. 28 with theft under $300 (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Dec. 5 stole light switches valued at less than $300 from another person. It was noted she had a prior conviction for burglary. Bail was set at $15,000.
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Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349

By Angelica LaVito and John Tozzi; Bloomberg News (TNS)

In Mississippi, an online vaccine registration system buckled in a sudden onslaught of traffic. Officials at a local health department in Georgia had to resort to counting every dose they receive before scheduling appointments. A $44 million national vaccine scheduling and tracking system is going largely unused by states.

And California, Idaho and North Dakota undercounted vaccinations because workers forgot to click on a submit button at the end of the day.

Across the U.S., a vaccination campaign that was meant to reverse the tide of the pandemic and spur the nations economic recovery is getting bogged down by technical glitches and software woes. Cash-strapped public health departments are trying to keep their websites from crashing while booking millions of appointments, tracking unpredictable inventory and logging how many shots they give.

The situation unfolding across the U.S., home to technology giants, is frustrating a public eager for the inoculations. Further, gaps in the data could be distorting the national picture of how efficiently vaccines are being used, if some number of doses that are administered dont get counted.

Our sense is that its a substantial amount, said Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. That will become more clear as the data systems get improved and we get a better sense about what were missing.

Its a situation some officials saw coming. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield cited years of underinvestment in public health systems in his testimony before Congress in September. He said then that the Trump administration was planning to help states plug holes in IT capacity.

Hopefully, therell be further resources to begin to fill those gaps because it is going to be very important that we do have the reporting for the monitoring and safety of these vaccines, he said.

Redfield and groups representing state health officials told lawmakers that billions in investment would be needed to help states distribute shots. But Congress didnt allocate that money until it passed a funding bill in late December, after states had already begun vaccinating people.

Private companies giving vaccines are experiencing their own issues. Jarred Phillips, his sister, mom and dad each took turns searching the website of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. to find a vaccine appointment for his mom. The process included creating an account, searching by ZIP code, then by store, by day and by three-hour time slot.

Nothing came up. Phillips, a 36-year-old technology worker in Wilmington, Delaware, even looked for rural ZIP codes where there might be light demand. Nothing. Hours later, he couldnt figure out why the process was so complicated.

At some point, these solutions have to meet people where they are, he said.

Walgreens spokeswoman Kelli Teno said the company has dedicated teams actively working through these issues to ensure an easy, secure and transparent experience for all eligible individuals who are trying to schedule their vaccinations.

Like much of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, the vaccination effort has been deployed in a patchwork approach. And it has been layered on top of an already fragmented health care system. The result is a mishmash of digital systems across the country that have exasperated many people trying to use them.

The biggest mistake was that the government was a little too focused on the first problem: How to get vaccines and ship them to different locations, said Eren Bali, co-founder and chief executive officer of Carbon Health Technologies Inc. It definitely was an oversight not starting earlier.

So far, about 49 million doses have distributed across the U.S. About 23.5 million people have received their first of two shots and 5 million have received both, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. Last month, Trump administration officials had projected that 30 million people could be fully vaccinated by the end of January.

Registering people in advance is encouraged to prevent crowds from forming at clinics, especially with the virus still surging in many communities. But sign-ups have sometimes been chaotic, especially for older people who are among the first in line for vaccines, with websites for appointments seeming like lotteries.

Before opening appointments, Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale county health departments in Georgia first counts its inventory. The anticipated supply can change each week, and the amount that actually arrives may differ. The health department relies on Bookly, a web plug-in it started using last year for coronavirus testing.

New appointments open once a week. Theyre filled in hours.

Its difficult to communicate with the public as to when appointments are open, said Audrey Arona, the director. I know theres a lot of frustration having to sit on the website constantly for when appointments open.

The Georgia Department of Public Health is working on a centralized scheduling system. The tool is expected to be ready by mid-February, spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said in an email.

In Florida, several counties turned to ticketing website Eventbrite when the state expanded eligibility to people 65 and older. Los Angeles scrapped a software called PrepMod because it couldnt handle the registration rush. The city instead turned to Carbon Health, which runs a chain of health clinics. The company set up an online tool to find testing sites, and it built a vaccine platform from that.

Staff at Christus Health have spent as much time documenting and reporting vaccinations as they have actually administering the shots, said Sam Bagchi, chief clinical officer of the Irving, Texas-based health system. Christus has administered about 65,000 doses in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

The shots are reported to states differently depending on whos receiving them: One electronic health record for employees, another for its patients, and, until recently, paper forms for people who were neither patients nor staff.

Christus separately counts its vaccine inventory manually and types the data into a web form for the state. Existing systems arent intended to then track minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, whats being given and whats not being given, Bagchi said.

Public health technology systems arent built for the precision needed for the mass vaccination effort, said Joseph Kanter, an official with the Louisiana Department of Health.

Its like taking a Yugo and trying to go 150 down the highway, Kanter said. Sometimes the fender falls off.

___

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
By Mike Spector

(Reuters) - The chief executives of ExxonMobil Corp and Chevron Corp held preliminary talks in early 2020 to explore combining the two largest U.S. oil producers in what would have been the biggest merger of all time, according to people familiar with the matter.

The discussions, which are no longer active, are indicative of the pressure the energy sector's most dominant companies faced as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and crude prices plunged.

The talks between Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth were serious enough for legal documents involving certain aspects of the merger discussions to be drafted, one of the sources said. The reason the talks ended could not be learned.

The sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. Exxon and Chevron, which have market capitalizations of $190 billion and $164 billion, respectively, declined to comment.

Exxon and Chevron's shares nosedived last year after a Saudi-Russian price war and fallout from the novel coronavirus outbreak caused the value of oil to crater. Exxon's stock was hit hardest, as investors raised concerns about the company's long-term profitability and spending decisions.

In their talks, the CEOs of Exxon and Chevron envisioned achieving synergies through massive cost cuts to help weather the downturn in energy markets, one of the sources said. At the end of 2019, Exxon employed about 75,000 people and Chevron roughly 48,000.

Following the aborted talks with Exxon, Chevron went on to acquire oil producer Noble Energy in a $5 billion cash-and-stock deal that was completed in October.

A proposed combination last year would almost certainly have triggered an intense antitrust review by the U.S. Justice Department, a process that typically takes months to complete. And such a review would also potentially have run up against last November's U.S. presidential election, raising additional uncertainty about how soon such a deal might be cleared, if at all.

Story continues

Now, under the Biden administration, the window might be all but closed as Democrats historically have been less sympathetic to such deals, one of the sources said. President Joe Biden has put climate change at the forefront of his agenda, promoting jobs in renewable energy as opposed to traditional ones in the oil sector.

Biden recently formally revoked the permit to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline. General Motors last week said it would aim to stop selling vehicles powered by gasoline and diesel, which rely on oil, by 2035.

The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

News of the unsuccessful talks emerged as Exxon has come under pressure from some of its shareholders over its strategic direction.

Engine No. 1, a investment firm based in San Francisco, last week nominated four directors to Exxons board and is pushing the company to spend its cash better, preserve its dividend, and invest more in clean energy. Exxon is also in the crosshairs of hedge fund D.E. Shaw, which is pressuring the company to cut costs and improve performance.

Exxon reports fourth-quarter results on Feb. 2. Chevron last week reported a surprise $11 million fourth-quarter loss as low margins on fuel, acquisition costs and foreign currency effects overwhelmed improved drilling results.

COMBINED GIANT

A combined Exxon-Chevron would be eclipsed in size only by Saudi Aramco, which boasts a roughly $1.8 trillion market value and has previously pushed many U.S. drillers to the financial brink by flooding the market with oil.

Despite inevitable antitrust concerns, the companies could argue a merger would represent the United States' best shot at taking on the Saudi state-owned conglomerate and the world's other largest state-backed oil producers, one of the sources said.

Last year's Saudi-Russian oil price war, for instance, highlighted the vulnerability of U.S. producers to foreign governments that can effectively dictate the price of crude by forcing energy companies they back to boost or cut output.

U.S. oil companies each compete among one another and set their own varying production targets, with limited ability of Washington to intervene.

Exxon and Chevron, with their powerful balance sheets, withstood turmoil in energy markets following the pandemic that forced some smaller independent oil and gas producers to file for bankruptcy protection.

Yet they also felt the pain. Demand for oil evaporated in early 2020 as governments imposed travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders to slow the COVID-19 pandemics spread.

At one point in April, the price of U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures turned negative for the first time ever, signifying sellers needed to pay buyers to take the commodity off their hands. Prices have since rebounded to roughly $52 a barrel.

Exxon and Chevron have both cut jobs over the past year. Exxon late last year left its dividend flat after boosting the shareholder payout each year since 1982.

(Reporting by Mike Spector in New York; Additional reporting by Joshua Franklin in Miami; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Lincoln Feast.)
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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Hyderabad, Jan 31 : The Telangana government is contemplating a counselling programme for the healthcare workers who had registered themselves for the Covid vaccine but later pulled out of getting the jabs due to alleged fears, said state Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Sunday.

Delivering a virtual address on Covid vaccine organised by Telangana State Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Trade (TSFCCT), Rajendar said some people are afraid to take vaccine jabs due to fear spread by unreliable and unscientific news and rumours being circulated.

Telangana has vaccinated 1,68,589 healthcare workers till now.

According to health officials, 57 per cent of the targetted beneficiaries have taken the vaccine.

The Telangana Health Minister called upon the medical fraternity to dispel the fears.

"It is the medical fraternity who can clear the air. They must use social media and mass media to spread awareness about the efficacy of the vaccine," he added.

The Minister said people need more confidence and courage.

"To dispel these alleged fears, I volunteered to take the vaccine to give confidence. Today 25 to 30 per cent health workers still have not taken the vaccine," he added.

Rajendar said corona vaccine is mRNA-based and no one knows exactly how it behaves. It behaves differently in different countries and environments. Like all vaccines, Covid-19 mRNA vaccines have been rigorously tested for safety before being authorized for use.

"mRNA technology is new, but not unknown. The medical profession have been studying it well. As far as what I gathered from the experts is that mRNA from the vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell and does not affect or interact with a person's DNA. It may not be a 100 per cent effective vaccine. But it serves the purpose and gives confidence. If anybody has any doubts, they can consult their doctors and experts before taking the vaccine as they are the best people to give that confidence to the people." Rajender said the state government is committed to making the vaccine available to everybody.

"But it is the Union government which is in full control of the matter. We requested recently to the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to allow us to get more doses as the vaccine is developed in Hyderabad so that it can be given to more people. We are looking for permission from the Union Health Ministry," said the Minister.

He revealed that the state has received eight lakh doses of the Covid vaccine. The state Health Minister said the vaccine is not costly as it does not cost more than Rs 200.

Telangana has fared well on all fronts in tackling the Covid-19. "From the perception of death on contracting Covid, we have reached the stage where nothing will happen. But this journey has been hard and tough and it was possible due to everyone's efforts" TSFCCT is a professional body of 11 lakh traders in Telangana. It was the trader community which was badly hit due to the pandemic. TSFCCT has been organising a series of programmes with experts, ministers on subjects of vital importance to the society at large.

TSFCCT office-bearers Ammanabolu Prakash, C. Nand Kumar, Manepalli Murali Krishna, Venu Vinod, T.R Venkatesh, V. Varakumar Gupta, Meela Jayadev, K. Prakash Murthy, G. Narender Kumar, A. Nitin Parikh, Soma Dayanand, among others participated in the event.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The only FBI official charged in the improper use of FISA warrants to spy on President Donald Trump via campaign aide Carter Page got a slap on the wrist. Kevin Clinesmiths sentence was a year of probation, and community service.

Clinesmith worked at the FBI General Counsels Office (GCO) and was assigned to Crossfire Hurricane, the probe of Trumps alleged ties with Russia during the 2016 election. In that capacity, he altered an email from the CIA that described Page as a source for the spy agency, to say he was not a source  enabling the FBI to request a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant against Page as a Russian agent  and, through him, spy on the Trump campaign, transition and presidency.

Boasberg was reportedly swayed by Clinesmiths insistence that hed acted in good faith and that his wife has a baby on the way, while shrugging-off Pages testimony that his life had been ruined as the result of false claims he was a Russian agent. On Friday, federal judge James Boasberg  who also sits on the FISA court  sentenced Clinesmith to 12 months probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $100 fine.

The Republicans sitting on the House Judiciary Committee called the sentence insanity and outrageous.

Led by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California), the Judiciary GOP first exposed the FISA abuse and published a memo about it in February 2018, revealing that the FBI had relied on the Steele Dossier  a collection of spurious claims compiled by a British spy and paid-for by Hillary Clintons campaign  in the initial spying request.

Others pointed out that Clinesmiths transgression was far greater than almost anyone who ended up going to jail as a result of special counsel Robert Muellers Russiagate probe. Campaign aide George Papadopoulos spent two weeks in jail for allegedly lying to the FBI  the same process crime Clinesmith pled guilty to last August  and General Michael Flynn spent four years trying to beat the same charge.

Clinesmith is also the only FBI official to face any scrutiny over the bureaus handling of Crossfire Hurricane. Former director James Comey, his deputy Andy McCabe, lead agent Peter Strzok and attorney Lisa Page  all of whom were involved in the probe  have landed lucrative book contracts or cable news jobs, or become heroes of the Democrat resistance instead.

The entire game is rigged, said Federalist editor Sean Davis. The rule of law is dead.

The lenient sentence for a FBI lawyer altering evidence was seen as especially egregious, as, earlier this week, a Trump supporter going by the handle Ricky Vaughn on Twitter was arrested and charged by the Biden administration for conspiracy to deprive people of their voting rights by posting memes that allegedly misled Clinton voters in 2016.

As outrageous as this is, its also useful. Its in our faces now, wrote lawyer and filmmaker Mike Cernovich. When they come for more Trump supporters Remember today.

Democrats, who spent the past four years insisting that no one is above the law and that Trump must be investigated for an array of suspected crimes, did not comment.

The Telegraph

Police are conducting an investigation into the death of a woman who was allegedly given higher than recommended doses of a powerful anti-psychotic drug at a mental health unit. Margaret Molyneux, 69, a former lecturer, was undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder when she suffered a series of complications and died in hospital three days after choking in July 2017. A coroner ruled that she had died of natural causes, but Hertfordshire Police launched an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, after a review found that Ms Molyneux had been prescribed higher than recommended doses of the drug Olanzapine. Her daughter, Petria Foley (pictured below), believes the anti-psychotic medication caused dangerous side effects - including choking - which were not picked up by the psychiatrists treating her and eventually led to her death. The Telegraph can reveal that detectives have now appointed a forensic toxicologist to look into the case before deciding whether to bring any charges. Ms Molyneux, a mother of two, was admitted to the Kingfisher Court mental health unit in Radeltt, Hertfordshire in March 2017, after being sectioned following a relapse of the bipolar condition she suffered from. She was prescribed Olanzapine, a powerful anti-psychotic drug that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions including schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. But it has also been linked to a variety of side effects and in 2018 Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation into the death of teenager Oliver McGowan, who died after being prescribed the drug. In the weeks leading up to her death, Ms Molyneaux, had a series of falls and also suffered from sepsis, pneumonia. She also developed dysphagia - a condition where swallowing becomes difficult - and Ms Foley is convinced it was the medication that was causing the physical problems. She said despite her mothers deteriorating condition, the drugs continued to be prescribed and medics also stopped her mother from smoking which meant the medication had an even more powerful effect.
Will Waldron/Albany Times Union

ALBANY  The state Senate is planning to pass a package of bills Monday designed to address gaps between the health care outcomes for white people and for Black people in New York.

The package includes nine measures. They include: mandating"cultural awareness and competence" for health care workers; creating programs where doctor's offices, hospitals and home care providers would work together; creating a task force to examine health care access disparities and offer new proposals, and requiring an examination of the potential for discrimination before renovation or construction of health care facilities.
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Social media services including Facebook Inc and Reddit restrict discussions about weapons, drugs and other illegal activity, but their rules do not specifically mention another lucrative regulated good: stocks.

Some people think they should. Users of a Reddit group, in which 5 million members exchange investment ideas, generated significant profits by gorging on shares of GameStop Corp and other out-of-favor companies that had been shorted by big hedge funds.

Investors have used social media for years. Anonymous posts have fueled cryptocurrency pump and dump schemes, according to studies, but that obscure market generated less scrutiny. The Reddit rally however, has roiled global stock markets and drawn scrutiny of posts in which thousands of smaller investors trade tips on platforms from Facebook to Instagram to Telegram and Clubhouse.

Individual investors won praise from elected officials and the general public for jabbing powerful hedge funds with a short squeeze. Yet critics have emerged, accusing social media users of manipulating markets unlawfully by pumping shares of weak companies. The manager of one Facebook trading community said she has turned down requests to tout individual stocks.

Social media companies are generally not liable for user activity under a statute commonly known as Section 230. Still, their rules bar illegal behavior like facilitating gun and drug transactions or distributing offensive content that could rile advertisers or generate calls for tighter regulation.

Section 230 also has some carve-outs that in theory could lead to a tech company being penalized for user-generated content, including violations of federal criminal law, said Jeff Kosseff, a cybersecurity law scholar who wrote a book on the law.

He noted that the bar is high. The speech itself would need to be a criminal violation of a law that explicitly specified distribution of that speech as illegal.

In addition, First Amendment precedents typically hold that the companies must have knowledge of criminal speech posted on their platforms in order to be held responsible for it, said Kosseff.

Harvard Law School professor Jesse Fried said the stock trading forums appear to be purely legal behavior: irrationally exuberant buying by amateur investors.

Prosecuting users for deceiving investors is tough but possible, said University of California, Berkeley law professor Stavros Gadinis, adding that social media companies should have the same ability stock market operators do to intervene to stop alleged manipulation.

Identifying bad actors among the frenzy is a challenge. Theres all of these feedback loops and incentives behind the scenes, said Sinan Aral, director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy. We dont know exactly who was in the crowd.

The vast majority of traffic on Stocktwits, a social media platform for investors, appears to be people talking about stocks without evidence of manipulation, said Rishi Khanna, its CEO. He said the platform was not taking any extra moderation actions on this activity.

Gray Area

Although Reddit has stated platform-wide rules - including no illegal content or soliciting or facilitating illegal transactions - the service relies heavily on community-based moderation. Users who act as moderators make and enforce guidelines about what is permissible.

The founder of the WallStreetBets Reddit community Jaime Rogozinski, who was a moderator of the group until April 2020, said he tried to draw lines on what to allow. He said he and other moderators removed illegal attempts to game the market, such as claiming to have insider information. When there were gray areas, he said they played it safe.

Youd have attempts for pumping up stock and I still to this day am not sure what the regulation was, but I never wanted to find out, said Rogozinski.

Archived copies of the forum showed a ban on market manipulation topped its list of rules by April last year. The current moderators said they struggled to moderate the WallStreetBets group as traffic surged, briefly causing technical errors at Reddit this week.

A spokeswoman said earlier this week that Reddit would review and cooperate with valid law enforcement investigations or actions as needed.

Discord, which hosts many trading discussions, said its rules bar users from engaging in any illegal behavior. Discord on Thursday said it was working with the Wallstreetbets room team to moderate its new server, after removing the previous server over hate speech and misinformation. It did not address stock market influence.

A lack of closer scrutiny on the matter has left open the opportunity for potential manipulation. Former Merrill Lynch financial adviser Cassandra Cummings, 47, who now manages 80,000-member Facebook trading group The Stocks and Stilettos Society, said she declined multiple requests in the last year to rally her group around a specific stock.

They know that I have the power through my group to move that company stock price, she said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2021 for the third time in the Parliament on February 1. Like other sectors, railways also suffered huge financial losses as full-scale services have not been operationalised even 10 months after Covid-19 pandemic hit India.

Though there's no separate budget for railways any more, the government may have some major announcements for the strategically important sector. The railways had played a crucial role in ferrying migrant workers from major cities to their native areas after the first lockdown in India in March 2020. However, the services remained shut for several months, before resuming services partially in May.

Also read: Union Budget 2021: Here are 5 things to watch out for this budget

The railways are considered to be the crucial driver of India's economy. And, giving a boost to it amid the pandemic becomes even more crucial. There are expectations that the Centre may announce a few Tejas trains, a dedicated railway line to move agri goods and some infrastructural upgradation of railways.

The FM could announce the total allocation of around Rs 1.79 lakh crore for railways, of which Rs 75,000 crore will be gross budgetary support (GBS). The allocation will be about Rs 18,000 crore more than Rs 1.61 lakh crore announced last year.

Also read:Budget 2021: Date, time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know

The Centre may focus more on launching high-speed private trains this time. These trains could connect major tourist hubs, pilgrimage spots, and other strategically important areas.

The FM could also announce the Centre's plans on bullet train network expansion in the country. Last year, the FM had announced that the government would actively pursue the bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. However, the Covid-19 pandemic derailed the plan and progress has been slower.

Experts say the Centre may also come up with special allocation for 'green railways' projects to give a boost to railways' plan to turn fully green by 2030. The Centre may also enhance the allocation for the railways' 'safety fund', which is aimed to prevent accidents and boost safety.

Meanwhile, the railway ministry has also demanded gross budgetary support (GBS) of about Rs 75,000 crore from the Ministry of Finance in the upcoming budget. The GBS sought by the railway ministry is about 7 per cent higher than GBS of Rs 70,250 crore allocated for the financial year 2020-21 in last year's budget by Sitharaman. It may be noted that the GBS was at Rs 69,967 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 55,088 crore in 2018-19.

Also read: Budget 2021: Top 5 expectations of middle class


Newly-released footage has provided the last glimpses of Melissa Caddick just hours before the millionaire funds manager went missing, as her furious former friends described her as 'evil' for betraying them.

The new footage showed police raiding her $6.1million Sydney mansion at 6am on November 11 last year - a day before her disappearance - as part of investigations into allegations she had siphoned off tens of millions of dollars from her clients when she was supposed to be investing for them.

The 49-year-old allegedly took more than $20 million of investors' money to fund her jetsetter lifestyle of designer clothing, luxury cars and exotic holidays.

Detective Inspector Gretchen Atkins told 60 Minutes on Sunday night that police had had 'some pretty tough conversations as to what's happened' with Caddick's younger partner Anthony Koletti.

Mr Koletti, an unemployed DJ who met Caddick while working as a hairdresser, waited 30 hours after she left the house before reporting her missing.

The detective said Mr Koletti was not as 'proactive' as some spouses can be when their partner goes missing.

The disappearance of Ms Caddick has perplexed investigators but infuriated her former investors, as hopes fade for them ever recovering the funds they entrusted to her.

Investigators are treating police bodycam footage from the raid on Melissa Caddick's home on November 11 as the last confirmed sighting of her. She disappeared the next day

Melissa Caddick's youner husband Anthony Koletti (pictured together) claims to have not heard from her since her disappearance. He is not accused of any wrongdoing

Michelle Leslie, who was once Caddick's personal trainer before the pair became close friends, entrusted the financial adviser with her nest egg.

Ms Leslie and her partner Billy McMore handed over their retirement savings to the Caddick, but are now facing the reality that they may never see their money again.

'She's a narcissist. Evil woman. I hope you're watching this Melissa. I can't wait to see you in a jail cell,' a furious Ms Leslie told 60 Minutes.

'It's the betrayal, just the lies and the stories this lady spun.'

One day before vanishing after going for a morning run at 5.30am, Caddick's Dover Heights mansion had been raided by the Federal Police in connection with an investigation by the corporate regulator ASIC.

She was also slapped with a Federal Court order, ordering that her passport be surrendered and barring her from selling, disposing of or mortgaging her assets.

ASIC was probing whether her company Maliver Pty Ltd had misused millions from investors. The victims were largely friends and associates.

Michelle Leslie and her partner Billy McMore handed over their retirement savings to Ms Caddick, but they are now facing the reality that they may never see that money again

Cheryl Kraft Reid and her wife Faye, who had been friends with Caddick for more than 25 years, handed over their $800,000 superannuation for her to invest on their behalf

Documents also show she used her client's investment money to pay off her personal credit card bill, as well as make loan repayments for an Edgecliff penthouse she bought for her parents.

Caddick is also accused of splurging on luxury brands such as Dior and Chanel, overseas holidays, limousines and even protein shakes.

Ms Leslie said she and Caddick had plans to catch up the day before she was raided by police, but from then on she couldn't get ahold of her.

'I said to Billy 'something's going on, something's not right'. And then we hear about it in the paper six days later that she's been missing,' she said.

At the first the couple weren't concerned about their money at all, before quickly realising there were 'sinister implications' to Caddick's disappearance.

Caddick, 49, vanished on November 12, one day after a Federal Police raid on her $6.1million Dover Heights home for allegedly misappropriated tens of millions in investors' funds

The corporate watchdog alleges Ms Caddick would open up fake CommSec accounts for her clients and send them fake monthly reports of how their shares were going (pictured, on a ski trip)

Ms Caddick's husband Anthony Koletti did not tell police or her family that she was missing for more than 30 hours

After meeting through the gym, the pair become close friends and Caddick often lent Ms Leslie her designer clothing.

Ms Leslie said Caddick told her she loved helping women financially, and was able to use her trust to turn her into her next client.

Caddick reportedly told Ms Leslie that she had seven spots left on her investment program, and urged her to sign up.

Cheryl Kraft Reid and her wife Faye, who had been friends with Caddick for more than 25 years, were also duped by the millionaire.

In 2015, the couple handed over their $800,000 superannuation to Caddick for her to invest on their behalf.

'She had a story and the story was that she had worked for another company, and her and two other people had built this program,' Ms Kraft Reid said.

'And it was such an amazing program that one of the superannuation houses bought it out. But her share of that money was $86 million and she was not allowed to work in the industry for ten years.'

Caddick reportedly told the couple that the only reason she was coming back into the investment industry was to help out her friends, and make money for them to live a better life.

When learning through the media of ASIC's raid on Caddick's home, the couple became suspicious and checked their account, only to realise their portfolio didn't even exist and their superannuation had disappeared.

'When I called [CommSec] and told them the account number, they then said there was no such account,' Ms Kraft Reid said.

'It was the first real point in time that I allowed myself to believe that everything Melissa had told us was a lie.

'What a level of entitlement. How do you stand there in front of someone and play a role and have a facade where you care and you're a friend... How do you maintain that facade when all the while you're taking them to the cleaners?

'We were manipulated because it was Melissa who was our friend.'

A detective explained that there are 'a lot of accounts, a lot of movement and a lot of money,' linked to the matter

Anthony Koletti, 38, is understood to be spending his time at his in-laws place in Edgecliff - rather than his missing wife's mansion (pictured, having a coffee in Bondi on January 15)

Ms Kraft Reid's sister Pamela is one of her four siblings to have also trusted her retirement savings with Caddick.

Pamela estimates her family has lost between $3million to $5million.

'It's what you work for 40 years to provide yourself with at the end,' she said.

Damning financial records show that from the start of 2018 through to September last year, more than $20 million was deposited into Caddick's accounts.

She has since withdrawn all but $700,000.

Investigators are now treating police bodycam footage from the raid on Caddick's $6.1million home as the last confirmed sighting of her.

Caddick was pictured in activewear calmly chatting to an ASIC officer in the office of her eastern suburbs mansion.

Ms Caddick, 49, used to live an extravagant lifestyle with her husband (on right, she is wearing a Stefano Canturi necklace she claims was valued at $250,000)

Damning financial records show that from the start of 2018 through to September last year, more than $20 million was deposited into Caddick's accounts

Detective Inspector Gretchen Atkins revealed Caddick's husband Anthony Koletti didn't behave in the way a spouse typically would after their partner goes missing.

'He's slightly more restrained. He isn't always ringing us, which is different to what we would normally see,' she said.

'He's doing what he can to assist us when we ask for help. I think he's struggled to be what you would expect  to be proactive.'

Mr Koletti told investigators he assumed his wife had gone for a walk in her activewear at 5am on November 12, despite leaving her phone, wallet and keys behind.

He then mysteriously waited a further 30 hours to report her disappearance to police.

'[Mr Koletti] thought she just might have gone somewhere and would come back. It was unusual,' Inspector Atkins said.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Mr Koletti has any involvement in his wife's disappearance.

Inspector Atkins said Caddick's 15-year-old son has been calm during his interviews with police.

'Speaking to a child about anything at the best of times [is hard]... to ask about where his mother missing is even more distressing for anyone, let alone a child,' she said.

'He is calm. And I guess, 15-year-old boys can be very different but he has been very calm and very honest and very upfront.'

Her rise to the presidency of the EU Commission was confirmation of the old maxim that you only ascend the heights of Brussels politics after first proving your incompetence at home  and the six years Ursula von der Leyen served as Chancellor Angela Merkels defence minister were widely considered a disaster.

But yesterday even the most resolute supporters of the European project were questioning whether Mrs von der Leyen could continue as president, with responsibility for the vindictive attempt to stop vaccines reaching the UK falling squarely on her shoulders.

Bild, the raucous but influential German tabloid, was especially withering, noting she was a failure as defence minister and now bore the blame for the vaccine fiasco by insisting she took over everything in Brussels.

As Mrs von der Leyen, 62, fights to salvage her position this week, she will at least be able to reflect on past times in her life when she has found herself under siege

Brussels-based diplomats were equally damning, aghast that she had tried to introduce a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland to stop vaccine imports without informing the Taoiseach, Micheal Martin.

She needs to go. Now, said one. She told f****** no one.

Even EU cheerleader Tony Blair condemned the Commissions attempt to control vaccine movements, saying that it was unacceptable.

As Mrs von der Leyen, 62, fights to salvage her position this week, she will at least be able to reflect on past times in her life when she has found herself under siege.

During her years as defence minister barely a fifth of Germanys 68 combat helicopters, and fewer than one third of its 136 Eurofighter jets were airworthy.

Highly trained pilots were leaving in droves, and the army was so under-equipped that soldiers took part in training exercises with broom sticks instead of guns.

One of the oddities of Mrs von der Leyens attempt to bully the British government and the drug companies over Covid vaccines is that she professes to be an Anglophile

Mrs Merkel allowed her to become president of the Commission in 2019 as part of a closed-door carve-up of the top jobs between powerful EU member states  although she barely concealed her belief that Mrs von der Leyen was a lightweight.

Incompetent she may be, but the Commission president has a knack for brushing off problems that might sink politicians with less self-confidence.

She even survived allegations that she had plagiarised large parts of her medical dissertation in 1990.

Her medical school took the charges very seriously, finally ruling five years ago that although some of the material had been copied, her offence fell short of deliberate plagiarism.

Mrs von der Leyen is the antithesis of the methodical, meticulous Mrs Merkel, who favours ill-fitting trouser suits of a style that suggests they were bought in her native East Germany before the Wall came down.

Brussels-based diplomats were equally damning, aghast that she had tried to introduce a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland to stop vaccine imports without informing the Taoiseach, Micheal Martin

In contrast, the Commission president is lithe and stylishly dressed, with a ready smile and hair immaculately swept back, ever so slightly reminiscent of Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in the James Bond film Goldfinger. She is also an accomplished horsewoman.

Astonishingly, over the years, she has trained as a doctor, spent four years in the US, and forged a long ministerial career in Germany while raising seven children, one of whom went to Oxford.

One of the oddities of Mrs von der Leyens attempt to bully the British government and the drug companies over Covid vaccines is that she professes to be an Anglophile.

When she and Boris Johnson got together over Zoom to celebrate the striking of a trade deal on Christmas Eve, she quoted The Beatles, T S Eliot, and William Shakespeare.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, she told Mr Johnson, who replied stiffly that Britain remained a close ally and indeed, never let it be forgotten, your number one market.

Her father, Ernst Albrecht, was one of the first people to serve as a Brussels bureaucrat when the European Commission was created in 1958, so she spent the first 13 years of her life in Brussels.

Descended from cotton dealers and American plantation owners, the family were sufficiently wealthy and prominent to fear the attentions of the Baader-Meinhof terrorist gang, a major concern in Germany in the late-1970s.

So rather than be surrounded by bodyguards, as a young woman she came to London, where she lived under an assumed name and studied at the London School of Economics.

Even EU cheerleader Tony Blair condemned the Commissions attempt to control vaccine movements, saying that it was unacceptable

I lived much more than I studied, she recalled. No details, please. Only this: In 1978 I immersed myself for one year in this seething, international, colourful city. For me, coming from the rather monotonous, white Germany, that was fascinating.

She has been married since 1986 to a doctor, Heiko, scion of the noble von der Leyen family who built their fortune as silk merchants.

The family live on a farm near Hanover, where they keep horses, one of which is named Cockney.

During the week, when she is required to be in Brussels, home is a 269sq ft living space adjoining her office on the 13th floor of the Commissions Berlaymont headquarters.

The likelihood is that Mrs von der Leyen will survive and keep her lodgings. There is no culture of resignation to take responsibility in Brussels, even for missteps like hers.

But this is a woman who likes to begin her speeches by declaring she was born in Brussels as a European. And to have brought the EU into global ridicule will be a bitter pill for her to swallow.

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Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Kim Jung-ju, the billionaire behind Nexon Co., is having a turbulent month.Shares of the Tokyo-listed gaming company have plunged 21% since it forecast a decline in profit on May 12, suggesting its strong performance when the pandemic kept people indoors wont be sustained as some countries reopen.Thats erased about $1.9 billion from the South Korean entrepreneurs net worth, reducing his fortune to $8.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.On top of that, Kims diversification away from gaming into areas including cryptocurrency is facing obstacles. Bitcoin has dropped almost 38% since it rose to a record in April, a stark example of the swings in the prices of virtual coins that have left some mainstream investors skeptical.Kim, 53, has been an avid supporter of digital currencies, and has been acquiring cryptocurrency exchanges in recent years. Nexon also bought $100 million worth of Bitcoin last month.It was bound to come down, Matthew Kanterman, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said of Nexons earnings forecast. Last year was a high base and they are not going to replicate that, he said. On Bitcoin, corporations dont like buying stuff with too much volatility, he said, suggesting Nexon is unlikely to add to its purchase for now.Crypto InvestmentsEven before Nexon bought Bitcoin, Kims holding company NXC Corp., which owns almost half of Nexon, snapped up 65% of Korbit Inc., a crypto exchange in South Korea, in 2017.The following year, NXCs subsidiary in Europe acquired another cryptocurrency exchange: Luxembourg-based Bitstamp.Korbits book value plunged to about 3.1 billion won ($2.8 million) at the end of last year from about 96 billion won at the end of 2017, according to NXCs financial statements for 2017 and 2020. A spokesman for NXC said theres no plan to sell the exchanges that it bought.Kim was also keen to acquire Bithumb, one of South Koreas largest virtual currency exchanges, according to local media reports earlier this year. The NXC spokesman declined to comment.Kim declined to be interviewed for this story. Owen Mahoney, Nexons chief executive officer, wasnt available for comment.The company pointed to Mahoneys Medium post in April on the Bitcoin purchase. Nexon sees Bitcoin as a form of cash thats likely to retain its value, he said. The Bitcoin purchase represents less than 2% of the firms cash and equivalents.The technology underlying BTC and other cryptocurrencies is beginning to creep into many areas of day-to-day use, such as payments, digital collectibles and other areas that are increasingly relevant for companies like ours, Mahoney wrote.Embracing CryptoOther big names in the gaming industry have also embraced cryptocurrencies and related blockchain technologies.Kakao Games Corp., a subsidiary of South Koreas most popular mobile-messenger operator Kakao Corp., added to its holdings in blockchain technology company Way2Bit Co. last year, becoming the largest shareholder. Mobile game publisher Gamevil Inc. invested last month in crypto exchange Coinone Inc.As finance and payment systems are quite important in games, developers are thinking of ways to integrate blockchain technology to improve what they have now, said Lee Seung-hoon, an analyst at IBK Securities Co. in Seoul. Their investments are more like R&D efforts at this stage.Square Enix Holdings Co., the Japanese publisher of popular role-playing games such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, was among the investors that injected $2 million in cash and cryptocurrency into Ethereum-based game developer TSB Gaming Ltd. in 2019.Significant PresenceGames using blockchain are no longer in their infancy and are gradually coming to represent a more significant presence, Yosuke Matsuda, the Japanese firms president, said in a New Years letter last year.Kim founded Nexon in South Korea in 1994 after majoring in computer science and engineering at Seoul National University. In 2011, Nexon listed in Japan.Two years ago, he considered selling his stake in the company, held through NXC, triggering discussions with major players including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Hillhouse Capital. He scrapped the plan when he couldnt find a suitable buyer, according to local media reports.Nexon, famous for hit titles such as MapleStory and KartRider, posted net income attributable to its parents owners of 69.7 billion yen ($639 million) in the first six months of 2020 as lockdowns forced people to spend more time at home. For the same period this year, it forecast a range from 55 billion yen to 58.3 billion yen. The high end of the range would represent a 16% drop from last year.Kim said in a rare interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo in 2012 that worrying about keeping up with new technological trends can even disrupt his sleep.In order to survive, I have to accept new things, Kim 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.
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(Natural News) A New Jersey hospital gave Wuhan coronavirus vaccines to ineligible people, a report said. Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township administered COVID-19 vaccine doses to its donors, trustees and some relatives of its executives. The hospital vaccinated these ineligible individuals in December and early January, amid mass immunization programs meant for health workers and nursing home residents.

Local radio station New Jersey 101.5 received a list of vaccine recipients at Hunterdon from an anonymous whistleblower. Two longtime hospital donors were among the vaccine recipients included in the list. At least seven spouses and two adult children of hospital executives, administrators and medical directors also received the COVID-19 jab. Some of the recipients were in the 20s age group.

A Hunterdon spokesman said hospital officials did not receive priority treatment over eligible staff and at-risk individuals eligible for vaccination. Rather, hospital officials got the vaccine when eligible recipients were unavailable instead of letting the doses go to waste.

Spokesman Jason VanDiver said in a Jan. 28 email to CBS 3: More than 99 percent of the doses Hunterdon Healthcare has administered so far have gone to prioritized health care workers, clinicians, seniors and at-risk individuals. When additional Hunterdon Healthcare employees or physicians wanting the vaccine could not be located before a vaccine dose expired, we vaccinated volunteers who were easily contacted and immediately available.

VanDiver noted that these immediately available volunteers included board members, community members and relatives of clinic staff and the leadership team. This was in keeping with a protocol approved by the [New Jersey Department of Health], he continued.

In an earlier response to New Jersey 101.5, VanDiver said Hunterdon made every effort to match the number of prepared doses to the number of scheduled vaccine recipients.

Only if doses were likely to go to waste were vaccines administered to individuals who did not have an appointment, he added. (Related: Incoming CDC director to use the military and medical students to increase vaccinations across the country.)

Records show that vaccination VIPs cut the line at Hunterdon Medical Center

Despite VanDivers explanation, two donors managed to get immunized just one day after the hospital received its first batch of doses. Based on the records given to New Jersey 101.5, longtime donors Bruce and Parry Adam were vaccinated Dec. 18. Both were vaccinated a day after Hunterdon Medical Center received an initial 975 doses. The Adams were longtime donors to the Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation  the institution managing the hospital  who contributed at least $10,000 in 2018.

Sixty-eight-year old Charles Scammell, a Hunterdon Medical Center trustee, received his first COVID-19 vaccine shot two days before Christmas. His name was included in the whistleblowers list given to the radio station. Scammel told New Jersey 101.5 in a phone call: I think whats happening is not all the frontline workers are opting in. The intent is to get it to those must vulnerable, those over 65 [years old.]

The daughter-in-law of Brian and Dorothy Foran said the couple, both 75 years old, received their vaccine doses Dec. 30. She insisted that Dorothy received a call from Hunterdon Medical due to her work as a hospital volunteer and not because of their family history. The Forans are recognizable because of their links to the late state Sen. Walter Foran. A boulevard in New Jersey is named after the late lawmaker.

The radio station reached out to the other vaccine recipients in the list for comment, but most did not respond. (Related: Health freedom advocates file informed consent lawsuit to exempt all persons from mandatory vaccination.)

On Jan. 13, Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation invited donors to get in touch with it to help schedule a vaccine appointment as soon as they become eligible. It informed donors to call Director of Major Gifts Steve Lapicki to facilitate appointments. The letter emphasized that vaccine eligibility and schedules need to follow strict guidelines set by the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the timeline for an individual to receive the vaccine may be complicated, the foundation is here to help you. This does not mean you will receive the vaccine prior to the category under which you fall. Rather, [this means] that we will assist you in navigating a process that is rapidly-changing and can sometimes be complex, the letter said.

Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation Senior Vice President Phil Beekman emphasized in a Jan. 26 interview that donors did not receive preferential treatment in registering for doses. It cannot be more important for us to follow the state guidelines, he said.

Visit Biased.news to read more about preferential treatment in mass immunization programs for COVID-19.

Sources include:

Philadelphia.CBSLocal.com

NJ1015.com
Albany

The conversion of the "Nipper" building in Albany's warehouse district to apartments would be the first of a four-phase, $70 million development that would include more than 150 additional apartments in newly constructed buildings, plus retail space and at least two levels of indoor parking, one of the developers said Friday.

Bill Barber, who with business partner Dr. David Kwiat, an Amsterdam eye surgeon, said they envision the warehouse district becoming a mixed-use, walkable community, with restaurants, retail and apartments.

"There's a lot of buzz in that area, a lot of potential," Barber said Friday.

They're already planning to work on their first building in the neighborhood, at 960 Broadway, which will have 24 residential units and 4,000 to 5,000 square feet of commercial space, ideally a restaurant.

A doorman, rooftop lounge and a lobby not unlike those found in New York City apartment buildings also are part of the plans.

Barber and Kwiat, as AB Acquisitions Holdings LLC, have an agreement to purchase the Nipper property from Arnoff Moving & Storage, pending approvals for the project from the city.

Barber said the deal came together thanks to Rudy Lynch with Carrow Real Estate, the listing agent.

The building was put on the market nearly two years ago for $3.97 million.

Nipper is the oversize RCA mascot that was installed on top of the warehouse at 991 Broadway in 1958, when it was occupied by RTA Distributors.

Because Barber plans to seek historic preservation tax credits, the exterior of the Nipper building will need to remain as it is.

Barber hopes to get the Nipper conversion, a $15 million project, under way in the next three to four months. Albany planners will review the project at their next meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the ACDA Community Room at 200 Henry Johnson Blvd.

The second phase would include about 100 apartments and two levels of indoor parking, plus 10,000 to 15,000 square feet of retail, possibly including a grocery, in a newly constructed building next to the Nipper building.

The third phase would add another 50 to 60 apartments in another newly constructed building.

And the fourth and final phase, Barber said, is still being planned.

He estimated the overall project cost at $50 million to $70 million.

eanderson@timesunion.com  518-454-5323
Sunday, January 31, 2021

Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest, Anahid Nersessian. Anahid received her Ph.D. from theUniversity of Chicago, and has taught at Columbia University andUCLA.

Her first book, Utopia,Limited: Romanticism and Adjustment was published by HarvardUniversity Press in 2015, and her second book, The Calamity Form:On Poetry and Social Life, by the University of Chicago in 2020.

She has recentlypublished, KEATSS ODES: A LOVERS DISCOURSE (Universityof Chicago Press).

Good day Anahid andthanks for participating in our interview.

Norm: There will bemuch written about Keatss life and legacy on the 200th anniversaryof his death. How does your lived experience as an American woman ofIranian and Armenian descent complicate your understanding of thiscanonical poet?





Anahid:I had a very privileged upbringing in New York City, one ofthe most diverse places in the world, and yet, because of mybackground, I was constantly being told that the literature I loveddidnt belong to methat I needed to be British or European, andpreferably male, to be able to read and understand a poet like Keats.

Many years later, as anacademic, I still hear that message: people dont expect someonewith a name like mine to have things to say about poems written twohundred years ago by white men. KEATS ODES grew outof my experience of being an outsider to the English literarycanonwhich, it turns out, Keats also was.

His family was workingclass, he didnt attend university, and, as his critics never tiredof pointing out, he couldnt read Greek. Keats and I have a certainkinship that way, but its lopsided; his poetry will always knowless about me than I know about it. The book doesnt try toovercome that dynamic, but uses it to see Keats in a new, morecontemporary light, in a way that makes him accessible to people,like me, whove been told they wont get it or shouldnt wantto.

Norm: You write, "WhenI say this book is a love story, I mean it is about things thatcannot be gotten overlike this world, and some of the people init. Can you speak to this sentiment?



Anahid: Besides hispoetry, Keats is famous for two things: dying young, and his loveaffair with a woman named Fanny Brawne. After he died, Brawne saidshe would never get over him, and by all accounts she never did.

In the book, Keats becomesa symbol for the kinds of things that are impossible to get over andthat, in some cases, we shouldnt get over, like social injustice.Keats was well aware that the economic and political systems we liveunder make it very difficult to be a human being. He believed that apoet was someone who, by definition, just could not get over thatwhocouldnt forget for a moment how much suffering there is in theworld and how much of it is unnecessary.

The poet, in other words,loves humanity so much that he finds its present state of existencetotally intolerable. Im not a poet but I agree: our lives shouldbe a lot better than they are. On a much smaller scale, weve alllost people we cant stop loving. The book is about that, too.

Norm: The book makesclear that Keats is more than just an object of scholarship for you.You've had a lifelong personal conversation with him about poetry andpain, activism and revolution, love and the sublime. At what pointdid you realize that Keats resonated so strongly with you, and how doyou anticipate he'll resonate with readers in the future?



Anahid: It was love atfirst read. I stumbled across Keatss letters to Fanny Brawne whenI was about eleven years old, and even though they were way too sexyand emotionally intense for me to really understand, I felt animmediate connection to this person whose voice was so lively, sopresent, so warm and also so funny and self-critical.

At this point Ive spentso much time reading and thinking about Keats that hes a part ofwho I am, and not separate from the other things I give my energy andattention to, whether thats being a literary critic or politicalactivism. Poetry, and poets, really can change your life, but rarelyin a direct way; Marx loved Shakespeare, but reading Shakespearewont turn you into a revolutionary.

I think people will alwaysbe drawn to works of art that believe in the value of human life, andthat are passionately opposed to anything that makes life feel likeits not worth living. Keats is one poet among many who reminds ushow much more we deserve from the time we have. As long as we wantmore, Keats will be right there with us.

Norm: It's alwayssurprising to hear that giants of history or the arts died so young. Keats lived only into his mid-20s. How does this affect yourunderstanding of his work?



Anahid: One of the mostimpressive things about Keats is that his poetry got so good so fast.He started writing when he was about nineteen, and a lot of his earlystuff is pretty terrible. When he died six years later, he hadwritten not one, not two, but a solid handful of the most famouspoems in the English language, with linesA thing of beauty is ajoy forever or Beauty is truth, truth beautythat millionsof people have heard somewhere even if theyve never read them.

The explanation, besidesraw talent, is that he worked extremely hard at being a poet. As ifhe knew his days were limited, he wrote all the time, from shortlittle songs to 4,000-line epics, and he was always upping the ante,trying to make each poem better than the last one and being carefulnever to repeat himself or fall into old habits. Of course, if he hadlived longer, his poetry could have gotten really bad again! Maybe heonly had ten or so great poems in himwhich is a lot more than mostpeople.

Norm: What rolecan/should poetry play in times like the present, brimming with fearand trauma and an utterly debased political world?



Anahid:I dont think anyone can say, with a straight face, that a poemcan change the world. Nonetheless, poetry has always been a vitalpart of social movements. Its a very special kind of languagethat, because it tends to be highly compressedboth emotionally andrhetoricallycan pack a very strong punch into very few words.

Sometimes those words arestraight-up slogans: think of Percy Bysshe Shelleys famous lines,We are many, they are few, which have been popping up atprotests all over the world since the nineteenth century. But moreoften, I think, they function as reminders of the fact that werenot the first people to object to this form of life, that thetradition of resistance is very old and very powerful, and that hopeis very powerful too.

Audre Lorde wrote thatthrough poetry we give name to those ideas which areuntil thepoemnameless and formless, about to be birthed, but already felt.If a poem can help us give shape to our desire for a more free, morejust, and less grotesque form of existence, its done a good thing.

Norm: How does yourscholarship of Keats and the Romantic poets color your view of modernpoets? What are you most excited about in contemporary poetry?



Anahid:What I respond to in the Romantics is what I respond to in anypoem: I want something original, provocative, passionate, and notafraid to put itself in a compromising or difficult position. Keatsis a great poet, but he can also be messy and a little embarrassing,and Im excited by poetry that has that same kind of fearlessness.

Of course, Im partialto work that has a strong political perspective. When TongoEisen-Martin says, My dear, if it is not a city, it is aprison./If it has a prison, it is a prison. Not a city, thatshould stop you in your tracks. The same goes for the poetry of SeanBonney or Raquel Salas Rivera.

Some people might say thispoetry couldnt be further from Keats, and maybe thats trueitsnot as if we should read contemporary poets because they remind us ofwhite men whove been dead for centuries. The point is, does thepoem make the world feel impossible in new ways? Does it force you toabandon an idea you had before, and challenge you to bring a new oneinto being? Thats what counts, ultimately.

Norm: Thanks once againand good luck with all of your future endeavors
Union minister of state for commerce Som Parkash, who is the sole representative of Punjab in the central cabinet, on Saturday told the Hindustan Times in an interview that "radical elements and pressure" were why the farmer union leaders backtracked after the government put its offer to stay the agri reforms amid protests.

Parkash was part of three-member ministerial team that held 11 rounds of negotiations with farmers in the past two months. The Hoshiarpur MP said that at the last rounds of talks, the Centre had offered to suspend the laws for one-and-a-half years and constitute a committee with representatives of farmers to deliberate on the laws before their implementation.

According to him, that was the best offer the government could make, adding that the laws were enacted in the interest of farmers. "But the message that the farm unions conveyed was that these are against the farmers. Unfortunately, they succeeded in that and it became a movement," he said.

ALSO READ | R-Day Violence: Delhi Police Files Sedition Case Against Shashi Tharoor, 6 Scribes Over Tweets on Farmer's Death

Parkash said the propaganda was that farmers land would be snatched by corporates, arguing that the laws had "nothing like that" but was all for "the farmers welfare by opening additional mandis and modernising cultivation techniques".

He pointed out the government agreed to amend the provisions about unions had raised their concern against, and that all was put on the table after talks. "In the meetings, they agreed to certain proposals and promised to revert the next day. But when they went back, they came under pressure from people with radical views," he told the Hindustan Times, adding that such people "scared" the union leaders and "forced them to backtrack and demand the repeal of laws". He said the radical elements were now being identified.

Repeal of Laws

Parkash said nothing could be a better option that the government offering to suspend the laws for 18 months, adding that farm unions should not "be so obstinate" and find a way out of the things offered in last talks and come forward to convene with the government. "If they are sticking to this (demand for repeal), they may have a different agenda on their mind," he said, adding that he could not say what the "different agenda" could be when the government was willing to amend and suspend.

Asked whether the repeal was entirely off the table, Parkash said that this was what was Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had conveyed in the last talks. He said demanding the repeal was rubbish, and that laws were there for the entire country and not just two or three states.

ALSO READ | Haryana Govt Extends Suspension of Mobile Internet in 17 Districts Till Sunday

He said only Tomar could tell whether the Centre would invite the farm unions for further negotations, adding that the last offer was "the best the government could offer".

He said the talks were deadlocked for now. "If the unions come forward with any proposal based on our last offer, the government can discuss that. Political parties which have been supporting these reforms want to derive political benefit out of this situation," he said.

FIRs Post R-day Violence

He said storming of Red Fort by "unruly farmers" had been condemned by all, and that farm unions violated their pact with Delhi Police. He said there could be no compromise with the countrys interests and that of the state, adding that unions needed to understand their responsibility. "Agitation doesnt mean gathering crowds by raising emotional slogans and falsehoods. Handling them is also their responsibility," Parkash said.

ALSO READ | R-Day Violence: Delhi Police Receive 1,700 Video Clips & CCTV Footage, Examine Dump Data of Phone Calls

Opposition by the Opposition

Being a representative of Punjab in the central cabinet, Parkash said he had been espousing the state's interests in the Centre.

He said all the parties which were now opposing the laws had previously been votaries of the farm reforms in the past. "They were part of the Congress manifesto. Manmohan Singh, as Prime Minister of the UPA government, had supported these reforms in Parliament. The Shiromani Akali Dal spoke in favour of the reforms for two or three months after our government brought an ordinance last year. Even Parkash Singh Badal publicly endorsed it. Where are the moral values of these political parties?," he told HT.
BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's first nuclear power unit using Hualong One, a domestically designed third-generation reactor, entered commercial operations, paving the way for mass construction and export.

The No. 5 unit in the city of Fuqing in east China's Fujian Province began generating electricity for sale after a seven-day trial run, said the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) on Saturday.

"With Hualong One online, China is now at the forefront of third-generation nuclear technology in the world, alongside countries like the United States, France and Russia," said CNNC Chairman Yu Jianfeng.

Commercial use of the reactor would help optimize China's energy structure in favor of low-carbon development, said Yu.

SAFETY FIRST

Safety is usually a massive concern for nuclear plants, only sharpened by Japan's 2011 Fukushima disaster. The Hualong One reactor has a design life of 60 years and meets the strictest safety standards in the world.

The reactor is complete with a combination of active and passive safety systems, double containment structure, as well as resistance against damage by the equivalent of a 9-magnitude earthquake, said Ye Qizhen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The passive safety system, which relies on natural forces like gravity, provides an extra safety net for the reactor when all power supplies shut down in emergencies, said Ye. The double containment structure can defend aircraft impact from outside and seal radioactive substances inside, he added.

Hualong One units can avoid nuclear leakages and quickly restart operations, even in the extreme Fukushima circumstances where an earthquake coupled with a tsunami, said Yu.

Staff members work at the control room of the No. 5 nuclear power unit in the city of Fuqing, southeast China's Fujian Province, Jan. 30, 2021. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Hualong One's refined safety mechanisms call for delicate day-to-day maintenance. Protocols for safety tests at Mao Yuankai's department of the No. 5 unit amount to around 500 booklets, up from roughly 400 for Fuqing's previous units.

Mao, 36, is one of the 44 control room operators at the No. 5 unit. Rotating three eight-hour shifts every day, they are the constant guardians against even the tiniest chance of jeopardy.

Clad in dark navy uniforms, Mao heads a team of six in the control room above the reactor, gazing into a few dozen semi-circle screens showing the unit's status. To defuse safety risks in daily operations, they are familiar with about 5,000 booklets of protocols and thousands of different alarms.

"I need to keep studying for as long as I live to handle possible emergencies better," said Mao.

HOMEGROWN TECH

Boasting 716 national patents and 65 international ones, over 200 overseas trademarks, and 125 software copyrights, Hualong One is China's homegrown model of the safer and more efficient third-generation reactor.

Hualong One's reactor core contains 177 fuel assemblies. The idea, first conceived in the late 1990s, remains the reactor's signature innovation.

The design can increase the unit's power by 5 percent to 10 percent while making it safer, said Liu Changwen, one of Hualong One's designers.

Hualong One also extended the refueling interval to 18 months, making it more cost-effective, according to Wu Lin, former vice president of the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC).

Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2021 shows the No. 5 nuclear power unit in the city of Fuqing, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

To ensure all core components were produced domestically, 17 universities and research institutions, as well as 58 state-owned enterprises and over 140 private firms across China participated in Hualong One's development. The number of suppliers for the No. 5 unit topped 5,300 nationwide.

The steam generator, for example, is among the 411 core components domesticated for Hualong One. While they were mostly imported from countries like France and the United States before 2007, China's first patented model was created within 27 months by a team led by NPIC experts. It works as well as those in other third-generation power plants worldwide, if not better, said Wu.

Domestic steam generators have been adopted in Fuqing's No. 5 and No. 6 units, as well as the two Hualong One units under construction in Pakistan. A total of 12 are installed and another 12 are in the making.

Self-reliant core-component production will nurture China's high-tech manufacturing industry and make Hualong One reactors less prone to export restrictions, said Wu.

NUCLEAR FUTURE

Nuclear power is considered a clean energy source, promoted for global low-carbon development. Could Hualong One's step forward in commercial operations mean a step forward for China and the world in nuclear energy?

According to the CNNC, mass construction of the Hualong One reactor is in motion in China. In September 2020, China approved two new projects in Hainan and Zhejiang Provinces using Hualong One technology.

Hualong One reactor exports are supported by its comprehensive and self-reliant product standards that cover the reactor's full life cycle, said the CNNC.

With the largest nuclear power market globally, China is capable of providing services throughout the nuclear industry chain, said Yu.

"On the back of the commercial use and mass construction of Hualong One, China's nuclear industry will take up a larger share in the global market," said Yu.

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 30, 2021 shows a view of Fujian Fuqing Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), in Fuqing, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

China vowed to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Experts say that the goals call for much more reliance on low-carbon alternatives like nuclear power.

Nuclear power can potentially take up as much as 20 percent of the country's energy structure, said Yu.

China had 49 working nuclear reactor units at the end of 2020. Nuclear power plants generated 366.24 billion kWh of electricity last year, accounting for 4.94 percent of the total power output, data from the China Nuclear Energy Association showed.

The No. 5 unit will likely generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity each year, potentially reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 8.16 million tonnes in annual terms, according to CNNC data.
Wuhan, China, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jan, 2021 ) :A team of WHO experts investigating the origins of Covid-19 visited a market in Wuhan on Sunday where one of the first reported clusters of infections emerged over a year ago.

Members of the group arrived at Huanan seafood market -- which has been sealed since January last year -- driving into its barricaded premises as guards quickly blocked others from entering, AFP journalists said.
MOGADISHU: A suspected suicide car bomb exploded near a checkpoint in Somalias capital Mogadishu on Sunday, witnesses said, followed by gunfire around a nearby hotel.

Police said there were casualties but numbers were unknown.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the militant Islamist group al Shabaab frequently carries out bombings in its war on Somalias government, which is backed by the United Nations and African Union (AU) peacekeeping troops.

A speeding car exploded near the hotel and checkpoint. The blast shook us and heavy gunfire followed," shopkeeper Ali Abdulahi told Reuters of the incident in the busy Kilometre 4 area of the coastal city.

I suspect the militants entered Hotel Afrik. That is where the exchange of gunfire is now taking place."

A Reuters journalist saw security forces besiege the area, where cars are inspected en route to the airport and where politicians regularly gather at the hotel.

Police spokesman Sadik Ali said many people had been rescued from the Hotel Afrik. There must be casualties because the militants first started the attack with a suicide car bomb against the wall," he told Reuters.

The operation still goes on, casualties will be known later."

Al Shabaab is allied with al Qaeda and wants to rule Somalia according to its interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

There was no immediate word from Somali officials or the AU mission.

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
VIX and Defensive Sectors React To Perceived Stock Market Trend Weakness

Since early November 2020, the VIX has continued to decline and consolidate near the 22 level. Late in December 2020 and beyond, the VIX started setting up series-high price spikes  which indicates a flagging downside pattern is setting up. You can see this setup across the recent VIX highs drawn in MAGENTA on the chart below. Additionally, the VIX has stepped higher  moving from lows near 19.50 to higher lows near 21.00. This upward stepping base is indicative of a shift in volatility.

VIX Sets Up Pennant/Flag Pattern

My research team and I interpret this data as a sign that trend weakness is starting to build after the strong rally that initiated in early November 2020. Although we have not seen any clear sign that the markets are about to reverse or decline, this move in the VIX is suggesting that volatility is increasing. The high price breakout, yesterday, in the VIX suggests the MAGENTA flag setup is nearing an Apex/breakout point.

Sector Trends May Shift Suddenly

What continues to interest my team is the continued trend strength in certain sectors and the continued rally attempts in the hottest sectors. For example, electric vehicles, robotics, new innovation, and internet shares are making new all-time highs. This suggests that certain sectors may continue to buck the trend even if the US major indexes enter a period of sideways/downside trading.

Recently, the strongest major US sectors appear to be Discretionary, Industrials, Materials, Energy, and Financials. If we see Bonds, Utilities, and Precious Metals start to rally while some of these strongest sectors begin to weaken, we would start to become very cautious of any continued rally attempts in the near future. For example, if Energy, Financials, and Transportation start to decline, then we may be starting a shift in how the markets expect this bullish trend to continue.

Be sure to sign up for my FREE webinar that will teach you how to find and trade my BEST ASSET NOW strategy on your own!

Right now, we are seeing the VIX setup a Pennant/Flag formation that appears to be nearing an Apex. Once the Apex is reached, well watch to see how the VIX reacts to any perceived market weakness. Our 2021 Market Predictions research article suggested we may see increased volatility in February/March 2021.

TLT/Bonds Starting To See Some Support

The following TLT (Ishares Treasury/Bonds) ETF Weekly chart highlights the extended downtrend that has taken place since August 2020 (the peak in Gold/Silver). Recent support, although very subtle right now, may be indicative of a pending upside breakout in TLT as we see the VIX chart nearing the Apex of the Flag pattern. My researchers believe early February may see a spike in volatility and prompt certain defensive sectors/symbols to react as a hedge against risks.

Throughout this process, if it takes place, watch for Gold and Silver to decline moderately if the markets suddenly roll-over and start to decline. Precious metals often do not react as a hedge against risks right away. Normally, precious metals decline a bit, as traders suddenly react to the breakdown in trend, then find support and mount an impressive upside price rally. Take a look at the February/March 2020 COVID-19 decline in precious metals to get a better idea of what to expect.

My team and I are watching TLT to see if and when this downward sloping price channel is broken and if the VIX suddenly spikes in alignment with this breakout. If this happens, we may be setting up for a shift in the major markets where weakness drives a moderate downside price trend. 2021 is likely to setup a number of big trends, so there are still ample opportunities for big sector trends and big profits.

Dont miss the opportunities in the broad market sectors over the next 6+ months. Staying ahead of these sector trends is going to be key to developing continued success in these markets. As some sectors fail, others will begin to trend higher. Learn how my Best Asset Now strategy can help you spot and trade only those sectors that show the greatest relative strength and upward momentum. My BAN strategy has been developed to trade in any bullish or bearish major trend so we can always take advantage of a trend regardless of direction.

We like to share successful trading processes, strategies, and techniques using real trading examples and hope this helps you better understand how to develop efficient trading strategies/rules for your own use. If you want to learn more about my BAN Trader Pro newsletter service, including how to get access to my members only daily pre-market video analysis, BAN Hotlist updates, and BAN trade alerts then visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com/BAN.

Happy Trading!

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

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Hunter Biden has been laying low in a lavish Los Angeles home and working on art for his upcoming gallery show since his father's inauguration.

The 50-year-old son of President Joe Biden has been traveling back and forth between Washington, DC, and a 2,000-square-foot Hollywood Hills home in California, while consulting with lawyers and creating his artwork, according to the New York Post.

Hunter is said to be in the midst of preparing to show his work with NYC art dealer Georges Berges, who opened his Soho gallery, George Berges Gallery, in 2015.

Hunter Biden is pictured in February 2020, alongside his artwork, in his art studio at the $12,000-per-month Hollywood Hills rental he's been living in with his wife and child

Hunter Biden (left, with father President Biden in 2019) has been traveling back and forth from Washington, DC, and the Hollywood Hills home

Biden has been living in this $3.8million Hollywood Hills home since January 2020

Berges' roster of artists includes Sylvester Stallone and Bahraini royal family member, Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa.

The gallery owner was accused of defrauding an investor in 2016 and settled the case in 2018.

In 1998, he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and making 'terrorist threats' in California, serving 90 days in jail and receiving a 36 month probation.

Hunter is reported to be gearing up to show his work at a NYC gallery owned by Georges Berges (pictured)

It's unclear who was the supposed victim of the threats and assault.

Berges also has strong ties to China, according to the New York Post, which noted that he regularly exhibited works by Chinese artists and once said he was eager to open up galleries in Beijing and Shanghai.

Hunter has been living in the Hollywood Hills home with his wife, Melissa Cohen, and their son since January 2020.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home - worth $3.8million - is reported to be connected with Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and real estate investor, Shane Khoh.

Khoh is the CEO of SXU Investment Holdings LLC, which has owned the property since 2011, and sits on the board of Singapore-based real estate holding company Siong Heng Realty Pte Ltd., according to public records and his LinkedIn profile obtained by the New York Post.

In a January 2020 interview with the Washington Examiner, Kohn said that Biden was paying $12,000 a month to rent the home, but denied having any prior relationship with either Hunter or his wife before they rented it.

'I dont know them at all. I put it out on the market, and they rented it,' Khoh said at the time.

Hunter is pictured with wife Melissa Cohen (in red) and their child on January 20. The family has been living in the Hollywood Hills home since January 2020

Hunter is pictured on his father's inauguration day, hugging President Biden and stepmom, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Hunter said

The Hollywood Hills home (pictured) Hunter is living in is reported to be connected with Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and real estate investor, Shane Khoh

Khoh is the CEO of SXU Investment Holdings LLC and sits on the board of Singapore-based real estate holding company Siong Heng Realty Pte Ltd. The Hollywood Hills home is shown

When asked about renting the home to Hunter this week, however, Khoh told the New York Post that he had 'nothing to say about Hunter Biden. I have no comment.'

The home was featured prominently in a New York Times profile of Hunter in February 2020, when he discussed his new foray into art.

Hunter had transformed a pool house on the property into an art studio, where he created abstract artwork described as being 'psychedelic florals and ethereal patterns.'

His medium was alcohol ink and Japanese Yupo paper.

Hunter, who doesn't have formal art training, but had been sketching since childhood, said at the time that painting was 'literally keeping me sane' and that it hadn't been an impulsive decision to become an artist.

Hunter has had trouble with crack and alcohol addiction and is being probed for several deals he made abroad, including deals made in China.

'For years I wouldnt call myself an artist. Now I feel comfortable saying it,' he told the New York Times.

Art critic Anthony Haden-Guest told the New York Post that Biden's work 'was pretty interesting stuff. Hes got talent.'

Hunter turned a pool house on the property into his art studio when he moved in. The home's swimming pool is pictured

Khoh said that he didn't know Hunter or his wife prior to their renting the home (pictured). He said that he had just put it on the market and they rented it from him

Hunter's Skaneateles LLC lists the Hollywood Hills home (pictured) as one of its addresses

Although Hunter has gotten rid of several of his old business interests, he does still have control of an LLC that has a 10 per cent stake in BHR Partners, a Chinese private-equity firm that reportedly has $2billion in assets and is partly owned by the Bank of China.

The stake is owned by Skaneateles LLC, a company named after Hunter's mother's upstate New York hometown. The Hollywood Hills home Hunter is living in is listed as one of the LLC's addresses.

Hunter's mother - Neilia Hunter Biden - died in a 1972 car crash in Delaware that also killed his one-year-old sister Naomi. Then toddlers Hunter and older brother Beau were injured in the accident.

National Legal Policy Center director Thomas Anderson told the New York Post that 'Hunter Bidens tangled web of shell companies, LLCs, investment vehicles, and options agreements make it virtually impossible to know where he is getting income from.'

Anderson added that if Hunter were to sell his art to wealthy investors, it could be a way to make a lot of cash.

'We highly doubt, however, a career as an artist will do anything more than act as a vehicle to further shield where that income is coming from,' Anderson said.

It's unclear when Hunter's art might go on display at Berges' gallery. It's been reported that is show will occur later this year, but there is no listing for it on the gallery's website and a gallery worker told the New York Post that they were unaware of an upcoming exhibition of his work.

Neither Berges or Biden's lawyer, George Mesires, have commented about the report.
Welcome Back signage is seen at Sydney domestic airport on July 2, 2020. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

More Australian States Ease COVID-19 Border Restrictions

Queensland and Western Australia will further ease border restrictions for visitors from Monday, according to updates from decisions made on Sunday morning.

Over the Christmas period, Australias states and territories reintroduced various travel restrictions in response to a CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak in the suburbs of Sydneys Northern Beaches, followed by, in Brisbane, a hotel cleaner contracting the highly infectious UK variant of the CCP virus, also known as coronavirus.

Below are the latest rules for each jurisdiction as of 2 p.m. Sunday, although things may change depending on how states and territories react to the new CCP virus case detected in Perth on Sunday afternoon that has triggered a snap five-day lockdown for metropolitan Perth and two neighbouring regions.

Western Australias Premier Mark McGowan says a man in his 20s returned a positive test for the highly contagious UK variant overnight after working at the Sheraton Four Points state quarantine facility in Perths CBD.

I have recommended [other states and territories] put a stop to any travel from WA as an extra precautionary measure, McGowan told reporters during an emergency press briefing.

Queensland

From 1 a.m. on Feb. 1, NSW travellers will be free to enter Queensland without having to quarantine. No other regions across the country have been declared as hotspots.

This comes a year after the Queensland government first implemented a hard border in its COVID-19 response. It was the first state to do so, a decision not encouraged by national cabinet.

Western Australia

The WA government from 12.01 a.m. on Monday will allow Queenslanders to enter without having to quarantine. On Feb. 5, Victorians will also be granted quarantine-free access.

However, WA still classifies NSW as low risk and travellers from the state will have to quarantine for 14 days.

All travellers must install the states G2G contact tracing app upon entry.

Australia Day celebrations at Gordons Bay, Sydney, NSW, Australia on Jan. 26, 2021. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

Victoria

The Victorian governments traffic light permit system remains in place for all arrivals.

Sydneys Cumberland area is the only orange zone in the country, while all others are green.

If granted access to the state, visitors must get tested within 72 hours and not leave self-isolation until their results come back negative.

Southern Australia

Travellers from Greater Sydney may now enter the Festival State but must get tested within 24 hours of arriving and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. They must also undergo repeat tests on days five and 12.

This ruling applies to anyone who has been in Greater Sydney since Jan. 17.

SA police also require everyone to complete a cross border registration form seven days prior to entering the state.

Northern Territory

Similar to SA, visitors to the Northern Territory will require a permit to enter.

The territory still lists nine Sydney Local Government Areas as hotspots. Anyone travellers from those areas must go into mandatory quarantine for 14 days, according to the last government update on Jan. 12.

Tasmania

Within three days of arrival, visitors must register for the states e-Travel permit. All Australia is now deemed by the state as low risk, meaning that quarantine is not required.

Australia Capital Territory

The ACT has no border restrictions after declassifying Sydneys Cumberland region as a hotspot on Friday.

New South Wales

There are no limits for interstate travellers arriving to NSW.

The state has had two weeks of no locally acquired CCP virus cases. Meanwhile, Queensland has recorded a period of 17 days without new locally transmitted cases.

According to the states data, NSWs latest COVID-19 death occurred on Dec. 28. The male victim in his 70s had shaken off the virus after being infected nine months ago. But doctors said his cause of death was respiratory complications related to his earlier COVID-19 infection.

Except for travellers from New Zealand, Australia has limited international travel both to and from Australia for almost a year, with no end to the travel caps in sight just yet.

Australias Department of Health Secretary Brenden Murphy has said that international travel may not return to normal until next year.

The Morrison government reinstated a travel bubble arrangement with New Zealand on Sunday after pausing travel for most of this week after authorities in Auckland recorded a case of community transmission of the South African COVID-19 strain.

AAP contributed to this report.
The Global Supply Chain Finance Forum (GSCFF) has announced plans to update its Standard Definitions for Techniques of Supply Chain Finance (Standard Definitions) to provide further clarity on the distinctions between the individual techniques.

The forum comprising BAFT (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade ), FCI (previously known as Factors Chain International), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) and the Euro Banking Association (EBA).

Alongside the existing Receivables Purchase and retitled Loan sub-categories, a newly created Advanced Payable sub-category now includes three techniques: Corporate Payment Undertaking (CPU), Dynamic Discounting (DD) and Bank Payment Undertaking (BPU), said a statement.

This update highlights and confirms the quality of the original content  first published four years ago  and the need to be agile in a dynamic field such as supply chain finance. Thus, it is intended to reflect an up-to-date view of current market practices within supply chain finance, in particular by establishing greater clarity between the Payables Finance technique under the Receivables Purchase category and the CPU technique.

CPU is a buyer-led programme within which sellers in the buyer's supply chain can, at their option, access liquidity by requesting a discounted early payment. However, unlike a Payables Finance scenario, the finance provider does not purchase the underlying receivable from the seller, but rather, fully relies on the buyers irrevocable payment undertaking.

Christian Hausherr, Chair of the GSCFF, and European Product Head of Payables Finance, Trade Finance & Supply Chain Finance at Deutsche Bank, says: At the time of publication, the Standard Definitions were deemed to be complete and widespread acceptance of the terminology confirms their benefit for the wider industry. Today, the GSCFF aims to bring further clarity to the techniques, with new description of CPU, DD and BPU. Adapting to current business practices, these updates will continue to encourage greater adoption of the Standard Definitions by market participants.

The first description document on CPU has also been released last week, with subsequent documents on DD and BPU expected over the coming months. Each description document will provide an overview of the techniques definition, involved parties, distinctive features and variations, relevant risks and benefits, among other technicalities. Once the series has been published, a final updated version of the master Standard Definitions document will be made publicly available. - TradeArabia News Service
A man in his 60s who was attacked and robbed at his rural home with a bat and a board with nails hammered into it is due to undergo surgery on his serious injuries.

The incident happened outside Monasterevin in Co Kildare yesterday evening.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses in relation to the aggravated burglary that occurred at the isolated house in the Duneany area of Monasterevin.

Two men entered the house and assaulted the owner, a man aged in his 60s.

He received serious injuries as a result of the assault and was first taken to Naas General Hospital to receive treatment.

But it is understood he was later due to be brought to a Dublin hospital for surgery.

Gardai say a number of items were taken from the house during the incident.

Gardai believe the suspects fled the scene in a car.

Gardai are appealing to anyone who was in the Duneany and Kildangan areas of Monasterevin, Co. Kildare yesterday evening between the hours of 5pm and 9pm to contact them, a garda statement said.

Gardai are also appealing to the wider community of Monasterevin who may have noticed any unusual activity in the area to contact them, it added.

Anyone with any information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Kildare Garda Station on 045 527730, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Investigations are ongoing.




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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on Glove Box Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Glove Box Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the basis of regional implications and the world. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of international Glove Box Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the Glove Box Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of X.X% which is expected to reach US$ X.X Mn in 2027.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

The Glove Box is a fringed section where the items can be loaded and unloaded with the help of a side box and it is controlled by the globes. The box consists of thick and durable acrylic shell to provide excellent resistance to chemicals and abrasion. The market is growing rapidly worldwide due to increase in R&D investments across the industries and the increasing awareness in public regarding laboratory safety. The high price of globe boxes is acting as a restraint in the demand for the product. However, the companies are working for innovative technologies in Lithium-Ion battery which can influence the growth of globe box market, positively. The globe box should have a moisture free inner atmosphere maintained as it is the primary requisite for Lithium-Ion battery assembly unit. The operator can regulate the pressure inside the globe box by an automatic pressure controller. Hence, the developments in Lithium-Ion battery technology will serve as an opportunity. The market value of globe box market was US$ 152 Mn in 2017 and it is expected to reach US$ 193 Mn by 2023. With the CAGR estimation of X.X%, the research report provides a detailed overview of the industry, classifications and application in Glove Box Market. In the report, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Europe are the major regions taken into consideration for the geographical analysis for micro and macro environment. This report also states import & export consumption, demand & supply figures, price, cost, revenue and gross margins.

Request for Report Sample: https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=125

Segment Covered

This market intelligence report on the Glove Box Market has been segmented by Glove Box types; its segmentation based upon application; the key manufacturers; growing market size & region-wise market. In terms of the Glove Box types, Glove Box Market has been divided into Stainless Steel Globe Box, Plastic Globe Box, Aluminium Globe Box and Others. On the basis of the application, Glove Box Market has been classified into Defence Industry, Electronic/ Lithium Battery, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, and Others. By major regions, the report is classified into North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Europe. Europe had the largest market share of the global globe box market in 2017 and it is expected to retain the same position by 2023. Based upon the investment in the R&D sector by the emerging markets of India and China, Asia Pacific would be the fastest expanding market for the forecast period in globe box market.

Profiling of Market Players:

There are many multinational companies are investing in the growing market of Glove Box. Most of the companies are focusing on the large chunk of potential consumers in Europe and Asia Pacific. The key players observed in the study are  Globe Box Technology, Inert Technology, Coy Laboratory Products, Laminar Flow Inc., Vacuum Atmosphere Co., LC Technology Solutions Inc., Mbraun GmBH, Terra Universal, Germfree, NuAire, Plas Labs, T-M Vacuum Products, Banthrax, Vacuum Technology Inc., Marine & Plastics Inc., and Jacomex.

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 alsoprovided 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 2019-2027.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.

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Salient Features:

 This study offers a comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Glove Box Market, 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 of Glove Box 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 Globe Box Technology, Inert Technology, Coy Laboratory Products, Laminar Flow Inc., Vacuum Atmosphere Co., LC Technology Solutions Inc., Mbraun GmBH, Terra Universal, Germfree, NuAire, Plas Labs, T-M Vacuum Products, Banthrax, Vacuum Technology Inc., Marine & Plastics Inc., and Jacomex.

 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 Glove Box Market caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, product manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Glove Box 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

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v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events. Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects. Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/glove-box-market/125
WASHINGTON (AP)  A group of Senate Republicans called on President Joe Biden to meet them at the negotiating table as the newly elected president signaled he could move to pass a new $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package with all Democratic votes.

Ten Senate Republicans wrote Biden in a letter released Sunday that their smaller counterproposal will include $160 billion for vaccines, testing, treatment and personal protective equipment and will call for more targeted relief than Bidens plan to issue $1,400 stimulus checks for most Americans.

In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support, the Republican lawmakers wrote. Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support.

The call on Biden to give bipartisanship negotiations more time comes as the president has shown signs of impatience amid growing calls from the more liberal wing of his party to pass his $1.9 trillion legislation through budget reconciliation, a process that would allow him to move the massive bill with only the support of his Democratic majority.

Related: Joe Biden through the years

The Republican lawmakers did not reveal the overall cost of their proposal, though they said it would be smaller than the $1.9 trillion price tag of the Biden package.

My hope is that the president will meet with us and well be able to work out something that is bipartisan, said Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, one of the 10 GOP senators signing the letter.

Brian Deese, the top White House economic adviser who has been leading the administrations outreach to Congress, said administration officials were reviewing the letter. He did not immediately commit to Biden meeting with the lawmakers.

Deese signaled the White House could be open to negotiating with Republicans on their proposal on further limiting who would receive stimulus checks.

That is certainly a place that were willing to sit down and think about, are there ways to make the entire package more effective? Deese said.

Both Portman and Deese spoke on CNNs "State of the Union.
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Condor has been steadily working towards the construction stage at La India

Condor Gold ( ) ( ) has completed a ground investigation program of 23 geotechnical drill holes and 58 test pits on the tailings storage facility (TSF), water retention and attenuation reservoir and processing plant site at La India project, Nicaragua.

Condor is accelerating La India project from a pre-feasibility level of design to final engineering designs on key infrastructure, in preparation for construction.

The project is fully-permitted. The final TSF design will be fully compliant with internal and external legislation.

Chief executive Mark Child said the work demonstrated Condors commitment to to de-risk and advance La India Project to construction.

Condor's objective, subject to funding, is to fast track the La India Project to operational status.

A feasibility-level design on the TSF and water retention/attenuation reservoir is 64% completed and is due to be finalised in June 2021.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources requested final designs as a condition of granting the key environmental permit to develop, construct and operate a new mine at La India.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 15:29:57|Editor: huaxia

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GENEVA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Political leaders were united on the last day of the week-long virtual Davos Agenda meeting in their call for more collaboration and trust-building efforts between the United States and China, which they said will not only benefit the two countries but also the entire world.



Meanwhile, experts on international relations from multiple countries also highlighted the importance of U.S.-China relations and expected their ties to improve.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the U.S.-China relations the most important bilateral ties in the world, saying that it will be never too late to reset the tone of their interactions, particularly with the new administration in the United States.

Lee said it "is going to be a very big problem" for the Americans to see China "as a challenger, almost like a threat."

The new U.S. administration is an opportunity to steer the relationship towards safer waters, and amidst U.S. President Joe Biden's many urgent preoccupations, "the U.S.-China relationship should become a key strategic priority," he said, stressing the need for the two sides to find common ground and work together.

At an online session titled "U.S. Foreign Policy: The Outlook from Washington," politicians also discussed the damaging effects of COVID-19 on mounting geopolitical tensions, saying that the United States needs to reconsider its position towards China.

Kirsten E. Gillibrand, U.S. senator from New York, said that she is optimistic that the new U.S. administration will make progress in its relations with both Russia and China, adding that "we need far more engagement that is productive with both of those countries."

Fu Ying, vice-chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress of China, told the meeting on Friday that China has no intention of vying for world dominance but wants to cooperate and maintain peace.

There are elements of competition in the relationship with America, she said, describing the relationship as a combination of "cooperation and competition."

"The new Biden administration needs time to think about the ways it can cooperate with China and where it needs to avoid conflicts," she said, adding that how China and the United States define their relationship is important not just to both countries but to the world.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
After nearly a year in the Covid-19 pandemic, some officials are pushing for a return to in-person instruction for K-12 students.

In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said late Friday night that Chicago Public Schools are reopening for in-person learning, even though an agreement has not been reached with the Chicago Teachers Union.

"We still plan to welcome our pre-K and special needs students back to safe in-person learning on Monday," Lightfoot said. "We also plan ... to reopen in-person learning for our kindergarten through eighth-grade students on Monday as well. So, we expect those teachers to be there for their students."

"However, given the current status of negotiations, we owe it to our students and families to prepare for a scenario in which the CTU leadership continues to direct their members not to go back in schools for in-person instruction."

It's a problem the Philadelphia School District also faces: the district is now launching a plan to bring back 9,000 students in pre-K through 2nd grade starting February 22, Superintendent Dr. William Hite announced at a virtual news conference Wednesday. But it is still unclear if the teachers' union is on board with the plan.

Whether to remain online or return to the classroom has been a divisive issue for many districts. While some worry it is not safe to send teachers and students back to campus before the virus is under control, others say the impacts on the quality of education and stress on families are more pressing.

The US is still months away from vaccinating the majority of Americans against the virus, but doses are making their way into the public, and in some districts, the push to reopen public schools has been reignited.

"In most states, if not all states, teachers should be eligible for vaccination now," US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said to NBC's Savannah Guthrie on Today. Even if they can't get vaccinated yet, Walensky said "they should be early in the queue, and so they should be getting it soon."

Walensky said she is hopeful that with vaccinations and mitigation measures, schools can soon reopen, but others are calling for a quicker return.

Hard-line calls for reopening options

One father in Virginia called a county school board "a bunch of cowards" for not offering options to send students back to school.

"There are people like me and a line of other people out there who will gladly take your seat and figure it out!" Brandon Michon told the board.

"This is about finding ways to get our children back to school and giving the optionality to families to get them back to school learning, being mentally healthy, and being kids," he said in an interview with CNN.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynold signed a bill on Friday requiring school districts to provide families with options for full-time, in-person education.

Reynolds said in the fall, a "vast majority" of schools did offer full-time in-person learning. "Unfortunately, that option hasn't been available for every family," she said. "Many have struggled to balance working from home with helping their young children navigate online learning."

Study supports school safety

Some experts say the science points to schools being a safe place to send students if proper measures are taken.

Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC director under President Obama, said as long as masks are being used in schools, there's proper ventilation in buildings, social distancing as well as the elimination of teacher break rooms and extracurricular activities, he "wouldn't wait for teacher vaccination."

"Classrooms should stay open as long as possible, and reopen as soon as possible, in-person learning is enormously important," Frieden said during an Axios podcast interview on Friday.

A study of two US schools released Friday supports the argument that schools are not a major location for spread when the proper precautions are taken.

The study examined 3,500 students across schools that researchers said took the necessary precautions. With just 9% of the students who brought new infections to school infecting others, they wrote that there "was no evidence of student-to-teacher or teacher-to-student transmission in either school."

The majority of the cases were associated with noncompliance with mask rules as well as off-campus sources including siblings returning from college, off-campus activities, parties and gatherings, they wrote.

"Children do contract Covid-19 and can transmit it, but rates of illness when they are in school are lower than rates of illness when they are out of school, suggesting that children and communities may be at lower risk when children are in school," Dr. Darria Long of the University of Tennessee Department of Emergency Medicine, who worked on the study, said.

"This could be because mitigation measures in the controlled school environment (that are not possible when children are not in school) can significantly suppress transmission."

Rob Portman, a Republican senator, demanded his colleagues issue a 'strong response' to revelations of GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene calling school shootings a 'hoax' before she was elected to Congress.

'I think Republican leaders ought to stand up and say it is totally unacceptable what she has said,' the Ohio senator told CNN's Dana Bash on 'State of the Union' on Sunday morning.

'I saw a couple videos over the weekend and one had to do with violence as I see it. There is no place for violence in our political dialogue,' Portman continued. 'By the way there is no place for violence in our country. I mean, this is something we got to get away from. So yeah. I think people ought to speak out clearly.'

Greene is a highly controversial figure in the Republican Party, as she has been open about her beliefs in QAnon conspiracy theories in the past.

In the last week, her past social media posts have come up, revealing she pushed these theories more fervently than previously reported  including believing the Parkland and Sandy Hook school shootings were a 'hoax' among other outlandish, unproven claims.

Portman says he believes the party is looking at stripping the Georgia representative of her assignment to the House Education and Labor Committee, where she currently serves as a member.

'I assume that is something they're looking at and I wouldn't be surprised if that happen,' the Republican senator told CNN. 'And you know, I think that is the way to send a message.'

Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio said Sunday that his colleagues should 'stand up' and condemn QAnon-following Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene  including removing her from the House Education and Labor Committee

Recent revelations show Greene was a more outspoken support of QAnon conspiracies than previously reported  including her voicing agreement that the Parkland and Sandy Hook school shootings were a 'hoax'

He continued: 'The voters who elected her in her district in Georgia, you know, ought to be respected. On the other hand when that kind of behavior occurs there has to be a strong response.'

While many are speaking out against Greene, others are defending her right to voice her beliefs, no matter how 'out there' they may appear.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, said earlier on Sunday that he doesn't think Congress should call for Greene to resign just because she 'believes something a little bit different.'

'The people of her district elected her and that should mean a lot,' Hutchinson told ABC's 'This Week' host Martha Raddatz, adding that Greene's constituents would decide if she should serve another term or not.

'She's going to run for reelection and she'll be accountable for what she said and her actions,' he continued.

Greene, who represents rural Georgia's 14th congressional district, believes in several QAnon conspiracy theories.

'Given her history is she fit to serve?' Raddatz pushed Hutchinson.

'I'm not going to answer that question as to whether she's fit to serve because she believes in something that everybody else does not accept,' the Arkansas governor dodged.

'I don't think we ought to punish people from a disciplinary standpoint  a Party standpoint  because they believe something a little bit different.'

Republican Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said the Party shouldn't punish Greene. 'I don't think we ought to punish people from a disciplinary standpoint  a Party standpoint  because they believe something a little bit different,' he said on Sunday

Greene has faced a slew of backlash this week after past social media posts revealed her deep beliefs in some QAnon conspiracies. While Hutchinson defended her, he also said 'I would not vote for her'

Raddatz also asked Hutchinson if Greene's conspiracies related to school shootings being staged should motivate Republicans to remove her from the House Education and Labor Committee.

'I would not vote for her,' Hutchinson said, claiming when there are 'extreme elements' of a party that you have to 'reject.'

Greene has faced a slew of backlash in the past week and fired back at conservative anti-Trump PAC The Lincoln Project, accusing the group of being the 'real traitors' and 'Biden's little tool' after they turned against House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The embattled Georgia Republican, who is facing mounting calls to resign, launched yet another Twitter tirade on Saturday to defend the McCarthy after the group tweeted the hashtag: '#TraitorMcCarthy.'

'The Lincoln Project are the REAL traitors! You aren't Republicans. You are nothing but a bunch of America last losers,' Greene replied.

'You wallow in the same pit with the bloodthirsty media and the socialist democrats. [McCarthy] is fighting for America First. The LP is Biden's little tool.'

Greene stood up for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Saturday after anti-Trump conservative PAC The Lincoln Project called him a 'traitor'

The Lincoln Project, which was formed in 2019 by a group of former and current Republicans, and staunchly opposes Donald Trump, has accused McCarthy of destroying the GOP.

McCarthy is also facing pressure from fellow lawmakers to take action against Greene, who has come under fire over her controversial posts and for openly supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Lawmakers have called for Greene to be removed after separate footage surfaced of her harassing a Parkland mass shooting survivor and she showed support on Facebook for executing top Democrats.

Earlier this week Democratic Rep. Cori Bush announced she was moving her office to get away from 'white supremacist' Greene after she 'berated' her in the Capitol.

Greene has refused to quit saying it was Bush who 'berated' her and that Democrats hate her only because she's 'a threat to their goal of Socialism', while she claims to have brought in $1.6 million in campaign donations.

Greene has repeatedly pushed unfounded conspiracy theories including that late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double, the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that left 58 dead was organized by Democrats and that there is no evidence a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11.

The Lincoln Project, which was formed in 2019 by a group of former and current Republicans, and staunchly opposes Donald Trump, has accused McCarthy of destroying the GOP

Earlier on Saturday Greene announced on Twitter that she had spoken to Donald Trump. They are pictured together above on January 4

Greene spoke about the call with her 'all time favorite POTUS' in a Twitter rant on Saturday

While some Republicans have condemned Greene's postings, they were hardly a surprise.

Greene has expressed support for QAnon conspiracy theories, which focus on the debunked belief that top Democrats are involved in child sex trafficking, Satan worship and cannibalism.

Facebook videos surfaced last year showing she'd expressed racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views.

Top Republicans denounced her at the time, hoping to block her from capturing the GOP nomination for her reliably red congressional district in northwest Georgia.

McCarthy called the posts 'deeply disturbing' and said he had 'plans to have a conversation' with Greene about them.' The House GOP leader flew to Florida on Thursday to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort

The opposition faded, however, when Greene won the primary and was essentially guaranteed a seat in Congress. By the time she was sworn into office, Greene had ridden with President Donald Trump on Air Force One during his final days in office.

Still, there's greater pressure on political leaders to address extremism after a pro-Trump mob staged a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez announced Wednesday night that he was readying a resolution to expel Greene from Congress because of her past social media activity.

In a statement to Axios, a spokesman for House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy called the posts 'deeply disturbing' and said McCarthy 'plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them.'

It's unclear when that conversation may happen. McCarthy flew to Florida on Thursday to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
A MOTHER of four has urged support for Ireland's Milk Bank after donated mother's milk helped critically support her miracle baby who was born at just 29 weeks and weighed only 460g (1lb).

Rebecca Fahy from Mayo paid an emotional tribute to the skilled doctors and nurses at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at Holles Street in Dublin and the Fermanagh-based Milk Bank for their incredible support of her tiny daughter, Roisin.

The Castlebar mother was rushed to NMH in early November from Mayo Maternity Hospital amid indications baby Roisin would be born prematurely.

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"I was admitted to Holles Street (NMH) three weeks before the birth and Roisin was delivered on November 23," she said.

Roisin was delivered at just 29 weeks - and weighed only 460g, less than a small package of butter.

The baby was so small she could fit in the palm of an adult's hand.

Because the tiny infant's gut wasn't fully developed, she couldn't feed on formula milk.

She relied entirely on mother's milk but eventually this had to be supplemented.

Donor milk was supplied from the Milk Bank operated at Irvinestown in Fermanagh by Western Health and the Social Care Trust.

Roisin thrived and stunned doctors and nurses with her growth.

On January 23 Roisin was well enough to be transferred to Mayo General Hospital to be closer to her family who had three months of gruelling round trips from Castlebar to Dublin three times each week.

Roisin is now 1.7kg in weight and is responding very well to care.

"She is absolutely gorgeous," her mother said.

Rebecca hopes that the little girl will soon be able to make her long-delayed first trip home to spend time with her adoring siblings.

"We are so grateful to the doctors and nurses at NMH for all they have done for Roisin - they are absolutely incredible. We are also very grateful for all the support from the Milk Bank. I didn't even know it existed before Roisin was born but it was a critical support for her.

"I think it is very important that such services are supported in the times we find ourselves in."

There is a steady decline in the statistics of active corona infections in India. In the active case, India has now overtaken Indonesia to 16th in the world. The active case figures in India have come down to 1 lakh 68 thousand. In the last 24 hours, 13,052 new Corona cases have been filed in India and 127 persons have lost their lives. 13,965 people have also recovered from Corona on the previous day.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, now the total corona cases in the country have increased to 1 crore 7 lakh 46 thousand. A total of one lakh 68 thousand 784 persons have lost their lives. 1 crore four lakh 23 thousand people have become healthy by beating Corona. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 19 crores 65 lakh 88 thousand corona samples were tested for coronavirus till January 30, of which 7.50 lakh samples were tested yesterday. It is a matter of relief that there is a steady decline in the death rate and active case rate in the country. The death rate from corona is 1.44% while the recovery rate is around 97%. Active cases are less than 1/2%.

So far, more than 37 lakh health workers have been vaccinated with Corona across the country. The Ministry said that on Saturday, on the 15th day of vaccination, 2,44,307 persons were vaccinated and 71 cases of adverse effects occurred after vaccination. The total number of vaccinated health workers has gone up to 37,44,334.

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Robert Price is a journalist for KGET-TV. His column appears here Sundays. Reach him at RobertPrice@KGET.com or via Twitter: @stubblebuzz. The opinions expressed are his own.
New Delhi: Three terror associates affiliated with the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were arrested in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday (January 31).

Acting on a specific input the Budgam Police, 53 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) arrested three terror associates identified as Mohammed Yousuf Dar, Abdul Majeed Mir and Reyaz Ahmad Basmati.These terror associates are affiliated with banned terror outfit LeT and were also working for other militant outfits including Tehreek ul Mujahideen.

Two hand grenades, 25 AK-47 rounds, four detonators, mobile phones used to contact with Pakistani handlers, threat posters and other incriminating material was recovered from them. These terror associates have been booked under relevant sections.

They were operating in Budgam and Srinagar Districts with the aim to target newly elected District Development Council (DDC) members and disrupt elections. They were in touch with handlers in Pakistan viz Sheikh, Usman, Tariq, Haftullah and others. These terror associates in garb of securing admissions in Pakistani educational institutions, were managing contacts with Pakistan based terror handlers in order to recruit terrorists and revive militancy in Budgam.

They were also involved in several grenade attacks in Srinagar. The terror associates disclosed that their motive was to recycle the ex-militants and target DDCs, security forces and political workers. This group has also been active in issuing threat letters to political workers in the recent past, the same have also been recovered from them.
With the COVID-19 positivity rate still hovering at 21 per cent, the Goa government on Saturday decided to extend the ongoing "corona curfew", which was supposed to be lifted on May 31, by another week till June 7.

Formal orders on the extension of the corona curfew will be issued by collectors of South Goa and North Goa districts, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

Three people were shot, two of them fatally, in separate crimes Sunday in Philadelphia.

A man and a woman were found gunned down just before 7:30 a.m. at a Lukoil gas station near the corner of East Washington Lane and Clearview Street in East Germantown, police said.

Both were taken to Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia where the man, who had been shot in the head, died from his injuries. The woman, who was shot in the face, remains in critical condition, police said.

Investigators had not released the identity of either Sunday morning, as they continued to probe the crime scene. Detectives surrounded a dark-colored SUV with its front and rear passenger windows shattered, and shell casings still littered the gas station parking lot.

That shooting came four hours after a separate one left a man dead in a house in Feltonville.

Police responding to a call at about 3 a.m. on the 4900 block of Rorer Street discovered a 20-year-old man who had been shot in the head.

He was later pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital, police said. They have not released his identity.

Police have not reported arrests in either case.

Demographic changes and the pandemic are propelling consumer-goods companies to take a fresh look at a group of shoppers who are often ignored: the elderly.

As people live longer and have fewer babies, the number of over-65s surpassed those under five globally for the first time in 2018, according to United Nations data, and the trend has accelerated since.

The pandemic has disproportionately harmed older people, which executives say has highlighted the importance of staying healthy later in life.

That shift is prompting companies like Nestle SA, Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Danone SA to launch new products aimed at consumers they say are increasingly interested in aging well.

We clearly see healthy aging, even more now with the Covid world, as a huge trend," Danone Chief Executive Emmanuel Faber said.

Danone in November said it was setting up a new healthy-aging unit to accelerate research into how nutrition impacts cognition and mobility. The Activia yogurt maker recently launched in Brazil Fortifit Pro, a whey-protein product that claims to aid muscles, joints and bones, and said it plans to develop more products intended to help people age better.

The number of countries with over 20% of the population aged 65 or above is estimated to rise from 15 last year to 44 by 2030, according to the UN That number is forecast to reach 61 by 2050, when it will include the US, China and Brazil.

Researchers estimate economic uncertainty related to Covid-19 will also accelerate declining birthrates in the US and China.

Nestle last month launched a powdered-milk drink in China under its Yiyang brand, aimed at older adults, which it says enhances mobility during aging.

In recent years the companys health-sciences unit has shifted its focus from making food and drink to aid the recovery of people in hospitals, to helping prevent people from being admitted in the first place, said Greg Behar, who heads the unit.

There are more and more people who want to proactively manage their health in the aging process," Mr. Behar said. What is most impacting people is a drop in physical and cognitive functions and then theres the beauty and skin element too."

About 20% of Nestle Health Sciences research budget is now dedicated to aging. The company uses tiny nematode worms known as C. elegans, which age quickly with a lifespan of just two days, to test its nutrition hypotheses.

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC, which makes infant-formula brand Enfamil, has also launched a milk drink aimed at older consumers in China that it says contains ingredients to boost the immune system.

Overall, Reckitt says the market in China for milk with added ingredients to provide specific benefits is worth 500 million British pounds, equivalent to $686 million, and growing at 13% a year. The company is developing several products to capitalize on the self-care trend, and is expecting Covid-19 to accelerate demand.

Other companies are tweaking products to serve older people who they say will spend longer living at home, rather than in assisted-living facilities.

IKEA has begun selling upright armchairs with higher seating to make getting up easier, slanted footstools to promote blood circulation and jar grippers to help unscrew lids, among its products aimed at people with reduced mobility, including the elderly.

The range is part of an effort to imbue design catering to people of different capabilities across IKEAs products, said Britt Monti, a senior designer who worked on the collection. IKEA held off on labeling the range as being specifically for the elderly, she added.

Especially later in life you dont want to be labeled as older," said Ms. Monti. We dont want to make a big thing out of it, we just want it to be a natural part of the design process."

Procter & Gamble Co. last year began selling a razor intended for caregivers in Canada, where the company said data show one in four people provides help to someone with aging-related needs, a disability or long-term health condition. The Gillette Treo, which was already available in the US, has a safety comb and a wider handle filled with shaving gel that is designed to give caregivers better control while shaving their elderly charges.

In beauty and skin care, older consumers tend to spend more, making them a key demographic for companies like LOreal SA. In France, women over-65s spend 184 euros, equivalent to $223, on beauty products each year, compared with 120 for 25-to-30-year-olds, said Delphine Viguier, global brand president for LOreal Paris.

Last year the company said growth in the skin-care market had accelerated, driven in part by an aging population. It expects the trend to continue longer-term.

Others have found success targeting antiaging products at younger consumers.

When Colgate last year launched an upscale amino acid toothpaste in China intended to reverse visible signs of gum aging, the company focused its marketing on a young audience using celebrity bloggers and social-media apps. Colgate took the approach after Filorga, its antiaging facial-care brand, proved popular online with women between 25 and 35. The company said 80% of shoppers buying Colgate Miracle Repair were under the age of 30.

In China aging is for the young consumer," Colgate CEO Noel Wallace said last year. They are taking antiaging productsacross whether its skin health or otherwiseand very, very much looking to provide benefits to themselves at an early age."

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

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Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 10:30PM

by Eurocheese

As the first acquisition at this years Sundance Film Festival, Flee made headlines as an early success story. To anyone who attended the premiere screening, it was no surprise that the film was snapped up so quickly. Between its lovely animation and personal message, it speaks to a refugees journey in a heartfelt way. I shed tears at several points during the film, and based on the reactions I heard during the Q&A afterwards, well be hearing much more about its emotional impact in the future.

The story begins as a conversation between two friends, one of whom (Amin) seems to be hesitating when considering marriage to his longtime boyfriend...

While its clear Amin has a story to tell his longtime friend, he struggles to find the words. The two knew each other since high school, but had never discussed Amins life before they met in Denmark. He had a number of reasons to keep his past to himself, and when he decides to tell the story, the animation transports us back to the days of his youth. A little boy who paraded around town in his sisters dresses for attention, he didnt seem to have a care in the world. We get to know his family, a history of what has happened before he was even born, and within no time, we are at a climax. Afghanistan is at war, and it is imperative that his family gets out.

The starts and stops in the film begin to feel like an emotional rollercoaster, where tense moments are intercut with frustrating moments of immobilization, when the family feels trapped in a new situation. There is always a sense that everything could go wrong at any given moment. By hearing this story, we sense how sitting in one place was never peaceful for Amin. His family becomes a secret, and even within his family, his sexuality becomes an additional reason to hide. The concept of home and being at rest is completely intangible. He is exhausted, scared and impatient at all times.

In some moments, this story is a thriller as there are new dangers at every turn. In others, we flash forward to see a man struggling with his childhood demons, trying to decide what kind of life he wants to lead now that he is on the other side. There are moments of heartbreak, moments of relief and moments of genuine disbelief. Amins story deserves to be heard by the world, and I am thrilled that more audiences will be able to experience it in the near future.

more about Sundance
Voting officially closes for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! at 7.40pm AEDT on Sunday, January 31.

And Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield's mother was campaigning for every last vote in Sydney in the hours leading up to the Channel 10 finale.

Hopeful her daughter will be crowned the Queen of the Jungle, Abbie's mother held up a large sign with her voting details on a roadside.

Scroll down for video

That's love! Abbie Chatfield's mother (pictured) took to the streets of Bondi on Sunday to urge Sydney locals to vote for her ahead of the grand finale of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

'Now that mums here, she taken to the streets Bondi to get you to text ABBIE to 1995 1010,' Abbie captioned a video of her mother.

Abbie added: 'Do it for Laura and my Grandma!!'

'The reason I ultimately decided to go ahead and commit to @imacelebrityau was for my Grandma Carmel. She was an incredible woman, one of the earliest female dentists in Queensland, someone who never said a poor word of anyone. She passed away in June 2020, and it was the most painful thing I have experienced.'

'My charity for @dementia_australia for her, and it would mean the world to me to give $100k to the cause. You can vote for me by texting ABBIE to 1995 1010. Love you Grandma, I know youd be proud,' she previously told her fans.

'Love you Grandma, I know youd be proud': Abbie's chosen charity of Dementia Australia is to honour her late Grandma Carmel who passed away in June 2020

Tatt's dedication: Last week, Abbie's Bachelor In Paradise pal Jessica Brody got Abbie's voting details inked on her wrist

Just last week, Abbie's Bachelor In Paradise pal Jessica Brody also got Abbie's voting details inked on herself.

The 32-year-old former Bachelor star got a tattoo encouraging people to vote for her best friend ahead of the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! finale.

The prominent tattoo is positioned on the inside of Jessica's left wrist and reads: 'SMS ABBIE 1995 1010'.

Will she win? Abbie is one of seven celebrity finalists vying to be named the new King or Queen of the Jungle

Abbie is one of seven celebrity finalists vying to be named the new King or Queen of the Jungle.

Proceeds from every vote made via text will go toward that celebrity's chosen charity. The celebrity with the most public votes also wins $100,000 for their charity.

I'm A Celebrity's live finale starts from 7:30pm on Sunday on Channel 10
Ryan Boetel; Albuquerque Journal, N.M. (TNS)

Jan. 31President Joe Biden on Friday received his second letter of the week from lawmakers in Rocky Mountain states raising concerns about the Air Forces decision to locate the U.S. Space Command headquarters in Alabama.

New Mexico Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, all Democrats, wrote Biden asking for a comprehensive review of the decision. Earlier in the week, Biden received a similar letter from Colorados congressional delegation.

Both Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque were on the final list of six cities under consideration for the headquarters. But the Trump administration in its final days in power picked Alabama.

We believe New Mexico is uniquely positioned to support Space Commands mission and that a close review of the merits of the January 13, 2021, decision will warrant reconsideration, the New Mexico lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers asked that the Biden administration suspend all efforts to plan and create the new headquarters until a thorough review has taken place.

HERRELLS FIRST BILL: U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, R- N.M., introduced a bill that she says would stop some people from spreading COVID. Her office said its the southern New Mexico lawmakers first bill.

The legislation, Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread Upon Entry Act of 2021, or the PAUSE Act, seeks to keep in place a sweeping emergency measure that the Trump administration used to stop immigrants at the border during the coronavirus pandemic.

Civil rights and immigration activists have called on Biden to rescind the practice, which according to some reports has led to the expulsion of migrant children from other countries into Mexico.

The PAUSE Act seeks to keep the Trump-era border practices in effect until at least all state and federal lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, curfews and other COVID-19 mandates end.

Until the lockdowns and emergency declarations have ended, border health protections must remain in place to prevent the introduction of new cases and new strains of the virus at our borders, Herrell said in a statement.

Herrell photos: Despite taking a hard line against the virus at the border, the Democratic Party of New Mexico called out Herrell last week for not taking COVID precautions of her own.

Herrell on Jan. 23 posted a photo on her Facebook page of herself at what appears to be an indoor event with Lincoln County Sheriff Mike Wood. People in the audience in the photo, as well as Herrell and the sheriff, werent wearing masks.

Democrats also criticized her for appearing in a photograph on social media unmasked with four Future Farmers of America students.

Jordan Haverly, a Herrell spokesman, said the photo of Herrell with the students was removed because it received threatening comments. Haverly said in an email that Herrell respects the preferences of the constituents she meets with and abides by the requirements enforced by the counties she visits.

New Mexico Democrats were critical of both pictures.

This is the continuation of a dangerous pattern, said Miranda van Dijk, a spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party.

Ryan Boetel: rboetel@abqjournal.com

___

(c)2021 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at www.abqjournal.com

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SOME private and public hospitals in the country have been accused of not providing the Government with Covid-19 statistics, a move that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on health described as scandalous and unacceptable.

The development has irked stakeholders who felt that the country has been missing important information on Covid-19 trends, resulting in failure to adequately plan in terms of resource mobilisation. Giving oral evidence on Covid-19 last week before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on health, head of Monitoring and Evaluation in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Robert Mudyiradima and the Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Dr Portia Manangazira, said private hospitals such as Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo and some in Harare have not been providing data in relation to Covid-19 statistics.

Chairperson of the committee Dr Ruth Labode said it was unacceptable for private hospitals to play such games and try to be a law unto themselves. She said the stance by some hospitals and clinics has led to possible under-reporting of the Covid-19 situation in Zimbabwe and called on the Government to whip them into line.

We contacted Mater Dei Hospital after the meeting and they actually had 17 Covid-19 cases and we wondered where they had come from as we were told they had said they have zero cases. That hospital has never had zero cases, where do you think the who is who of Bulawayo go and seek treatment from?

This also means two things, its either Dr Manangazira did not phone the hospital or Mater Dei does not respect the Government. As a private institution they should not question who is Government to ask them (about statistics).

This is an infectious disease that they must report. The Government has the right to ask how many patients are at the hospital, she said. She added that she was worried because Mater Dei was a Covid-19 testing centre.

I was tested there myself but I dont know if that information was then taken to the Government. It is possible that information is under-reported on Covid-19 because if you see an institution saying they have zero cases when asked for statistics it means they do not want to report, there cannot be zero cases at an institution, she said.

Dr Labode also took a swipe at the Bulawayo City Council for the manner they handled their Covid-19 statistics.

We were also told that Thorngrove Infectious Disease Hospital had no Covid-19 patients and later on the Bulawayo City Council Director of Health Services Dr Edwin Sibanda said there were three cases. For me it was shocking, its just that we cannot come out and verify physically in the communities, but how can they report such few cases when we are saying Covid-19 is at its peak in the country?

Many patients are in their homes, the ministry told us that they have 105 cases (25 January) that are in hospital beds and yet people who are active with the virus are 7000 plus. So where are these 7000 people? This means that these people are either being sent away from hospitals or they do not have money to pay for services for admissions, she lamented.

Dr Labode also said her committee was told that people were failing to get help from local clinics and testing centres. I am also informed that there are centres like Pumula, Magwegwe and Emakhandeni that are supposed to be testing people for Covid-19 but when people go and seek services, they are told there are no test kits. This is a challenge, she said.

Efforts to get a comment form Mater Dei Hospital administrator Sister Maureen Jamieson were fruitless as she was said to be off duty and the mobile number availed to this reporter was unreachable. Messages sent to the number were not responded to.

In an interview yesterday, Dr Manangazira said private and public institutions were both found wanting.

There is underreporting in general across board even in our own institutions and yet we would want our reporting to reflect the national picture of Covid-19. At times there are delays, maybe the five cases that will have been taken today are reported late. Sometimes its a question of the arrangement around compilation of statistics at the institution, she said.

Dr Manangazira said private institutions under the Public Health Act (PHA) do not manage infectious and formidable diseases but in urban areas they delegate that role to local authorities through infectious disease hospitals.

We then expect that when a public health crisis is an emergency of international and national concern it is managed in those institutions plus the public health sector. What happened with Covid-19 is that it really became an enormous crisis and the private sector came forward to say we want to assist, so for the first time they started managing a public health emergency. It would naturally take them time to develop up-to-date reporting into the national reporting system. This might account for the challenges that we have been facing in terms of getting reports from the private institutions.

Traditionally the private sector does not report to the government and it is something that we are looking at now that there are Information Communication Technologies to have reporting that is easy rather than having to fill in a form. This is what I was bringing across to Parliamentarians that the private sector is reluctant to bring in reports, she said.

However, she said ethics compel practitioners to report infectious diseases. We also complain that under the PHA even if one runs a private surgery, if they see a cholera or tuberculosis case, because they were trained as a health worker, they are mandated to report that to the secretary for health using the fastest means possible. That is laxity that was happening even before the Covid-19 crisis, she said.

She said the government was grateful that the private sector has been forthcoming leading to some laboratories having partnered with them in testing, together with isolation facilities such as Mater Dei Hospital and Health Point and St Annes in Harare.

She said there was need to improve on reporting of any Covid-19 case in Zimbabwe regardless of where it is detected.

This helps so that even our neighbours and World Health Organisation know the accurate numbers in the country as part of the Global Health Agenda and also for the statistics to be useful. Now we are looking at a vaccination, we need to know what is the burden of the disease or if we need to even consider vaccination at all, if so, then to which areas, so that information needs to be accurate to assist us in our interventions. We also would want to allocate human resources to private isolation centres but that can only be possible basing on accurate patient and workload statistics. We want to know the pressure of Covid-19 on the public and private institutions, she stressed. Sunday News
News

Washington, DC - A civilian employee working for the U.S. Marine Corps Community Association pleaded guilty to assaulting his spouse while working in Iwakuni, Japan.

Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division; Matthew Schneider, U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan; and Timothy Mahew, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Far East Field Office made the announcement.

Jason Beltran, 35, a former U.S. Marine most recently residing in Flushing, Michigan, pleaded guilty to a single count of assault of a spouse resulting in substantial bodily injury. Beltran entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, Michigan.

According to the admissions made in connection with his plea, Beltran was an active duty U.S. Marine stationed in Iwakuni, until he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2011.

Thereafter, Beltran was hired by the U.S. Marine Corps Community Services to work as a library technician at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. In 2011, Beltran married a dual Japanese-U.S. citizen and had three children with his spouse. Beltran admitted that on or about June 20, 2017, he had an argument with his spouse during which he punched her with a closed fist to the side of her face causing a gash that required several stitches to close the wound, and which resulted in a small, permanent scar.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 3.

NCIS conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Frank G. Rangoussis and John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 23:28:24|Editor: huaxia

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Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam (2nd R, front) and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Luo Huining (3rd R, front) visit the Hong Kong police headquarters and Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station, and greet the police officers ahead of the Chinese New Year in south China's Hong Kong, Jan. 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

HONG KONG, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Luo Huining on Sunday visited the Hong Kong police headquarters and Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station, and greeted the police officers ahead of the Chinese New Year.

Police officers have done tremendous work over the past year to stop violence and fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and have shouldered the vital responsibility of safeguarding national security since the national security law in the HKSAR took effect in late June last year, Lam said.

As the police are committed to protecting the safety and health of Hong Kong residents, they will have the support of the general public, she said.

During the visit, Luo spoke highly of the hard efforts the police officers have made to protect the safety of ordinary people and restore peace and order in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong police have developed into a strong and trustworthy force safeguarding Hong Kong's stability and national security, Luo said, adding that no matter what difficulties are, the motherland is always the firm backing of them.

Commissioner of Police of the HKSAR government Chris Tang Ping-keung said the police will continue to make all-out efforts to safeguard national security and Hong Kong's stability in the future. Enditem
MACAO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 20th Macao City Fringe Festival was inaugurated Wednesday featuring dozens of programs and outreach activities in the special administrative region until the end of this month.

Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the festival adopts the concept of "All around the city, our stages, our patrons, our artists."

The participatory exhibition "Art Exhibition for All," in line with the theme of this year's festival "Everyone is an artist," also opened, providing a platform for the public to display their creative works.

Highlights of the first week include programs of the series "Creme de la Fringe: On Site" which use body language as the domain, allowing audiences to appreciate contemporary dance art from city spaces to a theater, and the series "Creme de la Fringe: Todos Fest!" which brings programs by local dancers, elderly people and people with physical and mental disabilities.

This year's Fringe Festival also features outreach activities, including online meeting "Webinar: Connect with the Festivals' Representatives" hosted by renowned curators of the Fringe Festival and an art review magazine founder.

All participants are required to wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks and present a "Macao Health Code" of the day.

Founded in 1999, the festival has developed into one of the major cultural events of Macao.

[ Editor: WXL ]
Prison authorities in Bengaluru had formally released Sasikala on 27 January after she completed a four-year jail term in a Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

Bengaluru: Expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala was discharged from a hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday after recovering from COVID-19 , days after she was set free by the prison officials on completion her jail term in a corruption case, authorities said.

The family has decided to take Sasikala, close aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, to Chennai, sources close to her said, adding the hospital has advised her to be under self-quarantine for sometime.

Sasikala was admitted to the Victoria Hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 recently while under judicial custody.

Prison authorities in Bengaluru had formally released her on 27 January after she completed the four-year jail term in a Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

On the advice of doctors, she remained in the hospital and was discharged on Sunday after her latest test reports came negative for COVID-19 , hospital officials said.

A huge crowd of her supporters greeted Sasikala as she came out of the hospital. More than 300 police personnel were deployed in the area

to ensure law and order, police said.

Sambasivan, one of her supporters from Hosur in the border district of Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, told PTI that this was like a festival for him. Her release comes ahead of the Assembly elections likely in April-May this year in Tamil Nadu.
The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) announced that it has attained the information security ISO 27001:2013 certification after successfully completing all the requirements and being officially certified by Bureau Veritas.



The attainment of the certification marks a significant milestone in NBBs journey to enhance its overall information security and risk management framework, and demonstrates that the Bank has identified the risks, assessed the implications and put in place the necessary systems and controls to protect the information it holds to limit any damage to the organisation and its customers.



The ISO 27001 certification is a globally recognised international standard for managing risks to the security of information held by organisations covering people, processes and technology. In order to achieve the certification, organisations must undergo an overall improvement of their existing information security frameworks.



Isa H Maseeh, Chief Risk Officer at NBB, said: With the recent shift in the banking sector towards a digital era, it is important to us, our customers, and our business partners that we provide the highest levels of excellence in upgrading our existing security standards.



This significant milestone marks an upwards trajectory on our digital transformation agenda, proving that we are on the right track to further improve our overall information security and risk management framework by enhancing our overall cyber security standards, placing our customers and partners at the forefront of our operational safety.



Zulfiqar Haider, County Chief Executive at Bureau Veritas Bahrain, said: We would like to congratulate The National Bank of Bahrain on this big achievement which is a reflection of their commitment to ongoing enhancement of the Information Security framework.



Ali Al Majed, Head of Information Security at NBB, added:We look forward to further investing in the Banks digital infrastructure to ensure that both our customers and business partners receive the highest level of data security and transactional privacy available in the market.



In line with regulators directives to pay closer attention to potential information and cyber security risks, NBBs certification ensures customer data protection by adopting an internationally-accepted and recognised standard of data privacy and added security, whereby the Bank is working towards successfully building a solid foundation to comply with existing regulations, as well as any upcoming regulations that may be introduced both nationally and internationally.



Bureau Veritas, an international company specialized in testing, inspection and certification, was established worldwide in 1828, and has been operational in Bahrain since 1982.  TradeArabia News Service
The Budget is widely expected to focus on boosting spending on job creation and rural development, generous allocations for development schemes, putting more money in the hands of the average taxpayer, and easing rules to attract foreign investments

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday will deliver her promised Budget like no other that is expected to provide relief to the pandemic-hit common man as well as focus more on driving the economic recovery through higher spending on healthcare, infrastructure and defence amid rising tensions with neighbours.

As India emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, the ninth Budget under the Modi government, including an interim one, is widely expected to focus on boosting spending on job creation and rural development, generous allocations for development schemes, putting more money in the hands of the average taxpayer and easing rules to attract foreign investments.

Sitharaman, who had in her first Budget in 2019 replaced leather briefcase that had been for decades used for carrying Budget documents with a traditional red cloth 'bahi-khata', had earlier this month stated that the budget for the fiscal year beginning April will be "like never before".

The Budget, economists and experts say, will be the starting point for picking up the pieces after the economic destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. And it must go beyond being just a 'bahi khata' or a ledger of accounts, as well as canning old schemes in a new bottle.

It has to be a vision statement, a roadmap to get the world's fastest-growing major economy back on track.

A prescient Budget, which goes a long way in instilling confidence, cannot be replaced by 'mini-budgets' such as the one in September 2019 when the government cut corporate tax rate just two months after Sitharaman presented her maiden one, or the periodic announcements of economic measures that dotted 2020.

There is a larger consensus among economists that the annual GDP for FY21 will decline by 7-8 percent, one of the weakest performances among the developing nations.

The government has to play a critical role in pulling the economy out of the trough. While the pandemic is showing signs of being less virulent, a gradual progress in the vaccination programme is fuelling hope for a better future. A sustainable economic revival will need a policy catalyst. That's where this budget assumes a special relevance.

The pandemic struck at a time when the economy was already caught in the grip of a growth slowdown. GDP growth touched an 11-year low of four percent in 2019-20. A steadily declining investment rate has been a major factor in causing deceleration prior to the coronavirus crisis.

And the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus in March last year brought economic activities to a grinding halt, causing a sharp contraction in the GDP in two successive quarters of FY21, pushing the economy into a recessionary phase.

In response, the government announced a number of policy measures under Aatmanirbhar Bharat package 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 to support the economy. The package was a combination of grant, equity and liquidity measures by the central government, state governments and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

While the headline stimulus was pegged at close to Rs 21 lakh crore, the actual fiscal impact of the economic packages works out to be about Rs 3.5 lakh crore (1.8 percent of GDP).

Also, since the last Budget, the size of the economy has reduced from Rs 2.24 lakh crore nominal GDP considered in the FY21 Budget to Rs 1.94 lakh crore. There has been lower-than-budgeted revenue growth and higher expenditure to offset the adverse impact of the pandemic.

Among the most-watched figures in the Budget would be the expenditure on vaccination in FY22 which could be shared among the Central government, state governments and households.

India has started the largest vaccination programme in the world from 16 January and is using two vaccines Covishield and Covaxin.

Also, to be watched is the revenue that the government is projecting to receive from the privatisation of companies such as Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), Air India and Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

Market borrowings are expected to remain elevated and external deficit financing would increase.

Higher capital expenditure outlay for the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) programme that has an aggregate investment target of Rs 111 lakh crore over the period 2020-25 and making recently introduced Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme more attractive to lure foreign manufacturers to boost domestic manufacturing are top expectations from the budget.

Acuit Ratings & Research Limited said there are two primary objectives before the government at this stage  reignite the growth engine in the economy while committing itself to a medium-term fiscal consolidation path.

"The growth impetus should incentivise demand in the near term and ensure its sustainability over the medium to long term. Four elements must be activated to build economic vibrancy over the long term  give infrastructure a significant push through public and private investments, facilitate large-scale private and foreign investments across industrial, services and agricultural sector; incentivise private consumption in the near term without significant compromises on tax revenues; and step up allocation in health and education sectors."

Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist at Dun and Bradstreet said unprecedented circumstances require unprecedented measures. "Globally, governments are facing massive policy and operational challenges and are adopting unconventional measures to revive their economy. A big bang package of reforms is thus on the anvil."

Undeniably, the government has a difficult task of manoeuvring the nascent recovery of the economy and managing the fiscal burden, which is expected to remain high not only for the current year but also for the subsequent years, he said.

"In the current scenario, it would be impossible not only for India but for countries globally to shoulder the pandemic without fiscal destabilization in the short to medium term."

India Ratings and Research said the government finances need to be steered in a way that puts the economy back on tracks.

Projecting a Rs 60,000 crore revenue shortfall in the fiscal year ending 31 March, it estimated the fiscal deficit at over seven percent in the current fiscal as against the Budget target of 3.5 percent. For the next, it put the fiscal deficit at 6.2 percent.

The Budget will have to address a number of issues  health infrastructure, reviving demand, banking sector reforms, fiscal consolidation and implementation of 15th Finance Commission report, said Brickwork Ratings.

Centrum said, "We expect the upcoming Budget to prioritise growth-oriented measures with the commitment to warrant that the momentum of recovery seen in the economy recently remains sustainable."

The emphasis of the Budget is likely to be on the revitalization of durable consumption impulses at the current juncture as the supply-side measures have already been implemented.

Alongside, the key focus will also remain on the further fostering of private investments as well after the initiation of a slew of measures like corporate tax rate cut, NIP and PLI scheme on this front, it said.

Amidst a plethora of market expectations around the budget FY22, key areas where the Central government is highly anticipated to put more attention to are the establishment of a bad bank to clean up bank balance sheets, presenting finer contours of the PLI scheme for boosting manufacturing for the 10 sectors announced earlier and resources likely to be made available.

Others include offering sops to reinvigorate household consumption demand via tax incentives for spending and higher deductions on housing loans coupled with the introduction of a COVID Cess that is expected to be levied on high-income individuals, it said.

India Ratings and Research believes that the major focus of the government to revive the COVID-19 battered economy has till now been on the supply side, but it is high time to change gears and focus on the demand side as well, lest the ongoing recovery begins to lose steam.

Its Budget expectations include spending on infrastructure especially that are employment-intensive and have a shorter turnaround time, creation of development financial institutions, continue with relief/income support to the households who are at the bottom of the pyramid and higher allocation to MGNREGS as it provided a safety net not only to rural households but also to the workers who migrated back to rural areas.

Also, more support to real estate given its backward-forward linkage in the economy especially affordable housing segment, boosting micro small and medium enterprises, reprioritisation of both revenue and capital expenditure towards essentials such as top priority to mass vaccination/public health, reprioritisation of expenditure and mobilisation of higher non-tax revenue, it added.

GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, said the need of the hour is to increase credit flows, especially to small and medium enterprises sector, as well as investment in education and health sectors to boost production and consumption.

Gargi Rao, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, said, "The expectations from the upcoming Budget are mainly inclined towards infrastructure development, tax concessions for elderly to provide a breather for consumers to increase their overall consumption, along with increasing domestic production."

The Budget will come as an economic vaccine for the pandemic-battered economy and steer India with the much-needed stimulus to boost demand, consumer confidence and at the same time boost the purchasing power of the people, the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said, adding that incentives to industries like textiles, apparel, leather, food processing, construction and retail are expected.
India, which is running the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination drive, is the fastest in vaccinating its citizens, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation through 2021's first ' Mann Ki Baat'

"Just as India's war against coronavirus became an example to the world, similarly our vaccination programme is also becoming an example to the world. India is conducting the biggest vaccination drive in the world. Do you know what is an even better matter of pride? We are not only running the world's biggest vaccination drive but we are also the fastest in vaccinating our citizens," Prime Minister Modi said in his 73rd episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'.

He said that the Made in India vaccines are a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

"In times of crisis, India is able to serve the world because India, today, is capable of medicines and vaccine, is self-sufficient. This is also the idea of a self-reliant India campaign. The more capable India is, the more it will serve humanity and the more the world will benefit," he added.

The number of healthcare workers vaccinated against COVID-19 has crossed the 37 lakh mark on the fifteenth day of the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination program, according to Health Ministry.

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This column is being written in the middle of the night. At least, it feels like that, but the sun is shining outside. While most people are just starting work, its nearly my bedtime.

Things seem so topsy-turvy because Ive just spent a week working nights in A&E. It feels like Im severely jet-lagged, but alas Ive been holed up in a London hospital rather than relaxing in some tropical paradise.

Although most people dont have to endure the upheaval of night shifts, I do think many are suffering from very disrupted sleep patterns, resulting in a similar lockdown jet-lag.

The main cause of this, for both night-shift workers and those staying at home, is the fact that neither of us are getting enough daylight. It messes up our body clock. This is driven by our circadian rhythm, which tells us when to wake up and when to sleep.

UK-based psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton explores how disrupted sleep patterns can result in a similar feeling to 'jet-lag' (file image)

The main driver for this is light. Our eyes capture changes in light levels outside and relay this to specialised cells in the brain. These respond by releasing hormones  melatonin and cortisol  which make us feel sleepy or alert respectively.

Working a night shift disrupts this pattern  its dark, so the brain releases melatonin to make us sleepy, but in fact we need to stay awake. The confusion can result in shift work sleep disorder, characterised by insomnia and excessive sleepiness.

As well as a higher risk of accidents, poorer work performance and attention difficulties, its also associated with mental health problems.

A review of studies showed that those working night shifts have a 42 per cent greater risk of developing a mood disorder such as depression.

Lockdown, especially this one, has meant most of us now spend seemingly endless periods indoors with limited exposure to natural light. Of course, as its winter there are fewer hours of sunlight anyway.

I have several patients in my outpatient clinic who find their depression comes on with almost clockwork precision when the clocks go back in autumn, and lifts again in spring. One woman changes from being happy-go-lucky to suicidal every October. She has developed a routine whereby she starts anti-depressants at the start of autumn and ensures she gets as much sunlight as possible  even going on her summer holiday in late November.

This pattern has been dubbed SAD  seasonal affective disorder  and I think it happens to a lesser degree (what doctors call subclinical) in lots of people.

Being cooped up inside the house and not seeing enough sunlight will be impacting the mood of many people nationwide. The last couple of weeks have been very tough on our mental health. Of course, the stresses of the pandemic are no doubt playing a big part. But I also think that the disruption to sleeping patterns caused by a lack of light are a factor, too.

Dr Max (pictured) recommends avoiding alcohol and sticking to a pattern, don't be tempted to lie in for more than 20 minutes

The dark days and the loss of structure and routine during lockdown has meant were all suffering from this semi-jet-lag. This is added to by the temptation to stay up late binge-watching a series then have a lie-in.

Does this sound familiar? If so, Ive learned a few things from doing nights that should help.

First, avoid alcohol. Its tempting to use it to try to wind down, but it actually interferes with the bodys ability to synchronise itself and doesnt give you proper, deep sleep.

Next, try to find a pattern and stick to it. Even if you do find yourself staying up later than usual (just another episode of Bridgerton!), get up at the same time you would do normally  dont be tempted to lie in for more than 20 minutes.

Ive also found using a special lamp that mimics daylight helps. I have one that I use while doing night shifts and just after. I sit for an hour with it on when I wake up (as its the evening and dark outside), and when Im back on day shifts for a few days in the late afternoon/early evening.

For patients who are really struggling to get their rhythm back, I sometimes prescribe melatonin. Taken before bedtime, this helps mimic the circadian rhythm and kick-start the normal sleeping pattern.

Finally, remember, its February now! Spring will be here soon enough and we can wave goodbye to lockdown jet-lag for good.

Recent study claimed half of people in their 20s forget why they enter a room once a week

Have you ever gone into a room and forgotten why? Lost your keys then discovered them in your hand? When this happens, particularly when youre middle-aged or older, it often pulls people up short, as they have a sudden panic that it could be a symptom of something else. Am I losing my memory? Do I have dementia? When I worked in a memory clinic, we would have quite a few referrals from people who would lose their keys or forget peoples names and wanted to be checked out. Invariably, we just offered them reassurance. In fact, older people are far from unique in having these lapses of memory. I was fascinated to read a study this week that showed half of people in their 20s forget why they enter a room once a week, with two in five saying they misplace their phone at least once a week, and nearly half forgetting to buy things on their shopping list once a week. It goes to show how poor our memory really is.

But as we age, we start to notice this more, simply because we are more worried about our memory failing. In fact, it may well be as good (or bad) as it always has been, but these incidents take on more meaning.

Dont ban vaping  it works!

The European Commission plans to recommend that EU countries ban vaping in public places. Its part of a push to ensure only five per cent of the blocs population uses tobacco by 2040. This is very wrongheaded, especially as weve seen how cigarette smoking increases the risks of Covid.

We should instead be doing all we can to move people from cigarettes to vaping. I think the pandemic has given us the perfect opportunity to ban cigarettes entirely  and I say that as a former heavy smoker. The invention of e-cigarettes has meant that smokers who dont want to quit have a viable alternative. There is no reason to still sell conventional cigarettes, which are one of the most deadly products ever created. If they were invented today, there is no way they would ever be allowed. We should be focusing our attention on stubbing them out for good.

The tragic story of a social worker who died after having liposuction in Turkey shows how risky going abroad for surgery can be. Abimbola Bamgbose, 38, died from peritonitis and multi-organ failure last year after a botched procedure. The language barrier meant the mother-of-three from Dartford, Kent, couldnt explain to doctors the pain she was in. The temptation for these operations will no doubt arise again when we can travel. They often seem cheap and cheerful, but Ive seen many bungled tummy tucks, breast enlargements and gastric bands. They can be deadly.

Coal Town Coffee are trying to help frontline NHS workers

Dr Max prescribes...

Morning brew for NHS

I love this little coffee firm (coaltowncoffee.co.uk) that was set up to re-invigorate a Welsh former mining town. Its now trying to help frontline NHS workers. You buy a bag to donate and the company matches your donation and arranges for it to be delivered to a local ICU. If the scheme is a success, it plans to roll it out across the country. I drink the coffee every morning and would highly recommend it.
(Newser)  Donald Trump has lost his top lawyers just a week before they were set to defend him in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial. CNN reports that the five attorneys who've parted ways with the former president are Butch Bowers, Deborah Barbier, Josh Howard, Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris. The reason? Spokespersons for the attorneys did not immediately comment, but CNN sources said the president's demands they focus on false claims of election fraud as part of the defenserather than on the constitutionality of impeaching a former presidentwere behind the departures.

story continues below

Trump's team was expected to announce a new legal team within days and the first filing in the trial is due Tuesday, Politico notes. Even with the uncertainty over strategy, a Trump conviction remains unlikely after all but five Republicans in the US Senate voted last week to dismiss the trial over claims it's unconstitutional. In a statement that followed news of the legal shakeup, Trump spokesman Jason Miller affirmed the 45 dissenting Senators and called "Democrats' efforts to impeach... so bad for our country." (Read more Trump impeachment stories.)
Missing millionaire and alleged fraudster Melissa Caddick likely had an exit plan if she was ever caught, according to a forensic psychologist.

The Sydney-based financial adviser disappeared on November 12 last year, just two days after police revealed she was being investigated for allegedly siphoning tens of millions of dollars from her clients.

Detectives have suggested they believe Ms Caddick is still alive, and are investigating whether she fled to Queensland.

Missing millionaire and alleged fraudster Melissa Caddick (pictured) likely had an exit plan if she was ever caught, according to a forensic psychologist

Detectives have suggested they believe Ms Caddick is still alive, and are investigating whether she fled to Queensland (pictured, Ms Caddick's husband)

Sarah Yule, who worked for NSW Police as a senior forensic psychologist, said someone who committed 'sustained, calculated, thought out offences' likely had a plan, Daily Telegraph reported.

'When they are planning that sort of criminal behaviour it is probably more likely they are also planning what they will say and do when they get caught,' she said.

Dr Yule added it was important to research the person's history to understand their movements and the motivations behind their actions.

'The criminal activity is relevant as it goes to an understanding of that person, what they are capable of and how far they might go to pursue their own goals even to the detriment of someone else,' she said.

Police are running out of time to access crucial CCTV footage which may provide a lead on the whereabouts of the 49-year-old - including video from Sydney airport.

Most cameras automatically delete footage after 30 days to make space for new data, meaning officers are in a race against time to find any evidence of her fleeing Sydney.

Ms Caddick, 49, vanished on November 12, two days after a Federal Police raid on her $6.1million Dover Heights home for allegedly misappropriated tens of millions in investors' funds

They are particularly interested in any CCTV footage near the airport, as well as Point Piper and Pulpit Point marinas, Watson's Bay, Hermit Bay and Parsley Bay wharves.

Footage taken at Edgecliff and Bondi Junction train stations are also forming part of the investigation, The Daily Telegraph reported.

60 Minutes revealed several of Ms Caddick's former friends - victims of her alleged financial scheme - are assisting police in the hopes of having some of their money returned.

Former NSW Police lead detective Gary Jubelin is also assisting, and questioned whether Ms Caddick had accessed her phones since her disappearance.

'Have accounts been activated? Have phones been used?' he asked.

A friend of Ms Caddick's previously revealed her WhatsApp account had been accessed twice since her disappearance.

Several of Ms Caddick's former friends - and the victims of her financial scheme - are assisting police in the hopes of having some of their money returned to them (pictured, alleged victim Michelle Leslie and her partner)

Ms Caddick's husband (pictured together) claims to have not heard from her since her disappearance. He is not accused of any wrongdoing

Ms Caddick, 49, used to live an extravagant lifestyle with her husband (on right, she is wearing a Stefano Canturi necklace she claims was valued at $250,000)

In screenshots seen by Daily Mail Australia, Ms Caddick's account had 'seen' two messages sent by the friend in the days after she went missing.

Detective Jubelin now seems to think that might be a clue in eventually tracking her down.

Another detective explained that there are 'a lot of accounts, a lot of movement and a lot of money,' linked to the matter.

'Somebody always knows something,' she explained.

Meanwhile alleged victims and former friends say they've been left entirely in the dark about Ms Caddick's activities. Some claim to have lost millions that they trusted her to invest.

Michelle Leslie, who was once Ms Caddick's personal trainer before the pair became friends, entrusted the financial adviser with her nest egg.

A detective explained that there are 'a lot of accounts, a lot of movement and a lot of money,' linked to the matter

Anthony Koletti, 38, is understood to be spending his time at his in-laws place in Edgecliff - rather than his missing wife's $7million mansion (pictured, having a coffee in Bondi on January 15)

But she and her husband are now facing the reality that they may never see that money again.

'She's a narcissist. Evil woman,' she said in a teaser clip for the upcoming 60 minutes episode.

'I hope you're watching this Melissa. It's the betrayal, just the lies and the stories this lady spun.'

After hearing stories from multiple alleged victims, journalist Tom Steinfort remarked that Ms Caddick appeared to be 'a criminal mastermind'.

It has been revealed that police are investigating the theory that Ms Caddick may have staged her disappearance among several others.

The businesswoman was dressed in her activewear when she left the house about 5.30am on Thursday, November 12.

She was apparently headed off on her usual morning run but left her phone and keys at home.

Security camera footage of the front of her house the home did not capture the events of that morning, frustrating standard police checks.

Detectives are operating as if Ms Caddick is still alive, and investigating whether she fled to Queensland. But they are running out of time to prove their theory, and are in a race against time to access crucial CCTV footage which may provide a lead on the 49-year-old (pictured, left with her partner and right on her own)

Two days earlier, Ms Caddick had been raided by the Federal Police in connection with an investigation by the corporate regulator, ASIC.

She was also slapped with a Federal Court order, ordering that her passport be surrendered and barring her from selling, disposing of or mortgaging her assets.

ASIC was probing whether her company Maliver Pty Ltd had misused millions from investors. The victims were largely friends and associates.

Ms Caddick is also accused of splurging on luxury brands such as Dior and Chanel, overseas holidays, limousines and even protein shakes.

An affidavit seen by Daily Mail Australia states that $20million of investors funds were deposited into her accounts between January 2018 and September 18, 2020.

Melissa Caddick's partner (pictured) claims he has not heard from her since she disappeared

The corporate watchdog alleges Ms Caddick opened up fake CommSec accounts for her clients and sent them fake monthly reports of how their shares were going.

As of Friday, Ms Caddick has been missing 78 days. Should she not be found in 90 days - in two weeks' time - she will be designated a 'long term missing person'.

That means she would likely appear on the Federal Police's nation-wide missing persons' registry. She's already listed on a state-based equivalent.

Last year, police said some 99 per cent of cases were solved before reaching the 90 day mark.

In 2020, only 18 disappearances surpassed that threshold.

Dozens of solidarity events are scheduled to be held abroad.

New rallies in support of opposition leader, political prisoner Alexei Navalny are being held across Russia.

The first rallies have started in that country's Far East and in Siberia, detentions of their participants are under way; 93 people have reportedly been detained so far, according to the Meduza media outlet, which cites the Russian media.

Later, Meduza said in an update there had been over 500 detentions across Russia by 10:00 Moscow time in the morning.

Read alsoNavalny's brother detained in Moscow

At least 57 people have been detained in Vladivostok, where protesters were dancing on the ice of the Amur Bay. A hovercraft with police officers started to moving towards them, but it stalled next to them.

In Novosibirsk, about a thousand people have taken part in a march. Opposition rallies have taken place in Tomsk, Irkutsk, Yakutsk, and Khabarovsk.

Navalny's supporters have announced rallies in 142 cities this Sunday, January 31. Dozens of solidarity events are scheduled to be held abroad.

At noon Moscow time, protesters are to gather on Lubyanka (the FSB's headquarters and an affiliated prison on Lubyanka Square) and on Staraya Square in Moscow, and an event in St. Petersburg will take place on Nevsky Prospekt. Lubyanka, an announced meeting point for the opposition in Moscow, was cordoned off last night.

Reporting by UNIAN
Suva, Jan 31 : Tropical cyclone Ana, the first one to hit Fiji this year, has caused extensive damages to the South Pacific island nation.

According to a statement by Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) on Sunday, at around 10 p.m.on Saturday night, the centre of the tropical cyclone moved past the northern part of the Yasawa islands and headed towards Fiji's main island of Viti Levu before strengthening into a category 2 system, reports Xinhua news agency.

At 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, the cyclone made landfall near Rakiraki in the northern part of Viti Levu and continued to track south-southeast over the central part of Fiji towards the capital area of Suva.

By midday on Sunday, the centre of Ana was located over the coast of Viti Levu between Suva and Navua, a town about 38 km west of Suva heading towards Kadavu in the southern part of Fiji.

The FMS said very strong winds have been reported over Kadavu and Ana is expected to pass Kadavu on Sunday night.

Close to the centre of the cyclone, destructive storm force winds with average speeds of 100 km per hour and momentary gusts of up to 140 km per hour will continue to be felt over most parts of Fiji, including Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, the second largest island.

The FMS warned that winds of this strength and speed can cause significant damage to trees, weak structures and houses, heavy damage to crops and power failures.

According to local media reports, the tropical cyclone, which has brought heavy rain and strong winds, has caused extensive damages to the island nation while five people, including a three-year-old boy, went missing.

The main rivers in the nation have surged, some villages in the low-lying areas have been flooded and some highways across the nation have been closed. Fallen trees, broken power lines and landslides were also reported in the nation.

Currently, a total of 7,612 people are taking shelter in 204 evacuation centres across the nation.

The Education Ministry has confirmed that all schools in Fiji will remain closed on Monday until further notice.

The FMS warned of more heavy rains and strong winds on Sunday and Monday. The Fijian authorities have urged people to continue to stay safe at home.

Last month, tropical cyclone Yasa hit Fiji, killing four people and causing extensive damage to houses and schools, especially in the northern part of the island nation.

The tropical cyclone season in the South Pacific region runs between November and April every year and Fiji was predicted to experience up to three tropical cyclones during the current season.

Salma Hayek's Sundays are for lounging.

And the Like A Boss actress, 54, proved she could make resting rather chic as she shared a brand new Instagram this weekend.

Hayek wowed as she displayed her slender legs and ample curves while wading around in a classic black one-piece.

Making a splash: Salma Hayek stunned in a simple buy sexy black swimsuit in this week's Sunday Selfie

The Friday star's suit didn't distract from the actress' bombshell body as she leaned back and put her hands on the side of her head to bask in the sun.

Hayek's made a habit of sharing serene Sunday swimsuit selfies.

Last week the From Dusk Til Dawn bombshell sizzled in a ruby red number while lying down on a net hammock hovering above the clear blue ocean.

Lounging: The 53-year-old actress stunned in a sultry red swimsuit in last week's snap. She's made a habit of sharing the relaxing shots every Sunda

Serene: Last year she said her career is doing better than ever. 'It really invigorated me that they are finding me. I always found them. But they didn't want me. And that now they're coming to me, that's what's been really invigorating,' the beauty told OK! magazine

Salma wasn't afraid to show some skin, revealing her toned legs and full bust in the sexy one-piece.

She popped on some sunglasses and tied her brunette locks back into a curly ponytail.

Keeping things simple in the caption , tagging the post #Sundayvibes.

Earlier in the week she shared another sexy bikini photo.

And while it looked like Salma had be slowing down during quarantine, she's been busier than ever.

Last year she said her career is doing better than ever.

Another knockout look for this timeless wonder: And earlier this month Salma was seen in this brown bikini with red on the flip side

'It really invigorated me that they are finding me. I always found them. But they didn't want me. And that now they're coming to me, that's what's been really invigorating,' the beauty told OK! magazine.

'It's difficult to make sense of it, you know? But that's what's been really strange. And you know what? Strange things happen to strange people.'

In the past few years the actress has starred in Drunk Parents, Like A Boss and The Roads Not Taken. Next she will be seen in The Eternals, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard and Bliss.

Hayek rose to fame in the Mexican telenovela Teresa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a big screen career.

However, when the Hollywood actress first started out in 1988 she had no idea how things would end up.

She believes any struggles over the years have given her the possibility to choose the right path, having dubbed her life 'completely unimaginable'.

The cover girl explained: 'The things that have happened in my life are completely unimaginable. Even in my greatest ideas of my most extraordinary destiny, I never imagined how I feel right now.

Another dreamy look for this star: A fuchsia suit with a wrap was just the ticket

Life's a beach for Hayek: The Fools Rush In star has been in the tropics with her family

'At some point in your life you just settle for doing the right thing and the best you can, instead of think about what you want and what you can didn't get get or what you're not getting or how someone's getting it and you're not getting it.

'It gives you the possibility to take roads that you never wanted to take, and you have the adventurous spirit to go and discover instead of planning so much. You may end up on roads that are much better than in your imagination.'

The wife of billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault has proved with several bikini shots this year that she looks as good as ever.

Salma and her French businessman husband have been married since 2009, after tying the knot in a lavish Paris ceremony on Valentine's Day. Their nuptials are said to have cost an eye-watering $3.5 million.

Their big day took place in the famous Venice opera house Teatro La Fenice, and the lovers were joined by an A-List group of well wishers, including Penelope Cruz, Woody Harrelson and Bono.

We are green with envy: The talented film veteran was also seen in this plunging dress

Last year, it was reported that Francois-Henri is worth an estimated $33.2billion. (He is the chairman and CEO of Kering since 2005, and president of Groupe Artemis since 2003.)

The Oscar-nominated actress remains tight-lipped about their relationship, but last year she did address trolls who apparently criticized the union.

'A lot of people are very shocked that I married who I married,' she said in an interview with Town & Country.

'And some people are even intimidated now by me. But it's another way of showing racism. They can't believe this Mexican ended up in the life that she has, and they're uncomfortable around me.'

Salma added: '[Pinault] is the best husband in the world. I get to be who I am with him, and I don't feel that somebody tries to limit me.'
While addressing his Mann Ki Baat programme on January 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the violence that broke out on Republic Day in Delhi. Specifically speaking about the siege of Red Fort by protesters taking part in the tractor march and their act of planting Nishan Sahib and Kisan Union flag in Red Fort, PM Modi said that it shocked the nation. The Prime Minister added that Indians have maintained peace and patience and have shown courage last year and urged that same must be done this year.

PM Modi said in Hindi, "In the midst of all this, in Delhi, on 26 January, the country was very sad to see the insult of the Tricolour. We showed exceptional restraint and courage last year. This year too, we have to prove our resolve by working hard."

  ,  , 26      , ,     |             |           |              : PM @narendramodi #MannKiBaat  PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 31, 2021

READ | PM Modi tells farmers 'govt just a phone call away'; urges Opposition to talk to unions

PM Modi's olive branch to farmers

Addressing the all-party meeting, PM Modi stressed that the Union government's proposal of staying the farm laws' implementation for 18 months was still valid. The talks between the Centre and the farmers' unions had come to a standstill after the 12th round of talks when the latter rejected this offer. While farmers have insisted on continuing their protests until the repeal of the agrarian laws, the PM reiterated the government's willingness for talks despite the violence that took place during the tractor rally on Republic Day.

PM Modi remarked, "As for the farmers' issues which you have talked about, I want to reiterate what Narendra Singh Tomar said after the January 22 meeting of Narendra Singh Tomar and the committee with the farmers. I want to convey the same. Narendra Singh ji said in the meeting that we have not been able to reach an agreement, we are giving you this proposal. You go back and think about it. I am just one phone call away. When you make up your mind, I will fix a meeting with you and the meeting venue within a few hours' time. The Indian government's proposal is still valid even today. Please convey this to the protesters you know."

READ | Chhattisgarh CM Urges Centre To Repeal Farm Laws Post PM Modi's Latest Overture To Farmers

Farmers' tractor march and Delhi violence

Despite Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)'s assurance and Delhi Police's conditions for the Republic Day tractor march, violence broke out on January 26, as the farmers entered Delhi - breaking barricades and cemented barriers, riding bikes, brandishing swords, sticks and vandalising a bus, drove tractors at full speed towards the police - leading to clashes with Delhi police. Police said that over 300 personnel were injured and one protestor died after a tractor upturned. The Delhi police have filed over 25 cases, several FIRs and arrested 19 people.

READ | AAP MP Sanjay Singh proclaims 'if Rakesh Tikait is arrested, will offer my arrest'

The most shocking acts included a group of farmers allegedly led by actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu breaching the Red Fort and hoisting the 'Nishan Sahib' and the Kisan Union flags atop the Red Fort's dome and the Khalsa flag on the flag pole. Most parties have condemned the violence but questioned the Centre on the failure of law and order in Delhi and went on to demand Home Minister's resignation despite supporting the tractor march previously. Top SKM leaders like Yogendra Yadav, Darshan Pal and Rakesh Tikait - who have been named in police's FIRs- have taken 'moral responsibility' for the violence but denied involvement in Red Fort plan and said that protests will continue at Delhi borders. The Delhi Police has been praised for the restraint it showed in not firing any bullets that may have triggered casualties at a large scale, though the Opposition has gone all guns blazing, politicising the police and slamming it over intelligence failure. The police has said that the reason for the riot was the farmer leaders going back on their word and breaching the terms of protest agreed upon during their meetings with police.

READ | PM Modi Tells Farmers 'govt Just A Phone Call Away'; Urges Opposition To Talk To Unions
Off-the-beaten-path in French-speaking Belgium

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



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



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

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

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



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

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



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



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

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

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



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



If you go

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



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



Spires and Crosses is a weekly travel column. Follow @dennislennox onTwitter and Instagram.
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With the winter chill in full swing and and lockdown preventing people from cuddling up with a hot drink in a cafe, many are turning their hand to making their own tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

But can a home made brew ever be as good as barista hand-crafted drink?

FEMAIL spoke to six experts about the commonly-made mistakes , including adding water to a hot chocolate and pouring milk into tea before the bag is added.

Here, we reveal the mistakes you're making, and how to make the perfect hot drink at home...

Experts have revealed their tips for brewing the ideal hot drink at home - including putting the milk into tea last and never using boiling water to make coffee

How to make the perfect cup of coffee: Never use boiling water, stick to a recipe and roast your own beans

While many will grab the kettle and rush to make a cup of Joe as fast as possible first thing in the morning, the process should actually be a thought out process, experts have claimed.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Katie Thompson, Head of Training, Artisan Coffee School, in London said that the most common mistake people make is not following a recipe when making coffee.

Meanwhile, Rob Hodge, founder of Rave Coffee, a roasting and subscription service, said that people often make the mistake of using boiling and unfiltered water to make their morning cuppa.

DON'T USE TAP WATER OR BOILING WATER

'Tap water varies across the country, and if you live in a hard water area it is recommended you use a water filter,' Rob explained.

'Hard water contains high levels of minerals and compounds which make it harder for the coffee flavour to punch through.'

Rob continued: 'It's also best not to use boiling water, because it will scold the coffee grounds. 94 C water is best, or waiting for one minute after your kettle has boiled will work too.'

BUY FRESH BY LOOKING FOR ROASTED DATE Kate said: 'When shopping in the supermarket try to find the freshest coffee possible. There will be a best before date on the coffee and keep in mind that on most supermarket coffee that date is one year from the roast date. 'Otherwise, look for coffee that has a roasted on stamp. This will give you more accurate idea of how old the coffee is. If you are buying whole bean, keep in mind that your coffee will have a nice flavour for up to three months from the roast date. 'However, when you can seek out independent, Speciality coffee roasters, this coffee will be a fantastic treat! Advertisement

FOLLOW A RECIPE TO MAKE COFFEE

Katie explained: 'Just like cooking, brewing coffee recipes are vital for getting the best flavour from your beans. Most roasters will suggest the best ways to brew their lovely coffee,'

'Barista standard coffee can be made on any device, as long as you have a scale and timer to follow a recipe.

'The one piece of equipment that will really get you amazing coffee is a good, stainless steal, conical burr, grinder. You can get these as hand, which are great for travelling, or electric grinders.

'Whether you brew with a cafetiere or an espresso machine, having the capability of grinding your beans fresh will always give you better coffee,' she said.

Meanwhile, Rob added that people often spend too much money on coffee-equipment.

He said: 'People can tend to look for the latest gadget and fall into the trap of spending too much money in their quest to get better coffee at home.

'Often, most people have a cafetiere or stove top coffee maker lurking in the cupboard, and these methods, with a few tweaks can produce exceptional coffee.'

Instead he advised: 'Spend those extra  on a better quality bean!

'Measure as many variables as you can. Do you ever have a day when you thought your coffee tasted especially good - but you werent sure why?

'If you start with the basics and follow a brew recipe - you can start to understand how to make gradual improvements. Weigh the amount of coffee you start with, and the amount of water you use.

'You can then use a specific brew time and make a note of this. Once you get to grips with this, you can start to experiment and work out what suits you best.

'For example, a good cafetiere recipe is to use 70g freshly ground coffee per one litre of water.

'Pour the water over fresh ground, stir after 30 seconds and plunge after four minutes.'

AVOID INSTANT AND BUY SPECIALITY WHOLE BEANS

'If people enjoy instant coffee then they enjoy instant coffee. Often its to do with what they have been brought up drinking but I really encourage people to try new brew methods and beans,' Kate said.

'Nowadays, there are some great speciality coffee pods and they are a legitimate option for people who are after a "no fuss" coffee solution.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Katie Thompson, Head of Training, Artisan Coffee School, in London said that the most common mistake people make is not following a recipe when making coffee

'Personally, I would buy whole beans from independent, small batch, speciality coffee roasters. Also, because its speciality, I know the coffee is going to be amazing.'

Rob also recommended buying whole beans because it leads to more control over freshness and chose the way to brew you like.

'Generally speaking, the more akin the product is to its "natural" state, the more information on provenance and traceability is available,' he explained.

DON'T DRINK SCOLDING HOT 'The subtleties of the coffee flavour, including its natural sweetness will be better perceived as the temperature drops. 'So if you can, wait a little longer before drinking,' Rob said. Advertisement

'Having said that, there are some companies bringing their same values in sourcing to a pod and capsule range, and these can often be a compromise in getting espresso style coffee at home for an accessible price,''

'Pre-ground coffee begins to stale the moment it leaves the grinder, so you will be starting with an inferior product to the whole bean equivalent. If you cant justify buying a grinder just yet, look for coffee bags with a Roasted On date so you can get the freshest possible coffee.

'Lots of supermarket brands will have use by dates of up to a year, so you cant be sure how fresh they are.

'I think of instant coffee as a different drink entirely.

'The product flavour and behaviour is so far removed from the coffee bean it starts out as, you lose the inherent characteristics of the country/region/process. Some companies even add "flavour" compounds back into the freeze dried particles.

STICK TO DARK ROASTS FOR LATTES

'Adding milk is down to preference. I wouldnt add milk to light, filter roasted coffee due to the fact that the roaster has worked really hard to highlight the coffees natural flavours and sweetness,' Kate said.

'Light roast also tends to have a lighter body that doesnt withstand having milk added to it. However, if someone loves adding milk, I would recommend an Espresso Roast, because that would have already been tested with milk in the roastery and with the heavier body the sweetness will really shine through with or without milk.

KATE'S TOP TIPS FOR MAKING COFFEE 1. Weigh out your coffee and water ratios for your ideal strength. 2. Grind from whole beans for the most aromatic coffee possible. 3. Make sure you have the right grind size for your coffee making method 4. Keep track of your brew time and if possible water temperature to avoid a brew that is too bitter. 5. Decant your coffee into a thermos flask immediately after plunging. This is to avoid your coffee going too bitter if you do not want to drink it all at once. Advertisement

'As far as alternative milks, I find that oat milk is a consumer favourite. It is less watery that other alternatives and Rude Health is a fantastic option, if you are looking for something with all natural ingredients.

Rob added: 'When it comes to filter coffee, adding milk and sugar is in an attempt to balance out any bitter flavour of the coffee - or just out of habit!

'However, if you start with a coffee that has a balanced flavour in and of itself, you will find you need to add less or no milk at all. Choosing a medium or lighter roast coffee will give you less bitterness. Take sip first, and see if it really needs the milk.

STORE IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER AWAY FROM THE FRIDGE 'Try not to store your coffee in the fridge or freezer,' Kate explained. 'Your coffee is very delicate and you need to avoid oxygen, condensation and strong smells. 'This is due to the fact that the CO2 in the coffee is what keeps the coffee fresh and aromatic; Oxygen and condensation will cause the CO2 to release quickly and your coffee will go flat. 'Also, due to its porous nature your coffee will take on aromas so, unless you like your coffee tasting of cumin or the fridge/freezer, I would recommend storing your coffee in a nice air tight container in a place with a consistent temperature. Advertisement

'A small amount of lightly steamed, heated whole milk can complement a shot of espresso.

'We have been programmed by the high street chains to expect large milk based drinks in which the coffee flavour becomes muted - instead try a small amount of whole milk, rather than half a pint of skimmed!

'For espresso style coffees with steamed milk, Oatly is the most commonly used alternate by baristas.

'You can achieve well textured milk, but the oat does impart its own flavour into the cup.

'If you want to add oat or any other non-dairy milks, go for naturally low acidity coffees (darker roasts or Brazilian coffees are a good place to start).

LOOK AT WHERE THE COFFEE IS MADE

'Seeing regional and/or farm information on the bag can tell you more about what to expect from the flavour,' Rob explained.

'These coffees will cost more money, but this money is being spent at farm level too - which is a more socially sustainable way of spending your cash.

'The "intensity" level that some supermarket brands use to distinguish coffees relates more often than not to roast degree. The higher the number, the darker the roast.

'Try a lower intensity to get a more balanced flavour, and a reduced bitterness.

'Again, look for "Roasted On"dates on the bag, to avoid bags that have been sitting in a warehouse for months!

Try and seek out your local coffee roaster, youd be surprised how many there are! They will be able to help you select a coffee that really works for you, and they wont be as expensive as you think.

The perfect French Press recipe from Gentlemen Baristas Gentlemans Baristas master brewer, Roosa Jalonen, told Femail her perfect recipe for their Toque coffee. 'For this coffee I would recommend brewing it with a French Press. Brewing the coffee this way you will get all the flavours of the beautiful Kenyan coffee with a smooth velvety body,' she said. 1. Measure your freshly ground coffee into the French Press by using a recipe; 60-70g of coffee for 1 litre of water. You can alter the recipe however you like, for example, if you are using 30g of coffee you can add 430-500g water. 2. Boil your filtered water. Using filtered water you will give the tastiest result. 3. Pour the water just under boiling point into your French Press. 4. Stir the coffee and water together so that all the ground coffee is wet. Let it sit for 4 minutes. 5. After 4 minutes stir the brew again and just let it sit for another 3-6 minutes. Plunge and enjoy. Advertisement

How to make the perfect cup of tea: Use filtered water, pay attention to brewing time and always put the milk in last

Krisi Smith, founder of cult tea brand Bird & Blend, which started in Brighton but now has shops across the UK, told FEMAIL her top tips for making a good brew.

She revealed how brewing time and temperature where the two most important things, while Guy Hilton, general manager at the Waldorf Hilton, who are famed for their afternoon tea also emphasised the importance of water temperature.

Here, they tell FEMAIL the best way to make a perfect cuppa.

Ending the age old debate, tea expert Krisi said it was 'absolutely' important to put the milk in last

PICK THE RIGHT CUP

'This may seem like something of personal choice, but the vessel from which you drink your tea must not be overlooked,' Guy said.

'A delicate and light tea, for example, is best enjoyed from a glass cup. This is because the glass is quicker to cool and will ensure that the leaves do not become burnt.

'For me, you cannot beat a porcelain cup, which helps to balance the temperature and retain it in your next brew.'

HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT CUP OF MATCHA To make the perfect cup of matcha you want half a teaspoon of matcha in about 100ml of cold water. Whisk it to a frothy paste, in a 'W' motion - either in your mug or in a bowl. Ideally you want to use a proper bamboo matcha whisk as this really does get the smoothest matcha but you can use a battery milk frother too. Then you want to top your matcha up with hot water, hot juice, lemonade or frothy milk - depending on what type of drink you'd like! Advertisement

PAY ATTENTION TO BREWING TEMPERATURE AND TIME

'The only two bits of information you need to pay attention to are recommended brewing time and water temperature,' Krisi said.

'If you aren't sure then a safe bet is four minutes, 100 degrees for any tea you are going to enjoy with milk and three minutes, 80 degrees for teas with no milk.

Leaving your tea bag in too long leaves to tea being over steeped and bitter (as the surface of the leaf breaks down and releases tannins into your cup).

Guy Hilton, general manager at the Waldorf Hilton, who are famed for their afternoon tea told FEMAIL: 'To make the most out of your leaves, pay attention to how hot your water is.

'Different teas react differently to temperatures. Black teas can withstand the heat, whereas softer green or white teas require a slightly cooler water temperature, below 80 degrees.

'The simple rule to follow is the longer you brew, the stronger your tea  but this does not mean you should brew without limits.

'A strong, black tea should be brewed for around five minutes to release the full flavour, but no longer as it may become steeped.

USE FILTERED WATER

'It might sound like an obvious thing to say but your cuppa is made of 98 per cent water, so it is important that you use good water,' Krisi added.

'If you are lucky enough to have good water in your area then from the tap is fine, perhaps let it run a bit first.

'If you are in an area with hard water or where the mineral mix makes your water taste a bit funky then you should always filter it first, or use bottled.

'The basic rule of thumb is that if you wouldn't drink it from the tap then don't make tea with it! Also make sure you always empty and refill your kettle with freshly drawn water every time, as the taste and quality of water will degrade over time, if left in the bottom of your kettle!

Guy also advocates for using filtered water, telling FEMAIL: 'The quality of your water is often one that is overlooked, but it plays a big role in the end result.

'Use well filtered or bottled spring water, with a balanced acidity level of pH7, as not to spoil the delicate flavours in your cup.

KRISI'S SECRETS TO THE PERFECT CUP OF TEA 1. Good quality leaves & ingredients, ideally loose leaf but even if you are using a tea bag that is no excuse - there are lots of great tea bags out there these days with fantastic whole leaf, good quality ingredients inside! 2. Always use freshly drawn water in the kettle. 3. Pay attention to the brewing time & recommended water temperature on the packet. 4. Don't neglect your tea but skimping out on your brewing tools! If you are using a tea bag this is less important (but your favourite mug is a must at least!) but if brewing loose leaf tea then figure out if you prefer the ceremony of brewing in a pot or if you prefer to brew one cup at a time, then invest in something practical & long lasting - remember you are going to use it a lot! Advertisement

ALWAYS PUT THE MILK IN LAST

'Absolutely milk in last... and there is actual science behind it too,' Krisi added.

'Your tea leaves need to brew at the right temperature for the entire brewing time, so you want to do this before adding milk - because if you add milk too early it will cool the temperature & your flavours won't be able to infuse properly!

'I am a big advocate of exploring alternative milks in tea, all of our stores have four types of milk available (oat, almond, coconut & dairy) and we use oat milk as standard in all of our matcha lattes.

'When choosing a plant milk the brand does make a difference too. We use Rude Health coconut milk because it contains actual coconut butter, so much thicker and creamier than other brands which can be quite watery. This is great for cold brewing tea - especially if you are doing something fruity like a strawberry cream type tea!

'If you are making a frothy tea latte like a chai or a matcha then the minor figures and oatly barista (in the grey carton) are both a great choice as they have a higher fat content so froth really well.

LOOSE LEAF IS BEST

'If you want the best tasting cuppa then good quality loose leaf is always better, but as mentioned above there are some top tea bags out there now that come close,' Krisi said.

'In theory making loose leaf in a cup infuser ( a large basket is best, rather than the smaller ball type infusers), where you give the leaves lots of room to expand and infuse is best. Never use instant tea, like the ones you get in coffee shops as they contain very little actual tea and are packed full of sugar!


Twitter troll Douglass Mackey, aka Ricky Vaughn, was arrested on Wednesday and faces ten years in prison for "tweeting" and "retweeting" joke memes on Twitter telling people they can "text" in their votes.

Social Media Influencer Charged with Election Interference Stemming from Voter Disinformation Campaignhttps://t.co/lJ0FJz2llr  Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) January 27, 2021



From The US Department of Justice:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 27, 2021



Social Media Influencer Charged with Election Interference Stemming from Voter Disinformation Campaign



Defendant Unlawfully Used Social Media to Deprive Individuals of Their Right to Vote



A Florida man was arrested this morning on charges of conspiring with others in advance of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election to use various social media platforms to disseminate misinformation designed to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote.



Douglass Mackey, aka Ricky Vaughn, 31, of West Palm Beach, was charged by criminal complaint in the Eastern District of New York. He was taken into custody this morning in West Palm Beach and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart of the Southern District of Florida.



According to the allegations in the indictment, the defendant exploited a social media platform to infringe one the of most basic and sacred rights guaranteed by the Constitution: the right to vote, said Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. This indictment underscores the departments commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who would undermine citizens voting rights.



There is no place in public discourse for lies and misinformation to defraud citizens of their right to vote, said Seth D. DuCharme, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. With Mackeys arrest, we serve notice that those who would subvert the democratic process in this manner cannot rely on the cloak of Internet anonymity to evade responsibility for their crimes. They will be investigated, caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.



Protecting every American citizens right to cast a legitimate vote is a key to the success of our republic, said William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBIs New York Field Office. What Mackey allegedly did to interfere with this process  by soliciting voters to cast their ballots via text  amounted to nothing short of vote theft. It is illegal behavior and contributes to the erosion of the publics trust in our electoral processes. He may have been a powerful social media influencer at the time, but a quick Internet search of his name today will reveal an entirely different story.



The complaint alleges that in 2016, Mackey established an audience on Twitter with approximately 58,000 followers. A February 2016 analysis by the MIT Media Lab ranked Mackey as the 107th most important influencer of the then-upcoming Election, ranking his account above outlets and individuals such as NBC News (#114), Stephen Colbert (#119) and Newt Gingrich (#141).



As alleged in the complaint, between September 2016 and November 2016, in the lead up to the Nov. 8, 2016, U.S. Presidential Election, Mackey conspired with others to use social media platforms, including Twitter, to disseminate fraudulent messages designed to encourage supporters of one of the presidential candidates (the Candidate) to vote via text message or social media, a legally invalid method of voting.



For example, on Nov. 1, 2016, Mackey allegedly tweeted an image that featured an African American woman standing in front of an African Americans for [the Candidate] sign. The image included the following text: Avoid the Line. Vote from Home. Text [Candidates first name] to 59925[.] Vote for [the Candidate] and be a part of history. The fine print at the bottom of the image stated: Must be 18 or older to vote. One vote per person. Must be a legal citizen of the United States. Voting by text not available in Guam, Puerto Rico, Alaska or Hawaii. Paid for by [Candidate] for President 2016.



The tweet included the typed hashtags #Go [Candidate] and another slogan frequently used by the Candidate. On or about and before Election Day 2016, at least 4,900 unique telephone numbers texted [Candidates first name] or some derivative to the 59925 text number, which was used in multiple deceptive campaign images tweeted by the defendant and his co-conspirators.



The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.



Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Paulsen and Nathan Reilly of the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney James Mann of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.

Here's some excerpts from the full complaint:







That's a reference to people sharing photoshopped memes of Taylor Swift and others with MAGA hats on.











The case was put together under the Trump administration by William Barr appointee Seth D. DuCharme, the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.







FBI special agent Maegan Rees appears to have led the investigation.



The indictment says "at least 4,900 unique telephone numbers texted '[Candidate's first name]' or some derivative to the Text Code on or about and before Election Day, including many belonging to individuals located in the Eastern District of New York." [Emphasis added]



"Of the approximately 4,900 numbers that corresponded with the Text Code, approximately 4,850, or 99%, sent their texts after MACKEY first tweeted a Deceptive Image from MACKEY Account 2."



For the record, those memes were shared by tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people as a joke. The meme was popularized on 4Chan.



The indictment didn't include any proof that these 4,850 texters were in fact disenfranchised, nor did it include any evidence they saw the meme due to Mackey's account.



The feds also tried to connect this indictment to the Capitol protests.



"The co-conspirators were not named in the complaint, but one of them was Anthime Gionet, a far-right media personality known as 'Baked Alaska,' who was arrested this month for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to a person briefed on the investigation," The New York Times reported.



The indictment accuses Mackey and his "co-conspirators" of the "unusual charge" of "conspiracy to violate rights" for sharing these memes:









"The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison," The Times reported.



Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter can conspire together to rig the entire internet in favor of Democrats without any issue but Twitter trolls who helped Trump win in 2016 are being charged over memes.



This is absolute lunacy!



The Biden regime told us they were going to deliver "unity and healing" -- instead they're conducting mass arrests of Trump supporters for so much as walking around the Capitol and vindictively persecuting them over memes they shared four years ago!



UPDATE: This appears to be the little-used law they're charging him under:











If Mackey can be charged with "conspiracy to violate rights" over memes, what's stopping right-wing prosecutors from charging anti-Second Amendment groups for "conspiring" to take away our Second Amendment rights?



What's stopping prosecutors from indicting the media outlets and social media heads who are conspiring to take away our First Amendment rights?





Tucker Carlson On Biden's DOJ Going After Doug Mackey Over Memes He Posted During The 2016 Election



"What you may be wondering does a case like this mean for the 1st Amendment. Well, it means that it is effectively suspended. You can be arrested for saying the wrong things." pic.twitter.com/Dioymd55we  The Columbia Bugle  (@ColumbiaBugle) January 28, 2021



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Guwahati, Jan 31 : Anti-talk outlawed terror outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has warned that the Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh would be responsible for any untoward fate of the two officials of private sector oil company it had abducted last month.

The ULFA-I, in a statement issued on Saturday night, claimed the government has planned delaying tactics instead of trying to get the two abducted men released.

"Instead of trying to get the two hostages released, the security forces, the central government's intelligence agencies and others are continuing operations. In such a situation, if the two kidnapped officials die, the authorities would tactfully put the onus on the ULFA-I," the statement said.

It said that in view of the security forces' operations, if any unfortunate happening involving the two hostages occurred, the full responsibility have to be taken by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

According to the police in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the security forces are still clueless about the kidnapped officials of Delhi-based Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd.

The ULFA-I, in a statement last week, said that it has set February 17 to decide the fate of the two employees -- Pranab Kumar Gogoi, a drilling superintendent, and Ram Kumar, a radio operator -- whom it had kidnapped at gunpoint from the drilling site in Innao area of Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district on December 21 last year.

The ULFA-I, which is currently headed by its "commander-in-chief" Paresh Barua, had, in a media statement last week, said that if the drilling company "fails to take positive steps to secure the release of their employees by February 16, the outfit would take action against hostage Ram Kumar on February 17".

"If Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd fails to meet our demands, the company would not be allowed to operate in Assam and South East Asia," it said, but did not specify its demands.

Arunachal Pradesh Police chief R.P. Upadhyaya told IANS over phone from Itanagar that the militants had earlier demanded Rs 20 crore to release the two.

According to the police, in a video reportedly released by the ULFA-I, Gogoi, a resident of Assam's Sivasagar district, and Ram Kumar, who hails from Bihar's Khagaria district, are heard saying that they are now in the captivity of the ULFA-I and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and they urged Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to get them released.
The new Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, on Sunday paid his first operational visit to the Theatre Command in Maiduguri Borno Stat...





The new Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, on Sunday paid his first operational visit to the Theatre Command in Maiduguri Borno State.

Irabor was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo, appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

The team was received by Maj.-Gen. Farouq Yahaya, Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Abdul Khalifa, the General Officer Commanding, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army and other principal staff officers of the Military Command and Control Centre at the Headquarters of the Air Task Force.

Abdul Khalifa to newsmen that the CDS would be meeting with the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Chiefs of Training and Operations from the Defence Headquarters, Army, Navy, Air Force and other field commanders,

He said they would be briefed on recent operations in the theatre adding that the service chiefs would also pay courtesy visits to the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn-Garbai and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.
A racial gap has opened up in the nation's COVID-19 vaccination drive, with Black Americans in many places lagging behind whites in receiving shots, an Associated Press analysis shows.

An early look at the 17 states and two cities that have released racial breakdowns through January 25 found that Black people in all places are getting inoculated at levels below their share of the general population, in some cases significantly below.

That is true even though they constitute an oversize percentage of the nation's health care workers, who were put at the front of the line for shots when the campaign began in mid-December.

For example, in North Carolina, Black people make up 22% of the population and 26% of the health care workforce but only 11% of the vaccine recipients so far. White people, a category in which the state includes both Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites, are 68% of the population and 82% of those vaccinated.

The gap is deeply troubling to some, given that the coronavirus has taken a disproportionate toll in severe sickness and death on Black people in the US, where the scourge has killed over 430,000 Americans. Black, Hispanic and Native American people are dying from COVID-19 at almost three times the rate of white people, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

We're going to see a widening and exacerbation of the racial health inequities that were here before the pandemic and worsened during the pandemic if our communities cannot access the vaccine, said Dr Uche Blackstock, a New York emergency physician and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, an advocacy group that addresses bias and inequality.

Experts say several factors could be driving the emerging disparity, including deep distrust of the medical establishment among Black Americans because of a history of discriminatory treatment; inadequate access to the vaccine in Black neighborhoods; and a digital divide that can make it difficult to get crucial information. Vaccination sign-ups are being done to a large degree online.

Hispanic people also lagged behind in vaccinations, but their levels were somewhat closer to expectations in most places studied. Hispanics on average are younger than other Americans, and vaccinations have yet to be thrown open to young people.

However, several states where Hispanic communities were hit particularly hard by COVID-19 have yet to report data, notably California and New York.

President Joe Biden is trying to bring more equity to the vaccine rollout he inherited from the Trump administration. The Biden administration is encouraging states to map and target vulnerable neighbourhoods using such tools as the CDC's social vulnerability index, which incorporates data on race, poverty, crowded housing and other factors.

Most states have yet to release any racial data on who has been vaccinated. Even in the states that provided breakdowns, the data is often incomplete, with many records missing details on race. However, the missing information would not be enough to change the general picture in most cases.

The data came from Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia, plus two cities, Philadelphia and Chicago.

The AP analysis found that whites are getting vaccinated at closer to or higher than expected levels in most of the states examined.

At the outset, health care workers and nursing home residents generally were given priority for shots in the US.

In the past couple of weeks, many states opened eligibility to a wider group of older people and more front-line workers, which could be further depressing the relative share of Black people getting vaccinated. The nation's over-65 population is more heavily white than other age groups.

The vaccine drive has been slower and more problem-plagued than expected. Many Americans of all races have had trouble getting shots because the supply is limited. Overall, about 7% of Americans have received at least one dose. But there are other problems slowing vaccination among Black Americans and other groups, experts said.

Some Black neighbourhoods have nobody signed up to give shots.

Louisiana is using the CDC tool to locate vulnerable neighbourhoods without vaccination sites, then recruiting new vaccinators in those neighbourhoods, said Dr Joseph Kanter, state health officer.

Other strategies under way in some states: providing transportation so people can get to their appointments and reaching homebound people via mobile vaccination units.

Many Black Americans and other people of colour are taking steps to make sure their communities receive the vaccine, including Detroit health care worker Sameerah Singletary, who is set to get a shot soon.

More than 1,700 residents of the nation's largest Black-majority city have died of the virus, including some of Singletary's friends and her godmother. Yet she knows many who are refusing the vaccine.

I think there is such a collective trauma in Black people, even in Detroit, that many people don't have nothing left, Singletary said. They've been traumatised so much that they don't care because the virus was just another layer on top." But she added: I feel like we have to participate in our healing.

(Image credit: AP)

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6, has put out a call to recruit a new army of 'part-time' spooks looking for adventure.

The UK's foreign intelligence service, which is portrayed in the James Bond films, is looking to boost recruitment and diversity by signing up Brits 'looking to spice up their otherwise dull life'.

Bond is famed for his macho, 'licence to kill' lifestyle, and previous recruitment drives by MI6 have sought to appeal to women and older people.

The latest series of ads, reported in The Daily Star, seeks to appeal to people with disabilities and 'consultants' with valuable contacts in Russia or China.

Bond is famed for his macho, 'licence to kill' lifestyle, and previous recruitment drives by MI6 have sought to appeal to women and older people. Pictured: Daniel Craig in Spectre

The initiative is thought to be the brainchild of the new head of MI6 Richard Moore, known as C for Controller. In the Bond films, the head of the service is known as 'M'.

One of the ads, placed in a magazine, says MI6 is seeking people with 'diverse skill sets and life experiences for part-time and consulting roles.'

It adds that the spying hopefuls will be considered 'highly desirable individuals' if they have expertise in 'their chosen field'.

In particular, the ad names 'foreign nationals' and applicants from overseas and Mr Moore spoke of encouraging diversity.

MI6, which has its headquarters on the river Thames in London (pictured), will allow the new spooks to work part time an hope to attract people with new skills.

The spy chief, whose wife is blind, is keen for people with disabilities to bring their expertise to the service.

Contacts, ideally in Russia and China, are also reportedly highly valued and sought after.

One source said: 'MI6 is basically saying to anyone fed up with their country's regime that they can work for British intelligence part-time.'

The source also boasted about the glamorous and exciting elements of the job.

'They would travel on business or holiday. That will be very attractive for a corporate executive looking to spice up an otherwise dull life.'
Kelly Dodd appeared to mock COVID-19 precautions while day-drinking at a crowded restaurant in Newport Beach, California.

The Real Housewives of Orange County star took to her Instagram Story Saturday with some particularly tone-deaf videos from a group outing.

She shouted 'Cheers!' while raising a glass to 'super spreaders' with her fellow patrons, who appeared to be unbothered that the state surpassed 40,000 COVID-related deaths the same day.

COVIDiots: Kelly Dodd appeared to mock COVID-19 precautions while recently day-drinking at a crowded restaurant in Newport Beach, California

The 45-year-old enjoyed some Mai Tais at Billy's at the Beach with her friends and cousin, who fake coughed after shouting: 'Spread that s***!'

'Nobody's wearing a mask,' another customer could be heard jokingly shouting, as the rest of the restaurant laughed.

She later defended herself, telling her 817K followers: 'I'm getting a lot of hate because we're at a restaurant we're allowed to be at. We're allowed to be at a restaurant, right?'

It comes after the California Department of Public Health lifted the state's stay-at-home order earlier this week, leading many restaurants to resume outdoor dining.

Casual outing: Dodd kept it casual in a white sweater with a green C9 Aspen trucker hat and some frameless mirrored aviator sunglasses

Lunch date: She was joined by husband Rick Leventhal, 61, who sported a blue henley and jeans

Bending the rules: Before drinks, they had breakfast inside at Wilma's Patio, where staff said dining was supposed to be 'restricted to outside only'

According to Johns Hopkins University, an average of 544 people a day have died from COVID in California over the past week, with one in 1,000 Californians having lost their lives to the coronavirus since it was first detected in the state.

The state's death toll has rapidly risen since it faced the worst surge of the pandemic back in October, with Southern California hospitals facing 0% ICU capacity last month.

Although state officials reported earlier this week that hospitalization numbers are declining, many have criticized them for prematurely lifting the stay-at-home order.

Dodd previously faced backlash last April for some insensitive comments she made on Instagram, after she was criticized for frivolously traveling, against the CDC's advisory.

Super spreaders: The Real Housewives of Orange County star took to her Instagram Story Saturday with some particularly tone-deaf videos from a group outing

Death toll milestone: She shouted 'Cheers!' while raising a glass to 'super spreaders' with her fellow patrons, who appeared to be unbothered that the state surpassed 40,000 COVID-related deaths the same day

Day-drinking: The 45-year-old enjoyed some Mai Tais at Billy's at the Beach with her friends and cousin, who fake coughed after shouting: 'Spread that s***!'

Breathe it in: 'Nobody's wearing a mask,' another customer could be heard jokingly shouting, as the rest of the restaurant laughed

She wrote: 'Do you know how many people died from the H1N1, the swine flu or SARS?. It's 25% get your facts straight you are only hearing numbers not the reality!

'It's God's way of thinning the herd! If you are vulnerable or compromised stay inside. If you don't protect others by wearings masks and gloves keep your distance and don't go out if you are ill!! Its common sense!'

The reality TV personality most recently apologized for her words on Watch What Happens Live, after host Andy Cohen overcame his own stint with COVID last year.

She said: 'At the time, it was a question  like, "Why are all these people dying? ... Why [do] pandemics happen like this? Is it God's way of thinning the herd?"

'It was a stupid thing for me to say. It was insensitive and I apologize if I hurt or offended anybody, cause that wasn't really my intention. I got freaked out about it and in hindsight, it was the stupidest thing I've ever said.'

Tone-deaf comment: Dodd previously faced backlash last April for some insensitive comments about the pandemic: 'It's God's way of thinning the herd!' (pictured in December, 2019)

Stupid thing to say: The reality TV personality most recently apologized for her words on Watch What Happens Live: 'It was a stupid thing for me to say. It was insensitive and I apologize if I hurt or offended anybody, cause that wasn't really my intention'

Chopping block: Dodd responded Friday to rumors (supposedly started by former costar Vicki Gunvalson) that she's getting the chop from RHOC, writing on Twitter: 'No I am not fired !!! Contacts havent come out yet ! Vicki stop being a hater ..'

Dodd responded Friday to rumors (supposedly started by former costar Vicki Gunvalson) that she's getting the chop from RHOC, writing on Twitter: 'No I am not fired !!! Contacts havent come out yet ! Vicki stop being a hater ..'

She did however threaten to quit earlier this week on Instagram Live if costar Braunwyn Windham-Burke returns for season 16: 'I know I cannot film with Braunwyn.

'I know for a fact that I cannot film with her. There's just no way and if she comes back then I'm out because I know for a fact that I cannot. She's dangerous and calling people racists and homophobic.'

Meanwhile, Cohen recently hinted on Twitter that RHOC might be headed for a casting overhaul, after responding to calls to cancel the show: 'I think you mean reBOOT.'
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WASHINGTON: Ten moderate Republican U.S. senators urged Democratic President Joe Biden on Sunday to significantly downsize his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to win bipartisan support as Democrats in Congress prepared to push ahead with his plan this week.

A top White House economic adviser signaled willingness to discuss the ideas raised by Republican senators who floated a $600 billion alternative, but said the president was not willing to compromise on the need for a comprehensive bill to address the public health crisis and economic fallout.

He is open to ideas, wherever they may come.  What hes uncompromising about is the need to move with speed on a comprehensive approach here," Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, told NBCs Meet the Press" program. A piecemeal approach  is not a recipe for success."

It was unclear whether the outreach by 10 of the 50 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would shift plans by congressional Democrats to take up legislation in the coming days. Biden and fellow Democrats are seeking to make use of their control of the House of Representatives and Senate to move quickly on the presidents top goal of addressing the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said his chamber would begin work on it as early as this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress would complete a preliminary step before the end of the week.

Congress enacted $4 trillion in COVID-19 relief last year.

Passage of the new relief legislation not only would impact Americans and businesses reeling during a pandemic that has killed about 440,000 people in the United States but also offers an early test of Bidens promise to work to bridge the partisan divide in Washington. Biden took office on Jan. 20.

Bidens proposal includes $160 billion for vaccines and testing, $170 billion for schools and universities, and funds to give certain Americans a $1,400 per-person stimulus check, among other provisions.

Some Republicans have questioned the overall price tag, while others urged more targeted measures, particularly over the direct payments to individuals.

In their letter to Biden, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney and seven other senators asked Biden for a meeting and said their compromise proposal could be quickly passed with bipartisan support, promising more details on Monday.

They said their proposal sought more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses, while echoing Bidens plan for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and childcare centers. They also pointed to unspent money from previous COVID-19 relief bills.

Ours is about $600 billion.  Were targeted to the needs of the American people," Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the 10 senators, told Fox News Sunday."

Deese said the White House was reviewing their letter but did not say whether Biden would meet with the group, which also included Republicans Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young, Jerry Moran, Michael Rounds and Rob Portman.

The United States leads the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths by a large margin. Bidens administration is seeking to scale up lagging vaccination efforts as new problematic variants of the novel coronavirus emerge.

Some moderate Democrats also urged changes to Bidens package while more liberal Democrats have pushed for more spending and other provisions such as a federal minimum wage hike to $15-an-hour - more than double the current $7.25-and-hour.

Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat from the conservative state of South Dakota, told CNNs State of the Union" program that the Republicans letter was a positive sign that folks want to work together."

With the Senate split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris wielding the tie-breaking vote, Democrats are considering using a parliamentary tool called reconciliation" that would allow the chamber to approve the bill with a simple majority. Under Senate rules, legislation usually requires 60 votes for passage.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Ended With a Whimper

The latest report from the Commerce Department confirmed what you could have probably guessed: 2020 set a record for the countrys worst economic decline in a calendar year, by at least one measure. Gross domestic product rose just 1 percent in the final quarter, a sharp slowdown from the previous three months. Economists attributed the end-of-the-year fizzle to waning fiscal support from the federal government and the resurgence of coronavirus cases over the holidays, which resulted in more business closings and lockdowns. But analysts also believe that the countrys comeback will be steadier in 2021, with more government stimulus on the horizon and vaccine distribution underway.

Image Credit... Giacomo Bagnara

Whats Next? (Jan. 31-Feb. 6)

Goodbye, Gas Stations

Better make sure your garage has ample outlets. General Motors has pledged to phase out gas-powered vehicles and switch entirely to cars and trucks with zero tailpipe emissions by 2035. Its part of the companys plan to become carbon neutral by 2040, one of the most ambitious goals in the auto industry. The move sets a higher standard for other automakers to follow, and may embolden the Biden administration to push for even more aggressive policies to encourage companies to fight climate change.

Epsteins Long Shadow

Leon Black, the chief executive and chairman of Apollo Global Management, one of the worlds biggest private equity firms, said he would step down from his executive role by July after revelations that he paid more than $150 million to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mr. Epstein committed suicide in jail more than a year ago while facing federal sex-trafficking charges, but many of his former associates remain tainted by proximity. An investigation found that Mr. Blacks payments were compensation for Mr. Epsteins business advice. They also explain how Mr. Epstein was able to bankroll at least part of his extravagant lifestyle.

A Good Quarter for Big Tech

The Big Four tech giants faced fresh scrutiny and legal threats from antitrust watchdogs in the past few months, but will that hurt their growth? Probably not, but well find out more when Amazon and Alphabet, Googles parent company, report their latest earnings this coming week. Facebooks profits jumped a whopping 53 percent in the most recent quarter, even as the company fought a major lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission in December (and kicked former President Donald J. Trump off the platform, driving away many of his supporters as a result). And Apples new iPhone 12 led to a 21 percent increase in sales, pushing the company past $100 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time.
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New Delhi:

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis scheduled visit to Israel on July 4, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that bilateral support on cyber security will be an important agenda during the talks with PM Modi.

Netanyahu said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is most important Prime Minister in world and he wants many bilateral cooperation in the field of cyber security.

Netanyahu said that earlier it was negative to call that we belong to Israel but now when we talk about cyber and advanced technology, it is positive thing to say that we belong to Israeli company. He added that whole world is now approaching us.

Israeli PM said that India is third fastest growing economy and PM Modi wants support in many fields including water, agriculture, health etc.

On the occasion of completion of 25 years in India-Israel political relations, PM Modi is slated to visit Israel on 3-day tour on July 4.

Also read: PM Modi is world's most important prime minister, says Israeli daily ahead of his visit

Also read: Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel faces dozens of cyber attacks every month



For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

The world is now under great pressure to administer vaccines as an immediate measure to curb the worst pandemic in a century that still shows no signs of slowing down. In an effort to contain the pandemic, many countries are searching for deals to secure vaccine access.

According to data collected by Bloomberg based on interviews, company disclosures, news reports and government data, up to Jan. 30, 2021, 8.49 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines have already been set aside, which would be enough to cover more than half of the worlds population if the shots were distributed evenly (considering most vaccines demand two doses).

However, as WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in his opening remarks at 148th session of the Executive Board, we now face the real danger that even as vaccines bring hope to some, they become another brick in the wall of inequality between the worlds haves and have-notsIts not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries.

Truth is that rich developed countries have accumulated extensive supply deals and storage, leaving other countries in a passive role. The gap of vaccine distribution between countries is shocking, as Tedros pointed out, more than 39 million doses of vaccine have now been administered in at least 49 higher-income countries. Just 25 doses have been given in one lowest-income country.

Jan. 20, 2021, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed about Chinese President Xi Jinpings pledge at the 73rd WHA that Chinas vaccines, once developed and deployed, would be made a global public good and help to realize the accessibility and affordability of Covid vaccines in developing countries worldwide.

In the race to immunize people and save lives, the Southeast Asia faces challenges of uneven distribution and large population. Many countries in the region have issued relevant policies and started official Covid-19 vaccination projects. Since China has always been a close friend and has shared a long lasting partnership with the Southeast Asia, amid the pandemic, China becomes a solid contracted vaccine supplier for many Southeast Asian countries to ensure mass rollout. Here is a tracker of Chinese vaccines in the Southeast Asia.

Chinese coronavirus vaccines in Southeast Asia. (Review number of the original map: GS(2016)2962, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China)

Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo received the first shot of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine on live TV, Jan. 13, 2021, marking the beginning of Southeast Asias largest rollout. Indonesia became the first country to use CoronaVac for mass vaccination outside of China. It is known that Indonesia has ordered 125.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccines, which will make up for 40% of Indonesias vaccine supply.

Vaccine is important in breaking the chain of the Covid-19 transmission and protect our health, Indonesian President said after getting the first jab. Joko Widodo also showed his confidence in the vaccine developed by Chinas Sinovac, as he became the first major world leader to publicly receive it, in an effort to clear up the skepticism over the vaccine.

Covid-19 vaccines developed by Chinas Sinovac Biotech. (Sun Wentan/Guangming Picture)

Philippines

Philippines is in preparation to vaccinate a fourth of its population next year, demanding roughly 50 million vaccine shots at least. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has affirmed trust in China and has set preference for Chinese vaccine by buying 25 million doses from the Sinovac Biotech, the first batch of which is due to arrive in February.

Besides, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi promised on Jan. 16, 2021 during a trip to Manila that China would donate 500,000 Covid-19 vaccine shots to the Philippines, Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs stated.

Malaysia

Malaysia confirmed the order of 14 million Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine doses on Jan. 12, 2021, given that the country prepares to secure enough coronavirus vaccines for 80% of its population, covering 26.5 million people.

Covid-19 vaccines developed by Chinas Sinovac Biotech. (He Jianghua/Guangming Picture)

Thailand

Thailand plans to inoculate about half of its population by 2022, starting from next month with 200,000 doses of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine, allowing immediate inoculating for people with the highest risks to be infected in the country amid a resurgence of the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Thailands Health Ministry, Thailand will receive Chinas Sinovac Biotech vaccines in three batches. The first batch of 200,000 doses will arrive in February, following by a second batch of 800,000 coming in March, and another 1 million doses in April.

Cambodia

Cambodias premier announced on Jan. 15, 2021 that China has offered to donate 1 million doses of Chinese coronavirus vaccine. Friend China is helping us with one million doses, Cambodias premier Hun Sun said in an audio message on his official Facebook page, which will vaccinate 500,000 people.

Screenshot of the official Facebook page of Cambodias premier Hun Sun, announcing that to create faith in vaccines, he would be the first in Cambodia to take Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine.

On Jan. 17, Cambodias premier Hun Sun announced that to create faith in vaccines, he would be the first in Cambodia to take Chinese Covid-19 vaccine.

Myanmar

The Embassy of Myanmar in Beijing, China announced on Dec. 31, 2020 that after 31 meetings with Chinas Foreign Ministry, Sinapharm, Sinovac and other vaccine research institutions, Myanmar would likely receive Chinese Covid-19 vaccines in early 2021.

On Jan. 12, 2021, China promised to back Myanmar with 300,000 free vaccines in its fight against the Covid-19, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up a two-day visit to Myanmar.

[ Editor: WXY ]
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

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Send your own user report!

Lethem Region 9 Guyana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : Just felt that strong tremor,bed n wall shaking but no damage here so far It happen so suddenly my heart was beating fast | 10 users found this interesting.

148.6 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Eu moro no segundo andar em um condominio, estava deitado assistindo quando do nada comecou a tremer muito forte, janelas todas balancando pareciam que iam quebrar a qualquer momento. Painel da televisao ficou tremendo na parede, experiencia horrivel. Todos sairam do condominio correndo com medo do predio cair. | 8 users found this interesting.

St.ignatius upper takutu upper essquibo- Guyana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : While i was lying on the bed i felt weak to moderate vibrations.Then everything in the house started to vibrate,rattle and moved.I thought i was dizzy but all my neighhbours felt it and shared one another experperience..there was a thunder like strange sound then i google it online.. | 7 users found this interesting.

Perserverance / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was in Bed and it felt as if I was on a water bed and somebody was trying to get on the bed. Wavey feeling. Here in Lethem there's not much to shake. | 6 users found this interesting.

Lethem (78.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I was sitting on my bed when it started to shake. I also heard a low rumble At first I thought a heavy truck was passing on the road but then realised that it was not a truck. I then heard the children asking one another why the house was shaking. So I went out into the hall and saw the children running for the front door. By the time we all reached the front door the shaking has eased, although you could still hear the rumbling sound. My wife was in the yard and she felt the ground shaking and | 5 users found this interesting.

Paramaribo, Suriname (585.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / single vertical bump / very short : I was sitting at the dinnertable last night, januari 30th, 2021, between 8:30-9:30pm and felt a very slight vibration. There was no traffic because we are on totalweekend lockdown. My dining chairs are like barstools so I sit higher then a regular chair? It felt like an ever so light vibration from my seat.I have felt a tremor before where there was significant shaking as if one is loosing uncontrolable balance in Suriname before back in 2011 or 2012 I think. Was not sure what last night was but | 5 users found this interesting.

Georgetown (459.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : I thought it was a large heavy truck passing by as usual. However, I did not hear any trucks passing so I suspected it to be an earthquake, my wife also felt it and saw the chandeliers shaking. | 5 users found this interesting.

Manaus / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I felt my house shaking and i was on my bed, my neighbors also felt | 7 users found this interesting.

Boa Vista / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I was studying in my room and I felt the ground trembling. Doors, windows, walls and furnitures were all shaking. | 5 users found this interesting.

397 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Tremor - 3 waves were felt. I live in a concrete (masonry) building. The vibration to shake was very noticeable. No shifting or rocking of anything,..just 3 strong tremors. | 4 users found this interesting.

Boa Vista (137.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Amazing | 5 users found this interesting.

Boa Vista - Roraima / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Tudo comecou a balancar e vibrar, forte e assustando, um barulho como de um caminhao tambem foi ouvido. Muito estranho e assustador. Durou pouco tempo e como nao e comum assustou a todos.. | 4 users found this interesting.

Linden, South Amelia's Ward (200.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : At about 15:04 or there about, I was sitting on a chair on the lower flat of my home with my right foot on to a door, suddenly I felt my chair, the door and my body shaking. I quickly asked my husband what's happening? By then I looked up and saw our overhead fan shaking as well, then suddenly everything stopped. I knew immediately that there was an earth quake somewhere, but in Linden we felt a tremor. I called a few persons and some said that they felt something too. I was still not too sure, | 3 users found this interesting.

Boa Vista / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Terrifying | 5 users found this interesting.

Boa Vista / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : Parecia aquelas maquinas de fazer asfalto passando na rua | 5 users found this interesting.

West Bank Demerara Guyana / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Was sitting in a verandah chair and felt a distinctive shake of the chair; I thought the chair was defective, but alas the first for 2921, not a good sign at all. | 3 users found this interesting.

East coast Demerara Guyana / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : I'm living at Melanie East coast Demerara. I was sleeping at the time and I felt my bed was swing but I didn't take it for anything until I saw the news | 3 users found this interesting. I felt it. I nearly shit my skin! / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Manaus (649 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Senti um leve tremor e estava deitado, muito sinistro | 3 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil (664.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Felt wall shaking. Guitar hanging on the wall was shaking. | 3 users found this interesting.

Bonfim, Roraima, Brazil / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was sleeping in the hammock and it felt like the wind was very strong and was rocking me. I thought it was perhaps a heavy vehicle passing. | 2 users found this interesting.

Boa vista RR em casa (141.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating Estava dormindo e sentir tudo tremer e o forro da casa fazer barulho corri pra fora de casa mais lembrei do covid e voltei p dentro.. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Grove, East Bank Demerara, Guyana / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s : I felt my house shaking and ask my husband if he felt and he said he did. | 3 users found this interesting.

Georgetown (470 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short : The fans ans chandeliers were shaking. And the table was moving. | 2 users found this interesting.

Guyana suriname ferry survice ,nickerie canawaima (416.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was shock | 2 users found this interesting.

459.5 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Felt very dizzy then I felt the room shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

430.4 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Weak tremor, jostled water in a water storage tank. | 2 users found this interesting.

425.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I live in a 2 story structure and I'm in a bottom apartment and felt the floor structure shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Ithaca (436.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was confused as to why this was happening to me | 2 users found this interesting.

470.7 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : affected balance for a few seconds. Thought i was dizzy | 2 users found this interesting.

453.2 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Light head swinging | 2 users found this interesting.

471.3 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I thought I was dizzy | 2 users found this interesting.

Boa Vista, Roraima- Brasil. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : I thought it was a large heavy truck passing by as usual. However, I did not hear any trucks passing so I suspected it to be an earthquake. I run outdoor. I felt a moderated windy. The floor was shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Stanleytown New Amsterdam, Berbice, Guyana / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I was resting in my bed , it fell short of a rattle as the entire bedroom felt wobbly. It was a moderate a pause and then a weak shake Nothing fell. | One user found this interesting.

Waikin Ranch, Upper Takatu River & Ireng River, Ce (91.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s : Was at Waikin Ranch, Rupununi Savannah, Lethem and laying on camper bed when it shook. Seemed reasonably long of a shake. Heard nothing.

Boa Vista, Roraima Brazil (132.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was indoors, and felt shaking like there was backhoe passing nearby, but then i felt the door bending, i dont know if physicaly or it was just my senses failing me since i never felt the earth literally moving under my feets, but it was very quickly, about 5 secs for me.

Boa Vista, Roraima, Zona Oeste, Bairro Cambara se (140.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : De acordo com essa classificacao, entendesse que seja moderado, no entanto, para nos da localidade quando comparamos aos ja sentidos pelos roraimenses, foi uma sensacao surreal,por isso muitos nao acreditavam. Eu estava dentro de casa, na cozinha, quando senti o chao tremer, o bebedouro e o armario de cozinha foram os mais perceptivos para mim, alem de um som parecido com aquelas maquinas pesadas, de manutencao das ruas. Meu pai que dormia ao chao, logo acordou e fomos para fora e

Georgetown (454.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was sitting on a chair and I live in a second flat. My mom who was laying down felt it too. It felt like a rolling feeling. From left to right. About 5 times and then it disappeared

Boa Vista, Roraima (144.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Second time I've had this experience living here, the first one being very similar in intensity (very mild) and having happened sometime in the last year and a half.

New Amsterdam, Berbice Guyana / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I was awoken by shaking and rattling ssound.My neighbors were also shocked and alarmed. | 2 users found this interesting.

Georgetown, Guyana / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : I felt a little shake in my Home, Georgetown, Guyana | 2 users found this interesting.

MANAUS / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : It was a clear smooth swing of bed, waters and other thins | 2 users found this interesting.

Diamond East Bank Demerara (felt tremors) / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : It was as though the place was swaying back and forth | 2 users found this interesting.

Manaus (653.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Estava deitado na cama, e comecou a tremer a cama. | 2 users found this interesting.

Manaus / Weak shaking (MMI III) : On my bed my body shaked slightly | 2 users found this interesting.

Georgetown / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : was sitting at my desk...felt the slight ondulation for a few seconds | 2 users found this interesting.

Providence, Georgetown / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : Slow steady rocking of 6-story hotel for about 5-6 seconds | 2 users found this interesting.

Guyana / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It was a light tremor. Felt as though you're light headed and trying to walk lmao | 2 users found this interesting.

Georgetown , Guyana (466.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Just light very light shaking | One user found this interesting.

141.1 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Just shaking the Doors | One user found this interesting.

Katoonarib / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : The shaking is ongoing in katoonarib, and due to the infrastructure of the housing we fear if it continues the house may collapse, there are already cracks appearing. Please send support.

Black Bush Polder, Corentyne Berbice / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : It was around 3:05 pm on 31th Jan, 2021 when I noticed a slight shaking. I was watching TV at the time and when I looked up, I saw the iron stand and the flowers on it shaking.

Georgetown / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sitting in the upper floor of the apartment, I felt a mild wave, also saw the door gently swaying. I called my son and told him I felt the house shaking and we were having an earthquake but he didn't feel it. It was really mild.

Pigeon island chateauMargoteast coastdemerara guya / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake : At about 9:00 hours this morning I was on my couch chair when my windows and my bedrooms doors start to . I wasn't sure what it was until I saw it on the news on facebook

Lethem / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : It was scary, because we never usually get these things | One user found this interesting.

Lethem / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : It was scary, because we never usually get these things | One user found this interesting.

region 4 / not felt : did not feel anything....was unaware of such occurrences | One user found this interesting.

379.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Light shaking | One user found this interesting.

Daguiars park Georgetown. / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Daguiars park georgetown | One user found this interesting.

Boa Vista RR Brazil / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Windows and sealing rattled | One user found this interesting.

Boa Vista, RR / Light shaking (MMI IV) : estava deitada quando senti a cama balancar e a janela ranger | One user found this interesting.

Georgetown (468.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

458.7 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

469 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

North Ruimveldt greater Georgetown guyana at 1500 (440 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

471.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt : Unaware

478.6 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

438.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

143.9 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

60 km south of Moengo Suriname (535.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

wales (457.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : just felt a short shaking, no glass even rattled.

Nickerie, Van Pettenpolder, Rogstraat (442.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

541.7 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

458.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Paramaribo (575.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Ogle Guyana (452.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Was sitting at computer. Rocked be back and forth a few times and objects were swing in my apartment

Linden, Guyana (314.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Was sitting in a chair when I felt sideways movements and saw chandelier swinging.

Kwakwani Park Region 10 Guyana South America / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I thought something was wrong with me. Until my partner asked if I felt the house shaking then is when I realised that it wasn't my nerves

Georgetown (470 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short : The fans ans chandeliers were shaking. And the table was moving.

Bairro Sao Francisco, Boa Vista (139.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Nickerie (439.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Georgetown, Houston (456.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

405.8 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

West Minister (464 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

449.3 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

439.8 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Boa vista (145.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

465.5 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

Georgetown (472.1 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Mocha East Bank Demerara (1.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Manaus (656.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

426 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

472.6 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Boa vista/RR (142.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Diamond (458.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

139.4 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Georgetown (471.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

458.6 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

443.4 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Linden (397 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

232.2 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

Boa vista RR bairro liberdade (142 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

440.9 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Manaus, Brazil (657.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

458.3 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

143.5 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

470.4 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

West Ruimveldt (446.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

469.6 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

139 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Boa Vista, Roraima. Bairro Caimbe, rua Pastor Fer (144.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Manaus, Amazonas (656 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

584.9 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

461.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Manaus (657.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Boa Vista (147.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Manaus (656.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

461.3 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

143.3 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

466.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

467.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Georgetown (471.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Manaus (656.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil (657.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short

470.7 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

Manaus (657.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

East Coast, Georgetown, Guyana (453.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Georgetown (457.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

713.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

458 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

449.7 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Boa Vista, RER, Brazil (143 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Corri (428.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Boa vista (138.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

433.9 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

440.5 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

143.7 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Georgetown (458.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

461.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

457.9 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

Daguiars park Georgetown. / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Daguiars park georgetown

Georgetown / not felt

Mahaica east coast Demerara / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Its like getting a giddiness

Boavista roraima nova Amazon vicinal 07 21 A boa / not felt

Boavista roraima nova Amazon vicinal 07 21 A boa / not felt

Boavista roraima nova Amazon vicinal 07 21 A boa / not felt

Georgetown / not felt

/ Violent shaking (MMI IX) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Boa Vista / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

BOA VISTA / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Linden / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Melanie North, Guyana / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Bonfim Brasil / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Region one barima waini / not felt

Georgetown / not felt

Manaus / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Mahaicony, Guyana / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

lethem / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

Bonfim roraima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Georgetown / not felt

Rosignol / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

New amsterdam,Berbice / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Awarewaunau / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Rosignol west bank berbice Guyana / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

Guyana Georgetown / not felt / 5-10 s

Cummings Lodge Scheme,Greater Georgetown,Guyana. / not felt

Canta, Roraima, Brasil / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Region 3 Parfaith / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Lethem / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Georgetown / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Lethem rupununi upper takutu upper essequibo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Sparendaam / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Georgetown / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

nickerie / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Bonfim- roraima Brazil / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Georgetown, Grear Diamond East Bank Demerara / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Bare Root East Coast demerara / not felt

Guyana / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Brasil, Boa Vista / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Berbice / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Manaus / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Manaus / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake

Diamond Housing Scheme East Bank Demerara / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Bartica / not felt

Georgetown / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s

Boa Vista / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Guyana ( east bank of Demerara ) / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Guyana / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

Region #6 East Berbice Corentyne. (Skeldon/Linepat / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Georgetown / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

manaus / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Wanica, Suriname / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

Essequibo island west demerara / not felt

Greater Georgetown / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Georgetown / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Georgetown / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling

Georgetown / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Manaus / not felt

Linden, Guyana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Diamond East Band Demerara GUYANA / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Berbice / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Corriverton guyana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Manaus / not felt

Skeldon Guyana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

linden / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s

Boa Vista Roraima / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Lethem / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Boa vista / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Georgetown / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Georgetown, Sophia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Manaus / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Boa Vista / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Lethem, Guyana / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Queens town guyana / not felt

Dochfour Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Paramaribo, Kaliedienweg / not felt

Georgetown / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

East bank Guyana / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Boa vista. / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Paradise / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Linden, Guyana / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Boa Vista Roraima Brazil / not felt / 5-10 s

Boa vista RR brasil / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Parika / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Boa Vista / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Mahaica Berbice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake

Manaus / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Manaus / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Boa Vista, RR, Brasil / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

Boa Vista-RR / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Georgetown, Guyana, SA / not felt / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s

Manaus / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Manaus / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Boa Vista / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Georgetown / Light shaking (MMI IV)

saramacca / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Manaus / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Boa Vista / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Boa Vista / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Georgetown / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

New Providence, East Bank Demerara. / not felt

Cayenne Guyane francaise (16h09) / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

Guyana west bank demerara / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Queens Town , Georgetown / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Skeldon Guyana / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Manaus / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Georgetown Guyana / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Manaus / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Georgetown / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ellsworth: Did you get the message from your body?
Perth will enter a harsh five-day lockdown after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested positive to Covid and visited at least 15 locations around the city.

Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan declared a state of emergency on Sunday as he revealed the man in his 20s tested positive to the virus after midnight on Saturday.

Perth, Peel and the South West will enter lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population.

The three regions will be closed off to each other, meaning residents will be banned from travelling between them without an exemption. Road checkpoints will be set up to ensure compliance.

The employee worked two shifts at Sheraton Four Points in Perth's CBD, and was stationed on a floor where at least one returned traveller was diagnosed with the UK strain of the disease, which is up to 80 per cent more infectious.

Mr McGowan said genomic sequencing is already underway, but it would be reasonable to accept that the man contracted the mutant strain, and that his close contacts would test positive in the coming days.

Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan held an emergency press conference on Sunday

Long queues are seen outside Coles in Maylands, one of the potential exposure sites, in Perth, on Sunday

Residents are pictured queuing to get into a Coles supermarket on Sunday before the harsh five-day lockdown comes into effect

LOCKDOWN RULES Residents in Perth, Peel and the South West are required to stay home, except for the following four reasons: - Shopping for essentials like groceries, medicine and necessary supplies - Medical or health care needs including compassionate requirements and looking after the vulnerable - Exercise, within their neighbourhood, but only with one other person and only for one hour per day - Work, where you cannot work from home or remotely If you do leave home, for one of the four reasons you will be required to wear a mask at all times outside and if you need to work indoors, then wearing a mask in the workplace is also mandatory Mask wearing on public transport is also mandatory Advertisement

The employee doubles as a rideshare driver, but the premier understands that he had not worked any shifts for the company since Friday, January 23.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders - though this view is disputed by other states.

As per the lockdown orders, residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for four reasons; shopping for essential goods like groceries and medicine, seeking medical treatment, exercise for one hour per day and work if a person cannot work remotely.

All pubs, clubs, playgrounds and gyms in Perth will close, while restaurants will be open for takeaway only and visits will be banned to care homes and hospitals.

Schools will remain closed - they were supposed to reopen on Monday for the first day of the year.

Restrictions have also been reintroduced for funerals - limiting them to just 10 people for the duration of lockdown.

Weddings have been cancelled during the lockdown period.

Residents must wear face masks at all times they are outside and they are also compulsory at indoor workplaces.

Masks are mandatory on public transport.

Anybody within the locked down regions were urged to stay put to avoid potentially spreading the virus to regional and vulnerable communities.

'We are strongly encouraging that everyone in this area who is from another WA region, stay here,' Mr McGowan said.

'Do not travel further outside of this area until the lockdown is over.'

Perth, Peel and the South West will enter a strict lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the days ahead will be a difficult period for the Western Australia residents subject to the harsh lockdown

BUSINESS CLOSURES This lockdown means the following businesses, venues and locations in the relevant regions need to close for the next five days: - Pubs, bars and clubs - Gyms and indoor sporting venues - Playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor recreational facilities - Cinemas, entertainment venues, and casinos - Large religious gatherings and places of worship - Libraries and cultural institutions Restaurants and cafes will close, and provide takeaway service only 10 people can attend funerals, weddings are cancelled for the next five days No visitors are permitted to your home, unless caring for someone vulnerable or an emergency No visitors will be allowed in aged care homes, unless exceptional circumstances No visitors to hospitals and/or disability facilities, unless exceptional circumstances Elective surgery and procedures for categories 2 and 3 will be suspended from Tuesday. Category 1 and urgent category 2 surgery will continue Advertisement

Supermarkets were struggling to cope with the demand by Sunday afternoon as panic buyers rushed to stores to stock up for the lockdown.

There are reports some have been forced to close their doors to give employees an opportunity to restock. Pictures show people queuing around the block to access stores.

Mr McGowan implored the public not to rush to stock up on supplies.

He warned the lockdown will last at least five days, and if there are no new cases, authorities will look to slowly ease restrictions from that point onwards.

'We've seen this all over the world. This virus is insidious, it is very difficult to control. We've done a remarkable job the last 10 months of containing that but we've now had an outbreak,' Mr McGowan said.

'Our model is to deal with it very quickly, and very harshly, so that we can bring it under control and not have community spread like in other parts of the world.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned the next few days will be difficult for residents subject to the harsh lockdown.

'The coming days will be difficult for many Western Australians but we're confident WA will be able to get on top of the current outbreak,' Mr Morrison said.

'A big thank you to everyone in WA for your patience and cooperation as we all work to fight this terrible virus.'

Authorities are investigating how the man came to be infected with Covid, and are adamant he did not 'unnecessarily expose himself' by entering any hotel rooms.

Health minister Roger Cook said the man 'would have' been wearing PPE while working on shift at the hotel.

He tested positive to the virus on Saturday night after working two 12 hour shifts last week, on January 25 and 27.

During his shifts, there were four known cases of Covid in the hotel - two of which were the UK variant and one was the equally as infectious South African strain.

Supermarkets were struggling to cope with the demand by Sunday afternoon as panic buyers rushed to stores to stock up for the lockdown

By Thursday, the young man had developed symptoms and called in sick to work before presenting for Covid testing.

But authorities have already compiled a long list of 15 locations across Perth that have potentially been exposed to the virus.

The list will continue to grow in the coming days as contact tracers get further information, but already includes several businesses throughout the suburb of Maylands.

The infected employee was registered on the SafeWA contact tracing app, which recorded his movements in the days before testing positive.

Anybody who visited one of the following locations must seek Covid testing immediately and self isolate until they receive a negative result:

Coles Maylands on January 25 between 8pm and 10pm and January 29 between 8pm and 9pm

KFC Maylands on January 27 between 6pm and midnight

Mitsubishi Motors in Midland on January 27 from 7pm to close

Spudshed, Coventry Village in Morley on January 27 from 8pm to midnight

ECU Joondalup on January 28 from 11am to 2pm

Consulate general of India in St Georges Terrace on January 28 at 5pm

Halal Grocery Store in Cloverdale on January 28 from 7pm to 9pm

Venus ladies and gentleman hair design in Maylands on January 29 between 1pm and 3pm

Perth Convention Centre on January 29 between 4pm and 6pm

Nedlands GP on January 29 between 5pm and 6pm

Chemist Warehouse North Perth on January 29 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm

7-Eleven Ascot petrol station on January 29 from 8pm to 9pm

Coles Express Shell Clovedale on January 30 between 12pm and 3pm

Puma Service Station in Burswood on January 30 from 11am until 12pm

Pharmacy 777 at Maylands Park shopping centre on January 30 from 2.30pm to 4pm

Authorities have already tested the man's housemates, who both tested negative. But there are fears they might just be in the early stages of the infection, and could still later test positive.

Mr McGowan said the employee was regularly tested as part of his contract, including on January 15, 17 and 23 before his positive test on January 30.

The premier begged the community to come forward and seek testing if they develop any symptoms of Covid-19, no matter how obscure.

He warned there may be delays in testing, and suggested people take 'a hat, sunscreen and some water' while they queue up in Perth's scorching hot summer.

Testing clinic locations will be announced shortly and will have extended hours for the foreseeable future.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders by closing his state off from the rest of Australia for most of 2020

There are reports some have been forced to close their doors to give employees an opportunity to restock. Mr McGowan implored the public not to rush to stock up on supplies

Panic buyers flock to grocery stores to prepare for the five day lockdown

Just one day earlier, the premier announced he would allow travellers from Queensland and Victoria to fly in without having to quarantine or self isolate.

He said the decision was made in response to both states' continued success in the fight against Covid.

From Monday February 1, Queenslanders were supposed to be exempt from the strict quarantine process, while Victorians would be welcomed in from February 5.

But Mr McGowan has now urged the public to reconsider travel plans for their own health and safety.

'Unless you actually have to come, don't come, because it's a situation where you'll be in a lockdown,' Police Commissioner Chris Dawson added.

Queensland moved swiftly to declare the lockdown areas as hotspots.

'Anyone who has been in those areas who arrives in Queensland from 6pm (Sunday) will be required to go into 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine,' Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

'This timeframe may change as we receive more information about the WA outbreak.

'Anyone who is already in Queensland but has been in Perth or the Peel or South West regions since January 26 should come forward and get tested and isolate until get a negative result.'

Victoria moved the lockdown areas from green zones to red under their traffic light system, from 9pm on Sunday.

Anyone who has been in a red zone since January 25, including Victorians, cannot enter the state without an exemption.

Mr McGowan said: 'Border controls are important here  and I 100 per cent support them to ensure we can get through this'.

The development came as Australia reached a milestone two weeks without any community transmission.

Those hopes were dashed by Mr McGowan's press conference.

The employee worked two shifts at Sheraton Four Points in Perth 's CBD, and was stationed on a floor where at least one returned traveller was diagnosed with the highly infectious UK strain of the disease

The concept of a short, sharp lockdown is not foreign to Australia, with governments in both South Australia and Queensland opting to introduce them to stem the spread of Covid-19 in the past.

Queensland's 72 hour lockdown came last month after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel contracted the highly infectious UK strain of Covid-19 at work.

She spread the infection to her partner, but there were no other known cases in the community.

Mr McGowan said he was following Ms Palaszczuk's actions because she 'crushed it' and successfully avoided community spread.

After three days, lockdown was lifted and restrictions eased swiftly in the week to follow, with Ms Palaszczuk declaring the weekend an enormous success.

'Brisbane crushed it... And our measures are actually harsher. Hopefully, we can crush it in its tracks and get back to normal in coming weeks,' Mr McGowan said.

He said he 'believed this was the right way', in a veiled dig at NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who did not lock down and beat Sydney's outbreaks in a month using gentler methods.

It followed South Australia's decision to lock down months earlier, when Covid was detected in the community after months without any transmission.

The premier announced on Saturday he would allow travellers from Queensland and Victoria to fly in without having to quarantine or self isolate

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

Mr McGowan also said he would be suspending his election campaign while he focused on eliminating the virus again.

'That's the furthest thing from my mind... I don't think people want political campaigning for at least the next five days,' he said.

There are fears Victoria could also break its 25-day Covid-19 free spell after a test came back with an 'indeterminate result'.

Department of Health and Human Services took to Twitter to make the announcement on Sunday.

'DHHS received a notification of an indeterminate result last night,' the tweet read.

'Follow up tests are underway and precautionary public health actions are being taken. There will be an update on the case later today.'

From Monday February 1, Queenslanders were supposed to be exempt from the strict quarantine process, while Victorians would be welcomed in from February 5
Washington, Jan 31 : The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an order which will make wearing of masks on planes and other public transportation mandatory across the country in a latest attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The order is set to come into effect on Monday night, The Hill news website reported on Saturday.

The CDC measure will requires the wearing of masks at bus terminals, airports, train stations, subway stops, taxis and also while using ride-hailing services.

"People must wear masks that cover both the mouth and nose when awaiting, boarding, traveling on, or disembarking public conveyances. People must also wear masks when entering or on the premises of a transportation hub in the US," The Hill news website quoted the CDC as saying in a statement.

Failure to wear the masks in the designated spaces will result in a violation of federal law.

A day after his inauguration, President Joe Biden on January 21 issued an executive orderdirecting federal agencies to "immediately take action" to mandate the use of masks in airports, trains, intercity bus services and public maritime vessels such as ferries.

The CDC order comes as the US continues to see thousands of new cases of the coronavirus each day, as well as deaths.

In its latest update on Sunday morning, the Johns Hopkins University revealed that the overall caseload and death toll in the US, currently the worst-hit country in the world stood at 26,067,807 and 439,420, respectively.
Top advisers with the governments Climate Change Committee have slammed ministers in a fast-escalating controversy over a new 165m coal mine set to be dug in Cumbria.

The group said the proposed Woodhouse Colliery near Whitehaven would spew more emissions than any other such facility currently running in the UK.

In a dramatic intervention, it also said the site would compromise the countrys aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and undermine leadership of the vital COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November.

The development looks set to become the UKs first new coal mine in 30 years after ministers effectively waved through permission for it to go ahead earlier this month by declining to review the plans.

But in a letter published on Saturday, Lord Deben, chair of the CCC, said the decision not to call in the proposals for further scrutiny gave a negative impression of the UKs climate priorities.

He wrote: The opening of a new deep coking coal mine in Cumbria will increase global emissions and have an appreciable impact on the UKs legally binding carbon budgets.

The mine is projected to increase UK emissions by 0.4Mt (megatonnes) of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year.

This is greater than the level of annual emissions we have projected from all open UK coal mines to 2050.

The vast scheme  which would extract 2.78 million tonnes of coal a year up to 2049  was approved by the Cumbria County Council in October. The government declined to call in the decision saying it was a local matter for local people.

But opponents to the plans  including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and a number of Cumbrian campaign groups  have questioned how something that will increase global pollution can possibly be considered a local issue.

John Sauven, from Greenpeace, said it was extraordinary that anyone still believes burning coal is only a local issue and has no global impacts.

Yet the government shows no signs of backing down  not least because support for the mine remains huge in Cumbria itself.

The promise of 500 direct jobs and 2,000 more in the supply chain in an area desperately in need of employment have won Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem support on both Copeland Borough and Cumbria County councils.

Advocates point out that only coking coal  entirely essential in the production of steel  will be mined; not thermal coal for fuelling power stations.

They argue that, if the UK wants to keep producing steel  needed in pretty much any infrastructure project imaginable  it still need such coal.

Lets get it out the ground here instead of importing it halfway around the world from China or Russia, Mike Starkie, the directly elected Conservatove mayor of Copeland told The Independent. Lets have those jobs in the UK.

Low carbon methods of producing steel are being developed but are not expected to be able to develop quantities until well into the middle of the next decade.
I'm looking at a photograph on Instagram. It's a striking image of actress Caoimhe O'Malley. There she is: eyes closed, long dark hair swept back off her face, prominent dark eyebrows, one large sparkly earring decorating her left ear, her right arm raised above her head. And she's wet. Very wet. So wet that you can see the water running in rivulets down her face, with some individual droplets distinctive on her brow and with others gathered along her top lip.

There are more images here of the same woman. Staring straight at the camera, smiling, serious, fooling around. The many faces of Caoimhe. But in each and every one of them she is soaking wet. Not because she has been caught outside in a sudden downpour but because - and despite the fact that she is wearing a jacket - she is in the shower. Yes, the shower. Nina Val's shower, to be precise. The shower in photographer Nina Val's bathroom in Dublin.

Nor is Caoimhe the only one who has sat, fully clothed, in that same shower, as the list so far numbers seven - the other six being musicians Liam O Maonlai and Ian McFarlane; fashion influencer Lawson Mpame; DJ Aoife Nic Canna; community worker Tricia Apolot, and actor Sophie Merry. And the result is a fascinating collection of portraits.

When I ring Nina to have a chat about her 'In the Shower' project, her soft Canadian accent is immediately accentuated by the purely audio connection between us. She is no blow-in, though; the 40-year-old photographer has been living in Ireland for the past 15 years. It's when she mentions that she came here "for the music", however, that you realise there is more than one string to Nina Val's creative bow.

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So, just to clarify things on the artistic talent front: she is a professional photographer, a practising musician, a writer for Hot Press magazine and a model (signed to Morgan The Agency) whose recent work includes a shoot - with Nina in front of the camera this time - for the Guinness Storehouse.

She grew up in Vancouver, the youngest of four daughters, born to her Hungarian mother and Serbian father, her mother having come to Canada as a young girl while her father arrived in his 20s. While Vancouver was her home city, Nina also spent time in Toronto in her late teens and 

 early 20s and absolutely adored that particular Ontarian metropolis. "So exciting, so multicultural. I loved it," she says.

I ask her about the modelling. I have looked at some shots of her online before we chat and I can well understand why she would be snapped up by an agency; there is an ethereal beauty about her.

"I've been modelling since I was five," she tells me. "Shoots for commercials - fruit-cup drinks, that kind of thing. I still have strong memories of it all being excited, getting dressed up." Even as a child she says that it taught her a lot, "including how to handle rejection".

As a 19-year-old, she spent months backpacking alone in Europe, taking photographs of so many places but, most notably, perhaps, of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's war-torn city of Belgrade in her father's native Serbia, in the wake of the Kosovo War.

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"My Dad had given me his Nikon film camera," she says. She didn't know back then that photography would dominate her life but "it was always there in my brain". When her father eventually saw the pictures she had taken on her European odyssey, he was more definitive about his daughter's future. "You'll be a photographer," he told her.

And he was right. Alongside her current 'In the Shower' solo project she also works as a documentary wedding photographer alongside the internationally renowned Dublin photographer David Frain. What began as a mentorship has now become a business collaboration. She adores the job, loves meeting so many different people, enjoys the travel (she has shot three weddings in Morocco) and thrives on the joy that such occasions engender.

She photographed the wedding of President Higgins' nephew - "a wonderful day," she remembers, speaking fondly of both Michael D and his wife, Sabina - and was also asked to specifically photograph actor Jamie Dornan when he was a guest at another wedding.

So, from bridal showers to 

 actual showers, and the obvious question about this particular photographic project is a straightforward one: why did she want to photograph different people, all fully dressed, in her bathroom shower?

Well, although the current seven were photographed during these pandemic times - with safety measures in place - she had already photographed someone else in the shower setting, back in August 2019.

"It was Karl Bowe," she explains. "Mr Ireland." Keen to capture the fitness of his physique but wanting to avoid the obvious photographic cliches, she asked him if she could do a water shoot by putting him in the shower. He agreed. A year later, in the summer of 2020 and with lockdown temporarily lifted, she shot the former Mr Ireland again, once more fully clothed but this time in the sea. What she thought would become the start of her 'Jetty Series' shows Karl Bowe floating in water and emerging from the water beside the jetty. All in very James Bond mode, complete with Bowe's 007-look white shirt and unfastened tie.

The Karl Bowe photographs got Nina thinking. How would other people feel about similar water shots, she wondered, already imagining her 'Jetty Series' taking on a life of its own. Then, what with another lockdown and the arrival of the colder weather last autumn, the outdoor jetty idea was jettisoned. It was back to the shower. Now, with a selection of portraits of her first seven sitters available to view on social media, Nina Val is hoping to expand the project and is actively seeking more people willing to participate.

So what is she trying to capture in this 'In the Shower' project? What does the shower setting deliver - for her and for the participants - that is different?

"Something special happens when the water hits each person," Nina says. "It seems to peel away the layers in a very honest and human way. I am photographing a physical person but I am also capturing their spirit."

For the subjects themselves, it also appears to be an enriching experience. Nina lets them choose their own water temperature and makes sure that they are comfortable. She also asks them each to bring something of personal significance with them into the shower.

Like what?

"Well, Liam O Maonlai brought musical instruments, for example. Caoimhe O'Malley brought a script, Aoife Nic Canna [a dance music DJ] brought vinyl"

All of the images of each person are taken at one sitting. Once each shoot is over, Nina retreats downstairs.

"When they come back down and open the door I always ask, 'Well, how was that?' Immediately, though, I can see that they look more relaxed, refreshed by the process. It's really therapeutic."

For Nina, too?

"Yes, definitely."

Some of the seven sitters she already knew; she'd done radio shows with Aoife Nic Canna, for example, and also knew bass guitarist Ian McFarlane from the musical side of her world. Liam O Maonlai she didn't really know, so why him? "He's just iconic," she says, "and he was really enthusiastic about it when I asked." The O Maonlai photos are extraordinarily striking, almost biblical in their depiction of the Hothouse Flowers musician.

And while the artistry is paramount in this project, Nina Val is also on top of the practicalities of photographing up close during a pandemic.

"I am actually outside the bathroom door," she explains. "My bathroom is quite big and the shape of it works very well for this project. And the lens I use means that I don't have to be close; I'm not as close as it looks from the photographs. It has been such a beautiful thing to work on this during the pandemic. It's so unique when each person sits there under the flowing water. It can be quite emotional."

Have there been tears?

"Yes," she says, mentioning no names. "Yes, there have been tears."





Portraits by Nina Val

See ninaval.com; @nvksocial
Guttenberg said he holds McCarthy and other GOP leaders responsible and said they "need to take her at her word and do something before someone gets hurt." He said he found no humor in Greene's speculation about the Camp fire.

"There are a lot of people who are willing to believe these things," he said. "They use a universe of alternative facts to justify engaging in violence ... It can't be allowed to continue."

The Camp fire was sparked by PG&E electrical equipment, some of which was nearly 100 years old. The company pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter last June.

"If a Jewish laser was able to accurately target the rusted-out, 100-year-old transmission tower that caused the fire, what a good shot they were. It was a hell of a good shot," Lee Houskeeper, a media consultant for a law firm that represented scores of Camp fire victims in lawsuits against PG&E, told The Times, sarcastically.

Skepticism toward government messaging isn't new, and knocking down rumors has always been part of the job for crisis communicators. But now, in the age of social media, false information spreads like, well, wildfire and can be dangerous in real time when officials need to quickly share the facts about fast-moving crises.

Police officers patrol and check for entry permits to Victoria at a border checkpoint in Mallacoota, Australia on Dec. 29, 2020. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

Vic State Government Has Issued a Million Travel Permits Since Mid December

The Victorian government has issued more than a million travel permits since virus border restrictions were imposed just over six weeks ago.

As of January 30, 1,014,787 permits had been granted for travellers to enter Victoria, an average of almost fifteen permits for every minute of every day since restrictions were imposed on December 16.

More than 20,000 applications were received in the 24 hours to Saturday evening.

But while plenty of visitors are being granted permits to enter the state, authorities have detected evidence of virus fragments at six different locations, including the popular tourist towns of Cowes on Phillip Island, and Castlemaine in the northwest.

Fragments have also recently been found in wastewater at the satellite Melbourne suburb of Pakenham, rural Gisborne, Hamilton in the states southwest and the South Gippsland town of Leongatha.

The health department is urging residents and visitors to these locations to get tested if they have even mild symptoms.

On Saturday Victoria notched up 24 days since its last locally acquired case of the coronavirus.

But one new case has been detected in Melbournes hotel quarantine system, an international airline crew member aged in her twenties.

Also on Saturday, the WA government announced Victorians can travel to Western Australia quarantine-free from next week.

Meanwhile Victorias chief health officer will allow up to 30,000 people to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne each day, about half the usual attendance numbers.

The last players and participants still in the hotel quarantine system are expected to leave on Sunday.

Liz Hobday in Melbourne
(Newser)  On a Sunday night in January 2020, California prosecutors say, a sheriff's deputy patrolling a rural road alone hit the emergency broadcast button on his radio and said: "Shots fired! "Shots fired!" Officers from four agencies responded. Santa Clara County officials have now decided there was no ambush, CNN reports. Sukhdeep Gill, 27, was arrested Friday and charged with felony vandalism and falsely reporting a crime. He's been released on his own recognizance and is still on paid administrative leave, as he was during the investigaton, per KTVU. "This case is bewildering and deeply disappointing," the district attorney said. "Deputy Gill's actions abused the trust of his fellow officers and diverted public safety resources away from protecting the community to investigate a made-up crime."

story continues below

A manhunt followed for the person who supposedly had shot Gill from a passing car as the deputy was standing along the road. Gill reported that one shot hit him but that it destroyed his body camera, saving himwhich prosecutors called "a miraculous spot." The deputy reported three bullets hit his department vehicle. Prosecutors said the evidence revealed problems with Gill's story, though they didn't specify which parts of it. "We are looking forward to getting our hands on the investigation and the evidence to understand why these charges are being pursued," his lawyer said in a statement. The sheriff issued a statement saying, "If the allegations hold true, Deputy Gills actions are not representative of the upstanding men and women of the Sheriff's Office." Gill, who's been with the department since 2016, faces three years in prison if convicted. (A Louisiana officer was accused of staging an ambush last year.)
Saudi Arabia's health minister said on Sunday that complacency around coronavirus restrictions had led to a notable increase in daily cases in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia recorded 270 new infections on Saturday, 105 of them in the capital Riyadh.

The kingdom, the largest among the six Gulf Arab states, has recorded more than 367,800 cases and 6,370 deaths so far, the highest tally in the region. It saw daily infections fall from a peak above 4,000 in June to dip below the 100 mark in early January.

"We have unfortunately in recent days registered a noticeable increase and continued rise in infections. One of the main reasons is gatherings and complacency with precautionary measures," said Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah.

"Lack of compliance will force us to take measures to protect society," he said in televised remarks. "I ask you to help us preserve the gains we made in combating coronavirus ... This is a very difficult stage."

Neighbouring United Arab Emirates, where the total has reached 303,609 cases so far, has seen daily infections triple in the past month following an influx of visitors to the tourism hub in December.

On Sunday, it recorded 2,948 new infections, down from a peak of 3,966 last week, and reported 12 deaths for the second day in a row.

Countries in the oil producing region had largely lifted restrictions with the exception of mask-wearing in public and social distancing. In addition to Dubai emirate in the UAE, Oman and Bahrain have recently introduced new measures following an uptick in cases.

All Gulf states have launched immunisation campaigns. The UAE and Bahrain rank second and fourth globally on vaccine rollout per head of population.

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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Federal political parties have received $1.1 billion from hidden donors in a trend towards greater secrecy over two decades, says a new report that warns of dangerous failures in the system meant to expose vested interests.

A handful of dominant players have increased their sway over federal politics by making one-quarter of all donations over the period, led by mining magnate Clive Palmer as well as Liberal and union funds.

Big time political party donor, Clive Palmer. Credit:

In a damning assessment of the disclosure regime, the not-for-profit Centre for Public Integrity says voters are being denied crucial facts about who has paid for influence with about $3 billion in party income over two decades.

The findings come as the Australian Electoral Commission prepares to release annual disclosures on Monday for the past financial year, naming some of the donors but leaving many hidden under the laws agreed by the major parties.
NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cited several measures of his government to assert that they are in line with Swami Vivekananda's vision to help the poor and said from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change, India is now providing solutions to the world's problems.

Addressing the 125th anniversary celebrations of 'Prabuddha Bharata', a monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order started by Swami Vivekananda in 1896, Modi listed several schemes, including the opening of bank accounts and health insurance for the poor, to assert that they were in line with Swami Vivekananda's vision.

"If the poor cannot access banks, banks must reach them -- that is Jan Dhan Yojana. If the poor cannot access insurance, it must reach them -- that is Jan Suraksha scheme. If the poor cannot access healthcare, it must reach them -- this is Ayushman Bharat scheme," Modi said.

Swami Vivekananda had said the remedy for weakness is not brooding over it, but thinking of solutions, the prime minister stated.

"When we are thinking in terms of obstacles we get buried in them, but when we think in terms of opportunities, we get the way to move forward," he said.

"Take the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. What did India do? It did not just see the problem and remain helpless, India focused on solutions. From producing PPE kits to becoming a pharmacy for the world, our country has gone from strength to strength," the prime minister said.

India is at the forefront of developing COVID-19 vaccines and just a few days ago the country launched the world's largest vaccination drive, he said.

"We are using these capacities to also help other nations," Modi added.

Noting that climate change is another obstacle that the whole world is facing, he said, "We did not only complain about the problem, we brought a solution in the form of International Solar alliance."

"We are also advocating greater use of renewable resources. This is the Prabuddha Bharata of Swami Vivekananda's vision being built. This is an India which is giving solutions to the world's problems," he said.

Swami Vivekananda named this journal as Prabuddha Bharata to manifest spirit of the nation as he wanted to create an awakened India, Modi said.

"Swami Vivekananda saw India as a cultural consciousness that has been living and breathing for centuries, an India that only emerges stronger after every challenge despite contrary predictions," he said.

The journal 'Prabuddha Bharata' has been an important medium for spreading the message of India's ancient spiritual wisdom. Its publication was started from Chennai (erstwhile Madras), where it continued to be published for two years, after which it was published from Uttarakhand's Almora.

In April 1899, the place of publication of the journal was shifted to Advaita Ashram in Uttarakhand's Mayavati and it has been published from there ever since.

Some of the greatest personalities have left their imprint on the pages of 'Prabuddha Bharata' through their writings on Indian culture, spirituality, philosophy, history, psychology, art, and other social issues.

Luminaries like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sister Nivedita, Sri Aurobindo, former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, among others, have contributed to the journal over the years.

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Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday said that the Opposition alliance stands united despite its differences.

According to Geo News, the PDM chief's statement comes after PPP suggested that the government be ousted through a no-confidence motion, while PML-N rejected the idea.

While speaking to the media in Peshawar, the PDM chief said that the Imran Khan-led federal government has no cause for celebration. "PDM stands united and we will show our cards when we see fit."

"We are united and are moving forward with an effective strategy," Rehman added and further took a jibe at the Pakistani government saying that the rulers "have been fools and will continue to make fools of themselves".

Rehman said that with the dissolution of the Sindh Assembly, the electoral college still remains intact which is why the Opposition parties decided to take part in the by-polls and the Senate elections.

"We contested every by-election," he said, adding that "historically the true opinion of the people has always come forth in by-polls."

Geo News further reported that the PDM chief said that the public's opinion was "changed" during the 2018 general elections, and the election and its results are what the Opposition has been protesting.

"Why were such individuals given the reins of power who had no right to rule?" he questioned. Recently, the (PDM) on Monday announced its new round of anti-government rallies across the country. After a meeting of the PDM steering committee in Islamabad, PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that they will hold its first rally of the new phase in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh on February 5.

According to the PDM chief, the next rally will be held in Hyderabad on February 9 and it will be followed by another public gathering in Sialkot on February 13.

Accusing Imran Khan of seeking the biggest National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the foreign funding case, the PDM chief said "Foreign funding case is the biggest scandal in the country's history and Imran Khan is the main accused in the case."

PDM had organised several rallies including those in Peshawar, Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta, Multan, and Lahore since October 16.

The PDM has announced the protest as it has demanded the resignation of Imran Khan by January 31.

(ANI)

Also Read: India calls out Pakistan over Hindu temple vandalism, says Islamabad can't hide behind UN resolution

Terrorists now have different types of people with varying backgrounds. They can be described as active terrorists and passive terrorists. Passive terrorists are those who justify terrorism under one pretext or the other.

by N.S.Venkataraman

Democratic countries are the easy prey for the terrorists all over the world. Given the personal liberty, freedom of speech enjoyed by the people in these free countries, it appears that , by and large , anyone can do anything and say anything and often get away with it.

Unfortunately, in spite of several countries like USA, number of countries in Europe, India , Sri Lanka and others, suffering from terrorist attacks in recent times, a strong global movement against terrorism is yet to take place. UNO, which has now become a mere debating forum and looks like an impotent organization, is totally ineffective in curbing terrorist acts or even in building strong world movement against the terrorists.

Apart from the September 11 attack in the USA killing thousands of people, many terrorist attacks have taken place in European countries and India. In Sri Lanka, a number of christian devotees were killed when terrorists launched an attack in a church on Easter day.

Obviously, such terrorist attacks cannot take place in China and similarly placed totalitarian countries, as the terrorists would be put down with an iron hand, without being bogged down by judicial process and these countries do not care for world opinion.

Terrorists now have different types of people with varying backgrounds. They can be described as active terrorists and passive terrorists. Passive terrorists are those who justify terrorism under one pretext or the other.

These are people who may not be terrorists themselves but unwittingly or thoughtlessly without being conscious about the overall negative impact on the society , encourage terrorism subtly or indirectly. They may belong to the profession of lawyers, professors, so called activists and even farmers apart from religious extremists. They operate under the veil of their professional image and often go to the extent of encouraging the terrorist acts in one form or the other , calling it as revolution or fighting for a cause etc. etc. Amongst those, there are several politicians too, who mostly belong to opposition parties and many times having the target of attracting the vote bank.

India is now becoming a big target for the terrorists of all sorts ( both active and passive terrorists), who adopt a variety of methods using technology and who are suspected to be getting international funds from the so called voluntary organisations and others abroad ,who are said to fund the terrorist acts . It is difficult to catch the passive terrorists, as they interpret it as curbing the freedom and term it as dictatorial methods.

In India, a few months back, on the day US President Trump visited, there were violent terrorist acts in Shaheen Bagh in Delhi,obviously to damage the reputation of India in the eyes of the world. The culprits have been caught but are yet to be punished due to democratic procedure in India.

Now, an agitation by so called farmers are taking place near New Delhi , protesting against the recently enacted farm laws in parliament and it has been going on for more than 72 days , blocking highways, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing public and further the protesters marched to the Red Fort and damaged the historical monument on the Republic Day. There are politicians, so called activists supporting these agitators. Inspite of the fact that Government of India has agreed to suspend the implementation of farm laws for eighteen months so that an amicable solution can be found, the agitators are persisting with their acts for whatever reasons.

Not a day passes without terrorist attacks in Kashmir.

The terrorists often use clever methods to conceal their intentions. For example, after indulging in violent acts and damaging the Red fort, the same protestors observed fast on Mahatma Gandhis death anniversary. Mahatma Gandhi was an apostle of peace and non violence. Is it not a sort of irony that violent prone protesters observe fast , pledging themselves to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi?

The problem is that while number of countries are victims of terrorism, the same countries encourage terrorism elsewhere,. One recent example is the statement of the Prime Minister of Canada expressing support for agitation by the so called farmers in India, where some separatists are shouting slogans for establishing Khalistan as an independent state by splitting India. It is very well known that Khalistan movement operates from Canada and some ministers in Canadian government are committed to Khalistan separatist movement.

Similarly, the LTTE, a separatist group in Sri Lanka, are sitting pretty in countries like Canada, Britain, France and operating from there. While permitting the terrorists to operate from their soil, how can these countries complain when they are themselves attacked by terrorists? This is the problem.
Ellsworth: Did you get the message from your body?
CANBERRA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese New Year will be celebrated at the Adelaide Festival Center in South Australia with concert, exhibition and workshops in February.

The Chinese New Year Concert showcasing the eastern and western cultures during a special evening performance will be held on Feb. 13 by the School of Chinese Music and Arts in Adelaide Festival Center's Dunstan Playhouse.

"For me, Chinese New Year is about reflecting on our cultural heritage and passing it on to the next generation," said Zhao Liang, founder of the school, in a statement. "So this concert is a great way to celebrate."

A free event will also be held earlier on that day, with workshops on water calligraphy, paper cutting and knotting techniques.

A day before the concert and the workshops is the official Chinese New Year, when the Shaanxi Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition will be launched in the Festival Theater foyer's QBE Galleries, running until March 13.

The exhibition celebrating the Year of the Ox will display more than 100 items including wood carvings, ceramics and embroidery.

Xiao Xiayong, director of China Cultural Center in Sydney, said: "On the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Ox in 2021, China Cultural Center in Sydney, Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Adelaide Festival Center will jointly hold the exhibition of Shaanxi Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is a dazzling showcase of traditional Chinese skills and the immense creativity and skill of their makers."

"We would like to extend our Chinese New Year greetings to the people of South Australia through this exhibition," he said.

"It's great to have more Australian friends experiencing the profound Shaanxi culture. We hope this exhibition will enhance their understanding of traditional Chinese skills, and also promote the friendship between the people of China and Australia."

"Adelaide Festival Center is proud to present such a diverse program to mark Chinese New Year and promote cultural engagement between Australia and Asia," said Douglas Gautier, CEO and artistic director of the Adelaide Festival Center.

"We're thrilled to be working with local, interstate and international organizations to make these events possible."

[ Editor: WXL ]
Pilibhit : , Jan 31 (IANS) Five people, including a father-son duo, have been booked for allegedly thrashing a 16-year-old girl and attempting to outrage her modesty.

The case was registered on the orders of the chief judicial magistrate.

The girl's mother approached the court after the concerned Station House Officer (SHO) allegedly refused to register a case in this connection.

In her complaint, the mother stated that one of the accused Shyam Lal, 58, was dismantling a speed-breaker outside her house on October 11, and when she objected, he called his 35-year-old son.

Soon, his son arrived, along with three more people, and they started abusing her, she alleged.

"They barged into my house and vandalised it. Shyam Lal's son tore my daughter's clothes and attempted to outrage her modesty. They badly beat her up," alleged the mother.

The assailants reportedly fled when the neighbours, hearing their screams, came to their help.

Pilibhit kotwali SHO Atar Singh said all the five accused were booked under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 452 (house trespass), 323 (causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 354 (applying force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 427 (causing damage) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
From: Carol M. Swain -- Political Scientist and Commentator For Immediate Release: Dateline: Nashville , TN Saturday, January 30, 2021

Dr. Swain is host of "Conversations with Dr. Carol Swain" and Be The People Podcast on the America Out Loud Podcast Network, the owner and founder of Unity Training Solutions, and the President of the Be The People Project. Passionate about empowering others to raise their voices in the public square, she is an author, public speaker, and political commentator. Contact us: carolmswain@gmail.com ABOUT BE THE PEOPLE PROJECT Be the People Project is a 501 C(3) nonprofit dedicated to changing the direction of America's culture by relentlessly educating people about conservative Judeo-Christian values and principles. Be the People will make available to the public resources that can be downloaded and shared. Website: http://www.BeThePeopleNews.com


Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
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Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron addresses the media following the return of a grand jury investigation into the death of Breonna Taylor, in Frankfort, Ky., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Of the three Louisville Metro police officers being investigated, one was indicted. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) PHOTO:AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

AG Cameron Urges Dismissal of Impeachment Petition

By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Kentuckys attorney general is urging state lawmakers to dismiss an impeachment petition against him.In doing so, Attorney General Daniel Cameron is fighting back against allegations by three grand jurors from the Breonna Taylor death investigation. The grand jurors joined in seeking Camerons ouster from office.The petition alleges Cameron breached public trust and failed to comply with his duties by misrepresenting grand jury findings in the Taylor case. Camerons response says the petition is so lacking in legal and factual support that it should be dismissed.The response was filed with the clerk of the Kentucky House late Friday.
Kathmandu, January 31

Unimoni Qatar, a company providing remittance services, and IME Limited, a leading remittance service provider in Nepal, and IME Pay, a digital payment service provider of IME Limited, have partnered to expand their services.

After the partnership, Nepali citizens who remit through Unimoni Qatar will be able to send money directly in IME Pay Wallet, the IME Group informs in a press release on Sunday.

Following the partnership, Unimoni Qatar will become the first exchange to send money directly from Qatar to Nepals IME Pay.

This understanding is another important step for both companies in digital transformation, the group says, This has provided an opportunity for its customers in Qatar to connect to digital platforms. This opportunity has provided a new facility for the service recipients to receive remittances sent from Unimoni Qatar directly to IME Pay in Nepal.

I am delighted to be able to reach a partnership with IME Digital and IME Limited to make remittances sent by the thousands of Nepali nationals scattered across Qatar for employment or business from Unimoni Qatar available for receiving via IME Pay, said Floyd Johny, General Manager of Unimoni Qatar.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, clients can safely withdraw money from their wallets, Hem Raj Dhakal, the chairman of IME Digital Solutions Ltd., the company promoting the IME Pay brand, said.
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The French blockade of the British border following a new strain of Covid which left thousands of HGV drivers stranded cost police a staggering 1.2 million, figures reveal.

French president Emmanuel Macron ordered the closure of the border with the UK on December 20 after details of the Kent strain of coronavirus were revealed.

The French then announced anyone crossing the Channel needed to provide a negative Covid-19 test to prevent the spread of the Kent mutant strain.

Thousands of stranded HGV drivers were forced to spend Christmas 2020 in the cabin while parked up in laybys and lorry parks near the Port of Dover, Kent, leaving the town gridlocked and a motorway turned into lorry park.

A Freedom of Information request revealed the cross-Channel disruption cost Kent Police a staggering total of 1,221,688.23.

This bill consists of 506,845.01 for overtime paid out in overtime and 656,667.59 in mutual aid. 58,175.63 was spent on providing meals, refreshments and other ad hoc costs.

Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke has called for France to 'pay up'.

Pictured: Police control the movements of vehicles at the entrance to the Port of Dover in Kent amid chaotic scenes on Christmas Eve. Thousands of stranded HGV drivers were forced to spend Christmas 2020 in the cabin while parked up in laybys and lorry parks near the Port of Dover, Kent, leaving the town gridlocked and a motorway turned into lorry park

Lorries queue in at the border control of the Port of Dover, Britain, January 15

She said: 'It's an outrage that Kent and the UK is expected to foot the bill for policing France's border chaos.

'There's no excuse for France's unreasonable actions at closing the border, which were rightly criticised by the EU itself and the World Health Organisation.

Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke has called for France to 'pay up'

'France should pay up for causing Christmas chaos - and Kent Police deserve a bigger budget to cover continuing French disruption at the border.'

But the overall cost of the operation could be even higher as these are approximate estimates so far - with the true price revealed once all costs have been received from every department which may take months.

And this does not include the independent privately funded Port of Dover police authority who were heavily involved in dealing with the disruption on their doorstep.

Officers from as far as West Mercia, Leicestershire and Hampshire were drafted in to help during the height of the chaos while the majority of officers worked extended shifts and extra duties over the festive period.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are absolutely committed to ensuring police have the support and resources they need.

'Where additional costs are incurred from policing unexpected and exceptional events, such as those incurred by Kent police in this instance, police and crime commissioners can apply to the Home Office for special grant funding.'

After years of flirting with financial disaster, the Democratic Party entered 2021 not only in control of the White House, the House and the Senate but with more money in the bank than ever before at the start of a political cycle.

The Democratic National Committee will report to the Federal Election Commission on Sunday that it ended 2020 with $38.8 million in the bank and $3 million in debts, according to an advance look at its financial filings. In addition, there is roughly $40 million earmarked for the party, left over from its joint operations with the Biden campaign, according to people familiar with the matter. This gives the Democrats a roughly $75 million war chest at the start of President Bidens tenure.

This is a number that is unimaginable, said Howard Dean, a former party chairman.

The D.N.C. was badly outmatched financially in recent years by the Republican National Committee  by as much as 50 to 1 in terms of cash less than 18 months ago  and the enormous $70 million balance could have significant political consequences for the 2022 midterm elections and beyond. The R.N.C. will also detail its finances entering 2021 on Sunday. It had $58 million in the bank as of late November, with President Trumps baseless accusations of fraud helping raise tens of millions into its coffers in the days after the election.

Party data, resources and infrastructure undergird candidates up and down the ballot, and Democratic officials are already dreaming of early investments in voter registration that may accelerate the political realignment Democrat are hoping to bring about in key Sun Belt states.
Another 12 Army veterans are facing charges including murder relating to Troubles shootings almost 50 years ago, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Despite ministers pledges to protect those who served in Northern Ireland, the provinces Public Prosecution Service has received files relating to a number of historical incidents and decisions on charges are imminent.

Many of the incidents relate to an experimental military group set up to eliminate suspected IRA members at the height of the Troubles.

If prosecuted, the soldiers, now in their 60s and 70s, will follow six Northern Ireland veterans including Dennis Hutchings, 79, who have already been charged following legacy investigations into shootings dating back decades.

A number of the soldiers have repeatedly been investigated and cleared of wrongdoing only to be reinvestigated by new units set up in Northern Ireland to deal with historical cases.

If prosecuted, the soldiers, now in their 60s and 70s, will follow six Northern Ireland veterans including Dennis Hutchings, 79, (pictured in 1978) who have already been charged following legacy investigations into shootings dating back decades

Last year, Boris Johnson promised to bring in laws to protect Northern Ireland veterans, but plans for a new Bill have stalled.

The Overseas Operations Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, is designed to protect those who served in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan from historical prosecutions. But it does not cover those who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

Last night, Labour MP and former defence minister Kevan Jones said: These people who served in Northern Ireland didnt have a choice, they did it because their country asked them to.

Were mistakes made? Yes. But Im not sure what is to be gained now from prosecuting elderly people and those in poor health who have had this hanging over them for years.

The Government has failed to bring forward a resolution to this which it needs to do as a matter of urgency. The delays are adding to the torment of brave men and women. The only time these cases should be reopened is if compelling new evidence emerges.

Five former members of the MRF are awaiting decisions on charges relating to five shootings in Belfast in 1972. Ten people were injured and one, understood to be Patrick McVeigh, 44, was killed near a barricade

Seven of the soldiers awaiting a decision on charges were members of a secret military unit which briefly operated in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

Known as the Military Reaction Force (MRF), the plain-clothes team used unmarked cars to patrol Belfast and target suspected IRA members.

Five former members of the MRF are awaiting decisions on charges including murder and other grave offences relating to five shootings in Belfast in May and June 1972.

Ten people were injured and one, understood to be Patrick McVeigh, 44, was killed near a barricade.

A further two former MRF soldiers face charges over a fatal shooting in Belfast in September 1972.

This is understood to relate to the death of Daniel Rooney, 18, who was shot from an unmarked car. Soldiers said he was armed, but the IRA has never claimed him as a member.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) reopened an inquiry into the MRF after a BBC Panorama investigation in 2013 interviewed former MRF soldiers who said they would shoot at suspects even if they were not under fire.

But the PSNI later said there was no admission to criminality by any soldiers featured in the programme.

The MRF operated throughout 1972, the bloodiest year of the Troubles during which 497 people died  mostly civilians killed in bombings or shot by the Provisional IRA.

Mr Hutchings is due to stand trial on an attempted murder charge later this year in relation to a 1974 shooting

The total included 151 soldiers and police officers. The clandestine unit was made up of up 40 soldiers from the SAS, the SBS, the Royal Marines and the Parachute Regiment. It was disbanded in 1973.

Another case under consideration involves five former soldiers. It is understood to relate to the death of James Bell, 24, who was shot dead during the attempted burglary of a restaurant in County Tyrone in August 1980. No weapon was found.

Two former MRF soldiers face charges over a fatal shooting in Belfast in September 1972. This is understood to relate to the death of Daniel Rooney, 18, (pictured) who was shot from an unmarked car

Meanwhile, a former IRA man is due to discover if he will be charged with murder over the deaths of Royal Ulster Constabulary officers Michael Malone and Ernest Caron in 1987.

The Mail has highlighted the case of great-grandfather Mr Hutchings, who is due to stand trial on an attempted murder charge later this year in relation to a 1974 shooting.

He was previously investigated and cleared twice before his arrest in 2015. He now requires kidney dialysis twice a week and is in poor health.

Two former paratroopers are due to stand trial for murder this year over the shooting of Official IRA commander Joe McCann, who was killed in 1972.

One former soldier has been charged with murder and attempted murder in relation to Bloody Sunday. Two others have been charged in relation to shootings in 1972 and 1988.

A Government spokesman said: We have provided a range of support to the veterans involved in these investigations, including funding their legal representation.

'This Government is committed to introducing legislation to address the complex legacy issues in Northern Ireland.


Here's an overview of this week's boozy scandal along with a treatise on crafting a more equitable brewing culture that seems like a lot of hard work &msash; Which is the EXACT OPPOSITE REASON that most people get boozy jobs in the first place.

Read more . . .




Haiti - News : Zapping...





EDH: Electrical problem in Varreux

The Varreux Plant Group V 1-2 generating 7MW was taken out of operation on Saturday January 30, 2021 due to the cooling water level in the reservoir being too low. The National Directorate for Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) says it is unable to supply EdH due to a power failure on the VAR 5-1 circuit. The Directorate General of EDH would like to point out that its technicians cannot for the moment carry out repairs on the VAR 5-1 circuit due to the prevailing insecurity in the vicinity of the plant. She promises that a solution will be found soon to this problem.



Arson of a PNH garage

Friday the garage of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) located at the bottom of Delmas in an area controlled by the coalition of gangs called "G9" and where armed clashes have been reported for 2 days, was set on fire by unidentified individuals.



Agreement between various opposition forces

According to Me Andre Michel Spokesman for the radical opposition in the so-called "Democratic and Popular" sector A political agreement between the various political forces of the opposition and of civil society for the management of the transition would have been initialed Saturday afternoon, specifying "Senator Ricard Pierre signed this agreement for the Democratic and Popular Sector via DIRPOD"



Gonaives : Increase in electrical capacity

The Gonaives power station has an effective power of 1.5 MW. Repair parts have arrived in Haiti, after repair, the plant will have a capacity of 7.5 MW. With the renovation of the Drouet and St Marc hydro plants, Artibonite could have more than 20 MW.



Veterinary and food quality control laboratory

Patrix Severe, the Minister of Agriculture recently visited the Tamarinier Veterinary and Food Quality Control Laboratory in order to strengthen the various sub-structures of the Ministry in order to provide appropriate services.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















(Newser)  Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene got the Saturday Night Live treatment in the show's first cold open of 2021. The newly elected Georgia Republican, whose support of fringe conspiracies has placed her among the most controversial members of the new Congress, was played by Cecily Strong and saw her on a talk show that begged the question "What Still Works?" in government, with host Kate McKinnon. Asked about her views, Strong's Taylor Greene lists her beliefs that the Parkland shooting was staged, that 9/11 never happened, and that her supporters should harm Nancy Pelosi. "Oh and this is a new one that just came out. I think the California wildfires were caused by Jewish space lasers," Strong says.

story continues below

Though Strong's portrayal of Greene was fictional, the fringe views her character espoused are reportedly real and appeared among hundreds of posts and comments on Greene's real life Facebook page that were recently brought back to light by CNN and others. Greene hit back at the reports, calling them "fake news" and suggesting she may not have been the person posting the statements. Back on SNL, McKinnon's character soon concludes that "government doesn't work." She shares similar sentiments after going on to interview a Reddit user played by Pete Davidson about the recent GameStop stock upheaval and host John Krasinski's Tom Brady about his lack of support despite leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl LV. (Read more Marjorie Taylor Greene stories.)
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Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbfecfad168)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfecf22a48)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbfecfad168)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfecf22a48)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbfecf4b1a8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfecf22a48)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfecf22a48)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfec4c3858)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbfecf06020)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbfecf06020)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0


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Haiti - FLASH : The Dominican Republic will test an Israeli system of electronic border





Roberto Alvarez, the Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs revealed that the Israeli company, "Rafael Advanced Defense Systems" (Rafael), was working on a pilot project of technological perimeter or electronic border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, more precisely in the province of Montecristi.



The Dominican Republic in the January 10 agreements with Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32758-haiti-flash-9-joint-commitments-between-haiti-and-the-dominican-republic.html agreed to take appropriate measures to deploy cutting-edge technologies to facilitate the elimination of illegal migratory flows, human trafficking and smuggling, arms, drugs and cattle theft among others.



Roberto Alvarez said "I think in some places a fence is necessary and in other places an electronic perimeter."



Little is known about this electronic perimeter using cutting-edge technologies probably from the Israeli "Sisdome" system, not knowing the options retained by the Dominican Republic which remain confidential and which could include real-time multi-sensors, including electro-optical sensors, radar, perimeter intrusion detection and more all assisted by artificial intelligence 24/7.



Learn more about "Rafael Advanced Defense Systems" :

This firm, which has more than 70 years of relations with Israels Defense Ministry, was originally founded as the National Research and Development Laboratory to strengthen the defenses and improve the weapons of the military. At the start of the new millennium, it was restructured into a Crown Corporation.



This company is at the cutting edge of advances in defense, cybernetics and security solutions (air, land, sea and space) and offers a vast catalog of services. Regarding border surveillance and protection, Rafael offers its services in different ways, including the "Sisdome" system, which according to the company allows users to locate, analyze and thwart any possible threats that arise at the border. Among the advantages is the great adaptability of the system to the needs of those who operate it.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32758-haiti-flash-9-joint-commitments-between-haiti-and-the-dominican-republic.html



SL/ HaitiLibre


















A cabinet minister has said it is too early to talk of the UK giving excess doses of the coronavirus vaccine to other countries as the EU continues to struggle with delays to its supply.

The international trade secretary, Liz Truss, also hinted that such a move could only happen if it did not affect the UKs timetable to vaccinate the entire adult population by the autumn.

She admitted, however, that it was in Britains best interest to ensure other countries also had large numbers of jabs  to halt the spread of the virus around the world.

Her colleague Michael Gove had said the UK wanted to help the EU, which faces a crisis in its supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

In a record daily rise, official data showed a 598,389 rise in the number of people vaccinated, bringing the UK-wide total to 8,977,329.

But it came as another 587 people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the official death toll to 106,158.

Ms Truss told Sky News Sophy Ridge on Sunday: What we know about the vaccination programme is this is a global problem and we need a global solution.

We're only going to be able to deal with this disease if we get everybody vaccinated across the world.

She added: Of course, we first need to make sure that our population is vaccinated. We have a target to get the most vulnerable vaccinated by late February. Its a bit too early to say how we would deploy vaccines, but we certainly want to work with friends and neighbours, we want to work with developing countries.

She also said the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was wrong to claim the AstraZeneca vaccine was quasi-ineffective for the over-65s.

She told The BBCs Andrew Marr Show: I dont think its right for politicians to be commenting or making decisions about the efficacy of vaccines, that's why we have independent authorities to look at these vaccines.

In the UKs case, our authorities have said this vaccine is safe and effective, its being rolled out and its already making a difference.

On Friday, the EU was forced to back down from plans to control the export of vaccines to Northern Ireland  potentially creating a border across the island  as it sought to shore up its own supply.

The move united politicians from Dublin, London and Belfast in condemnation.

In an appearance on Ridges programme, Tony Blair also described it as very foolish for the EU to move to override the Brexit Deal on Northern Ireland.

The former UK prime minister also said the move risked jeopardising the peace process.

The Northern Ireland Protocol is designed to allow the free movement of goods from the EU into the province, preventing the need for a hard border on the island of Ireland.

The World Health Organisation has called on the UK to halt temporarily its vaccination scheme once vulnerable groups have been inoculated, in order to contribute doses to other countries.
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Just before 10am on Saturday, October 10 last - five days after the Government rejected public health advice to lockdown for six weeks - Dr Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, texted Stephen Donnelly with worrying news.

"Minister," he wrote. "Case numbers well up today."

He included figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre reporting 1,011 new cases - the first time in around six months that Ireland was reporting over 1,000 new cases in a single day and well above the 617 cases reported the previous day.

Holohan told the Health Minister that those figures would be made public that evening, that his team would be looking at the numbers in more detail over the day and that he was available to discuss should he wish.

Donnelly did not text back. Seven hours later Holohan texted again: "Minister, grateful if we could have a word. Finalising statement re cases. Thanks Tony."

Read More

It is unclear if Donnelly spoke to his chief adviser on the pandemic at all that day. His spokesman said it was "not possible to source at this point the telephone records" for October 10.

Donnelly did, however, speak to the Sunday Independent that afternoon for an article that was to be published the following day in which growing concerns about his performance were highlighted.

That article, based on interviews with more than a dozen ministers, TDs and officials, painted a picture of a minister overly sensitive to criticism, lacking in empathy, and whose condescending approach had alienated and annoyed party and Coalition colleagues, officials and opposition TDs.

The Sunday Independent can this weekend reveal how the relationship between Donnelly and Holohan appeared to become strained and somewhat tense over October and November last year as the nation grappled with a second wave of the virus that would eventually result in a second lockdown. Emails and text messages released under Freedom of Information detail a number of terse and somewhat testy exchanges. Most notable is the CMO's stark warning in early November about the "weakness" of the State's border controls that left him unable to assure the minister that Ireland was protected from new strains of the virus. This was just weeks before the first cases of the so-called UK variant - now the dominant one in the country - was confirmed in Ireland.

No response

The text messages released to this newspaper also reveal Holohan's concern about some of the minister's public health messaging.

On October 12 he texted Donnelly to say that case numbers in Dublin were "up again as it has been over the weekend" and said he would "urge caution on your public messaging re rates in Dublin". The previous day, Donnelly had told RTE of "positive news" in the capital where the R number - the reproductive rate of the virus - stood at 1. On Twitter, he said the latest figures "suggest that transmission is slowing in Dublin".

Donnelly did not respond to Holohan's text on that issue. Eleven days later, on Thursday, October 22, Holohan texted Donnelly to inform him the R number for Dublin had gone up to between 1.2 and 1.3. Donnelly responded with a thumbs-up emoji.

By that stage the Government had decided to lockdown for six weeks. As the measures came into effect in the early hours of Thursday, October 22, the CMO sent a lengthy message to Donnelly at 5.32am ahead of an appearance on Morning Ireland.

The minister was due to address controversy over the HSE's contact tracing system effectively collapsing the previous weekend as more than 2,000 people who tested positive were told to alert their own close contacts.

Holohan's message contained six bullet points conveying his concern that the question of being able to "contact trace this number of cases or not completely misses the point". The message of the Level 5 restrictions for six weeks was, he wrote in all caps, that "WE ARE ALL CLOSE CONTACTS". He concluded that "this is a crucial point which is being totally missed" and said he was available to talk in advance of the interview. Donnelly sent a brief response: "Thanks for that Tony."

As the nation settled into its latest lockdown, written correspondence between the minister and his chief medical officer, which had been almost daily between the CMO sending the latest case numbers or the minister asking for information on an issue, became less frequent.

The CMO informed Donnelly of a positive case in Portlaoise prison on October 29. The following day they discussed the need to share more data about the virus between EU countries ahead of Donnelly's participation in an EU health ministers meeting.

Dublin dodge

Just after lunchtime on Sunday, November 1, Donnelly sent a lengthy email to Holohan with a list of 10 issues he wanted the CMO's office and Nphet to "investigate further as a matter of urgency". The email stretches to three pages when printed out and covers issues from the impact of poor ventilation on the spread of the virus to better contact tracing and use of rapid testing to examining occupancy rates on school transport.

Holohan responded the next day, saying he "completely" shared the minister's view on these issues, but noted the issues were "to some extent" already under consideration either by Nphet or the Department/HSE. He said he hoped to be able to be in a position to give him an initial response across all areas by the following evening.

Holohan did not respond in writing to a separate email Donnelly sent the previous day asking for his position on coursing clubs. Donnelly had included correspondence which stated that coursing clubs were "furious" that they had to suspend their season. The correspondent, whose identity was not disclosed, wrote: "Again the regulations make no sense and are not consistent. I can walk through the countryside with my dog but I cannot bring a gun?"

Donnelly sent another email on November 4 asking Holohan to provide a view on the matter. There is no record of Holohan responding to the minister's query about hare coursing. "This was a matter that was being raised in the Dail and Minister Donnelly was seeking an expert view on it," the minister's spokesperson said yesterday.

The following day, November 5, Donnelly asked Holohan via text if Nphet could discuss ideas for areas where case numbers were not falling, in particular local electoral areas in Dublin. The minister said he planned to convene a meeting involving the two of them, the HSE and local TDs to "see what can be done to engage the groups who appear to have had enough of the Covid measures. Would be great to have Nphet's advice going into that".

But the CMO texted back to say he had "reservations" about such an approach.

"We have no response capacity at that level. We are focusing on building public health capacity at a geographic level of public health departments which will be out (sic) best means of having a genuine localised response capacity for when we re-establish control of this disease," he said, adding he was happy to discuss it after the Nphet meeting.

Minutes of the Nphet meeting that day do not record any discussion of Donnelly's idea.

The following day, November 6, focus had shifted to an emerging issue in Denmark where a new strain of coronavirus was found to have transmitted from mink to humans, resulting in the Danish government announcing a cull of more than 17 million mink.

It was the exchanges between Donnelly and his CMO over this issue that would open up the ground for Holohan to restate his and Nphet's long-held concerns about overseas travel in a manner notably more strident than he has stated publicly before.

It began at 8.14am when Donnelly texted Holohan to ask if there were "any considerations re the three mink farms in Ireland?".

Holohan responded that he didn't know, before adding: "But my primary concern first is implications for human health."

He said that a risk assessment was being carried out and that he would have a position later in the day, noting that the UK's decision to enforce a 14-day quarantine on arrivals "doesn't appear to make sense".

The UK government had at that time announced a ban on all non-UK citizens coming from Denmark, imposing a strict 14-day isolation requirement on its citizens returning from Denmark, and anyone in their household, with fines of up to 1,000 for non-compliance.

Email records show that Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann wrote to Donnelly on Saturday, November 7, requesting that the same measures be introduced in Ireland to "ensure this strain does not reach our shores".

Swann had previously complained to Donnelly that 'Dublin dodge' was being used by Northern Ireland residents travelling through the Republic to avoid quarantine requirements.

But Donnelly, citing legal advice, had argued that passenger locator form information obtained from passengers in Dublin could not be shared with authorities in Belfast.

Noting this position in his November 7 letter, Swann urgently asked him to contact all Northern Ireland-bound travellers to ensure they were aware of their need to self- isolate.

That same evening, at 8.13pm, Donnelly emailed the CMO and officials asking that the public health team engage directly with their counterparts in the North and the UK "as a matter or urgency" to understand the UK position, which he described as "decidedly more robust" and the rationale for it. He attached a scientific paper on the mink issue that Transport Minister Eamon Ryan had been given by his UK counterpart.

Dr Holohan sent a response just after 9pm that evening noting that "as discussed yesterday", he and public health officials had been engaging with their Northern and UK counterparts. "We have a good understanding of UK decision to apply a full travel ban in respect of Denmark," he wrote. He added that the HSE, the Departments of Agriculture, Transport, and Foreign Affairs and the port authorities "have the measures in place which you have been briefed on".

Controls

In concluding his email, Holohan gave a stark warning: "In respect of our ability to respond more effectively at this stage, I must point to the relative weakness of measures we can apply at points of entry to Ireland in respect of travellers. These are advisory only and do not allow the kind of action undertaken by the UK.

"Our Covid border control measures do not give assurance to me as Chief Medical Office (sic) and as a result provide me no basis for assuring you as Minister for Health that we have appropriate public health controls in place to protect Ireland from importation of this disease. This is particularly concerning now that such a potentially serious development as mutation may be has arisen."

The following day, Sunday, November 8, Donnelly sent the CMO a terse response, saying "it would have been useful if you had aired your concerns, or indeed any concerns whatsoever in regard to border controls, when asked for your view at the Cabinet sub-committee some weeks ago where the border control protocols were being discussed and agreed".

Holohan wrote back to Donnelly at 4.33pm that afternoon to say that, as he recalled, the Cabinet sub-committee meeting was about implementing the EU framework for travel and what measures would apply for testing.

He said his "overriding concern" at that time was the "rapidly rising scale of the disease domestically". He pointed out that international travel had been a "major concern in early summer when disease levels were very low here" and that Nphet had made recommendations to Government. He said that public health officials "still have concerns about one-off tests and how we can be satisfied as to their validity as a basis for setting aside the advisory on restrictions of movement for travellers" who are coming from countries designated by the EU as orange and red under the bloc's traffic light system.

He pointed out that these concerns were articulated by him at the Cabinet committee meeting and had been raised subsequently. "We'll maintain our focus on travel as an issue which will increase in importance as the disease status may improve domestically," he wrote. He concluded by suggesting a meeting the following day to go through these issues.

There is no record of Donnelly responding to this email.

Indeed, Holohan's concerns about the State's border controls had been well ventilated publicly and privately to the Government last summer.

In a letter to Donnelly's predecessor Simon Harris on May 8 last, Nphet advised that work be undertaken to introduce "a range of more stringent requirements related to travel from overseas", including: mandatory completion of passenger locator forms; restrictions on non-essential travel from all non-EEA and UK countries with exemptions for Irish citizens; a "mandatory regime of self-isolation for 14 days at a designated facility" for all overseas arrivals with exceptions for supply-chain workers and those travelling to other jurisdictions such as the North; and a public information campaign to deter all non-essential travel.

Resistance

These recommendations formed the basis of a memo that Harris brought to Cabinet the following week. But there was strong resistance to the idea of mandatory quarantine in hotels. "Who will guard that centre? It will make Direct Provision look like a tea party," then justice minister Charlie Flanagan is quoted as telling the meeting in Shane Ross's book In Bed With The Blueshirts. Flanagan will not comment on that account - but does not deny it. "Would armed gardai or the army enforce the mandatory hotel stay?" he told the Sunday Independent this weekend. "Comparisons with New Zealand and Australia are wide of the mark. We are an island with strong business and people-to-people links with Europe and the world."

Ultimately the Cabinet agreed at that point in mid-May to task officials in the Departments of Health, Justice, Transport, Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General's office to examine the practicalities of the mandatory quarantine regime.

Two senior figures with knowledge of the internal government debate at the time said that resistance from some ministers and senior officials, and concerns over its workability given the open Border with the North meant, as one put it, "it didn't go anywhere".

This weekend Donnelly's spokesperson did not respond to specific questions about whether he raised the CMO's November 7 warning about border control measures with Government colleagues and pushed for swifter introduction of quarantine measures.

Donnelly's spokesperson referred to Ireland having agreed to the EU 'traffic light system' in September and applying 14-day restriction measures on arrivals from orange and red countries on October 20. They added that on November 9, "the Government decided to impose a two-week self-isolation period for people arriving from Denmark and to continue to proceed with the EU-wide approach for other countries."

The spokesperson noted that Nphet's position on travel and border measures "has been clear for some time".

"It has advocated for this at press briefings, in published letters and directly to senior government figures. This includes calling for hotel quarantining as far back as last May 2020 in a letter to Mr Harris. The EU-wide approach was designed to combat the spread of a virus which had already mutated several times, including Italian and Spanish mutations of the Wuhan strain. The flu virus mutates from year to year. There are numerous different strains of the common cold," they said.

They also cited recommendations and advice in Nphet letters on travel over the past year, including "renewed consideration of the area of international travel" and the "importance of protecting the progress the country has achieved through application of Level 5 restrictions and of avoiding a reseeding of cases through international travel".

The Government moved last week to introduce a limited set of mandatory quarantine requirements that are still weeks away from being introduced. The Department of Health has been put in charge of the new regime with Donnelly described by the Taoiseach at the Cabinet meeting last week as "the lead minister for quarantine".

Asked to characterise the minister's relationship with his chief medical officer yesterday, Donnelly's spokesperson said: "The minister has an excellent working relationship with the CMO. Emails and text messages from any period are just a small part of their communications - they speak regularly by phone and in person and have numerous interactions in the department together, including significant briefings as required."
A bystander opened fire Saturday morning on a shoplifter fleeing an Arizona hardware store but hit an employee chasing the thief instead, police say.

Phoenix police responded to the incident near Howards Ace Hardware at 9 a.m., KNXV reported.

An employee had chased the shoplifter outside the store when a man standing nearby pulled out a gun, KSAZ reported.

The person fired at the shoplifter and missed the shoplifter, however the (employee) was struck by the gunfire, Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said, AZ Family reported.

The employee, who had serious but non-life threatening injuries, was taken to a hospital, KNXV reported. The shoplifter escaped.

The bystander remained at the scene and cooperated with police, KSAZ reported. No charges have yet been filed in the incident.

Congress leader and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday reiterated his demand that the central government should immediately withdraw the "stubbornly and forcibly passed" farm laws. He pointed out that the honour of the farmer is paramount.

Pilot also demanded a thorough investigation into the violence during the farmers' tractor parade in New Delhi on January 26 to find out the real culprits. The Congress leader said questions have arisen about the pressure under which the Centre brought in the laws and under what compulsion it is not withdrawing the controversial legislations.

"The central government enacted these laws with stubbornness. The farmers, for whom these laws were enacted, are agitating against it but the government is not withdrawing it. The government should do so immediately," he told PTI. He said that despite such a big agitation, the central government has not withdrawn the laws that raises a question mark over its intention.

"My party and I are all with the farmers. If the farmers themselves are against these laws, then there is no point in keeping them," he added. Pilot said the farmers have been sitting on the streets for almost two months.

"Their (farmers) honour is paramount and if they believe that these laws are not in their interest, then the government should withdraw them by abandoning its stubbornness," he said. Pilot said that words like "separatists" and "Naxals" were used against them which is condemnable.

He said the farmers movement will have a long-term impact on the country's political and social landscape.
Deputy Health Commissioner Caroline Johnson has resigned after records obtained by The Inquirer show she gave an advantage in a city bidding process to Andrei Doroshin, Philly Fighting COVIDs young CEO who until this week the city entrusted to run its largest vaccination site.

Johnson sent a similar message of advice to the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which was provided to The Inquirer by Health Department spokesperson James Garrow.

 READ MORE: The city trusted a group of college kids to lead its vaccine rollout. But Philly Fighting COVID was full of red flags from the start.

In late December, emails obtained by The Inquirer show Johnson messaged Doroshin about the citys requests for proposals to administer vaccines. Although the RFPs had been publicly posted, officials are not permitted to selectively encourage people to apply. The Health Department was unaware of this email until questions from The Inquirer.

These communications were made after the RFP was publicly posted. However, these actions were inappropriate because the information shared was not available to all potential applicants, Garrow wrote in a statement Saturday. While these actions may have been intended to help advance the Citys vaccine distribution effort, the Health Commissioner has accepted her resignation in the best interest of the city.

When Johnson emailed Doroshin, she gave him advice on his application, telling him to start conservatively with a $500,000 bid. This is being funded by the City initially. We are hoping that significantly more funds can be awarded if Congress ever passes the COVID relief bill, she wrote. It is fine to include costs for your planning activities and the proposed Jan 8-9 event.

Philly Fighting COVIDs application ended up being one of nine submitted to the city as of Friday for a contract to administer vaccinations. But, Garrow said, officials havent reviewed applications yet because they have not secured funding. The city did not provide funds for the Philly Fighting COVID Convention Center mass vaccination site.

Providing a dollar amount to some but not all applicants would present an unfair advantage to those applicants and violate our best practices, Garrow said in a statement.

The incident has been referred to the City of Philadelphia Inspector General.

The resignation of one of the citys top public health officials comes after the citys Department of Public Health abruptly ended its partnership with Philly Fighting COVID on Monday. The organization had failed to disclose that residents personal information could be sold, and that it presented itself as a nonprofit even after establishing a for-profit arm, called Vax Populi.

Farley told The Inquirer Friday it had been a mistake to work with Philly Fighting COVID, which is run by a self-described group of college kids.

I terminated the arrangement when I saw the information that they at least had the legal ability to sell or otherwise share information for people on their website, Farley said in an interview Friday. Now, weve heard many other things that make me very concerned that this is simply a very unprofessional operation  in retrospect, we shouldnt have gone into relationship with them in the first place.

 READ MORE: The scandal surrounding Philly Fighting COVID fuels mistrust in medicine, especially for Black and brown communities, say experts

Philly Fighting COVIDs mass vaccination site opened on Jan. 8 and Johnson attended the launch along with Mayor Jim Kenney and Council members Cindy Bass and Bobby Henon, the chair and vice chair of the public health and human services committee.

The Health Department did not make Johnson available for an interview this week.

Doroshin called a news conference in the lobby of his Fishtown apartment complex Friday to defend his work. During it, he said Johnson should replace Farley as health commissioner.

If Philadelphia wants to fight this virus, it needs to do a few things first. First, it needs to put Dr. Caroline Johnson in charge of the Health Department. Shes an incredible woman. Shes passionate, shes compassionate, and shes fearless, Doroshin said. Weve worked very closely with her over the last six months in building this mass vaccine model that has worked.

Johnson was appointed deputy health commissioner in July 2015, after more than a decade as the disease control division director for the department. She has also worked at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia VA Medical Center as an infectious disease physician and researcher, according to the citys website.

On the day the city would later sever ties with Philly Fighting COVID, Doroshin emailed an update to Johnson about the mass vaccination site.

 READ MORE: We demand answers, Council members say as Philly Fighting COVID CEO admits taking vaccine doses

Dear Dr. J, Doroshin wrote to Johnson on Jan. 25, We were 75 doses shy of our goal of 1900 and no doses went to waste. He did not mention removing doses from the site over the weekend  an action he first denied before admitting it on national television this week.

Less than three hours later, Johnson informed Doroshin that the Health Department severed its relationship with the group.

I know this is an abrupt and one-sided decision, but it was made at the highest levels of government in response to allegations that were identified, she wrote.
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Adarsh Gourav has burst upon the film scene with his burning bright role as Balram in The White Tiger now airing on Netflix. His co-stars are none other than Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao, but it is this 26-year-old newbie who is the undisputed lead actor of the film. He studied in Jamshedpur and Mumbai, but his roots are strongly Telugu. His father hails from Sangam Village near Srikakulam, and his mother from Vijayanagaram.

I speak Telugu at home. My parents were insistent that I learn the language, and that is helping me today as an actor as I can speak several languages and can work in many industries, says Adarsh. The family has a banking background, but Adarshs interests were different from the beginning.

He gravitated towards singing early in life, and was a member of two bands. In fact, it was while he was singing at Mumbais Kala Ghoda festival that he chanced to be spotted, and subsequently, he was called for an audition. Someone from casting director Tess Josephs team called me for an audition. I just wanted to give a good audition. This was a big film and I felt me getting the part was out of the question, says Adarsh. I had read Aravind Adigas book [on which the film is based] as a teenager and I asked them if I should read it again before auditioning, but they said just do the audition, he adds.

Not only was the outcome of the audition a surprise, the accolades that have come his way for his part in the Ramin Bahrani film were totally unexpected. It feels unreal and like a dream. It is more than I expected. I am trying to soak it all in and enjoy as much as I can, says the actor.

Talking of his experience while filming, Adarsh says, I am fortunate. Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao are legendary actors and wonderful humans. They are so humble and grounded after putting in so many years of work. The amount of dedication they have to their craft is inspiring.

Acting is apparently second nature to Adarsh. I loved telling stories as a kid. I would lie about everything, be it my test marks or not doing my homework, he reminisces. I derived a lot of pleasure from that. I enjoyed the stories that I would create, but it [being an actor] was never part of the plan. And now I get paid for telling stories, chuckles the 26-year-old.

Even while he was filming The White Tiger, he continued to act and play pranks on unsuspecting people. I was living in a hotel close to Saket where I had put up my thela (stall) for my role as Balram in The White Tiger, says Adarsh. I would wake up in the morning and leave as myself, and come back as Balram. The hotel staff would stop me, asking, Kahaan jaana hai? [where do you want to go?] I would show them my room card but they would follow me to my room. I once let them change the bed linen and the guy doing so was scared, wondering what so many pictures of actors like Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao were doing in my room. Maybe he felt I was some sort of a crazy contract killer, he laughs. I guess they finally found out that I was an actor. It was like the Kamal Haasan act in Chachi 420, he says with an impish smile.

Meanwhile, The White Tiger has been attracting some mixed reviews, with more international reviewers rooting for the film than Indian ones, making it seem like an Indian movie made for the Western audience. I think It is an Indian film for everybody. People will disagree. They are entitled to their option and perspective. That is the beauty of it. We need dissent and disagreement, Adarsh comments.

The actor now aims to work in some good films and projects. He has already begun shooting for a short directed by Varun Grover. I have loved his writing and work. I want to work with all the directors who have inspired me. I want to do Tamil and Malayalam films apart from Hindi and want to audition in Hollywood as well, he says.

What about his passion for music? I learnt to play the guitar during the lockdown after failing five times. I can finally play an instrument while I sing, says Adarsh happily.


Paxton, IL (60957)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 63F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 41F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
As disturbing as Oaklands rising homicide rate is, the numbers tell only part of the story.

Oakland has had 14 homicides since the start of the year  that compares with a single homicide during the same time period last year.

If the homicides continue at the current rate, Oakland is looking at 168 homicides by the end of the year. In 2020 there were 102, and in 2019 there were 75.

The numbers are shocking, but they pale when compared with the number of people wounded.

According to statistics from Oaklands Highland Hospital trauma unit, which handles most of the gunshot cases in Alameda County and some from Contra Costa County, 50 gunshot cases have been treated there so far this this year  at least one shooting a day.

Highland treated 415 gunshot cases last year and 283 in 2019.

On Jan. 23, a Saturday night, more than 1,000 vehicles roared through the streets of Oakland in illegal sideshows. The citys ShotSpotter system recorded more than 200 rounds being fired in 39 incidents between 4 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday.

Given the recent cutbacks in police overtime and the dismantling of the traffic and sideshow squads to save money, Oakland had a reduced staffing of 42 officers and supervisors on patrol for the entire city Saturday night.

All this is set against a backdrop of over $20 million in cuts from the Police Department this year, including all the overtime that went to enforcement operations like sideshow and violent crime operations, interim Oakland Police Chief Susan Manheimer said.

Oakland City Council member Loren Taylor, whose east side district has been one of the hardest hit by the violence this year, said people dont need to be shot to be wounded.

You have the people in the neighborhoods who are not involved in this, but they still have to live with the trauma of bullets flying and shattered glass in their kids rooms, Taylor said. It has a devastating impact on all of their lives.

The rename game: Suggestions for renaming the 44 San Francisco schools whose namesakes have been deemed politically incorrect are pouring in.

Some of the suggestions appear to be serious, such as poet and author Maya Angelou, gay rights icon Harvey Milk and former President Barack Obama.

Some suggestions are whimsical: Jerry Garcia or Carlos Santana.

And some are richly sarcastic, like the Nancy Pelosi Hair School or Politically Correct High School or What Are These Lunatics on the School Board Thinking High School.

Moving on: This is my last column in The Chronicle. After 35 years at Fifth and Mission, the time has come to move on.

It has been an incredible run, beginning as a reporter at the Examiner, then as a columnist with my longtime partner, Andy Ross, and, finally, solo the past two years.

In that time there have been far too many stories and changes in the city to count. Last week I took a walk to City Hall along Market Street. When I started covering City Hall, the upper floors of buildings and alleyways along Market and Mission streets were home to X-rated movie theaters, pool halls and stitch shops where Asian American women worked, tirelessly turning out truckloads of garments for department stores in Union Square and elsewhere.

And there were few homeless people.

Today, Market Street and South of Market are packed with new hotels and tech operations, mostly empty now because of the pandemic, and there are more homeless people in the city than we ever believed possible.

Back then both The Chronicle and Examiner were edited and printed at Fifth and Mission. Today, we are a largely virtual newsroom, and while we still print a newspaper, the move toward a digital future is gaining speed. But no matter what the format, the quality of the journalism remains consistently high.

You will still be able to hear my reports twice daily on KCBS radio. And I will be continuing and expanding my work as a television columnist for ABC-7.

Its a time of challenges and changes and some thanks.

For starters, I want to thank former Examiner Publisher Will Hearst and Executive Editor Larry Kramer, who had the gamblers faith to launch the Insiders, the early incarnation of what was to become Matier & Ross at The Chronicle.

I would also like to thank former Chronicle Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper for encouraging my solo flight these past couple of years. Chronicle editors David Lewis, Trapper Byrne and Mark Lundgren  all masters of their craft  were chiefly responsible for getting the columns in shape to publish over these many years.

Other assistance of note includes political communications consultant Amelia Matier  my daughter  for her invaluable help on the social media front, and Steven Kay for his deft hand in navigating the sometimes choppy waters on the business side of things. Thanks also to Chronicle Publisher Bill Nagel for generously allowing me the opportunity presented by the Hearst Corp. to take advantage of an early retirement package.

And finally, a special shout-out to Chronicle Administrative Assistant Barry Hodge, who held down the fort with me here at Fifth and Mission during the past 10 months of COVID lockdown while the rest of the staff scattered to their remote locations.

Ive always said that San Francisco and the Bay Area were put here to give the rest of the country something to talk about. So keep the nation talking, and keep reading The Chronicle.

See you around.

Phil Matier can be seen on the KGO-TV morning and evening news and can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Twitter: @philmatier
SKY News corrected editorials by Alan Jones following a complaint to media watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

An editorial broadcast last August drew a complaint alleging misinformation on COVID-19:

1. Children do not spread COVID.

2. Masks are useless.

3. Shutdowns dont work.

4. COVID is a hoax.

The first of the three allegations listed above, involved the communication by Jones of information drawn from published research, including two from peer-reviewed scientific journals.

ACMA dismissed claims on both points 1 and 4 but found corrections were necessary on points 2 & 3.

Whilst quoting an article on masks, Jones neglected to note the authors of an article stated, We strongly support the calls of public health agencies for all people to wear masks when circumstances compel them to be within 6 ft of others for sustained periods.

On the question of lockdowns, when quoting from another article, he neglected to note an opinion that full lockdowns and early border closures may lessen the peak of transmission, and thus prevent health system overcapacity, which would facilitate increased recovery rates.

If a Licensee makes a correction within 30 days of a complaint being received then the Licensee will not be in breach of clause. It can issue the correction in one or more of the following ways:

a) during a later episode of the relevant Program;

b) on a Licensees news website;

c) on the official website of the relevant Program; or

d) any other way that is appropriate in the circumstances.

ACMA found that corrections posted to SKY News website within 30 days meant there has been no breach of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice.

Related




Na Kyung-won, third from left, a Seoul mayoral by-election hopeful of the main opposition People Power Party, joins civic activists advocating nuclear energy during a protest in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. Na asked President Moon Jae-in and his government to clarify allegations that they attempted to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant, countering Moon's nuclear energy phase-out policy. Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



Controversy is escalating over whether the government clandestinely attempted to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant in 2018 during a short-lived reconciliatory mood between the two Koreas.



First reported on Jan. 28 by broadcaster SBS, the alleged attempt, if found to be true, contradicts President Moon Jae-in's push to phase out nuclear energy, which has fueled concerns over the fate of South Korean nuclear power companies and their overseas businesses.



The incident is expected to deal a blow to the Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ahead of the April 7 mayoral by-elections for Seoul and Busan, which are considered a major litmus test for the 2022 presidential election.



The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is accusing the Moon Jae-in administration of committing actions "benefiting the enemy."



Cheong Wa Dae and the DPK have countered by calling the accusation an outdated revival of the "northern winds."



The term refers to allegations of threats from the North that were orchestrated by the PPP's predecessors in previous elections to stir up concerns over national security and accordingly benefit conservative candidates.



"Closing down nuclear power plants in the Republic of Korea while trying to build one in the North is an act of benefiting the enemy that can shake the fate of the country," PPP interim leader Kim Chong-in said in a Jan. 29 statement.



Kim cited a bill of indictment by prosecutors investigating the destruction of documents related to the closure of the aging Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor by officials at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2019.



Back then, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) asked for the submission of documents related to the Wolsong-1 reactor amid suspicions that the ministry and state-owned Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) intentionally undervalued the reactor in a June 2018 feasibility study to justify the closure.



According to the bill of indictments, the officials deleted about 530 computer documents.



The documents contained numerous files on plans to build a nuclear power plant in North Korea and other inter-Korean energy cooperation projects.



Among them were reports titled "North Korean nuclear power plant construction implementation plan" and "Inter-Korean economic cooperation experts in energy field," which were produced from May 2 to 15, 2018, and stored under a folder titled "pohjois," a Finnish word meaning north.









Moon's first and second summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were held in late April and late May, respectively, of the same year.



The BAI later recovered the documents.



Last month, prosecutors indicted three ministry officials on charges of destroying the documents.



In a press release, Sunday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy denied the alleged construction plans for a nuclear power plant in the North.



The ministry said, after the first Moon-Kim summit, it had its working-level officials brainstorm possible cross-border projects in case economic cooperation with the North is facilitated.



"And the ideas were listed in the disputed documents for internal circulation," it noted.



Three PPP members  Reps. Kim Eun-hye and Kim Woong  plus Seoul mayoral hopeful Oh Se-hoon said that the accusation, if found to be true, will be "an apparent act on behalf of the enemy."



Cheong Wa Dae fired back.



In a Jan. 29 press briefing, spokesman Kang Min-seok said the PPP interim leader's argument was "complete nonsense."



"It is a hard-to-believe argument that deludes the people. It sure is comparable to the northern winds and we'll take strong countermeasures including legal action," Kang said.



DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon joined the criticism against the PPP.



"I could not believe what I saw after reading interim leader Kim's statement," Lee wrote on Facebook. He added that it is "illogical to make a connection between the inter-Korean summits and any possible nuclear power plant."



DPK spokesman Shin Yeong-dae called the PPP's accusation "a nuclear energy northern wind that misleads the people."



"The DPK will put an end to such despicable politics and we will concentrate on the by-elections to bring hope to people's livelihoods."
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.




Africa's biggest film festival, which had been scheduled to run in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou from February 27 to March 6, has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.







The Pan-African Festival of Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou, known by its acronym in French of FESPACO, is an eagerly-awaited showcase held every two years.







Burkina's cabinet on Friday "took the decision to postpone the holding of FESPACO to a later date," government spokesman Ousseni Tamboura told a press conference.







Founded in 1969, FESPACO stipulates that films chosen for competition have to be made by Africans and predominantly produced in Africa.







Its top prize is the coveted Golden Stallion of Yennenga, a beast in Burkinabe mythology.







The internationally-respected festival is closely followed by the US and European movie industries, which scout the event for new films, talent and ideas.







Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in the Sahel, has so far recorded 10,423 Covid-19 cases, of which 120 have been fatal, but like other countries in Africa is struggling with a worrying second wave of the virus.







"Given the health situation, both nationally and internationally, in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, it will be hard to hold FESPACO at the scheduled time," Tamboura said.







"It won't be easy for us to decide (a new date) because this is linked to developments in the health situation," he added.







The Cannes Film Festival in southern France, viewed by many as the most prestigious in the world, has been postponed from May 11-22 to July 6-17, its organisers said on Wednesday.







Cannes was cancelled entirely last year for the first time since World War II, with just a small online presentation from its official selection in October. (AFP)


Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said "a critical mass" will be vaccinated by autumn. (Julien Behal Photography/PA)

A further 15 people have died due to Covid-19 and 1,247 new cases of the virus have been confirmed by the Department of Health this evening.

3,307 people have now died with the virus in Ireland while the nations total case count has risen to 196,547.

The median age of those who died is 84 years and the age range is 68-99 years.

Of the cases notified today 430 are in Dublin, 97 in Wexford, 87 in Cork, 84 in Limerick, 76 in Galway and the remaining 473 cases are spread across all other counties.

As of 2pm today, 1,516 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 211 are in ICU.

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health said; There is an onus on employers to ensure that, in the first instance, staff are encouraged to work from home and in cases where that is not possible, that their workplaces are safe for staff and customers and in full compliance with infection prevention and control measures.

The HPSC has comprehensive guidance on outbreak management and infection prevention control measures that every employer should be familiar with and activating on their premises. I encourage all employers and managers to review their workplaces and ensure they have effective measures in place.

A critical mass of Irish people will be vaccinated by the Autumn, despite the AstraZeneca row, the Taoiseach said earlier today.

Irelands vaccination plan is likely to be hindered by the reduced initial delivery of the Astrazeneca vaccine that has sparked a major row between the drugmaker and the EU.

Ireland was due to receive 1.4m vaccine doses before the end of March, but this will now likely be closer to 1.1m due to delays, primarily with Astrazenecas vaccine.

The Taoiseach anticipated that May, June and July will be significant months of vaccination for the broad mass of the population.

So we will have a critical mass vaccinated by autumn, he said.

Earlier today EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness said she understands Astrazeneca will provide more information on the delays from European manufacturing plants in the next few days.

It is unclear as of yet how exactly this delay will impede the plan to vaccinate over 70s through GPs with the companys vaccine by the end of March.

Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, is holding a special meeting on Monday with landlords in the school host communities, in a bid to stop the mass eviction of students from their apartments over unpaid rent.

The meeting, called by the student affairs department of the polytechnic, is going to have traditional leaders, police officials, local vigilante, and the representatives of the students union in attendance.

The students of the polytechnic, who are just returning to school after about eight months of forced holiday because of COVID-19, are under pressure from landlords to renew their annual rent which had expired by December.

The students were away from their apartments during the forced break.

Some of the landlords have also announced rent increases.

Many of the polytechnic students, who have chosen to stay off-campus, live in clusters of houses lodges, built with the students as targets.

Some of them have already been evicted by landlords who, like millions of other Nigerians, are under financial pressure because of the countrys deteriorating economy.

Normally, rent due is the right of the landlord but these are abnormal times that require exchange of ideas and peaceful resolutions, said Okafo Okoreaffia, the dean of student affairs, in an invite sent to the landlords and others for the meeting.

As foster parents of these students, their welfare and security are always paramount in our minds and I am happy to note that many of you share the same concern, Mr Okoreaffia added.

PREMIUM TIMES spoke on Sunday with two of the polytechnic students affected by the rent crisis, they said their hope hangs on the Monday meeting with the landlords.

Michael Victor, who is studying accounting, ordinary diploma, pays N50,000 for his one-room apartment which expired in December.

He said his landlady sent words to him and three other students, who are his co-tenants, that she was visiting them soon to announce a new increase on the rent.

Mr Victor said the landlady was attributing the rent increase to a spike in electricity tariff.

Most of our parents cant afford to pay more than what we were paying before, he said.

Another student, who gave his name simply as Favour, wants the landlords to give the students at least a four-month grace period.

We are confused, we dont know whether to pay our school fees or our rent, said Mr Favour, who is studying mathematics and statistics, ordinary diploma, and pays N77,000 as annual rent for a self-contained apartment.

His school fee is N4I,450.

Some few minutes ago, someone was knocking on our door, we just kept mute because we thought it was the caretaker, Mr Favour said.

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Mr Favour said the inconveniences in the hotels caused some of the students, including him, to reside off-campus.

For instance, during the last holiday, students were given two hours to leave the hostel, he said.

Mr Okoreaffia, the dean of student affairs, said there were still some empty spaces in the school hotels, but that some of the students prefer to live off-campus.

We have accommodation for students at about N15,000. What makes you a student is your school fees. Why dont pay school fees, then take up accommodation on campus? We still have accommodation, he told PREMIUM TIMES, Sunday.

Mr Okoreaffia did not want to preempt the outcome of the Mondays meeting with the landlords during the interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

The apartments in the lodges would likely remain vacant if the students are ejected since the school is yet to have new students, the dean said.

We are not admitting yet, the session has to conclude before new students are admitted before youll have new tenants available.

With this fact, I am sure they will slow down and reach a common position, he said.

The school will also use the meeting to brief the landlords about a new federal law that makes it mandatory for everyone to wear a face mask in public because of the surge in COVID-19 infections, he said.
OnScene

Police on Sunday captured a man who opened fire at officers after driving erratically on Houstons East Freeway, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m., soon after a pair of Houston police officers spotted a reckless driver speeding along the East Freeway. The officers tried pulling him over, but he would not stop, Assistant Chief Ban Tien said.


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HANAHAN  It started out as a plan to help revitalize a lifeless section of town, but then turned into a message of unity.

A simple art project that involved a Crayola box of paint colors and 50 discarded doors has gone far beyond just bringing a little beauty to downtown Hanahan.

The doors turned out to be so much more than wed hoped, Mayor Christie Rainwater said. It was a moment when people in the community came together saw what was possible.

Since taking office in 2018, Rainwater had been trying to come up with a new strategy to rejuvenate the citys small downtown section along Yeamans Hall Road. What she quickly discovered was that many of the most successful downtown restoration projects across the country had some type of public art theme built into them.

Art just seemed to always come up with other mayors when they spoke about redeveloping their downtown areas, Rainwater said. We wanted to bring our downtown area back to life, and we realized pretty quickly that the one missing piece from our strategy was art. We had no art, zero, zilch.

Enter Lydia Cotton, chairwoman of the Art Pot, a nonprofit multicultural group that provides art education and community service.

Art Pot had been awarded a two-year grant by the S.C. Arts Commission, and Cotton wanted to keep the funds within the Hanahan community where the group had found a permanent home in 2017.

The city had done so much for us, we wanted to give something back, Cotton said.

A late June date was set to begin the project.

But the event, with an original concept based primarily on the idea of bringing a little beauty to the downtown area, changed in late May when a few days before the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, George Floyd, a Black man, died at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis.

Floyds death set off nationwide protests.

In Charleston, a peaceful protest devolved into violence and chaos on the night of May 30. Protesters stalked the streets of South Carolinas oldest city, breaking into businesses and pummeling bystanders and police officers in their path.

The destruction that followed marked the worst rioting Charleston had seen in over a century, damaging more than 150 downtown businesses and giving the tourist-friendly citys reputation a gut punch.

Seeing the destruction in the wake of the protests, Rainwater and the City Council pivoted, deciding that installing and painting the doors might be a way to bring the community together.

With all the problems that were going on at that time, we wanted to show that we could work together on our problems, Rainwater said. We wanted everyone to come out, it didnt matter your culture, your color or background. We needed to come together.

When June 20 arrived, almost a hundred people of all ethnic backgrounds  Whites, African Americans, Latinos  showed up to lend a hand.

It was a moment of unity and a day of healing for everyone, Cotton said. It was incredible to see people of all backgrounds in the community come together for a common cause.

Construction workers, volunteers and local artists helped install and paint the doors. They were lined up side by side and served as a fence between the Yeamans Hall Canteen and an empty lot next door.

Some of the doors were painted solid colors while other artists decided on inspirational messages. Others featured landscapes or captured scenes from around the Lowcountry.

For local African American artists Stephanie Pittman and LaShandra Morgan, the daylong event symbolized what the community was capable of in the shadow of racial unrest.

Its not that often that we see the community come together, Pittman said. There were no conversations that were not welcome. I feel like if we could do more stuff like this, the community would create new friends, new connections and understand that art is a medium that can not only heal but bring people together.

Morgan agreed.

There are a lot of negative things happening in the world and this was my way of unifying with the community, she said.

In all, about 50 doors have been painted over the past seven months.

The doors are part of a larger plan to help attract new retail businesses  especially restaurants  and people to the downtown area. The city has also extended and repaired sidewalks, added landscaping, installed energy-efficient street lights and started a food truck park near town hall in hopes of luring people and businesses back to downtown.

What began as a way to revitalize downtown Hanahan turned into a day of unity and healing.


She's beautiful inside and out, exclaim internet users



By Kang Hyun-kyung





Actress Kim Hye-ri / Captured image from her Instagram account


(Natural News) In July, 2020 I had surgery on my spinal chord, as one of my legs had gone paralyzed over the months of the pandemic. On the last day of July, 2020 a dear friend of mine from Montana, a stolid, Native American fellow several years my junior, visited me at my home in Utah to check on my health. He told me that there was a group of people, some ex-federal some not, some cyber-experts and some of various other expertise, who were organizing on the subject of election fraud. My friend was adamant that I get involved and help them. My friend was quite a squared-away individual, and I took his advice and requests seriously.

(Article by Patrick Byrne republished from DeepCapture.com)

The next day, August 1, my friend died in a plane crash. As the coincidence was troubling, I looked into it personally (I am a multi-engine instrument land and seaplane pilot). It does seem to me to have been the error of his instructor, who flew the plane into a Montana box canyon without the power to climb out.

At my friends funeral I met some of the people he had described. A sober, quiet man with a FEMA background and a deep knowledge of biowarfare; a retired Army Colonel with a background in Military Intelligence including psyops; other men and women with backgrounds in everything from law enforcement to cyber operations in military contexts and in support of law enforcement (such as, most recently, operating against human trafficking rings in the Southwest) to the study of reverse-engineering mass election fraud. For it turns out that there were some irregularities in the Dallas 2018 election that had spawned a network of cyber-enthusiasts on election fraud, and that network had spawned a broader network. They were convinced that industrial scale election fraud was possible, and on its way. Soon some key players were dropping through and seeing me in Utah, and I, still recovering from surgery, was moving around to meet them elsewhere.

I am going to write of, white hat hackers. I should make clear that I am referring to people who not only follow the law, they generally operate under authority and direction of law enforcement, or under contract with law enforcement at state and federal levels. There is a certification for working in the field of cyber-forensics, a certification that means you can crack open and image hard drives, perform forensics on them, swear out affidavits, and produce work that is admissible in court. Sometimes they are used by law enforcement in offensive cyber-missions (e.g., taking down a child trafficking/porn ring). The white hat hackers of whom I write are people with such skill sets, but who operate under contract to law enforcement doing things law enforcement needs done but which are generally beyond the in-house capabilities of law enforcement.

Over the next couple of months I was introduced by these white hat hackers to the security vulnerabilities of the technology used in election equipment. Vulnerabilities such as slots in a motherboard that should be soldered shut but which are open (meaning anyone who can slip a chip into that slot for a few seconds can compromise the machine forever). Per this CNET video (Hackers target 30 voting machines at Defcon) , R232 ports giving any technician who plugs-in root level access without a password (thus again compromising the machine forever).

CnnTech, We watched hackers break into voting machines 2017:

Strange violations of good computer science practice, such as an oddly-architected database within the machine, with three different layers but without integrity among the layers. Audit logs that were editable by precinct administrators (making them not audit logs at all), and lacking in fixed numbering systems that could reveal tampering.

Let me point out that a year ago, this was not considered a partisan issue. We all wanted elections that were fair, free, and transparent, and we all had deep misgivings.

Here is a fine 4 minute video and story from the 2018 New York Times:

I Hacked an Election. So Can the Russians

(All cybersecurity experts who have given electronic voting machines any thought agree. These machines have got to go the electronic voting machines Americans got to solve the problem of voting integrity  turned out to be an awful idea. Thats because people like me can hack them all too easily. Im a computer scientist who has hacked a lot of electronic voting machines Imagine what the Russians and North Koreans can do Our highly computerized election infrastructure is vulnerable to sabotage and even to cyber-attacks. So wrote the same New York times where now, two years later, even mention of the possibility has become verboten.)

From Bloomberg, November 2019: Expensive, Glitchy Voting Machines Expose 2020 Hacking Risks: Paper ballots may be safer and cheaper, but local officials swoon at digital equipment.

It was widely acknowledged in the techie world. See this 7 minute story Voting Machine Hacks at DefCon.

Here is CNN in 2019: Watch this hacker break into a voting machine: At the largest convention of hackers in the world, voting machines were turned inside out as hackers demonstrated how easy it could be to disrupt democracy.

From NBC News, January 2020: Online and vulnerable: Experts find nearly three dozen U.S. voting systems connected to internet.

From the British Left-of-Center The Guardian, this in March, 2020: Hack the vote: terrifying film shows how vulnerable US elections are, a review of the HBO documentary Kill Chain: The Cyber War on Americas Elections, which appeared in March, 2020 and which will likely be illegal to view under the Democrats new bill to combat domestic terrorism. The Guardians view was the the case made by the documentary was horrifying, and they piled on with some quite good reporting of their own.

From Mother Jones, September 2019: Researchers Assembled over 100 Voting Machines. Hackers Broke Into Every Single One. A cybersecurity exercise highlights both new and unaddressed vulnerabilities riddling US elecion systems [emphasis mine].

Lastly, Fox from 2020: Princeton Professor Hacks Dominion Voting Machine in Seven Minutes

I asked the white hat hackers involved who were walking me through these points of porous security to me to rate the security, on a scale of 1 (worst)  10 (best), of these systems. Their considered answer: 2, maybe a 1.

So allow me to point out that as of September, 2020, there probably was not a single subject one could find with such unanimity of conscience across the political spectrum, as the vulnerability of our voting equipment to election fraud. From Mother Jones to Fox to CNET to CNN to New York Times to Bloomber etc., the world was in complete agreement. It seems worthy of mention that only four months ago concern over the possibility of mass election fraud enjoyed the broadest consensus of any subject known to man, now that its possibility is getting flushed down the Orwellian memory hole.

Beyond those kinds of hacks, they began to introduce me to other hacks understood in a broader sense. The extraordinary privileges enjoyed by precinct administrators, for example, to drag-and-drop a queue of hundreds of ballots waiting for adjudication (a point confirmed within the machines operating handbook). Discussion was had of spikes in offshore packet traffic to certain locations during elections, though the full reasons for that were not yet fully understood. One technique that was explained to me before the election, ended up being the subject of a Gateway Pundit video after the election:

As the weeks ticked by this late summer and fall I became increasingly conversant with characters who were convinced we were on the edge of a massive election steal. They had meetings arranged with DHS in their state, and briefings were taken at least twice in September by DHS and propelled up the chain of command. only to be killed from Washington. In particular, a portion of DHS called CISA (Cybsecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) put the kibosh on further meetings. This was odd because election security is within their mandate: one might have thought they might be interested. And let me remind the reader, this was not just a ragtag bunch of misfits (pajamahadeen as they are sometimes known): these were professionals with extensive federal backgrounds, with all kinds of experiences of and certifications in matters cyber.

Then November 3, the night of the election, everything they had been predicting to me would happen, happened. I am not going to make this essay a full account of the steal: that will be a book in itself someday, and I want to get on with the history. For now, let me confine myself to a brief gloss of the oddities that stacked up.

Ask your local political science professor to explain why it is the case that to steal the national election one does not need, widespread election fraud. If the professor is honest, you will hear, Because instead of widespread election fraud, it only takes deep election fraud in five cities to flip the swing states they are in, to thereby flip the electoral college, and to thereby steal the election nationally. Those cities are Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Phoenix.

And what do you, know, on November 3, election night, vote counting in precisely those cities took unprecedented turns. As James Woods put it elegantly, Since when do they just stop counting votes on election day in America? Yet that happened in various ways across those cities named (it is hard to remember now, but in early November it seemed strange to everyone that they stopped counting votes on election day in those cities, though it has been normalized since). In Atlantas State Farm Arena, a water-main break forced the evacuation of the vote counting area of the arena: it later turned out to be fake (BUSTED: Evidence Proves Burst Water Pipe In Georgia Was Used As Cover For Secret Vote-Counting) . In the few hours when the counting was closed, hundreds of thousands of votes were pushed through the system. The water-main break turned out to be a urinal that had overflowed (Reported Burst Pipe in Atlanta Ballot-Count Area Was Overflowing Urinal: Investigator).

In one location, multiple security cameras caught workers grabbing suitcases of ballots out of hiding and feeding them into machines while counting was officially stopped and all others had been shooed from the area.

Some of these cities saw goons muscle observers away from vote counting centers on gobbledygook reasons, while others taped pizza boxes across windows to block poll observers from being able to observe.

In the days after the election the suspicion that untoward things were occurring were ubiquitous. Focus of the suspicion was focused on Dominion Voting (Dominion Machines Cover Millions of Voters, But Watch How Easy It Is To Rig One of Them Western Journal, November 13, 2020). However, in my opinion that focus insufficiently appreciates the true nature of the issue of election fraud in the USA, its scope and varieties.

Within days, the cyber teams I was with were coming up with data that showed what had happened in those windows where counting had been stopped: hundreds of thousands of ballots had been injected, often running 99.4% and even 100% Biden.

Within a matter of a couple weeks, there were mathematicians publicly and privately weighing in on the statistical improbabilities bubbling up through the November 3 data.

Benfords law, a statistical law frequently used in courts when establishing voter fraud, was applied to the election results in Michigan: Bidens vote numbers in Michigan do not match Benfords law at a 99.999% significance level.

A Williams math professor laid it on the line (Yale Trained Mathematician Flags 100,000 Pennsylvania Ballots As Likely Fraudulent) leading to official reaction (Federal Elections Commission Chairman Trey Trainor says new analysis by professor Steven Miller adds to the conclusions that some level of voter fraud took place in this years election).

Before the end of the year noted economist John Lott would come out with a paper: A Simple Test for the Extent of Vote Fraud with Absentee Ballots in the 2020 Presidential Election: Georgia and Pennsylvania Data. Lotts findings were summarized in the popular press, Expert: Biden win suspicious, 289,000 election-changing excess votes.

And so on and so forth.

Read more at: DeepCapture.com
Lord Dodds has warned the EU has set a precedent after it briefly triggered Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol over the supply of covid vaccines.

Nigel Dodds insisted the row between the UK and the EU over the short-lived but widely-condemned move to override part of the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland to control shipments of jabs showed the blocs mask slipped.

First Minister Arlene Foster had said the EU had displayed an incredible act of hostility by triggering Article 16.

The EU backtracked on the move, imposed unilaterally as it faces shortfalls on vaccine supplies, within hours of making it on Friday after facing universal criticism from London, Dublin and Belfast.

The DUP deputy leader told the BBCs Sunday Politics show: I think the mask slipped on Friday night because the EU and others had been lecturing everybody and indeed had taken as the basis of its policy that for the past four or five years that there could never be under any circumstances whatsoever any kind of hard on the island of Ireland.

And to do anything to override any of the protocol provisions would be anathema and then in one fell swoop on Friday night, they did both of those things.

That is why people I feel, I think feel so outraged and bewildered at what the EU has done. Never mind the fact that it was aimed at vaccines, aimed at helping people overcome this terrible Covid pandemic.

He continued: I think that what what the EU has now effectively done is set a precedent that has said that in circumstances where their single market is in danger and theres a potential threat, then the provisions of article 16 can be triggered and, indeed, in their statement withdrawing article 16 now, they made it clear that they reserve the right to use it and other instruments going forward.

I think that the British government now has the opportunity to look at what the problems are between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the societal difficulties and economic difficulties, the EU cited as the reason for Article 16 are far more pertinent and far more in play in Northern Ireland given the problems with parcels, foodstuffs, medicines all the rest of it, and therefore the government now needs to look at what it can do to alleviate the problems between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that get rid of some of the insidious effects of this wretched Protocol.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, a vocal remainer, also criticised the move by the EU, branding it a very foolish move that jeopardised the peace process.

He said Brussels action to control the movement of coronavirus jabs had been unacceptable, telling Skys Sophy Ridge on Sunday: Yes, it was a very foolish thing to do and fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.

I was somebody who negotiated the Good Friday Agreement, its brought peace to the island of Ireland and it is absolutely vital that we protect it and thats why what the European Commission did was unacceptable but, as you say, fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.

Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, however, has disagreed with Mrs Fosters assessment that the EU displayed an act of hostility.

Appearing on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, he explained: My observation is that the terrible row is an acrimonious row between AstraZeneca and the (EU) Commission over the contractual obligations of the company in respect of supplying vaccines to European member states took centre stage here, and people were blindsided by the decision that was taken and the implications for the Protocol.

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Mr Martin stressed it took four years to negotiate the Protocol to facilitate access for Northern Irelands economy to the single market as well as to the UK market and to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Its a good thing, the Protocol, overall. There are issues there that we have to fine-tune and work out, but essentially I think there are positives there medium term for Northern Ireland in terms of its economic development which we should not underestimate, he said.

We are only four weeks into the operation of the Protocol, there are bound to be teething problems but I do acknowledge the need for engagement here on all sides, between the European Union, the United Kingdom and the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

On Saturday Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said the EU recognises it made a mistake in its short-lived but widely-condemned move to override part of the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland to control shipments of jabs.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was reassured the EU has no desire to block suppliers fulfilling contracts for vaccine distribution to the UK after talks with European Commission executive vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis.
More than 3 000 health workers have been infected with Covid-19 with 11 succumbing to the virus since March last year.

The Government has mobilised a lot of resources to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers who are the frontline workers as it grapples to make the workplace as safe as possible.

The frontline workers who are the heroes and heroines in the fight against covid-19 continue to do their best to attend to the sick while efforts continue to minimise their exposure to the pandemic.

By yesterday nearly 1 200 people had succumbed to the virus in Zimbabwe. In an interview yesterday, the Health Services Board (HSB) deputy director public relations, Ms Tryfine Rachael Dzvukutu said it was sad that the virus is claiming lives of health workers who are the frontiline workers in the fight against the pandemic.

To date 3 389 health workers including nurses have been infected by Covid-19. Recorded deaths are 11, she said.

Ms Dzvukutu said since the start of Covid-19 last year, Government has consistently ensured that the appropriate human resources are availed at public health institutions and will continue improving staffing levels to meet demand for services.

She said recently 376 nurses were engaged to beef up staff at the public health institutions.

To date the Health Service Board has completed the deployment of 376 nurses, with focus being given to institutions with red zone (central hospitals) and designated isolation facilities. The health service by its very nature is largely labour intensive and following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become imperative to redistribute staff in order to ensure the more critical departments and units have adequate staff, said Ms Dzvukutu.

All health workers in the public health sector, including nurses continue to receive monthly Covid-19 Risk Allowances ranging from Z$1 500 to Z$ 3 750 depending on the level of risk.

In addition to that, health workers are also paid US$75 risk allowance a month which is paid to all civil servants.

All categories of health workers assigned to continuously work in the RedZone treatment wards are entitled to a monthly RedZone allowance of Z$6 000. Last month, Government also started paying compensation to its workers infected by Covid-19.

The amounts of money paid under the health insurance cover range from US$650 to US$1 000 paid in local currency at the prevailing official exchange rate.

Under the insurance policy, money is paid after all checks have been done to make sure that only genuine or authentic claims are honoured.

The Task Force on Harmonisation and Standardisation of the Public Sector Remuneration Framework resolved that those who catch the virus be covered by the insurance.

Permanent secretaries who have been part of the essential services and have been working since March last year when the national lockdown was implemented are among those who will get US$1 000 compensation in the event of being infected.

In the event of the death of a member due to Covid-19, the surviving members of the family will be paid the compensation.

In his weekly Covid-19 taskforce statement last week, the acting Minister of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Jenfan Muswere urged Zimbabweans to continue to strictly adhere to lockdown restrictions to minimise exposure.

He said the Government owes all health workers and frontline staff a debt of gratitude.Those who work on the red zones which deal with the care of Covid-19 patients are surely our heroes and heroines as we continue to fight this deadly disease. Government is committed to the eradication of Covid 19 and we are hopeful that we will succeed, he said.

Dr Muswere said a large section of Zimbabweans who have been shining beacons in society by way of adhering to lockdown statutes must be commended. Chronicle
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi said Sunday it had filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the former Trump administration's last-minute blacklisting of the electronics giant.

Xiaomi said it filed the appeal with a Washington federal court Friday after former president Donald Trump's administration barred investment in the firm, saying the Beijing-headquartered company was a part of the Chinese military.

In a statement, Xiaomi said it "believes that the decision ... was factually incorrect and has deprived the company of legal due process."

"With a view to protecting the interests of the global users, partners, employees and shareholders of (Xiaomi), the company has pleaded to the courts to declare the decision illegal and that it be reversed," the statement added.

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

Xiaomi -- which overtook Apple last year to become the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer -- was one of nine firms the Pentagon classified as "Communist Chinese military companies."

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

The blacklisting means US investors cannot buy Xiaomi securities.

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

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Ireland's gratitude to healthcare workers from overseas could be expressed by reducing delays in citizenship applications, says Labour senator Ivana Bacik.

Thousands of non-nationals play a crucial role in the battle against Covid-19 in Irish hospitals and nursing homes and it is time to speed up the processing of applications for Irish citizenship, she said.

Dr Sahibzada Abrar was one of several doctors who spoke to the Sunday Independent in recent days of their hopes for an end to delays in the processing of applications for citizenship.

"I've given my youth to Ireland - and my energy and sweat to Ireland," said Dr Abrar (35), a neuro-surgery registrar at Cork University Hospital.

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He acknowledges being worried when performing surgery on patients who have Covid-19. All elective surgery has temporarily stopped in the pandemic and only emergency and urgent surgeries are undertaken.

He welcomed Ms Bacik's call for reduced delays in processing citizenship applications.

He arrived in Ireland from Pakistan to begin work at Mallow General Hospital in Co Cork in 2013. When he applied for Irish citizenship in February 2019 he was informed it would take six months. Two years later, he is still waiting.

Over the years he was unable to join medical training schemes because he was not a citizen, so he had to take the alternate approach of accumulating experience and doing exams in his own time.

"It complicates things because I cannot plan my life. Even going to a two-day conference in Britain or France for educational purposes would have meant getting leave to travel to embassies in Dublin to get a two-day travel visa," he said.

He was grateful for the support he received for his career in Irish hospitals. He and his wife love living in Ireland with their three children and their Irish neighbours are very friendly, he said.

A person must live in Ireland for five years before applying for citizenship.

"We're not asking for relaxation of the requirements for citizenship, only a reduction in processing time," he added.

Ms Bacik told this newspaper how some doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants have waited years for their applications to be processed.

"They are living with the uncertainty and putting themselves at risk daily and that is when it becomes particularly hard for people.

"There are some very hard cases of people who have been here a long time and who have children here and yet don't feel safe and secure - so fearful that they aren't speaking out publicly," she said.

Non-national doctors have been "the bedrock" of services in hospitals outside Dublin and the training system in hospitals "does not give sufficient scope and opportunity to non-EU citizens".

She said countries such as France and Canada had reduced the amount of time non-national healthcare workers must live in their countries before applying for citizenship so reducing delays for applications in Ireland would be "a goodwill gesture".

She welcomed a recent announcement by Justice Minister Helen McEntee that 4,000 applicants would have the processing of their applications "fast-tracked".

She supports the Train Us for Ireland campaign group which represents 200 non-EU healthcare workers seeking improvements in the system. Dr Mohsin Kemal, a doctor from Pakistan working in Dublin who is not a member of the group, said he welcomed a move by Canada to grant citizenship to the families of healthcare workers who died with Covid-19.

Dr Kamal told this newspaper he welcomed a move by Canada "to grant citizenship to the families of healthcare workers who died with Covid-19".

A Department of Justice spokesman said: "Minister McEntee recognises the crucial role healthcare workers are continuing to play in responding to the threat of Covid-19. Their exceptional commitment has been particularly clear... they have played a vital part in preventing the spread of Covid-19."

Around 24,000 citizenship applications are currently being processed.

In general, the current target is that it should take around 12 months for a standard application for a certificate of naturalisation to be processed from the date it is received to the date a decision is made.

However, for a broad range of reasons some cases will take longer than others to process, the spokesman said.

A number of issues have affected the processing of applications over the past 15 months, including a High Court case.

A significant backlog also built up due to the inability to hold in-person citizenship ceremonies during Covid-19.

Ms McEntee announced that a temporary system will help to significantly clear the backlog over the course of this year, in which applicants sign a declaration of loyalty instead of attending a citizen ceremony.
This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is Amy Cooke There is big money in the dark shadows of the left's activist networks, and its most well-kept secret is infiltrating North Carolina.Meet Arabella Advisors, a consulting company that controls a $731 million nonprofit nexus from its plush headquarters in Washington, D.C. Through its four in-house nonprofits  the vaguely named New Venture Fund, Sixteen Thirty Fund, Hopewell Fund, and Windward Fund  Arabella has quietly funneled nearly $2.5 billion since its creation in 2005 from major foundations and mega-donors to left-wing activists, voter registration groups, litigation nonprofits, and think tanks.These groups push an extreme agenda that includes no parental choice in education, divisive identity politics issues, gun control, government-controlled health care, climate alarmism, higher taxes, energy poverty, and more. They try to discredit Republican candidates and popular causes like school choice, affordable health care, and energy independence. They do it for one singular purpose  to get Democrats elected and secure key states for the professional left.For nearly 15 years, Arabella's network operated in secret with almost no scrutiny from the press, until it was exposed by the Capital Research Center, a right-leaning watchdog group.Last year that network expanded into the Tar Heel state when it opened its fifth office in Durham. Other locations include Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and the D.C. mothership. The Durham office is set to grow into "one of the company's largest." Make no mistake, this is an activist invasion from Washington D.C. to fundamentally change the politics of North Carolina from a battleground state to a Democratic stronghold like California or New York, and force progressive policies on North Carolinians.The Sixteen Thirty Fund, Arabella's in-house lobbying shop, has been active in North Carolina for years. In the 2018 midterms it ran a "pop-up"  a website front designed to look like a standalone activist group  called North Carolinians for a Fair Economy which savaged Republican Rep. George Holding (NC-02) as weak on healthcare, even flying a plane trailing a banner that read, "Congressman Holding: Hands Off Our Health Care."As a pass-through, the Sixteen Thirty Fund moves money from Big Labor, left-wing foundations, and mega-donors such as George Soros and California billionaire Tom Steyer to fund its "pop-ups" and other activist groups.It's already channeled millions of dollars to far-left activists waging war on common sense in North Carolina. In 2019, Sixteen Thirty gave $1.75 million to Piedmont Rising, a Philadelphia-based group that launched a faux TV news site complete with "breaking news" designed to mislead North Carolina voters into believing the group's reports attacking Republican Sen. Thom Tillis were actual journalists.The campaign was so deceptive and misleading that Piedmont Rising advisory board member Chuck Tryon, a professor of media studies at Fayetteville State University, resigned according to a WRAL report Other Sixteen Thirty Fund grant recipients include Advance North Carolina, a voter registration group that targets Democratic-leaning constituencies; Make N.C. First, which spent roughly $1 million successfully disrupting the reelection of state Supreme Court Justice Bob Edmunds in 2016; North Carolina Citizens for Protecting Our Schools, which lobbies for tax hikes; and Progress North Carolina Action, part of the advocacy coalition run by Blueprint NC, which coordinated efforts in 2020 to paint the state permanently blue.This is just the start of a top-down campaign to flip North Carolina to the Democrats. To the professional left  which sees its long and inevitable march to victory in terms of generations, not elections  Republican success in 2020 was a fluke. They won't make the same mistake again, if conservatives give them the chance.Coming from Colorado, I've seen first-hand how the left and its funders will invest tens of millions of dollars on take-no-prisoners messaging, misleading campaigns, and multi-year strategies with a singular goal of winning and flipping a state blue. Their consultants admit it . Take them at their word  Arabella Advisors and its donors thrive in the shadows as they funnel massive amounts of money to flip North Carolina blue.Don't be fooled by "pop-ups" with slick websites and local-sounding names. Since right-leaning groups are unlikely to out-raise the left in terms of dollars, our best chance is to expose this well-funded, well-coordinated leftist empire and call them what they are: A network of activists paid for by wealthy elites from outside the state and controlled by powerful Washington consultants.
(UroToday.com) The European Association of Urology (EAU) section of the ESUR lecture was provided by Dr. Kerstin Junker who presented the best papers of translational research published in 2020. Dr. Junker notes that the intestinal microbiome has a role in checkpoint inhibition, in particularly the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Secondly, circulation DNA in the blood plasma has emerged as a new diagnostic tool, particularly for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Indeed, for the systemic therapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, there is a growing spectrum of single, combination and sequence options for therapy, with a need for stratification based on prognosis and predictive biomarkers. Dr. Junker notes that there are several parameters, including:

Tumor parameters: molecular signatures for antiangiogenic and checkpoint inhibition

Host (systemic) parameters: the intestinal microbiome, which may have protumorigenic effects, dysbiosis due to antibiotics (a reduced effect of immune checkpoint blockade), and/or a microbiome fingerprint (predicting response to immune checkpoint blockade)

The first study Dr. Junker discussed was by Derosa et al. entitled Gut Bacteria Composition Drives Primary Resistance to Cancer Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients published in European Urology.1 The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of stool bacteria composition for immune checkpoint blockade efficacy in a cohort of advanced renal cell carcinoma patients. There were 69 fecal samples collected from advanced RCC patients treated with nivolumab and enrolled in the GETUG-AFU 26 NIVOREN microbiota translational substudy phase 2 trial, in addition to 2,994 samples of feces from healthy volunteers. The authors found that recent antibiotic use (16%) reduced objective response rates from 28% to 9% (p < 0.03) and markedly affected the composition of the microbiota:

The authors also performed preclinical studies in renal cell carcinoma-bearing mice that received a fecal transplant from renal cell carcinoma patients resistant to immune checkpoint blockade, which allowed assessment of a cause-effect relationship between gut bacteria composition and clinical outcomes for immune checkpoint blockade. They found that these mice were successfully compensated with either fecal transplant from responding renal cell carcinoma patients or beneficial commensals identified by whole-genome sequencing metagenomics data (Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides salyersiae).

Cell free DNA is part of a liquid biopsy, that may be derived from blood, urine, seminal fluid, etc and is released from almost all cells in the body. Circulating tumor DNA is released specifically from tumor cells and represents only a small fraction of cell free DNA. Circulating tumor DNA is detected based on tumor-specific DNA-alterations, which may include mutations, copy number alterations, and DNA-methylation. The advantage of circulating tumor DNA is that it overcomes the problems of tumor heterogeneity, specifically between the primary tumor and a metastatic lesion, as well as between different sites of metastasis. The second article discussed by Dr. Junker was by Vanderkerkhove et al. entitled Plasma ctDNA is a tumor tissue surrogate and enables clinical-genomic stratification of metastatic bladder cancer published in Nature Communications [2]. Metastatic bladder cancer recently has an increasing spectrum of various therapies and there is an urgent need for predictive biomarkers. Circulating tumor DNA has been confirmed in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and better reflects late stage disease rather than primary tumor tissue. This study profiled circulating tumor DNA samples from 104 metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients, and compared profiles to same-patient tumor tissue obtained during surgery:

The targeted sequencing was a 50-60 gene panel, and the circulating tumor DNA fraction was >1% in 85% of patients with a median fraction of 8%. Circulating tumor DNA was not associated with primary tumor resection and decreased due to systemic treatment. Among 71 metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients that had cell free DNA collected prior to starting systemic therapy, circulating tumor DNA level was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (low vs high ctDNA HR 3.1, 95% CI 1.3 to 7.5):

Additionally, mutations of circulating tumor DNA reflected mutations in related tissue from the tumor:

These results are complementary to previous studies in this disease space. Christensen et al. [3] assessed the prognostic and predictive impact of ultra-deep sequencing of cell-free DNA in 68 patients before and after cystectomy and during chemotherapy. They found that the presence of circulating tumor DNA was highly prognostic at diagnosis before chemotherapy (HR 29.1; p = 0.001), and after cystectomy circulating tumor DNA analysis correctly identified all patients with metastatic relapse during disease surveillance (100% sensitivity, 98% specificity). As follows are the Kaplan-Meier curves for recurrence-free survival and overall survival for circulating tumor DNA after radical cystectomy:

Dr. Junker noted that circulating tumor DNA in metastatic urothelial carcinoma is stable and detectable in the majority of patients and may be a more representative snapshot rather than single (primary) tumor samples. It also has excellent prognostic and predictive value and allows detection of aggressive (metastatic) disease at an earlier time point. Dr. Junker concluded by highlighting that personalized therapy is feasible in the near future in urologic oncology based biomarkers.

Presented by: Kerstin Junker, Prof. Dr. med, Professor and Chair of the Department of clinical-experimental research of Universitat des Saarlandes, Saarbrucken (UKS), Homburg, Germany

Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, Twitter: @zklaassen_md during the 18th Meeting of the EAU Section of Oncological Urology (ESOU21), January 29-31, 2021





References:

1. Derosa L, Routy B, Fidelle M, et al. Gut Bacteria Composition Drives Primary Resistance to Cancer Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients. Eur Urol2020 Aug;78(2):195-206.

2. Vandekerkhove G, Lavoie JM, Annala M, et al. Plasma ctDNA is a tumor tissue surrogate and enables clinical-genomic stratification of metastatic bladder cancer. Nat Commun.2021 Jan 8;12(1):184.

3. Christensen E, Birkenkamp-Demtroder K, Sethi H, et al. Early detection of metastatic relapse and monitoring of therapeutic efficacy by ultra-deep sequencing of plasma cell-free DNA in patients with urothelial bladder carcinoma. J Clin Oncol2019 Jun 20;37(18):1547-1557.


Addis Ababa, Jan 31 : The African Union (AU) Commission and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have kicked off a year-long project to mark the 20th anniversary since the establishment of the bloc.

The year-long initiative, dubbed "AU at 20: A Renewed Call to Action for the 21st Century", envisaged to mark the 20th anniversary since the establishment of the AU towards charting a renewed call to action towards achieving continental and global development aspirations, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Endorsed by the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the project will undertake a data-driven study to assess progress and chart a renewed call to action towards achieving Agenda 2063 (The Africa We Want) and the UN's Agenda 2030," an AU statement issued on Friday read.

The year 2022 will mark 20 years since the Durban Summit, which established the AU, the successor of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

"Since then, the continent has experienced rapid economic growth and developed normative frameworks on development, peace and security, and governance," the AU said.

The 55-member pan-African bloc, however, stressed that the continent "is yet to fully consolidate the successes of recent years and address persistent economic, governance and societal challenges".

The joint study, among other things, envisaged proposing new ideas and innovative ways in supporting AU member states toward an accelerated pathway for achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development, it was noted.

The AU Commission and UNDP are set to work towards the development of a research methodology, data collection and analysis process to produce a compendium that assesses "where the continent is, where we ought to be and set a clear roadmap for sustainable and equitable progress across the continent", it was noted.

Further, a series of dialogues will be organized across the continent to present the findings of the study to enable all stakeholders make inputs and validate the study.

The final compendium will then be produced and launched in 2022 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the AU, according to the bloc.

The kick-off meeting was attended by representatives from the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, the Office of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, the Department of Peace and Security, the Department of Political Affairs, the Directorate for Information and Communication, the Department of Infrastructure and Energy, the Office of Legal Counsel, and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Thirty-nine years after the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was launched to end colonialism and unite the peoples of Africa, the continent's leaders had inaugurated its successor, the AU, in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002.

The new organisation inherits the OAU's mantle of pan-Africanism.

The AU, however, has a broader mandate to meet the challenges of a rapidly globalising era.
A Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice is set to come into force late on Monday night, as Northern Ireland braces itself for yet another blast of winter weather.

The warning, which stretches across all counties of Northern Ireland from 10pm until midnight on Tuesday, is set to bring spells of snow up to 4cm in some parts, particularly towards the west.

Higher ground could see as much as 10cm.

The return to colder conditions after comparatively milder weather is as a result of an Atlantic weather system pushing into the UK.

Maximum daytime temperatures of just 4 or 5C are expected, with a moderate south-easterly wind making it feel chillier.

Luke Miall, a meteorologist for the Met Office, warned people to keep up-to-date with the situation, particularly those involved in essential travel - with the likelihood of disruption in some areas as a result of the conditions.

"As we go through late Monday evening into Tuesday, the weather system is bumping into cold air which is the perfect recipe at this time of year to see some snow," he explained.

"The main sort of concerns at the moment are during Tuesday morning, when some people are still travelling to work and when it could be quite disruptive.

"The eastern coasts of Northern Ireland, including Belfast, are likely to get off easiest because of the wind direction.

"It may be a bit more transient in Belfast, with a short spell of snow before rain.

"Moving forwards, some of that snow will probably start turning back to rain. As that snow starts to fall as rain later on and falling on cold ground, it could turn to black ice and turn the snow rather slushy.

"This could cause further issues as we head into Tuesday evening and is likely to leave many untreated rural roads particularly troublesome for drivers and essential workers.

"The message is to take extra precautions. We always advise people to keep up-to-date and we do review the warnings regularly. The government advice at the moment is to keep all travel essential. Any journey that can be delayed by a day would be advisable and suggested."

Moving beyond Tuesday, while it will briefly turn milder on Wednesday, there is still the potential for further wintry weather into Thursday and the weekend, with colder air returning from the north. More likely is that any precipitation will fall as rain. However, the risk of ice is likely to remain.

"The middle of the week and onwards will be temporarily less cold for a short time, but returning colder weather is expected for the end of the week and indeed into next weekend," added Mr Miall.

"We are definitely not out of the woods just yet with regard to winter weather."


Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  The House of Representatives reports it has recorded 34 more COVID-19 cases in another mass testing initiative held in the chamber this month.

In a statement on Sunday, House Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza said 34 people tested positive for the coronavirus out of 2,848 who went through the gold-standard reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, or RT-PCR, test held in the chamber.

The swab testing for House members and employees was conducted from January 18 to 27.

Mendoza said the number of new cases in the chamber went down "by almost two-thirds based on the results." Almost all cases were also reportedly asymptomatic.

Back in December, 98 cases were recorded from the 2,000 lawmakers and staff who underwent testing. This number is on top of the 93 people who caught the virus in the lower chamber prior to the mass testing. The House report did not distinguish how many were congressmen or staff, but Mendoza said all 98 cases have already recovered.

The recent cases, along with the detection of the COVID-19 variant in the country, prompted Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to order a stricter enforcement of health and safety protocols within the Batasang Pambansa complex.

Coronavirus cases in the House have been brought down quite remarkably but because of the new strain, we cannot be complacent, Mendoza said.

Speaker Velasco said we must continue or even intensify our efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially now that a new variant of coronavirus is gaining a foothold in the country, he added.

According to the House official, all those who tested positive were brought to isolation facilities to avoid possible transmission and immediate tracing of their close contacts was conducted.

Visitors to the House are now required to present a negative COVID-19 Antigen test result before they are granted access. All those entering the House also need to wear masks and face shields, pass through thermal scanners and disinfection machines, and observe physical distancing at all times.

House members, employees and guests are also required to submit an accomplished health declaration form to inform the chamber of their health status before being allowed entry into the premises.

The chamber continues to hold a hybrid session that combines limited physical presence of congressmen and teleconferencing with other lawmakers, with due consideration on the health and safety of its members and staff.
Queensland has declared Perth and some surrounding regions a coronavirus hotspot, meaning anyone arriving from the area must go into 14-day hotel quarantine.

The decision comes after metropolitan Perth, the Peel region and the South West region went into a five-day lockdown on Sunday because of a hotel quarantine worker's infection.

Anyone who arrives from those areas from 6pm on Sunday must go into quarantine.

Victoria has also moved swiftly following the lockdown announcement, moving the impacted areas from green zones to red under their traffic light system, from 9pm on Sunday.

Anyone who has been in a red zone, including Victorians, since January 25 cannot enter the state without an exception.

Queensland has declared Perth a coronavirus hotspot and requires anyone arriving from the area to go into a 14-day hotel quarantine. Pictured: security outside Perth hotel with positive case

Queensland Health also announced that anyone who had travelled from those WA areas since January 26 should be tested and isolate until they receive their result.

The latest restriction on arrivals comes as Queensland calls for a targeted version of JobKeeper to help its struggling international tourism industry as it aims for a domestic boom in the sector over Easter.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her government are standing firm in their calls for federal government support to continue, despite a swipe from NSW saying Queensland is a victim of its own border closures.

Queensland's Greater Sydney hotspot will end on Monday, further freeing up travel between the states.

The decision comes after a hotel (pictured) quarantine worker became infected with the mutant strain of covid

On Sunday, Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe called on Canberra to help Queensland's international tourism sector with more support.

'A targeted version of JobKeeper, a targeted version ... targeted at those internationally exposed sectors of the economy, would be really, really helpful - that would be the best way forward,' he said.

But also on Sunday, Federal Minister for Tourism Dan Tehan reiterated that JobKeeper will end and called on Ms Palaszczuk to 'play her part' in helping the tourism sector.

'We want to make sure that the states play their part and the Queensland Premier, along with other state and territory leaders, could really play an influential role by getting a consistency around hotspot definitions and border closures,' Mr Tehan said.

'If the Queensland Premier could play her part in that, that would be wonderful for the Queensland tourism industry. If we could get that consistency, that would provide certainty to the sector.'

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) and her government are standing firm in their calls for federal government support to continue

Queensland, which has gone another day with no new coronavirus cases, is looking forward to a tourism windfall from NSW and Victoria over Easter worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

'Opening the border to Greater Sydney could result in a $350m tourism windfall alone,' the premier said.

'That's what 370,000 Sydneysiders spent in 2019, visiting Queensland for Easter.'

Ms Palaszczuk has urged the federal government to extend the JobSeeker payments past March for tourism operators, particularly in far north Queensland.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejikilian and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet have taken a swipe at her in response.

Ms Berejikilian said her Queensland counterpart was a victim of her own border closures, while Mr Perrottet said Ms Palaszczuk needed to realise 'money doesn't grow on banana trees'.

Ms Palaszczuk dismissed the criticism, telling reporters outsiders can call her whatever names they want 'but honestly, I will always stand up for people in this state'.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejikilian has taken a swipe at QLD Premier saying that her Queensland counterpart was a victim of her own border closures

Ms Berejiklian said Queensland's tourism woes were exacerbated by Ms Palaszczuk's domestic border closures, which had been too hasty.

'(Ms Palaszczuk) is now the victim of a policy she put in place herself,' Ms Berejiklian said.

The Queensland premier said tourism operators, particularly those in the far north, had told her their main problem was a lack of international visitors rather than a domestic downturn.

'We will of course continue to support our tourism industry, but the tourism industries in some parts of Queensland are being impacted more than others because they were heavily reliant on international tourism ... there is no international tourism,' she said.
A man jailed for the sexual abuse and attempted rape of his stepdaughter was released from prison this week - but didn't apologise for his crimes.

Reginald Arnold - who told his young victim he would "ride her" and tied her up with a belt and stripped her - got a nine-year sentence for the perverted attacks on the girl.

This week, after being released from custody having served his time, the Cork man declined the opportunity to say sorry.

When approached by the Sunday World, a young man who identified himself as a close relative pushed into the way.

"No, go away. Go away, bud. I don't care" he said, pushing his arm at our man.

"I'd advise you Don't even follow him, don't even follow him," he added in a threatening manner.

Expand Close A claiming to be a relative of Arnolds speaks to our man Eamon (left) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A claiming to be a relative of Arnolds speaks to our man Eamon (left)

Asked to stop touching our reporter, the relative then said: "Can you see the man, the way he's walking? Leave him alone and don't follow him."

Frail Arnold then shuffled back to their car and sat inside, ready to restart his life after prison.

In a victim impact report read in court during his 2014 trial, the girl he attacked said she still suffers from nightmares, fearing her attacker will come back to get her and hurt her family.

Nightmares

"I find it very hard to be around men. I do not trust men, I have no confidence in myself. I was always such a happy child. I will never get over what happened to me, this will stay with me forever," she said.

"I get nightmares he will come back to get me and hurt my family. He has totally destroyed my belief in myself."

"I was only a child and he was a monster to me. I will never get over this," she stated.

She had waived her right to anonymity to allow Arnold to be named. He began abusing her when she was 12, the same year he married her mother.

During his 2014 trial at which the judge remarked he showed no remorse, the sex monster denied the sickening attacks which took place "whenever he could".

His decision to plead not guilty meant that the victim had to giver evidence in court and face cross-examination by his defence counsel.

The victim had described to gardai a number of incidents involving touching, masturbation, being tied to a bed and attempted rape.

On one occasion Arnold touched her private parts after handing her a 10 note and telling her to be a good girl.

In another attack they were watching TV together and he took his trousers and underwear off and forced her to masturbate him.

He attempted to rape her in 2009, when she was 14, after telling her: "I'm going to ride you". The attack stopped when he heard two knocks at the front door.

During an attack the following year Arnold went into her bedroom and took a belt from her wardrobe and tied her wrists with it.

He pulled her arms up over her head and pulled her clothes and underwear down.

Terrified

He then sat looking at her for five minutes before untying her hands and leaving. The court heard the girl was "particularly terrified" during this incident.

Arnold would sexually assault the victim "any time he got a chance" by molesting her when he thought no-one was looking, the court was told.

A jury found Arnold, from Togher, Cork, guilty of four counts of sexually assaulting and one count of attempted rape of the girl at his home between April 2008 and August 2010.

After a four-day trial the jury also found him guilty of restricting the personal liberty of a child for sexual exploitation.

It was heard Arnold had an alcohol abuse problem from an early age and he has previous convictions going back to the 1970s, including burglaries and assaults.

The trial judge said there was no remorse shown by Arnold.

He suspended the last two years of an 11-year prison term on condition that Arnold comply with the instructions of the Probation Services.

Appeal

During an appeal submission in 2016 it was said that the original judge failed to warn the jury about a conflict of evidence between the victim and another witness, but that was dismissed.

Turning to the question of sentence, an appeal court judge said there had been no guilty plea which meant the scope for mitigation and leniency was reduced.

The court accepted that the then defence counsel was, as one would expect, restrained and respectable in his cross examination of the victim.

Sentence

"But in truth that is what is to be expected," the judge said.

Overall, he said the sentence could not be said to fall outside the range of sentences available to the trial judge and the sentence appeal was dismissed.




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EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three people are in custody in a pursuit that ended with a minivan crashing into a utility pole, East Cleveland police Chief Scott Gardner told cleveland.com.

No one was injured in the incident that ended just after 5:15 p.m. at Coit Road and East 131st Street in Cleveland, Gardner said.

Police tried to stop the red minivan for not having a license plate and having heavy tinted windows, he said.

A pursuit started, which went down Coit Road to East 131st Street. The minivan tried to make a turn and struck a utility pole, Gardner said.

The three people jumped out of the van and ran away. Two of the people were armed, he said.

After a brief foot pursuit, all three people were taken into custody.

The incident is under investigation and the suspects have not been formally charged as of Saturday night.

Read more crime stories on cleveland.com:

Man charged in deadly East Cleveland pursuit that ends in car fire at Cleveland intersection, police say

Authorities found no credible threat at Bay High School after lockdown, school district says

Bay Village High School on lockdown as police converge on building

Cleveland releases video of two officers accused of dismissing woman involved in crash involved in homicide just hours later

Ohio man pleads guilty to sexually soliciting minors online
Naypyitaw, Myanmar: Myanmars military has denied that controversial statements by its chief were meant as a threat to stage a coup, claiming the media had misinterpreted his words.

Political tension in the south-east Asian nation soared this past week after a spokesman for the military said a coup could not be ruled out if military complaints of widespread voting fraud in last Novembers election were ignored.

The commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, had told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armoured vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

Buddhist monks participate in a protest against the election results with supporters of the Myanmar military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party near Shwedagon pagoda on Saturday. Credit:AP

Saturdays statement from the military, known as the Tatmadaw, said that some organisations and media wrote without foundation when they said the military threatened to revoke the constitution. The statement said Min Aung Hlaings speech was taken out of context, and was actually an observation to senior officer trainees on the nature of the constitution.
A City dealmaker who once worked for Boris Johnson has held talks over an audacious rescue of the stricken Debenhams department store staff pension fund, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

In a move that could trigger a wave of similar salvage deals, Edi Truell's Pension Superfund has held detailed discussions with the Debenhams administrator and The Pensions Regulator about a plan to snap up the 1billion scheme.

A deal would mean many of the Debenhams scheme's 15,000 members would escape forfeiting part of their future pension payouts. Without a rescue, they face losing up to 10 per cent of their future pension income under rules imposed by the Pension Protection Fund.

Closure: A deal would mean many of the Debenhams scheme's 15,000 members would escape forfeiting part of their future pension payouts

The PPF lifeboat takes over company defined benefit pensions  known as 'final salary' schemes  when firms go bust or can no longer afford to cover the costs.

An administrator's report seen by The Mail on Sunday said 'initial engagement with bulk transfer specialists including Pension Superfund' had continued into late last year when regulatory 'clearance of a potential transaction' was discussed. No deal is imminent but the liquidation of Debenhams and sale of the brand and website to Boohoo last week have once more galvanised discussions, sources said.

Sources told the MoS that Truell has also considered swoops on the pensions of other failed retail chains including House of Fraser.

Truell's team have also reportedly examined the pension funds of Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group and bust tour operator Thomas Cook.

All parties involved in the discussions declined to comment.

Truell was drafted in as pensions adviser to Johnson in 2015 during his time as Mayor of London. His is one of a new breed of superfunds, which include rival Clara, that have promised to provide an alternative to the PPF and insurers.

If Truell  renowned for his aggressive private equity deals  can pull off his ambitious plan, it could deliver a huge boost to the former employees of failed companies.

In September, Pensions Minister Guy Opperman said he was 'a massive supporter' of superfunds which buy up the pension schemes of firms that have gone bust and consolidate them into one giant fund.

'I have pushed very, very, very hard and there will be significant take-up in my view,' Opperman said. He added that superfunds 'are the way forward' to safeguard retirement plans.

The PPF currently manages 36billion of assets for 276,000 members who worked for failed firms. It guarantees to pay the full pensions of those who have already reached their scheme's pension age, which is typically 65. However, those who were below pension age when their company went bust receive only 90 per cent of their entitlement.

Trustees, regulators and administrators are understood to be discussing a transfer of both Debenhams staff scheme and its executive fund that would avoid relying on the PPF.

Its pension scheme was 160million in surplus, according to its 2018 accounts. Sources said the chain's retirement fund was topped up before it was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2006, and again more recently ahead of a restructuring of the business that was being scrutinised by the regulator as far back as 2018.

Despite tough checks to gain the approval of The Pensions Regulator, there is said to be optimism that a deal to avoid the PPF can be reached. Aviva has reportedly shown interest in the executive scheme.

Profit-seeking superfunds are not without controversy and sources said the regulator is keen to ensure the first approval is watertight.

Independent pensions consultant John Ralfe said: 'Superfunds have been around for a couple of years and, as yet, no deal has been done. They need to make sure that the first deal is a good one.'

...and Harrods checks out Debenhams' flagship store

Harrods held informal talks about taking a shop on Oxford Street in Debenhams' flagship department store, sources have told The Mail on Sunday.

The luxury goods retailer even visited the store  which was closed for good earlier this month  in late summer during which conversations were had about the site, the sources said.

It is understood no formal communication about the lease took place and no deal was struck. Harrods denied that any negotiations had taken place when contacted, adding 'at no point has Harrods had any correspondence regarding the lease at Debenhams on Oxford Street'.

Representatives for Debenhams, which went into liquidation last month, also declined to comment. Harrods  forced to close several times under lockdown rules  is understood to have expressed concerns about property taxes faced by London shops.

It opened a 'pop-up' Harrods outlet shop in London's Westfield to help it clear stock in July  also in a former Debenhams store. It was only earlier this month that it was announced that Debenhams' Oxford Street store would not reopen after lockdown.
Nearly 80 students and teachers at an elementary school in Hanoi have been quarantined after a third grader was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on Saturday.

Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday morning that 79 people at Xuan Phuong Elementary School in Nam Tu Liem District had been quarantined inside the school premises.

They include 57 students and 22 teachers and staff members who came into close contact with L.D.N.K., student of class 3E, who was confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 on Saturday evening.

These direct contacts will be quarantined for 14 days and undergo home quarantine for another seven days.

Local authorities have collected their samples for COVID-19 testing.

K. is the son of patient No. 1,694, who previously went to a wedding party in the northern province of Hai Duong on January 16 and had close contact with a COVID-19 patient.

Five of patient No. 1,694s family members, namely his older son, wife, father, mother, and younger brother, have been confirmed to have the virus as well.

Three of his co-workers at the Z153 factory in Dong Anh District, Hanoi have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far. One of them had already been confirmed as a COVID-19 patient by the health ministry.

Hanoi authorities have ordered schools to close one week early for the Lunar New Year holiday, as a new COVID-19 outbreak has hit the capital this week.

The Z153 factory was locked down on Saturday, with 57 workers having been brought to quarantine centers while over 300 others remain inside the facility.

All of these workers have been tested for COVID-19.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,781 coronavirus cases, including 914 domestic infections, as of Sunday morning, with 1,456 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

The Southeast Asian country had detected zero local infections for nearly two months before it uncovered new outbreaks on Thursday.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Pia Miller returned home to Australia in December, weeks after getting engaged to Hollywood multi-millionaire agent Patrick Whitesell in Malibu, California.

However, the couple are set for a reunion with Patrick having touched down in Sydney on a private jet on Sunday.

The 55-year-old businessman cut a suave figure in a black T-shirt and trousers, which he teamed with pristine white sneakers.

Reunited: Pia Miller's multi-millionaire agent fiance Patrick Whitesell, 55, arrived in Sydney, Australia on Sunday, on a private jet (pictured)

Patrick added a statement watch, aviator sunglasses and a stylish tan fedora to the look, and ensured safety with a face mask.

He carried his iPhone in one hand, and stored his essential items in a backpack.

Early January, Pia, 37, pined for her long-distance lover by taking to Instagram with a throwback photo from their June 2019 holiday to Paris, France.

Style: The businessman cut a suave figure in a black T-shirt and trousers, which he teamed with pristine white sneakers

Details: Patrick added a statement watch, aviator sunglasses and a stylish tan fedora to the look

Essentials: Patrick wore a face mask, held onto his trusty iPhone and carried his essential items in a backpack as he exited the aircraft

The former Home and Away actress uploaded a romantic photo of herself and Patrick cosying up beneath the Eiffel Tower.

'Miss you,' the glamazon wrote next to the image, which was taken two months before the couple officially confirmed their romance.

Pia announced her engagement on November 28, showing off her huge diamond ring on Instagram, alongside the simple caption: 'PW'.

Back to see his ladylove: In December, Pia returned home to Australia from Malibu, California, where they celebrated their engagement

'Miss you': Early January, Pia, 37, (left) pined for her long-distance fiance (right) as she uploaded a throwback photo to Instagram from their 2019 Paris holiday on Instagram

In the picture, Pia and Patrick held glasses of sparkling wine and shared a celebratory toast on the water-view deck outside Patrick's Malibu mansion.

Pia was first linked to the Hollywood power agent in August 2019, following her split from her longtime fiance, Tyson Mullane.

In April that year, The Daily Telegraph reported that Pia and Tyson had 'amicably' ended their 18-month engagement, with Tyson moving out of their Sydney home.

Whirlwind romance: Pia returned home to Australia alone in December, weeks after getting engaged to Patrick in Malibu, California

Stunning! Pia announced her engagement on November 28, sharing this post showing off her incredible diamond ring

Meanwhile, Pia and Patrick made their public debut at a Halloween party in LA in October 2019, amid reports they'd started dating back in May.

She made their relationship 'Instagram official' around Christmas 2019, sharing a loved-up photo with Patrick outside of the Louvre in Paris, and captioning it 'P'.

Pia and Patrick's romance follows the breakdown of Patrick's marriage to Lauren Sanchez, who is now reportedly engaged to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.

Former flame: Pia was first linked to the Hollywood power agent in August 2019, following her split from her longtime fiance, Tyson Mullane (pictured). In April that year, The Daily Telegraph reported that Pia and Tyson had 'amicably' ended their 18-month engagement
New Delhi:

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Sunday launched the cashless token sale/smart card recharge facility by using the Bharat Quick Response (QR) Code displayed at the Token Counters and Customer Care Centres of Metro stations. This facility was launched by DMRCs Managing Director Dr Mangu Singh at Rajiv Chowk Metro station in the presence of senior officials.

With this facility, the commuters will now be able to use the Bharat QR Code, which is being provided by HDFC Bank, displayed at the Token Counters/Customer Care Centres through their respective Bank's App installed in their smartphones. All bank wallet and savings account holders can make payments using Bharat QR by logging into their Bank App and scanning the QR code available at stations.

Currently, this facility is made available at five Metro stations namely, Rajiv Chowk, Rajendra Place, Seelampur, Pitampura and Nehru Place only. Subsequently, the facility will be introduced in a phased manner at all Metro stations of the Delhi Metro network.

The procedure for using the Bharat QR Code by the Delhi Metro commuters is as follows:

1. Login to your Bank App and select to pay using the QR code option.

2. You will then need to scan the QR code displayed at token counter/customer care at the station to get the merchant details (DMRC is merchant in this case)

3. Enter the amount (for the desired token value/smart card recharge value) and confirm.

4. The transaction will be authenticated using the PIN/OTP details etc. Both the merchant as well as the customers will receive instant notification after the successful transaction.

5. If you are using Bharat QR for the first time, you will need to grant the App to access the camera on your phone.

The TRS Parliamentary Party leader also noted that many issues relating to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh still persisted.  DC Image

Hyderabad: TRS Parliamentary Party leader K. Kesava Rao said on Saturday that the party does not support the farm laws passed by the Union government. Our stand is very clear and has not changed, he and TRS floor leader in Lok Sabha Nama Nageswara Rao told the media in New Delhi.

Keshava Rao noted that the Union government had not even agreed to send the Bills to the select committee as was requested from the Opposition benches. The government should now hold discussions with farmers and solve their problems. At the same time, the January 26 violence in Delhi was not justified, he said.

Keshava Rao said that this violence cannot be an excuse for the government to act tough against the protesting farmers. We are giving first priority to agriculture in Telangana state. We are implementing many farmer-welfare and development schemes. Agriculture is a state issue. Bringing in laws by way of farm reforms at the national level means undermining the spirit of federalism, he said.

The TRS Parliamentary Party leader also noted that many issues relating to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh still persisted. These must be discussed in the parliament session. Also, the OBC reservation issue should be discussed. We are not against the newly given reservations to forward castes. Errors should be corrected.

He said OBCs sought formation of a separate ministry in the Central government to give special attention to their problems. The women's reservation Bill should also be debated in the House. It has been pending for many years, he said.

Keshava Rao said the TRS felt it was inappropriate on the part of the Opposition to boycott the Presidents speech. We felt a boycott would mean endorsing the January 26 violence.

Nageswara Rao noted that the President, in his address, has referred to many schemes undertaken by the Telangana state government. The KCR government is a guiding light to many other states for the way it implemented various schemes. The good projects undertaken at the national level too inspire Telangana.

Nageswara Rao pointed out that the economy across states was seriously hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. We will seek a discussion on this in Parliament. Now elections are over. We are cooperating with the Union government and expect of it to provide the state with funds for implementing various projects, he said.

Major road and railway projects need be brought to the state. We will ask for Central support on this. Telangana is the only state that provides sufficient water for farmers and free education to students. Farmers should get better price for their produce. We shall raise issues relating to crops like Subabul and Jamaoil in the current session. These should also be discussed, Nageswara Rao added.
Sen. Joe Manchin, (D-W. Va.), speaks at a roundtable on the opioid epidemic at Cabell-Huntington Health Center in Huntington, W. Va., on July 8, 2019. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)

Manchin Rejects Harriss TV Interview in West Virginia: We Need to Work Together

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key swing vote in the Senate, said he was frustrated by Vice President Kamala Harris giving an interview in his home state of West Virginia, saying he was not notified by the Biden administration beforehand.

I saw [the interview], I couldnt believe it. No one called me [about it], Manchin, considered perhaps the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, told WSAZ. Were going to try to find a bipartisan pathway forward, but we need to work together. Thats not a way of working together.

Manchin was referring to a Senate impasse on the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package, which includes expanded unemployment benefits and $1,400 stimulus payments.

This weekend, Harris spoke to WSAZ to push the administrations $1.9 trillion package.

To your point in West Virginia, one in seven families is describing their household as being hungry, one in six cant pay their rent, and one in four small businesses are closing permanently or have already closed, so its a big issue in West Virginia and across the country, Harris told WSAZ. And thats why the president and I are offering the American Rescue Plan.

President Joe Biden signs an executive order as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on during an event on economic crisis in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington Jan. 22, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment. Politico reported that the White House declined to comment after Manchin made his remarks.

Manchin has been described as one of the most powerful figures in the 50-50 Senate as he has expressed some reluctance about some of the provisions in the Biden administrations billincluding the direct stimulus payments.

We met with his economic team and they put out what they wanted, Manchin also said. We want to help everyone that needs help. But if a persons making $250K or $300K, I dont think theyre in much needs as a person making $40K or 50K. Thats all I said. Were going to target.

Hes part of a bipartisan group of senators who have pushed back against the proposal, although Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday that he believes there are enough votes to pass the bill. Earlier this month, Manchin called for targeted relief, suggesting stimulus checks should be sent out to a fewer number of people.

I am on board by helping people that need help, people that really cant make it, people who dont have a job, they cant put food on their table. I am in total support of helping them, Manchin said on CNNs State of the Union on Jan. 10.
(Newser)  A federal indictment charges two members of the far-right Proud Boys with 11 new counts for their involvement in the attack on the Capitol, including conspiracy. Dominic Pezzola, 43, and William Pepe, 31, already faced lesser charges in the riot, and were arrested earlier this month, the New York Times reports. The indictment filed Friday adds 11 counts. Only three other suspects in the riot investigation face conspiracy chargesmembers of the Oath Keepers militia group accused of plotting since November to block congressional certification of President Biden's electoral victory. Pezzola and Pepe are charged with participating in what effectively was a one-day conspiracy. More than 170 people have been charged in the attack, mostly with less serious crimes.

story continues below

The accusations against the two include removing temporary metal barricades installed to limit Capitol access, unlawfully entering restricted buildings or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in restricted buildings or grounds, per the Justice Department. The filing also says Pezzola stole a Capitol Police officer's riot shield and smashed a Capitol window with it, per Axios. The case was filed in DC federal court. An arrest document says Pepe, of Beacon, N.Y., was a transit worker who took a sick day to go to the Washington rally supporting President Trump on Jan. 6. Pezzola, of Rochester, N.Y., was in the Marines for six years, per NPR. Court documents say a witness reported that Pezzola bragged about breaking Capitol windows with the shield and said he would have killed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence if he'd had the chance. (The FBI says it found riot organizers in a small town in Ohio.)
Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg is one of the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the climate crisis (AP)

Australian comedian Celeste Barber has revealed the secret to getting her school kids out the door on time every morning starts at bedtime.

'Put your kids to bed in their school uniform so you don't have to battle with them in the morning,' the 38-year-old told Daily Mail Australia.

She shares two young sons, aged eight and five, with her 'hot husband' Api Robin.

And so dressing their kids the night before a hectic day is the greatest 'mum hack' she swears by that every parent should know about.

Comedian Celeste Barber (pictured appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2019) has revealed the secret to getting her school kids out the door on time every morning starts at bedtime

The funny woman is known for creating amusing parodies of celebrity poses on Instagram (picture of Celeste playfully recreating Kylie Jenner's pose on social media)

Speaking about her beauty regime, the funny woman, known for creating amusing parodies of celebrity poses on Instagram, shared her simple makeup look.

'Sometimes I go for days or weeks without wearing makeup. Then there are days where I feel like doing a full look and chucking a bunch of glitter jewels all over my face,' the new 2021 celebrity ambassador of MCoBeauty said.

'My makeup artist taught me the importance of taking care of my skin and using beautiful hydrating products. I love the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist. It's so beautiful and even my kids are obsessed with it.

'I have dry skin, so I love a sheet mask like the Estee Lauder Power Foil Mask - my skin drinks up that mask. Then I apply sunscreen and just pop on a few coats of mascara and used a tinted eyebrow gel to keep my eyebrows in place.

'She introduced me to the power of a good eyebrow and now I'm hooked.'

Speaking about her beauty regime, the funny woman, known for creating amusing parodies of celebrity poses on Instagram, shared her simple five-minute makeup look

Celeste started her Instagram page in January 2015 where she replicated pictures of celebrities and models - but with an amusing twist (pictured left of Rita Ora, right of Celeste)

The 38-year-old comedian has been named MCoBeauty's new 2021 celebrity ambassador

Celeste Barber's go-to MCoBeauty products XtendLash tubular mascara: Because it doesn't flake or smudge, doesn't give you panda eyes and comes off in two seconds in the shower in these little black tubes that just rinse away Miracle Hydra Glow Oil-Free Foundation: It's the perfect everyday foundation. Super light coverage, covers everything you need to, but your skin still looks like skin Pout Gloss: Dry lips drive me crazy and I love this lip gloss because it's really hydrating Cheek & Lip Tint: This just gives you a healthy glow and makes you look fresh and awake Magic Brows: It's a tinted brow gel and keeps my eyebrows in place all day long! Obsessed Advertisement

Celeste said she only gets her hair and makeup professionally done 'occasionally' when she's doing photoshoots or attending red carpets.

'But those sorts of things are pretty few and far between these days,' she said.

She said her go-to makeup products are from luxe-for-less beauty brand MCoBeauty, available at Woolworths.

'I'm genuinely obsessed and use it everyday,' Celeste said.

'So often the world of beauty can be inaccessible but their affordable price points mean anyone can buy their products when they do their grocery shopping - and the formulas are just as good as some of the luxury stuff out there.'

Celeste also shared her top beauty products that are 'non-negotiable'.

'Eco Tan's Glory Oil is my saviour,' she said.

'Then I put on some MCoBeauty Xtendlash mascara, their Magic Brows eyebrow gel and some Pout Gloss and hot husband thinks that's just how I woke up.'

Celeste started her Instagram page in January 2015 where she replicated pictures of celebrities and models - but with an amusing twist. Fast forward, she now has more than 7.6 million followers.

'It all started because my sister and I would always text each other these ridiculous pictures and videos of models and celebrities saying things like "Oh just doing the school run!" and we were like "Nup, that is not what happens when you do the school run, mate. This is what it actually looks like",' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'And I just started posting them on Instagram to try to make people laugh. That's really all it was - and to be honest that's still the aim. I still do it just for fun and make money through my stand up comedy or acting or brand partnerships like this.

'After the year we've had, I think everyone could use a good laugh.'

The comedian has been named MCoBeauty's new 2021 celebrity ambassador - one year after she made global headlines for raising more than $51 million for the Australian bushfire relief in 2019 and 2020.

New Delhi: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday (January 31) stated that the resolution of the Kashmir issue is essential for lasting peace and reiterated her demand for talks with "internal stakeholders", including youths and Pakistan.

Addressing party workers in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said, Peace has to be restored on the border. The daily rush to Kashmir graveyards has to end. The bloodshed has to stop and for all this resolution of Kashmir issue is essential.

Endorsing for dialogue with Pakistan and "internal stakeholders especially youths", Mufti told the workers, There is no alternative to the (PDP founder) Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's vision of peace with dignity and the agenda of PDP is more relevant today than ever.

"Democratic space has been squeezed in Jammu and Kashmir, she further alleged.

Meanwhile, she also slammed the Central government once again and called it an election winning machine.

Pointing out Indias border clashes with Pakistan and China, PDP chief said, Apart from Pakistan and China, our relations aren't good with Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well. When relations are bad with Pakistan, people on the border suffer, when relations with China deteriorated our 22 soldiers lost their lives. This government is election-winning machine.

Labelling August 5, 2019, the day when Article 370 was abrogated, as the "darkest day in Indian history", Mufti said that it will not be an easy task to get the special status of Jammu and Kashmir restored.

The struggle is tough and full of challenges and I am ready to face any consequences for my resolve, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Its one of the places thats become more busy than ever during the pandemic: our kitchens.

While that may not be true for every person, Mary Ann Coviello has spent ample time in her Dunmore kitchen, creating timeless recipes and trying some new ones. Shes always loved to cook, but the last 11 months have proven to be the perfect time for experimenting with meals.

Theres nothing else to do, so why not try out some new recipes? Coviello said, adding that her husband, Frank, is her best taste-tester. I look up some recipes, pull out the Crock-Pot, which is just the best this time of year, and then tweak things to make it my own.

One of Coviellos most recent recipes is for Chicken Chili, and it earned her a $50 gift card to Riccardos Market, 1219 Wheeler Ave., Dunmore, which she donated to St. Francis Commons, Scranton. Giving that to those who served their country means the world to Coviello, whose husband is a veteran.

The recipe, meanwhile, is simple, Coviello said, and she recommends that cooks saute and brown the chicken before putting it in the slow cooker. She also swapped in ground chicken for the ground beef the recipe initially called for.

The original recipe included unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar, too, but Coviello wasnt sure how that would taste with chicken. Still, she added it, and it turned out great.

You just never know, she said with a laugh. Thats why you have to try everything and see how it works out.

Coviello found herself a perfect hobby with cooking, as most of the community work she does was canceled this past year. Installed as president of UNICO National Keystone Chapter, Coviello said the group needed to cancel most of its events. They do meet virtually, but its not the same as in-person gatherings, and she misses that community involvement.

In the kitchen, though, she connects to her heritage. Her mom, the late Alice Occulto, had ancestors who hailed from Calabria, Italy, while Coviellos late father, Jerry, had Sicilian roots. While she puts her own spin on things, from homemade meatballs to her mothers famous cookie recipes, Coviello often thinks of her mom while in the kitchen.

I say, Mom, am I doing it right? or Mom, I hope this turns out good, she said. I feel so connected to her when Im in the kitchen.
UISDs suicide prevention efforts have been recognized by the Texas School Business Bragging Rights, being named No. 1 out of 12 districts for the collaboration between licensed specialists in school psychology and guidance and the UISD counseling department.

According to David Gonzalez, the superintendent for curriculum and instruction, UISD is one of a few districts in Texas to have a suicide prevention district manual.

To further help efforts, the district employs Dr. Scott Poland, a nationally-recognized expert on school crisis, youth violence, suicide intervention, self-injury, school safety and threat assessment, Gonzalez said. Poland assists in training high school teachers, counselors, principals and staff throughout the district.

The district is expected to expand his expertise and training program to elementary and middle schools throughout the year.

Gonzalez highlighted the Signs of Suicide program that is scientifically proven to increase self-help skills and reduce actual suicide attempts. As one of only nine school districts in Texas to use SOS, UISD has implemented the program for school counselors and is always monitored to provide them with more support.

SOS uses another acronym, ACT. The letters stand for Acknowledge, Care and Tell.

To acknowledge, counselors, teachers, students and parents should acknowledge that they are seeing signs of depression and/or suicidal tendencies in themselves or their friends.

Care refers to letting that friend know how much you care about them and are concerned over their well-being.

Tell is to find a trusted adult to help with ones self or their friend.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among high school aged youths between 14 and 18 years of age. They add that the concern spans between the ages of 10-24, and in 2018, over 48,300 died from suicide.

For high school demographics, the number of suicides reached over 2,000. Unfortunately, trends in suicide attempts in high school demographics increased over the span of 2009 and 2019, the CDC stated.

As the pandemic continues, students may be having a more difficult year than others, and any resource available to help them cope is important. Mental health resources can be found the district website, and students are free to contact counselors for help.

cocampo@lmtonline.com
Growing up in southern California in the 1960s, Dana Carnegie was a city girl through and through. She, her big brother and their mother lived in an apartment near Los Angeles so her natural world had more to do with concrete than camping.

Until Girl Scouts.

We didnt camp. Ours wasnt the nature-loving, outdoors family, remembers Carnegie. The first time I hiked Topanga Canyon was with my Girl Scout troop. The first time I went on an overnight was with the Girl Scouts. I pitched my own tent and learned to build a one-match fire thanks to the Girl Scouts.

Fast forward to today and Carnegie, now 56, is in her 20th year as communications manager for the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts. As an adult, she says, shes learned even more about what Scouting can mean for little girls and young women. And, as she reflects, Carnegie adds, she also sees what joy the Girl Scouts brought to her own childhood.

I started as a Brownie and was in Girl Scouts until the sixth-grade. What I have learned now that I work for Girl Scouts and see what they do today is that the longer you stay in, the cooler the experience, says Carnegie, of Amherst. Girls have access to life-changing experiences starting at a young age.

Carnegie is in the thick of one of the busiest times of her professional year, helping to promote what may well be Girl Scoutings most recognized programs: Cookies!!!

The 2021 lineup of Girl Scout Cookies include a S'more crunchy graham sandwich cookies with creamy chocolate and marshmallowy filling.

The concept of having girls of all ages, from kindergarten to high school, taking orders and conducting mass sales of eight varieties of cookies could amount to pandemonium among a pandemic. A daunting task? When you stop to think, though, of how Girl Scouts has encouraged todays girls to hone technological skills in all they do, theres no need to worry. Theyve got this!

This cookie season like no other, as described in Carnegies opening press release, is seeing girls putting new sales strategies and technology skills to use. They are, to turn a phrase, thinking outside the box. (A new national collaboration with GrubHub is helping with contact-free pickup and delivery orders in some areas, and Girl Scouts of the USA will launch online ordering nationwide tomorrow so if you dont know a Scout, you can still purchase cookies and have them shipped to your home.)

Carnegie can remember how back in her day shed circle the neighborhood apartment blocks to take orders and then set out from her building with a wagon filled with cookies to deliver her wares. At least once, she says, she sold the most boxes among the girls in her troop.

I loved the independence it gave me as a little kid, Carnegie says. One of the rewards from the cookie selling success back then was her first-ever train trip with her troop. It was the first time I took a trip without my mom or my brother, she recalls. I remember so vividly arriving at the train station with my troop and our leaders. I can remember how high the steps were to get on the train.

Nine-year-old Isabelle Fregeau and her 5-year-old sister, Samantha, who are members of Westfields Troop 63631, are still making the rounds of their neighborhood (all contactless ordering and delivery), but they are also selling their cookies online through the Digital Cookie effort and, with the help of their mom, Julie, using social media to promote their business.

Sammy has met her goal of 130 boxes, and Isabelle is closing in on her goal of 400 boxes. Their troop will be participating in a Souper Saturday Winter Market event from noon to 2 p.m. on Feb. 6 at Pottery Cellars parking lot, 77 Mill St., in Westfield.

In the interest of full disclosure, the Fregeau girls are my source for Girl Scout cookies now that my three nieces are grown-ups in their 30s and their daughters are not yet old enough to be Scouts.

Carnegie says sales of cookies across Western and Central Massachusetts are going far better than first anticipated amid the challenges of the pandemic. When the news of the launch of the cookie sales hit on Jan. 15, Carnegie says a TV reporter remarked to her, Im so relieve theres going to Girl Scout cookies. We need them.

That may well be one of this years best selling points, Carnegie theorizes. Theres been so much that has been so different in our lives for the past 10 months, she says. Girl Scout cookies are something thats familiar, thats still accessible. Its something you can still have when there are so many things we cannot have.

And, then theres also the sweet delight that comes from consuming them that cannot be ignored.

Carnegie acknowledges that cookies, for her, are an occupational hazard. She has a policy that shell order from any girl who asks her, meaning she must pace both her ordering and consumption. Its such a great thing for the girls, she explains. I always ask them about what theyre excited about and what their goals are. Its not really a cookie sale, but a cookie program when you think about all the things they are learning.

Her favorite cookie? Now, as back then, its still the Thin Mint, Carnegie says. I love them frozen. Theres nothing like a Thin Mint out there. The peanut-butter sandwich Do-Si-Dos are in the running as a close second, she adds. For my husband, its Samoas, and I think my son would say Lemon Ups.

Cookie season runs through March 14. For those in need, check out the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts website, gscwm.org, to learn how you can order cookies. You can also call 413-584-2602. Theres also a Cookie Locator app for those online and on the go.

Some troops will be having drive-through events to sell their cookies. Troops will also be selling at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. through February.

By the way, remember that one-match fire building technique Carnegie learned all those years ago as a Brownie. It came in handy during the October noreaster 10 years ago. Power went out to her familys home for days, but Carnegie was at the ready and kept the wood stove going. Im the fire builder in our family, she notes with pride. Girl Scout lessons do last a lifetime.

Cynthia G. Simison is executive editor of The Republican. She may be reached by email to csimison@repub.com.
New Delhi:

A media report has claimed that nearly 100 Indian sailors aboard 22 ships are stranded in UAE waters and have sought the help of the Indian Consulate General in Dubai. Citing the Indian Consul General of Dubai, Vipul, the Gulf News said that the number of distress calls from Indian sailors stranded in UAE waters had hit its peak this summer.

"We are currently dealing with cases of 22 ships. There are 97 Indians aboard these vessels," the diplomat said. Though the exact number of crew members belonging to other nationalities is not available with the Indian Consulate, the mission said there are sailors from Sri Lanka,the Philippines, Myanmar and Pakistan also on these ships.

"Outstanding salary, non-availability of food, freshwater, fuel, harsh living conditions and no sign-off after the contract period are the major concerns voiced by the sailors," the mission said in reply to questions by the paper. Majority of the sailors have complained about not being paid by their employers for several months.

They have also sought to sign off and fly home after receiving payment oftheir pending dues, the paper said. The consulate said it had been contacting the owners andagents for settlement of the dues, provision of food, waterand fuel, request for sign off, it added. The mission has helped repatriate 36 sailors from six ships MV Gulf Pearl, MV Ayah, Enjaz 2, MV Salem, MVRock and Al Hamad 1 in the past few weeks, the daily said.

In some cases, the Consulate has been providing food, water and even fuel and recharge of their mobile phones, it added. Vipul said the mission had been taking up the issues ofthe stranded sailors, case by case, with the relevant authorities.

"We alone cannot solve their problems, especially related to their pending salaries," he explained. He also urged Indian seafarers to conduct proper checks on the credibility and financial status of shipping companies before joining them to avoid such situations.

Girish Pant, an Indian social worker, who has been closely working with the consulate in aiding the stranded sailors, said the growing number of such cases is a big concern that authorities need to address immediately. "I would like to request authorities to take strict action against such companies owners and agents.

Most of them are not showing any humanitarian consideration to these sailors who have been stuck without salaries, food and water. "The situation on some of these ships is really pathetic.

Without fuel to operate the generator, they are suffering a lot in this scorching summer," he was quoted as saying by theGulf paper. Sailors from a couple of vessels have also been stranded in UAE waters following fire accidents on their ships.

Vipul said the consulate facilitated the repatriation of 13 such crew members of MSV Al Hamd1, which was gutted in a fire on April 22 near Sharjah port just in time for Eid Al Fitr.

"The ship had caught fire in Sharjah, somewhere near the port, a day or two before the crew were to dock. The case was first brought to our notice through India Club, Dubai about two weeks back," he said.

The crew was all from Kutch, Gujarat. The owner also belonged to Gujarat. Vipul said the mission contacted the state government to put pressure on the owner of the vessel.

"Finally, he contributed a portion of the ticket fare forsending them back home. We funded the rest of the amount and facilitated their journey by issuing emergency (exit) certificates." He said the consulate was also following up on five other Indian sailors, who survived the blast in MT Rojean which killed one sailor on May 13.

With PTI inputs

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Traders of the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi on Friday converged to show a special appreciation to President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo for reappointing Akosua Frema Opare as Chief of Staff at the Presidency.



According to the Kumasi traders who turned out in their numbers, they fully endorse and welcome the reappointment of Madam Frema Opare in the sense that she is one of the best appointees so far.



The group includes members of the Kumasi Central Market, Adum, and the Kejetia Market.



They also indicated that she has demonstrated that she is always there to meet the needs of the people.



They further posited that the likes of Hon. Frema Opare is so rare in this day and age considering the kind of political appointees who assume positions in Ghana.



The Chairman of the NPP Kejetia market support group, Mr. John Sarpong, addressing the crowd said Frema Opares appointment will go a long way to help the NPP in 2024.



He maintained that the Chief of Staff has exhibited humility with an open heart and ears ready to hear and accommodate all kinds of people which demonstrates selflessness and has a strong support base in the region which must not be overlooked.



Madam Frema Opare has used her personal resources to transform the lives of many in the biggest market in the Ashanti Region including the kayaye (head porters) and providing hope to the youth and connecting them to do business, Mr. Sarpong said.



The traders further sent a strong signal to all incoming ministers, DCEs, MPs, and all political appointees to follow in the footprints of Hon. Frema Opare if they really want the NPP to win the 2024 elections in order to break the 8 years cycle of governance.



Frema Opare will answer your calls no matter who you are and that is the kind of person we need to fill our political positions. We want all the ministers, their secretaries, their special aides to learn from Chief of Staff, Frema Opare they concluded.

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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A senior Cabinet minister refused to rule out sending doses of Covid jabs earmarked for British citizens abroad today as she blasted 'vaccine nationalism and protectionism'.

Trade Secretary Liz Truss said that Britain becoming a 'vaccinated island' while the disease remained rampant elsewhere would be bad for the UK.

Ministers and officials have not ruled out the possibility that vaccines could be sent abroad after the most vulnerable domestic recipients have been covered if it does not slow its plans for all adults to be jabbed by the autumn.

Ms Truss told Sky this morning: 'It's a bit too early to say how we would deploy excess vaccines. But we certainly want to work with friends and neighbours, we want to work with developing countries, because we are only going to solve this issue once everybody in the world is vaccinated.

'Some of these supplies there have been supply issues so we need to make sure the new drugs that are coming online are delivered, the population is vaccinated. But of course as we are developing that, we are also working with other countries about how we can help.

'Because it won't benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island and many other countries don't have the vaccine, because the virus will continue to spread, so we need to tackle this on a global basis.'

Trade Secretary Liz Truss said that Britain becoming a 'vaccinated island' while the disease remained rampant elsewhere would be bad for the UK.

Ministers and officials have not ruled out the possibility that vaccines could be sent abroad after the most vulnerable domestic recipients have been covered if it does not slow its plans for all adults to be jabbed by the autumn.

Ms Truss told Sky this morning: 'It's a bit too early to say how we would deploy excess vaccines. But we certainly want to work with friends and neighbours, we want to work with developing countries, because we are only going to solve this issue once everybody in the world is vaccinated.

Ms Truss said the UK can 'absolutely guarantee' its programme of delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine.

She said: 'The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) has spoken to Ursula von der Leyen. She has been very clear that those contractual supplies won't be disrupted.

'That's a very important assurance and, of course, we also have our UK-produced vaccines as well, and if you look at our vaccines pipeline, 367 million doses, we have a significant supply to be able to vaccinate the UK population.'

Asked if she could guarantee that everyone who has had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine will get their second dose, Ms Truss added: 'We can absolutely guarantee our programme of delivery of the vaccine.

'We have received assurances from the EU about the supply, under contract, of all of those vaccines.'

WASHINGTON - The Florida law firm that employs President Joe Biden's brother Frank ran a newspaper ad on Inauguration Day touting the brothers' relationship and shared values, a move that is causing an ethics headache for the administration less than two weeks after Biden took office.

Press secretary Jen Psaki, speaking from the White House podium Friday, addressed the subject broadly, without mentioning the ad in particular. "It is the White House's policy that the president's name should not be used in connection with any commercial activities" that would suggest or imply "his endorsement or support," she said. The ad featuring Frank Biden arguably runs afoul of that edict.

Biden has promised to lead a highly ethical administration, which he has pitched as a contrast to his predecessor, and has adopted unusually strict rules for those serving in his administration, although they do not necessarily apply to family members.

The two-page "advertorial" ran on Jan. 20 in the South Florida-based Daily Business Review to promote the work of the Berman Law Group, which employs Frank Biden as a "non-attorney senior adviser."

The ad features a smiling photo of Frank Biden and highlights his relationship with the president, stressing their shared values. It focuses on the Berman Law Group's role in a class-action case against sugar cane growers and Frank Biden's part in that litigation.

Michael Gwin, a White House spokesman, declined to comment on whether the newspaper ad violates the White House policy.

The ad is fashioned to resemble a news story about the firm's involvement in the sugar cane case, though it is clearly labeled "Advertorial Section." It cites Frank Biden's connection with the president multiple times, linking the law firm's work with the values laid out in President Biden's agenda.

In the second paragraph of a roughly 1,000-word advertisement, for example, the text says the Berman Law Group sued sugar cane growers "against the backdrop of incoming President Joseph Biden Jr.'s commitment to environmental and social justice, a value shared by his brother and Berman Law Group senior adviser, Frank Biden."

Next, the ad notes that the Biden brothers are simpatico in issue areas where the firm is doing work, even suggesting that President Biden would be broadly supportive of the firm's sugar cane litigation.

"The two Biden brothers have long held a commitment to pushing environmental issues to the forefront," it says, noting that President Biden had vowed to rejoin the Paris climate accords and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Similarly, the lawsuit against Big Sugar is just another example of how the two brothers' core environmental beliefs align," the advertorial asserts.

Ethics watchdogs said the advertisement is problematic.

"The country, after an extremely trying time, has entrusted its future to Joe Biden," said Norm Eisen, who was special assistant to former president Barack Obama for ethics and government reform. "So to have a family member, or a business associate of that family member, exploit the president's name is understandably concerning to the president, to the White House and to the country."

For-profit ventures by Biden's family members drew criticism during the campaign, although the spotlight was mostly on his son Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was vice president. During that time, Joe Biden was a point man on Ukraine for the Obama administration.

Shortly after visiting China with his father via Air Force Two, Hunter Biden joined the board of a newly formed investment advisory firm whose partners included Chinese entities.

Friday's questions involved Frank Biden, who is based in Florida and whose work email address was published twice in the advertisement. The existence of the ad was first reported by CNBC. The Washington Post obtained a copy.

Frank Biden did not respond to an email seeking comment. Nor did the firm's founders, Teddy Berman and Russell Berman.

Francis Biden - Frank's formal name - was hired by the Berman Law Group in July 2018, according to a news release from the firm at the time. The release, issued when his brother was no longer vice president and about nine months before he entered the presidential race, did not mention the familial connection.

Frank Biden's biography on the law firm's website does highlight his ties to the president and the president's son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015. According to the online bio, Biden "was involved in the election campaigns of his brother, Joe Biden, and nephew, Joseph R. Biden III, as an adviser and unpaid campaign coordinator over many years."

Separately, Psaki also confirmed Friday that Valerie Biden, President Biden's sister and longtime political adviser, will not hold a formal position or office in the White House. "Reports that there was an office in the West Wing were not accurate," Psaki said.

The Bidens also have a fourth sibling, their brother James.

During the Trump administration, Democrats questioned the ethics of numerous acts by the president - who retained his business empire during his presidency - as well as by family members and various aides. Biden promised to provide a stark contrast with what many critics saw as the Trumps' eagerness to use their government position to enrich themselves.

The Frank Biden ad is on a far smaller scale. But it does repeatedly cite the president of the United States in an effort to raise the profile of a business that employs a close relative.

And it is not subtle in making the connection. "For Biden it's a question of judgement, not morals - a lesson his older brother, the president-elect Joseph Biden Jr., has ingrained in him," the ad says.

"My brother is a model for how to go about doing this work," Frank Biden is quoted as saying.

President Biden has issued a wide-ranging executive order imposing ethical restrictions on his administration's appointees, but that policy does not speak to his family members. Shortly before the inauguration, a Biden official told The Post that the White House would adopt procedures to ensure that activities by family members would not create a conflict of interest, or even the appearance of one.

That would include prohibiting Biden family members from working for or serving on the board of majority foreign-owned companies, the person said.

As private citizens, presidential siblings and family members are notoriously difficult to regulate, and presidents from Jimmy Carter to Bill Clinton struggled to rein in their relatives.

"The question is: What do you do about it? Because you can't control your brother," said Richard Painter, who was the chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush. "The brother can make an ad. Joe Biden can't stop his brother from making an ad."

What the White House can do, Painter said, is make it clear that it will not permit any special access to his brother's law firm or its clients. He said the White House should create a blanket rule that lawyers from the Berman Law Group will get no meetings with Biden's political appointees.

"The one thing they have done is to say the president's name should not be used this way," Painter said. "The more concrete directive is that if the president's name is used this way, you then put into place prophylactic measures where the political appointees of the president are not accepting meetings or handling business of that law firm."
Russian riot police were out in large numbers across the country on January 31 to prevent and break up unsanctioned rallies called for by anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny and his team. Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, was among more than 840 people detained in Moscow, where the opposition leader has been jailed for 30 days on charges he says are fabricated. (RFE/RL's Russian service)
Accidents rise as restrictions are lifted By Jayanie Madawala View(s): View(s):

More than 30 people were killed and 450 injured this week on roads around the country  a marked rise in accidents.

Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said the increase in fatal road accidents followed the lifting of quarantine curfew and other restrictions.

During the COVID shutdown few deaths were reported but, sadly, the numbers are on the rise now, he said.

We are going to conduct special traffic operations, especially on weekends. Drunk, speeding, reckless or negligent drivers will be targeted.

Motorcycle and three-wheeler accidents were among the most serious cases reported during the week.

A police constable attached to the Hanwella station died following an accident in Meegahawatte on the New Kandy Road.

Husband and wife Anura Gamage, 67, and Wathana Lekamwasam, 63, residents of Harumalgoda, were killed when their motorbike had a head-on collision with a private bus at Habaraduwa on the Galle road. Mr. Gamage had been taking his wife to a clinic at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital while the bus had been carrying employees of a garment factory.

A private bus travelling from Ruwela to Kalmunai ran off the road at the Miyankulam area in Valachchenai on Friday, causing injuries to 22 passengers and the driver of the bus. Ten of the seriously injured were health workers travelling from Polonnaruwa to Batticaloa Hospital.

Police are investigating whether a technical defect caused the accident or whether the driver had lost control of the bus. They suspect a connection with an SLTB bus that had veered off the road while passing the private bus.

A 22-year-old bicycle rider on his way to a rendezvous with his girlfriend was killed after being run over by a lorry on the Ihala Horawadunna junction on the Pannala Elabadagama Bammanna road.

In another accident, a luxury car was driven into the Diyawanna Oya last week, knocking down and injuring a mother and daughter. Police said the car had been travelling at high speed before plunging into the water. A 21-year-old youth had been at the wheel.

Welikada Police are conducting further investigations. Pix by Hiran Priyankara and Romesh Madushanka
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Ananya Panday recently posted a video with breathtaking shots of her relaxing in an infinity pool that was facing the clear blue Maldives sea. In the Instagram video, she is seen emerging from underwater and then gazing at the boundless turquoise sea while leaning at the edge of the pool.

Accompanying the scenic shots is the song Blue by Eiffel 65 which perfectly fits the vacation mood and the blue-ness of the surroundings. Ananya posted the video with the caption - Im blue da ba dee ba daa promise this is the last Maldives post hehe

The video is a throwback to Pandays trip with co-star of her recent movie Khaali Peeli, Ishaan Khatter to Maldives at the beginning of January, 2021. Although they hadnt posted vacation pictures together, they were photographed at the airport and had tagged the same resort in their social media posts.

According to their Instagram posts, they stayed at a lavish resort called Sun Siyam Iru Veli and were seen enjoying the luxury of private beaches, pools and plenty of good food according to their social media updates.

Ananya Panday made her debut in the Bollywood industry with Karan Johars Student of the Year 2, co-starring Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria. She has also worked in the rom-com Pati Patni Aur Woh '' and action-comedy film, Khaali Peeli. According to reports, she has recently signed a film in which she is expected to share the screen with Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi.

All bars, karaoke parlors, and discotheques in Hanoi must close and residents have to avoid 'non-essential' gatherings from February 1 as measures to contain the spreading novel coronavirus.

The Hanoi People's Committee announced the decision at a meeting on the latest Covid-19 outbreak Sunday afternoon.

All eateries are required to disinfect their space regularly, arrange seats to ensure social distancing and ask all staff to wear masks.

Residents have to limit gathering in crowds when it is not necessary. Those organizing events must strictly ensure preventive measures.

The city authorities have emphasized that people should limit organizing festive activities amid the latest outbreak that has aroused concerns that it is a rapidly spreading variant of the novel coronavirus.

Shops are empty in Hanoi's famous Ta Hien beer street. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.

Related agencies should guide the community and ensure that people follow preventive measures, notably the five-point message: wearing face masks, frequent disinfection, maintaining a safe distance, refraining from gathering, and making health declarations.

People who traveled from Hai Duong Province's Chi Linh Town from January 1 and Quang Ninh's Van Don International Airport from January 5 will be tested for the novel coronavirus. Hanoi has estimated that around 20,000 people have come in from the Covid-19 hotspots of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh.

Employees of the Noi Bai International Airport related in any way to the Covid-19 cases in Van Don Airport will also be tested.

The capital city, which has so far recorded 13 Covid-19 community transmissions in the latest outbreak, has decided to allow more than 2 million students from kindergartens to high schools to start their Lunar New Year holiday on February 1, a week earlier than scheduled.

Hanoi authorities had previously said if the Covid-19 outbreak turned complicated, all festivals and events for Tet would be canceled. Hanoi is less than two hours from Hai Duong, the northern province that is currently the biggest hotspot with 188 cases, and a major transport link to northern localities.

The latest Covid-19 wave with 238 community transmissions in the last four days has come right before the Lunar New Year (Tet), Vietnam's biggest holiday which peaks on February 12 this year.

Vietnam has registered 1,817 cases and 35 deaths so far.
Winter storm warnings were in place for a large part of the Eastern United States on Sunday, from northwestern North Carolina to New York, with as much as two feet of snow and dangerous travel conditions expected in some places into Tuesday, forecasters said.

The heaviest snow will probably fall in northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey, according to Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service who is based in Baltimore.

Its pushing eastward and its starting to snow into the Mid-Atlantic up into the Northeast, Mr. Oravec said. And we do anticipate a pretty broad area of potentially heavy snows.

Snow is accumulating

The storm brought more than six feet of snow and heavy rain to California last week before moving through the Midwest, leaving about eight inches of snow in Chicago, the National Weather Service said.
UN Sustainable Development Goals influencing Japanese seafood buying

by Chris Loew

January 31,2021 | Source: SeafoodSource

Japanese corporations  including the huge conglomerates such as Nissui, Maruha Nichiro, and Mitsubishi  have been heavily influenced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.



Practically every major company in Japan has amended its corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports to include an accomplishment in each of the 17 categories if possible, including for SDG 14, Life below Water, which calls for the sustainable management and protect marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution, as well as efforts to address the impacts of ocean acidification. This change has had an incrementally large effect on their decisions on seafood purchasing, investments, and corporate philanthropy.



Japans national government has pushed for policies aligned with SDG 14, including reducing coastal eutrophication and floating plastic debris density; Managing a proportion of the national exclusive economic zone (EEZ) using ecosystem-based approaches; Reducing the average marine acidity (pH) measured at representative sampling stations; Increasing the proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels; Conserving at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas; Discontinuing fishery subsidies that may encourage Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; Increasing sustainable fisheries contribution to the gross domestic product of small island states; And ratifying and implementing portions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea pertaining to sustainable use of the oceans and their resources.



For Japans private companies though, any action that may contribute to ocean sustainability is usually sufficient to warrant displaying the blue fish SDG 14 symbol.



A showcase for these achievements in Japan is the annual Tokyo Seafood Sustainability Symposium (TSSS), put on by Seafood Legacy, Co., Ltd. and Nikkei ESG. Seafood Legacy is a Tokyo -based consultancy that forges connections between sustainable seafood programs and businesses. Nikkei ESG is a publication of the Nikkei newspaper group that focuses on environmental, social, and governance issues. Funding for the event is provided by the Walton Family Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.



Panasonic Corporation won the first Japan Sustainable Seafood Award in 2019 at TSSS for promoting sustainable seafood in its corporate cafeterias. The company first introduced Aquaculture Stewardship Council- and Marine Stewardship Council-certified food at its head office in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, in 2018. It subsequently expanded the program to its other offices. The goal was not only to provide a market for sustainable seafood at cafeterias, but to encourage Panasonic workers to choose certified seafood in their private shopping.



But the COVID-19 outbreak caused problems for the program in 2020. Kosuke Kino, manager of Panasonics groupwide brand strategy division, CSR, and citizenship department, said with the introduction of teleworking cafeteria use has declined to about 80 percent of its pre-pandemic totals at the companys factories, and to about one-third at sites with many white-collar workers.



As the sustainable seafood items were only featured on corporate menus once per month, it has become less profitable for Panasonics suppliers and caterers to acquire the necessary chain of custody (CoC) certification and to stock items carrying certification. The CoC certification requires companies to undergo training and demonstrate that they can keep certified products separate from non-certified products. There is time and expense involved in the certification and associated record-keeping. Of the 48 Panasonic locations that were serving sustainable seafood, about half have temporarily suspended it, Kino said.



In order to expand its base of suppliers while making sustainable seafood more attractive for them to handle, Panasonic has been networking with seven other companies, including Denso, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, and Tamura Corporation to help them serve certified sustainable seafood in their cafeterias. Panasonic has shared its experience in setting up its own program, and the uptake of the initiative beyond its own corporate structure has made it easier for corporate caterers to stock certified seafood, Kino said. The company has also helped 11 catering companies to acquire CoC certification, in some cases utilizing a group certification process that cuts costs. However, Kino said it is not always easy to get competing caterers to work together, as they wish to guard their menus and recipes as trade secrets.



Kino said the company is now investigating the possibility of using sustainable seafood with longer shelf-life in the companys emergency larders, used in case of disaster, such as Japans not-infrequent earthquakes. The foods, such as fish sausage, would be distributed to workers when they near their expiration. Another possibility is to offer sustainable seafood for sale at the company convenience store, or at special sales events  Toyota Motor Corp. is currently doing this, Kino said. These measures are relatively easy to implemement, as the sale of canned or processed products does not require the acquisition of CoC certification, he said.



Miki Yamaoka, who handles communications for Seafood Legacy, gave SeafoodSource some additional examples of corporate initiatives that have been driven by SDG 14 in Japan.



In procurement improvement, Japanese supermarket chains Aeon, JCCU [Japanese Consumers' Cooperative Union], and Seiyu have been introducing and expanding their offerings of MSC-certified sustainable seafood.



In investments, The Norinchukin Bank, based in Tokyo, has built an environmental and social risk management (ESRM) framework to assess and manage environmental and social risks prior to making investment and financing decisions customers and projects. It also began handling sustainability-linked loans in May 2020.



And in operations, in December 2020, Japans Nissui, Maruha Nichiro, and Kyokuyo in Japan, joined a SeaBOS pledge that by the end of 2021, they will eliminate IUU fishing and forced, bonded, and child labor in their operations; extend their collaboration with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative to solve the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear; combine to clean up plastic pollution from coasts and waterways; agree on a strategy for reducing impacts on endangered species and the use of antibiotics; and set CO2 emissions reduction goals and report on their approaches. SeaBOS is a collaboration between scientists and the worlds largest seafood companies in the wild-capture, aquaculture, and feed production sectors and its member companies represents about 10 percent of global seafood production.



Two companies shared the Japan Sustainable Seafood Award at TSSS2020 last year: Usufuku-Honten (based in Kesennuma), which acquired MSC certification for its Atlantic bluefin tuna catch; and Yokohama-based Japanese restaurant company Kijima, which has been changing its seafood to ASC- and MSC-certified fish while disclosing its progress on its website in a campaign it has titled the "Kijima Organic Challenge."

 2021 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved.

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The winter storm that pummeled Chicago on Saturday was steamrolling toward the East Coast on Sunday, bringing with it possible blizzard conditions and up to two feet of snow to New York City.

More than 100million people across the Midwest and Northeast face snowy conditions and freezing temperatures through Tuesday as Winter Storm Orlena blasts across the country.

Weather warnings are in place across the country with gusts as high as 45 mph forecast in New York. Public schools and COVID-19 vaccination sites in NYC are set to close Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday.

It is the same weather system responsible for dumping 15 inches of rain and more than 100 inches of snow over parts of California earlier this week.

By Sunday morning half of a foot of snow had been recorded in Chicago, with flakes still falling; more than an inch had already fallen in DC - the city's first significant snowfall in two years.

Meteorologists also expected heavy snow in Boston and Philadelphia as the storm worsens into a nor'easter.

Monday is expected to see the worst of the weather for the Northeast, with the storm forecast to end Tuesday night, right in time for Groundhog Day.

AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has already called the cold blast 'monumental'.

Mechanicsville, Va: Trucks clear snow from Mechanicsville Turnpike on Sunday morning

Mechanicsville, Va: David Rigby shovels his driveway during a snowstorm Sunday

Washington DC: Washington is expecting 3 to 5 inches of snow during the first major snow storm of the year

More than 100million people across the Midwest and Northeast face snowy conditions through Tuesday

Weather warnings are in place across the New York, with gusts as high as 45 mph forecast and up to two feet of snow

The path of the storm has marched from the Midwest through to the Northeast

Forecasters also expect heavy snow in Boston, Philadelphia and D.C. as the storm worsens into a nor'easter

For those who are getting ready to shovel, the snow in Illinois was forecast to be the heavy and wet snow that is often called 'heart attack snow' because of how physically taxing it can be to shovel it.

Meanwhile, 'travel could be dangerous due to the heavy wet snow and strong winds causing very low visibility and snow packed roads' with 'power outages possible,' according to the National Weather Service.

Winter storm watches and weather advisories were in effect across 20 states as of Saturday, ranging from parts of the Northern Plains and southern Great Lakes to the southern Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic states and New England, according to the National Weather Prediction Center.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday directed state agencies to prepare 'all emergency response assets'.

In Wisconsin, snow depths in some counties near Lake Michigan had reached more than 15 inches, and the snow was still falling.

'That's more snow than we've seen in a decade,' Chris Stumpf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, Wisconsin, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Three to 5 inches of snow arrived in central Ohio by early Sunday, making for some slippery roads. Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia had also received some snow, with up to 3 inches in some areas. By the afternoon, the snow was expected to reach Pennsylvania.

Washington DC: A woman carries an umbrella as she walks in the snow on the National Mall during a snow storm

Evanston, Illinois: For those who are getting ready to shovel, the snow in Illinois was forecast to be the heavy and wet snow that is often called 'heart attack snow' because of how physically taxing it can be to shovel it

Washington DC: Traffic moves across the Memorial Bridge with the Lincoln Memorial in the background as snow covers the ground

Washington DC: People walk by the Washington Monument on the National Mall on Sunday

Washington DC: A snowman on the National Mall wears a face mask as snow falls in front of the U.S. Capitol, Sunday

Round Lake Heights, Illinois: Michael Laba uses his snow blower to clear a sidewalk in the wake of Winter Storm Orlena

Chicago: By Sunday morning half of a foot of snow had been recorded in Chicago, with flakes still falling

Chicago: AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has already called the cold blast 'monumental'

The storm will bring with it heavy wind in some areas, with gusts predicted of up to 50 miles per hour on the East Coast

Heavy snow falling at an inch to 3 inches an hour was forecast for Monday in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the National Weather Service said. Much of the region could see blizzard-like conditions, with a foot to 18 inches of snow.

Temperatures were expected to be in the upper 20s to lower 30s for the New York City metro area.

The snow was expected to start falling in Massachusetts on Monday morning, bringing up to a foot of snow to impact the evening commute. The storm will reach northern New England later that night, meteorologists said.

Winds strong enough to bring down tree branches with gusts ranging from 35 to 50 mph were forecast for the storm.

Poor travel conditions are expected Sunday from the Chicago and Milwaukee metro areas to northern Indiana and Ohio, as those areas are likely to see eight or more inches of accumulated snow through Sunday afternoon.

The snow could be mixed with sleet or freezing rain while spreading into the Appalachians and northern and western North Carolina.

The icy wintry mix expected to drop on parts of Virginia and North Carolina Piedmont and foothills could lead to ice building up as high as a quarter of an inch on Sunday. The NWS predicts that travel conditions in this area will be treacherous Sunday afternoon.

The icy wintry mix expected to drop on parts of Virginia and North Carolina Piedmont and foothills could lead to ice building up as high as a quarter of an inch on Sunday. The NWS predicts that travel conditions in this area will be treacherous Sunday afternoon

Snow transforming into sleet is expected to lead to ice build ups in parts of Virginia and North Carolina between Saturday and Tuesday

Chicago: From six to 12 inches of snow are predicted to hit portions of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio between Saturday night and Monday morning, impacting major cities including Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus

Richmond, Va: A grocery store parking lots is plowed as snow continues to fall Sunday

Mechanicsville, Va: Antwan Wilkerson shovels snow during a winter storm

The snow will continue to fall Sunday in the southern Great Lakes. It's possible that areas from northern Virginia to the DelMarVa Peninsula may see snow transition into rain throughout Sunday.

However, a new coastal low strengthening off the DelMarVa Peninsula coast on Monday could lead to bands of heavy snow forming from the central Appalachians to the Northeast's immediate I-95 corridor.

In that area, significant snowfall and travel disruptions are anticipated as over a foot of snow is likely in the hardest hit Northeast areas on Monday.

On Sunday night, the snow could start moving north from the Mid-Atlantic states toward the Tri-state area, while also expanding into the Ohio Valley, going as far south as Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Smoky Mountains, but ending in the Upper Midwest.

Heavy snow is predicted for Monday from southern New England to the Mid-Atlantic states, while parts of the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians should expect some lingering snowfall.

On Monday night, the heavier snow is likely to spread into New England and parts of upstate and central New York, with the possibility of continuing to fall in parts of Mid-Atlantic states.

Minor to locally moderate coastal flooding is also expected during high tides on Monday and Tuesday, according to NWS Eastern Region.

Snowfall is likely to continue over the Northeast Monday night and into the day on Tuesday, with gusty winds potentially leading to near whiteout conditions and battering waves along the Northeast coast.

As the nor'easter descends, travelers can expect to see significant flight delays and cancelations, while drivers should expect numerous road closures and are encouraged to stay off the roads.
San Franciscos elite academic public high school would no longer admit students based on top grades and test scores, and instead use a random lottery system for admission, if the school board approves a measure fast-tracked for a vote.

The controversial proposal will head to the school board during a special meeting Tuesday, with a final vote expected a week later. Four school board members  a majority  have already signed onto the effort, meaning it is likely to pass.

For decades Lowell High School  one of the top-performing public schools in the country  has been considered a point of pride for the district and the city, something of a private school experience at a public school price. But the school has come under fire in recent years for its lack of diversity and instances of racism as the country faces a racial reckoning with the past.

The proposal comes less than a week after the board voted Tuesday to rename 44 schools  including Lowell  after determining the names were associated with slavery, oppression, racism and colonization. That vote garnered national headlines and sparked a brutal division in the city over the timing, with many parents criticizing the move as a distraction from reopening schools after 10 months of distance learning.

Now, the board will turn its attention to Lowells admissions process.

This is a response to ongoing racist attacks in our schools that must be addressed, said board President Gabriela Lopez. Board members Alison Collins, Matt Alexander and Mark Sanchez are co-authors.

The school board spent more than three hours at its last meeting discussing a recent incident at the school in which students participating in an anti-racism lesson were exposed to pornographic, racist and anti-Semitic messages and images.

Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle 2020

Student school board member Shavonne Hines-Foster, a senior at Lowell, tearfully said that such instances are not rare, that students of color frequently experience racist comments and interactions.

Lopez said community members as well as local and national Black leaders are behind the measure, which if passed would require the same admission process used at the districts other comprehensive high schools.

The proposal, however, is likely to draw significant opposition from families, students, alumni and public officials who say the competitive high school offers high-achieving students a public choice that competes with private school offerings, including a long list of Advanced Placement courses.

Families and alumni criticized the boards decision late last year to suspend Lowells competitive admission policy because of a lack of grades and test scores during distance learning. That changed the process for students admitted for the upcoming fall, and the new proposal is likely to intensify a debate about elitism and opportunity at the school.

When Lowell opened in 1856, the first public high school in the West, nonwhite students were not allowed to attend, board members said.

Lowell High Schools previous admissions process created a school that does not reflect the diversity of SFUSD students and perpetuates segregation and exclusion, according to the resolution.

Lowell, with nearly 2,900 students, currently enrolls less than 2% Black students compared with 8% districtwide and less than 12% Latinx students compared with 32% in all schools.

Black, Latinx, and Samoan Pacific Islander students in SFUSD often express concern they do not feel physically, emotionally or culturally safe and valued at Lowell, the co-authors wrote.

Asian American students represent 51% of enrollment at Lowell, compared to 29% districtwide. The boards proposal is likely to draw ire from the citys Asian American parents, who have fought in the past against policies they see as unfairly reducing opportunities for academically high-achieving students.

The resolution states that a return to the old admissions policy would violate state law that prevents comprehensive high schools from using selective enrollment. Previously, the district has said the admission process preceded that state law and therefore was not subject to it.

San Francisco Unified School District does not believe that any student or school is more or less elite than any other school, the board members wrote in the measure. All SFUSD high schools are academic schools.

The resolution would also create a community coalition to oversee an equity audit and create a plan to address the exclusion and ongoing toxic racist abuse that students of color, and specifically Black students, have experienced at Lowell High School since the schools creation.

Many parents support the idea or are open to changes at the competitive school, but have objected to what they see as a hurried process during a pandemic.

Lowell parent Ellen Schatz said she doesnt think the proposal is bad, but rather that it has been rushed and isnt transparent, especially during a pandemic.

I think all schools should have wide variety of Advanced Placement classes, all students should have access to great teachers, great classes, extracurricular activities and whatnot, she said. But theyre not doing it in a way that brings people on board.

Any student who wants to go to Lowell should be able to, she said. Students know what Lowells reputation is and wouldnt apply if they arent motivated to put in the effort, she said.

She also noted that the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts also has a competitive admission process  based on auditions  and a lack of diversity, but the board is not looking at changing that.

The racism problem at Lowell absolutely needs to be addressed, she said, and anti-racism policies need to be implemented throughout the district.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker

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MOSCOW (AP)  Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russias vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Nearly 2,300 were detained by police, according to a monitoring group.

Russian authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia has seen in years. Yet despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and tight police cordons, the protests again engulfed many cities on Sunday.

The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is Putins best-known critic, was arrested on Jan. 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement when he was recuperating in Germany.

The United States urged Russia to release Navalny and criticized the crackdown on protests.

The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)AP

On Sunday, police detained nearly 2,300 people at protests held in cities across Russias 11 time zones, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests.

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city center, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed.

Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny claims was responsible for his poisoning. After police cordoned off the area around the square, the protest shifted to other centra squares and streets.

Police were randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses, but hundreds marched across the city center, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief! a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalnys team.

Crowds of protesters later moved to the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held, but met phalanxes of riot police who pushed the march back and chased protesters through courtyards, detaining scores.

More than 500 people were detained in Moscow, including Navalnys wife, Yulia, who joined the protest.

Police officers stand blocking enter to the central square in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov)AP

The city of Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia saw one of the biggest rallies, with several thousand people marching across the city. Over 100 protesters were detained.

An estimated 2,000 marched across Russias second-largest city of St. Petersburg, and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions.

In the far eastern port of Vladivostok, at least 120 people were detained after protesters danced on the ice and rallied in the city center.

As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalnys associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put Friday under a two-month house arrest on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.

The Interior Ministry has issued stern warnings to the public not to join the protests, saying participants could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years. Those engaging in violence against police could face up to 15 years.

Nearly 4,000 people were reportedly detained at demonstrations on Jan. 23 calling for Navalnys release took place in more than 100 Russian cities, and some were given fines and jail terms. About 20 were accused of assaulting police and faced criminal charges.

Just after Navalnys arrest, his team released a two-hour video on his YouTube channel about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, helping fuel discontent and inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putins time in office while poverty has remained widespread.

A man holds placard reading "There is no to your lie!" during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)AP

Demonstrators in Moscow chanted Aqua discotheque!, a reference to one of the fancy amenities at the residence that also features a casino and a hookah lounge equipped for watching pole dances.

Putin says that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property. On Saturday, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed that he himself owned the property.

Navalny fell into a coma on Aug. 20 while on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent. Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming a lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

Navalny was arrested immediately when he returned to Russia earlier this month and jailed for 30 days on the request of Russias prison service, which alleged he had violated the probation of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected Navalnys appeal to be released, and another hearing next week could turn his 3 1/2-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.

ALLEGAN, MI  The Allegan County Health Department plans three vaccination clinics for the week of Feb. 1 to meet demand for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The health department is aiming to administer 2,000 vaccines at the clinics, including second doses. Nearly 6,000 Allegan County residents have gotten their first dose of the vaccine.

The desire to receive the COVID-19 vaccine remains high, a news release said.

Allegan County received 900 first doses to administer this week.

Related: Michigans COVID-19 vaccinations surpass 800K in seven weeks

In Michigan, anyone over the age of 65, healthcare workers, teachers, first responders and corrections staff are eligible to receive the vaccine.

About 9% of Michigan residents have been vaccinated to date.

Allegan County health officials say more than 11,000 people over the age of 65 have signed up to get the vaccine, and 75% of their doses are earmarked for that group.

A limited supply of doses means it could take up six to eight weeks for people to be contacted for an appointment, the health department said.

County residents can sign up for the vaccine at allegancounty.org/covid. For eligible groups, appointments can be made through Meijer, Spectrum Health Zeeland and the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic.

More on MLive:

Michigan adjusts how it allocates COVID-19 vaccines to communities

COVID-19 numbers alone shouldnt trigger Michigan reopenings, Whitmer says. Critics want a plan.

Michigan reports 1,358 new coronavirus cases, 104 deaths
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/31/2021



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[ Spoiler Warning: This report includes spoilers about Brandon and Julia and if the couple is still together.]

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So are Brandon and Julia still together now or did the couple split up?

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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.

star Brandon Gibbs has been shown about to give up the farm and his parents' happiness for Julia Trubkina on the series' eighth season, so did Brandon and Julia's relationship last or was too much damage done for them to get married? What do spoilers reveal about this couple's romance?Brandon, a 27-year-old pest-control technician who helps to run his parents' farm in Dinwiddie, VA, entered his first serious relationship with Julia, a 26-year-old go-go club dancer from Krasnodar City, Russia.Brandon said he fell in love with Julia at first sight because she was so beautiful, and he immediately pictured her becoming his future wife. The couple then talked on the phone and Brandon flew to Russia after just a few weeks.The couple then applied for a Tourist Visa so Julia could visit him in the United States, but once the consulate learned Brandon was her boyfriend, she was told to apply for a K-1 visa instead.Since Brandon couldn't stand the thought of living without Julia, after only five months of a long-distance relationship, he invited her to join him in Iceland -- and that's where he proposed marriage to her.The couple then traveled to France where both of their families met for the first time."At first, my parents [Ron and Betty] weren't sure about Julia. They weren't sure if she wanted a Green Card or money," Brandon said.Brandon told Julia over videochat they needed to live with his parents to save some money because he had burned through their savings from the trips they had taken as well as the K-1 visa process. Brandon said he had spent almost $10,000 in seven months.Julia also wouldn't be able to get a job in the United States for a while, so Brandon knew he had to support her.Julia worried about living with Brandon's parents for too long, but he promised they'd leave at some point and not stay forever.However, Brandon had yet to tell Julia that they'd be sleeping in separate bedrooms.Betty was apparently concerned about Julia's career as a dancer, saying she hoped she was never a prostitute, stripper or call-girl. Betty also wanted to get Julia on some birth control against her will.Julia explained that while she didn't want to welcome children for another two or three years, she never had an accident before with her serious ex-boyfriend.Once at the airport, Julia ran into Brandon's arms and she called Brandon "perfect." She appeared ecstatic to be reunited with her long-distant love.But Julia's joy faded quickly when she learned about Betty and Ron's strict household rules."I can't control my mother. I can't control how they will interact. They both have really strong personalities, and I just feel like they're going to clash," Brandon lamented in a confessional.Once at the farm in Virginia, Julia learned how to feed the animals and she had "an awesome reaction," according to Brandon, but her mind began to change with the early-morning work hours and Betty's high expectations."I don't want this. This is not the life [of] my dreams. Brandon say we need to stay here before we marry, but I say to him, 'No, Brandon, this is not going to work.' I need to leave," Julia vented in a confessional.Julia was ready to go back to Russia after only one day of working at his parents' farm."I wish she would see this as an opportunity and just give life on the farm a chance," Brandon told the cameras.But Brandon and Julia still planned to get married, and they set their wedding date on May 9, which Betty pointed out was Mother's Day weekend. Brandon's father agreed May 9 would be "a terrible wedding day."Brandon liked choosing a date that made Julia happy, even though Betty wasn't happy about it. Ron pushed for May 2, but Julia wanted May 9 because Brandon first contacted her with a sweet message on the ninth of a different month.Julia stood her ground because May 9 was what she wanted, and Brandon defended her and stood up for her much to his family's dismay.With 75 days to wed, Brandon felt torn between Julia and his disappointed parents, who believed Brandon had neglected his responsibilities at the farm.Betty and Ron hoped Julia would change her ways and have an appreciation for the farm, otherwise, Ron noted, "I don't know if it's going to work." Betty wanted to gain a daughter rather than lose a son, and Ron was especially frustrated about running the farm on their own.Betty and Ron therefore asked Brandon and Julia to both contribute more, but Julia complained to the cameras she was already helping out -- including cleaning up the animals' poop -- and so she was angry Betty was asking her to work even harder."I came here to be with your son, not to take care of your stuff," Julia complained in a confessional.Meanwhile, Brandon was sick of being scolded by his parents, and he was also upset that Julia's presence had ruined the dynamic of his family."It's not all working like we wanted," Brandon said, asking Julia to try harder around the farm."I'll try harder for you, Brandon," Julia concluded.To make his parents happy, Brandon woke up early the next day. He said it killed him that Julia didn't want any part of working on the farm with him, but she decided to wake up early as well to show her effort.Ron told Brandon that he'd own the farm one day, but Brandon told the cameras the farm wasn't his dream -- only Julia was his dream and enjoying a life with her doing whatever makes them happy.Julia later complained to her father Igor on the phone how she looked like a dirty pig while working on the farm, and she 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 after all."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 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 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.Still, Julia told Brandon they needed to leave his parents' house or else she was going to leave him."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.Julia took to Instagram in mid-January 2021 and dropped major hints she and Brandon remain a couple.On January 20, Julia posted a hilarious photo with Brandon in which she stuffed her shirt and asked fans to come up with a funny name for the picture. And about a week earlier, Julia also posted a sweet selfie of the couple."Just cute photo #90dayfiance#Brandonandjulia," Julia wrote alongside the January 12 picture with a blowing-kiss emoticon.Several days earlier, Julia uploaded a photo of Brandon giving her a piggyback ride."It seems to me that this week we will not be in the episode. a little positive to you all #90dayfiance #90dayfiance8 #Brandonandjulia," Julia captioned the photo, adding three kissing emoticons.And a photo surfaced on Reddit of Brandon and Julia spending New Year's Eve together in someone's apartment with two male friends.While the picture indicates the group had welcomed 2021 together, many Reddit users commented on how Julia appeared to be photoshopped into the picture and whether the photo was authentic.Julia also conducted a recent Q&A with her followers on Instagram Stories and dropped additional hints that suggest she is still with Brandon and living in the United States."Everything is pretty nice," Julia said of her current life. "It's pretty in my life. I've never had, like, an easy life," Julia said. "I all the time chose a hard life."Julia said her English "is much better than before," probably because she's around English-speaking people all the time."I try to learn everything but it's so hard for me," Julia added.When asked whether she likes living in Virginia, Julia responded, "I guess you'll watch the episode to see how I'm enjoying it."When an Instagram user called Julia and Brandon "the cutest couple," Julia replied, "Thank you so much."Julia also revealed she currently has a great relationship with Brandon's parents, although there is tension between them on the currently-airing season of .A fan asked how Julia essentially puts up with her "parents-in-law," and Julia responded, "I love my parents a lot because my parents want what is best for me. If I could choose other parents I would never choose other parents because my parents are the best and I love them a lot."In addition, Julia said she hopes she can "start working" soon and put her degree in design to good use in either apartments or homes.As far as her favorite experience in the United States goes, Julia revealed, "I like people in America because everyone smiles and everyone tries to help. You never ask for help but people try. This is so cool."When asked whether she likes Russia or America better, Julia said there are some things she likes better in Russia and other things she likes better in the United States.She noted the countries are just "different." For example, Julia said she cannot drive yet in America while she has her license back in Russia.Julia shared excitement, however, when someone mentioned all the states she can travel to in the United States. Julia said she'd love to visit New York especially.Julia told her followers it was "hard to leave [her] house and family" in Russia, but she added, "My parents understand this."But Julia played coy when asked direct questions about whether she married Brandon and is still in the United States and living with Brandon's parents.Julia admitted she doesn't want to "get in trouble" by breaking her NDA contract with TLC.When one fan wrote that it seems like she married Brandon, Julia replied, "I don't know!"And she explained to fans, "I can't say where I stay right now or what I do right now."But Julia did admit her favorite thing about Brandon is that "he is so cute." Julia beamed when talking about Brandon, so it appears unlikely that they've broken up.Julia also appeared to spend Christmas in America, as she posted a photo of herself posing next to a giant Christmas tree decorated in gold ornaments inside of a store."I know how important Christmas is in America! it is a sweet and family holiday when all dreams come true," Julia captioned the photo."in Russia the New Year is more important on December 31st. I wish everyone that wishes come true, love and be loved! #90dayfiance #90dayfiance8 #Brandonandjulia."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
Egypt received on Sunday the first batch of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on board of an Emirates Airline plane coming from India, Egypt's Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) said in a statement.

The batch, which consists of 50,000 doses, is part of a UPA's agreement that includes 20 million doses of the British AstraZeneca's vaccine  which is developed by India's R-pharma and Serum Institute following their deal to transfer the vaccine manufacturing technology from the British company.

This is the second covid-19 vaccine to be approved on an emergency basis in Egypt following the authorisation of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine earlier this month.

The AstraZeneca vaccine requires two doses administered 21 days apart akin to other vaccines, but without the need for ultra-cold storage, a feature that makes it easier to roll out in hot countries and remote locations.

"The Egyptian Drug Authority approved yesterday the emergency use of the Covishield vaccines, produced by the Indian Serum institute, which contracted to transfer the vaccine manufacturing technology from the British company, AstraZeneca," EDA's Spokesperson Ali Al-Ghamrawy said in a statement on Sunday.

He added that the vaccine underwent the necessary evaluation processes in the departments and laboratories of the Drug Authority as per the global and local rules to ensure the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine.

The EDA is currently studying and evaluating other vaccines, the statement added.

Egypt has vaccinated hundreds of medical staffers nationwide as a first step in the country's vaccination campaign, which kicked off last Sunday.

Egypt has received a 50,000-dose batch from Sinopharm vaccines in December.

The country's vaccination priority list starts with the frontline healthcare workers at the isolation, fever, chest and screening hospitals, followed by kidney failure and cancer patients, then the elderly.

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Conakry, Guinea (PANA)  Guinean president, Alpha Conde, on Saturday urged his compatriots to change their mentality and set the foundation for a new Guinea which, according to him, must exclude corruption under all its forms

BrewDog was started in 2007 by former school friends James Watt and Martin Dickie and has used crowdfunding to fuel its growth in the United Kingdom raising 74 million ($132 million) over six rounds.

While critics claim the business is overvalued and investors are buying into an expensive fan club the cult Scottish brewer said the shares are real equity shares and investors do get a piece of the business.

BrewDog is seeking to raise $10 million for 10 per cent of its business through an offer information statement promoted through the crowdsourced funding platform OnMarket.

Punk beer maker BrewDog has defended itself against criticism over a $10 million capital raise in Australia using a crowdfunding platform which values the brewer at $100 million.

However, its share valuations have been subject to criticism there with the cost of shares offered to crowdfunding investors valued at a hefty premium to those held by BrewDogs corporate investors.

BrewDog opened its first Australian brewery in Brisbane in 2019 and the company reported revenues here of $5.3 million but booked a loss of $1.7 million for the year ending October 31, 2020.

Shares in the brewers Australian equity raise are priced at $100 each and investors will be Class B shareholders with no dividends payable to them but entitled to attend BrewDogs Australian AGM, a free beer on their birthday, a 5 per cent discount in BrewDog bars and to have a tree planted for them.

Beer educator and writer Matt Kirkegaard said BrewDogs $100 million valuation of its Australian operations did not bear any resemblance to valuations in the rest of the industry.

The shares even seem to be different to what theyve offered anywhere else because they dont have any voting rights and they are illiquid, he said. There is no secondary market here, at least in the UK they make a pretence of a secondary market. They do seem to sell it as a potential investment and that always worries me because looking at the numbers, I cant see how current investors could get a return.
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A couple with a passion for interior design have shared how they transformed an outdated property into a spectacular modern home of their dreams in just three months.

Sarah Briggs, 30, and her fiance Mitch 'Eddy' Edwards, 33, purchased the old house with an 80s-style interior in Brisbane with the intent to give every space a 'timeless contemporary' makeover.

'It was extremely tired and outdated when we purchased the property,' Sarah - who works in the real estate industry - told Daily Mail Australia.

'Our vision was to add to it but in a totally different sense and define a natural and organic palette of nude pinks, neutral and honey tones, with raw timbers to help shape an imaginative dialogue in the redesign of this split-level home.'

The pair shared incredible 'before' and 'after' pictures showing just how much work has gone into turning the property into a stylish home.

A couple have shared how they transformed an outdated property into a spectacular modern home of their dreams in just three months (picture of the blue kitchen before renovations)

The 'little blue corner kitchen' was transformed into a light-filled 'entertainer's delight'

During the three month renovation, the pair worked with a professional builder and his team to bring Sarah's stunning designs to life.

'Our style is ever-evolving, but we're minimalists at heart,' Sarah explained, adding she has experience in interior design and project management.

'We drew inspiration from resources like fashion and art, our like-minded design community who are pushing creative boundaries, and our families with a mixture of contemporary, eclectic, luxe and edgy variations of style and design.

'We worked closely with our builder to ensure the property had a new solid foundation lasting another 30 plus years.'

Sarah and her fiance - who has worked with the defence force for almost 10 years - purchased the home before the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia in March 2020.

'We realised very early that we wanted to craft something unique with lasting impact - from [interior] joinery to individual styling pieces - to create a truly cohesive home,' she said.

'We wanted something striking that would offer a timeless look... The property is 30-years young and was poorly maintained when it came into our possession.'

The 'little blue corner kitchen' was transformed into a light-filled 'entertainer's delight' while their 'awkwardly designed 80s-style' en-suite was completely gutted to create a minimalist yet attractive bathroom with gold details.

Before and after: Their 'awkwardly designed 80s-style' en-suite was completely gutted to create a minimalist yet attractive bathroom with gold details

Every space in their home was renovated with a a 'timeless contemporary' design throughout

Sarah's top tips for renovating on a budget Sarah (pictured) designed her stunning home after the couple purchased an outdated property in March 2020 1. Talk to tradespeople and professionals in the industry and do your own research 2. Ensure you vibe with your builder, designer and immediate team - you're likely in for the long haul. Make certain your build and design team are there from concept to creation for a seamless transition 3. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. We saved thousands by getting in and doing everything we could - demolition, painting, etc. YouTube proved very helpful in times of need 4. If you're time poor or uncertain where to begin, employ a good local designer. They generally have access to a vocabulary of sources and trade discounts 5. Spend money on a good quality focal point - stone, flooring or an art piece 6. Consider how you can improve the resale value of your home - research and talk to local agents etc 7. Design your home for your family now - and in the future Advertisement

Sarah has shared pictures showing just how much work has gone into turning the property into a stylish home of their dreams (left of the kitchen and right of one of the bathrooms)

Sarah and her fiance purchased the outdated home before the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia in March 2020 (picture of what the living space with dull blue paint once looked like)

Sarah said the property was 'extremely tired and outdated' but they had a vision of turning every space into 'timeless contemporary' design (picture of the bathroom before renovation)

The couple officially moved into their newly-renovated home in July 2020.

'Each room, in addition has an underlying artistic thread that speaks volumes and individually connects with functionality and energy,' Sarah said.

'This is our family home, but not our forever home as its on a smaller scale. For now, it is our perfectly crafted oasis that oozes natural bouncing light, functionality, with our artistic energy.'

'We were also engaged in our home in July on my 30th birthday, so this home will forever be special to us.'

The duo are now focusing on their outdoor space.

'We are completing our entertainer's courtyard which will result in a poetic integration between inside and out,' she said.

'We'll also be designing joinery pieces into our spaces to include sophisticated pops of colour and a myriad of textural elements giving this home a point of difference at every turn.'

The couple have been documenting their renovating journey on Instagram under Files of 5, with thousands amazed with their home transformation.

Dozens of people said they couldn't believe it's the same house, while others applauded the pair for creating such a 'stunning' space.
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2021 8:25 am

Seniors, among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, have been eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Washington state since mid-January. But many who are part of that population may find it difficult or impossible to access technology and tools to track down doses.

Michele Roberts, who's leading COVID-19 vaccine planning and distribution at the state Department of Health (DOH), said the department is sharing information through area agencies on aging, senior centers, and other community partners to try to reach all people 65 and older.

Another key part of the equation: Ensuring phone lines at the state level and at local vaccine providers' sites can handle the flood of calls coming in.

"It's really multifaceted with a lot of different people working on it to ensure there's multiple ways people will know about how to get vaccine," she said at a press conference Tuesday.

Gov. Jay Inslee put some of the onus to help seniors navigate the system on family, friends, neighbors and others.

"It's like in any emergency, in an earthquake, or a mudslide at Oso  what I've learned is that a significant part of the rescue is by individuals, it's by us," he said. "It's taking care of our neighbors, our relatives, extending a hand."

Grandkids can help their grandparents, he said as an example. "This is a moment in time where all of us can step up and help people."

Guidance from the state

As of Jan. 25, providers had reported more than 545,000 doses of the vaccine given statewide.

But there are many more people eligible for the shot than there are doses coming in from the federal government, as Inslee has emphasized. Appointments fill up quickly.

He and other state officials urge patience, acknowledging that the struggle to find appointments is causing frustration.

To get an appointment, DOH points people to its online Phase Finder tool.

The tool doesn't schedule appointments but shows a list of vetted providers who have shared their information with DOH. A person can follow that provider's link for scheduling information.

The state also runs a "COVID-19 Assistance Hotline" (1-800-525-0127, then press #). The hotline has experienced "high volumes of calls" and continues to add staff to meet the need for assistance with the online scheduling tools.

Hotline capacity for helping people make appointments is focused on the state's four mass-vaccination sites in Benton, Clark, Chelan, and Spokane counties. Assistance for making appointments at those sites is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The hotline can also help people with Phase Finder, but anyone needing help making an appointment at a location other than those mass-vaccination sites will still need to contact the local provider directly.

Thurston County

As is the case throughout the state, limited appointment slots, overloaded phone lines and online forms have made signing up for a COVID-19 vaccine difficult for Thurston County seniors.

Limited supply and huge demand has forced thousands to wait, said Brian Windrope, executive director for Senior Services for South Sound.

"There have been limited ways you could get the vaccine, and seniors are experiencing real frustration with accessing that," Windrope said. "Even if you're with (health care provider) Kaiser (Permanente), you might have to try for weeks on end to get an appointment just because the system is overwhelmed."

To help, Windrope's non-profit is working with Thurston County Public Health and Social Services to set up and host vaccine clinics at its Olympia and Lacey Senior Centers as soon as possible.

But Windrope said his organization is still waiting on the county to determine when they can open the clinics and how many vaccine doses will be available, but he hopes each clinic can administer 150 vaccines a day.

Appointments at these two clinics will be scheduled through an online registration process, similarly to how the county scheduled appointments at Providence St. Peter Hospital's clinic in Olympia on Jan. 20.

"The public is not encouraged to show up," Windrope said. "That is not how this will work. We want there to be appointments so that people stay at home and stay warm and dry."

Windrope expects the vast majority of eligible seniors to be able to sign up via a link that will be released as soon as the county has it ready. The Olympian was unable to get further information from Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

Constrained supply

With more than 50,000 people 65 and older in Thurston County, the county and its myriad providers have a lot of work to do to vaccinate the eligible population.

"Even if not all of them get the vaccine ... it's going to take some time," Windrope said. "There are going to be people who want it today but don't get it for two or three weeks. There's no way around it."

Such is the case for Ada Beebe, a 63-year-old Lacey woman, and her 83-year-old husband. Beebe said she has so far not been able to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for her husband despite repeated attempts.

"It's very complicated," Beebe said. "It's very long. It's unfair, and hopefully they fix it pretty soon."

Beebe said she tried to sign up her husband for an appointment at Providence St. Peter Hospital via the online form, but she could not manage to secure an appointment despite her husband being eligible.

"They told us they don't have any openings for scheduling, so we gave up," Beebe said. "We checked other places and they say the same thing. We even went physically to some places to check it out."

Beebe herself is ineligible for the vaccine because she does not live in a multigenerational household and is still under 65. However, she is concerned she may be at risk given her situation and background.

"Being a Hispanic and being told so much about how African Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk, I approached them, and they go, 'No, because you are not 65,'" she told The Olympian.

Although she does not live with her grandchildren, she said one of them often visits and her daughter helps her care for her husband. For now, all they can do is wait.

Windrope said he is unsure how often the clinic his non-profit is planning can remain open because the county is itself unsure how many doses it may receive from the state on a weekly basis.

But he said his senior center will host clinics as long as there is still a need for doses in the community.

"We don't control the vaccine so it's up to the county, but as far as Senior Services for South Sound is concerned, we are going to keep the doors open for people with appointments," Windrope said. "As long as there's anyone who needs it."

Volunteers on the way

Windrope said his non-profit also is planning to mobilize volunteers to help seniors who may not be able to drive or have access to internet and phone service.

"Our volunteers will work together to make sure that all seniors can get to a vaccination site to get vaccinated," Windrope said. "Every barrier we can identify we're trying to remove that barrier to get every senior vaccinated who we can."

He said Senior Services for South Sound will be working to identify seniors who need help through the programs and services they already provide, as well as by communicating with local community leaders.

The non-profit will be able to drive some seniors to the vaccination sites by using a transportation program that regularly transports seniors to medical appointments.

"We have volunteers who transport seniors now and volunteers who do Meals on Wheels deliveries," Windrope said. "And Intercity Transit has stepped forward to partner closely with us to help seniors who live in their service area."

He said this vaccination drive will require a network of community partners working together.

"We've got a lot of work to do but we're only going to succeed based on partnership and hard work," Windrope said. "So far that's what I've seeing so I'm really encouraged by that."

Anyone interested in volunteering with Senior Services for South Sound can call 360-586-6181 extension 120.

___

(c)2021 The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.)

Visit The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.) at www.theolympian.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Former President Donald Trump has parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers little more than a week before his trial, two people familiar with the situation said Saturday. The change injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of his defense team.

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, have left the defense team in what one person described as a "mutual decision" that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case.

The two people familiar with the legal team discussions insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations. One said new additions to the legal team were expected to be announced in a day or two.

Bowers and Barbier did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Trump is set to stand trial on the week of Feb. 8 on a charge that he incited the riot inside the U.S. Capitol. Republicans and Trump aides have made clear that they intend to make a simple argument: The trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office.

CNN was first to report the departure of the lawyers.

Also read: China's factory activity expands slower in Jan, recovery still strong

Also read: Anthony Fauci sees COVID-19 vaccinations for kids by late spring or summer

Briefing media on the eve of its 45th Raising Day, additional director-general V.S. Pathania, Coast Guard commander of the Eastern Board, said the ICG has played a significant role in securing Indian coasts and enforcing regulations within the maritime zones of India. (Representational Photo:DC)

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Coast Guard (ICG), with a meagre force and two vessels in 1977, has now grown into a major coastal security force with 156 ships and 62 aircraft. The force also became the fourth largest in the world after the ones in the US, the UK and South Korea. It proposes to have 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2025.

Briefing media on the eve of its 45th Raising Day, additional director-general V.S. Pathania, Coast Guard commander of the Eastern Board, said the ICG has played a significant role in securing Indian coasts and enforcing regulations within the maritime zones of India. True to its motto Vayam Rakshamah, meaning We Protect, the service has so far saved over 10,000 lives and apprehended 13,300 miscreants since its inception in 1977. On an average, Coast Guard saves one life every second day at sea, Pathania underlined.

The Coast Guard, despite restrictions imposed by Covid-19 pandemic, maintained strict vigil in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by daily deploying about 50 ships and 12 aircraft. Deterrent patrols both at sea and air have enabled seizure of contraband worth Rs. 1,500 crore, including 24 kg of gold and narcotics on the east coast, apart from seizing more than 10 foreign fishing boats and arresting 80 persons operating in Indian EEZ during 2020.

Incorporation of Prevention and Measured Response during passage of 11 cyclones last year ensured that more than 6,000 fishing boats with about 40,000 fishermen got escorted to safe harbours. In anticipation of disasters during cyclones, our forces had been sent to vulnerable areas in advance, so that no time is lost in rescuing fishermen at sea, including during cyclones Amphan and Nivar, the commander pointed out.

Listing out achievements of last year, he said the Indian Coast Guard created a maritime history by dousing a raging fire onboard 333 meters long Very Large Crude Carrier MT New Diamond, with about 3 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil off Sri Lanka Coast, preventing a major ecological disaster.

ICG is also collaborating with littoral countries to combat transitional maritime crimes and enhance maritime safety in its area of responsibility and in the region.

At the ground level, ICG is conducting periodical awareness among local fishermen on use of modern gadgets which would alert them in times of disaster, Pathania added.
It is in 2035 that Sikorsky, the maker of the Black Hawk , and Boeing, plan to introduce what could be the successor of the helicopter. And, taking advantage of the U.S. Armys Future Long Range Assault Aircraft competition (FLRAA), they showed last week just that.The fastest, most maneuverable and most survivable assault helicopter in history: these are the (very) big words used by Boeing to describe the Defiant X, a would-be longe range assault helicopter developed for the U.S. Army. Its supposed to be twice as fast and fly twice as far as the Black Hawk, while at the same time fulfilling the same roles.The futuristic-looking machine is being developed by Sikorsky together with Boeing , and uses the formers X2 Technology , with rigid, counter-rotating blades up top and another one at the rear, fly-by-wire controls, and integrated auxiliary propulsion. This should allow it to fly fast and low, and land and take off quickly from hot zones.We are ready to deliver unparalleled capabilities backed by proven technologies that will truly transform the Armys mission today  with room to grow and adapt to the missions of tomorrow, said in a statement Andy Adams, Sikorsky vice president of Future Vertical Lift.Defiant X not only includes the transformational aircraft, mission systems and revolutionary sustainment solution, but also leverages Sikorskys and Boeings advanced manufacturing capabilities.No other details about the helicopter have been made available. The Army is expected to release the request for proposal on FLRAA later this yer, and a contract is expected to be awarded in 2022.
Takeda, a global biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, has been named a Top Employer in 2021 in the Middle East for the second consecutive year by Top Employers Institute. This is also the fourth year in a row Takeda has received the prestigious global Top Employer status.

Apart from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Takeda also received regional certifications for Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, with India, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Turkey also being similarly awarded. 38 Takeda local operating companies were accredited this year around the world.

Dr Mahender Nayak, Area Head for ICMEA (India, CIS., Middle East, Turkey, and Africa) at Takeda said: Our team is the cornerstone of our long-term growth strategy that seeks to drive positive patient outcomes. By creating an exceptional people experience we are committed to maintain a vibrant, diverse and inclusive workplace that provides opportunities for everyone and where the health and well-being and career development of is a priority.

We are delighted to be named as Top Employer in the Middle East for the second consecutive year. We credit the award to our success in embracing diversity, and fostering a culture of trust that is helping us create better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We are committed to being a patient-centric and customer-centric organization where people can thrive, grow and realize their full potential, added Rodrigo Rodriguez, General Manager at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in the Middle East.

Top Employers Institute CEO David Plink commented: Takeda continues to show its dedication to its employees globally and locally, and we congratulate them for the fourth year in a row of global Top Employer certification.

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers six HR domains consisting of 20 people-centric topics such as Career Development, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Learning, Sustainability, Values, Well-being and Work Environment. Established 30 years ago, the Institute has certified more than 1,600 Top Employers across five continents. -TradeArabia News Service

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IT has been well established that the countrys most effective mobilisation system is the election machinery based on political affiliation.

With this in mind, the current crisis in the country regarding the frightening spread of the coronavirus calls for a different kind of intervention. It is past time for the declaration of a political truce. We call on the countrys two major political machines, PNM and UNC, and all other existing political parties and groups, to come together in the national interest.

Posted Sunday, January 31, 2021 8:29 am

Sequim, a small town known for its summer lavender festival and its above-average ration of sunshine for the Pacific Northwest, is now drawing darker national attention as home to a mayor who has promoted irrational QAnon conspiracy theories.

William Armacost was selected mayor by the Sequim City Council a year ago . Last summer, in a "Coffee with the Mayor" chat broadcast on local radio he declared QAnon a "truth movement" and encouraged listeners to watch on YouTube a specific QAnon conspiracy video.

The video, subsequently taken down by YouTube but still available on the internet, is anti-Semitic, anti-intellectual and histrionic. It promises a "war of biblical proportions" to rid the world of an evil global conspiracy run by an elite class riddled with pedophiles  a cabal that is presented as the cause of everything bad in the world including crime, war, homelessness and poverty.

It tries to convince viewers with more baseless charges that every U.S. president since Ronald Reagan has been a "deep state criminal" and that a secret group of good guys in the military is about to save the world with Donald Trump as their great leader.

That last bit may be out of date now.

Interviewed by CNN Thursday, Armacost refused to pass judgment on these conspiracy theories. Instead, he denied he had ever explicitly "endorsed or said I was a QAnon supporter" and said he had simply encouraged people "to seek truth."

Shenna Younger, who helped found a citizens group to promote good governance in Sequim, said its 500 active member are very concerned about Armacost's "QAnon ideologies."

"This is not indicative of who we are. It's a small minority," Younger said. "This spotlight is damaging our tourism and our businesses."

Judging that a recall of the mayor would be costly, her group is focused on the November election and aims to replace three City Council members aligned with Armacost.

Armacost could not be reached Saturday. He didn't answer his cell phone and its voice mailbox was full.

Recruited in a conservative push

Armacost has never been chosen in a contested election by the people of Sequim.

He was helped into public office with the support of a Clallam County organization run by two prominent local Republican activists that promotes "conservative/populist" candidates.

He was appointed to the City Council in 2019, held that seat in an uncontested election, then was appointed mayor by a vote of the city council  which currently is mostly appointed, not elected.

The city, on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, has just over 7,000 residents.

In November's presidential election, the city voted 56% for Joe Biden and 41% for Trump. However, the surrounding rural community is overwhelmingly Republican. Last summer, signs supporting Republican Loren Culp for governor predominated in the area.

Matthew Randazzo, who lived in Sequim for six years until 2012 and was then the chair of the county Democratic Party  he still has property there and retains connections in the town  described the outlying community as "a robust, outspoken conservative population that is trying to drag the city government in its direction."

He said the organization that helped get Armacost into office has been recruiting candidates for nonpartisan bodies that don't get much attention.

"They've exploited this lack of attention and the result is an extremist and apparently unhinged city council majority" in its support of Armacost, said Randazzo.

He said Armacost has been very open, even flamboyant, about his QAnon beliefs, flaunting them on social media posts.

"But I don't think he's alone," said Randazzo. "He's the tip of an iceberg, of a radicalized conservative base all across the country."

Resisting pandemic restrictions

Armacost runs a salon & spa business in Sequim and is also a representative of Juice Plus+, a multi-level marketing scheme that sells vitamin supplements.

Juice Plus+ was formally cautioned by the Federal Trade Commission in June for false advertising claims that its products could prevent COVID-19 infection and make its representatives rich.

Armacost shares the resistance of many on the right to government advice on COVID protections.

In August he traveled to the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, which drew more than 450,000 people and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified it as triggering chains of transmission to other states.

On his return to Sequim, which has a high percentage of older retirees, Armacost declined to self-quarantine.

"It is not required of me either by science, regulation, experience or custom," he explained in a letter to the Sequim Gazette.

Last week, political strife in the town reached a pivot point when the mayor moved behind closed doors to oust longtime city manager Charlie Bush.

With an impressive resume of city management positions, Bush was recruited from Issaquah to manage Sequim more than six years ago.

When a furor broke out after Armacost's QAnon remarks on the radio broadcast last August, Bush issued a statement with the mayor saying it was inappropriate to have made those remarks in the course of conducting city business.

"Any responses to questions reflecting the personal opinion of the Mayor do not reflect policy positions of the Sequim City Council," Bush stated in that release.

In that statement, Armacost did not disavow his comments, but committed in the future to keep his "personal life separate from my professional life."

Bush declined to comment Saturday.

The political heat in Sequim rose over the past year when an opioid treatment clinic being built by the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe deeply divided the community's liberals and conservatives.

Bush's granting of permission for that clinic seems to have been the final impetus for the mayor and his City Council allies to oust the manager.

On Monday, after a closed-door executive session, the council passed a motion to request his resignation, in what the local Peninsula Daily News described as "what promises to be an expensive" leave-taking.

A local petition to retain Bush as city manager had collected more than 1,500 signatures by Saturday.

Armacost's extreme political beliefs have sharpened what was for a long time a typical rural/urban divide between conservatives and liberals and now reflects the deeper tensions that have riven the entire United States since the election.

Five days after an angry mob of Trump supporters  prominently including QAnon believers  violently blasted past police lines this month to ransack the U.S. Capitol, one local Sequim resident who gave his name as Josh asked Armacost at a Zoom City Council meeting to publicly renounce QAnon.

"I don't like to be represented by terrorists," Josh declared.

Armacost ignored the plea for a public denunciation.

___

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A new book on the rise and fall of the Orange Order in the 1880s details the impact of the Famine on the Protestant lower classes as they continued with parades despite the impact of starvation.

Published this week, The Rise and Fall of the Orange Order during the Famine: From reformation to Dolly's Brae by independent historian Daragh Curran explores how in the space of a few short years, the ascent of the Order in Ireland was brought to a sudden halt after political turmoil and Protestant infighting.

Dr Curran said while the history of the Famine largely centres on the effect on the Catholic community, the effect on Ulster Protestants has remained largely unexplored.

"The famine in Ulster started more generally was really downplayed but it did have a big effect and a bad effect on a lot of people, including Protestants - the weavers, the tenant farmers. The Famine is largely perceived as an Irish Catholic issue," he said.

After it was formed in 1795, the Orange Order developed into a strong organisation in its first 40 years but was forced by the government to disband by 1836, due to social, political and economic change.

But the organisation continued to thrive and was revived in 1845, becoming popular once again by 1849 - when the Famine, economic hardship and internal disputes threatened to derail the revival.

Although many Protestants fell victim to disease and starvation, parades, processions and celebrations did continue - despite the fact many Orangemen were in workhouses or too physically weak to partake.

Dr Curran, who is also the author of a second book on Protestant society in Ulster from 1825 to 1845, said the upper classes stepped away from the Orange Order at this point, as they made an effort to downplay the effect of the Famine while encouraging the lower classes not to parade.

"It was thought that the Famine was God's divine wrath on the people and Protestants being the chosen people, they surely couldn't be included in this. It would only be affecting Catholics because they were worshipping the wrong aspect of Christianity and the Pope," he said. "They were seen as wrong in their beliefs and completely ignorant and slovenly, without the Protestant work ethic.

"History has been written by the better classes and because they didn't want to acknowledge that this could affect their people at all, that's one of the reasons why it hasn't been looked at."

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When the Young Ireland Rebellion of 1848 sought independence from the rest of Britain, the movement tried to woo Orangemen to make for a cross-religious organisation.

But that was a step too far for ordinary Ulster Protestants, who wanted to remain within the Union and maintain their British identity. This had the effect of unifying all class of Protestant at that time to present a force that would oppose the Young Irelanders if needs be. "The relationship between those classes was a bit strained at this stage but this was something that did help bring unity back to that community by having a common enemy," said Dr Curran. The Orange Order was given the approval of the government for their offer to help, but it all came crashing to a halt after the clash at Dolly's Brae in 1849 in which an estimated 30 Catholics were killed. That invoked the ire of the government and brought the ascent of the Orange Order to a sudden stop.

"It could only get bigger and better - but then it sort of falls apart after Dolly's Brae because of the fury of the government and for a lot of people in the order they can't handle the violence that was always an undercurrent," said Dr Curran.

The Orange Order was always a fraternal organisation, albeit one with elements of secrecy the ordinary person will never witness, he added.

"Most people only see the parades on the Twelfth - the stuff we all know about. As with a lot of similar groups, there will always be a problematic element. But it has survived Drumcree and it will always be there and will never be banned again," he said.

The Orange Order has always focused on celebrating prominent years in their history but Dr Curran said this aspect of their legacy is never featured in other studies.

"I've never seen anything about how the Famine affected them in other publications - it's always 1690 and other prominent years, selective stories that we all know ourselves."

This book is not just directed at the people who are involved in the Orange Order, he said.

"People involved in the Orange Order will be interested in it but it's not directly aimed at them. People who are more generally interested in Irish history around that time will find it interesting as well for its new research on the Famine and showing there was more to it."
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Copyright  2021 Searchlight New Mexico

When Indigenous Peoples Day arrived, the sun cast a low, warm light on the obelisk. The Soldiers Monument, as its officially known, was already looking somewhat besieged as a crowd began to gather around it for a third day of demonstrations. The tip of the 33-foot structure  a presence in the Santa Fe Plaza for 152 years  had been removed months earlier by contractors. There was still the vague silhouette of red spray paint  marks left by protesters  that couldnt be scrubbed from one of its four sides. And one of the marble tablets at the obelisks base was entirely busted. It had once read: To the heroes who have fallen in the various battles with savage Indians in the territory of New Mexico. In the 1970s, an Indigenous man chiseled out the word savage in broad daylight. In its place, others had written new adjectives like resilient. Now, the entire inscription was illegible.

Masked bystanders pressed up against the flimsy metal blockade that enclosed the obelisk as the Three Sisters Collective, the group of Indigenous women whod called on Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber to remove it in June, stood in the nearby bandstand, speaking of a city that valued Native people only as tourist commodities. This, they called out, is Tewa land. As the women spoke, city workers erected a second protective barrier around the monument, an effort that had the feeling of a last stand.

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For Indigenous peoples, the obelisk was a proxy for the trauma caused by waves of colonization, by genocide, by decades of missing and murdered Indigenous women, and, this year, by the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the Navajo Nation and other tribal lands.

The obelisk epitomized some of Santa Fes most harrowing history and raised the citys thorniest questions. Who owned the Plaza? Who could lay claim to the historic eastside? Even today, the city was being colonized, it was argued, this time by wealthy, mostly Anglo transplants whod turned the barrios into million-dollar neighborhoods, pushing locals to the margins.

In the hour that followed, a handful of demonstrators fastened tow ropes and a chain around the obelisk. With a collective heave, the top portion of the obelisk broke off and smashed to the ground. Soon after, the rest of the obelisk followed.

It marked the end of a slab of a sandstone that was reviled by many, ignored by most and cherished by a few. Throughout its life, its glorification of violence divided residents. Now nothing but rubble, it was still causing rifts, and exposing the chasms of resentment and pain that New Mexicans have carried for centuries.

Moment of moral truth

Mayor Webber had called for the removal of the monument and two controversial others on June 17, almost four months before the Oct. 12 demonstration on the Plaza. Hed met with the Three Sisters Collective  including Dine, Comanche, Mohawk, Chicana and Pueblo women  and, hours later, released a statement that promised action. We have arrived at a moment of moral truth, it read.

The obelisk remains listed as the American Indian War Memorial in the citys online inventory, an indication that municipal understandings of its history remain entirely inaccurate and misleading.

Monuments, Webbers statement read, must speak the truth about the full history, not just that of the victors. Yet, his declaration, in hindsight, felt disingenuous and even patronizing, for truth-telling entails painful discourse about layers of oppression and centuries of collective historical trauma  about old wounds that, until now, had remained just under the surface.

Presidential paranoia

The obelisk was originally intended to honor Union soldiers who died in the Civil War battles of Glorieta Pass and Valverde, key conflicts in New Mexico territory. But, in 1867, two years after proposing the monument, the territorial Legislature decided to add the now-infamous inscription, paying homage to those killed while fighting Native Americans.

One might wonder why lawmakers in the territory would float the idea of a Civil War memorial in the first place. The brunt of the fighting, after all, happened east of the Mississippi. But the war also included brutal battles in the West and Southwest to defeat Confederate forces and put down uprisings that President Abraham Lincoln perceived to be just as threatening.

In the years that followed, both Union and Confederacy forces strategically exploited long-held divisions between Native Americans, Mexicans and Hispanos in the New Mexico Territory. For centuries, the Spanish had instituted a system of capturing and enslaving Indigenous peoples (or genizaros) in the region, fueling an Indigenous slave trade that thrived across a vast geography, during and even after the Civil War. Simultaneously, Apache, Dine and Comanches regularly raided Hispano settlements and Pueblos. Enmities were legion.

The Union Army further complicated the tensions by dispatching Native Americans to fight alongside Hispano and Anglo soldiers in battles that decimated fellow Natives. The First New Mexico Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, organized under U.S. Army Colonel Kit Carson, for example, not only fought Confederate troops at Valverde in 1862, but also forcibly removed more than 10,000 Dine people from their homelands. Hundreds died on what the Navajo refer to as The Long Walk and thousands more succumbed during their forced exile at Bosque Redondo.

It was a classic tactic of divide and conquer, and an insidious expression of settler colonialism. For, as those soldiers went to battle, the Union was engineering historys most massive transfer of land and wealth from tribal and Hispanic populations to white settlers and land barons, a maneuver that continues to have implications today.

Theres a reason were one of the poorest states and one of the brownest states, as Artemisio Romero y Carver, Santa Fes youth poet laureate, put it. Its because the traumas of colonization are ongoing.

Colonialism brings erasure

Obelisks are expressions of imperial and colonial presence, dirges to Confederate loss and observances of Union triumphs.

In Santa Fe, public spaces themselves were statements of oppression, expunged by occupying forces to fit a new national narrative. Before the American annexation of New Mexico, the Plaza looked like a Pueblo plaza might look like today, said Porter Swentzell, professor of Indigenous liberal studies at Santa Fes Institute of American Indian Arts. It was an open, dirt space with no trees or grass, he said, used for a variety of purposes  social activities and gatherings, an announcement space, and also ceremonies. When American forces arrived, there was a concerted push to reshape the Plaza and its surroundings into a proper American square, a calculated effort that Swentzell calls an architecture of violence.

The Plaza, over the following decades, became the most pivotal battleground for the Americanization of Santa Fe. Trees and grass were planted to cover the dirt and create some version of an American park. And military bands played American tunes from a bandstand in the central square.

The insertion of the obelisk into the Plaza in 1868 was yet another reminder to residents that Santa Fe was American. It was a statement of imperial might in a city that, 20 years prior, had been a part of the Mexican Republic.

The Americanization of the Plaza ran parallel to other efforts that sought to whitewash the citys mixed Indo-Hispanic population  racist campaigns that Swentzell refers to as a rehabilitation of Mexicans into Spaniards. New Mexico, according to the U.S. Congress, was too Mexican to be admitted to the Union as a state. So, white tourism boosters, anthropologists and legislators (many of them slave owners) began a massive rebranding to cast residents as Spanish-American, an identity that was closer to white.

The only people whove been unhurt are white people, Romero y Carver said. In Santa Fe, this cultivated a certain self-erasure, a denial of mixed-Indigenous ancestry that was created by the original trauma  Spanish colonization and genocide.

Were born out of a mass slaughter, and that violence has never been resolved in our culture. Most lies come out of trauma, Romero y Carver said.

New Mexicans who want to hold onto monuments that honor Spanish colonizers or brutal U.S. conquests are, in a sense, trying to preserve their place in the world. They battle for things like the obelisk, as bizarre as that is, Swentzell said, because these are some of the last vestiges of holding on to some semblance of control over your hometown.

But there is no real control. Barrios on the historic eastside, once predominantly Hispanic, now make up some of the most expensive real estate in town. Local Hispanos used to call this part of the town the Dogpatch, after the Appalachian hamlet in the comic strip Lil Abner. Today, houses there regularly sell for upwards of a million dollars, mostly to white residents. The Hispanos have been pushed out. Some 20% of the homes, according to the county assessors office, belong to owners who live in Santa Fe only part time.

The city is bearing witness to another wave of gentrification or, perhaps, a continuation of something that never ended.

The obelisk, then, was never really meant for anyone here. Nor could it ever truly reflect the complexity of identities that reside in this region. A tribute to imperialism and Manifest Destiny, it was, Swentzell said, just another middle finger to New Mexico.

The response, not surprisingly, was a fist.

A Chicana writer from the northern New Mexican village of Truchas, Alicia Inez Guzman explores histories of land use in New Mexico and the Southwest. The former senior editor of New Mexico Magazine, she holds a Ph.D. in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester in New York. Searchlight New Mexico is a non-partisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to investigative reporting in New Mexico.

Editors note: This story was originally published by Searchlight New Mexico, a nonprofit investigative news organization. A longer, unedited version can be found at http://www.searchlightnm.org/.
Navalny, the best-known critic of President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on 17 January after his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin

Moscow: Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up a wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Over 1,600 were detained by police, according to a monitoring group.

Russian authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia has seen in years. Yet despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and notable displays of riot police, the protests again engulfed many cities on Sunday.

The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is the best-known critic of President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on 17 January upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement when he was recuperating in Germany.

On Sunday, police detained more than 1,600 people in protests held in cities across Russia's 11 time zones, according to the OVD-Info, a group that monitors arrests.

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city center, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed.

Navalny's team initially called for Sunday's protest to be held on Moscow's Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny claims was responsible for his poisoning. After police cordoned off the area around the square, the protest shifted to another central square a mile away. Police deployed in force at that location too, randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses.

But hundreds of others marched across the city center, chanting "Putin, resign!" and "Putin, thief!" a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalny's team.

Some later marched to the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held, but met phalanxes of riot police who chased them back and detained scores.

Over 300 were detained in Moscow, including Navalny's wife, Yulia, who joined the protest.

The city of Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia saw one of the biggest rallies, with several thousand people marching across the city. About 90 protesters were detained.

An estimated 2,000 marched across Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions.

In the far eastern port of Vladivostok, more than 100 people were detained after protesters danced on the ice and rallied in the city center.

As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalny's associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put Friday under a two-month house arrest on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekend's protests.

Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.

The Interior Ministry has issued stern warnings to the public not to join the protests, saying participants could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years. Those engaging in violence against police could face up to 15 years.

Nearly 4,000 people were reportedly detained at demonstrations on 23 January calling for Navalny's release took place in more than 100 Russian cities, and some were given fines and jail terms. About 20 were accused of assaulting police and faced criminal charges.

Just after Navalny's arrest, his team released a two-hour video on his YouTube channel about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, helping fuel discontent and inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Demonstrators in Moscow chanted "Aqua discotheque!," a reference to one of the fancy amenities at the residence that also features a casino and a hookah lounge equipped for watching pole dances.

Putin says that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property. On Saturday, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant, and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed that he himself owned the property.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putin's time in office even as many ordinary citizens struggle financially.

Navalny fell into a coma on 20 August while on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent. Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming a lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

When he returned to Russia in January, Navalny was jailed for 30 days after Russia's prison service alleged he had violated the probation terms of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected Navalny's appeal to be released, and another hearing next week could turn his three-an- a-half-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Saturday she had spoken with former President Donald Trump, claiming he offered his support at a time when Republican leaders are under increased pressure to punish the freshman lawmaker for the way she has behaved toward colleagues, her embrace of conspiracy theories, and past statements in which she spouted extremist and racist rhetoric. I had a GREAT call with my all time favorite POTUS, President Trump! Im so grateful for his support, the Georgia lawmaker tweeted Saturday morning. The blood thirsty media and the socialists hate America Democrats are attacking me now just like they always attack President Trump. She went on to promise that she wont back down and never apologize.

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A spokesman for Trump didnt comment on the call and Greenes office also didnt provide any further details. But the alleged call comes at a time when Republican Party leaders are under pressure to punish the controversial lawmaker and some Democrats have even demanded her ouster. As more examples surface of her support of dangerous and baseless conspiracy theories and even her apparent endorsement for killing of top Democratic leaders, Republicans have largely stayed silent. The situation is a reflection of the divisions that exist among Republicans as the party tries to decide how it will move forward without Trump in the White House.

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Sen. Mitt Romney, who was the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial, criticized both the former president and the freshman lawmaker. Lies of a feather flock together: Marjorie Taylor Greenes nonsense and the big lie of a stolen election, Romney tweeted.

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The alleged support from Trump came a day after Rep. Cori Bush, a freshman Democrat, said she was moving offices to get far away from Greene. Bush said Greene berated her in a hallway and said she would move her office for my teams safety. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he will talk with Greene next week, but its unclear whether that means there will be any actual consequences for the freshman lawmaker. At least 50 House Democrats have called for Greene to be removed from Congress. On Friday, Greene sent a warning to any Republican leaders who were thinking about punishing her. If Republicans cower to the mob, and let the Democrats and the fake news media take me out, Ms. Greene said, theyre opening the door to come after every single Republican until theres none left.

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McCarthy vowed to speak to Greene after reports surfaced of Facebook posts she wrote in which she discussed executing Democrats before she was elected to Congress. These comments are deeply disturbing and Leader McCarthy plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them, McCarthys spokesman said earlier this week.

While some Republicans want McCarthy to send a message that makes clear the party wont support lawmakers who back conspiracy theories, others are worried about what that will do to a big chunk of their supporters who are still loyal to Trump. And even though some are now trying to portray her as a firebrand outsider, the Washington Post details how many key party leaders embraced her in her rise to power despite the fact that her history of spreading lies and her penchant for violent rhetoric.
The Tibetan community held a demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in Paris to protest the death of Tibetan monk Tenzin Nyima, who died of injuries sustained from beatings and torture in a Chinese prison.

The 19-year-old monk died of injuries sustained from beatings and "torture" in a Chinese prison in Sichuan's Kardze prefecture after being released in a comatose state by his jailers, Radio Free Asia reported.

The protest was organised by Students for Free Tibet on Saturday and demonstrators called for freedom of Tibet from Chinese rule, stating that they would not be silenced due to oppression by China. They carried Tibetans' flags and placards and raised slogans against the Xi Jinping government.

Though local authorities in Paris had advised the organisers that they should restrict their numbers to 30 people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tibetans defied this advisory with more than 100 being present at the protest site.

The young monk, Tenzin Nyima (also called Tamay), was from Dza Wonpo monastery, in Wonpo township, Kandze prefecture, a Tibetan area within Sichuan province.

The authorities initially detained him on November 9, 2019, two days after he and three other Wonpo monks briefly distributed leaflets and shouted slogans calling for Tibetan independence outside the local Wonpo government office.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Watch, a US-based non-governmental organisation, said the Chinese authorities should hold to account all those responsible for the "brutal kilin" of the monk.

"Chinese authorities have once again turned arbitrary detention into a death sentence. They should hold to account all those responsible for the brutal killing of the Tibetan monk Tenzin Nyima," said Sophie Richardson, China director at the Human Rights Watch.

The authorities released Nyima in May 2020, but rearrested him on August 11, apparently for sharing news of the arrests online.

Last year in October, prison authorities told his family to collect him from the prison due to his medical condition. Tibetans in exile with knowledge of the case said he was unable to speak or move and was suffering from serious injuries and an acute respiratory infection, which they believed was due to beatings, malnourishment, and mistreatment in custody, according to the Human Rights Watch.

On October 9, Nyima was admitted to a hospital in the provincial capital, Chengdu, by then he had lost consciousness. The hospital's report that Human Rights Watch obtained indicates that he had been in critical condition for 10 days before being handed over to his family.

The treatment provided by the hospital appears to have been delayed until his relatives raised the necessary funds (RMB 40,000, or US$6,200). After he spent several weeks in the hospital, doctors declared his injuries to be beyond treatment and discharged him.

On December 1, his family succeeded in having him admitted, still comatose, to a hospital in Kandze prefecture, Dartsedo. Doctors at that hospital also discharged him on the grounds that his condition is terminal. Further evidence seen by the Human Rights Watch indicated that he was paralysed and gravely ill. He died soon after his relatives brought him home.

The NGO said Chinese police and prison authorities routinely torture and abuse inmates, and the situation is particularly severe in ethnic minority regions.

"The Chinese government should order a prompt and impartial investigation into the alleged torture of Tenzin Nyima and hold his abusers accountable," the Human Rights Watch said.

(ANI)

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The increase in COVID-19 contaminations among teenagers was 41 per cent. 

The increase is due to the scale of screening campaigns focusing on clusters within schools.Twenty-one per cent of Covid-19 transmissions occurred in schools, one-third in retirement homes and a quarter (26 per cent) in companies, Van Laethem said.A total of 702,437 people have been infected with coronavirus in Belgium, according to figures published by the public health institute Sciensano.The death toll currently stands at 20,982.To combat the spread of the virus, Belgium launched a vaccination campaign on December 28, 2020, using the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.The first dose of the vaccine has already been administered to 243,412 people and the second to 3,458 others.Up to January 26, the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products had reported 262 adverse side effects linked to the Pfizer vaccine, 37 of which were considered serious."Among the serious effects, 14 people died after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. All of these deceased patients were over 70 years of age and five of them were over 90 years of age," said Laethem.The epidemiological situation remains extremely complex in Belgium. On some days the number of infections is increasing, on other days it is decreasing, he added.Source: IANS
Two well-known media identities are among the candidates being considered for the ABCs board.

Media industry sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said former Foxtel boss Peter Tonagh and former broadcaster Anita Jacoby have been approached to take on non-executive director positions following the departure of Kristin Ferguson and Donny Walford last November.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Ita Buttrose as ABC chair in 2019. Its unclear whether the government will hand-pick the latest board members. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Ms Jacoby is a highly regarded broadcast executive and journalist who has held roles with at Nine Entertainment (owner of this masthead), Seven West Media, Network Ten, ABC, SBS and Foxtel. She made the shortlist for the SBS board role last year, before Warren Mundine was selected.

Mr Tonagh, who led the effort to save Australian Associated Press last year, spent a large part of his career at News Corp as both co-chief executive and later Foxtel boss. He has held several board roles including lead independent director of Village Roadshow and chairman of Quantium.
Eighteen specific, fixed positions on chromosomes (known as loci) associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are identified by researchers at the University of California San Diego, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), Yale University, and West Haven VA, published in the journal Nature Genetics.



PTSD, long been known to be heritable, is a serious mental disorder that can occur after exposure to extreme, life-threatening stress, with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 7 per cent (but much higher among veterans). Traumatic events affect more than half to three-quarters of Americans over their lifetime, but most do not develop PTSD.

Role of multiple genes repeatedly implicated in diverse post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) phenotypes/symptoms is identified. This provides new insights into the fact that the genes were the key players in the development of the disorder. Hence targeting them for therapeutic drugs may provide better management of PTSD.

Genetic Link in PTSD



The symptoms of PTSD such as recurrent intrusive memories of traumatic events, severe emotional distress or physical reactions to reminders of traumatic events, self-destructive behaviors, and difficulty sleeping were surveyed from the Electronic health records of the veterans.



The relationships of PTSD to comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders were also explored. This may provide potential new targets for treatment. GWAS utilizes rapidly scanning markers across complete sets of DNA (the genetic material of a cell), or genomes, to deduct the genetic variations associated with a particular disease.



Despite the extremely diverse symptoms of PTSD, their genetic overlap is high. Hence to intrude more into their biology, a direct comparison of the heritability of diagnostic PTSD cases with continuous, symptom-based phenotypes of PTSD was done.



The study identified the role of multiple genes that were repeatedly implicated in different PTSD phenotypes. This indicates that the genes were key players in the development of the disorder and they might also be suitable targets for therapeutic drugs.



"These findings give us new insights into the biological basis of PTSD and point to some possible next steps for testing new treatments", says co-principal investigator Joel Gelernter, MD, professor of psychiatry, genetics, and neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine and VA Connecticut Healthcare System.



Facts on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)



Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has an extremely complex phenotype, or set of observable characteristics, that is influenced by multiple genes

Current diagnostic guidelines show up to 163,120 unique conformations of symptoms for the PTSD disorder

The average age of occurrence of PTSD is 23 years

There is a lifetime prevalence of 7.8% of an American experiencing PTSD with women twice as likely to develop it (10.4) as compared to men (5%)

In a given year, 3.6% of American adults between ages 18 and 54 (5.2 million people) are affected by PTSD



Source: Medindia The symptoms of PTSD such as recurrent intrusive memories of traumatic events, severe emotional distress or physical reactions to reminders of traumatic events, self-destructive behaviors, and difficulty sleeping were surveyed from the Electronic health records of the veterans.TheThis may provide potential new targets for treatment.Despite the extremely diverse symptoms of PTSD, their genetic overlap is high. Hence to intrude more into their biology, a direct comparison of the heritability of diagnostic PTSD cases with continuous, symptom-based phenotypes of PTSD was done.The study identified the role of multiple genes that were repeatedly implicated in different PTSD phenotypes. This indicates thatsays co-principal investigator Joel Gelernter, MD, professor of psychiatry, genetics, and neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine and VA Connecticut Healthcare System.Source: Medindia

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted by the study team which analyzed the genomes of more than one-quarter - 250,000 persons of European and African ancestry participating in the Million Veteran Program, to determine the underlying mechanism of PTSD.




Na Kyung-won, third from left, a Seoul mayoral by-election hopeful of the main opposition People Power Party, joins civic activists advocating nuclear energy during a protest in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. Na asked President Moon Jae-in and his government to clarify allegations that they attempted to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant, countering Moon's nuclear energy phase-out policy. Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



Controversy is escalating over whether the government clandestinely attempted to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant in 2018 during a short-lived reconciliatory mood between the two Koreas.



First reported on Jan. 28 by broadcaster SBS, the alleged attempt, if found to be true, contradicts President Moon Jae-in's push to phase out nuclear energy, which has fueled concerns over the fate of South Korean nuclear power companies and their overseas businesses.



The incident is expected to deal a blow to the Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ahead of the April 7 mayoral by-elections for Seoul and Busan, which are considered a major litmus test for the 2022 presidential election.



The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is accusing the Moon Jae-in administration of committing actions "benefiting the enemy."



Cheong Wa Dae and the DPK have countered by calling the accusation an outdated revival of the "northern winds."



The term refers to allegations of threats from the North that were orchestrated by the PPP's predecessors in previous elections to stir up concerns over national security and accordingly benefit conservative candidates.



"Closing down nuclear power plants in the Republic of Korea while trying to build one in the North is an act of benefiting the enemy that can shake the fate of the country," PPP interim leader Kim Chong-in said in a Jan. 29 statement.



Kim cited a bill of indictment by prosecutors investigating the destruction of documents related to the closure of the aging Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor by officials at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2019.



Back then, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) asked for the submission of documents related to the Wolsong-1 reactor amid suspicions that the ministry and state-owned Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) intentionally undervalued the reactor in a June 2018 feasibility study to justify the closure.



According to the bill of indictments, the officials deleted about 530 computer documents.



The documents contained numerous files on plans to build a nuclear power plant in North Korea and other inter-Korean energy cooperation projects.



Among them were reports titled "North Korean nuclear power plant construction implementation plan" and "Inter-Korean economic cooperation experts in energy field," which were produced from May 2 to 15, 2018, and stored under a folder titled "pohjois," a Finnish word meaning north.









Moon's first and second summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were held in late April and late May, respectively, of the same year.



The BAI later recovered the documents.



Last month, prosecutors indicted three ministry officials on charges of destroying the documents.



In a press release, Sunday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy denied the alleged construction plans for a nuclear power plant in the North.



The ministry said, after the first Moon-Kim summit, it had its working-level officials brainstorm possible cross-border projects in case economic cooperation with the North is facilitated.



"And the ideas were listed in the disputed documents for internal circulation," it noted.



Three PPP members  Reps. Kim Eun-hye and Kim Woong  plus Seoul mayoral hopeful Oh Se-hoon said that the accusation, if found to be true, will be "an apparent act on behalf of the enemy."



Cheong Wa Dae fired back.



In a Jan. 29 press briefing, spokesman Kang Min-seok said the PPP interim leader's argument was "complete nonsense."



"It is a hard-to-believe argument that deludes the people. It sure is comparable to the northern winds and we'll take strong countermeasures including legal action," Kang said.



DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon joined the criticism against the PPP.



"I could not believe what I saw after reading interim leader Kim's statement," Lee wrote on Facebook. He added that it is "illogical to make a connection between the inter-Korean summits and any possible nuclear power plant."



DPK spokesman Shin Yeong-dae called the PPP's accusation "a nuclear energy northern wind that misleads the people."



"The DPK will put an end to such despicable politics and we will concentrate on the by-elections to bring hope to people's livelihoods."
Its been nearly three months since a Russian-brokered peace agreement was signed on November 10, bringing an end to the war between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces over Azerbaijans breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.



RFE/RL Armenian Service Director Harry Tamrazian spoke on January 29 to Carnegie Europes Caucasus expert, Thomas de Waal, about the evolution of postwar diplomacy and the prospects for stabilizing the situation by reestablishing long-severed economic ties.



RFE/RL: In Moscow on January 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the second time with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The deputy prime ministers of those three countries were meeting in Moscow on January 30 for talks about reestablishing communications and transportation links. This is a fundamental change since the 1990s when the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- jointly chaired by Russia, France, and the United States -- was the mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan. How would you assess Putins second meeting with Pashinian and Aliyev? Was that a constructive summit or was it an effort by Russia to consolidate its position as the sole peacekeeper and peacemaker in the conflict?



Thomas de Waal: It was certainly an effort by Russia to consolidate the November 10 agreement -- which had many gaps in it, many unclear positions. There are many unresolved issues around that agreement, which was obviously signed in haste. Russia has an agenda here, and Russia wants this agreement to work. But there are still many unresolved issues. For example, from the Armenian side, the fate of captured prisoners who were taken -- particularly in the Hadrut region in December. On the Azerbaijani side, I think theyre a bit unhappy that the Russian peacekeeping mission doesnt have a clear mandate, that theyre doing many things, particularly unilaterally. And yet, it was still a trilateral meeting between Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The other Minsk Group co-chairs -- France and the United States -- were not invited.



I think Russia is pushing forward its agenda. But the fact there was only a declaration on economic issues is obviously only the tip of the iceberg. There were many issues: prisoners, the mandate for the peacekeeping force, the Lachin Corridor. Many, many issues which are still unresolved.

RFE/RL: Lets talk about possible changes that the new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden can bring to the region. During his Senate confirmation hearing, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he will reinvigorate U.S. engagement to find a permanent settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that protects the security of Nagorno-Karabakh and helps to ensure that another war does not break out. He said the United States will be stepping up its engagement via the Minsk Group and will do additional diplomatic work to prevent any additional interference by third parties. Whats your reaction to that?



De Waal: Obviously, I think it's positive that were going to see a more active U.S. foreign policy on this conflict and in this region. I think the Biden administration has already signaled that it intends to have a tougher relationship with Turkey. They felt that President [Donald] Trump and [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan had a kind of very friendly, transactional relationship which was not in U.S. interests. So I think this is the ambition. Obviously, we also know that the November 10 agreement has no provisions on the future of the peace process.

Having said all that, the United States has been left far behind by this conflict. Russia is in on the ground. And its not clear whether Azerbaijan really wants to talk any more about a political process. As far as Azerbaijan is concerned, this conflict ended the dispute in their favor. Theyre not in a hurry to talk about status issues [on Nagorno-Karabakh] and so forth. I think it will be difficult. But I think the United States can start to engage on a number of political issues and maybe, most importantly, regional economic issues.



I think no one believes that Armenia and Azerbaijan can do all the reconstruction work themselves. There need to be economic connections now which make Armenia and Azerbaijan interconnected economically. But that has to be done intelligently. It has to be done to promote a peace agenda. The United States, and obviously the European Union, can help with all those issues. But lets be clear: theyve been left far behind by this conflict and they have a lot of catching up to do.



RFE/RL: It would be naive to think that the leaders in the region will suddenly start talking peace and economic cooperation. But Turkeys role is important in pursuing Azerbaijan to seek a peaceful settlement with its neighbor, Armenia. Some statements from Ankara might indicate that it is ready to normalize relations with Armenia. For example, opening the borders with Armenia -- hoping that it will be well received by the Biden administration and by the West. But so far we see some actions on the ground that might have the opposite effect. For example, Turkish-Azerbaijani joint military exercises near the border of Armenia. Do you think Turkey is interested in the economic development of the region and in opening communication lines with Armenia? What would the impact be of Turkey opening its borders with Armenia? Will that bring stability?



De Waal: Pragmatically speaking, the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the seven territories [occupied in Azerbaijan since the early 1990s] means the impediment has been removed to Armenia-Turkey normalized relations and opening the border. That was really Turkeys main problem with Armenia. But relations are now incredibly bad given the fact that Turkey helped Azerbaijan win the war. As far as Armenians are concerned, Turkey has new blood on its hands. President Erdogan was there at the victory ceremony in Baku on December 10 and even referred to Enver [Pasha, the Ottoman military officer and a leader of the 1908 Young Turk Revolution].

I think the historical grievances are still very strong, and with much justification on the Armenian side. So I think well see a move toward opening the border -- some kind of trade restoration and economic relations. But my guess is that Armenians are not in a hurry to do that, maybe, as long as President Erdogan is in power.

And, of course, we must also remember that President Erdogans coalition partner is the [far-right, Euroskeptic Nationalist Movement Party] MHP, which has this very strong Turkish-nationalist attitude toward Armenians, Kurds, Greeks, and other minorities [in Turkey]. So the openings are there. But I'd be very surprised if anything happened quickly. I think were looking at quite a long-term process here.



RFE/RL: A Washington Post opinion piece on January 28 quoted a senior adviser to President Erdogan as saying that Cyprus and Armenia may not be at the core of Turkish-U.S. relations, but solving these conflicts would hugely benefit Ankaras relations with the West. The adviser said Ankaras problem with Yerevan has always been the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory -- the seven districts around Nagorno-Karabakh. And now that this issue has been resolved [largely] on the battlefield, Turkey is ready "if Armenia is willing to take a step."



De Waal: I'm sure there are different voices, different views in Turkey. There are some who want to move ahead with normalization [with Armenia], some who see it as a ticket for better relations with the West.



There are good economic reasons both for Armenia and for Turkey, for the Kars region [of northeast Turkey], to open the border and restore trade. But I dont have to tell your Armenian audience that there are big historical issues there. So, if this is just given as an economic offer, it won't work -- I'm sure -- on the Armenian side.

There have to be other measures toward the Armenians on the historical record. I dont think we're talking about genocide recognition [by Ankara], but sort of memorializing the Armenian genocide in some way. Some efforts on Armenian churches [within Turkey]. I think that is where the conversation also needs to happen. Lets see if that is possible given Mr. Erdogan's alliance at the moment with the MHP and his stance on the issues.

RFE/RL: The Russians are now talking about Nagorno-Karabakh as something separate from Armenia. Theyre talking about Karabakh as an internal Russian affair. Putin is having meetings with his security and military officials on Nagorno-Karabakh without any Armenian officials taking part. Can we say that Nagorno-Karabakh is an unofficial protectorate of Russia? Theyre in Nagorno-Karabakh. Theyre also deployed along the Lachin Corridor. Are they really interested in making peace permanent or are they pursuing other goals -- for example, creating conditions that will make the presence of Russian peacekeepers desirable for all sides?



De Waal: It's incredibly complicated. The picture is taking a long time to form. And I think no one is quite clear, including the Russians, about what will happen. For sure, Russia is on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh in a way it never has been. Probably not even during the Soviet period. And the local authorities in Karabakh are now dealing, maybe, as much with Moscow as they are with Yerevan.

But, on the other hand, we must not forget that Russia must also deal with Baku and that there's a five-year expiration clause on the Russian peacekeeping mission. So Russia cannot behave like it does in [Georgias breakaway regions of] Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It must also deal with the authorities in Baku.

Russia, on the one hand, needs a justification to keep its peacekeepers there -- because otherwise, if there is complete peace, then they should go home. On the other hand, it doesnt want those peacekeepers to be shot at. So it wants some kind of stabilization. So Russia is constantly bouncing. It has a lot of influence there.



But it has a very tricky game to play. There are almost certainly different Russian voices there arguing for different Russian policies. And, of course, the Minsk Group continues.

I think Russia wants to share the responsibility for this conflict with France and the United States. And also, I think Baku and Yerevan also don't want Russia to just have a monopoly on this conflict. So there's lots and lots of bargaining, lots and lots of negotiations. But it's fair to say that Russia has to be quite clever here. It's got quite an advantageous position. But it could very easily end up offending both Armenians and Azerbaijanis and facing strong criticism from both of them.



RFE/RL: How do you see the restoration of the peace process? How can it happen? Russia has managed somehow to bring the two sides together. But I dont see that it can happen within the OSCE Minsk Group's troika framework. Is there anything planned and do you have an idea what they want to do to get both sides talking?



De Waal: The dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh is really a century old if we date it to 1918. That dispute continues and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is still completely contested by Armenians and Azerbaijanis. The Minsk Group had a very difficult problem before about how to resolve that issue. Remarks by [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergei Lavrov confirm that they don't know what the agenda will be. They know talks must continue. But it's very difficult to talk about the status issue.

I think the Minsk Group will continue. But it will have to deal with other issues and this is where the importance of restoring economic relations is very great.

This has to be done in a way that doesnt just benefit Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia. The Armenians have to feel that they are benefiting from the restoration of economic relations -- including the Armenians of Karabakh. And I think there are possibilities here.

For example, [Azerbaijans] Kalbacar region, [recently returned to Bakus control under the November 10 peace agreement], is very isolated. I think its very hard to think of it as being economically viable without proper trade with Karabakh and with Armenia. If the Minsk Group and other international actors can work on economic co-activity in support of peace, that's a good project to be getting on with.



RFE/RL: Do you think Pashinian will survive politically through this period of uncertainty and internal instability in Armenia?



De Waal: It's very difficult for me sitting in London to judge Armenian domestic politics. From a distance it looks as though Pashinian is surviving at the moment. But his popularity has dropped.



We're looking at a situation rather like what we had a few years ago of a weak government and a weak opposition, and most of the population doesn't feel very strongly one way or the other -- which is not healthy for Armenia.

It seems a lot of the energy in Armenia is going on domestic fights rather than on planning for the future, looking at foreign policy, looking at the region's economic issues, and so on. So that's not healthy for Armenia.



My guess is that Pashinian will survive for a bit longer. Sooner or later there will need to be elections. But he probably stands quite a good chance in those elections because I don't see many fresh faces from the opposition.
Four Points by Sheraton York recently re-opened on December 22, 2020 and debuted a full, property-wide renovation. After a multi-million dollar investment, the York hotel reveals its new, contemporary lobby and renovation of its 148 guest rooms, restaurant, event space and other public areas.

Located at 1650 Toronita Street, York, PA 17402, Four Points by Sheraton York is conveniently located near historic downtown York, 2-3 businesses or corporate parks. The hotel is also easily accessible to popular attractions, including The Harley-Davidson Factory, York Fairgrounds, Hershey Park, Gettysburg Battlefield and Lancaster Amish Country, appealing to both business and leisure travelers.

The Four Points York lobby and on-site dining venue Trio Restaurant & Lounge feature brand new finishes, fixtures and furniture with a contemporary touch. The new, spacious lobby offers ample seating for guests to work, meet or relax and free high-speed guest WiFi. Guests are also welcome to enjoy breakfast and coffee in the morning and dinner and beverages in the evening at the hotels restaurant. Designed to inspire, the hotel also has three re-designed event rooms hosting over 3,000 sq. ft. of event space with flexible layouts, audio-visual services, free WiFi and food and beverage options. Other upgrades include enhancements to the indoor swimming pool with new finishes and furniture, guest fitness center with a separate weight room and outdoor patio with new furniture emphasizing comfort and style.

The hotels newly-updated 148 guest rooms and suites include:



New artwork and a fresh color scheme

Brand new furniture, including beds with plush mattresses, desk chairs and soft seating

55-inch smart TVs in all rooms

High-speed wired and wireless internet in all rooms

A microwave, mini-fridge and coffee/tea maker in each guest room and suite

Upgraded bathrooms featuring a back-lite bathroom mirror with Bluetooth technology

In addition to hotel-wide renovations and upgrades, Four Points by Sheraton York participates in Marriotts Commitment to Clean program to provide guests and staff with a safe environment. Following expert guidelines, the hotel has enhanced cleaning protocols for all public spaces and guest rooms and new measures for guest contact and food safety. Also, Marriott Bonvoy members are provided with contactless measures including Mobile Check-in and Mobile Key, allowing guests to securely precheck-in and access their guest rooms from their mobile devices.

The staff at Four Points by Sheraton York looks forward to welcoming travelers to the York, PA area to experience the hotels new enhancements.

For bookings or additional information about Four Points by Sheraton York and its new renovations, please contact (717) 846-4940 or visit https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/harfp-four-points-york.

About Four Points

Four Points by Sheraton, part of Marriott International, Inc., includes nearly 300 hotels in more than 40 countries and territories. At Four Points, travel is reinvented and guests can find the timeless style and comfort theyre looking for with genuine service and everything that matters most, all around the world. Four Points hotels can be found in big urban centers, by the airport, near the beach, and in the suburbs. Each hotel offers a familiar place with an authentic sense of the local, and friendly genuine service where guests can relax and unwind, watch local sports, and enjoy the brands Best Brews program. To learn more, visit us online and stay connected to Four Points on Facebook. Four Points is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriotts travel program replacing Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.com.
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A statue of Edward Colston, who made a fortune from trading in West African slaves, was pulled down and thrown in the harbour in June by anti-racism protesters demonstrating in the wake of the death of African-American George Floyd. A sculpture of a Black protester with her fist raised in the air has been erected in its place in Britain's port city of Bristol. Photo: Agencies
Thursdays reshuffle of his frontbench has not quieted the more restive elements of the caucus, who fear that the deck is simply stacked against Labor, which could be facing a fourth straight election defeat by the Coalition.

There is chatter in the caucus about his leadership, though no clear alternative has yet emerged - depending on who you talk to, Tanya Plibersek, Jim Chalmers, Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten are all mentioned, though not seriously.

The leader of the opposition is behind in the two-party-preferred vote in published opinion polls, though not by much and well behind Scott Morrison as preferred prime minister.

COVID-19 has, mostly, benefited incumbent leaders across the country and around the world (Donald Trump being an obvious exception).

But over dinner in Canberra on Wednesday night and then, in a subsequent interview in his office, Albanese betrayed few of the signs of a leader under pressure - though the veteran pollie is alive to the ill winds blowing his way.

Instead, the opposition leader wants to talk about the car crash in early January that nearly ended his life. Albanese has done a series of radio interviews in the wake of the crash, which saw his Toyota Camry hybrid crunched by a much larger Range Rover.

He pulls out his phone, which is still pinging with texts from colleagues with reviews of his just-broadcast interview on the ABCs 7.30, and starts flicking through photos of the damage before looking me straight in the eye.

A foot or so either way, he says, and it could have been all over - or at the very least, a life-changing injury. Its not something that, perhaps, his critics in caucus have yet grasped.
NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Boston Scientific Corporation ("Boston Scientific" or the "Company") (NYSE: BSX) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 20-cv-05894, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise, acquired Boston Scientific securities between April 24, 2019 and November 16, 2020, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased Boston Scientific securities during the Class Period, you have until February 2, 2021, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Boston Scientific develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. The Company's products include, among others, the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System, which is a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ("TAVR") product. Boston Scientific announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ("FDA") approval for the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System in April 2019.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System's product delivery system was dysfunctional and threatened the continued viability of the entire product line; (ii) as a result, the Company had materially overstated the continued commercial viability and profitability of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On November 17, 2020, Boston Scientific announced a global recall of all unused inventory of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System, citing "complexities associated with the product delivery system." Boston Scientific further announced that "[g]iven the additional time and investment required to develop and reintroduce an enhanced delivery system, the company has chosen to retire the entire LOTUS product platform immediately."

On this news, Boston Scientific's stock price fell $3.00 per share, or 7.89%, to close at $35.03 per share on November 17, 2020.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

888-476-6529 ext. 7980
New Delhi, Jan 31 : A type of paper called 'Mon Shugu', which has been made in the hilly regions of Arunachal Pradesh for centuries, got special mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday.

This local art was pushed to the brink of closure with modern techniques, but a local social worker gives it a new life.

The Prime Minister chose to talk about the art in 'Mann Ki Baat' after he knew that the local social worker Gombu not only rejuvenated this art but also gave employment to tribal brothers and sisters in Arunachal Pradesh.

The art attracted the Prime Minister with its dual benefits that comprises its uniqueness in helping while protection of environment as well as opening new avenues of income for people residing in the northeastern state's Tawang town.

Tawang is a town situated at 448 km north-west of Arunachal Pradesh's capital Itanagar at an elevation of approximately 3,048 metres where locals make 'Mon Shugu' paper from the bark of a plant named Shugu Sheng, hence trees do not have to be cut to make this paper.

Besides, no chemical is used in making this paper, thus, this paper is safe for the environment and for health too.

There was a time when this paper was exported but with modern techniques, large amount of paper started getting made and this local art was pushed to the brink of closure.

Now a local social worker Gombu has made an effort to rejuvenate this art, this is also giving employment to tribal brothers and sisters there.
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Medical experts have warned resources are being sucked away from the fight against a host of debilitating diseases that affect 1.7 billion of the poorest people on the planet.

Charities marked World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on Saturday, seeking to draw attention to a diverse group of communicable diseases still causing suffering around the world.

They include leprosy, Chagas disease, intestinal worms, dengue and chikungunya, Guinea worm disease, scabies, trachoma and schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis or elephantiasis, yaws, river blindness and sleeping sickness.

Egypt's Pyramids and Sphinx were lit up to mark the day. Charities marked World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on Saturday, seeking to draw attention to a diverse group of communicable diseases still causing suffering around the world

The Burj Al Arab in Dubai is seen lit up. Medical experts have warned resources are being sucked away from the fight against a host of debilitating diseases that affect 1.7 billion of the poorest people on the planet

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is seen above lit up. Countries have had to suspend mass treatment interventions and active-case finding and delay diagnosis and treatment for some diseases amid the pandemic

The World Health Organisation released its second 10-year-plan on January 28 with the aim of eliminating at least one of the 20 recognized NTDs in at least 90 countries by 2030.

It also aims to make drugs safe and available and target the mosquitoes, flies and ticks that spread some NTDs, with a view to cutting the number of people requiring medical treatment for the diseases by 90% over the next 10 years.

The WHO said in September the outbreak had hit NTD programmes.

Countries have had to suspend mass treatment interventions and active-case finding and delay diagnosis and treatment.

Critical personnel have been reassigned to deal with COVID-19 and the manufacture, shipment and delivery of medicines has been disrupted, it said, warning of 'an increased burden of NTDs'.

The KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is seen above. The World Health Organisation released its second 10-year-plan on January 28 with the aim of eliminating at least one of the 20 recognized NTDs in at least 90 countries by 2030
Cut that crap out, U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly told Republican congressmen in a private meeting Wednesday. "No more attacks to one another," he tweeted later in the day.

The highest-ranking Republican in the House was talking about GOP representatives, some of whom trying to censure Wyoming U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, the partys number-three leader in the House, for voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump a second time. Others want to strip an Education committee assignment from Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ardent Trump supporter who has mocked the killing of school children at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Florida.

While Louisiana Republican Party Chair Louis Gurvich says hes unaware of any infighting between GOP factions in this state, nationally Republicans on both sides acknowledge they are headed for a showdown.

Trump was the voice of a middle class frustrated by incomes that did not keep up with expenses. But he also amped up the us versus them rhetoric to such a point that many of the mainline conservative us voters struggled with being identified as a Trump Republican.

That was particularly true after the Jan. 6 raid on the U.S. Capitol that was fueled by nine weeks of a sitting president spreading false conspiracy theories about how his reelection was stolen. Conservative television, radio and internet repeated that bellicose insistence.

The party has to rebuild itself, Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Trump critic, wrote in The Atlantic. Sensing a chance at tribal expansion, some on the left are thrilled by the chaos on the right, and theyre eager to seize the moment to banish from polite society not just those who participated and encouraged violence, but anyone with an R next to his or her name.

Louisiana Republicans arent participating in the national GOP hand-wringing. Trump polled 58% of the 2.1 million votes cast in Louisiana  84% in Livingston Parish.

That support centered around much of what President Trump stood for and policies he pushed. It wasnt as much about the individual as it was a set of core values that most Republicans and conservatives in Louisiana share, said Lionel Rainey III, a prominent Republican campaign strategist in Baton Rouge.

In Louisiana, traditional Republicans are few and far between. Theres tremendous support for Trump. Based on all the people I talk to, I havent seen an erosion. The people who liked him before, still like him, said Woody Jenkins, a majordomo in the East Baton Rouge Republican Party. In 1996, he came within 5,788 votes out of 1.7 million cast from being the states first Republican U.S. senator since Reconstruction.

Trumps Make America Great Again movement didnt bring many new followers on board, Jenkins said, but energized many Louisiana voters.

He didnt persuade that many but gave voice to what a lot of people already believed, Jenkins said.

Trump has vowed a campaign of political retribution against lawmakers who have crossed him  a number that has grown with the impeachment vote, an Associated Press analysis stated. The president remains hugely popular with the partys grassroots and is capable of raising enough money to be a force in 2022.

Jeff Crouere: The persecution of Donald Trump is a sign of Biden's phony 'unity' On Jan. 6, a huge crowd of Trump supporters descended on Washington D.C. to protest the presidential election results. It was the biggest of t

Greg Buisson, a political campaign strategist in Metairie, says his state and federal political clients, mostly from south Louisiana, dont want to bring the national mindset to this state.

I dont see anybody, at the moment, trying to create a divided party like during tea party time 10 years ago, said Buisson. If youre going to see it, youll see it in the election setting.

Candidates will use Trump  both pro and con  to better define themselves to voters, Buisson predicted.

Congressmen will next be elected in November 2022, including the reelection race of Sen. John N. Kennedy. Legislators and statewide officials, including the governor's office, will be on the ballot in the fall of 2023.

Our Views: The future beckons, but the political parties have to sort it out On the day he took the oath of office, Gerald Ford offered a thought that seems as relevant today as it did in 1974.

On the legislative level, state Rep. Blake Miguez, who is leader of the Louisiana Houses Republican majority, said tamping down angry partisanship was an important goal. The tone of legislative debate, which had been nasty since 2014, relaxed somewhat with the 2019 election of a near super-majority of representatives who supported Trump. That limited intraparty factionalism, which allowed better communications across the aisle.

The first thing you have to do is think about the future of the state and realize that anyone willing to take time away from the family to serve is deserving of respect, said Miguez, of Erath. We dont have to agree but we need to maintain a degree of civility.



Not yet a land where a wagging political finger directs justice View(s):

Criminal investigators and prosecutors looking askance at a reminder by the Fort Magistrate in the case against lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah, that Sri Lankas Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) does not suspend the operation of the countrys Criminal Procedure Code, are curtly advised to re-acquaint themselves with the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court.

Most vulnerable since independence to international scrutiny

That such a position is being openly taken in court is truly shocking, let it be said very clearly. It has moreover been reported that previous judicial orders to submit statements of witnesses named in the investigations have also been resisted by the CID. In sum, this speaks to the extent to which we seem to be loosing even the basic sense of what it means to be a nation governed by the Rule of Law. It is no wonder that this country finds itself the most pitiably vulnerable ever, at any point since independence to the turbulent cross winds of hostile international scrutiny. As Geneva approaches, when will we ever learn, we ask despairingly, again and yet again?

The Magistrates ruling was that investigations into any offence is within his supervision and control, unless otherwise specifically provided by any other Act. The case before the Magistrate related to the detention of a lawyer by the CID for purportedly terrorism related offences. That lawyer has been held for what now amounts to more than nine months, the basis of which still however remains unclear. And what the Fort Magistrate said was no more and no less what the Supreme Court itself had declared in established cursus curiae.

Those several decisions of the Court were delivered, we may remind ourselves, when the Bench boasted of courageous judges who upheld their constitutional role against all odds. That fact is adverted to in todays context with particular emphasis given what appears to an alarming slide towards the negation of the law, the Court and the authority of the legal process itself, aided and abetted by politically subverted criminal investigators and prosecutors alike. Some may perhaps be surprised to know that perhaps the best example of judicial strength in this regard related to a law enforcement officer himself, (Weerawansa v Attorney General (2000)).

Authority of the Magistrate is not negated

Weerawansa, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs was arrested by the CID on the 30th of April, 1996 under Section 6(1) of the PTA and detained thereafter successively under PTA Section 7(1), ministerial orders under PTA Section 9(1) and finally, under a magisterial remand order. Examining his complaint of unlawful detention, the Supreme Court held that there was no reasonable suspicion established of any unlawful activity on the part of the detainee and therefore his arrest as well as his subsequent detention was unconstitutional. PTA Section 7(1) authorising detention applied only to a valid arrest made under PTA Section 6(1).

Where the arrest had been wrong as was the case in this instance, the condition imposed by Article 13(2) of the Constitution that the arrestee be brought before a judge of the nearest competent court according to procedure established by law, would apply. Thus, the subsequent detention in terms of PTA Section 9(1) by ministerial order, on the basis that there was reason to believe or suspect that such person is concerned in unlawful activity was also unconstitutional. The CID had merely informed the Defence Minister, (who was also the Executive President) of their willfully false and unreasonable conclusions, thereby misleading the President.

There had been no independent exercise of judgment by the President. Most palpably, the Courts finding supports the Fort Magistrates position this week, in his very correct assertion that magisterial authority is not automatically deprived of all its supervisory aspects just because the PTA is involved. A person may be taken in under Section 9 (1) of the PTA which specifically dispenses with production before a judicial officer before the making of a detention order but such person must be produced after the making of such an order.

Beloved judicial cautions very much a part of our law

Crucially, such a production was not cosmetic, which is precisely what the Fort Magistrate observed. On the contrary, the judicial officer is empowered to make his or her own observations about the ill treatment of the detainee or the conditions of detention and so on. In fact, a Magistrate may be liable for absence of due diligence if such inquiry is not made. And that is exactly what happened here as, the Court took the view that the later remand orders by the Magistrate, Harbour Court made under the ordinary law was in violation of Mr Weerawansas rights.

Several such orders of remand had been made even though the Magistrate did not visit or communicate with the detainee. The Court observed that this offended a basic constitutional safeguard in Article 13(2), that judge and suspect must be brought face to face before liberty is curtailed. This was not an obligation that could be circumvented by producing reports from the police or criminal investigators. Interestingly, such remand orders with a patent want of jurisdiction was held not to be afforded the protection of judicial acts with consequent immunity from fundamental rights challenge.

These are beloved judicial cautions that are very much part of our constitutional rights regime. If the officers of the Attorney Generals Department need to be reminded of these principles, so be it. Regardless, it must also be said bluntly that Sri Lanka is not yet a land where a wagging political finger may suffice to direct the course of justice in all cases. In fact, the positions taken by judicial officers at the lower rung of the ladder to uphold the authority of the law strikes an eerily familiar tone with what we saw when the institution of the judiciary was under attack during the Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidency.

Deja vu with a vengeance

This is deja vu with a vengeance. What started as subversion of the legal process with the deprivation of civil liberties, deaths and disappearances of activists, journalists and critics finally reached all the way to the Supreme Court and the merciless harrassment of a Chief Justice before a Parliamentary Select Committee, much like or perhaps worse than how a common criminal is treated. The point is that, when the executive emboldened by extraordinary power, subverts justice through its agents, that process does not stop half way.

On the contrary, judges and the judicial institution itself is not immune against such attacks, internally as well as externally. Surely we have learnt that lesson very well, from JR Jayawardenes games with the judiciary to far cruder exercises during the Presidencies of Kumaratunga and Rajapaksa? Even so, despite the historic degradation of the countrys judicial institution, including instances where a Chief Justice apologized for giving a judgement partial to politicians, there are brave judges who will continue to stand up to political pressure.

This is notwithstanding vicious tides of racial and ethnic hatred instigated by politicians to bend the law to suit their own purpose. Such profiles of judicial courage, even if this may relate merely to the restatement of common enough legal principles, must be saluted unreservedly. As history has already shown us, it is this individual and collective fortitude which will endure, not the passing political cacaphony of the moment.

That fact is indisputed, despite the horror of the covid inflicted, liberties-deprived and politico-military nexus that continues to visit us in all its force.




The number of 5G subscribers in South Korea approached nearly 12 million last year since the launch of the latest mobile network in April 2019, data showed Friday.







South Korea's 5G users stood at 11.85 million as of end-December last year, up over 900,000 from the previous month, according to the data from the Ministry of Science and ICT.







The figure accounted for 16.8 percent of the total 70.5 million mobile network subscriptions in the country.







The number of 5G users picked up in the second half of last year, thanks to launches of new 5G phones, including Apple Inc.'s iPhone 12 series and Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Note 20 models.







The country's migration to the high-speed network is expected to accelerate further with the launches of Samsung's new flagship Galaxy S21 models and cheaper data plans from mobile carriers sold through online retail channels.







With the growing number of 5G users, local mobile carriers are focusing on adopting new technology, such as standalone 5G, to improve network quality.







South Korean telecom operators currently support non-standalone 5G, which requires support from the previous 4G LTE network.







Users on the 4G network accounted for the majority of mobile subscriptions last year at 52.5 million, or 74.5 percent of the total. (Yonhap)


Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 06:10:56|Editor: huaxia

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BOGOTA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people have died and several more have been reported missing after two boats capsized on Saturday afternoon off the Pacific coast of Colombia, Mayor Emilsen Angulo of the municipality of Tumaco in the Narino department confirmed on Sunday.

"At this time, we have formally identified nine people who lost their lives in this unfortunate tragedy," Angulo said, adding that several of the fatalities were minors.

The Rear Admiral of the National Navy, Jose Espitia, said that 35 people were rescued and that a coordinated investigation between the police, the armed forces, and other authorities is underway to discover the cause of the accident.

"We are continuing to work, with the first priority being minimizing the pain that this tragedy has caused for families due to the loss (of life) and the uncertainty of the situation in which they find themselves," he said.

The rear admiral said that authorities are continuing to search for the missing persons, who were part of a group being transported by two boats that departed Saturday afternoon from a pier in the Las Palmas neighborhood.

According to witnesses, the boats were ferrying about 50 people to San Jose del Guayabo for a birthday party, but the vessels capsized due to bad weather and high waves. Enditem
A man who says he tested positive to COVID-19 after going to a Perth emergency department with difficulty breathing, what he describes as heavy brain fog and memory problems has posted to social media to warn the Western Australian community.

Philip Latour said he had been kept in hospital after a rapid swab test came back positive to COVID-19. He was now waiting on further testing to confirm the result.

He told WAtoday on Sunday his plan was to inform the community as early as possible so they could act accordingly and be responsible.

The post made by Philip Latour. Credit:Facebook

I went into the emergency department by myself because of breathing difficulties ... I am glad I did instead of going to work on Monday and possible infecting all my work mates, he wrote.

London, Jan 31 : Police in the UK have launched an investigation into a fire which broke out at a barracks in Kent, southeastern England, where the government is holding hundreds of asylum seekers, according to a media report.

Asylum seekers have been temporarily moved from the barracks following the blaze on Friday afternoon, which was also recently the site of a major outbreak of coronavirus, Xinhua news agency quoted the Evening Standard newspaper as saying in a report on Saturday.

Video footage from the scene at the barracks showed heavy smoke and flames on Friday afternoon amid the sound of alarms, said the newspaper.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has issued a statement to slam the "appalling" damage.

According to the police, there have been no reported injuries and enquiries remain ongoing to determine the cause of the fire and establish whether any offences have been committed.

There have been reports of suicide attempts at the barracks and more than 18,000 people signed a petition to shut the site down amid concerns over conditions inside, said the newspaper.

The military site has been used to house about 400 asylum seekers since September last year, despite concerns over conditions.

Fears for their welfare escalated this week after 120 people are believed to have tested positive for Covid-19, said the newspaper.
If youre a stocks nerd, or a politics nerd, or vaguely interested in the business world, Joe Astons Rear Window column in The Australian Financial Review is a good read. Part of what makes it interesting is, to quote Federal Court Justice Michael Lee last week, Astons characteristic acerbity.

In 2019, Aston directed that acerbity towards Elaine Steada venture capitalist, once director and head of venture capital at Blue Sky Alternative Investments. When Blue Sky collapsed, Aston apparently blamed Stead and wrote some nasty things about her. Stead sued Aston and the publisher, which later merged with Nine (which also owns this newspaper). Last week she was awarded $280,000 in damages for defamation.

AFR columnist Joe Aston leaves court in December. Credit:Steven Siewert

Astons columns were spicy reading. Stead was labelled a feminist cretin, a venture capital pyromaniac and a prodigious destroyer of capital. Among other things, Justice Lee found that Aston conveyed the meaning that Stead is an untrustworthy venture capitalist who fails to deliver on her promises. When your job is to deliver on promises, and the Fin comes after you like that, it can sting.

You may think that everyone has a right to their opinion, but under Australias Defamation acts, you may have a right to express an honest opinion, provided you express it as an opinion, not a fact; the opinion relates to a matter of public interest; and it is based on proper material. The Federal Court decided that in this case the opinion was not based on proper material.
Forests play an important role in the lives of people living close to them.



Women and men in most rural communities have over the years depended on forests for their daily basic sustenance such as food, shelter, medicines, and energy supply in the form of fuel wood.



Apart from the food staples that communities get from farms, women and girls normally scout the woods to pick naturally occurring vegetables for food preparation.



Obviously, the forests provide a form of social security for women and girls, since it is their responsibility to cook and care for the households.



Change in trend



However, the recent increase in the exploitation of forest resources has affected this way of life.



Rural community members, especially women in the savannah zone no longer benefit from forests and woodlands as they did some years ago due to deforestation from mainly human activities.



The felling of wood for timber, which was formerly restricted to the high forest zone with its rich timber species, has now shifted to the savannah areas.



The discovery of rosewood as a good alternative tree for timber is not auguring well for women, especially, in rural communities in the savannah areas. The impact of these human activities on livelihoods and the environment is enormous especially for the woman.



While, both men and women depend on the forest or woodland for sustenance, women seem to suffer the brunt of deforestation more than men, because of their assigned role in society.



By virtue of their role as the ones feeding the family and household, women are unable to provide for their families without firewood, says Emmanuel Ntiako, Deputy Upper East Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission.



In other words, the existence of forests are also crucial for the maintenance of the rural household, whether in the high forest zone or savannah areas. But this is also being threatened because the natural regeneration of forests has been distorted by rapid over-exploitation of the resource base.



And the continuous interruption of growth of trees have pronounced implications on livelihoods, while it can also lead to extinction of plant and animal species.



The situation is worsened by the general lack of commitment and zeal by fringe communities to replant or even contribute to forest management.



The Northern Savannah Zone



Ghanas savannah zone located to the northern portion of the country occupies 65.5 percent of the countrys total land area, with only about 15 percent of the savannah woodland under some form of forest reservation, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).



Mr. Ntiako, described the savannah area as consisting of grassland and very thick tickets of giant grassland interspersed with woodlands made up of different plant species such as hard wood, adding that human activities have now changed the form of the savannah.



He stressed that bush fire is the most dangerous weapon militating against the sustenance of the savannah woodlands.



The zone is also threatened by the expansion of agriculture, poor farming practices and overgrazing.



The Bawku Enclave



The Bawku enclave of the savannah zone, covers eight gazetted forest reserves including; Red Volta East, Zawse Plantation, Upper Tamne Block and Moragu Plantation.



The others are Basua Bridge, Bugumbu Extension, Zwase Hill and Moragu.



The Bawku Forest District Manager, Emmanuel Omane, explained that each of the reserves is bordered by at least one community such as Moragu located in the Garu District.



Zawse Plantation Reserve has fringe communities including; Tamne, Zawse, and Banse.



Fringe communities for the Upper Tamne Block are Nakom, Bazuode, Pusiga, Tempane, and Bawku.



The Bugumbu Reserve has Atoba and Binduri as its fringe communities; while the Red Volta East has the most fringe communities namely: Widnaba, Binaba, Kusanaba, Zongoyiri, Tilli and Kokori.



Mr. Omane observed that the dominant tree species in the reserves include; shea, tamarind, baobab, dawadawa, black berries and urbane fruits.



He however mentioned illegal farming, galamsey, and exploitation for fuel wood as the main challenges facing the reserves.



The Forest Manager indicated that degradation of the landscape had become a major issue. Currently, about 1000 Hectares of landscape encompassing both the forest reserves and off-reserves have been degraded in the Bawku enclave, adding, the landscape here needs to be rescue urgently.



FAO Reports says that of the total conserved area of 15 million hectares in the Northern Savannah Zone, an estimated 20,000 hectares per annum of the reserved area is lost to agriculture or through bush fires, cattle grazing and other human activities.



Generational Changes



Generally, Ghanas vegetative cover consisting of the high forest zone that covers one third of the country and savannah woodland and grassland covering two-thirds, has been altered and degraded, over the years.



A member of the Binduri community, Philip Ayamba recalled that what is now the Bumbugu Forest Reserve used to be a community land, which was converted into a reserve by the colonial administration.



In the colonial period, chiefs wanted an upper hand in the control of the land and forest resources, but eventually the colonial masters gained control in the case of Bumbugu Forest Reserve in Binduri that stretches to Zawse, Binduri and Gentiiga.



Sharing views on the rate of depletion of the Bumbugu forest, Mr. Ayamba said natural resources depletion in general was due to poor management. Our great grandfathers used traditional knowledge to manage forests, however over time because of lack of control of these resources, people go in, harvest thatch, rafters, fruits, logs and game after which they set the forest on fire, he said.



Mr. Ayamba called for intensified sensitization on the environment, to engender in Ghanaians value for natural resources.



He proposed the establishment of natural resources governance working groups with the specific mandate to educate stakeholders in the governance of the resources.



Conclusion



Mismanagement of forest resources has implications for livelihoods and it is clear that their degradation affects all and in particular, women. This is because in the midst of all the challenges, the woman still needs to plan for and put food on the table for the family.



For the youth, the best they are likely do is to migrate to supposed greener areas to find other sources of livelihoods.



Bearing in mind the usefulness of forest resources as providing a vital support system for livelihoods, the nation needs to strengthen it efforts in tackling the drivers of forest destruction and degradation, whether in the high forest zone or savannah areas.

Source: GNA









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Members of An Garda Siochana are set to get emergency powers to fine motorists from Northern Ireland who travel more than three miles over the border (Liam McBurney/PA)

Northern Ireland day visitors to the Republic face being fined and turned back by Gardai officers if they travel more than three miles (5km) over the border.

Irish police officers are set to be given emergency powers in order to enforce the measure by the Republics Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly.

Under the new rules, motorists from Northern Ireland can be ordered to leave the jurisdiction, the Sunday Times has reported.

The Republics lockdown, in place until March 5, restricts travel to just 5km - or 3.1 miles - unless it is essential.

Those found in breach face fines of 100, however, this currently does not apply to those travelling from Northern Ireland.

The new regulation is expected to specifically target non-residents from travelling more than three miles into the south, with high-visibility checkpoints being established on main routes from Northern Ireland into the Republic, such as the M1, N2 and M3.

Motorists travelling over the border without an essential reason can be ordered to turn back but also be fined by gardai, according to Irish Attorney General, Paul Gallagher.

It is part of a wider set of measures being implemented by the Irish cabinet with the aim of reducing the number of covid cases in the Republic.

These include mandatory quarantine at a designated facility for people who arrive in the Republic 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 date the Republics level five restrictions are set to continue to.

The Sunday Times also reported that a resolution between Health Minister Robin Swann and his republic counterpart, Mr Donnelly over the sharing of passenger locator forms from travellers arriving in the Republic. Northern Ireland residents flying into the south will also have to provide home addresses on their forms, with the data passed on to authorities here.

Last week Irish Environment Minister Eamon Ryan appeared to confirm tougher penalties for cross-border motorists from Northern Ireland was on the cards.

There is provision for someone coming down from the North, that they (gardai) can ask someone to turn back, and were looking to actually strengthen that (so) that we have the same fining capability in terms of traffic coming from whatever different direction, he said.

The Republics Justice Minister Helen McEntee, however, has admitted such a cross-border regulation said it is not straightforward and challenging to crack down on people crossing the border unnecessarily, but something her government is actively exploring.

She said last Friday that any new laws had to be manageable for gardai to work with and stressed people had a moral obligation to avoid unnecessary travel. She said the vast majority of people were abiding by the rules.


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Just like the UK, Germany is in lockdown. Businesses are hurting and a furlough scheme has been extended to the end of the year, costing the Berlin government billions of euros.

Germany's furlough scheme is rather different from the UK's, however. The focus has been on reducing employees' hours, rather than cutting them completely. Businesses are also required to keep in contact with staff so they remain connected to their work and abreast of developments.

The approach has worked well during past crises and economists believe it will allow Germany's economy to recover faster than other countries, as the coronavirus pandemic ebbs away.

Sirius Real Estate should benefit. The group owns 67 business parks and industrial estates in Germany, with a combined value of more 1.2billion (1billion).

There are more than 5,000 tenants, from one-man bands to multinationals such as German carmaker Daimler or US conglomerate Honeywell.

Midas recommended Sirius in 2017, when the shares were 52p and the firm had just moved from AIM to London's main market. Today, the stock is 95p and investors have benefited from four years of dividend growth. There should be more to come.

Chief executive Andrew Coombs started worked at Sirius in 2010, taking the helm four years later. Under his leadership, Sirius has pursued a shrewd and successful strategy for growth.

Every year, the group scours Germany for industrial estates that are slightly run-down or neglected.

About 1,000 are viewed annually but only a dozen or so are acquired. When Sirius takes them on, vacancy levels are fairly high, rental income is less than it should be and tenants often feel unloved.

Once acquired, the sites are spruced up and tenants are made to feel like customers rather than rent fodder. Vacancy levels drop, income rises and the value of the properties increases, too.

The approach is tried and tested and should prove resilient, even if Germany suffers from a Covid-induced economic slowdown.

When the country entered its first lockdown last March, for example, Coombs increased his debt collection team from 10 people to 100. This group calculated which tenants were most likely to face difficulties and offered guidance about how to secure government support and discussing business prospects.

This hands-on approach has meant that 98 per cent of rents have been collected since the pandemic set in and most tenants were genuinely grateful for the help.

Inevitably, some companies have fallen by the wayside but several firms have asked for more space, after adapting their business models to cope with Covid.

Looking ahead, Coombs expects more such shifts to occur. Germany is a nation whose economy is built around small businesses, a tradition that is set to continue for decades to come. Sirius's estates are well placed to cater for them. Even as Coombs strives to expand his portfolio, he is determined to increase the dividend, too.

A plan is in place to increase funds generated by the business from around 55million to 100million over the next four years, and ideally sooner.

Sirius pays out two-thirds of its cash in dividends so the plan should see payouts increase from a forecast 3.6 euro cents (3.26p) to more than 6 cents by 2024, if not before.

The target is ambitious but Coombs is determined to achieve it through organic growth, judicious acquisitions and timely disposals.

Midas verdict: When Sirius first started building a business in Germany, investors and local property groups were sceptical. They have had to eat their words. Today, Sirius is valued on the stock market at almost 1billion and supporters believe it could double in size over the next few years. Investors who bought in 2017 have done well but, at 95p, they should keep the faith. New investors could also see value at current levels.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: SRE Contact: sirius-real-estate.com or 00 49 302850 10 101
Charlie Kirk says rapper Lecrae shouldn't be allowed to perform in churches after Warnock support

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Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, said prominent Christian entertainer Lecrae "should never be allowed" to perform in Christian churches after he campaigned for Raphael Warnock, a pro-choice Democrat.

Kirk, author of The MAGA Doctrine, made the comments at Pastor Jack Hibbs Calvary Chapel Chino church the week of the inauguration of President Joe Biden.

Lecrae was a featured performer at a December 2020 event in Atlanta called "Get Out the Early Vote Rally & Concert," which was hosted by Democrats Warnock and Jon Ossoff before Georgia's runoff elections. While there, the artist stressed the importance of ones freedom to vote.

Both Warnock and Ossoff won a U.S. Senate seat.

Following the event, The Reach Records founder and his involvement raised eyebrows from some conservatives online because both of the politicians are pro-choice. Also weighing in, Kirk called for churches to ban Lecrae altogether.

There's an honest assessment that needs to be done ... If every church was as prayerful and alert, as involved as this church, especially in this last election, things will look a lot differently, Kirk, an avid Donald Trump supporter, said.

"Especially look at the State of Georgia where you have pastors that are coming out, and they are saying, 'We don't like the whole culture war Christianity thing. We're not going to get involved in this election' when we know the stakes. And now all of a sudden you see the stakes of what happened."

Kirk then singled out Lecrae, who often shares his social views online. Lecrae maintains that he is neither right or left-leaning but instead, his thoughts are based on being a follower of Christ.

You have the Christian rapper, Lecrae, who comes out and campaigns for Raphael Warnock, the pro-abortion advocate, Kirk commented as Pastor Hibbs sighed.

That's the guy who were listening to on K-LOVE, who we're supposed to look up to, who, in my personal opinion, should never be allowed to perform at another church after advocating for Raphael Warnock, he declared.

Trump advocate Charlie Kirk tells pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino church that rapper Lecrae "should never be allowed" to perform at a Christian church again because he campaigned for pro-choice Dem Sen. Raphael Warnock. pic.twitter.com/OTNNmWMMm2  Nicola (@namenzie) January 24, 2021

Kirk went on to argue, Lecrae, who's a Christian rapper, he wanted to be loved and accepted by the Democratic power establishment more than standing up for truth, the pro-abortion Raphael Warnock.

The Christian Post reached out to Kirk for further clarity on his claims that a Christian should be banned from church for his or her political affiliation.

"While I hold no personal animosity toward Lecraeand would be happy to discuss the issue with him privatelythe scriptures are incredibly clear that we are 'fearfully and wonderfully made' and that God 'formed us in our inmost being' and 'knit us together in our mothers womb,'" Kirk told CP.

"Senator Warnock calls himself a 'pro-choice pastor' and that makes him complicit in the genocide of nearly 400,000 black babies that are killed every year in America alone. Lecrae nevertheless decided to publicly campaign for this man and I find that morally incompatible with our Christian faith. I stand by what I said."

Lecrae did not respond to a request for comment by press time. But the artist has used his Twitter platform following the political event to address evangelical Christians.

For the record, you dont have to be what evangelicalism/religious right says you have to be to love the Lord, Lecrae tweeted on Jan. 2. Im no the leftist or Marxist they fear me being & Im not the right wing conservative they demand I be. Im a Christ follower.

Lecrae has been open about his past and has expressed deep regret for encouraging his ex-girlfriend to have an abortion.

In November 2020, he also shared a message to Christians concerning their political views and being pro-life.

What if the Christians who want to reduce the number of abortions, supported funding health care for women, dealt with the systemic racism that creates poverty for women of color, and addressed the income gap between White people and people of color, he wrote on Twitter.

Before winning his seat in the Senate, Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, spoke briefly about his stance on abortion during a debate on Dec. 6.

"I have a profound reverence for life and an abiding respect for choice, Warnock said. The question is: whose decision is it? And I happen to think that a patient's room is too small a place for a woman, her doctor and the U.S. government. I think there's too many people in the room.

"But those who are concerned about life, and I certainly am, ought to be focused on the incredibly high rates of infant mortality and maternal mortality in our country, when compared to other developed nations. That's something that government could work on. And I've been working on it my entire career."
Egypt received on Sunday the first batch of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on board of an Emirates Airline plane coming from India, Egypt's Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) said in a statement.

The batch, which consists of 50,000 doses, is part of a UPA's agreement that includes 20 million doses of the British AstraZeneca's vaccine  which is developed by India's R-pharma and Serum Institute following their deal to transfer the vaccine manufacturing technology from the British company.

This is the second covid-19 vaccine to be approved on an emergency basis in Egypt following the authorisation of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine earlier this month.

The AstraZeneca vaccine requires two doses administered 21 days apart akin to other vaccines, but without the need for ultra-cold storage, a feature that makes it easier to roll out in hot countries and remote locations.

"The Egyptian Drug Authority approved yesterday the emergency use of the Covishield vaccines, produced by the Indian Serum institute, which contracted to transfer the vaccine manufacturing technology from the British company, AstraZeneca," EDA's Spokesperson Ali Al-Ghamrawy said in a statement on Sunday.

He added that the vaccine underwent the necessary evaluation processes in the departments and laboratories of the Drug Authority as per the global and local rules to ensure the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine.

The EDA is currently studying and evaluating other vaccines, the statement added.

Egypt has vaccinated hundreds of medical staffers nationwide as a first step in the country's vaccination campaign, which kicked off last Sunday.

Egypt has received a 50,000-dose batch from Sinopharm vaccines in December.

The country's vaccination priority list starts with the frontline healthcare workers at the isolation, fever, chest and screening hospitals, followed by kidney failure and cancer patients, then the elderly.

Short link:



Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has recently indicated the government is considering introducing more flexibility to the nations retirement saving system . (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Treasurer Avoids Making New Job Prediction

Josh Frydenberg says the Australian labour market has outperformed expectations but he has declined to make a new prediction on the outlook for unemployment until the May budget.

But he remains adamant the JobKeeper wage subsidy will end in March as planned, even though he concedes some regions in Australia are still doing it tough.

There is a lot of uncertainty out there both domestically and globally and the job is far from done, the treasurer told the ABCs Insiders program on January 31.

He said 90 percent of Australians who lost their job last year are now back at work, which has seen the jobless rate fall to 6.6 percent.

The labour market has outperformed expectations, Frydenberg said.

Even so, he was reluctant to rule out the jobless rate reaching 7.5 percent in the March quarter as predicted in the mid-year budget review that was released in December.

Lets wait and see, he said.

However, he was more definite that government debt would still reach $1 trillion.

Yes. That is the trajectory were on because obviously we have made significant spending commitments, the treasurer said.

He also reiterated JobKeepers days are numbered.

Based on what we know today, there should be no expectation that JobKeeper will extend beyond the end of March. It was always a temporary program, he said.

There have been calls from the tourism industry and the Queensland government to extend the JobKeeper program for a sector that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the absence of international travellers.

Frydenberg said the government has already put in place targeted programs for travel agents and airlines.

He said Treasury is analysing tourism industry data and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan is talking to industry leaders to consider what future targeted assistance may be required.

But the key for the tourism sector in Australia is going to be consistency and clarity around border closures, the treasurer said.

The government is entering into a $5 million, week-long tourism advertising blitz in an attempt to drive Australians to book domestic holidays to give the industry a much needed boost.

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said the treasurer has shown a stupendous lack of understanding of the impact international border closures have had on workers and small business in places like Cairns.

The treasurer should stop leaving these workers and small businesses in the dark, he should stop leaving them hanging, he should stop leaving them in the lurch, Chalmers, a Queensland MP, told reporters.

You dont need to be Nostradamus to predict the impact of withdrawing support from the economy too soon.

Frydenberg would also not commit to increasing the JobSeeker payment when the coronavirus supplement ends in March.

There are concerns this means the dole will return to $40 a day as it was under its old name of Newstart.

Frydenberg said the government will make decisions on this prior to the supplement ending in March.

Colin Brinsden in Canberra
FRACKVILLE  Scott E. Taylor, criminal captain of the Schuylkill County Sheriffs Office, announced he plans to seek the magisterial district judge seat for District Court 21-2-1 in Frackville.

Serving as an officer of the Court of Common Pleas in Schuylkill County for over 22 years, I feel it would be a natural progression for me to serve as magisterial district judge, a position where I could use my court experience and understanding of the law to render fair and impartial decisions to those who come before me, Taylor said. I believe in due process, that people appearing before the court should be treated fairly.

But I also recognize the importance of maintaining law and order.

Taylor, of Frackville, believes that he has the qualifications and fair-mindedness to serve.

Taylor served on the U. S. Department of Homeland Securitys Counterterrorism Task Force and was co-chair to the Law Enforcement Sub-Committee. He also serves on the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Drug Task Force and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Gang Task Force, among others.

A lifelong county resident, he has been a national certified firefighter in the volunteer fire service for 30 years; he is a member of Friendship Fire Company, Englewood.

He also has served for 16 years as a Schuylkill County commissioners-appointed member of the local Emergency Planning Committee and a member of the Keystone Incident Management Team with operation section chief skills.

Taylor is a member of the National Rifle Association and an NRA firearms instructor; a member of the Frackville Elks; Pulaski Masonic Lodge 216; Fraternal Order of Police, Black Diamond Lodge 80; and the Pennsylvania Narcotics Officers Association.

He is a graduate of Pottsville Area High School and attended the Sheriffs Academy at Penn States Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle.

Taylor and his wife, Taryn, have two daughters, Johannah and Amelia.

Taylor said he plans to cross-file on the Republican and Democratic ballots for the May 18 primary.

The magisterial district includes Frackville, Ashland, Gilberton, Girardville and Gordon boroughs; Butler, North Union, Union and Ryan townships; and the Altamont district of West Mahanoy Township.
The United Nations on Friday urged the member states to repatriate over 27,000 Syrian children currently stranded at a camp in the northwestern part of the country. UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov said that the children, who are living at the Al Hol camp, are in dire need of help as they face various risks, including radicalization. The children are sons and daughters of Islamic State militants, who have either been killed or are in jail.

Read: Syria Group Files For Probe Of Greece Migrant Abuse

Voronkov, while speaking at an informal UN Security Council meeting, urged countries to repatriate those children as quickly as possible. Voronkov called it one of the most "pressing" issues in the world right now. According to the United Nations, the Al Hol camp in Syria house more than 62,000 people, mostly women and children, who were displaced after the Islamic State was defeated in 2019. Voronkov said that it is the responsibility of member states to get those children out of Syria. He said that children of 60 different nationalities currently reside in the camp, which is being guarded by the Kurdish forces.

Read: Syria Rights Group Files Case Against Greece In ICC Demanding Probe Of Migrant Abuse

Voronkov said that Russia and Kazakhstan have together repatriated more than 1,000 children and their families. Most countries don't want to take back family members of ISIS fighters who went to fight in Syria from all over the world because of the security risks they pose. However, Voronkov said that so far no security risk has been detected among people repatriated from Syria.

Read: After Fresh Israeli Attack, US Military Convoy Enters Syria's Province Of Hasakah

Conflict in Syria

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) controlled huge landmasses across Syria and Iraq, almost as large as the United Kingdom. However, after the intervention of foreign forces and the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the terrorist group lost all its strongholds, and children of militants, who were killed or captured, were left by themselves. Those children then fled to the Al Hol and other camps in the northeast.

The war in Syria is currently being fought between forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and several rebel Sunni groups. Assad's Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is being backed by international allies, including Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the United States, which had deployed its Army in the region to fight the Islamic State, has on several occasions carried out airstrikes against pro-Syrian government forces. Some other countries that are said to have been involved are Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel.

Read: US Govt Extends Protected Status Of Nearly 7,000 Syrians In Country By 18 Months

(Image Credit: AP)



African Americans who participated in an Alabama effort to increase access to genetic health screenings had higher rates of false positives for markers related to cancer and heart disease, according to researchers.

Genetic testing has become increasingly widespread, with direct-to-consumer companies like 23andMe offering DNA reports about ancestry and health traits. Black participants are more likely to get inaccurate results that may lead to anxiety and invasive screenings for cancer, said Dr. Greg Barsh, faculty investigator at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville.

The accuracy of the technology that were using to identify genomic risk factors varies according to ancestry, Barsh said. In particular, individuals with some African ancestry, theres a higher risk of false positives. DNA that is of African origin needs to be thought about and treated a little bit differently than DNA of European origin.

The Alabama Genomic Health Initiative, a partnership between the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the HudsonAlpha Institute, launched five years ago with state support to recruit people for free genetic health screenings.

More than 6,000 Alabamians have had their DNA tested for variants that can increase risks for cancer and heart disease, said Dr. Bruce Korf, chief genomic officer for UAB. Researchers discovered that raw genetic data often showed false positives for Black participants.

Researchers with the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative discovered the differences during its validation process. The program double-checks all positive results before providing results to people in the program. Validation revealed false positives more often in Black participants.

Alabama was the first state in the country to launch a project to bring genomic medicine to the masses when the initiative launched in 2016. Tests of more than 6,000 residents found that about 1.5 percent had a genetic variation that increased risks for cancer or heart disease, Korf said. One of the goals was to identify people with health risks that could be reduced with proper medical care.

Are we succeeding in preventing disease among the participants? Kork said. Its too soon to judge that, but that is our goal.

The Alabama Genomic Health Initiative uses genetic counselors to help communicate information about disease risk. Kelly East, a genetic counselor at HudsonAlpha, said a false positive could cause a person to undergo invasive screenings or even unnecessary surgery to prevent disease.

You dont want those kinds of things happening based on a false positive, East said.

Researchers have learned several things to improve the use of genomics in medicine. In addition to the higher rate of false positives, they discovered that almost every participant has at least one genetic variant that could affect how they process prescription medication, Korf said.

We have not returned pharmacogenetic information direct to participants at this point because we did not them to change their medication on their own, Korf said.

Those results have pushed the initiative in a new direction. Results can be shared not just with participants, but also with their doctors, who can use genetic information to help make decisions about prescription drugs. That could help speed the integration of genomic medicine and primary care.

Its not so crazy to envision that in the not-so-distant future, I would say less than 10 years, maybe less than 5, everybody will get a genome sequence at birth, Barsh said. They will control that information. They will be able to use that information in any way they see fit. And their family doc or pediatrician or internist or OBGYN will be able to say, oh yeah, lets check and see if you have any risk factors or if this drug is good or bad for you. Thats where we hope were going to go.

Certain patients with a family history of disease or those with money for home genetic tests may already have access to genomic information. The long-term goal of the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative is to increase access to that information across the state. They have participants in all of Alabamas 67 counties.

It was a big celebratory moment as we hit all counties participating, East said.

The pandemic put the program on pause, but Korf said they expect to resume recruitment after COVID cases decline. In the next phase, they hope to work more closely with doctors and other providers to show how genetic information can improve care. They hope to do that across the state, not just in the cities.

The big picture goal is to make sure that genomic medicine is able to be delivered to diverse populations who otherwise might be left behind as these technological advances move forward, Korf said. So were trying very hard to be inclusive and to make sure that this is really going to serve the entire population.
New Delhi:

In order to organise a movement against the governments decision to privatise the debt-ridden Air India, its largest employees union is going to hold a general body meeting in New Delhi this week.



The Air Corporations Employees Union (ACEU) is also planning to meet a group of ministers to be set up by the government to look into the disinvestment of its stake in the airline.



The ACEU is a grouping of Air Indias non-technical staff and comprises nearly 8,000 of the total 21,137 employees. The meeting will be held to enlighten the rank and file about the privatisation of Air India and how it will affect them. This will also be a forum to organise them as we plan a movement against the privatisation of the national carrier, said a member of the ACEU.

ALSO READ: Mamata criticises govts decision to privatise national carrier Air India



The move is clearly aimed at benefiting private airlines. If the government is so concerned about the taxpayers money, then why does it not recover Rs 7.5 lakh crore borrowed by corporates from public sector banks? the member asked.



Seven unions of Air India have already joined hands to oppose the privatisation of the financially bleeding airline. Their representatives met last month and wrote to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapthi Raju, warning him of an industrial unrest.



The letter was written jointly by the AI Air Corporate Employees Union, AI Employees Union, AI Aircraft Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, AI Engineers Association, AI Cabin Crew Association and AI Service Engineers Association.



These unions will also hold talks with the two pilots unionsIndian Commercial Pilots Association and Indian Pilots Guildand Indian Aircraft Technicians Association to bring them on board.



They have called NITI Aayogs report on Air India arbitrary and unilateral and said it was prepared without consulting the employees, who are the largest stakeholders.

ALSO READ: Air India cautions its employees from speaking against airline on social media

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Dr Gabor Mate is the kind of psychiatrist you sense can see into a person's soul. Make a throwaway comment and he leans forward in his big, brown leather chair in the book-lined study of his Vancouver home and asks: "Why do you think that is?" or, "Do you notice what you did with your body language when you said that?"

His voice is soft and compassionate. His messy curls and piercing eyes give him the appearance of a modern-day wizard. And, for those seeking an answer to their psychological pain, perhaps he is.

Born in Budapest in 1944, at a time when over half-a-million Hungarian Jews were slaughtered in the Holocaust (both Mate's maternal grandparents died at Auschwitz), his family emigrated to Canada where he became a physician. He is now an internationally revered thinker in the psychology of addiction and trauma and has written several bestsellers including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction.

But today he wants to talk about trauma and Ireland's response to the pandemic. Describing Ireland as a nation with "a tremendously traumatised history", he believes that our past has "created a very difficult template" when facing the biggest crisis of our lives. He warns that "the pandemic will be a major challenge for many" given our roots in famine, colonisation, oppression and church abuse, "not to mention the response to that for a lot of people, which has been to escape into drink".

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The good news is that he believes it doesn't have to be a traumatic experience. Whether we emerge more fearful and isolated or stronger and flexible, depends on the individual, their environment and their support network.

"We have to be very careful about how we use the word 'trauma'," he says. "The fact that you experience fear and pain right now, that's not trauma, that's just fear and pain. Trauma is the long-term negative impact of an experience. It is not what happens to us, it is what happens inside of us as a result of what happens to us. So two people can experience the same situation and come out of it very differently."

He notes that 'trauma' comes from the Greek word for 'wound': "When you think of a wound, it is raw and open. When you touch it, there is pain. The other thing that happens with trauma, as with a wound, is that you eventually develop scar tissue. It covers over the wound and it will protect you from pain but it will then become hard and inflexible and incapable of growth."

So when people are traumatised, "they don't feel their real pain any more. They kind of shut down and separate from themselves and their feelings". He says you will know if you have been left traumatised by the pandemic if you have now "become more suspicious of people" and you "see the world as more dangerous".

On why some will emerge stronger while others will withdraw, he offers: "That is the million-dollar question. It depends first of all on what you are carrying from your childhood. The more sensitive you are, depending on your temperament, the more you will be affected by whatever happens."

Does he have any concrete tips on how to deal with the stress of the pandemic? Experts constantly champion routine, exercise, eating healthily and keeping in touch with loved ones, which is good advice but difficult to practise 10 months into lockdown.

"I can give advice but it is a question of who hears it," he says. "Some will be too despondent and to those I would say this: it's not Covid that is making you despondent, it's simply your response to it. And that's not your fault. It's not that you are weak or stupid or incapable. It's because there is something in you that has been in you before Covid that makes you despondent, and that has to do with your childhood.

"There is something in the present situation that is triggering a mind state that was in you a long time before. It's now a question of not believing your mind state and also being curious about the source of it."

Which brings us to Mate's approach to difficult emotions and everyday problems. He believes you can reframe your thinking by practising 'compassionate inquiry' on a daily basis - a psychotherapeutic approach he has developed.

"There are a number of basic principles," he explains. "The first is that everything happens for a reason. I don't mean that in some kind of 'new age' way. I mean there is a reason you are feeling the way you are feeling. You are not crazy. Something happened a long time before this to make you feel this way and whatever is happening now is just reinforcing those feelings. So don't judge yourself. Because it's not your fault. That's the compassionate part to the inquiry.

"The inquiry part is about saying: 'OK what happened?' And asking yourself, 'Is what I am feeling now a totally new emotion? Or is it actually a familiar feeling? And if so, how far does it go back? And what happened the very first time I felt this emotion?' But it's very difficult to do this on our own because we tend to be very harsh on ourselves."

As a result, he often teaches compassionate inquiry in front of a large group of people. The method approaches every difficult experience as an opportunity to grow.

"Throughout my medical career, I have seen that the people who respond to their conditions as something to heal and learn from, tend to do a whole lot better."

Mate believes the more we practise compassionate inquiry, the more we can identify our core fears and coping mechanisms - and in time we will be able to identify them and they won't hold the same power over how we feel and respond to challenges.
As India's active caseload dropped to 1.68 lakh, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that the country was able to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic much better than other countries because of its 'whole of government' and 'whole of society' approach.

Addressing the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) Wales at their annual conference vial video link on Saturday night, he highlighted that India's coronavirus recovery rate was 97% while its 1.44% fatality rate was the lowest in the world.

"Covid-19 pandemic broke out in December 2019 and spread around the world. With the 'whole of government' and 'whole of society' approach, we were able to fight the pandemic much better than other countries," the Union Health Minister was quoted as saying by the Health Ministry.

India reported 13,052 new Covid-19 cases, 13,965 discharges and 127 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry on Sunday.

With this, the total cases in the country have mounted to 1,07,46,183 including 1,68,784 active cases and 1,04,23,125 total recoveries.

However, the total death toll by the killer virus escalated to 1,54,274, including the new deaths.

India was the first country to respond within an hour when WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Planning started on January 8 and guidelines were drafted by 17th. Massive surveillance started on the same day with meticulous contact tracing unparalleled in the world, he claimed.

"India was also one of the first countries to isolate the virus. With a focus on health infrastructure, we increased laboratory facilities to 2,362 now from the sole lab at NIV, made provisions for more than 19 lakh beds at more than 15,000 facilities. As many as 12,000 quarantine centres were also built for easy isolation.

"The country took the bold decision to become Aatmanirbar (self-reliant) by ramping up PPE manufacturing to 5 lakh kits daily. We also created bio-repositories while genome sequencing started six months ago," the Union health minister said.

On 22 March 2020, people paid heed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a 'Janata Curfew' to protect the entire society, their family and the entire society from the virus, Vardhan stated.

"This 'whole of society' approach has made a crucial difference and led to the highest recovery rate in the world," he said.

Emphasising how each and every component of the government acted in sync to control the pandemic, Vardhan noted, "With all the efforts, it was important to teach Covid-appropriate behaviour, for which our PM personally addressed nation eight to nine times."

"Caller tune was set to inform Covid-appropriate behaviour; the AarogyaSetu app gave warning of nearby affected people; around 160 million people downloaded it."

Vardhan expressed his deep gratitude to the scientific community for their contribution in developing and testing a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.

"All our scientist rose to the occasion and engaged tirelessly in developing vaccine. A digital platform Co-WIN was developed to support the vaccination activity with real-time information ensuring that the vaccine is given to the right people at the right time.

"Among the many vaccines under various phases of development in the country, two were granted emergency use authorization in January 2021," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

India being one of the largest global suppliers of vaccines -- producing nearly 60% of the world's vaccines -- successfully ramped up production to cover its healthcare workers and simultaneously export the vaccine globally, Vardhan said, adding the country will soon start vaccinating the frontline workers as well.

With agency inputs

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San Antonio, Texas - In San Antonio Monday, 22-year-old Cost resident Jaylyn Christopher Molina, aka Abdur Rahim, admitted to conspiring to provide material support to the designated foreign terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria (ISIS), announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Gregg N. Sofer and FBI Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division Christopher Combs.

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer, Molina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and one count of receiving child pornography. By pleading guilty, Molina admitted that since May 2019, he conspired with 34-year-old South Carolina resident Kristopher Sean Matthews, aka Ali Jibreel, and others to provide services to ISIS by administering an encrypted, members-only chat group for persons who supported ISIS ideology; by collecting, generating and disseminating pro-ISIS propaganda; by attempting to recruit individuals to join ISIS; and by disseminating bomb-making instructions.

Molina also pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. On Sept. 18, 2020, federal authorities executing a search warrant at the defendants residence seized his cell phone, which contained 18 images depicting child pornography.

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.

On Nov. 24, 2020, Matthews 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. Sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CST on March 4, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia in San Antonio.

The San Antonio FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with valuable assistance from the San Antonio Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and the Gonzalez County Sheriffs Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg, William R. Harris, Eric Fuchs and Tracy Thompson and Justice Department Trial Attorneys George C. Kraehe and Felice J. Viti of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.


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Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu recently celebrated their wedding anniversary. The couple is simply adorable and so is their little daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu. Soha and Kunal are pretty active on social media and keep giving glimpses to their fans about whats happening in their life. The couple makes sure their fans even get a sneak peek into their time with Inaaya. Soha got candid about how Kunal is at home and around Inaaya. She revealed that he is an amazing cook while she cant cook much.







She said, Im lucky. Kunal cooks all the time. He enjoys eating too. He cooks Rogan josh, Hyderabadi eggs, Japanese souffle He keeps introducing Inaaya to new and healthy food. Like he made Japanese omelette without masala. So also, the light pulav. Sweet, isnt it?





Hong Kong: Airport runway site cluster grows

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 53 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 44 are locally transmitted, including four more cases from the construction site at Hong Kong International Airports third runway.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said among the local cases, 17 have unknown sources of infection.

She noted that the airports Three-runway System construction site cluster has recorded a total of 15 cases, including 13 workers and two of their family members.

Additionally, two buildings in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai have been included in the compulsory testing notice.

Seven buildings in the specific areas will also be included in the notice.

Among the nine imported cases, six arrived from Indonesia, while the remaining three are from the Philippines and Russia.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The world's most rapidly aging society has long struggled to talk to its youth. That's a disconnect that's turning deadly in the pandemic.

The difficulty in persuading young adults to upend their lifestyles to prevent covid-19's spread has challenged countries across the globe. Yet nowhere are the stakes higher than in Japan, where nearly a third of residents are over the age of 65, and the virus response depends on voluntary cooperation.

The nation has so far relied on people changing their behavior in its largely successful fight against the virus, as authorities lack the legal ability to enforce lockdowns. But while calling for cooperation worked in the early days of fighting an unknown pathogen, like their global peers younger Japanese are increasingly hit with virus fatigue. That's left officials struggling to persuade a demographic that's least likely to be struck by a harsh bout of Covid, but most likely to pass the virus on.

Government officials and health experts have been exasperated at their inability to communicate with younger people -- and sometimes expressed incredulity at the fact that they don't read newspapers or watch TV, the methods typically used by the government in Japan to reach wide audiences.

Younger people are "one of the key factors in controlling the virus spread," said Hitoshi Oshitani, a professor of virology at Tohoku University and a member of the expert panel advising the government, "but these are the most difficult people to send a public health message to."

Authorities have tried various approaches to get the youth on board, as winter tests Japan's less restrictive strategy and cases spike. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has appealed to their emotions, pleading with them to think about the lives of their grandparents. Japan's virus czar Yasutoshi Nishimura invoked self-interest, raising the specter of a tougher job-hunting environment should the pandemic drag on and continue to impact the economy.

Other attempts have fallen flat. In August, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike released a video with popular YouTuber Fuwa-chan, where the two discussed lifestyle changes to help combat the virus. The video garnered around 370,000 views. A separate behind-the-scenes episode, where Fuwa-chan told jokes as she applied makeup and fretted about how to act with the governor, but said little about the virus, got over a million.

Suga himself, who is struggling with collapsing approval ratings during the latest virus surge, sought advice last week on how to use social media to better communicate his policies, according to a report.

In interviews with Bloomberg News, multiple students and young professionals say the government's communication has failed to be empathetic to their situation and is unconvincing.

"During the prime minister's press conferences, there's no words of comfort or gratitude for the young -- instead he just says the youth are infecting the elderly and need to stop. It's not right," said Koki Ozora, a 22-year-old college student who runs a mental health hotline for young people. He criticized politicians' habit of holding dinners even as virus cases spread, and called for authorities to show more sympathy with young people.

"People in government tend to be more conventional and like to rely on methods that's been used before," said Makoto Shimoaraiso, a member of the coronavirus strategy office at the Cabinet Secretariat. "This is something I think many countries are struggling with."

In Canada, Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds recorded a message in August telling young people to act more responsibly. A German commercial that hailed a young couple being couch potatoes as heroes went viral in November. Yet these measures also appeared to have limited impact amid spiking virus cases.

About a fifth of the more than 300,000 confirmed infections in Japan are among people in their 20s - the largest proportion of any age group. Because they are younger and more mobile, that age demographic is also the most likely to pass on the virus and be part of super-spreader events.

While Japan's youth are interested in social issues such as climate change and gender equality, most youth don't see politics as a way to bring about change, said Kazuma Ito, the 22-year-old founder of PoliPoli, a website that helps communicate concerns among younger generations to politicians.

"It's very difficult for young people to have a voice in politics," he said.

One way to appeal to youth on covid-19 is by placing the wellbeing of their social group on their shoulders, said Dominique Brossard, a professor specializing in science communication at University of Wisconsin at Madison.

She pointed to the decades-old "Friends don't let friends drink and drive" slogan in the U.S. as one successful campaign that helped lower incidence of youth drunk-driving. Simply relaying information about the virus may have limited effectiveness with the younger generation, who are accustomed to being bombarded with a constant stream of content.

The pandemic has also robbed young people of economic opportunities as jobs disappear. Many of Japan's most coveted jobs at big companies start with being hired right out of college, but the jobs-per-applicant ratio for those openings was at a six-year low in 2020 -- with 122,000 fewer spots anticipated compared to the year earlier.

"Even if the young make a big effort to stay home, there's little benefit we can receive in the future," said 19-year-old college student Lily Yoshida.

- - -

Bloomberg's Lisa Du contributed to this report.
The Mercedes-Benz Vans plant in North Charleston might want to dust off an old advertising campaign that touts its Sprinter vans as being "Made in the USA."

Starting at some point in February, that statement will be 100 percent accurate.

Mercedes-Benz Vans opened its full production campus in September 2018. But while the North Charleston site started building Sprinters from the wheels up, it also continued to reassemble vans imported in parts from Germany.

The practice of shipping so-called knocked-down Sprinters from Europe started in 2006 as a way to avoid steep import duties on finished vehicles. Even as the U.S. market grew large enough to justify a full-fledged manufacturing site, the North Charleston factory continued to reassemble some German-made Sprinters alongside the local assembly line.

That hybrid manufacturing process will end next month, when Sprinters built at the Palmetto Commerce Park site will be entirely homegrown.

And that could open the door to reviving a series of ads that, when they were first released, created a stir among consumer advocates.

The 2018 campaign was designed to make consumers aware of the just-opened Mercedes-Benz Vans site in North Charleston, with the tagline "Built in the USA." Trouble was, most of the Sprinters built in North Charleston at the time were still knocked-down versions from Germany. A group called Truth in Advertising complained to the Federal Trade Commission that the ads were "deceptive" and Mercedes-Benz Vans pulled the campaign.

At some point in the next month, the last knocked-down Sprinter will be rebuilt in North Charleston. And then all succeeding Sprinters will be, as the ad campaign promised, made in the USA.

U.S. demand for Sprinters has never been greater, with online retailers like Amazon and delivery firms like FedEx preferring the vehicle for last-mile deliveries. A record 41,930 Sprinters were sold in the U.S. in 2020  a 31.6 percent increase over the previous years total. Earlier this month, the nation's first Sprinter dealership  a Baker Motor Co. development  held a soft opening for a business that will sell the vans to business owners such as plumbers and florists from a lot in Summerville.

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Another big announcement could be coming from the Mercedes-Benz Vans site later this year. The company's German parent has said it plans to produce an electrified e-Sprinter for the U.S. market, but it hasn't yet said where that vehicle will be built. With the North Charleston plant in full production  running three shifts totaling 1,600 employees  and a distribution network in place, including nearly half a dozen upfitters in the area, the Palmetto Commerce Park plant appears to be a front-runner for the new U.S. vehicle.

Bottoms up

An alcoholic-beverage maker is planning a large-scale manufacturing and distribution site in Chester County, but economic development officials haven't uncorked many of the details.

A public notice filed last week with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows a roughly 630-acre project that would be developed in phases to include three bottling halls, a canning plant, a warehouse and distribution center complete with on-site, dual rail access, and blending and ingredient buildings for concocting wine and spirits.

The property is located in Fort Lawn  population 864  near the intersection of S.C. Highway 9 and U.S. Highway 21.

The development is going by codename "Project Magma," but previously was known as "Project 2038." It's been discussed behind closed doors by Chester County Council, but the identity of the adult-beverage maker hasn't been divulged publicly.

The S.C. Commerce Department filed the Army Corps permit application on behalf of the developer because the project will require filling 1.23 acres of freshwater wetlands and 8,018 linear feet of tributaries that flow into the Catawba River. The developer has proposed mitigating that impact by purchasing at least 13.1 credits in a freshwater wetlands bank and 58,747 stream credits at a nearby site within the same watershed.

The public notice states the project is near major interstate highways and "sufficiently close to the Port of Charleston," suggesting the wine and spirits maker may export its potent potables for consumption in other countries.
WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi first saw the emotional wounds moments after she returned to the U.S. Capitol the evening of Jan. 6.

"The trauma that I saw in their eyes," Pelosi said, pausing three seconds as she recalled the faces of her closest aides. "It was just overwhelming, just overwhelming. You know, our staffs are largely young. They come here with the sense of idealism and just love that they're working in the Capitol."

In addition to leading the impeachment of a former president and the inauguration of a new one, Pelosi, D-Calif., has also played a unique role these past few weeks: emotional shepherd to a flock of traumatized lawmakers, staff and police still reeling from the aftermath of rioters storming the Capitol in a bid to overturn the 2020 election.

Some of her staff members locked themselves in a windowless conference room, blocking the door with office furniture and hiding under a table for 21/2 hours as rioters tried to break down the door.

Lawmakers inside the House chamber donned gas masks and crawled across the floor, then ran to secure locations under the armed protection of U.S. Capitol Police.

Since then, the speaker's office has served a leading role in providing the congressional community access to post-traumatic counseling. It convened online sessions for lawmakers and aides less than a week after the riot. On Jan. 21, lawmakers were invited to an in-person session inside a vast auditorium.

Pelosi followed up a few days ago with a letter to lawmakers encouraging them to take advantage of more counseling sessions. And, in an interview with The Washington Post, she talked about attending the meetings with lawmakers, and how she emotionally processed the attempted insurrection.

"I sat through it myself," she said, explaining how the Office of the Attending Physician and Office of Employee Assistance run the sessions. "It was interesting." Pelosi said she was especially "impressed by the section about resilience."

Pelosi is not interested in forgiving "those thugs, those terrorists" who trashed the Capitol, taking a bit more of an Old Testament view of healing through justice.

"I was thinking, the human person is built for survival," she said of the counseling session. "You know, we just are. But how do we come back? Not to ignore the seriousness of the situation, but to recognize that, to heal, you have to have some justice. You just really have to have justice. You cannot heal without it."

These sessions have been pulled together in the post-riot fog of trauma, and many people may not be aware of them. The critical thing Pelosi wants the Capitol Hill crowd to know is how common the struggles are, and that everyone can benefit from talking to a professional about their experience.

Pelosi admits that her reflexive posture is to eliminate emotion from events, so she can determine the right congressional response. That's what she did when a Capitol Police security detail ushered her off the House dais to a secure, off-site location, where she monitored the situation and, in bipartisan fashion with other congressional leaders, charted the path to getting the House and Senate back into session as a show of democratic force.

"I have a responsibility to be, as I say, passionate about what's happening, but dispassionate about how to deal with it," Pelosi said. "So I almost have to remove myself immediately from the emotion of it all."

But Jan. 6 was different from a budget standoff with an administration or even last year's impeachment showdown with President Donald Trump over his effort to force Ukrainian officials to investigate the Biden family.

The lawmakers are still rattled, because they personally experienced the events in question.

So Pelosi has asked them to write an essay about their experience that day, partly as a therapeutic recollection of what they went through.

"Be your own historian, be part of writing the history of this, because there's nobody who can be a better validator of what happened in your experience than you," Pelosi said.

Republicans are furious that, without any hearings or testimony, Pelosi pushed Trump's impeachment through the House one week after the insurrection. They have accused her of further dividing a nation that needs healing.

But she blames Republicans for standing by Trump in the hours after the attack, as about two-thirds of House Republicans opposed the certification of Biden as the victor in November's election - effectively taking the side of the rioters.

She contrasted those divisive actions with the broad, bipartisan outpouring that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which ended that night with a bipartisan singing of "God Bless America" on the steps of the Capitol.

"At least in 9/11, it was unifying, and there was no question that everyone was sympathetic to those who lost their loved ones, their families and the rest, and that we would get to the bottom of it," Pelosi said.

She went through the images of that day, the mob using a door to crush a D.C. police officer. She thought of the Capitol Police officer who died as a result of injuries sustained during the riot.

"To just say, 'Well, what's the big deal? Let's just turn the page.' Turn the page? No, I don't think so," Pelosi said, reiterating that healing comes through justice.

Her impeachment effort will probably end without the conviction of Trump, because 45 Senate Republicans have already signaled their doubt in the case.

But the role of trauma shepherd will continue for months ahead, she knows, and she wants to hear everyone's story.

Near the end of our interview, Pelosi asked me: Were you in the Capitol that day?

She listened to my terrifying tale: of being just above the stairwell where a heroic Capitol Police officer held off a mob, buying us time to get inside the Senate chamber as officers locked the doors, and of eventually evacuating with the Senate to a secure location, with armed police protection.

"You also experienced firsthand the trauma of it all," she said. "The uncertainty: How is this going to proceed or end?"

Pelosi has given her colleagues one other instruction, beyond writing their firsthand account. She wants them, a month or two from now, to write another personal essay, telling the story again through a more distant lens, about how they felt in the interim and how it helped their recovery.

"When I say recovery, recovery from it," she said. "Because this is, this is so historic. There's nothing - there is nothing, nothing like it."
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Fewer African-Americans who work in hospitals are accepting the Covid-19 vaccine when compared with other races and ethnicities, according to breakdowns released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo today.

Blacks represent 17% of all hospital workers across the state, he said. And all hospital workers have been offered the coronavirus vaccine to date, the governor said.

Yet only 10% of the vaccinated hospital workers are Black, he said.

I think its the clearest demonstration of hesitancy, he said, which I understand but its something you have to overcome.

Cuomo says he believes the analysis of hospital workers -- the first racial breakdowns among vaccine recipients the state has released -- gives a clue about how likely others will be to take the vaccination. These workers, he said, didnt have to worry about making an appointment or calling a hotline.

These are people who are in their workplace, were offered the vaccine and said no, he said.

Yet that analysis doesnt factor in access to the vaccine. Now, most vaccine appointments are accessible through online forms. Those without internet service or computer skills are finding it harder to get appointments.

Accessibility to those appointments might also affect who has received the vaccine when looking at others now eligible, such as seniors, firefighters or grocery store workers.

Still, the hospital breakdowns are supported by recent polling. A poll by Siena College in mid-January found about 1 in 4 New Yorkers said they did not plan to get the vaccine.

Among whites, 72% said they would get the vaccine while 24% said they wouldnt. Among Blacks, just 58% said they would while 36% said they did not plan to be vaccinated, the poll found.

To counter those views, Cuomo said, the state is also launching an ad campaign to encourage vaccinations, especially among African-Americans.

That comes as the governor has been working with the NAACP, the Urban League and local ministers throughout the state to encourage people of color to accept the vaccine.

Latinos, Hispanic and Asian hospital workers are more accepting of the vaccine, the data show.

There are nearly twice as many Black hospital workers in New York as Latino or Hispanic workers, according to the data released today by Cuomo. Yet Latinos make up about 10% of the hospital workers who got the vaccine -- the same overall share as Blacks.

Asians, too, were more likely to accept the vaccine, the hospital data shows.

Here are the breakdowns of hospital workers:

Whites are 70% of hospital workers and make up 63% of those who took the vaccine

African-Americans are 17% of hospital workers and make up 10% of those who took the vaccine

Latinos and Hispanics are 8% of hospital workers and make up 10% of those who took the vaccine

Asians are 11% of hospital workers and make up 16% of those who took the vaccine

About 12% of the hospital workers declined to disclose their race or ethnicity, Cuomo said.

Cuomo said the state will release more demographic data about who is getting vaccinated later this week. About 1.7 million people in New York have gotten at least one dose of vaccine.

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said last week the county would also release vaccine breakdowns in coming days.

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share with a Syracuse-area reporter? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
Balaghat : , Jan 31 (IANS) Nearly a dozen Maoists set three vehicles on fire in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh which were involved in construction work on a road as 10 to 12 Maoists were reportedly involved in the incident on Sunday.

According to official information, road construction work is on between Devbareilly-Malkua in Lanji police station area and this work is being undertaken by a Raipur contractor. On Sunday morning, the Maoists set ablaze a truck and two tractors as well as threatened an employee of the company.

Balaghat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Tiwari told the media that the Maoists are suspected to be involved in the incident and the police are carrying out search operations to nab them.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 11:15:29|Editor: huaxia

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Containers of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited are seen at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County, the United States, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

As a new administration has taken office in Washington, U.S. experts, in their recent conversations with Xinhua, have been calling for seizing the opportunity to bring bilateral ties back on track.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- In areas ranging from trade and investment to people-to-people exchanges, the China-U.S. relationship is at a low point rarely seen since the two countries established their diplomatic ties.

Over the past few years, this most important bilateral relationship in the world has deviated from course due to disruptions by irresponsible policies, a Cold War mentality, and ideological biases triggered by a handful of U.S. politicians.

As a new administration has taken office in Washington, U.S. experts, in their recent conversations with Xinhua, have been calling for seizing the opportunity to bring bilateral ties back on track.





A FAILED POLICY

Some U.S. foreign affairs pundits said that the previous administration failed to develop a coherent strategy on China and did not solve any problems in the bilateral relationship.

"It's a very long story, there's a very open question about whether the approach of Donald Trump to China was even really a strategy," said Daniel Russel, vice president for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Russel, who served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Barack Obama administration, told Xinhua that the Trump administration's biggest failure was that they never worked to solve any problems in the U.S.-China relationship.

"The tariffs that Donald Trump put in place ... ultimately were paid by American consumers and retailers, and because he needed to give big subsidies to U.S. farmers, then that also came out of the pocket of the American taxpayers," he said.

"Donald Trump allowed his very aggressive and hawkish advisers to say things and to take actions that didn't perhaps reflect what he believed or what he was trying to accomplish other than to get reelected," he said.

Some Trump administration officials touted so-called "principled realism" in guiding its China policy, a notion that scholars disagreed with.

"The lack of principles ... in terms of being able to come up with a strategic integrated foreign policy is exactly what has been missing," said Arne Westad, Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University.

Westad also mentioned that the China report issued by the U.S. State Department Policy Planning Staff last November suggested the U.S. approach was not realistic. "The longer this administration has served in office, the more ideological it has become," he said.

Visitors try interactive devices at the booth of Boeing Company during the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

A WRONG ANALOGY

Over the past years, the tensions between China and the United States prompted many observers to draw parallels with the Cold War, as the terms of "A New Cold War" and "Cold War 2.0" often appeared in headlines and policy debates.

Some U.S. lawmakers and former officials, either overtly or covertly, embraced the Cold War notion in their remarks and articles. Leading Cold War historians, however, stressed that the Cold War analogy conspicuously misinterprets China-U.S. relations.

Melvyn Leffler, Edward Stettinius Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Virginia, told Xinhua that the Cold War analogy grossly exaggerates the nature of the threat that lurks in the international environment.

The renowned historian on U.S. foreign policy said that the geopolitical and ideological contexts in the late 1940s were totally different from the current situation.

"I do not think that the two countries are involved in a zero-sum contest, and I do not think that China wants to overthrow the established international economic order, as did the Soviet Union," said Leffler.

"Moreover, given the nature of Chinese-American economic interdependence, both countries have much to gain from cooperation," he said. "Such economic ties did not exist at all during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union."

Westad, who co-edited "The Cambridge History of the Cold War" with Leffler, agrees with the distinction.

"It's very different because China operates globally within a market-driven international economic system, which has been the reason why China has been able to move out of the terrible poverty that the country was living under during most of the Cold War and establishing itself as an international great power," Westad told Xinhua.

Additionally, he indicated that given several powers are rising in today's world, the international order is becoming more multipolar than bipolar.

Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2015 shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

A NEW OPPORTUNITY

As Leffler and Westad rejected the Cold War analogy, they also pointed out that China and the United States could draw lessons from that era.

The Cold War teaches that even rivals could try to pursue mutual interests, said Leffler. "China and the United States face much more serious threats in the long run from climate change and disease spread. There are compelling reasons for both governments to pursue collaborative efforts that further their vital security and economic interests."

Westad said China and the United States need to be prepared for a world that is much less stable than that during the Cold War. "What they have to do is to try to find common ground where it's possible to find common ground, but at the same time, try to define what the differences between them are, in ways that would not lead to war."

When asked about his expectations regarding the Joe Biden administration's approach on China, Leffler said "it is important for both countries to step back, modulate their competitive instincts, and focus on areas of mutual interest, and there are plenty of areas for fruitful cooperation."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week said that U.S.-China relations contain competitive and cooperative aspects, and he put tackling climate change on the cooperation list.

"I don't expect that President Biden will have any trouble competing with China in some areas and cooperating with China in other areas," said Russel. "He's not going to be disrespectful of China, he's not going to deliberately antagonize China just for ideological reasons."

Russel highlighted Biden's assumption of office as "some kind of last-minute reprieve" for bilateral ties.

"We cannot afford to mishandle or waste this opportunity," the former assistant secretary warned. "The prospect of the U.S. and China putting our bilateral relationship back on a constructive track that can engage with the real challenges and the difficulties that we both face ... is by no means guaranteed."

Russel said that it is insufficient for Beijing and Washington to cooperate on public health issues, climate change, and counter-proliferation, calling on the two countries to find a way to deal with fundamental disagreements.

"Both sides are going to have to make tremendous efforts, exercise good judgment, caution, restraint, but also show courage in tackling some areas of real difference," he said. 
Hub 71, Abu Dhabis global tech ecosystem, has partnered with the UAE Universitys Science and Innovation Park (UAEU SIP) and Insead Middle East Campus-to upskill talent in Abu Dhabi and attract new science and tech capabilities.



Abu Dhabis embrace of technology and innovation largely consists of upskilling its local talent and attracting top talent from around the world to keep pace with its digital transformation.



In a 2020 survey by PwC of CEOs in the Middle East, 70% said the availability of key digital skills is a business threat and its GCC Hopes and Fears survey found that only 23% of employees are learning new skills through their employer to better understand or use technology.



Through Hub71s new academic partnerships, each institution will benefit from the tech ecosystems network of partners and expert mentors to support students and alumni in addition to their startups receiving priority access to the Hub71 Incentive Program.



The mutually beneficial partnerships also include innovation workshops, joint programs, events, hackathons and access to Hub71s vibrant WeWork x Hub71 co-working space. Graduate recruitment and internship opportunities at Hub71 startups will also be facilitated, stimulating job creation and deepening Abu Dhabis talent pool.



Hanan Harhara Al Yafei, CEO of Hub71, said: Our partnerships with world-class academic institutions will provide students and entrepreneurs with the tools to develop their digital skills, technological acumen and experiences, so that we foster the next generation of entrepreneurs who will grow to sustain innovation in Abu Dhabi.



Many industries and organizations, both small and large, find it difficult to recruit digital talent who will ultimately drive Abu Dhabis tech transformation. With this in mind, were planting the seeds of the future by increasing the talent pool in Abu Dhabi for our startups while ensuring we nurture the right skills and develop the talented people needed to cement the longevity of Abu Dhabis global tech ecosystem.



Peter Zemsky, The Eli Lilly Chaired Professor of Strategy and Innovation, Deputy Dean, Dean of Innovation at Insead, said: As the business school for the world, we are excited to grow talent and support digital transformation and innovation in Abu Dhabi together with Hub71. This partnership will also open a world of opportunities for the Insead community to collaborate and engage with a dynamic ecosystem of innovators and startups in one of the worlds most forward-looking environments.



Prof. Nihel Chabrak, CEO of UAEU Science and Innovation Park, said: Our new partnership with Hub71 is aligned with one of our strategic goals, which is to build partnerships and ecosystem conditions to support safe innovation and venture creation and growth.



As part of enriching its community of founders and entrepreneurs with expert guidance, Hub71 is hosting a pool of accomplished mentors from diverse backgrounds to support their startup pursuits. Founders will be paired with mentors from startups, corporates, VCs and other innovation streams who have relevant experience to create meaningful connections and promote knowledge exchange.



To provide easier access to a global pool of tech talent, Hub71 has partnered with Yougig to introduce a simple-to-use online marketplace exclusively for its startup community to access more than 1 million high quality tech developers worldwide at exclusive rates. Through software developer companies in Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia, Hub71 startups can now secure a diverse range of remote and on-site developers and on demand, pay-by-the-hour services to enhance their teams.



As we continue to play a key role in transforming Abu Dhabis economy and bolstering innovation in various sectors, we realize that startups will be far better off with easier and reliable access to qualified tech talent, especially when sustaining their growing businesses, added Al Yafei.



On February 10, Hub71 will host the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Decoded series in a new hybrid format. The session titled Your Community Awaits, will focus on the leading role education, academic research and community developers play in sustaining innovation and creating a tech cluster rooted in high quality talent, as well as the benefits for entrepreneurs living, working, and scaling businesses in Abu Dhabi.  TradeArabia News Service
Ferne McCann has revealed that cooking has been 'therapy' for her, while she currently takes part in Celebrity Best Home Cook.

The former TOWIE star, 30, admitted that her love of cooking up a meal in the kitchen always helps her out after she's had a tough day, as she puts her skills to the test on the BBC One series.

Speaking to The Mirror, she explained: 'Cooking is emotional for me. It has been my therapy. It calms me.

Love for cooking: Ferne McCann has revealed that cooking has been 'therapy' for her, while she currently takes part in Celebrity Best Home Cook

'When I've had a bad day, I pour myself some vino, listen to some jazz and get my cook on.'

Ferne also has hopes to bring out her own cookbooks in the future.

'I'd love to bring out my own range of cookbooks, like Dame Mary Berry,' she said.

New couple alert: Ferne recently confirmed she is in a relationship with model Jack Padgett, after they were pictured kissing in South Africa in December

The reality star revealed she feels 'happy and content' after she spent a while focusing on her mental health and doing 'a lot of self-work to get myself mentally strong'.

She added: 'Food is the way to my heart. If a man wants to impress me, a perfect date would be going to have food with someone.'

Ferne recently confirmed she is in a relationship with model Jack Padgett, after they were pictured kissing in South Africa in December.

Doing well: The reality star revealed she feels 'happy and content' after she spent a while focusing on her mental health and doing 'a lot of self-work to get myself mentally strong'

Speaking on FUBAR Radio's Access All Areas, she admitted that she and Jack have known each other for years and reconnected during lockdown.

Chatting to hosts Bobby Norris and Stephen Leng, she said: 'I'm happy and it's very early days, although I've known him for years.

'I actually met him five years ago. In Marbs, would you believe it Bob. Of course, but yeah, it's early days and I'll just see where it goes.'

The mother-of-one had been single since May when she split from her New York-based boyfriend Albie Gibbs.

Lockdown romance: Speaking on FUBAR Radio's Access All Areas, Ferne admitted that she and Jack have known each other for years and reconnected during lockdown

When asked how her relationship has gone from five years of friendship to now romance, Ferne revealed: 'I feel like everyone these days can keep in contact with people via social media and Instagram.

'Like, you can see what people are up to. You don't have to be texting every so now and then.

'But you know, these circles are quite small in London and Essex and the surrounding areas. So you know, you might bump into old flames from time to time.'

Suggesting that the pair may not have been romantically involved in the past, Ferne added: 'You're not going to meet anyone in lockdown for goodness sake so we're having to tap up some old flames!'

And although things are going well for the couple, the First Time Mum star insisted she has no plans to walk up the aisle in the near future.

She said: 'You know you get people who use Pinterest boards to plan their wedding and their interior design, quote of the day and all that nonsense. I'm definitely not getting married anytime soon, let's face it!'
The Wall Street Journal editorial A pass for Kevin Clinesmith refers in passing to the sentencing memorandum filed by the government (i.e., the office of John Durham) in the case:

Federal Judge James Boasberg spared Mr. Clinesmith prison in favor of 12 months probation and 400 hours of community service. The judge said the evidence persuaded him that Mr. Clinesmith likely believed that what he said about Mr. Page was true. In their brief, prosecutors made clear how unlikely this is. The evidence of Mr. Clinesmiths animus toward Donald Trump is considerable. As for being an honest mistake, remember that Mr. Clinesmith changed an email confirming Mr. Page had been a CIA source to one that said the exact opposite, explicitly adding the words not a source before he forwarded it.

I thought some readers might want to read the sentencing memorandum for themselves. I have uploaded it to Scrbid and embedded it below.

If Judge Boasbergs slap on Clinesmiths wrist does not disgrace FISA and the FISA court (of which he is the presiding judge), it might be because they have heretofore been revealed as rotten. It also disgraces Judge Boasberg, but he will apparently be the last to know it.

ddc_1_20-cr-00165-jeb_22_0 by Scott Johnson on Scribd
Due to COVID-19, the consumer mindset has undergone a tectonic shift from looking at health insurance as a priority to seeing it as a necessity, says ManipalCigna's Prasun Sikdar

The healthcare sector must be supported and encouraged to expand and thrive so that it can make a real difference to the countrys economy and employment. COVID-19 has been a rude wake-up call with regard to health insurancemany understood the need to have one as the pandemic struck. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the insurance sector is hopeful that the finance minister will announce measures that may assist enhance the variety of life and medical insurance policyholders within the nation.

Considering the low penetration rate, there is more to be done, and insurers have their wish list for the upcoming Budget which they shared with Firstpost:

Ashish Kumar Srivastava, MD and CEO, PNB MetLife

Most Indians (75 percent) do not have any form of life insurance, and those that do are vastly underinsured, covering less than 8 percent of whats required to protect their family from financial shock if they die unexpectedly. In the upcoming Budget, we expect the finance minister to allocate a separate tax exemption segment for term plans under 80C. We also believe that the existing exemption limit of Rs 1.5 lakhs for 80C should be raised further, thus attracting more taxpayers to opt for insurance plans basis their life stage needs, while also keeping the burden of income tax at bay. Another encouraging factor for the customers to opt for insurance plans would be to reduce 18 percent GST on the insurance premiums.

Gopal Balachandran, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer, ICICI Lombard General Insurance

The need for health insurance has gone up with people increasingly perceiving health insurance as a necessary investment to be made. Whilst the insurance premium payments constitute admissible deductions from income for tax payers, enhancing the extent of eligible deduction by at least 50 percent vis-a-vis the current levels, would go a long way in further improving the penetration of health insurance in the country. The global pandemic necessitates a health insurance cover being made mandatory for employees in order to protect them.

Accordingly, we believe that it would a great fillip from a health insurance penetration standpoint, to allow the input tax credit to be claimed with respect to the GST charged on health insurance premiums paid by corporates whilst purchasing Group Health Insurance Covers, which is presently unavailable as per the current GST laws in force.

G Murlidhar, MD and CEO, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company

The finance ministry is expected to prioritise job-driven growth recovery and infrastructure building. Given the governments weak fiscal position, some innovative means to finance budget deficit may be introduced as well. Based on our learning of the last few months, we expect the government to encourage people to be prepared for lifes uncertainties by incentivising them to invest in various insurance products. More investment in insurance products will in turn help finance fiscal deficit as well as support infrastructure lending.

Prasun Sikdar, MD and CEO, ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the consumer mindset has undergone a tectonic shift from looking at health insurance as a priority to seeing it as a necessity. Whether it is the government, bureaucracy, industry, media or common man, we are all now discussing protecting lives and financing for the same in the form of health insurance. Thus, in the upcoming Union Budget 2021, we expect the government to come up with several changes in the regulatory framework to ensure the majority of the population comes under the ambit of insurance. COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the serious gap between supply-demand imbalances. This is a lingering issue that needs to be addressed with a structural course of action. We hope that the upcoming Budget comes up with a series of measures to boost this sector.

The health insurance has become an essential commodity and needs to be slotted in the 5 percent GST tax slab along with commodities such as food items to make it more affordable for people to get access to quality healthcare care. Also, the increase in the limit of tax deduction in Section 80D of the Income Tax Act can help better penetration of health insurance.

Neeraj Prakash, Managing Director, Shriram General Insurance

Purchasing any kind of Insurance is still looked at as a cost rather than a protection from the adverse financial situation. To increase the penetration of non-life insurance, the government could look at offering more tax benefits, include more products under mandatory insurance cover and roll out more mass Insurance schemes. Standardization of policy documents across various Insurance products like health/home insurance could help in better understanding of insurance products.

Currently, all the life and health insurance policies are exempted from section 80C of the Income Tax Act. The government may consider a separate deduction section or enhance the limit under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, since the current limit of Rs 150,000 is too low to cater to all the contributions it covers. 80D should introduce new scheme(s) to encourage a self-securing environment in India. The government may also try to reduce 18 percent GST to 12 percent or probably lower. This will help increase the penetration of life insurance.

Parag Raja, MD and CEO, Bharti AXA Life Insurance

A large part of the population in the country still remains underinsured or uninsured. We expect this Budget to spur penetration of insurance with a lower tax regime and higher tax-free slabs in a crammed 80C and 80D limit where life insurance comes across to be grappling for space. Undoubtedly, the insurance industry needs a much-needed boost from the government in terms of policy incentives and relevant tax relaxations. This will also enhance insurance penetration and financial inclusion in the country.

Tarun Chugh, MD and CEO, Bajaj Allianz Life

With the increased risk perception amongst customers converting to more people buying term plans, it would be an ideal time for the government to consider increasing the tax exemption limit for life insurance or have a separate section for deduction of life insurance premiums. The deduction for life insurance premiums should be available to all taxpayers, irrespective of the taxation regime opted by them. The next critical item for the government to consider would be on how to incentivise individuals to save better for their post-retirement financial needs. Finally, a financial product as critical as life insurance should have a reduced GST, and get exemption on Stamp Duty for mandated products, so that the costs are not increased for the end-customer.

Vighnesh Shahane, MD and CEO, IDBI Federal Life

Section 80C of the Income Tax Act provides for tax deduction of up to Rs. 1,50,000/- on various investments such as insurance policies, PPF, principal amount paid towards home loan, ELSS, NSC, NPS amongst others. With so many investment options available, this section is too low and too cluttered. Our recommendation would be to either keep a separate deduction section for insurance policies or there should be an increase in the limit under Section 80C. This would allow customers to consider insurance not just as a tax-saving tool, but as a long-term means of fulfilling their financial goals.

We also suggest that the current exemption limit for TDS on insurance commission is Rs. 15,000 under section 194 D of the Income Tax Act. Raising this exemption limit would provide a greater impetus to insurance agents. Further tax laws could be aligned to the regulatory minimum of 7 times the cover for individuals above the age of 45 years.
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NORWALK  Norwalk bundled up this weekend as temperatures dipped into the teens and 20s ahead of a winter storm predicted to hit on Monday.

The city opened up the Community Room at the Norwalk Police Department as a warming center for those in need of a place to go. Officials also issued warnings to remind residents to avoid spending too much time outdoors and exercise precautions when it comes to using space heaters.
IT hardware makers urge the government to allocate Rs 20,000 crore under the production-linked incentive scheme, to boost manufacturing of personal computers, tablets and servers in the country.

The proposed amount of around Rs 7,000 crore is insignificant for global players to relocate their facilities to India, said industry body MAIT.

The Manufacturers' Association of Information Technology (MAIT), whose members include Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo, wants the government to address various disabilities that the sector faces including improvement in export infrastructure to support growth under the PLI scheme.

MAIT President Nitin Kunkolienker told PTI, "We are looking for higher funds for the PLI scheme. For laptops, servers, etc, the government has just proposed Rs 7,325 crore.

"I don't think that, for PCs , if you relocate and reposition supply from China or other parts of the world, it will be possible with just these kinds of funds. They are very insignificant."



He said that the mobile phone industry got around Rs 41,000 crore where there has been sustained effort for the past 10 years to push manufacturing, and even it does not come under ITA-1 (information technology agreement).

"You gave them (mobile industry) duty arbitrage earlier. There was some base created for mobile manufacturing; whereas for PC, laptop, servers and tablets, there was an inverted duty regime from 2005 to 2014 that impacted manufacturing of these products. Now, we need to re-invent," Kunkolienker said.

Under ITA-1, members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) were not allowed to impose tariff barriers on IT products, which include personal computers, set top boxes and servers.

The enforcement of ITA-1 led to a lot of companies shutting their manufacturing unit in India, as import of finished IT products became cheaper compared to their production in the country.

Kunkolienker said there is a need to recreate and reposition India's market when the government is trying to get into more creative education for e-learning.

"At least Rs 20,000 crore is required (under PLI). It is based on value addition potential that exists in the country.

"There is an immense potential for Indian MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) to become part of the global manufacturing ecosystem. There is a disability in MSMEs to borrow capital," Kunkolienker said.

He said that currently, India has major challenges in terms of manufacturing ecosystem, including logistics.

"For real make in India to happen, there is a need to address disabilities. It won't be possible by giving 2 per cent. It does not even cover up for loss of transactions. Relocating the supply chain is not an easy target.

"To achieve this target, you need to have an export-centric approach. Shipping lines may offer competitive rates. We support the strategy of export-led growth but export infrastructure is very uncompetitive," Kunkolienker said.

The PLI scheme was recently expanded to 10 sectors, after registering traction from global investors in the mobile manufacturing segment.

Kunkolienker said a consolidated and integrated approach is required to facilitate investments even under PLI schemes.

"The scheme has been extended to 10 sectors. A company making motherboards can utilise the same lines for making routers. Now, routers will come under telecom, and the DoT will deal with it," he said.

He added that now, a motherboard maker needs to comply with telecom PLI rules and set up a differentplant to get the benefit, when the same plant can make components for IT and telecom products. "An integrated approach is required to handle this."



The PLI scheme has been extended to cover advance cell chemistry batteries, electronic and technology products , telecom and network products, solar PV modules, white goods, textile products, food products, pharmaceutical drugs and specialty steel.

"The government has to work on demand aggregation. Mobile is a connectivity device but mobile is not a creativity device.

"Like the government came up with CAS (Code Access Security) policy that increased set-top box demand, the government can similarly come up with policies to create PC demand. Consolidated effort will make India a good hub for manufacturing," Kunkolienker 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.)
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Film Festivals continue to go virtual and the Albuquerque (Virtual) Film Fest is following suit.

The local festival will present eight contemporary films from Israel, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Argentina, France/Egypt.

According to Phyllis Wolf, director of Arts, Culture & Education at Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque, tickets are on sale for the films, which will screen Sunday, Jan. 31 through Feb. 28.

Each year, the fest endeavors to weave a colorful fabric of uniquely Jewish stories that come to us through movies from around the world, she says. That mission is unchanged, and this line up is particularly noteworthy for its diversity in content, themes and countries of origin. The only thing thats different is that instead of the community gathering at theatrical venues, we will be watching the fest movies in the safety and comfort of our own homes. We will get together for follow-up conversations with the filmmakers, virtually, using the Zoom platform. After all, the show must go on.

The Fest curators research current films showing at Jewish film fests worldwide to select a representative line-up of the finest films for Albuquerque audiences to enjoy.

Wolf said this year that was an arduous task because not only has the roster of Jewish films grown substantially, but the quality of the films has equally progressed.

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

Even though the task was daunting, it was truly a labor of love, Wolf says.

Each film has a 72-hour screening window, to watch from the comfort of your living room. Tickets include conversations with the filmmakers on Zoom, directly following the screening period.

The schedule includes:

Jan. 31-Feb. 3  Aulcie, 2020, Israel/USA, 75 min, Dani Menkin;

Feb. 4-7  The Crossing, 2020, Norway, 90 min, Johanne Helgeland;

Feb. 7-10  Here We Are, 2020, Israel, 94 min, Nir Birgman;

Feb. 11-14  The Keeper, 2019, UK, 113 min, Marcus Rosenmuller;

Feb. 14-17  Syndrome K, 2019, USA/Italy, 80 min, Stephen Edwards;

Feb. 18-21  Bukra Fil Mish Mish, 2019, France/Israel, 73 min, Tal Michael;

Feb. 21-24  Shiva Baby, 2020, USA/Canada, 77 min, Emma Seligman;

Feb. 25-28  The House on Wannsee St., 2019, Argentina, 70 min, Poli Martinex Kaplun.

Albuquerque (Virtual) Film Fest

The festival runs from Jan. 31-Feb. 28. Ticket prices are $8 individual, $15 household per film. Series passes range from $56 and $100. Information can be found at abqjewishfilmfest.com
People gather to protest during a demonstration against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures and their economic consequences in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

Thousands Protest Against Lockdown Measures in Vienna

VIENNAThousands of protesters against COVID-19 lockdown measures faced off with police in riot gear in Vienna on Sunday.

Vienna police banned numerous protests planned for this weekend, including one by the right-wing Freedom Party on Sunday, on the grounds that protesters have generally failed to observe rules on social distancing and often not worn face masks.

A man wearing a mask gestures during a demonstration against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures and their economic consequences in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

Since Dec. 26, Austria has been in its third national lockdown, with non-essential shops and many other businesses closed and their staff unable to work.

The opposition Freedom Party has denounced various restrictions as corona madness.

Freedom Party deputy leader Herbert Kickl on Saturday accused the conservative-led government of banning criticism in general. He urged his supporters to go on a walk in the capital instead of attending the banned protest, and to articulate their displeasure peacefully.

The affiliation of many of Sundays protesters was not immediately clear.

Some of them, however, expressed support for the Freedom Party, and many opposed conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, chanting and waving banners saying Kurz must go. Many carried Austrian flags.

The crowd, which police estimated at 5,000, gathered on a square in central Vienna across the central ring road from the former imperial palace as well as from the offices of Kurz and President Alexander Van der Bellen.

Rows of police in riot gear and face masks prevented the crowd from marching down the ring road.

After riots in the Netherlands apparently set off by the introduction of a night-time curfew, Austrian police avoided escalation despite having ordered the crowd to disperse, and the atmosphere was tense but peaceful.

A Reuters witness saw police make some arrests and estimated the size of the protests at thousands. Police confirmed arrests had been made without giving numbers.

By Lisi Niesner and Francois Murphy
Shanghai police have demanded a $36m (30m) 'corporate ransom' from Irish executive Richard O'Halloran to allow him to return home.

O'Halloran has been barred from leaving China for almost two years after being caught up in a legal row involving the Chinese shareholder of a Dublin aviation-leasing firm he works for.

The Foxrock father-of-four was told by police during an interrogation three weeks ago that his exit ban had been lifted. But O'Halloran, who has never been charged with any wrongdoing by the Chinese, was then denied boarding at Shanghai airport after booking a flight home.

Chinese authorities have denied four requests from the Irish embassy to have representatives attend as observers at O'Halloran's court hearings and police interrogations, most recently last Tuesday.

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"It is fundamentally wrong on many levels," said David Maughan, partner with law firm William Fry, which acts for O'Halloran. The acting directors of the Dublin firm, CALS, of which O'Halloran is also a director, sent $200,000 (165,000) to the Chinese court in a good-faith gesture as part of a proposal to the Chinese to allow the Irishman return home. O'Halloran was subsequently subjected to a six-hour interrogation by Chinese police, without a lawyer, as to the source of the money.

"It was a phenomenally scary piece of interrogation. During it they demanded he pay $6m personally to the court in order to assist with his freedom," said Maughan.

The authorities subsequently requested that O'Halloran personally repatriate $36m to China, it is understood. During the interrogation the police also revealed that the exit ban placed on him had been lifted.

"This was the first he'd been told of this. Richard immediately booked a flight to come home that evening, January 10. But when he went to the airport he was denied access to board the aircraft with no legal grounds whatsoever," said Maughan.

O'Halloran was previously denied boarding at the airport almost two years ago and has been in China ever since.

He is medically vulnerable with a serious lung condition. He has suffered life-threatening ill-health problems in China and was admitted to hospital over Christmas for a second time "due to stress-related issues and other consequences of his detention".

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Two days later he was summoned to appear before Judge Liu who had heard the appeal case of CALS chairman Min Jiedong in which OHalloran had acted as a witness.

She confirmed that there was no exit ban in place but told him that he would be in China for a very, very long time. Richard now fears that the judge intends to force him to remain in the country to manage the sale of an aircraft in five years time when its lease runs out, said Maughan.

The Chinese authorities were acting in contravention of his basic legal rights by demanding cash in return for allowing him to leave, said Maughan.

I wrote to the Chinese ambassador and to Minister Coveney offering a number of solutions. Unfortunately, neither the ambassador nor the Minister have engaged with us on those solutions, which is very demoralising for Richard.

One proposed solution would involve a commitment to pay the Chinese a significant amount of money each month to repay investors that the court found were defrauded by Min Jiedong in a crowdfunding scheme by finance companies he operated in China. OHalloran would return home but commit to work for CALS to manage the five remaining years of a lease to Finnair of an Airbus A330 by CALS. The Chinese authorities have previously requested that the aircraft be flown to China and sold.

OHalloran, who has a long, unblemished track record in the Dublin aviation leasing industry, was hired by CALS after that lease was already in place. He volunteered as a director to travel to Shanghai in March 2019 on behalf of CALS to try to resolve matters for the company after Min was arrested.

When he attempted to board his return flight after a week of meetings he was detained and has been denied permission to leave the country ever since.

Asked to comment, the Department of Foreign Affairs responded with the following statement after the print version of this story had gone to press:

The Department of Foreign Affairs attaches the utmost importance to Mr O'Halloran's welfare, and continues to provide all possible consular support and assistance.

Minister Coveney remains actively and personally engaged and our senior officials in Dublin, Beijing and Shanghai continue to do everything possible to ensure that Mr O'Halloran can return home. Consular officials are in ongoing contact with Mr OHallorans family and advisers in Ireland.

As with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate to comment on the details of this case.
(Newser)  Its just a slap in my face and my familys face. Thats what Tracy Cole says about the decision of a Wisconsin sheriffs office to hire Joseph Mensah, a former police officer who killed three people in the line of duty over a span of five years, the New York Times reports. Coles son, 17-year-old Alvin Cole, was among the people who Mensah shot and killed during his time with the Wauwatosa Police Department. Mensah started with the department in 2015 and resigned in November following protests over Alvin Coles death. Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson on Tuesday confirmed that Mensah has been sworn in as a deputy, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In a news release, Severson said Mensah underwent an extensive, thorough, and exhaustive hiring process. Severson acknowledged that some have expressed concerns about Mensahs past use of deadly force.

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But he said that a pre-employment investigation found that Mensahs actions were consistent with the federal and state laws, Wisconsin training, and uniformly applied police policy. Mensah, who is Black, shot and killed Alvin Cole on Feb. 2, per NPR. The prosecutors office determined that he had acted in self-defense. Cole was reportedly running away through a mall parking lot; police said that he had a gun and had fired at them. In October, an independent investigator recommended that Mensah be fired, saying that the officer had made inconsistent and misleading statements. Cole did not shoot at officers, the investigator found. In 2016, per the Times, Mensah shot a man in his car who Mensah said reached for a gun. In 2015, Mensah shot a man who was wielding a sword. (Read more police shooting stories.)
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  For Vice President Leni Robredo, the resignation of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong as the country's contact tracing czar sets a good example for public officials in terms of accountability.

In her weekly radio program on Sunday, Robredo commended Magalong's "strong" sense of accountability after receiving backlash for attending a birthday bash in a Baguio City hotel along with other celebrities who breached coronavirus health protocols.

"Bilib naman ako kay Mayor Magalong na malakas 'yung sense of accountability. Iyong sa akin nga, kung meron mang nagawang lapse, iyong response, dapat ganito 'yung response ng mga public officials na nalalagay sa ganitong situation," she said on RMN-DZXL's Biserbisyong Leni.

[Translation: I admire Mayor Magalong for his strong sense of accountability. For me, if a lapse was committed, this should be the response of public officials who are put in this kind of situation.]

"Kapag ganito ang mga public officials, 'yung respeto ng tao sa institusyon mabu-boost, na 'yung kapag may kasalanan, inaako 'yung kasalanan, walang pagdepensa sa sarili," she added.

[Translation: If public officials are like this, the people's respect for the institution will get a boost because whenever someone has committed a misstep, he takes responsibility for it, no one defends himself.]

Robredo, noted, however, that she was not defending the mayor's attendance in Tim Yap's birthday celebration. The event had earlier drawn flak, with netizens slamming the so-called "double standards" in the implementation of health protocols.

"Hindi natin sinasabing wala siyang lapse kasi siya nga mismong nagsabing meron, pero 'yung response niya dun sa lapse, tingin ko na ito 'yung dapat."

[Translation: We are not saying that there's no lapse because he himself said there is one, but the response to the lapse, I think that's what should be done.]

In his resignation letter dated January 28, Magalong cited the incident where "several lapses in protocol were committed" and noted that it was a reminder that "a higher standard is always expected" of him.

Photos and video clips that surfaced on social media showed Yap and other personalities not wearing face masks and face shields  a violation of the city ordinance that requires fines of at least 1,000. Magalong said he told his wife, who was also present in the party, to pay up.

However, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday that Magalong's resignation was rejected and the official "continues to enjoy the trust and confidence" of the leadership of the country's COVID-19 task force.

Roque earlier came to Magalong's defense, saying that "mere attendance" does not make the official personally liable for what happened.

READ: Roque defends Baguio mayor's presence in Tim Yap party: 'Mere attendance not actionable'

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also said that he will convince Magalong to keep his post, as the latter helped "a lot" in training local chief executives, city and provincial health officers, as well as complementing the efforts of local surveillance officers in COVID-19 response.
IT has been well established that the countrys most effective mobilisation system is the election machinery based on political affiliation.

With this in mind, the current crisis in the country regarding the frightening spread of the coronavirus calls for a different kind of intervention. It is past time for the declaration of a political truce. We call on the countrys two major political machines, PNM and UNC, and all other existing political parties and groups, to come together in the national interest.
An 11-year-old Geelong girl has been found safe and well after she went missing on Sunday.

Police appealed for public assistance after the girl named April was last seen at her home in Tucker Street in Breakwater, a suburb of Geelong, on Sunday morning. She was found just before 7pm, a police spokesman confirmed.

She has a number of medical conditions and police believed she may have been disorientated before she was found. Police and her family held concerns about her welfare.

Police described her as 170 centimetres tall, with a slim build and shoulder-length brown hair.
For some Central Massachusetts residents, weighing whether or not to get a COVID-19 vaccine has led to extensive reading and conversations about potential side effects, efficacy and the rapid speed at which the immunizations were developed, according to physicians who are working to help patients make an informed decision.

These questions can be a particular concern of the Black and Latinx communities because of a history of injustices in health care. Physicians note that hesitancy in vaccine trust exists for good reasons among Black and Latinx Americans, the Tuskegee study a chief example.

In the 1930s, the Tuskegee Institute began a study with public health workers in which Black men were left untreated for syphilis. When penicillin became the recommended treatment of syphilis in the 1940s, it was not offered to the men in the study. The study went on for 40 years. Participants were misled and were not given all the information needed to provide informed consent, according to the CDC.

As a person of color, I understand the mistrust that communities of color have regarding medical research, especially considering the controversial history of people of color having been experimented on in not the most ethical way, said Dr. Jennifer Bradford, a family medicine physician at UMass Memorial Community Healthlink. Putting that aside, I talk to my patients and my friends and family. They are following the news, theyre reading articles, theyre looking at research. Really, theyre just trying to find the most information they can to make the best decision possible.

UMass Medical School is among local institutions that have been working to connect residents with local physicians and scientists to answer questions and provide more information about the vaccine.

Those concerns are definitely rooted in real issues and problems that are historic but also ongoing and understandable, said Stephenie Lemon, a researcher and Chief, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School. The approach that we take is to recognize and acknowledge that we know that those exist and to try to be as transparent as possible about the vaccine and what it is and what they might expect from it, as well as the science behind it.

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color. In Worcester, the citys population is 21% Latinx residents, though Latinx patients have been more than 30% of COVID-19 cases, officials have said. Likewise, Worcesters Black community has represented more than 20% of coronavirus cases but is only 13% of the population.

Beyond high rates of transmission and death among Black and Latinx communities, there are other impacts of the pandemic. In urban communities, school districts that have higher percentages of students of color are often still relying on remote education. The Worcester Public Schools have been remote since last March.

In my mind, I do encourage my patients to get the vaccine because, at this point, the risk for the side effects of the vaccine is maybe less than the benefits of the vaccine, said Bradford. But, again, you have to allow patients to make that decision.

Bradford said her patients have been looking for more information about how effective the vaccine is and the potential side effects, in addition to concerns about the timeline of vaccine development.

I think individuals are sort of waiting to collect more information before actually deciding to get the vaccine, Bradford said. This vaccine seems to have been created at warp speed.

While the vaccine was created quickly, coronaviruses have been studied for a long time, Bradford said, and because of the pandemic, a lot of money and resources were put into creating vaccines. Bradford said she tries to reassure her patients that safety measures usually in place for vaccine development were used for the COVID inoculations.

Dr. Josephine Fowler, the clinical vice chair in the department of family medicine at UMass Memorial Medical Center, has also heard patient concerns about the rapid pace at which the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were developed. She has fielded more of those questions than any general distrust in vaccines, she said.

People want to know, how will it impact them from getting the virus, how will it impact long term, even the literature doesnt say how long it will help with preventing the disease, and at this point, even whether it will completely prevent the disease long term, Fowler said.

Most people dont understand what it means for a vaccine to be approved by the FDA under an emergency use authorization, which was the case with both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Flower said she explains to patients that virus numbers and death rates rose quickly, leading the U.S., as well as other countries across the globe, to look for a way to prevent serious illness.

Both vaccines are two-dose shots that are roughly 95% effective after the second dose.

For Fowler, a physician of color, conversations with patients are key, as well as conversations with fellow physicians about how to best address patient concerns and build trust.

I think a lot of mistrust really comes from the global access to media, Fowler said. People are on YouTube, theyre on social media, theyre all over the place and theyre getting so much information. So when they come to discuss problems with us as providers or with the health care system, I think its our responsibility to try to educate them on what we know from a health care side and then have them take that back and compare to what theyve learned from other resources.

These conversations happen not just around the COVID vaccine, but myriad health issues, Fowler said. When patients come in educated about a health issue, they can work with a physician to create the best health care plan possible, she said.

A poll from the Pew Research Center published in December indicated that Black Americans appear less inclined to get the COVID vaccine, with 42% of those surveyed saying they plan to get the vaccine compared to 63% of Latinx and 61% of White adults.

Community groups around Worcester have been working to set up community conversations about the vaccine to share information.

On Thursday night, UMass Medical School, the Worcester Latino Empowerment Organizing Network and Protegete Latino en Contra del Coronavirus hosted a webinar to discuss the vaccine. Another vaccine conversation is slated for Feb. 7, that event sponsored by African Community Education, the Liberian Association of Worcester County, the Massachusetts Organization of African Descendants, the Community Health Awareness Network and UMass Medical School.

Previously, the group Black Families Together also hosted a discussion on the vaccine.

Were hearing that people want to hear and learn from trusted individuals, whether its physicians or scientists from the community, or their clergy, or leaders of community organizations that theyre a part of, said Lemon.

Though vaccine studies regarding children are ongoing, Lemon said it has been important to remind people that the study of the vaccine in adults is complete.

Nobody is asking anybody at this point to be an experiment, Lemon said. We dont want anybody to lose their place in line when they have the opportunity to get the vaccine because its the best tool that we have right now.

Fowler noted that in family medicine, physicians see patients from birth to geriatrics, a set of different risk factors coming with each individual.

When Im educating patients, I actually bring the information before them and say this is a pandemic in our area. Our numbers are going up, or we have this risk, Fowler said. When youre making your decision, what Im asking you to do is to consider what your risks are, consider who youre exposed to and consider how you want to make sure that you dont bring this back to your family.

Fowler said doctors can share risk information, but patients must decide if its the right time for them to get the vaccine.

But I do lay the risks on the line. Our hospital numbers are going up. We do have people who have severe illness who need to be on the ventilator, Fowler said. I tell the patient, you have to think about how you are going to prevent contracting the disease and think about whether now is the time to get the vaccine.

The rollout of inoculations is also dependent on vaccine supply. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Monday that the state would advance to Phase 2, which means residents 75 years and older and get inoculated. However, in Worcester, city officials have delayed the start of Phase 2 as demand for vaccines from those in Phase 1 has overwhelmed the supply in the city.

In the meantime, its important to remind patients of the importance of mask-wearing, social distancing and hand-washing, Bradford said.

The vaccine does not necessarily prevent the transmission of COVID-19 to people who have not been inoculated, officials have said.

As of last week, 359,919 vaccine doses have been administered across Massachusetts.

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There was nothing subtle about the stance of authorities ahead of Sundays protests in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Beginning early morning, police sliced off central Moscow from cars and pedestrians. A dozen metro stations were shuttered. Thousands of riot police were placed behind concentric rings of metal and barking dogs.

Speaking over crackling tannoys, officers explained the unprecedented move. Large crowds were undesirable during the pandemic, they said. The cosmonauts  that is how riot police are known colloquially  well, they were only there to ensure proper social distancing and mask wearing.

The massive police presence, of course, was there to serve another purpose: to warn people away from a repeat of last Saturdays protest, when tens of thousands turned out to issue a very public warning to President Vladimir Putin.

Blunt an instrument as it was, closing down Moscows city centre did appear to hand the Kremlin the advantage.

The lines of metal fencing meant Alexey Navalnys team was forced at last minute to change the location of the rally. Moving the focus from Lubyanka, the headquarters of Russias security agency, to two nondescript metro stations immediately outside the police ring had the effect of turning the protest into a day of cat and mouse.

Protesters moved from one location to another, eventually heading towards the prison where Mr Navalny is being held in north-eastern Moscow. They were never able to congregate in the same overwhelming ways as last Saturday. The crowds were both more dispersed and less voluminous.

According to the Interior Ministry, just 2,000 turned out in the capital. Opposition groups put the number at tens of thousands. At the same time, the protests retained a resolutely national reach, with dozens of previously passive towns and cities across Russia uniting in protest against Vladimir Putin.

Some of the most violent clashes took place in St Petersburg, where turnout was much higher than in Moscow. There, police in the northern capital built on a reputation for brutality. Protesters were met with tear gas, and flying truncheons. One man had his head split open. Two others were reported unconscious.

Even in Moscow, the arrests were occasionally brutal, and the use of electric shock guns was reported. Police hunted in customary groups of threes and fours. Most of the time, the arrested did not appear to be committing any obvious offence. Sometimes they were marched to the vans politely enough. Other times, they were dragged by the scruff of their necks.

More than 4,000 people have been detained (Reuters)

Many of the arrested were young. Some were crying as they were bundled into the waiting vans. Not all those doing the arresting were in uniform, one of several aspects of policing that appeared to be plucked out of the playbook of law enforcement next door in Belarus.

Yulia Navalnaya, wife of the opposition leader, was one of at least 4,000 bundled into vans nationwide  a number that is set to rise higher. According to Sergei Parkhomenko, a journalist who witnessed the arrest, Ms Navalnaya was first identified by a plainclothes officer before being accosted by riot police. Mr Parkhomenko would himself be arrested before the day was out, one of at least 82 journalists detained nationwide.

As the authorities appeared to gain the upper hand in Moscow, some of those demonstrating expressed frustration at confusing signals from Team Navalny. Maria, a public relations executive, surname withheld, said second steps didnt appear to be well planned.

With the odds stacked against us, we need to be playing a better game than this, she told The Independent. It isnt enough to put messages up on social media and hope for the best.

The Kremlin will hope today marks a turning point after two weeks of playing catch-up to their jailed nemesis.

A demonstrator holds a toilet brush during a rally in support of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow (Reuters)

This week, Vladimir Putin was forced to deny he owned an opulent luxury palace following a viral investigation video released by Mr Navalny from his prison cell. The video has already been watched more than 100 million times. On Saturday, Mr Putins close friend and childhood judo partner Arkady Rotenberg offered himself up as the owner of the building. He described it as an apartment-hotel complex.

Mr Navalnys team, on the other hand, hope to build on the runaway success of the expose. They have already announced a follow-up protest for Tuesday  which is when the Kremlin is expected to condemn its most prominent critic to several years in jail.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.

Egypts Minster of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, met on Sunday with the Ambassador of Belgium, Francois Cornet DElzius, along with the Head of Commercial Negotiations in the Belgian embassy, Haguer Magdi, to discuss the future plans of the bilateral cooperation between the countries, in alignment with the 2030 visions sustainable development goals.

Minister Al-Mashat said that the ministry has been working on various agreements with the European Union regarding projects listed for development financing for 2022.

She added that the history of cooperation between the two countries is extensive and has been tangible in many sectors: chiefly the cultural development plan concerning the construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the restoration of the Baron Palace, among many other projects.

During the meeting, DElzius said that Belgium is eager to further cooperate with Egypt on the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and on the establishment of a strong public-private dialogue in the Egyptian business sphere.

He also expressed interest in developing cooperation platforms between Belgian and Egyptian companies working in similar fields, for the sake of deepening the development partnership between both countries.

Egypt and Belgium have cooperated on the restoration project of the Baron Palace, under the debt-swap programme between both countries, for an agreement worth 2.14 million (EGP 16 million), by signing a memorandum of understanding on 11 September 2019, according to the ministry.

According to the annual report, released by the Ministry of International Cooperation in December, the ministry secured development financing agreements worth $9.8 billion during 2020; $6.7 billion of which were for financing sovereign projects, and $3.1 billion for supporting the private sector.

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New Delhi: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday (January 31, 2021) said that it is dismaying to see Sharad Pawar's tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms.

Tomar's reply comes a day after former Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said that the new farm laws will adversely affect the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and weaken the Mandi system.

Tomar took to his official Twitter account and said, "Sharad Pawar ji is a veteran politician and a former Union Agriculture Minister, who is also considered well-versed with the issues & solutions relating to Agriculture. He has himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier. Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance & misinformation on the agriculture reforms."

He added, "Let me take this opportunity to present some facts," and shared two pictures on the same.

Sharad Pawar ji is a veteran politician and a former Union Agriculture Minister, who is also considered well-versed with the issues & solutions relating to Agriculture. He has himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier.  Narendra Singh Tomar (@nstomar) January 31, 2021

Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance & misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts. pic.twitter.com/8CZ1AzKYoR  Narendra Singh Tomar (@nstomar) January 31, 2021

Tomar said that the new laws facilitate promotion of additional choice channel for farmers with a choice to sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with hassle-free movement in and outside the state to realize the competitive and better net price for their produce.

"This doesnt affect the current MSP system," he stated.

The Union Minister reiterated that under the new ecosystem, mandis are not affected. "Instead, they will be more competitive and cost effective in terms of services and infrastructure; and both the systems will synergistically co-exist for the common interest of farmers," he said.

Tomar added, "As he is such a veteran leader, I would like to believe that he was genuinely misinformed of the facts. Now that he has the right facts, I hope he will also change his stand & also explain the benefits to our farmers."

As he is such a veteran leader, I would like to believe that he was genuinely misinformed of the facts. Now that he has the right facts, I hope he will also change his stand & also explain the benefits to our farmers.  Narendra Singh Tomar (@nstomar) January 31, 2021

Earlier on Saturday, Sharad Pawar had said, "Reform is a continuous process and no one would argue against the reforms in the APMCs or Mandi System, a positive argument on the same does not mean that it is done to weaken or demolish the system."

"During my tenure, the draft APMC Rules - 2007 were framed for the setting up of special markets thereby providing alternate platforms for farmers to market their commodities and utmost care was also taken to strengthen the existing Mandi system," Pawar said through a series of tweets.

During my tenure, the draft APMC Rules - 2007 were framed for the setting up of special markets thereby providing alternate platforms for farmers to market their commodities and utmost care was also taken to strengthen the existing Mandi system. pic.twitter.com/OstVRxYVqD  Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) January 30, 2021

He stated that the new agricultural laws restrict the powers of Mandi system and will adversely impact the MSP procurement infrastructure thereby weakening the Mandi system.

New laws will adversely impact the MSP procurement infrastructure thereby weakening the Mandi system. MSP mechanism has to be ensured and strengthened further.  Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) January 30, 2021

"MSP mechanism has to be ensured and strengthened further," the NCP Supremo said.

"I am also concerned about the amended Essential Commodities Act. According to the act the Govt will intervene for price control only if rates of horticultural produce are increased by 100% and that of non perishable items increase by 50%. Stock piling limits have been removed on food grain, pulses, onion, potato, oilseeds etc," he added.

He also said that it may lead to apprehensions that the corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stockpile and sell at higher prices to consumers.

Live TV
The laughter - bone-shaking, hysterical, life-affirming, ceaseless - arrived as if fired from a machine-gun.

It riddled the air, detonation after detonation of uncontrollable chortling and disabling joy, induced by maybe the most accomplished living mass-producer of happiness.

Billy Connolly, anaesthetic against the ache of our stalled lives, philosopher- comedian, Scottish seanachai, the sunshine of his irreverent wisdom so capable of bronzing, moving, and lifting the spirits, rode to my rescue this week.

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Like a genie from a bottle, he appeared at the touch of a YouTube screen: And immediately granted a desperate wish to escape the suffocating vice-grip of pandemic doom.

To carry us to a place beyond Covid. To help us forget.

Uniformed like a deckchair on an acid trip, eyes aglow with ten-thousand watts of mischief, his kind, bearded, intelligent face wreathed in conspiratorial gaiety, Connolly carried us to the safehouse of his brilliant mind.

Timeless

A palace of wit where the stupidity of wildebeest, the wearing of incontinence pants to nightclubs and the singing style at drunken Glaswegian house parties comprise the essential affairs of state.

An hour in Connolly's timeless company is like a car-wash for the soul: His stabbing, observational humour washes away the grime of this endless January.

He mends broken places: Billy's anarchic monologues reconnect the bit of us unmoored from the better part of life.

Oh, and that accent: Lilting and hypnotic, its Tartan music - "I've a voice like a goose farting in a fog" - snake-charming the audience into a dance of dissolving, joyful shrieks.

Years ago, three of us saw Connolly live at London's Hammersmith Odeon. We, quite literally, cried with laughter. The narcotic of his delivery was mind- altering. He drugged us with the opium of rollicking poetry.

We melted back into the Thames-side night, sides aching, weight-liberated-from-our-shoulders, reborn.

'The Big Yin' is 78 now, retired from stand-up, grappling with the pernicious, remorseless chokehold in which Parkinson's disease clamps brain and body.

Yet, on last month's powerful TV tribute, Billy Connolly: It's Been a Pleasure, there was no trace of self-pity. He was both accepting - "my illness has rendered me different" - and defiant as he fished and sketched by his Florida home.

When he giggled, the rays of happiness were not only on his face, they inhabited his eyes.

"Why do I like to make people laugh? Because it is a jolly thing, it is good for you and it is good for them."

In times of horror, there is a redemptive alchemy in surrendering to laughter.

There is scientific proof that guffawing and convulsing at a one-liner or submitting to an absurd story is as restorative as a bracing walk on the beach, as effective as a few soothing weekend pints in taking the edge of the day.

Research has illustrated the cardiovascular benefits of a good laugh, while the endorphins released by the brain when we "get" a joke send fuzzy, feel-good messages to the body.

Connolly, all long-haired charisma, the wise shaman of his comedic factory-floor, is one thing more than anything else.

A therapist. His words heal and cure.

Fuelled by a ferocious curiosity and an agile intellect, he burrows into the mineshaft of the everyday and pans for offbeat gold, inevitably locating a gut-busting nugget.

Educational

"Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. Get wasted all the time and you'll have the time of your life."

Listening to Connolly this week was more educational and infinitely cheerier than tuning into any of those "celebrity" scientists or medics who have emerged from every laboratory on the planet with what feels like a po-faced mission to terrify and blame and upend morale.

Maybe I'm bitter and twisted, but they seem to revel in evangelising misery and advising us we are all doomed.

Nphet, if they truly understood the human condition and its need for the antibiotic of hope, would long ago have advised RTE to prescribe us nightly doses of Connolly or Dermot Morgan or Groucho and his Marx Brothers.

Billy, high on the narcotic of four- lettered expletives, is a medicine like no other.

As he explains: A lot of people say that it's a lack of vocabulary that makes you swear. Rubbish. I know thousands of words, but I still prefer "f**k."

In his hands that beautifully descriptive four-letter word is an instrument, one he plays as note-perfectly as Jimmy Hendrix did his Stratocaster.

In his book The Humour Code, Peter McGraw finds there is evidence of us using laugher as a coping mechanism.

The Persian-American comic Jamie Masada puts it bluntly: "We need comedy like air to breathe."

Connolly, then, in the argot of the times, can be described as a human ventilator.

Here's one piece of advice for the weekend: Turn off the news, tune into Billy, and inhale deeply.

There is no better or more empowering way of telling Covid to F**k off.






Vir Das started 2020 as the only Indian comedian with three Netflix comedy specials to boot, and ended the year as the only Indian comedian who now has four Netflix comedy specials attached to his name.

Last year in March, comedian Vir Das was fresh off the acclaim for Vir Das: For India, his third Netflix comedy special, and all ready to embark on an ambitious 38-country world tour to test out newer material. At that point in time, Das was at the top of his game, I felt the best Id ever felt on stage then, and was extremely confident about my material, Das told me over a phone call.

Then, a deadly pandemic brought an entire world to halt almost overnight, disrupting innumerable plans, big and small, and confining an entire population indoors. Das was no exception. As the borders closed, his tour stood cancelled indefinitely, and he remained quarantined in his Bandra home for the better part of last year.

And yet despite these interruptions, Das, who started 2020 as the only Indian comedian with three Netflix comedy specials to boot, ended the year as the only Indian comedian who now has four Netflix comedy specials attached to his name. Last month, the comedian premiered Outside In, a lockdown special on Netflix shot entirely from the comfort of his study. The special is essentially one of the first instances of pandemic pop-culture, capturing an unique moment in time in real time, its structure more voyeuristic catharsis than comedy.

In between these two specials that bookended his year, the multi-hyphenate artist flitted between several other goalposts. He starred in a spin-off episode of Fresh Off the Boat along with Preity Zinta, created and starred in Hasmukh, a Netflix India series about a murderous small-town comedian, dived headfirst into the universe of YouTube vlogging, sang songs about the coronavirus , raised over Rs 37 lakh for charity through 30 virtual solo comedy shows on Zoom, and then spent a month culling over 300 minutes of footage from those shows to craft an hour that eventually became the special.

It is an incredible, breathless range of annual output for any artist, especially in a year that has pointedly limited the performance of art. There is arguably no other art form that has been so severely dented by the consequences of social distancing than live stand-up comedy. Every stand-up comedian thrives on the active participation of an audience, so much so that the simple act of mining jokes out of interacting with an unsuspecting crowd forms an intrinsic part of their craft. Take away physical gatherings, and you almost render stand-up comedy redundant.

(Also read: With no clarity on 'normalcy' in a post-COVID world, stand-up comedians are resorting to digital intervention)

For a few months, the lockdown did exactly that. Just like taking flights, going to a comedy show (which given the logistics of Mumbai is almost always in the backdrop of a room the size of a matchbox) swiftly climbed the list of health hazards. As comedy clubs shuttered, Indian comedians had no other option but to treat the internet as their stage and Zoom, a video conferencing software that allows up to 100 participants at once, became the preferred playground.

But as it turned out, entertaining a crowd over glitchy internet connections is a whole different ball game than being able to gauge their reaction while they are seated in front of you. For one, it is eerily latent, leaving a comedian with no semblance of control over his own show. If live comedy, like going to the movies, is supposed to be an escape from the real world, then it is significantly difficult for any comedian to make their audience forget where they come from if that audience is inside their own homes. Translated to pixelated screens, the instant gratification of an audience reaction that often forms the coda for a joke, is visibly delayed. Not only does that in turn, affect the delivery of a joke but presumably also the degree of fulfillment that any comedian gets out of being a performer. It is no surprise then that most comedians detest the implication that Zoom comedy shows might become the future of stand-up comedy.

(Also read: 2020 was about praying to WiFi gods, braving the dystopia of stand-up comedy on Zoom, writes Anu Menon)

Das echoes that sentiment too. In one of the confessional moments in Outside In, the comedian deems Zoom shows, considered the future of stand-up as also the prelude to its death. As he claimed in an interview last year, comedy for him is a hot room in a dingy basement where its sweat and steam and smoke, and the crowd is one foot away from you. It is also a version of comedy that seems unachievable in the foreseeable future. Yet if there is one trait that is distinctively Vir Das, its an innate ability to take things in his stride. Take, for instance, the way he turned the general displeasure around him acting in a crude film like Mastizaade (2016) into a well-oiled self-deprecating joke.

Last year too, Das worked out a way to wrest some sort of ownership over the beast that is Zoom comedy shows: fundraising for charity. Between March and August, the comedian performed over 30 solo comedy shows to raise money during the pandemic. Conducted on Zoom, all these shows began with a 10-minute long unscripted crowd work section, where Das would engage his audience in affable, freewheeling conversations, usually resulting in hilarious outcomes, before getting on with the rest of the show. It began with the comedian asking each member of his audience an innocuous question: What is the first thing you will do when the world reopens?

The answers ranged from the mundane (get ice cream) to the heartrending (be able to go to college in America). But what piqued the comedians interest was the reach of his fan base: these Zoom shows connected people stuck in their homes in Thane, Gurugram, and Gandhinagar as well as London, Moscow, and Poland. As Indias highest-selling English comedian, Das has had no trouble with selling out tickets in the last 15 years that he has been a comedian  his shows have a reputation for being sold out faster than the speed of light. So the fact that the audience he could gather, even virtually, comprised heavily of non-resident Indians and foreigners is a testament to how well he has positioned his brand of observational comedy to cater to Western audiences. The decision to start recording the first 10 minutes (which often made for some really vulnerable moments) of every show that he was doing came soon after when it dawned on him that he had an opportunity to document a precise moment in time that needed to be nurtured."

Like Nannette, Outside In exists to expand the definition of what a comedy special is supposed to look like. Das understands that Outside In feels more like a documentary than a comedy special but he also knows that is in fact, one of a kind,

If the secret to comedy is relatability, never again in my life as an artist am I going to experience a situation where everybody in the world is going through the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Made up primarily of footage from the Zoom gigs the comedian started doing in March, and intercut with moments before and after these shows, where Das indulges his diarist tendencies and offers personal reflections about the state of his mind and the nation at large. Outside In suffers from the same problem as most of Dass comedic outings, in that, it is funnier when it is not trying to be profound. But it is also impossible to completely disregard these 50 minutes as a time-capsule of the restlessness that the whole world collectively experienced back in March even if March might feel like it happened 10 years ago.

That it found a home on Netflix India even though it feels more suited as content generated for YouTube is further proof of the pull that Das is prone to commanding. It is especially notable considering that Das made up the first batch of Indian comedians, even before social media became an avenue for enabling the culture of stand-up comedy. Das was famous even before the internet made it suitably easier for comedians to find fame. Comedian Sorabh Pant describes Das as the Priyanka Chopra of Indian comedy as a way of alluding to the comedian setting his sights on conquering the West. Its a funny stretch but not quite accurate.

If anything, Das feels more like the Anurag Kashyap of Indian comedy, in that, he has been a crusader, saviour, as well as an introduction to comedy for generations of audiences as well as comedians.

A sizable number of established Indian comedians trace their origins back to working with Das, including Pant. Besides acting in TV and films, Das has Alien Chutney, his own band, and runs Weirdass Comedy, an in-demand comedy consultancy. Hes not a comedian as much as he is the comedy ecosystem in itself. Except there seems to be only one trouble: Where does he go from here?

If the marker for success as a comedian is landing a Netflix special, Das has done it four times over, that too at a time when no one else has been able to crack the code, and more importantly, on his own terms. For instance, Das released Outside In as an exclusive special (it was titled Inside Out then) on his own website in August first before Netflix acquired it. As someone who is currently back to doing physical comedy shows  albeit socially distanced  in India, Das has also cracked the art of turning stand-up comedy into a profitable business.

And yet, it feels like the comedian is still an in-betweener, someone who feels Western for Indian audiences and Indian for Western audiences. If his fourth special proves anything, it is that Das is now at a stage where he has the might to put together stuff that serves himself. Except, it is going to be pointless if he continues to making his voice palatable for a global audience instead of refining his voice in the first place. In the coming year, maybe the real challenges for Das does not lie in landing a fifth special but instead in offering a peak into what it is that Vir Das really cares about.

All images from Netflix.
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The Biden administration is moving to reverse the protectionist policies of former President Donald Trump. Starting with signing the immigration bill on January 20, the administration has taken steps to ensure that some of the decisions on H-1B visa holders are rescinded.

These include the withdrawal of conditions that makes it tough to qualify for H-1B visa, a favourite among Indian techies. Two policies that changed H-1B rulesthe selection of applications based on wages and increased wages for the visa holderswere put on hold for 60 days awaiting review.

There will clearly be more such reforms in the offing like doing away with the country cap for employment-based green cards, say experts.

However, the process will take months if not years to be implemented. In the meantime, American research group Brookings has suggested four ways the Biden administration can improve employment-based immigration in the US without the Congress.

This is important because it is taking longer to process visa applications of due to COVID-19. The idea, the report says, is to make the process smoother and easier for students and also H-1B and L-1 visa holders.

What are the four ways?

Remove impediments

The Trump administration created hurdles, making visa processing difficult. These impediments have slowed processing times, increased requests for evidence (RFEs) and denials, and placed an undue burden on immigrants who wish to live and work in the United States, said the report.

This resulted in decreased employment-based immigration. The research report by the US think tank National Foundation for American Policy noted that the denial rates for fresh H-1B visas stood as high as 58 percent during October to March 2020 for some companies compared to 1-5 percent rejection rate in FY15 for the same period.

The Brookings report said unnecessary policy impediments should be removed. This includes the request for evidence (RFE) when processing visas, where the US citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) asks for additional documentation.

The USCIS sends RFEs by posts. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, it took a month or more for RFEs to reach the recipient.

The increase in and delay from RFEs makes planning for hiring and retention more difficult. To ensure consistency and reduce processing time, RFEs should be tailored to the evidence presented, and be detailed enough so it is clear how to respond. USCIS should also email RFEs, the report said.

Improve predictability

Over the last few years due to uncertainty around visas, the number of students pursuing education in the US came down by 4.4 percent in 2019-20. This also resulted in a significant reduction in Indian IT firms dependence on H-1B visas over the last four years.

Unpredictability surrounding this ability to remain in the United States would deter international students from deciding to study here with significant negative implications for US colleges and universities, the report said.

The report said the immigration agencies should promote predictability by laying out guiding principles and clear guidance.

Resume use of discretion in meritorious cases

The US immigration law is complex. It is not uncommon to get your visa denied for simple errors such as ticking the wrong check box or forgetting to check one by the employers when filing the form. Though these errors are not common, they do happen, said Brookings in the report.

In these cases, the applicant might lose their status to stay in the US.

This would especially impact students, who are in the US and are unable to afford to go back to their home country to start the process again.

In such instances, the think-tank suggests that immigration agencies use discretion for such applications. the use of discretion for applicants where there is a simple clerical error with no pattern of mistakes. This would provide a streamlined alternative to travel or to avoid the cumbersome and lengthy process of reinstatement for students, the report added.

The new administration should also instruct USCIS to waive interviews and biometrics as appropriate or to allow modern technology such as electronic signatures or video interviews, the research report adds.

Communication and customer service

Immigration experts would point out how cumbersome it is to navigate the US immigration process. The constantly changing rules under the Trump administration made it more difficult for foreign students and workers.

One might assume that international students and workers might not need help, since many are highly educated and English speaking. However, with the complexity of immigration law comes a real need for customer service from benefits agencies such as USCIS, Brookings report said.

USCIS should enhance customer service, it said. This could include sending immigration notices and approvals via email or online and allow petitioners to do the same. Adding more agents and training them better, so that they are available to answer customers questions. Faster processing so that employers and the petitioners would know if the petitions are approved or denied so that they can prepare themselves accordingly.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/31/2021



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[ Spoilers Warning: This report includes spoilers revealing if Jovi and Yara are still together and if the couple had a baby.]

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So are Jovi and Yara still together or has the couple split up?

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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.

star Yara Zaya was just shown discovering she may be pregnant on Season 8 of the series while Jovi Dufren was away working, so what do spoilers reveal about if Jovi and Yara are still together now and if they had a baby?Jovi, a 29-year-old who works in underwater robotics from New Orleans, LA, met Yara, a 25-year-old makeup artist from Kiev, Ukraine, through a travel app.Jovi thought Yara was very beautiful and family-oriented, and he was attracted to how she likes going to the beach, scubadiving and traveling.After meeting in Budapest and having "really good sex," according to Jovi, they took vacations together all over the world, including a stop in Bali. Jovi also visited his girl in the Ukraine multiple times.Jovi revealed he got Yara pregnant six months into their relationship and that was a huge shock to him."I was dumbfounded, it was so unexpected. This is not what I'm ready for. I thought she was trying to trap me. I thought, 'This is her ticket to America,'" Jovi admitted. "But after the shock wore off, it actually pulled us pretty closer together."At that point, Jovi said he loved Yara, and so he decided to propose marriage to her during a trip to Cuba.Afterward, Jovi applied for a K-1 visa so he could marry Yara and they could become a family, but then the couple received bad news that Yara had suffered a miscarriage.Jovi therefore came down with a case of cold feet because he realized there was no longer a rush to get married and settle down.But after more time passed, Jovi determined Yara was the person he wanted to be with and he felt good about having her in his life. And Yara was prepared to move to Louisiana in just a few days after her K-1 visa was approved.Jovi's friends and family didn't think he was ready to settle down since the free spirit was used to a partying lifestyle, and Jovi's mother Gwen warned her son that many Ukrainian women want to get to the United States and receive green cards.However, Jovi decided to change his ways for Yara and put his trust in her."If Yara and I don't work out, I'll be devastated," Jovi said, before the couple reunited at the airport.Once Yara arrived to America, she disappointed Jovi by wanting to sleep her first night in New Orleans instead of partying with his friends. Jovi began thinking that he and Yara were on different pages.During Yara's first full day in New Orleans, Jovi then gave Yara a tour of the city, including Bourbon Street, which Yara considered chaotic and crazy.Yara seemed overwhelmed by her environment and admitted she thought America was going to be "sweet dreams" but Ukraine was better -- although "more poor."Jovi then introduced Yara to his mother Gwen and hoped the women would get along, but Gwen was disappointed to hear Yara desired a quickie wedding in Las Vegas with no bridal party or big reception.Gwen wanted to be able to attend the wedding, along with Jovi's grandparents, but Yara insisted she wanted his big day to be an intimate affair.Gwen suggested that Yara was being a bit selfish, but Yara said she wasn't going to let Gwen control her."I will not get married in a trailer park," Yara said.Yara and Jovi later argued while picking out furniture for their apartment together. Yara accused Jovi of being "rude" and "mean" to her, and Jovi realized he needed to compromise more since Yara had sacrificed her whole life in the Ukraine to be with him.Yara admitted she thought New Orleans was "a nasty village," and she said she just didn't like the city. Yara wished she and Jovi could move somewhere else, like Los Angeles, so she told Jovi to make her happy by relocating, but Jovi pictured raising a family in New Orleans.Before Jovi left for work, the couple then discussed children while dining out, and Yara said she hated the idea of being left alone with the kids while Jovi worked a full month at a time away from home.Yara said she'd need help with their kids, but Jovi said his mother did a great job of raising him while his father was gone doing similar work.Jovi said he loved his upbringing and also thought it would be great to spend four weeks of interrupted time with his children once he returned home from work.Yara broke down into tears and recalled how Jovi had left her alone when she had an operation while pregnant with Jovi's child and so she no longer trusted him.Yara complained about Jovi leaving her when she had a miscarriage, adding that she might never be able to trust him again and would never want to be left alone with children again.Jovi recalled the turn of events differently and insisted he never meant to ditch Yara during her time of need. Jovi also said he never realized Yara was so resentful about him leaving her alone in Albania while she was pregnant with their child and lost the baby.Jovi said he didn't know at the time Yara would have follow-up doctor appointments and the procedure Yara had mentioned.Once Jovi left for work, Yara was a little scared, sad and homesick, and as some time passed, she found herself incredibly bored and lonely. Yara also complained about how people in the city got drunk really early in the day, which drove her crazy.Yara decided to meet up with Jovi's friend Sara at a nail salon, and Yara revealed she had no plans to have a baby in the near future and she'd like to open her own business, maybe a salon working as a makeup artist.Sara then appeared to spend most of the outing as an opportunity to bash Jovi.Sara warned Yara that Jovi used to be a regular at one of the local stripclubs, and Sara added, "He would sleep with them.""That's a part of Jovi he don't tell me about," Yara replied. "I heard some things about his ex because everybody tell me that she was so bad."Sara also revealed Jovi's ex got so drunk one night that she had pissed herself in bed in the middle of the night. Yara laughed and said that girl sounded "nasty," but Sara pointed out that's who Jovi was before he got involved with Yara.Yara told the cameras that she had gotten to know a totally different side of Jovi and if he partied hard all the time, she wouldn't want to be with him. Click here to read Jovi's denial about having slept with strippers, and click here to see his reaction to Sarah throwing him under the bus to Yara.Yara then went out for brunch with Gwen, who learned Yara had been engaged once before."It makes me curious as to what happened and why it ended. Without really knowing Yara, I know that Ukrainian women just want to get to America. We'll have to talk about that a little bit," Gwen told the cameras.Yara later found herself feeling nauseous and sick, so her friend questioned via FaceTime if Yara could be pregnant.Yara said she wasn't ready to have a child and hadn't been throwing up. She also hadn't been in the United States for a full month yet, and she said she and Jovi had been "careful.""I cannot even [think] about having a baby right now. I am not ready yet. I don't even know if I want to get married and live here," Yara complained.After feeling sick for several days, when Yara had 53 days left to wed, she 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, which ended up being positive!"I don't want to be pregnant. I wasn't planning to be pregnant," Yara lamented.Yara didn't want to sit home alone while Jovi went off to work for weeks at a time, and she said that wasn't her plan "for sure."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 and fallen in love with."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.And things apparently only got worse for the couple, as Yara complains in a trailer teasing what's to come on 's eighth season that Jovi is an alcoholic and party animal."He needs to understand I [gave] up everything I have to be here," Yara says in a confessional.Yara later says she "deserves somebody better" after Jovi is shown joking with a friend how he wasn't married yet."I'm going to walk away," Jovi threatens his fiancee."You f-cking walk away," Yara dares him with tears in her eyes. "I'm just done with you."It appears Jovi and Yara got married within the 90-day period that Yara's K-1 visa allowed and they are still together.Yara and Jovi got married in a wedding ceremony in Las Vegas, NV, in February 2020, according to In Touch Weekly.Yara told Us Weekly in January 2021 she was "so happy" upon learning she was pregnant because she hoped her baby would look as "handsome" or "beautiful" as Jovi, whom she gushed about being in love with "so much."Jovi and Yara reportedly welcomed their first child together only a few months before Season 8 of premiered on TLC in December 2020, In Touch reported.It appears Yara delivered the couple's child in September 2020.Before viewers saw Yara take a positive pregnancy test on 's eighth season, pregnancy rumors began floating around on December 31 when Yara posted an Instagram photo that appeared to show two unique ornaments on a Christmas tree she was posing next to. (Eagle-eyed fans also pointed out the tree looked like it was in Jovi's New Orleans apartment).One of the ornaments was a baby and the other was a pink heart with the word "mom" written on it.Yara also reportedly created an Amazon baby registry last year under the name "Yara Dufren," which seemingly provided evidence she was expecting a child and the couple had tied the knot during her K-1 visa trip to the United States.The baby registry was posted on January 4, 2020, according to In Touch, and the items Yara listed were for a baby girl due in September 2020.The registry has since been removed from Amazon.There is also evidence on social media the couple's relationship is still in good standing. For example, Jovi's Instagram profile picture features Yara.And on Yara's Instagram, her description says, "38 country, traveling with my [love]." Jovi has a similar description on his own Instagram page, saying he's been to 57 countries and is "on an adventure to see the world!"In mid-December 2020, Yara posted a picture of herself touching her hair, and an Instagram user noticed an engagement ring and wedding ring on Yara's left hand.But when a fan commented, "Ooooooooo a wedding ring," Yara commented, "Not wedding, this is an ordinary ring, I wear it so that the engagement ring does not get lost, because it is big for me."The fan wrote back that Jovi needs to size the ring for Yara, and she replied, "Hahahahah, i was thinking about that, but I newer have time."And when one fan wrote on Yara's Instagram last year, "I can't wait to see more of you and jovi you two are so cute together," Yara replied, "Thank you."In early December, Yara posted a photo of herself filming behind-the-scenes and wrote alongside it, "I want Jovi to look at me with the same loving eyes as this woman looks at me in the first photo."Yara also uploaded a photo of herself drinking wine with a cityscape in the background, and Jovi commented with the following flirty response: "Dayummmm. Are you single??"The pair were definitely still together in early May 2020, when Yara captioned a selfie of the couple with three red heart emojis.One follower gushed "gorgeous couple," and then Yara responded, "Thanks."Yara also posted a throwback photo of Jovi proposing marriage down on one knee. She wrote "memories" alongside the photo with a red heart emoji.And in February 2020, Yara uploaded a few photos of herself in an ivory suite and pink shirt, and Jovi commented, "Like."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
Jackson added that families that want remote education will continue to have that option for the remainder of the school year. But we cannot negate the fact that there are thousands of students here in CPS that arent logging on every day and are falling behind every day, and were going to have to recover from that, she said.
A Texas representative is demanding that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez apologize and retract comments made to Sen. Ted Cruz over Twitter in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Rep. Chip Roy, who represents parts of Austin, San Antonio and Central Texas, asks Pelosi to implore Ocasio-Cortez to retract her comments, or he (and presumably other Republicans) "will be forced to find alternative means to condemn this regrettable statement."

"It has come to my attention that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet a few hours ago in which she accused Senator Ted Cruz, in essence, of attempted murder," Roy wrote. "As a member of this body who disagreed with 'objections' to the electors and who has expressed publicly my concerns about the events leading to January 6th, it is completely unacceptable behavior for a Member of Congress to make this kind of scurrilous charge against another member in the House or Senate for simply engaging in speech and debate regarding electors as they interpreted the Constitution."

IMPEACHMENT: Don't expect Sens. Cornyn or Cruz to vote to convict Trump during impeachment trial

Ocasio-Cortez had harsh words for Cruz when he expressed agreement with Ocasio-Cortez's call to look into stock trading app Robinhood for blocking people from purchasing stock in GameStop and other companies as Wall Street reels from a sudden increase in share prices for shorted stocks, Chron's Jay R. Jordan reported.

"I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where theres common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in response to Cruz, referencing the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Cruz has faced widespread criticism for his vocal objection to certifying the 2020 presidential election results and parroting former President Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud.

Ocasio-Cortez called on Cruz to resign and reiterated that she's willing to work with other Republicans in Congress on the issue.

Roy is in his second term as representative. He previously served as Cruz's chief of staff during Cruz's first term as senator.

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Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to supply nine million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the European Union during the first quarter, the bloc's executive branch said on Sunday.

The new target of 40 million doses by the end of March is still only half what the British/Swedish company had originally aimed for, triggering a spat between AstraZeneca and the EU last week.

Speaking after a call with seven vaccine makers on Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that AstraZeneca would also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled and expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

Ms Von der Leyen, who has come under intense pressure over the European Commission's handling of the vaccine orders in recent days, tweeted: "Step forward on vaccines."

The EU is far behind Britain and the United States in getting its population of 450 million vaccinated against the virus.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 17 May 2021 Kanoya Onishi in action during the Cycling BMX Free Style of Tokyo 2020 Olympics test event at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Japan EPA World news in pictures 16 May 2021 Rescuers carry Suzy Eshkuntana, 6, as they pull her from the rubble of a building at the site of Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City Reuters World news in pictures 15 May 2021 A ball of fire erupts from the Jala Tower as it is destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza city AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 May 2021 Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers inside the Baitul Mukarram Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh AP World news in pictures 13 May 2021 Muslim girls ride on a mini train after attending the Eid Al-Fitr prayer that marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Kenya AFP via Getty Images World news in pictures 12 May 2021 Israeli artillery fire as the escalation continues between Israeli army and Hamas at the Gaza Border EPA World news in pictures 11 May 2021 Maya Nakanishi competes in the womens long jump - T64 category during a para-athletics test event for the 2020 Olympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo AFP/Getty World news in pictures 10 May 2021 A Palestinian man helps a wounded fellow protester amid clashes with Israeli security forces at Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque compound, ahead of a planned march to commemorate Israels takeover of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War AFP/Getty World news in pictures 9 May 2021 Falconer Giovanna Piccolo performs with her Eurasian eagle-owl at 'Roma World' theme park, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Rome Reuters World news in pictures 8 May 2021 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) is introduced as a starter against the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena. USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 6 May 2021 Buddhist monks and believers attend a lantern parade in celebration of the upcoming birthday of Buddha at a temple in Seoul, South Korea Reuters World news in pictures 5 May 2021 Russian MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi (Swifts) and Su-30SM jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic teams fly in formation over the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin in Moscow during a flypast rehearsal for the WWII Victory Parade AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 May 2021 An elevated metro line collapsed in the Mexican capital on Monday, leaving at least 23 people dead and dozens injured as a train came plunging down, authorities said AFP/Getty World news in pictures 3 May 2021 Lightning bolts strike buildings during a thunderstorm in Bangkok AFP/Getty World news in pictures 2 May 2021 Samaritan worshippers arrive to take part in a Passover ceremony on top of Mount Gerizim, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus AFP/Getty World news in pictures 1 May 2021 A Gilet Jaune, or yellow vest, protestor stands in front of a burning barricade holding his hand up with an inscription calling for President Macron to resign as May Day Protest turn violent near Place de la Republique in Paris, France Getty World news in pictures 30 April 2021 A demonstrator from the Rio de Paz human rights activist group digs a symbolic grave in front of rows of bags symbolising bodybags on Copacabana beach, during a protest against the Brazilian governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in Rio de Janeiro AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 April 2021 An aerial picture shows dead carp fish flushed to the shores of al-Qaraoun reservoir in Lebanons Western Beqaa District in the countrys east. Tonnes of fish have washed up dead on the shoreline of the highly polluted artificial reservoir in eastern Lebanon in recent days AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 April 2021 Health workers wearing PPE attends to coronavirus patients inside a banquet hall temporarily converted into a covid care centre in New Delhi AFP/Getty World news in pictures 27 April 2021 The full moon, known as the Super Pink Moon rises behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Reuters World news in pictures 26 April 2021 Balinese people lay wreaths with names of the crew on board the sunk Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala during a prayer at the sea near Labuhan Lalang, Bali, Indonesia EPA World news in pictures 25 April 2021 An Ethiopian Orthodox Christian worshipper walks around the Edicule, the place believed to be where Jesus Christ was buried, during Palm Sunday celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem AFP/Getty World news in pictures 24 April 2021 Fans of Wuhan Three Towns FC cheer for their team during the 1st round match Wuhan Three Towns FC and Beijing Institute of Technology FC during Chinese Football League One in Wuhan, China Getty World news in pictures 23 April 2021 A girl prays in front of the Dome of the Rock, in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalems Old City, on the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, as coronavirus restrictions ease around the country, in Jerusalem Reuters World news in pictures 22 April 2021 People walk through the art work 'THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS' by Yayoi Kusama, during the press preview of a retrospective exhibition of the Japanese artist at the Martin Gropius Bau museum in Berlin, Germany AP World news in pictures 21 April 2021 Hungary's Sara Peter competes in the Women's floor qualifications during European Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the St Jakobshalle, in Basel AFP/Getty World news in pictures 20 April 2021 South Korea university students gets their heads shaved during a protest against Japan's decision to release contaminated water from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, in front of the Japanese embassy, in Seoul Reuters World news in pictures 19 April 2021 A spectator wearing a football jersey of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi attends the ATP Barcelona Open tennis tournament singles match between Japan's Kei Nishikori and Argentina's Guido Pella at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona AFP/Getty World news in pictures 18 April 2021 People raise their fist during a demonstration near the George Floyd Memorial in Minneapolis, Minnesota AFP/Getty World news in pictures 17 April 2021 Security personnel stand guard outside a polling station during the 5th phase of West Bengal's state legislative assembly elections in Kolkata AFP/Getty World news in pictures 16 April 2021 Palestinians take part in the first Friday prayers of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City AFP/Getty World news in pictures 15 April 2021 A firefighter inspects the site of a car bomb attack in Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 14 April 2021 This picture shows the 100 days countdown till the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games displayed on the illuminated Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo on April 14, 2021 AFP/Getty World news in pictures 13 April 2021 This photo taken and received courtesy of an anonymous source shows Buddhist monks gesturing while taking part in a demonstration with protesters against the military coup in Mandalay during the Myanmar New Year festival of Thingyan AFP/Getty World news in pictures 12 April 2021 An Indian holi man during the Kumbh Mela royal bath (Sacred Hindu Pilgrimage) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Thousands of pilgrims are gathering and taking holy dip in Kumbh Mela that is a mass Hindu pilgrimage which occurs after every twelve years and rotates among four locations EPA World news in pictures 11 April 2021 Nasa released images of of sand dunes on Mars captured using infrared reflections NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU World news in pictures 10 April 2021 People watch devotees pulling a chariot in Biska Jatra Festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal AP World news in pictures 9 April 2021 Maintenance workers clean the monument of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in Moscow on April 9, 2021. - Sixty years ago Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, marking it a new chapter in the history of space exploration. AFP/Getty World news in pictures 8 April 2021 Protesters hold a banner and burning red flares during a demonstration of called by unions of healthcare and social workers in support of their sector and to demand a bonus in their pay in Paris AFP/Getty World news in pictures 7 April 2021 Protesters laying on the street near the Election Commission office in Kolkata during a demonstration demanding the halt of the ongoing state legislative election and campaign rallies amidst the rising number of Covid-19 cases AFP/Getty World news in pictures 6 April 2021 Voters stand in queue to cast their votes at a polling booth during third phase of West Bengal state elections in Baruipur, South 24 Pargana district, India AP World news in pictures 5 April 2021 The Statue of Christ appears behind clouds from the Sao Jorge Castle in Lisbon as the Portuguese government eased coronavirus restrictions AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 April 2021 Christian worshippers light candles during an Easter service in Yerevan, the Armenian capital AFP/Getty World news in pictures 3 April 2021 Anti-coup protesters hold improvised weapons during a protest in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmars military Junta continued a brutal crackdown on a nationwide civil disobedience movement in which thousands of people have turned out in continued defiance of live ammunition Getty World news in pictures 2 April 2021 A rescue works at the site after a train derailed in a tunnel north of Hualien, Taiwan Reuters World news in pictures 1 April 2021 Man flashes three-finger salute next to burning tires during a protest against the military c Reuters World news in pictures 31 March 2021 Mannequins wrapped in barrier tape stand in front of Berlins landmark Brandenburg Gate as part of German artist Dennis Josef Mesegs Corona Memorial called It is Like it is AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 March 2021 A ship heads down the Suez Canal, in Ismalia, Egypt EPA World news in pictures 29 March 2021 Flocks of flamingos are pictured in a pond in Navi Mumbai AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 March 2021 Anti-coup protesters use slingshots and pelt stones towards approaching security forces on March 28, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmar's military Junta continued a brutal crackdown on a nationwide civil disobedience movement in which thousands of people have turned out in continued defiance of live ammunition. Getty

The slow rollout has been blamed on a range of national problems as well as delayed approval of the vaccines compared to elsewhere and an initial shortage of supply.

The announcement last week that AstraZeneca would initially only supply 31 million doses to the EU's 27 member states due to production problems triggered a fierce dispute between the two sides, with officials in Brussels saying they feared the company was treating the bloc unfairly compared to other customers, such as the United Kingdom.

On Friday, hours after regulators authorised the vaccine for use across the EU, the commission announced that it was tightening rules on exports of Covid-19 vaccines, sparking an angry response from Britain.

The commission has since made clear that the new measure will not trigger controls on vaccines shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to Northern Ireland.

Under the post-Brexit deal, EU products should still be able to travel unhindered from the bloc to the region.

EU member states praised the bloc's executive branch last year for signing numerous deals with vaccine makers, saying the joint purchase using combined market weight of the entire bloc had ensured a fair distribution for all 27 countries at good prices.

In a statement, the European Commission said it planned to set up a specialised body to improve the bloc's response to health emergency and "deliver a more structured approach to pandemic preparedness".

As part of the effort, together with industry, the EU said it would "fund design and development of vaccines and scale-up manufacturing in the short and medium-term, and also to target the variants of Covid-19."

"The pandemic highlighted that manufacturing capacities are a limiting factor," it said. "It is essential to address these challenges."

Press Association
First part of Rajya Sabhas Budget Session to end on Feb 13

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 31: The first part of the Budget Session of the Rajya Sabha will conclude on February 13, two days ahead of the original schedule, announced Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu after an all-party meeting on Sunday.

Naidu also made a fervent appeal to the leaders of various parties at an all-party meeting to ensure smooth and effective functioning of the House during the Budget Session.

Leaders of various parties attending the meeting assured that there would be full participation in all the debates and discussions in the House.

It was also decided that the Rajya Sabha would sit on February 13 instead of the scheduled sitting on February 15, as the last of the first part of the Budget Session, the sources said after the meeting.

The house will adjourn to enable the Department Related Parliamentary Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various departments and ministries, and will meet again on March 8.

A number of ministers and around 25 leaders of various parties attended the all-party meeting.

Budget 2021: Healthcare likely to get top priority

The leaders sought more time for the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President''s address and the General Budget, to which Naidu asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and the others concerned to rework the time schedule.

The chairman observed that these two discussions offer ample opportunities to the members to reflect on a wide range of issues for which more time may be allocated.

He also urged the ministers to learn the art of speaking in brief, both while moving the bills for consideration and replying to debates, so that members get more time to speak.

The allocation of sufficient time for members of small parties and groups in the House was also discussed, with the chairman observing that efforts were being made to give reasonable amount of time for such members.

He, however, noted that it may not be possible for members of about 20 such parties to speak on every issue.

Besides the minister of parliamentary affairs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri attended the meeting.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Leader of the House Thawarchand Gehlot also attended the meeting.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma and chief whip Jairam Ramesh, JDS leader and former prime minister HD Devegowda, BJP leader Bhupinder Yadav, SP''s Ram Gopal Yadav, DMK''s Tiruchi Siva, AIADMK''s A Navaneethakrishnan, RJD''s Prem Chand Gupta, BJD''s Prasanna Acharya, JD(U) leader RCP Singh, TRS leader K Keshava Rao, YSR Congress leader A Vijaysai Reddy, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, CPI-M leader Elamaram Kareem and Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar were among those who attended the meeting.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget in Parliament on Monday, February 1 at 11 am. The budget comes at a time when the country is hit by coronavirus pandemic.

Pro-Govt. parties oppose ECT deal with foreign investors Cabinet to decide tomorrow; port unions continue protest campaigns, send new proposals to President View(s): View(s):

A majority of partners in the ruling alliance want the East Container Terminal (ECT) in the Colombo Port vested entirely with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

They are opposed to ceding the ECT for a joint project with India and Japan.

Port Supply Facilities State Minister Jayantha Samaraweera told the Sunday Times a decision in this regard was made at a joint meeting yesterday.

He said those represented were from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, the Democratic Left Front, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, the Ceylon Workers Congress, the United Peoples Party, the National Congress, the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party and the Yuthukama Organisation.

The move came as the Cabinet is set to take a decision on the matter tomorrow. The task of conveying the decision reached at the meeting to Cabinet tomorrow has been entrusted to Ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudewa Nanayakkara and Udaya Gammanpila.

Minister Gammanpila said the representatives who met yesterday agreed that the ECT must be developed fully by the SLPA and must be 100 percent SLPA-owned. We will request that the Government provide loan facilities from state banks to develop the ECT, he said. If that is not possible, then the ECT can be listed on the stock exchange where our citizens will be able to purchase shares.

The meeting chaired by Minister Weerawansa was held as port sector trade unions threatened to begin an indefinite island-wide strike tomorrow if the Government pushed ahead with the move to give a 49 percent stake in the ECT to Indias Adani Group.

At the Colombo Port, work is already hampered owing to the work-to-rule campaign started by trade unions on Friday. Twenty-three unions are engaged in the campaign, said Prasanna Kalutarage, Port Sector Branch President of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya, which is affiliated to the SLFP. He added that unions affiliated to all political parties were fighting together over the ECT issue.

Union representatives have agreed on four main proposals and sent them to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday. The proposals include giving the SLPA written approval to begin operations at the ECT section that has already been developed and presenting a Cabinet paper proposing that operations of the entire ECT be brought under the SLPA.

The trade unions were yesterday continuing with their work-to-rule campaign and will decide tomorrow whether they will convert the work to rule into a strike.

On Friday, the Government gazetted the Port services as an essential service.

Meanwhile, commercial discussions were held between the investors and the Cabinet-Appointed Negotiating Committee (CANC) which will hand over its report to the Minister tomorrow. Its contents will be revealed by the Government, said SLPA Chairman Daya Ratnayake, who pledged that the ongoing dispute would be resolved in a positive manner.

Everyone is of the opinion that the ECT must be run by the SLPA, not handed over to some other institution or country, he told the media. This includes the port workers, trade unions, management and the public.

I am of the view that a proposal to satisfy all their aspirations has been arrived at by the CANC, he said. There is the possibility of a Cabinet memorandum being ready by tomorrow.

The Government had earlier insisted on the SLPA retaining a 51 percent holding in the business. This posed a challenge because, constitutionally, the enterprise would be State-owned, making it difficult to run it flexibly.

During talks, the SLPA had high expectations regarding what it would earn from the deal in terms of royalties and other gains. The demand was for several times more income than its revenue from the China-run Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) which is also in the Colombo Port.

The investors saw this as unreasonable and commercially unfeasible. That is because the ECT will deal with the same customers and offer the same service in the same harbour as the CICT.

The SLPA holds only a 15 percent stake in the CICT. China Merchants Holdings (International) (CMHI) holds the remaining 85 percent. There is, therefore, a reasonable expectation that the ECT must yield more for the SLPA.
NEW DELHI : India will emerge as the most resilient economy after Germany in 2021 exhibiting a strong economic resurgence to the global economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report.

Germany ranks first in the PHDCCI International Economic Resilience (IER) Rank followed by India and South Korea at second and third positions, respectively, according to the report released by industry body PHDCCI.

It is based on analysis of five lead macroeconomic indicators reflecting a country's economic performance including real GDP growth rate, merchandise export growth rate, current account balance (as percentage of GDP), general government net lending/borrowing (as percentage of GDP) and gross debt-to-GDP ratio.

India's IER Rank stands at second among the top-10 leading economies, indicating strong resilience of the Indian economy to the daunting pandemic of COVID-19, said PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sanjay Aggarwal.

The overall performance is projected at the second position after Germany in 2021, he added.

India's real GDP growth rate is projected to be the highest at 11.5% in the year 2021 among the top-10 leading economies in the world, according to the industry body.

The merchandise export volume growth is estimated to be the strongest at 14% in the year 2021, reflecting the great potential that the economy holds in terms of its international presence, said Aggarwal.

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Hazel Chu is happy and chatting with her hands wrapped around a 'Little Mrs Lord Mayor' mug when the doorbell rings. She goes to the window and sees a man standing outside. Her mood dims. She calls her husband, who is collecting their three-year-old daughter from creche. She is alone in the house and reassures him she won't open the door.

The fact the Lord Mayor of Dublin doesn't feel safe in her own home is disconcerting, but unsurprising.

Recently a group of right-wing protesters surrounded the Dawson Street residence and demanded her resignation with chants of 'our lives matter'. One woman called her a 'shape-shifting dragon'.

The next day she was lifting her daughter, Alex, from the car and found herself anxiously looking over her shoulder in case someone was ready to pounce. "As soon as I got in the door, I handed her straight to [my husband] Patrick and sobbed. Mainly because I was just tired. Sorry," she says becoming visibly upset. "I was fed up and I was very much going 'what the f**k?' Sorry for cursing. How did we get to this point?"

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Hazel's trajectory to the position is remarkable, spanning three generations of women. Her grandmother broke rocks in the local mine near their home in China to feed five children when her husband descended into alcoholism. She told Hazel's mother to emigrate to Ireland to start a new life "get an education and a good job".

To survive, her mother became a dishwasher in a restaurant off O'Connell Street, eventually meeting Hazel's father, a restaurant porter. Together they channelled their dreams into their daughter.

Was she a 'Tiger mum?' Chu nods vigorously. "She was. 'Do super well and be super disciplined,' that was my mum's mantra." She recalls getting 98pc in a maths test and bringing it home. "My mum looked at me in all seriousness and asked: Where's the 2pc?" says Hazel.

Despite the grades, she found school difficult. In the school yard, aged six, she was called "a slanty-eyed chink" and after asking her family what it meant she says: "I realised I need to do better. I need to do more."

Her first week in secondary school proved no different. "A girl called me a slur, 'yellow' or 'chink', and pulled my hair." In shock she says: "I turned around and punched her in the face." From that moment, "I thought 'do I really have to be around for this?' I couldn't fit in. I spent the whole year wanting out."

She transferred to Mount Sackville but admits now "those things stick to you". Meanwhile her parents were going through a messy divorce. At 13, Chu found herself in the bizarre situation of acting as their English translator while they thrashed out their case to lawyers: "I remember the surreal feeling thinking 'in any normal scenario I shouldn't be here'," she says.

By her late teens she found herself in a GP's practice, depressed and anxious. The divorce, coupled with school bullies, affected relationships for years: "I put up walls and became guarded. In a way I couldn't do relationships until I met Patrick."

After studying politics and history at University College Dublin, she completed a barrister-at-law degree at the King's Inns. Two years later, when her best friend died from cancer, she says, "it changed the course of my career and my well-being". She packed her bags, travelled the world and later returned to Ireland in the recession. With little prospect of a job in the legal world, she went into politics.

Her appointment as Dublin's Lord Mayor in June finds her at the centre of discussions to address the recent wave of violent youth crime in the city. "It's a massively serious issue," she says, "we have discussed this in the joint policing committee with DCC in terms of night-time crime and I have been assured by the Garda Commissioner that there is going to be a roll-out of community guards, which is what is needed when it comes to enforcement. Especially when you talk about gangs of youths." But she says: "It's really distressing."

Should we look at ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders) as a solution? "ASBOs are one good solution and I think restorative justice is another. But [for less serious crimes] keeping young offenders out of jail is crucial. Once someone goes through the system and they come out the other end there is only one direction they are going, so we need to ask 'what's the alternative?'"

Does she feel safe walking down O'Connell Street alone after dark? She sighs and thinks for a moment. "Right now? In the current times? When there are not many people around? No. I am not scaremongering but I do think with less footfall I personally would not feel safe walking down most streets when it's dark and not well populated [during the pandemic], but that doesn't mean it's not safe," she says.

She continues: "It's not even O'Connell Street," she says, "I was walking down Westland Row recently and there were no cars or people on the streets. I was thinking 'oh I'm not sure this feels as comfortable as it should'."

What about Grafton Street? "Right now? Probably not. Maybe it's the pandemic with less people around. It's the fear of what might happen." She says: "I want to feel secure in my city and I want to make sure that as we go forward I and others can feel safe going for a walk at night."

We talk about the moment she broke down the day after the racist chants.

I wonder if it was simply the protests or if there was a bigger picture. Because of the slurs over her heritage she has spent her whole life trying to excel. She has gone to law school, become a mother, a politician, now she is Lord Mayor of Dublin. A role beyond most people's dreams. And still there are people shouting abuse, telling her to go home.

Is it the thought 'what do I have to do to be enough?'

"I think you hit the nail on the head," she says.

"It was like 'nothing is ever going to be f**king enough?' but also my tears were me thinking: F**k. No matter what I do, is it ever going to be enough to change things for [Alex] either? And that was a low."

It paints a very different picture to the strong woman we see snapping back on Twitter.

She agrees: "I am externally strong on Twitter and in public but on a personal level I am really fecking tired. I am still human so at times I am going to cry over this. And I am going to be exhausted over this. But just because I break down every so often, doesn't change a thing. I still have to fight it. And if I keep calling it out, then it raises awareness for others."
As any fule kno, the biggest enemy of fraud, corruption, money laundering, and other forms of financial crime is transparency, while their best friend is secrecy. That's why the unprecedented mass sealing of cases that's taking place at the Financial Services Division of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands is repugnant to anyone with a genuine concern for financial crime.
A MAN convicted of what a judge said was an 'outrageous assault' walked free from court on Wednesday after lodging an appeal against a 10-month sentence.

Tullamore District Court heard Michael Lynch, Bells Well, Daingean, knocked out two of his victim's teeth and fractured his face in an early morning attack fuelled by alcohol and cocaine.

Mr Lynch, a 33-year-old father of three, pleaded guilty to assaulting Leon Delaney, causing him harm, at Bells Well on November 24, 2019.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan said when gardai came on the scene at 4.30am they saw that Leon Delaney was being attended to by paramedics and was missing two teeth.

Judge Catherine Staines was told the assault occurred when Mr Delaney, his wife, and another woman were walking home after a night out.

They met Mr Lynch who was shouting abuse in his girlfriend's face and when Mr Delaney told him to calm down, the defendant punched the victim a couple of times in the face and head and kicked him in the face when he fell to the ground.

In an interview with the gardai, Mr Lynch said he had punched Mr Delaney from behind and when the victim turned around they both fell to the ground.

Mr Delaney sustained multiple fractures to the side of his face and in a victim impact statement, he said his teeth had to be wired, he had developed a lisp, and he had to get dentures and eat pureed food for weeks.

He also had to cancel a family holiday planned for Christmas and the hardest thing he had to do was to try to explain to his children what had happened to his face while not being able to protect them from seeing his face.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said Mr Lynch had 33 previous convictions, most of which were for public order offences but he did have one conviction for assault dating from 2011.

He had received a six-month suspended sentence for that offence.

The defendant's solicitor, Donal Farrelly, said his client accepted it was an horrific assault on Mr Delaney and Mr Lynch himself was devastated by what he had done.

He had been using drink and cocaine at the time and that extremely toxic mixture led to him committing the assault when he was exchanging words with his partner and when Mr Delaney had interfered.

He had brought 1,000 to court which he had saved despite being on the Covid payment after losing his secure employment as a maintenance operator.

Mr Farrelly said Mr Lynch had also written a genuine letter of apology, was extremely saddened and ashamed, and would pay more money if given time.

Judge Staines said it had been with extreme reluctance that she accepted jurisdiction in the case but she knew the injured party was anxious that the matter be concluded.

From reading the victim impact statement she said the assault had occurred when Mr Delaney was minding his own business and then asked Mr Lynch to calm down when he was shouting and threatening to kill his girlfriend.

It was lucky for Mr Delaney that he was still alive, added the judge, saying that drink and cocaine were not an excuse.

Imposing the 10-month sentence, she noted his previous convictions and said she was giving the defendant credit for his guilty plea and his payment of compensation.

She directed the payment of a further 1,000 from the court poor box to Mr Delaney.

Judge Staines fixed recognisances for an appeal and those were taken up by Mr Lynch shortly after he was sentenced.

The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost.

The question "is whether there will be a political or technical government and who will lead it".

The leader of Italia Viva Matteo Renzi takes stock of the crisis after the interview with the President of the Chamber Roberto Fico: with respect to the hypothesis of an institutional government, for the former prime minister at this moment we should follow the path of the political executive.

If this were to fail "we would respectfully accompany the decisions of the head of state," he said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. With Fico, he added, "I did not open immediately to Conte ter because this insistent personalization on Conte betrays the real problem. Which is not the name of the premier, but the direction of the country" and the projects.

It is true that "ideas walk on men's legs and therefore soon, very soon, we should discuss the name of the man or woman who will sit at Palazzo Chigi for the next two years. But before deciding who will drive the car, let's ask ourselves where we want to go and what are the traveling companions ". Today "we will not accept to emerge from this crisis without a solemn, written commitment on the contents". Otherwise "we will take note of the decline of the Giallorossi experience".

With respect to the opening of the opposition to an institutional government, Renzi observes that it is not the position of the entire center-right and reiterates the closure to the sovereignists. On the hypothesis of the vote, also advanced by a part of the Democratic Party, according to Italia viva "it is the usual bugbear to terrorize some worried parliamentarians. But everyone knows that the vote will not go before 2023".

Before voting, there are, among others, the Recovery plan, manage vaccines, do the white semester and elect the new president of the Republic, underlines Renzi, who does not want to "pull by Draghi, a personality of absolute value. which I respect very much ". Feeding today a discussion on Draghi "is offensive towards Draghi himself and especially towards the President of the Republic and his constitutional competences".

Finally, on his controversial conference in Saudi Arabia: "I do many conferences, every year, all over the world" and thanks to this, "I pay hundreds of thousands of euros in taxes in Italy" he explains. As for Saudi Arabia, it is "one of our most important allies. The Saudi regime is a bulwark against Islamic extremism, the most important political and economic force in the area".

(Unioneonline / D)

Here are top stories this Sunday morning

Israeli-populated areas of Himachal put on alert after Delhi blast

The Himachal Pradesh Police has sounded an alert and intensified patrolling in Israeli-dominant areas of the state in wake of the minor IED blast that took place near the Israel embassy in New Delhi on Friday. The cops have beefed up security in areas including Mcleodganj and Dharamkot, due to the large number of Israeli tourists visiting the region.

Speaking on the development, SSP Kangra Vimukt Ranjan, Himachal Pradesh said, "After the blast in Delhi, patrolling has been intensified 24x7 in Israeli-populated regions including Mcleodganj and Dharamkot. The Mcleodganj police station has been put on alert to cope with any situation if it arises. The security personnel that carry out mobile patrolling across the state have been instructed to increase surveillance in the said regions.

Read full story here

Doctors in Karnataka contract COVID after first vaccine shot

Five doctors in Karnatakas Chamarajanagar district tested positive for coronavirus a week after receiving the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Experts, immediately stepped in to allay fears about the efficacy of the vaccine. Health authorities said that contracting the disease after receiving the first dose does not mean that the vaccine is ineffective. The Union government and other health experts have said that both Covaxin and Covishield vaccines will be effective only after the person is administered the second shot, which is to be given after a gap of 28 days.

Read full story here

BJP leaders rush to Matua bastion after Shah cancels visit

With Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancelling his visit to Matua stronghold Thakurnagar in North 24 Paragans district on Saturday, senior BJP leaders Kailash Viayvargiya and Mukul Roy met prominent members of the community and assured them that the central minister will hold a meeting for them "very soon". However, the ruling Trinamool has attacked the saffron party stating that it is confusing the Matuas and spreading false information regarding the citizenship issue.

Read full story here

Bihar CM condemns Red Fort violence

Breaking his silence on the human chain formation by the state's Opposition and the violence at Red Fort during farmers' tractor march, CM Nitish Kumar has said that RJD has learnt it from his party - JDU. Stating that the idea of human chain formation was first introduced by him and his party during alcohol ban proposal, Nitish Kumar said that now everyone, including TejashwiYadav-led RJD, is following it. Nitish Kumar also said that violence at Red Fort and insult to the National Flag is unacceptable and condemned the action while maintaining that people should put forward their grievances peacefully. Nitish Kumar spoke to reporters on January 30 after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

Read full story here

Pune court rejects trademark-violation plea filed against Covishield

A local court in Pune on Saturday rejected the injunction application filed on behalf of Cutish-Biotech against Serum Institute of India (SII), against the use of 'Covishield' as a brand name by the vaccine-maker. While the court order was not available immediately, the lawyer of Cutis-Biotech, a pharmaceutical products manufacturer and seller based in Maharashtra, said it would file an appeal in the high court. This comes after, Cutis-Biotech, on January 4, filed a suit in the civil court claiming that it was prior use of the brand name Covshield, and sought to restrain SII from using the name.

Read full story here
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 02:34:18|Editor: huaxia

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A man wearing a face mask visits the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 24, 2021. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

A COVID-19 model estimates the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa and identified in the United States this week could drive the country's COVID-19 death toll up to 654,000 by May 1 in a worst-case scenario if mobility returns to pre-pandemic levels.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- An influential COVID-19 model has predicted a possible "spring spike" in coronavirus deaths in the United States if emerging variants rapidly spread and people let down their guard against the virus.

In its latest forecast, the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa and identified in the United States this week could drive the country's COVID-19 death toll up to 654,000 by May 1 in a worst-case scenario if mobility returns to pre-pandemic levels.

A resurgence of the virus could also occur in the spring in California and Florida, according to the forecast.

Keeping mobility low and maintaining social distancing could reduce that number by approximately 30,000, said the forecast.

"What we're seeing is sobering, and will require us to continue taking this pandemic very seriously," said Christopher Murray, director of IHME.

"Getting vaccines out quickly is essential, and masks are still one of the best tools we have to keep transmission low and avoid the worst possible outcome. People will need to continue taking precautions even once they are vaccinated, because of the potential for more contagious variants to spread," he said.

"We have not been seeing governments taking action to apply cautionary measures as quickly as expected, and have incorporated that information into the modeling," said Murray. "Without measures to control the spread of the disease, mobility remains higher and transmission is more likely."



A sign advertising a face mask requirement is displayed at the Moynihan Train Hall in New York, the United States, Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

IHME's forecasts predict only 38 percent of people in the United States will be immune by May 1.

In a worst-case scenario, there is also the possibility of a third wave next winter, according to the forecast.

The vaccine rollout in the United States has drawn great public attention since it started on Dec. 14 last year. Health experts and officials have blamed states for slow vaccine rollout.

In face of growing frustration over vaccine shortages, U.S. President Joe Biden announced earlier this week a roughly 16 percent boost in vaccine deliveries to states over the next three weeks.

The country expects to provide enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall, according to Biden.

About 27.88 million doses have been administered as of Jan. 29, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
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More rain will be arriving Sunday to Portland, but the weather is expected to clear up by midweek.

The National Weather Service expects low pressure throughout the Pacific Northwest today, bringing clouds and consistent rain. The high temperature is expected to be near 51 degrees.

Drier weather is expected starting Tuesday night, but the models are unclear as to whether it will continue later into the week or if bursts of rain will return, according to the weather service.

Elevations that should expect snow will remain high around 4,000 to 5,000 feet, but only 2 to 5 inches of snow accumulation are expected along the Oregon Cascades. On Tuesday night and Wednesday, snow levels are expected to dip to 2,500 feet.

The atmospheric river  a plume of moisture running in a stream in the sky  from California is still bringing moisture up north, targeting southwest Oregon with precipitation.

-- Jaimie Ding

jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on April 5, announced via Twitter that the Stand Up India scheme had been extended till 2025.

Every year, state-run banks await one key announcement in the Union Budget speech  the recapitalisation amount earmarked for Public Sector Banks (PSBs) by the Union Finance Minister. Thats the lifeline for many weaker PSBs. These banks dont find many investors in the market unlike some of their bigger counterparts.

This year, too, the scenario is not different.

PSBs, which are owned by government and control about 60 percent of the assets of the banking system, are in need of urgent capital infusion for three reasons. One, to meet the mandatory reserve requirements 2. Provide for likely losses from stressed assets. 3. Kick-start the credit cycle as and when the loan demand revives.

Global rating agency, Moodys, last year said the total capital requirement needed for PSBs is around Rs 2 lakh crore for next two years.

Last Budget was a disappointment for PSBs. These banks didnt get any fresh allocation.

Where is the money?

The Economic Survey 2021, released on Friday ahead of Budget, rightly warned about the perils of undercapitalisation in PSBs.

If capital is not provided, lenders may resort to risk-shifting, it said. In turn, impacting the real economic recovery. Under-capitalised banks may again resort to risk-shifting and zombie lending, thereby severely exacerbating the problem, the survey said. The adverse impact could then spill over to the real economy through good borrowers and projects being denied credit. The resultant drop in the investment rate of the economy could then lead to the slowdown of economic growth, the survey said.

This warning is significant since the credit growth has plunged to record low levels in the recent months on account of a range of factors including general economic slowdown and muted demand. Also, banks have been highly risk averse to lend to smaller firms due to high risk perception.

If one analyses the third-quarter earnings of Indian banks reported numbers so far, two clear trends are visible. Banks are witnessing a rise in stressed loans. Second, most lenders are trimming growth in their loans to industries on account of risk aversion. Both trends are not surprising in a slowing economy. But, banks lending less to companies is a clear bad news to Indias struggling economy because when credit growth slows to companies that, in turn, impacts progress of projects, cash flows and employment generation and so on.

In this context, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has her tasks cut for the Indian banking sector in the Union Budget 2021. The Budget is an opportunity for the finance minister to address some of the long-pending critical issues, beginning with addressing the massive capital requirement for the banks and charting out the future course of these entities.

Privatisation?

Since coming to power in 2014, the Narendra Modi-government has pumped in around Rs 3.15lakh crore in the state-run banks. But, the requirement is much too big and what has come so far is too little considering the deep mess these banks are in.

A report of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report recently said that the gross NPA levels could touch 14.7 percent by September this year. In simple words, this means that the banks will require more capital this year to make provisions. The Budget needs to address this part.

It is fairly certain that a fiscally-constrained, capital-starved government will not be able to meet the funding needs of PSBs in the years ahead. So what is the solution?

The better approach will be to actively pursue a roadmap for the privatisation of PSBs and get out of the ownership of these banks.

Both the UPA and NDA governments have not acted decisively on the privatisation agenda. The NDA government has only resorted to merging smaller and weaker banks with bigger ones. Last year, it undertook a mega merger exercise consolidating ten PSBs into four at one go. But experts have long argued that merger of weak banks will not solve the problem of governance issues and lack of autonomy. Besides, merging a weak bank with a strong bank could even impact the health of the big bank.

The only major bank acquisition that happened in the recent past is the LIC-IDBI Bank deal. But, this cannot be termed as a case of privatisation since the LIC is a government-owned entity.

A highly competitive market scenario, a fiscally constrained government cannot continue with the ownership of state-run banks. It will have to look at options to gradually cede ownership control in some of the public sector banks (PSBs). Sitharaman could use her Budget speech to lay out a roadmap for the privatisation of the PSBs.

Besides, the government should also look at the loopholes in the risk-management systems in the PSBs. The state-run banks continue to have weak risk management tools and are exposed to frauds. Rising frauds at banks and financial failures have shaken the confidence of customers in the banking institutions.

Privatisation of PSBs is an old agenda. The same PSBs played a crucial role in implementing Modi governments economic agenda (including in the Rs 20 lakh crore Covid package implementation last year). Whether the government should keep PSBs alive on life support or exit from the ownership of these banks is the critical question at this stage. In 2014, the RBI-appointed P J Nayak panel submitted its report recommending privatisation of PSBs taking into account the low productivity and steep erosion in asset quality and for having demonstrated uncompetitiveness of public sector banks over varying time periods.

Transferring the ownership to a holding company alone will not help. The ultimate ownership matters. Strengthening PSBs is critical for the health of the broader financial system. These entities lack capital and strong managements. A solid privatisation roadmap is the biggest gift FM Sitharaman can offer to sarkari banks in this budget.
A Cabinet minister has suggested more of the most vulnerable members of the public could die if teachers are moved up the vaccination priority list.

Labour is calling for teachers to receive the jab before schools return, but after those in the four most vulnerable groups have been vaccinated, which is anticipated by mid-February.

However, this appeared to be ruled out by International Development Secretary Liz Truss, who said that this could leave other vulnerable groups at risk.

Asked if teachers should be moved up the priority list, she told Skys Sophy Ridge On Sunday: The issue is that for every person you vaccinate who isnt in the most vulnerable group, thats somebody in the most vulnerable group who isnt getting their vaccine and who is more likely to die in the next few weeks and months.

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I just dont think thats right. Thats the decision made by the independent committee that we are going to vaccinate first the over-70s and those in the most vulnerable group, and then the over-50s.

Under the current vaccine delivery plan, those who top the priority list are people who live and work in care homes, followed by people over the age of 80 and frontline health and social care workers, including NHS staff.

Next on the list are people over the age of 75, and the fourth group are people aged over 70 and those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable.

Labour has suggested that once those in the first four categories have been vaccinated, the February half-term should be used for teachers and all school staff to receive the jab.

During a Peoples PMQs filmed on Sunday, Boris Johnson said he totally understands why people want teachers and other key workers to be prioritised.

WATCH: Prime Minister @BorisJohnson and Dr @NikkiKF answer your vaccine questions in a #PeoplesPMQs vaccine edition.



Ask your questions at https://t.co/cxEV8n40Vshttps://t.co/n3QIJmJR0d  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) January 31, 2021

But the Prime Minister added: The priorities are determined not by politicians, but by clinical need.

They are determined by this Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), they look at how to stop people suffering or sadly dying as fast as possible.

At the moment, the groups one to nine are ordered on that basis, and one to four ordered on that basis. Clearly, any teacher who is vulnerable in any way is going to be on that JCVI one to nine list anyway.

So there is provision to look after teachers but the best thing we can do is make sure we get schools open in a Covid-secure way.

Former prime minister Tony Blair said there was a very strong case for teachers to be vaccinated before schools are reopened to all students in England, which the Government has earmarked for March 8.

Meanwhile, Labours Rachel Reeves suggested frontline workers such as bus drivers or police officers should get greater priority for vaccination because they are more at risk of contracting coronavirus.

The shadow Cabinet Office minister told Sophy Ridge On Sunday: We know that some people, because of the work they do, are more exposed to the virus.

She said Labour is calling on the JCVI to look at whether those people who are most exposed to the virus can get access to it at a bit of an earlier stage.

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Government data up to January 30 shows of the 9,468,382 jabs given in the UK so far, 8,977,329 were first doses  a rise of 598,389 on the previous days figures.

Professor Anthony Harnden, JCVI deputy chair, said he was confident of the UKs vaccine supply following fears it could be interrupted by the EUs export controls and demands for British-manufactured jabs.

He told BBC Breakfast: Were progressing extremely well in the number of vaccines in this country, weve had 8.3 million first doses so far.

These vaccines arent easy to manufacture, its a complicated process involving a lot of batch testing and supply chains, there are bound to be some bumps along the road.

Im quite confident the Vaccine Taskforce has ordered so many millions of doses of different vaccines that we can keep the supply going.

On the dosing regime, he said current advice is that if supply issues make it difficult to have two doses of the same vaccine, it is better to have a second dose of a different vaccine rather than no dose at all.

Dr Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 strategic response director at Public Health England (PHE), said experts were looking at developing studies on receiving the two doses from different vaccines.

I think its hard to imagine how the different vaccines wont have similar levels of effectiveness, I think they would have at least 50%, maybe even more Dr Susan Hopkins, Public Health England

In some other infections, we can see that is often an effective strategy, because it challenges the immune system in slightly different ways, she told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show.

That hasnt been studied for this virus or for these vaccines yet, but we will have answers over the course of the year no doubt.

Meanwhile, Dr Hopkins said it was reassuring news that the Janssen and Novavax vaccines have been found to be effective against the variant identified in South Africa.

She told The Andrew Marr Show: The Janssen vaccine and the Novavax suggest that it was at least 60% (effective) against the South African variant, so I think that is reassuring news.

Dr Hopkins said she expected all of the vaccines to have similar levels of effectiveness against variants like the South African one.
Reiterating his statement that Mamata 'will be left alone' by the time the Assembly election is held, Shah contended, 'Mamata should think why so many TMC leaders are joining the BJP. It is because she has failed the people of the state.'

Slamming West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that members of the ruling Trinamool Congress were joining the BJP "in droves" because Mamata has "failed the people".

Shah, who has been actively campaigning for the BJP in the poll-bound state for the last few weeks, made the remarks while addressing the BJP's Howrah rally via video-conferencing.

Reiterating his statement that Mamata "will be left alone" by the time the Assembly election is held, Shah contended, "Mamata should think why so many TMC leaders are joining the BJP. It is because she has failed the people of the state."

Virtually addressing a public meeting in Howrah, West Bengal. #BJPGorbeSonarBangla https://t.co/l7aA6ahVpu  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 31, 2021

Shah cancelled his visit to West Bengal on Friday citing "unavoidable circumstances" and the "situation in Delhi", The Indian Express reported.

Shah also accused Mamata of working towards "bhatija kalyan" (serving her nephew). He claimed that the TMC, which boasts of the slogan 'Maa Mati Mansuh (mother, land and people)', actually indulges in extortion, corruption and appeasement.

Shah also stated that the BJP will form the next government in the state and bring about development.

"I want to make it clear that the BJP would come to power in the state after the elections. While the Modi government is working towards 'jan kalyan' (serving people), the Mamata Banerjee government is working towards 'bhatija kalyan' (serving her nephew) in Bengal," Shah said.

Former TMC leaders Rajib Banerjee, Baishali Dalmiya, Prabir Ghoshal, Rathin Chakraborti, and Rudranil Ghosh attended the rally, The Times of India reported.

Senior BJP leaders such as Union minister Smriti Irani, party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, and West Bengal BJP vice-president Mukul Roy were also present.

The report quoted Rajib as saying, "We want a double-engine government in West Bengal. We want Bharatiya Janata party government both at the Centre and the state for a sonar Bangla. (golden Bengal)."

Banerjee joined the BJP in Delhi on Saturday along with a few other leaders of the state's ruling party, after meeting Shah.

Banerjee and MLAs Prabir Ghosal and Baishali Dalmiya, who was recently expelled from the TMC, and former Howrah Mayor Rathin Chakraborty, flew to Delhi on a special plane, and met central BJP leaders.

"They have joined the BJP," party general secretary Vijayvargiya told PTI on Saturday.

Former TMC MLA Parthasarathi Chattopadhyay and actor Rudranil Ghosh had also accompanied them on their visit to meet BJP leaders in the National Capital.

BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy and Vijayvargiya arrived in Delhi with them.

The TMC, which has been facing dissent from a number of leaders ahead of the assembly election due in April-May, said that those who are leaving do not have long political history.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee said he had a word with Union Home Minister Amit Shah who called him to the National Capital.

"After I resigned from the TMC, I received a call from the BJP leadership... Amit Shah ji told me to come over to Delhi. He also requested me to pass on the information to five other important public figures who wanted to serve people in a better way to accompany me.

"If I get an assurance on the state's development, if I get an assurance that I can work for the betterment of people, I will join the BJP," he told reporters at the Kolkata airport.

When asked what role does he expect to play in the BJP, Banerjee said it is for the party to decide.

"I want to work for the people. So whatever role is assigned to me, I will accept," he said. Instead of mudslinging at each other, the Centre and the West Bengal government should work together for the people of the state.

With inputs from PTI
The UKs mass vaccination rollout already appears to be having an easing effect on the Covid crisis, according to data.

Research due to be published in days is set to provide evidence that Britons are receiving some protection from the virus, The Times reported on Saturday.

Though it is not yet clear if vaccines block transmission of the virus from one person to another, the deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said early data indicate a vaccine effect from the first dose in both younger adults and in older adults over 80.

The effect seems to increase over time, Professor Anthony Harnden told the newspaper. It is possible that we may get stronger and better long-term protection by a delayed second dose.

Virologist Dr Chris Smith, however, said the vaccine rollout would only start to put a barrier in the way of the virus by mid-to-late February.

He told BBC Breakfast this prediction is based on the fact it takes two to three weeks after having a vaccine for immunity to start to kick in, plus a further time to consolidate that.

Dr Smith said: Yes we're making enormous strides, yes we're getting the vaccine into lots of people, but we won't expect to see it really begin to bite, I would say, for a few more weeks yet because as those numbers climb, and as people's immunity builds, that's when we're really going to start to put a barrier in the way of the virus.

Official figures show that since the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was first rolled out in early December, some 7.7 million people have received their first jab, indicating the NHS is more than halfway towards its target of vaccinating 15 million in the four most vulnerable groups by the middle of February.

Of this number, 7,253,305 were the first dose of the vaccine, a rise of 436,360 on the previous day's figures, while 447,898 were the second dose, an increase of 1,526.

Experts have said people should not delay getting one of the coronavirus vaccines in favour of waiting for different versions becoming available later this year.

Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said: "I don't think people should be swithering about which jab to get, it's not like choosing between different consumer products, for example.

"I think we should recognise that if we're offered an appointment, we should take it up."

Dr Smith added that the newer Novavax and Janssen vaccines are not likely to be approved by the MHRA until "probably midway through the year".

Additional reporting by PA
In a commendable effort, farmers of Mohanpur in Jharkhand's Deoghar district have built a dam without any kind of support from the government.

The farmers in the village had been facing issues related to irrigation and had to rely in rain.

India Today

According to a report by India Today, the farmers built a cheque dam on Jojiya river that flows right through the middle of the village.

"The farmers blocked the flow of the river by using bags filled with sand and mud. After that, they turned and diverted the flow of the river through small channels towards their fields. The water is now being used for irrigation purposes," the India Today report said.



India Today

Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh has appreciated the model adopted by the farmers of Mohanpur.

"If the water could be preserved and used in the farm, it will turn out to be a blessing for the farmers," he added.
Over 1,600 people have been detained during pro-Navalny rallies across Russia.

Security officials have detained Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Moscow.

This was reported by the Telegram channel Mash. The circumstances and reasons for the detention were not specified.

Read alsoUPDATE: New pro-Navalny rallies being held in Russia, over 500 detainees reported

According to the Meduza media outlet, more than 1,600 people have been detained throughout Russia.

Yulia Navalnaya was earlier detained during rallies on January 23.

Pro-Navalny protests

Supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny are holding protests across the country on Sunday, January 31.

Prior to the events, Kira Yarmysh, Alexei Navalny's press secretary, was detained in a new case in Moscow.

On January 23, first protests after Navalny's return to Russia and his subsequent detention were held in Russian cities. The largest rallies took place in St. Petersburg and Moscow. According to various estimates, they gathered up to 40,000 people. To block the protests, the authorities deployed riot police and the National Guard in the streets, armored vehicles were used and communications were jammed. In cities, law enforcement forces were brutally detaining protesters, using force against them.

Reporting by UNIAN
Egypts government has launched the second phase of initiative supporting export companies, announcing that the registration will open as of 7 February through until the end of the month.

Minister of Finance, Mohamed Maait said on Sunday that the initiative came in implementation of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives to back the sector, adding that it aims at disbursing the export companies' arrears from the Export Development Fund (EDF) before the end of the current FY2020/2021 (ending in June).

The initiatives second phase will be executed with the same conditions of the first phase, according to Maait.

He added that this initiative contributes in providing cash liquidity that enables export companies to meet their financial obligations, keep their labour force and boost the competitiveness of Egyptian products in international markets, especially with the severe impacts that hit the sector due to the COVID-19 crisis.

In September, Egypts government launched the first phase of the initiative that targeted instant and cash repayment of the entirety of export companies arrears from the EDF before the end of 2020 at a repay acceleration discount of 15 percent.

1069 export companies benefitted from the first phase, with total disbursements of EGP 13.5 billion, according to the minister.

The initiative is implemented in collaboration with the banking system, as the finance ministry deposits a guarantee at the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to allow for the payment of the arrears for the companies that are willing to pay their entire dues, according to minister.

This will be allowed for the companies that will subscribe to the initiative before the end of February, end of April and the end of June, said Maait.

He added that the finance ministry will repay these sums and their proceeds to the banks that contributed to the initiative over three years.

The minister revealed that the government disbursed EGP 21 billion over a year in order to support the exports sector through six initiatives.

2500 export companies benefitted from the other five initiatives with a total of EGP 5.6 billion disbursed for the exports during FY2019/2020 as well as EGP 2.4 billion disbursed from July to November 2020.

The cabinet has approved five initiatives since October 2019 that aimed to settle the exporters arrears through June 2019.

The initiatives included the repayment of small investors with a maximum of EGP 5 million, the repayment of 30 percent of the whole arrears to the exporters, holding a set-off between the exporters arrears and the payable tax and custom obligations on them, the repayment of the total arrear sums over four to five years while expanding their investments in return, in addition to the land allocation initiative.
L: Then President Donald Trump in a video address on Dec. 23, 2020. R: Then-Georgia Republican House candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene at a press conference in Dallas, Georgia, on Oct. 15, 2020. (White House video screenshot; Dustin Chambers/Getty Images)

Trump Voices Support for Embattled Rep. Marjorie Greene During Call: Report

Rep. Marjorie Greene (R-Ga.) said on Saturday that she had received a call from former President Donald Trump during which he expressed his support.

I had a GREAT call with my all time favorite POTUS, President Trump! she wrote in a string of Twitter posts. Im so grateful for his support and more importantly, the people of this country are absolutely 100% loyal to him because he is 100% loyal to the people and America First.

She didnt elaborate on the details of the call.

Trumps office did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

Democrats have hyped up attacks against Greene, a staunch supporter of Trumps policies as president, after she filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden on the first full day of his presidency.

She vowed that she will not back down.

I wont back down. Ill never apologize. And Ill always keep fighting for the people. For me, its America First!!! she wrote.

America Last policies are policies for sell outs and losers, she continued.

The newly-elected congresswoman announced that she had introduced the articles of impeachment against Biden on Jan. 21.

The articles of impeachment concern Bidens alleged actions involving a quid pro quo deal in Ukraine and alleged abuse of power by allowing his son, Hunter Biden, to siphon off cash from Americas greatest enemies Russia and China, Greenes office said in a statement just a day after Biden was sworn in as the 46th U.S. president.

Within a week of Greenes announcement, a Democrat said that he plans to introduce a resolution to expel Greene citing numerous reports revealing her repeated endorsements of sedition, domestic terrorism, and political violence.

Her very presence in office represents a direct threat against the elected officials and staff who serve our government, and it is with their safety in mind, as well as the security of institutions and public servants across our country, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

Greene didnt respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times. In a statement released on Jan. 29, she said, Every attack, every lie, every smear strengthens my base of support at home and across the country because people know the truth and are fed up with the lies.

Supporters take photos with Marjorie Taylor Greene, background right, in Rome, Ga., on Aug. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

In announcing his resolution plans, Gomez claimed that Greene has supported Facebook posts that called for violence against prominent Democratic leaders. Greene has also expressed support for the QAnon movement, which has been labeled by the mainstream media as a fringe conspiracy theory.

QAnon follows clues from cryptic messages posted to anonymous imageboards. A prominent aspect of the theory alleges that global elites are part of a satanic pedophile ring.

Greene has called the movement a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Gomez hasnt yet indicated when he will be introducing the resolution to expel Greene.

Greene also is facing pressure from the Republican side as the Democrats have been pressing House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to remove Greene from her committee assignments.

Mark Bednar, a spokesperson for McCarthy, told Axios that the House Republican leader will meet with Greene next week.

These comments are deeply disturbing and Leader McCarthy plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them, Bednar reportedly said in a statement.

Isabel van Brugen contributed to the report.
One person was taken to Lancaster General Hospital Saturday morning after crashing their vehicle into a wall in West Lampeter Township, police said.

The driver of a 2011 Ford Ranger traveling south crossed over into the northbound lane, which is when the person struck a wall on the eastern side of the road, according to the West Lampeter Township Police Department.

Authorities said the incident happened at 8:30 a.m. in the 700 block of Lampeter Road. They are investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Matt Neidlinger at 717-464-2421.

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Vietnam has detected a new coronavirus variant originating in South Africa in a foreign expert who had been quarantined upon his arrival in Hanoi in December.

The patient, a 25-year-old South African expert, landed at Noi Bai International Airport in the capital on December 19.

He tested positive for the novel coronavirus on December 23 and was confirmed as Vietnams COVID-19 patient No. 1,422.

The patient was brought to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi for treatment.

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has sequenced the virus and determined that the patient is carrying a new coronavirus variant from South Africa.

This is the first time the coronavirus mutation has been recorded in the Southeast Asian country.

In early January, the first imported case of another coronavirus variant originating in the UK was announced.

The variant was detected in a 44-year-old woman returning to Vietnam from Britain, who was quarantined upon arrival and was confirmed positive for the virus on December 24.

The UK variant has spread to 70 countries, while the South Africa variant has been recorded in more than 30 nations, the Vietnamese health ministry stated.

These new coronavirus mutations are said to be more transmissible than the old one.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,781 coronavirus cases, including 914 domestic infections, as of Sunday morning, with 1,456 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A new report showing greater use of pesticides in Kern and other Central Valley counties has rekindled a discussion about whether enough is be
Ellsworth: Did you get the message from your body?
Expelled leader V K



Sasikala was discharged from a hospital here on Sunday after recovering from COVID-19, days after she was set free by the prison officials on completion her jail term in a corruption case, authorities said.

The family has decided to take Sasikala, close aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, to Chennai, sources close to her said, adding the hospital has advised her to be under self-quarantine for sometime.

Sasikala was admitted to the Victoria Hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 recently while under judicial custody.

Prison authorities here had formally released her on January 27 after she completed the four-year jail term in a Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

On the advice of doctors, she remained in the hospital and was discharged on Sunday after her latest test reports came negative for COVID-19, hospital officials said.

A huge crowd of her supporters greeted Sasikala as she came out of the hospital.

More than 300 police personnel were deployed in the area to ensure law and order, police said.

Sambasivan, one of her supporters from Hosur in the border district of Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, told PTI that this was like a festival for him.

Her release comes ahead of the assembly elections likely in April-May this year in Tamil Nadu.

(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.)
JACKSON, MI -- Jackson will celebrate Black History Month by sharing African-American artifacts and displays with the community through a collaboration with the Ella Sharp Museum.

Beginning Feb. 1, the city of Jacksons website and social media platforms will feature 10 posts throughout the month featuring never-before-seen artifacts from the Ella Sharp Museums main collection.

The oldest artifact to be displayed is an 1893 African-American City Directory featuring black families who lived in Jackson during that era and showing the city has had an established African-American community for more than 100 years, City Spokesman Aaron Dimick said.

The posts also will highlight artifacts as recent as a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest sign. The hope is this collaboration between the city and the museum will show residents its important to preserve things today and inspire them to donate to the museum, Dimick said.

Ella Sharp Museum Executive Director Diane Gutenkauf said she hopes the community will find the artifacts inspiring as they paint a richer picture of Jacksons diversity.

We are actively working to expand our collection and want to tell more stories by and about people of color, Gutenkauf said. We would love to hear your story and add it to our collection.

As the city of Jackson begins multiple racial equity efforts, its important the community is mindful of Jacksons Black History and what it can teach, Jackson City Chief Equity Officer John Willis said. Learning Black history can help the community understand who the Black leaders were and how they came to be established in Jackson, Willis said.

In September, the Jackson City Council approved ordinances creating a Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a Racial Equity Commission.

Racial equity efforts move forward in Jackson

The commission is meant to ensure racial equity is included in city policies and procedures and to make recommendations to officials on ways to promote racial justice and equity in Jackson. Seats on the commission still are begin filled, but the group is expected to have its first meeting by early March, Willis said.

The Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will work with the city manager to create and maintain opportunities for diversity, inclusion and equity within Jackson. It is currently working on establishing and filling seats for the Youth Council and the MLK Corridor Improvement Authority.

The support and participation has been awesome. The people there are taking an active role in helping us access where we are right now and where we need to go, Willis said.

The Black History Month posts will be available on the city of Jacksons website and Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

Read more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot:

Vaccinating eligible Jackson County residents against COVID-19 could take months, officials say

West Avenue, Morrell Street intersection cause for concern after history of crashes, officials say

Michigans COVID-19 restrictions during holidays likely prevented about 109,000 cases, 2,800 deaths
One of the very fanciest, most expensive prep schools in the country recently has been convulsed with demands to alter its curriculum and staff to force feed a radical racial agenda on the children of the Ruling Class. But a group of parents has circulated a letter of protest, seeking to ensure that Junior and Muffy will not be dumbed down and radicalized in the name of avenging the death of George Floyd of a drug overdose while in custody of the Minneapolis Police.

It is notable that the parents backing the letter remain anonymous; such is power of casual accusations of racism today. Nonetheless, at least when their privacy is protected, parents can recognize that the demands of the racialists can harm their offspring, curtailing the breadth and depth of their education, degrading their ability to think and be aware of the intellectual heritage of our civilization, and maybe even cheapening the value of the education they receive, currently at the price of $54,180 a year and certain to rise further every year.

Dana Kennedy of The New York Post writes of the revolt of the elites at The Dalton School in New York City:

The Dalton School

Parents and alumni at the tony Dalton School have fired off a scathing open letter decrying the schools new race-obsessed agenda. The anonymous missive to the Dalton community, obtained by the Post, charges the love of learning and teaching is now being abandoned in favor of an anti-racist curriculum. It reads, Every class this year has had an obsessive focus on race and identity, racist cop reenactments in science, de-centering whiteness in art class, learning about white supremacy and sexuality in health class. Wildly inappropriate, many of these classes feel more akin to a Zoom corporate sensitivity-training than to Daltons intellectually engaging curriculum. The letter calls for an impartial ombudsman outside of the DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] industry to advocate for the schools educational mission and solicit feedback from alumni and parents about changes to the curriculum. It also suggests the school immediately pause the new anti-racist curriculum and anti-racist teacher training.

Maybe you don t care what a few snobby parents at a school with only 1300 students have to say, but these are mostly parents with a lot of influence on the peak institutions of communications and culture. The reality of the cost of the measures demanded by the racialst know-nothings seeking to degrade education even further is hitting people who thought that their money and status could exempt their kids from the damage inflicted on the rest of us.

Its a small step, to be sure. But even those parents who didnt back the letter know that there is truth to their charges that the value of education at the Dalton School is collapsing, if these changes go forward:

The seven-page treatise, signed only Loving Concern @ Dalton, calls for a return to empowering teachers to passionately take responsibility for the childrens education and teach their subject matter in accordance with the Dalton Plan. It seems insane that we have to say this but lets restore the centrality of education to the schools mission. In place of a joyful, progressive education, students are exposed to an excessive focus on skin color and sexuality, before they even understand what sex is, the letter reads. Children are bewildered or bored after hours of discussing these topics in the new long-format classes. Dalton used to awaken childrens imagination with fiction, art, Aztec bookmaking, the Renaissance, ITL and Carmino Ravosa musicals. Having children focus on skin color and their sexual identities, rather than immersing them in the beauty and joy of human civilization, the wonder of science and nature, or the meaning of power and words and math and music, seems nuts to us. A Dalton dad seethed to The Post Friday, What were seeing at the school now is the atrocious mismanagement of the precious social and intellectual development of children. Its inexcusable for with an institution with a 100-year old pedagogy to have so quickly and sharply shifted to a radical and untested approach to child development and education.

There is an Emperors New Clothes aspect to what these parents have to say. Children dont get into an elite school like Dalton unless their parents believe in, and are willing to pay for, the best quality grounding in reason and knowledge for their children. That applies to scholarship students and much as to those whose parents pay full freight.

Only the obsessive radicals among them ignore the peril to their children of putting the race-obsessions of a few ahead of the quality education they sought.

It may be that the threat of being called racist will silence these still-anonymous parents. If so, the Dalton School will decline and fall into just another propaganda factory. And with it will go a small backstop against the utter degradation of education in the United States.

Photo credit: Jim.henderson CC BY-SA 4.0 license

WASHINGTON - The self-appointed guardians of the fence that separates Black Lives Matter Plaza in the District of Columbia from the federal parkland of Lafayette Square and the White House grounds gathered once again in the street Saturday as the sun rose.

They waved Black liberation flags and danced to the music of Pussy Riot, just as they have on many mornings before. Then, they did something new.

They carefully photographed each decorated panel of fence - 78 of them - and archived the contents, making detailed notes of each. Then, after a final look, the group began to take it all down.

They clipped zip ties and unfastened pipe cleaners, cut through thick layers of tape and unhooked bungee cords. Volunteers collected the pieces one by one in large plastic bags before carrying them to a waiting car.

Some of the pieces will be donated to museums and schools. Howard University and the Library of Congress have already selected some items for their respective collections. District Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio said recently that the District had reached out to the Smithsonian Institution about taking some of the works, though no official agreement had been reached.

National Park Service officials have prodded the Smithsonian, which in June sent representatives to collect artifacts that had accumulated in the square amid ongoing racial justice demonstrations. The Park Service also had planned to preserve some of the signs in the agency's own museum collection, but Nadine Seiler, a racial justice activist and the unofficial curator of the display, said she had no word from the government about that.

"I haven't heard from them at all," she said Saturday as she unclipped an American flag from the metal. "It's not like those people don't know where to find me. I'm out here every day."

Seiler, 55, had been among the hundreds of thousands of protesters who took to the streets of the District after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis to demand criminal justice reform and protest the country's long, painful history of racial inequality.

As signs carried by demonstrators began to accumulate on and around the security fence erected at Lafayette Square, Seiler started to do what she does best: organize.

Before the coronavirus pandemic made working in other people's houses impossible, Seiler had been a professional home organizer. She helped others order their closets and inventory their collections. She enjoyed making order from chaos.

In August, Seiler began to make near-daily trips from her home in Waldorf, Md., to Black Lives Matter Plaza, where volunteer medics would gather for shifts throughout the day and protesters would meet for rallies or meandering marches about town.

Seiler, meanwhile, would tend to the pieces on the fence. She learned that each one had its own needs - more tape, a stronger foundation, a protective plastic coating.

Then, on Oct. 26, a small group of conservative activists who had come to the District for the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, attacked the fence. They snatched signs, ripped posters, threw items to the ground. Many pieces were destroyed.

Seiler and a small army of volunteers restored what they could. Before long, a collection of salvaged signs and new additions refilled the fence.

But Seiler had made a decision. She would not let anything like that happen again.

That meant maintaining a vigil at the fence, day and night. It meant defending the fence with her body, raising her arms and standing between would-be vandals and the pieces they sought to destroy. It meant recruiting others to keep watch and feeding the homeless individuals who helped fill out her team of volunteers.

It meant being there all day, all night, no matter what.

Since that late October day, Seiler said, she has spent no more than a few hours at a time away from her post. She coordinates with others, including Karen Irwin, 45, so they can take turns sleeping, eating or using the bathroom.

The rest of her time is spent minding the pieces on display, negotiating with police officers who have closed the plaza several times over the past few months, or helping tourists with questions about the art, the protests, the best place to attempt a photo of the White House.

After President Joe Biden was inaugurated and Seiler had folded up her flags that opposed the former president - "He's gone," she had said, "so we don't need these anymore" - Seiler decided the time had come to step away from the daily work of protecting the fence. Her protest of the former president was over, she said. It had become harder to imagine staying out there all day and night as temperatures fell and heaps of snow were forecast to hit the region.

So she and her team of volunteers conferred and determined that the best way to make sure the fence and its art would live on - with or without her standing watch - was to create a digital archive, to preserve the fence exactly as it was for anyone to see, forever.

Aliza Leventhal, an archivist with the Library of Congress, offered to help guide the group in recording and archiving each piece.

She told Seiler to number each panel of the fence, so every piece could be recorded and stored in order.

Over three days, Seiler adjusted the art a final time. She hung pieces that had fallen, made sure folded corners were upright.

By the time the sun rose on Saturday, several dozen panels had been photographed and recorded.

A team of six made quick work of the rest in the morning cold. Jogging in place at times to keep their feet from freezing, they plucked homemade shields, painted tarps, mixed-media works of art from their positions.

"This is going to be the ugliest fence in the world when we're all done," Irwin said.

Runners and dog walkers paused to watch the process. Some had questions.

"Where's this stuff going to end up?" asked a man, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of a puffy red jacket.

"Are you all taking this to a museum or something?" asked a young woman as she took pictures with her phone.

"Yes," Seiler said, cutting through plastic zip ties.

"That's awesome," the woman said. "Thank you for taking care of this."

By midday, only a handful of more than 1,200 pieces remained.

Colorful ribbons tied to the fence to form the words "we keep us safe" and "defend Black lives" would stay. So, too, would streamers on which activists had written the names of Black people killed by police. Items deemed too difficult to preserve in their current form - a circle of streamers, dried flower petals taped individually to the fence - were also left behind.

As she surveyed the rapidly emptying panels, Seiler was flooded with relief.

The art pieces and posters she cared so deeply about would be stored and protected from the elements and far-right groups that already were discussing plans to return to the District. They would not be torn down unceremoniously when federal law enforcement decides to remove the barricade - a date that has yet to be determined.

One of the last pieces to go was a black and blue painting of a man's face. Across the top, the artist had scrawled the words, "free your mind," but Seiler had spent all week worrying about it.

On Wednesday, she said, members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front wandered through the plaza, pasting "Biden lost" stickers on whatever they could find. Before she could intervene, Seiler said, a man slapped a sticker on the corner of the painting, which had been among those selected by the Library of Congress. She acted quickly, lifting one corner then another, trying to peel it off the paper.

She couldn't sleep that night, worried about more trouble and afraid that the next time she looked away, someone could slap a sticker - or something worse - across the downcast eyes of the painting.

As the piece was unclipped Saturday, smoothed out and tucked away in a plastic bag, Seiler breathed in, then out.

She would sleep well Saturday night, knowing that the painting, and so many others, were safe, knowing her work at the fence was finally done.
Junior Certificate exams would have to be dropped so Leaving Cert exams can take place in the summer, under proposals being examined to avoid predicted grades for teachers and senior students.

However, the likelihood of any Leaving Cert exams taking place will depend on how soon pupils are brought back to the classroom.

Further meetings on the Leaving Cert are due to be held this week after discussions last Wednesday and Friday with teachers, Department of Education officials and the State Examinations Commission (SEC).

Consideration was given to how oral and practical exams will be facilitated, with initial deadlines for these looming and now likely to be extended. Education partners are said to be keen for these to take place so students would be graded on more than a single exam paper in the summer.

Sources close to parties involved in the meetings said it was looking increasingly likely that Leaving Cert exams will happen instead of predicted grades if students can return to school soon and classrooms can be kept open until the end of the academic year.

Read More

This is despite calls from students for a predicted grades model to be considered. They are worried because this year's Leaving Cert group has already missed 15 weeks of in-class learning since last year due to Covid.

Teachers want to avoid a scenario where students are in direct competition with each other for class rankings when working towards calculated or predicted grades. They feel exams can happen fairly if exam papers are adjusted, with students given greater choice within questions to make up for lost learning time.

The Department of Education is also keen to avoid predicted grades and a repeat of the legal challenges brought at the end of last year's process. Decisions are expected on these before exams are due to take place in June.

"If classrooms can open in February, and stay open, it's hard to see how a Leaving Cert would not happen," a source said. "But if we get to St Patrick's Day and everyone is still at home, things will get more difficult."

SEC chief executive Andrea Feeney and Department of Education assistant general secretary Dalton Tatton, who has a responsibility for curriculum and assessment, are said to have played a key role in last week's meetings. Sources said this demonstrates an appetite for exams to go ahead.

"There is not much hunger in the room for predicted grades," a source told the Sunday Independent.

"Exams are seen as a fairer way of grading pupils because that has always been how it was done. But that is only fair if we can make sure the other forms of assessment can take place too and there may be some difficulty around those if schools can't reopen sooner rather than later."

Another source said the exams are still likely to happen this summer "but not necessarily on the first Wednesday in June, it may well be later that month".

Holding Leaving Cert and Junior Cert exams simultaneously is seen as a step too far for many schools because of the extra requirements likely to be in place to make schools safe.

One option expected to be given serious consideration this week is tasking teachers to draw up an end-of-year report for each third-year student that could be given some form of "academic standing".

The report would assess pupil performance and engagement over the entire Junior Cycle, a source said.

"It's thought schools just wouldn't have the footprint needed to do the two together," said the source, referring to the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams.

Students sitting exams will need desks "to be spaced out further this year than they might otherwise be, so the idea of everyone going to the gym or a big hall for the exams is unlikely to happen and people will have to be spread out through the school.

"This means there will need to be more examiners or supervisors for the Leaving Cert group. Then there will be pupils with extra needs. Some may have vulnerable health conditions and may need to be kept away from the year group.

"There are other ways of looking after the Junior Cert that can be considered, with precedent given to the Leaving Cert."

Talks on holding exams are happening alongside separate discussions on the reopening of schools. Many feel the return of schools hinges on public health teams being able to cope with community outbreaks and having effective contact tracing in place.

Michael Cregan of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) said students need to return to the classroom. "There needs to be a plan laying out clear parameters so students and teachers know what they will have to do if the virus shuts schools again, preventing exams from happening," he said.

The INTO and Forsa, which represents classroom SNAs, said they are committed to the earliest possible resumption of school once members feel safe. The ASTI said it is happy to keep engaging in the talks.

The TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said: "We want Covid to be kept out of schools so they can reopen safely."
Kaiju

The word chosen to describe 2011 may require some explanation. It comes from the Japanese, and means strange beast. By extension, it describes a movie genre in which gigantic sea creatures have fun wreaking havoc on cities, to the delight of cinema audiences everywhere. But basically, I chose this word because its evocative of monsters, an unquiet earth, and destruction. Godzilla, King of Kaijus, is the acme of these sea monsters. Spawned by a nuclear disaster, he comes back to confront humankind  indirectly responsible for him coming into existence in the first place.



2011 was indeed a Kaiju year. It began with an earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand. Two months later, it was in Japan that the earth shook. The quake was followed by a tsunami that became inextricably linked with the name of Fukushima, the second-worst nuclear disaster in history. Godzilla himself may not have turned up, but things were quite bad enough without him. One other detail: this was the year in which Sylvester Stallone received Hollywoods IGC Publicists Lifetime Achievement Award. You can see where all this is going. To illustrate 2011, the sources of inspiration would have to be a gigantic mutant sea monster, military operations and if possible, some connection with Sly!

Pam 385  Panerai

And so I turned to Panerai; and more specifically, to a watch that took the world by surprise when it was first presented in Geneva: the Panerai PAM 382, commonly known as the Bronzo. What better testimony to this troubled year than this enormous diving watch, released in a metal whose colouring was anything but stable, gradually becoming covered with a green patina on being exposed to the Elements? Yes, the PAM 382 is definitely THE Kaiju watch, and a worthy representative of 2011.

Why Panerai?

The history of the Florence-based brand is tied up with both the sea and war. Initially a military secret, now a pillar of the Richemont Group, Panerai has known combat, oblivion, and glory. Since the end of the 1990s and the film Daylight, the piece has itself become something of a film star, too. Sly made the Bronzo famous, and it featured extensively in The Expendables. The brand is a good illustration of this 20-year period as a whole. It changed the face of watches by daring to put outsize timepieces on our wrists, as well as being the watch that kickstarted the trend for limited editions. Not only that: Panerai aroused such passion that its devotees started getting together as early as 2000, becoming the first ever watch community  the powerful Paneristi.

The Panerai Pam 382  The First Kaiju

The Panerai PAM 382 Bronzo is a watch thats made its mark on contemporary watchmaking. It was the first bronze Panerai, and single-handedly created a whole new category of watches. Following its incredible success, every brand rushed to bring out a model made from this heavy, easily-tarnished alloy. Indeed, with the Bronzo and its changing hues, Panerai took the idea of owners wearing their watch to a whole new level. The piece is an ode to ageing, the travails of time, and even  for some  to ugliness. Just take a look at Laurent Picciotos weathered Bronzo to get an idea of the extent to which the PAM 382 has changed the way we treat our watches.



In 2011, Panerai was ahead of its time: the PAM 382 is a tribute to personalisation, individualism, and differentiation. As for me, I was a Paneristi from the very first  albeit in a ships that pass in the night kind of way. It was there, waiting for me at the brands Geneva store. And I didnt buy it  because I thought it was too shiny. I totally failed to get it, in every sense of the term  something I regret to this day.

The Take from The Devils Advocate

A sea monster, mutations, ugly is beautiful that all sounds like my kind of thing. But above and beyond these diabolical considerations, what might I have against the PAM 382? Well, mainly its size, and above all its weight, making it a tiring watch to wear: not everybody is a Barney Ross or a Lee Christmas. But once the Kaijus been tamed, and the surface corrosion has begun, the Bronzo becomes a watch that really does arouse raw emotion. And thats what I love about it.

*On the occasion of GMT Magazine and WorldTempus' 20th anniversary, we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English.

Order now
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The Sunday asked Punjab Chief Minister



Amarinder Singh to deploy the state police for the security of farmers protesting at Delhi borders against the three new Central laws.

In a letter to Singh on Sunday, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadhasaid thePunjab Police must provide protection to farmers so that no harm is done to them and they can continue to protest against the "black farm laws" in a peaceful manner.

"The demands that you deploy Punjab Police in sufficient numbers to surround the camps where the peaceful protests are being held from all sides," Chadha said.

"This protection to the farmers is absolutely essential in the light of recent attacks on them, engineered and executed by goons from BJP," he said.

Chadha also attacked the BJP over the issue, alleging the party proposes to continue its "attitude of intimidating" any person who dares to raise a voice in opposition.

"It is very obvious from the recent behaviour of goons that have been disrupting meetings by pelting stones and other violent behaviour that the BJP will, in keeping with its standard modus operandi, (keep) attempting to intimidate our farmer sisters and brothers," he added.

On Saturday too, Chadha had asked Singh to deploy the state police at the protest sites. However, Punjab's ruling Congress had ridiculed the demand of the main opposition party, saying the party was not running an "anarchist" government in the state, "like Arvind Kejriwal (was) in Delhi".

(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 government has garnered Rs 19,499 crore through CPSE disinvestment and share buyback so far in 2020-21, as against the Rs 2.10 lakh crore budget target set for the entire fiscal year ending March 31.

With COVID-19 related delays impacting big ticket strategic sales and listing of insurance behemoth LIC, the government is likely to miss the budgeted disinvestment target by a wide margin in this financial year.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in her budget for 2020-21 set a target of raising Rs 2.1 lakh crore from privatisation, sale of minority stakes in state-owned companies and share buyback by CPSEs.

While Rs 1.20 lakh crore was to come from stake sale in CPSEs, Rs 90,000 crore was to be mopped up from share sale in financial institutions.

As many as 4 CPSEs -- Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bharat Dynamics, IRCTC and SAIL-- have come out with offer-for-sale (OFS) this fiscal year. This fetched Rs 12,907 crore to the exchequer.

Besides, initial public offering (IPO) by IRFC and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders together fetched Rs 1,984 crore.

Moreover, selling of government stake in private companies held through SUUTI and other transactions garnered about Rs 1,837 crore. So far in current fiscal year, 4 state-owned companies -- RITES, NTPC, KIOCL, NMDC-- have completed share buyback which got Rs 2,769 crore to the exchequer.

A buyback, also known as a share repurchase, is when a company buys its own outstanding shares to reduce the number of shares available in the open market.

The government is also looking to sell its entire 26.12 per cent stake in Tata Communications Ltd (TCL), erstwhile VSNL, through OFS and strategic sale route in the current fiscal.

The process of privatisation of Air India, BPCL, Pawan Hans, BEML, Shipping Corp, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, and Ferro Scrap Nigam Ltd (FSNL) is underway.

Also read: ICICI Bank case: PMLA court summons Chanda, Deepak Kochhar, Venugopal Dhoot on Feb 12

Also read: Union Bank Q3 results: Net profit up 41% QoQ at Rs 727 crore
Late Actor Sushant Singh Rajput's Cousin Shot In Broad Daylight In Bihar, Police Investigate

Late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs cousin was shot in broad daylight in Bihar while he was on his way to work with an associate. The incident took place in Saharsa district, Bihar while Rajputs cousin Rajkumar Singh, an owner of a bike showroom was ambushed and overtaken by an armed bikers and shot on Saturday while they were on their way to the adjoining district of Madhepura. The incident took place at round 11:30 a.m. in the morning.

Arvind Singh the injureds brother told the press that Rajkumar and Ali Hasan were driving to the showroom and were chased by three bikers who overtook them a little ahead of Baijnathpur and then fired shots at the two. While Rajkumar is reported to have sustained injuries on his leg, Ali was shot above the waist.

Police arrived at the scene and the investigation on the matter continued. Police is looking at angles of property dispute and extortion.

The injured were admitted to clinic and are being treated after a few people passing by came to their rescue. Rajkumar is said to be out of danger but Ali is reportedly critical.

The unidentified assailants are yet to be arrested by the police.
Sharing a letter written to Centre by TR Baalu registering a complaint about the decision of the Sri Lankan government to dissolve the provinces where Tamils live in Sri Lanka, DMK in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, said that the party will ensure interests of Eelam Tamils are protected. In the letter to EAM S Jaishankar, Baalu asked as to why PM Modi-led government has taken no action against the Rajapaksa government in Sri Lanka, despite their alleged move to curb rights of Eelam Tamils and to spoil the dignity of Tamils.

Slamming Stalin-led DMK for this move, the ruling-AIADMK shared a picture of DMK leaders Kanimozhi and Baalu with Rajapaksa, claiming that during the election they question the Centre but at other times they are in camaraderie with the same Rajapaksa.

READ | EPS Says Stalin's Dream Of Becoming Tamil Nadu CM Will Never Come True; DMK Chief Responds

READ | Mullivaikkal Memorial At Jaffna University Bulldozed By Sri Lanka; EPS, OPS Condemn Action

EAM Jaishankar makes a strong pitch for rights of Tamilians

This comes after External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar made a strong pitch for the reconciliation of the Tamil community during his three-day visit to Colombo. He spoke out firmly in favour of Tamilians in Sri Lanka and reiterated Indias stand in support of the 13th Amendment, which entails greater representation for the community, as well as reaffirms the importance of the language. During his visit, Jaishankar said, "It is in Sri Lankas own interest that the expectations of the Tamil people for equality, justice, peace and dignity within a united Sri Lanka are fulfilled. That applies equally to the commitments made by the Sri Lankan Government on meaningful devolution, including the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The progress and prosperity of Sri Lanka will surely be advanced as a consequence. The message signifies the importance India gives to the aspirations of the Sri Lankan Tamil community. In its tenure, the NDA government has undertaken various efforts including housing projects and cultural restoration for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu Assembly elections

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are due in April-May 2021 and the political parties have started their campaign. While DMK's MK Stalin is eyeing becoming Chief Minister for the first time, CM E Palaniswami (EPS) is fighting for his re-election. The BJP is yet to make a formal announcement of the alliance with AIADMK and is in talks with Stalin's estranged brother MK Alagiri. On the other side, AIADMK has said that they are the big-brother within the NDA alliance. Meanwhile, Kamal Hassan has put a halt to his campaign trail due to a leg surgery. Superstar Rajinikanth who was about to launch his party this year has backed out due to health reasons.

READ | Stalin raises Jayalalithaa's death mystery: EPS has no moral right to unveil her memorial

READ | Udhayanidhi defies legal notice; hurls 'slave EPS' taunt again over law & order issues


A further 19 people have died with Coronavirus in Northern Ireland, according to the Department of Health.

The death toll has risen to 1,850.

In terms of testing, 3,811 have contracted the virus in the past seven days. That is down from 5,095 the previous week.

In total over 776,000 people have been tested and 103,960 found positive.

Hospital occupancy is at 90%. There are 731 people in hospital with Covid and 69 are in intensive care.

There are 127 care homes dealing with an outbreak.

Read More

Sunday's covid figures comes as DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said the EU let its "mask slip" when it moved to over-ride part of the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland to control shipments of coronavirus jabs.

After invoking Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol on Friday evening, the bloc later reversed the decision following an outraged reaction in London, Dublin and Belfast.

Lord Dodds told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme that the EU set a "precedent".

His party has been voicing opposition to the Protocol on a number of grounds, including issues facing hauliers and the military facing additional checks while bringing equipment into Northern Ireland.

"I think that the mask slipped on Friday night because the EU and others had been lecturing everybody ... that there could never be under any circumstances whatsoever any kind of hard border on the island of Ireland," he explained.

"And that to do anything to over-ride any of the Protocol provisions would be an anathema, and then in one fell swoop on Friday night it did both of those things ... never mind the fact that it was aimed at vaccines, which is aimed at helping people overcome this terrible Covid pandemic."

Read More

Meanwhile, Gardai are set to get tougher powers to fine NI day-trippers if they travel more than three miles over the border according to reports.

Irish police officers are set to be given emergency powers in order to enforce the measure by the Republics Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly.

Under the new rules, motorists from Northern Ireland can be ordered to leave the jurisdiction, the Sunday Times has reported.

The Republics lockdown, in place until March 5, restricts travel to just 5km - or 3.1 miles - unless it is essential.

Those found in breach face fines of 100, however, this currently does not apply to those travelling from Northern Ireland.

The new regulation is expected to specifically target non-residents from travelling more than three miles into the south, with high-visibility checkpoints being established on main routes from Northern Ireland into the Republic, such as the M1, N2 and M3.
Volt Bank founder Steve Weston says the neobank sector will thrive in Australia despite the capitulation of two rivals, Xinja and 86 400, to funding pressures and a takeover from NAB.

I think the upside for neobanking in Australia has never looked brighter than it does today, said Mr Weston.

He praised fellow neobank and small business lender Judo, which has had no problem raising capital, and said Volt will also be using a differentiated model to take on Australias big four banks.

Volt chief executive Steve Weston says there is still plenty of opportunity for neobanks in Australia. Credit:Christopher Pearce

Volt has a very different business model ... our banking has a service, or BaaS, platform. It is complex to build and takes a little bit longer to come to market, but it is the model that will be the next big disruptor in banking, he said, citing Afterpay offering banking services via Westpac as an example of this trend.
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By Kang Seung-woo



The South Korean government is enthusiastic about providing coronavirus vaccines to North Korea as part of its efforts to get stalled inter-Korean relations back on track.



Since the Hanoi summit between the United States and North Korea failed to produce a nuclear deal in February 2019, inter-Korean ties have consequently been deadlocked. In order to break the impasse, the Moon Jae-in administration has floated a variety of ideas to bring the Kim Jong-un regime back to the dialogue table, with vaccine aid emerging as a fresh option.



The latest senior government official to pitch the vaccine supply offer was Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, who told foreign correspondents in Seoul, Wednesday, that South Korea was willing to share COVID-19 vaccines with North Korea.



"The South Korean government has set its sights on inoculating 70 percent of the population by September and achieving herd immunity by November. Even afterwards, if we still have additional vaccines, we can share them with North Korea and other countries having difficulty securing vaccines," Chung said. "We will keep this option open."



However, the prime minister admitted that there had been no consultations with the North about the issue.







A little over two years ago she faced a death sentence, having been rescued from a cruel circus life in such a pitiful state vets feared they could not save her.

But after a groundbreaking operation to save her leg, Sasha the lioness is fighting fit again and free to roam the African bush.

The nine-year-old was among five lions and 12 tigers saved from circuses in Guatemala, where they were beaten and kept in tiny cages, fed on scraps and forced to perform three times a day.

Sasha is being kept in an enclosure as her leg builds up strength but vets hope she will be roaming free in the next fortnight

A UK wildlife charity waged a long battle to free them, then began the complicated and sometimes dangerous business of transporting them to a sanctuary in South Africa, dealing with gangsters, crooked officials and red tape.

Sasha had spent six years in gruelling conditions and had a painful, debilitating limp from being crudely declawed by her trainers to stop her from mauling them.

It crushed her toe and caused an infection to spread bone cancer through her right front leg, leaving her at risk of losing the limb and being put to sleep.

Animal Defenders International organised pioneering surgery which replaced 8cm of diseased bone with a titanium rod, support mesh and medical cement to stimulate natural bone to grow back.

Sashas cramped circus cage is seen left, while she is seen during her operation to save her leg. Sasha had spent six years in gruelling conditions

Rescue: Jan Creamer, of UK charity Animal Defenders International (pictured above). Sasha is such a sweet personality but shes also a fighter, she said

She is pictured above being released into a sanctuary. Sasha is unusual for a lioness as she has a small mane from a condition which means she has excess testosterone

The four-hour operation was a success and Sasha has taken her first steps at the 450-acre ADI sanctuary near Johannesburg.

She is being kept in an enclosure as her leg builds up strength but vets hope she will be roaming free in the next fortnight.

Tim Phillips, vice-president of the charity which worked with MailOnline to highlight the lions plight, said: Sasha is pain-free at last after such a desperate start to her life. We thought she was doomed as shed have struggled if we couldnt save the leg.

Sasha is unusual for a lioness as she has a small mane from a condition which means she has excess testosterone.

Sasha is such a sweet personality but shes also a fighter, said Jan Creamer, president of ADI.

She existed in an oppressive environment where every day was full of fear. It has been a long, tough road to get these lions and tigers to safety but it is wonderful to witness.

To learn more about ADI or make a donation, go to https://adiwildlifesanctuary.org.za

Tim Phillips, vice-president of the charity which worked with MailOnline to highlight the lions plight, said: Sasha is pain-free at last after such a desperate start to her life. We thought she was doomed as shed have struggled if we couldnt save the leg'
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At dawn on 1 January 2009, a North Korean Lieutenant Colonel, Han Hong Geun (now aged 63), left the Bachelor Officer Quarters in Pyongyang, capital of DPRK, to escape.

That night, he crossed Yalu River and arrived at Kunming City, China, where he stayed for three days. He took the route south through China, all the way down to Laos, where he crossed the Mekong River to arrive at the Korean consulate office on 6 March. He finally reached South Korea in 2011.

In the course of being investigated by the South Korean intelligence agency, all of his effects were confiscated. After the process, he was able to reunite with his family, who had also escaped from North Korea to settle in South Korea a year earlier, and he got a job in Seosan City in the midwestern part of Korean peninsula.

However, in 2013 he was in a car accident where he almost lost his right arm and leg. After eight months of hospitalisation he started the rehabilitation process and was able to return to the workplace.

After almost 10 years in South Korea, he is satisfied that he sacrificed his 53 years, including his military career, of life in North Korea now that he and his family can enjoy the happiness of leading life in a free country.

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Members of the Bahai community in Carlsbad are putting on two public events Nov. 1-2 to mark the birthdays of the founders of their faith.

A commemoration of the birth of Bab  Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, known as the herald of the faith  is set for Nov. 1 and the celebration of the birth of Bahaullah  Mirza Husayn-Ali is Nov. 2.

The Bahai Faith is a religion that promotes the unity of humanity and offers a vision of hope for a peaceful world, said Susan Hibbard, a member of the Carlsbad Bahai community, who is helping organize the events.

Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, who later took the title the Bab, meaning the Gate, was born in 1819 in Shiraz, Persia, (now Iran).

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The Bab called for spiritual and moral reformation. He announced that humanity was standing at the threshold of a new era, and that a divinely-inspired educator would soon arise whose teachings would transform civilization, and begin an era of justice and peace, as promised in all of the worlds religions, Hibbard said.

The divine teacher was Mirza Husayn-Ali, born in 1817 in Nur, Persia, who became known as Bahaullah, meaning the Glory of God.

In 1863 Bahaullah began to share teachings that God had revealed to Him. These teachings promote justice and peace and form the basis of the Bahai Faith, Hibbard said.

The birth of Bab commemoration is 5 p.m. Nov. 1 at a private residence (RSVP at susan_hibb@yahoo.com or (858) 253-2685.)

The Birth of Bahaullah celebration is 5 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Carlsbad Seniors Center, 799 Pine Ave Carlsbad.

Visit https://carlsbad.ca.local.bahai.us.
A mother has shared a $6.70 product she swears by for keeping her car smelling 'fresh' and 'beautiful' for up to six months.

The Australian woman said she uses a box of Fluffy 'field flowers' tumble dryer sheets on the backseat of the car to mask any bad scents.

'I use them to make my car smell nice,' she wrote in a Facebook group.

'You just open the pack and leave them on the backseat or on the floor where little hands can't get them - and the fresh smell will just flow through your car all the time.

'The box cost me about $6 but so worth it - with three sweaty boys, car can smell like a tip some days. But this works so well and I only need a new box every six months.'

A mother has shared a $6.70 product she swears by for keeping her car smelling 'fresh' and 'beautiful' for up to six months (stock image)

The woman said she uses a box of Fluffy 'field flowers' tumble dryer sheets (pictured) on the backseat of the car to mask any bad scents

The woman said she was delighted to get her hands on a box after struggling 'for a while' to find the product in stores.

She explained that they're very easy to use and urged others to give them a go because they work every time without fail.

Dozens of shoppers were amazed with her recommendation, with many saying they were keen to try out the product themselves.

The sheets offers a long lasting fragrance so shoppers can add the sheets anywhere, including car interiors, drawers, linen closets, suitcases, gym bags and rubbish bins.

The sheets are sold at supermarket stores such as Coles and Woolworths.

The trick comes after a woman shared her 'natural' trick for a beautiful-smelling car, which involves soaking a wooden peg in fragrance oil and clipping it on to the air conditioning vent

The simple trick comes after a woman shared her 'natural' trick for a beautiful-smelling car, which involves soaking a wooden peg in fragrance oil and clipping it on to the air conditioning vent.

'Buy cheap wooden pegs. Add your favourite essential oils to it - oil will soak into the wood - and clip onto vents. [It will create a] longer lasting smell in your car or home,' she wrote in a Facebook group.

But she warned: 'Do not put too much oil onto the peg as drips may affect the car's interior.'

Many people seemed impressed by the 'natural' car deodorising trick, while others warned the oil could damage the plastic air vents.
The 2021 Sundance Film Festival kicked off on Friday, January 28, with the annual event going completely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The highly acclaimed drama film CODA had its world premiere on opening day in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, and within short order Apple, Amazon and Netflix got into a bidding war over worldwide distribution rights.

By the following day, it was Apple who landed the coveted coming-of-age film about a hearing teenager in a deaf family for $25 million, which broke the festival's acquisition record.

Frenzy: Apple bought the worldwide distribution rights to the acclaimed drama film CODA for $25 million following its worldwide premiere at the 2021 virtual Sundance Film Festival

Directed and written by Sian Heder, CODA, which stands for Child of Deaf Adults, the film stars Marlee Matlin, the Academy Award-winner for 1987s Children of a Lesser God, and actress Emilia Jones as Ruby, the only hearing individual in her deaf family.

During her senior year in high school, Ruby discovers a passion for singing when she joins the choir club and becomes attracted to her duet partner.

Soon enough, her choirmaster encourages her to consider music school, leaving her with the heart-wrenching decision of whether to help her deaf parents and brother with the family's fishing business or head off to college to pursue her own dreams.

Bucks battle: Apple won the worldwide distribution rights to CODA after a bidding war with Amazon and Netflix following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival

Some of the cast and crew were on hand for CODA's world premiere and Q&A during Friday's premiere at Sundance; pictured are programmer Kim Yuani, Eugenio Derbez, Marlee Matlin, director Sian Heder, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant and Emilia Jones

Her vision: American filmmaker Sian Heder wrote and directed CODA, which was hailed by critics as a moving depiction about the deaf community and binding familial ties

CODA was hailed by critics as a moving depiction about the deaf community and binding familial ties, according to Deadline.

'I have been so moved by the outpouring of response to the film and am so excited to have found a partner in Apple that loves and deeply gets this movie, the spirit in which it was created and is committed to having this film reach the widest audience possible in a thoughtful and meaningful way,' Heder said in a statement.

The writer and director went on to share about he hopes Apple's support will open more doors of inclusion and pave a path for more stories that center on characters from the Deaf and Disabled community.

'The world has waited too long for these stories to be told. Now is the time. No more excuses.'

Record-setter: Apple's $25 million pay out for Heder's film tops the previous record-holder: last year's $22.5 million acquisition from Hulu/Neon for the film, Palm Springs

Along with Matlin and Jones, CODA also stars Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Eugenio Derbez and Amy Forsyth.

The film is an English-language remake of the 2014 French-language film -- La Famille Belier, which received six nominations at the 40th Cesar Awards, winning Most Promising Actress for Louane Emera.

Apple's $25 million pay out tops the previous record-holder: last year's $22.5 million acquisition from Hulu/Neon for the film, Palm Springs.

This years virtual festival began on January 28 and will continue through February 3.

CODA was official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2021 virtual Sundance Film Festival; actor Eugenio Derbez is pictured in a scene from the coming-of-age drama

Also present was Grammy-award winner Sia who openly discussed her controversial film Music.

The seemingly eye-opening flick is set for a February 10 theatrical release.

The flick is supposed to explore the vital themes of 'finding your voice and creating family. '

Robin Wright, looking as gorgeous as ever, as appeared during the Breaking Barries segment of the festival.

Music: Also present was Grammy-award winner Sia who openly discussed her controversial film Music

Beaming: Robin Wright, looking as gorgeous as ever, as appeared during the Breaking Barries segment of the festival

Notable documentary films that premiered at the festival included ' The Most Beautiful Boy In The World' directed by Kristina Lindstrom and Kristian Petri, about the remarkable journey of Death in Venice actor, Bjorn Andresen.

In 1970, filmmaker Luchino Visconti travelled throughout Europe looking for the perfect boy to personify absolute beauty in his adaptation for the screen of Thomas Manns Death in Venice. In Stockholm, he discovered Bjorn, a shy 15-year-old teenager, who he brought to international fame overnight and led to spend a short but intense part of his turbulent youth between the Lido in Venice, London, the Cannes Film Festival and the so distant Japan.

Stunning: Bjorn takes us on a remarkable journey made of personal memories, cinematographic history, stardust and tragic events in what could be the last attempt for him to finally get his life back on track.

Filmmakers Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt share a fascinating and visually beautiful glimpse with their debut at Sundance with 'Cusp'.

A honest and authentic look into three wild-spirited teenage girls over their summer break in a small military town in Texas.

Cusp: Filmmakers Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt share a fascinating glimpse into authentic American girlhood, when the strictures of adolescence clash with the growing desire for personal agency.

Censor, one of the best British horror films in years is a faithful, creative ode to 1980s aesthetics and a twisted, bloody love letter to the video nasties of the era.

In her assured feature debut, director Prano Bailey-Bond re-creates a moment in which society was on the brink of mass hysteria over the dangers of viewers being seduced by violent imagesand then she cleverly immerses us in the haunted Enids shifting reality.

Actress Niamh Algar stuns in a stand out performance as her brittle character grows increasingly possessed by her quest.

Censor: The shock horror is a creative ode to the 80's aesthetics of the video nastie crazy that swept Britain directed by Prano Bailey-Bond.

Writer-director Karen Cinorre remarkable debut of her film, 'MAYDAY' tells the story of Ana who is transported to a dreamlike and dangerous land where she joins an army of girls engaged in a never-ending war along a rugged coast. Though she finds strength in this exhilarating world, she comes to realize that shes not the killer they want her to be.

The film stars the talented female led ensemble, Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth, Havana Rose Liu, Soko and Juliette Lewis who take you on a enchanted feminist ode to a unique genre bending fantasy that is a feast for the eyes in this visually stunning tale of female resilience.

MAYDAY: The film stars the talented female led ensemble, Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth, Havana Rose Liu, Soko and Juliette Lewis who take you on a enchanted feminist ode to a unique genre bending fantasy that is a feast for the eyes in this visually stunning tale of female resilience.

This weekend, husband and wife duo Daryl Wein & Zoe Lister-Jones surprised the star-studded cast of their must-watch film 'How It Ends' with pizza, safely delivered in an all-new 2022 Acura MDX.

To celebrate the virtual premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Zoe and Daryl partnered with Acura to treat Nick Kroll, Fred Armisen, Angelique Cabral, Whitney Cummings, Olivia Wilde, and other cast and crew to a meal from local LA restaurant ALL TIME.

Film Premiere: Zoe Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein deliver pizzas to the How It Ends cast and crew in the all-new 2022 Acura MDX to celebrate the films virtual Sundance Film Festival premiere.

The writer/directors also made sure other LA-based cast members could tune in for the fun through contactless drop offs for Cailee Spaeny, Lamorne Morris, Mary Elizabeth Ellis & Charlie Day, Paul Downs, Bobby Lee, Ayo Edebiri, Glenn Howerton, Rob Huebel, and Logan Marshall-Green. The films virtual premiere was held on Friday, Jan 29.

Zoe Lister-Jones, left, and Cailee Spaeny in "How it Ends," an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival

WarnerMedia presented imaginative and a immersive experiences through a virtual WarnerMedia Lounge at the Sundance Film Festival from January 28th to February 3rd.

Their virtual experiences featured interactive elements such as watch parties, thought-provoking conversations, interactive networking as well as inclusive programming that reflects WarnerMedias commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A two-week ban on foreign travel took effect in Portugal on Sunday as the country grapples with the worst surge in Covid-19 cases anywhere in the world.

The few exceptions include international professional activities, medical emergencies, goods transport or to reunite families, the interior ministry has said.

According to AFP data, Portugal is the world's worst-hit country relative to its population of about 10 million.

Nearly half of the 12,000 Covid-19 deaths have occurred in January alone during a third wave of the virus, and Portugal went into a second general lockdown on January 15.

Border controls have been re-established at land routes into Portugal's only neighbour Spain, at a reduced number of crossing points.

At Elvas, one of the main border crossings some 200 kilometres (120 miles) east of the capital Lisbon, police and customs officials checked dozens of motorists Sunday morning, an AFP journalist saw.

For air travel, Lisbon has set different criteria for flights arriving from fellow EU countries and the Schengen area depending on the severity of the virus situation in each nation.

Passengers from less affected countries such as Norway are not restricted, while those from countries with situations deemed intermediate, like France, must show negative Covid-19 tests conducted less than 72 hours before boarding.

Worse-hit countries such as Spain and Ireland must additionally observe a 14-day quarantine from the date of arrival in Portugal.

Portugal has also suspended all flights to Britain and Brazil because of new, more contagious variants originating in the two countries.

bcr/ial/gd/har
The inside story of the European Fund for Strategic Investments from 2015 to 2020 told through interviews with the Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director, members of the Investment Committee and final beneficiaries across Europe.

The architects of this 500 billion-plus programme, the head of the EU bank and the president of the European Commission, describe the genesis of this financial pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe. Then the people who ran one of the biggest economic stimulus programmes in history detail how they did itand what the lessons are for policymakers responding to new crises, including the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Fund for Strategic Investments has been one of the good news stories to emerge in a decade of economic uncertainty. It has gone well beyond its highly ambitious target of 500 billion in mobilised investments. The Juncker Plan has made a strong contribution to the 14 million jobs created in the EU between 2015 and 2020. It has become a success in co-financing projects that otherwise might not have been carried through. It has also charted the path towards new ways of financing. This is not only the case in relatively conventional areas, such as infrastructure, but also in sectors like research and innovation or the contribution to climate change mitigation. This is exactly what makes EFSI so ground-breaking: responding to the needs of the market through continuous financial innovation.

The principle of the European Fund for Strategic Investments is here to stay. It has paved the way for its successor, the InvestEU programme, which is to be deployed under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework. This publication details why the programme was such a success.
Biblical 'royal' purple cloth scraps from era of Kings David, Solomon found in Israel

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Rare purple cloth scraps from the era dating back to the time of King David and King Solomon, approximately 3,000 years ago, have been discovered in Israel.

Researchers in southern Israel found the remnants of woven wool fabric that had been dyed the color of royal purple while examining textiles from the Timna valley, a copper production district of King Solomon's day.

Through the use of radiocarbon testing, the samples of fabric were dated at around 1000 BC.

In ancient times purple cloth was a luxury item, and those who wore it were associated with the nobility, priests, and royalty. The dye used to make the color was sourced from a few kinds of mollusks in the Mediterranean Sea. The dye was produced from a gland located within the body of the mollusk by way of a complex chemical process that took several days to occur.

The particular hue of the highly-valued color in that era is also called true or Tyrian purple.

The Times of Israel reported Thursday that to "reach the famed King Solomon Copper Mines at Timna, near the shore of the Red Sea, the cloth would have traveled hundreds of kilometers, which only added to its prestige and value."

Naama Sukenik, the curator of organic finds at the Israel Antiquities Authority, called the discovery of the purple fabric scraps "very exciting and important."

"This is the first piece of textile ever found from the time of David and Solomon that is dyed with the prestigious purple dye," she said.

"The gorgeous shade of the purple, the fact that it does not fade and the difficulty in producing the dye, which is found in minute quantities in the body of mollusks, all made it the most highly-valued of the dyes, which often cost more than gold.

She added: "Until the current discovery, we had only encountered mollusc-shell waste and potsherds with patches of dye, which provided evidence of the purple industry in the Iron Age."

"Now, for the first time, we have direct evidence of the dyed fabrics themselves, preserved for some 3,000 years."

According to Erez Ben-Yosef, a professor from Tel Aviv University's archaeology department, excavations of the Timna sites have been ongoing since 2013.

The textile discoveries, he said, offer a "unique glimpse into life in biblical times" and archaeologists have been searching for David's palace.

"However, David may not have expressed his wealth in splendid buildings, but with objects more suited to a nomadic heritage such as textiles and artifacts," he said.
When Lloyd Austin was a lieutenant colonel in the 1990s, overseeing operations for the 82nd Airborne Division, a grisly double murder plunged the elite Army unit into crisis, anger and soul-searching over race and the military's ability to detect threats in its own ranks.

In December 1995, young soldiers in the division, members of an underground band of neo-Nazi skinheads, shot and murdered two Black pedestrians in nearby Fayetteville, N.C.

The hate crime prompted a national outcry and an effort to root out extremism across the Army ranks. Austin, who became the nation's first Black defense secretary this month, has been tasked with once again examining far-right sympathies in the U.S. military, after some of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists at the Capitol were found to be veterans or have military ties, and the military removed at least a dozen National Guardsmen from inauguration duty over concerns about their ties.

In his confirmation hearing, Austin signaled that the 1995 incident would shape his approach. "We woke up one day and discovered that we had extremist elements in our ranks, and they did bad things that we certainly held them accountable for," Austin said. "But we discovered that the signs for that activity were there all along. We just didn't know what to look for or what to pay attention to - but we learned from that."

The fact that a 25-year-old incident finds echoes today also illustrates the persistence of racist ideology and the difficulty the military - and society - have in confronting it.

An examination of how the Army responded to those murders offers insight into what actions Austin may take to ensure that extremist sympathies, racist ideologies or conspiracy theories that threaten order and discipline don't find safe haven in the ranks of the U.S. military.

"The vast, vast majority of men and women in the United States military serve with honor, and with character and integrity and dignity, and they don't espouse these sorts of dangerous beliefs," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters on Thursday. But he said even a small number is significant and may pose a problem.

Austin is tackling the issue at a time of intense political division among Americans and deep skepticism about official information. He takes the Pentagon's reins following a president who employed racist dog whistles and fueled conspiracy theories about the Nov. 3 election, jeopardizing President Joe Biden's perceived legitimacy as commander in chief.

One of the most difficult tasks facing the Pentagon after the riot at the Capitol is sorting out which groups and ideologies disqualify adherents from military service and how far an individual must go in acting on the group's beliefs to face repercussions or dismissal.

It's not clear, for example, what the Defense Department plans to do about personnel who follow QAnon, the extremist ideology based on the false claims of an unidentified online prophet called "Q," whose followers believe former president Donald Trump is secretly waging a war against child-eating Satanist elites in Washington.

Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League, said there also should be greater awareness in the military about anti-government groups, such as the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, which cast themselves as militias. Individuals with links to those groups have been arrested and charged in the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6.

Extremism, Pitcavage said, "is a perennial problem and needs to be dealt with institutionally."

The Pentagon must balance its push to root out extremism with service members' right to privacy, free speech and individual beliefs. It also has to deal with uncertainty about which problematic behavior can be managed and which will give way to violent action.

During his confirmation hearing, Austin said the military needs to train leaders to know their subordinates personally and look for troubling signs.

"If leadership is not in touch with the people they are leading, these kinds of things can happen," Austin said. "I don't think that this is a thing you can put a Band-Aid on and fix and leave alone. I think that training needs to go on routinely because things change. The types of things that you're looking for change."

His remarks, 25 years after the 1995 skinhead murders rocked the Army, illustrate the ongoing challenge of addressing an evolving threat. The events at Fort Bragg, named after a Confederate general, raised questions about how such an abhorrent crime could emanate from within one of the Army's most hallowed units - and why those overseeing the perpetrators failed to report clear signs of trouble.

George Reed, who commanded the Army criminal investigation unit at Fort Bragg shortly after the incident, said some commanders had detected neo-Nazi ideology on the base before the incident but, as was common across the Army, had hoped that military culture and values ultimately would counteract toxic ideas.

"It was tolerated because we tolerate all sorts of different belief systems, as long as you don't misbehave and as long as you perform," Reed said.

At the center of the episode were two White paratroopers, Pvts. James Burmeister II and Malcolm Wright. On Dec. 7, 1995, the soldiers had been drinking off-base and accosted Michael James and Jackie Burden as the Black civilians walked down the street in Fayetteville. Burmeister then shot the pair at close range, execution-style. According to prosecutors, he wanted a spiderweb tattoo as a neo-Nazi award for the killing.

The two paratroopers were charged with murder. A third soldier, Spec. Randy Lee Meadows Jr., who drove the car that night, was charged with conspiracy.

In the weeks following the hate crime, the military identified at least 22 members of the 82nd with extremist links, including those involved in the murders, though some were "anti-racist" skinheads. Nine were subject to discharge.

All three soldiers involved in the murder were later found guilty, though Meadows received a reduced sentence for testifying against the other two.

"The basic question that we started hearing repeatedly from soldiers was how could something like this happen in the Army," Rivers Johnson Jr., the 82nd's public affairs officer at the time of the murder, wrote after the fact.

There were, however, clear warnings that racially motivated violence was likely to occur.

During the investigation into the murders, officials discovered that an off-base shooting earlier that year had involved members of rival skinhead clans within the Army.

Burmeister had used racial slurs, worn a Nazi medallion and displayed a swastika in his barracks room before the attack, Johnson wrote. While he had been reprimanded because of his views and was stripped of his security clearance after a fight with a Black service member, officials said other soldiers did not report the full extent of his behavior.

Johnson said one contributing factor to the permissive environment may have been 1990s changes to housing rules that meant many enlisted barracks no longer had senior noncommissioned officers living there. New Army privacy rules also had restricted leaders from entering soldiers' personal quarters.

The incident led to self-reflection among base leaders.

"I can tell you that most of us were embarrassed that we didn't know what to look for, and we didn't really understand that being engaged more with your people on these types of issues can pay big dividends," Austin said during his hearing. He said the 82nd "has probably learned that forever" but "you can never take your hand off the steering wheel."

Jack Keane, who took over as Fort Bragg's commanding general the month after the murders, said he addressed weak leadership in the chain of command above the perpetrators, and noted that soldiers who knew about the neo-Nazi beliefs of the murderers hadn't felt compelled to report them.

"We conducted training in the entire chain of command to make certain that would not occur again," Keane said.

He said the "chain teaching," whereby each leader teaches his immediate subordinates, who then teach their subordinates, all the way down the chain of command, underscored "that they have an absolute obligation to take action against any speech or signs or symbols" suggesting White Supremacy.

For that to happen, Keane said, the leaders needed to be armed with information, so they understood what to look for - spiderweb tattoos, for instance - and also needed to understand they shouldn't dismiss such signs or beliefs as none of the Army's business.

Keane also invited the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People onto the base to survey the situation. After the incident, the division began extremism training and tattoo inspections.

There was also an enforceable regulatory policy on equal opportunity that allowed the Army to counsel soldiers with possible extremist views and ensure they agreed to the policy, according to Robert McFetridge, who was the legal counsel for the 82nd Airborne at the time. Failure to agree would affect their promotion or retention within the service, he said.

The Army secretary at the time also directed a worldwide study about extremism in the ranks. While the study found that extremist groups by and large were not actively recruiting soldiers, it recommended closer screening and better training.

More than two decades later, experts say the military's procedures for identifying far-right tattoos and educating troops about extremist threats must be updated.

Keane said leaders must inform themselves about what groups pose a threat.

"If I was sitting there as a four-star right now, I would not be conversant with the ideology and belief systems of all these organizations that were out there," he said. "It is going to have to start there."

He said an assessment can be made relatively quickly, as the Army did with skinheads in the 1990s, of the problem's scope, and then the force can "throw education at it" to show commanders what to look for and instill an obligation to report.

Austin, who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1975, would have seen over the course of his career how the Army transitioned from being an organization plagued by institutional racism to one that for years has sought to be rooted in merit, Keane said. Austin also witnessed the response to the 1995 murders at Fort Bragg as a midcareer officer. Those experiences, Keane said, will equip him as he deals with the matter.

Keane said, "It's kind of like the right man for the right time."

- - -

The Washington Post's Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

South Africa has secured 20 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, the health minister told a Sunday newspaper.

Africa's worst virus-hit country has yet to begin vaccinating its population against COVID-19, stirring criticism over slow procurement and lack of strategy.

A first shipment of AstraZeneca/Oxford jabs produced in India is due to arrive on Monday, with injections expected to start two weeks later.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told The Sunday Times that 20 million additional vaccines had been ordered from US drugmaker Pfizer.

"These vaccines are secured and awaiting manufacturers to submit final agreements with details of delivery dates and exact amounts," said Mkhize.

The health ministry did not respond to several AFP requests for comment.

The new Pfizer order will complement 12 million vaccine doses from the WHO-backed Covax facility, nine million Johnson & Johnson shots and 1.5 million AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccinespushing the total supply secured so far to over 40 million.

South Africa aims to vaccinate 67 percent of the population, or 40 million people, by the end of the year.

Some vaccines will be provided by Covax and the African Union, while others will be directly purchased from suppliers.

"We are reasonably comfortable that what we have paid for, signed for and are negotiating for will cover the numbers that we are looking to vaccinate," Mkhize assured.

The minister added that storage of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which needs to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius, would not be an issue.

"We have some capacity, mostly in academic institutions. There are now companies coming forward with storage and transit solutions," he said.

South Africa's coronavirus outbreak has been accelerated by a new variant thought to be more contagious than earlier forms and relatively more resistant to existing vaccines.

To date the country has recorded more than 1.4 million infections and almost 45,000 deaths.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
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More House members, including Congressman Lynch, got positive after completing two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses. Besides him, several house members were catching the contagion.

Since last year, many Capitol Hill members were diagnosed with the coronavirus, and one of them was President Trump.

According to one of his aides, sources say that Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, got tested positive for the virus. He and other members of Congress were those diagnosed with COVID-19 in many weeks, reported CBS News.

He got the virus after getting the Pfizer vaccine in its second dose early in January. He was positive after a test on Friday.Taking the vaccine is no assurance that infection won't happen.

According to Molly Rose Tarpey, his representative, the congressman took the second shot of the vaccine before attending the inauguration. All attendees were tested before the event; he was negative for the contagion.

She added he is asymptomatic and is okay but will self-quarantine and will vote using a proxy the next week. He will do his duties via proxy in the mean time.

Another member of the House infected

Last Thursday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, part of the Massachusetts House delegation, caught COVID when tested.

Immediately after her diagnosis of being positive, she posted on social media an update regarding the results. Stating that she is considered asymptomatic and will start to self-quarantine asap after the result. The congresswoman said she'll do her duties via the proxy voting system used in the Lower House.

Besides her and Congressman Lynch, several DEMS in the House allegedly caught COVID-19 from GOP members who did not wear masks. According to the DEMS who were locked down with GOPS, they weren't concerned with COVID-19 protocols.

Also read: State Attorneys General Remind Biden Any Unconstitutional Actions Will Not Go Unchallenged

Several DEMS, Brad Schneider, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Pramila Jayapal, said more positive tests on DEMS House member through another person who must be infected.

More than 436,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, and nearly 26 million have contracted the virus.

Updates on Trahan

According to her, on social media, she revealed that before getting the positive result from COVID-19 testing, there was a negative result.

Representative Trahan then reiterated that Massachusetts and Washington offices will still be open for her constituents in the state's 3rd Congressional District. Assuring them despite her condition, everything else is normal.

In her post, the House member stressed that the following measures to prevent the virus's spread are crucial - citing mask-wearing, keep social distancing, and staying at home without going out unless needed.

More House members were positive after January 6

COVID-19 had infected both members of the House and Senate since last year. Despite measures to control the rampaging virus, not one country has been successful in handling it.

One of the causes, according to sources, is the January 6 incident, when both DEMS and GOPS were forced to evacuate into secure quarters. Mask wearing is an issue with some members of the House.

There is still a question how did Congressman Lynch get sick despite the second dose? It seems getting a vaccine is no assurance.

Related article: PfizerBioNTech Vaccine Claims It Can Work Against the New Coronavirus Variants

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A Dublin man accused of carrying out a burglary at the offices of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Association (INMO) has been refused bail.

James Lawlor, with an address at Morningstar Avenue, Dublin 7, appeared before Judge John Campbell at a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court.

He was accused of burglary at the INMO offices, also located on Morningstar Avenue, on Friday.

Garda Sharon Naughton told the court it was alleged Mr Lawlor was found in possession of 4,500 worth of property.

Defence solicitor Jenny McGeever pleaded for bail. Her client and his wife were still in grief following the tragic death of their daughter two years ago, she told the court.

His wife told the judge she would make him obey bail conditions, if he were released.

Mr Lawlor told the court he has been getting medical attention.

Bail was refused and he was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday. Legal aid was granted.
Hong Kong: CE meets police officers

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today visited Police to learn about its recent situation and met police officers who were injured earlier while handling the illegal violent incidents.

Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Director Luo Huining, its Deputy Director Yang Jianping and Police Liaison Department Director-General Chen Feng were also present.

Accompanied by Secretary for Security John Lee and Police Commissioner Tang Ping-keung, Mrs Lam visited the Police Headquarters in Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station.

They met more than 100 police officers to know more about their work.

Noting that police officers have done a large amount of work over the past year, ranging from curbing violence to fighting the epidemic, the Chief Executive said their work deserves full recognition.

In particular, following the implementation of the National Security Law on June 30 last year, the force has shouldered the vital and honourable responsibility of safeguarding national security, she added.

On the unreasonable sanctions by the US administration against a number of police officers who are charged with the duty to safeguard national security, Mrs Lam conveyed to them the warm regards from President Xi Jinping expressed during her reporting of work last week.

Police have taken an active part in the prevention and control of the epidemic, including assisting the Department of Healths Centre for Health Protection in tracing close contacts with the Major Incident Investigation & Disaster Support System.

Mrs Lam visited the relevant office and learnt that the system has helped with the investigation of 65 cases or clusters and identified more than 28,000 contacts to date.

The force also deployed a large number of officers from different police districts to support the compulsory testing operations at specified restricted areas in various districts in recent days.

The Chief Executive also met police officers who were injured when handling earlier illegal and violent incidents and praised them for their bravery in the face of violence.

Mrs Lam said the reputation of Police was seriously tarnished during the social unrest, but she was pleased to note that the force has been enhancing the publics understanding of its work to restore people's confidence through various means in recent months.

With the restoration of stability in society and the commitment of police officers on the frontline to protect public safety and health, the force will have the support of the general public, she added.

She also thanked the Liaison Office for its long-standing support for the work of Police.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

The Delhi Police Sunday covered the blast spot near the Israeli Embassy here with a white-colored tent to prevent the site from being tampered with as the adjacent road opened for traffic, officials said.

Sources said probe agencies are covering all angles, however, they have not identified any suspect yet.

The APJ Abdul Kalam Road, which was closed for nearly two days after the IED blast on Friday, has been opened for general traffic now.

Police also faced some challenges in collecting video footage as most CCTV cameras in the area were not functional at the time of the incident, the sources said.

They said the material used in the bomb will be known after the report of the forensic science laboratory.

An envelope addressed to the Israeli Embassy and containing a note was found at the site of the blast, sources had said.

A case has been registered and the Delhi Police's Special Cell is investigating the matter.

The letter written in English mentioned the names of Gen Qassem Soleimani, the then head of Iran's elite Quds Force who was killed in a US airstrike in January 2020, and Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizad, who played a crucial role in the countrys nuclear program and was assassinated near Tehran in November the same year, they said.

According to sources, police have questioned some persons including a few Iranian nationals and a cab driver who dropped two persons near the blast site just before the explosion.

The details of foreigners who came to Delhi recently are being examined.Teams from the National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) of the NSG and Delhi Police's Special Cell visited the spot for post-blast analysis on Saturday. A senior officer said NBDC's findings will be shared with the police team investigating the case.

Investigating agencies are checking Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) of the area to check whether the suspected persons used internet to communicate instead of regular cellular call. They are also checking CCTV footage of the nearby hotels.The dump data of mobile calls, which were active hours before and after the blast, are also being examined.

The agencies are collecting data from the cab services of the persons who were dropped in the nearby area of the spot just before the incident happened.

Initial investigations revealed that the IED was planted in a flower pot on the median near Jindal House on A P J Abdul Kalam road outside the Israeli embassy.

A burnt scarf has been recovered from the spot, which has sent for forensic examination, official sources said, adding that a screenshot of the Telegram application is circulating where the Jaish-Ul-Hind is allegedly taking responsibility for the attack, however, its authenticity could not be confirmed.

The minor blast took place on Friday evening in a high-security zone of the national capital. No one was injured.

The blast took place when President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were present a few kilometers away at the Beating Retreat ceremony at the culmination of the Republic Day celebrations.

The explosion took place on a day when India and Israel marked the completion of the 29th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
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The Santa Fe City Council is taking up a group of major public investments aimed at sustainability and reducing energy.

One of the projects would replace all city streetlights with energy-saving LED lights, something City Hall has been planning for at least a couple of years. The cost is set at $3.2 million, but savings from lower electric bills are expected to exceed the expense of installation, according to documents presented to the City Council.

The proposal is set for consideration at two council committee meetings and then at a public hearing at a full meeting of the governing body  the council and the mayor  on Feb. 24.

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The switch to LED lights is pretty much a no-brainer considering the need to reduce energy usage both to save money and fight climate change.

But, as the Journal North urged in 2019, the inevitable and necessary conversion to LEDs should be undertaken with study and care.

Thats because LED lights, while reducing electricity bills, can produce more glare and increase light pollution, particularly when its mix of red, green and blue modules has too much blue. Our existing standard street lighting already blots out both public and backyard views of Santa Fes spectacular night skies.

In Tucson, about 23,000 streetlights were switched to LED starting in 2014. City government there worked with lighting experts and astronomers to reduce light pollution. The new lights were shielded to send light downward and were hooked up to a wireless network that allowed for dimming and data collection.

The International Dark-Sky Association subsequently did a study that showed that the citys skyglow had been reduced by 7% over the course of LED conversion, not as much as had been hoped for.

An Arizona Daily Star report said that Tucsons plan included dimming the streetlights to 90%. Lights in low foot-traffic areas were dimmed to 60% during post-midnight hours. The city also reduced blue wavelengths from the LED streetlights to reduce the glare.

Many cities have put in the most efficient LED lighting systems just to save as much energy as possible, and resulting in aesthetically very poor, garish lighting, expert Christian Monrad told the Star. Documents made public for the Santa Fe councils meeting last week, when the Feb. 24 public hearing on the planned sustainability projects was set, tout energy savings, but dont address light pollution.

City officials should speak to this issue  are shields for the new LED lights included in the $3.2 million price tag?  as consideration of the ordinances and financing agreements to implement the project move forward.

Reducing light pollution has been discussed as a public matter for at least two decades in Santa Fe. Then-City Councilors Chris Moore and Larry Delgado were fighting to shield streetlights to save Santa Fes dark skies back in 1997. Santa Fe does have some shielded streetlights, particularly around the Plaza and other parts of downtown.

By the way, the sustainability package before the council now also calls for upgrading a total of about 9,000 existing lighting fixtures at city facilities to LED technology.

Of course, possible additional costs to shield new LED lights could be an issue, particularly when Santa Fe city governments budget has been slammed by the reduced economy caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.

But what better time to address light pollution than when so many lights are being switched out. If not now, when?
In addition to being named chairman of the State Government Committee, with its broad oversight responsibilities, state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., has been appointed to five other committees.

The appointments for the 2021-22 legislative session were made recently by President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre.

Argall will serve as the vice chairman of the Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee.

In that role, he will work closely with the chairman of the committee, Sen. John Yudichak, I-14, Swoyersville, to help assist communities recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He will also be a member of the Appropriations, Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Health & Human Services and Finance committees.

Argall said he also planned to work with Democrats and Republicans on welfare reform.

The senator also announced his offices in Pottsville and Mahanoy City will now be open by appointment only to assist residents with their property tax/rent rebate paperwork.

To make an appointment, Argalls Mahanoy City office can be reached at 570-773-0891. His Pottsville office can be reached at 570-621-3400. His toll-free number is 877-327-4255. Inquiries can also be sent online at www.senatorargall.com or via email at dargall@pasen.gov.

 Staff Report
Northern Irelands First Minister has said a Covid vaccine producer raised concerns with her around the potential impact of the NI Protocol on the supply of medicines to the region from Great Britain.

There is a grace period of a year on checks on medicines moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the post-Brexit arrangements.

Arlene Foster said AstraZeneca raised the matter in a meeting with her on Friday.

The meeting came before the EU moved to place temporary export controls on any Covid-19 vaccines moving from the bloc into Northern Ireland.

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The bloc triggered Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to prevent free movement of vaccines from the EU into the region.

The move, which came amid a deepening row with AstraZeneca over its supply contract with the EU, was part of a wider bid to control exports of vaccines from the bloc.

Mrs Fosters meeting with the company focused on another aspect of the protocols trading arrangements  the movement of goods from GB to NI.

She said clarity was needed on continued ability to move vaccines across the Irish Sea before the end of the year grace period so there is not a cliff edge in terms of supply.

We need to listen very carefully to their concerns about the end of the year and make sure we take those to Michael Gove and others in the UK Government, she said.

There is currently a derogation, but Government must be awake to this challenge and explain how they are going to get medicines to Northern Ireland from January 2022.

I assured AstraZeneca that we were already raising these matters with the Government and I would be meeting Michael Gove in the coming days where we would again be raising this issue as well as others.

We have agreed to meet again shortly and continue this dialogue.

Last November, Dr Richard Greville from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that flexibility for 12 months should allow enough time to amend the medicines supply chain.

Mrs Foster said she had a very useful and constructive remote meeting with AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca has committed to provide 100 million doses for the UK, and it is their intention to have 30 million vaccinated by the end of the first quarter, she said.

I was encouraged that they have established 20 independent supply chain arms for different parts of the world and believe their UK supply line is extremely robust as it is now extensively an internal UK operation.

Vaccinations are being rolled out with pensioners over the age of 70 receiving the AstraZeneca jab from their GPs while those over the age of 65 have been invited to book appointments for the Pfizer dose at regional centres.

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Concerns have been voiced by some about the twin-track approach, with complaints people in the 65-69-year-old age bracket may receive the vaccination before older pensioners and younger people who are clinically vulnerable.

By Friday, some 220,201 doses of the vaccine had been administered, including 196,131 first doses and 24,070 second doses.

Mobile vaccination teams have administered first doses in care homes  and second doses to over 80% of the homes.

Some 83% of the 80 year olds and over have been vaccinated, and jabs are being administered to the 7079 age group.

Meanwhile 39,825 people in the 65-69 age group have booked their vaccination appointments in one of seven regional vaccination centres.

Patricia Donnelly, head of the vaccine rollout in Northern Ireland, said the AstraZeneca vaccine is easier to transport so is being used in GP practices, whereas the Pfizer jab is more suited to the larger regional centres.

We have been working with GPs, we have been working our way through the priority groups and we had an opportunity that we recognised in the last week that as the end of the first stage of the programme of the Pfizer vaccine in the larger vaccination centres was coming to a close, we had more Pfizer vaccine than we had predicted, she told the BBC.

We had to find a way to use it and we couldnt give it to GPs, it comes at ultra low temperatures, in very large packs and only has five days to use up, therefore we needed to look at who we could take into the mass vaccination centres and who we could do that quickly with.

She said it was easier for GPs to continue with their plans to vaccinate the over 70s, and for the regional centres to take over 65s, an age group which also matched the 90-100,000 doses of Pfizer which they had.

Further supplies of the AstraZeneca jab are due to arrive in Northern Ireland this week and next and will go out to GPs.

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Chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride was also asked about the vaccinating of the chief executives of the heath trusts in Northern Ireland with frontline staff.

There is no clear cut definition of front line  there is no neat answer to that, he said.

However Dr McBride said he felt the responsible thing for him to do personally was to take all measures to protect himself and his family from the virus.

I will take the vaccine when it is my turn, when the vaccine is offered to me, he said.

The Department of Health #COVID19 dashboard has been updated.



669 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Sadly, a further 22 deaths have been reported (4 outside the 24 hour period).https://t.co/YN16dmGzhv pic.twitter.com/ZLobwp9lvn  Department of Health (@healthdpt) January 29, 2021

The deaths of a further 22 people who had tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland were announced on Friday, along with another 669 positive cases of the virus.
Americans might pride themselves on their democracy and freedom, Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for Chinas foreign ministry, recently told reporters. But after witnessing so much political chaos, she added, deep down they may hope they could lead a life as the Chinese do.

Administration officials say that neither opportunistic commentary from foreign rivals nor recent expressions of good-faith skepticism from foreign policy analysts at home has tempered the plan Mr. Biden promised as a candidate: convening a summit for democracy where like-minded leaders could discuss ways to strengthen their own systems internally and protect them from threats like corruption, election security, disinformation and the authoritarian model that has gripped China and Russia and seeped into nations like Turkey and Brazil.

Writing in Foreign Affairs last spring, Mr. Biden said the event would be to renew the spirit and shared purpose of the nations of the free world. It will bring together the worlds democracies to strengthen our democratic institutions, honestly confront nations that are backsliding and forge a common agenda.

A person familiar with the summit planning, which has been underway since before the election, said Mr. Biden was undeterred by the recent political strife in the United States and was likely to act as the host at an event with fellow heads of state, although details like the timing and location have not been determined. Others familiar with the process said they expected an event near the end of the year. A White House official did not respond to a request for comment.

In Washington, however, a debate over the idea has broken out among former United States government officials and academics. It narrowly concerns plans for the summit but involves larger anxieties about the countrys role as a global leader in the post-Trump era.

A suspected suicide car bomb exploded on Sunday in Somalia's capital and was followed by a shootout between militants and security forces at a hotel, causing an unknown number of casualties, witnesses and authorities said.

The militant Islamist group Al-Shebab, which is linked to al Qaeda and often carries out bombings in its war on Somalia's government, claimed responsibility via its radio station.

"A speeding car exploded near the hotel and checkpoint. The blast shook us and heavy gunfire followed," shopkeeper Ali Abdulahi told Reuters of the incident in the busy Kilometre 4 area of Mogadishu.

A Reuters journalist saw security forces besiege the area, where cars are inspected en route to the airport and where politicians regularly gather at the hotel.

"The blast made the hotel tremble as we sat inside and were talking. We were panicked, confused," witness Ahmed Nur told Reuters, adding that he escaped via a ladder down a wall.

"I jumped down and ran. I cannot know how things were. I was scared. I heard gunfire and saw dark smoke."

'MARTYRDOM OPERATION'

Police spokesman Sadik Ali said many people had been rescued from the Hotel Afrik. "There must be casualties because the militants first started the attack with a suicide car bomb against the wall," he told Reuters.

"The operation still goes on, casualties will be known later."

Al-Shebab wants to rule Somalia according to its interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

There was no immediate word from Somali officials or the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, which supports the government against Al-Shebab.

Al-Shebab's radio Al Andalus said fighters had gone into the hotel after a suicide car bomb. "A martyrdom operation by the mujahideen goes on at Hotel Afrik, which is a cover-up for officials from the apostate government," it said.

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Glasgow-born artist Sophie has died aged 34 after a sudden accident in Athens, it has been confirmed. The Grammy-nominated musician was hailed as a pop pioneer and was a transgender icon who spoke extensively about struggles with gender identity.

A statement released by Sophies record label Transgressive described the artist as: a pioneer of a new sound, one of the most influential artists in the last decade. Not only for ingenious production and creativity but also for the message and visibility that was achieved. An icon of liberation.

Sophie, a musical trailblazer

Sophie Xeon, born 1968, began releasing music in the mid-noughties anonymously and grew into one of the most iconic and influential pop artists of the last decade. The 2013 single Nothing More to Say was the first official release but it was Bipp, released later that year, which first brought recognition outside of native Glasgow.

A series of acclaimed singles were re-released in 2015s Product, before debut album Oil of Every Pearls Un-Insides came out in 2018. The ground-breaking production saw it nominated for best dance/electronic album and garnered almost unanimously positive reviews. The Guardian wrote: Sophie has crafted a genuinely original sound and uses it to visit extremes of terror, sadness and pleasure.

Sophie worked with the likes of Madonna, Vince Staples, and Charli XCX and is regarded as a hugely influential figure in both 21st-century pop music and LGBTQ culture. The transgender artists musical expression often encapsulated issues surrounding identity, non-conformity and reinvention.

She died aged 34 in Athens, Greece. Official reports state that she slipped while attempted to find a better view of a full moon that was visible from the Greek capitol.

Her label, Transgressive, said of the tragic accident: "True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and slipped and fell She will always be here with us."

Tributes pour in for Sophie, a visionary

During a creative career cut tragically short Sophie left an enormous mark on fellow musicians and the culture as a whole. In the hours following the news fellow musicians and former collaborators paid their respects to a figure who influenced so many.

Chic frontman and musical legend Nile Rodgers described her as innovative and dynamic in a personal statement, and called her one of the most warm persons I had the pleasure of working with.

French pop act Heloise Letissier, who performs as Christine and the Queens, praised Sophies cultural influence and strides made in fields of gender and sexuality. Heloise described the late musician as a stellar producer, a visionary, a reference.

Sophie was awarded the Innovator gong by the Association of Independent Music in 2018 and used it as an opportunity to promote trans rights to an even larger audience.

The producer reemphasised the importance of "creating a more diverse, inspiring and meaningful future for us and the generations whose lives our decisions affect and help shape
When Disneyland announced the company would be ending the annual passholder program, a collective scream went out across all of passholderdom. With just a simple send of an email, anyone who'd bought an annual pass  regardless if you were a new passholder or had been renewing since it started in 1984  lost their ultimate badge of Disney fandom.

Including me.

And then, a little more than a week later, another email came: Annual passholders are now legacy passholders, as in, former passholders who have been put out to pasture, with a few parting gifts to take with us when we go.

Im sorry, Disney, but thats just not going to work for me.

In the Jan. 27 email, Disneyland said that anyone who had an active Annual Passport when the parks closed on March 20, 2020, has now become a legacy passholder and gets magical extras that celebrate you. The current extra: a 30% discount on select merchandise during the week at some Downtown Disney locations, through February.

This feels like much too small of a consolation prize to Disneys most dedicated fans  who are also the ones who visit the parks most frequently and, to put it in terms Disney can hear, spend the most money there. Theyre the ones who have head-to-toe Disney gear, like spirit jerseys ($70) that match their themed Loungefly backpacks ($80) and matching Minnie ears ($30) in multiple themes and sets. The ones who pride themselves on trying every $7 seasonal churro flavor throughout both parks and pairing them with $15 thimbles of wine from Mendocino Terrace in California Adventure. (Ok, maybe Im the only one that does the thimble thing.)

This whole thing feels a little too much like Disney broke up with us by saying they still want to be friends.

But more than anything, the thing that bothers me about being forced into legacy passholderdom is I have almost no hope of getting into the park on opening day.

When Walt Disney World reopened in July, people with existing resort reservation packages that included theme park tickets were the first people granted access to the new reservation system. Immediately after that, annual passholders could make reservations. Tickets didnt go on sale to the public until just a few days before the July 11 opening of Magic Kingdom. (Animal Kingdom also opened that day, but Hollywood Studios and Epcot opened on July 15.)

Long story short, having a Disneyland AP was pretty much going to be your only chance of getting into Disneyland on opening day, or any of the early days of the parks being open. More than that, passholders are the ones most likely to want to go to the parks as soon as they reopen  which is probably why Disney chose to wipe the slate clean. The company doesnt release numbers about its capacity or its passholders, but the Los Angeles Times estimates that 1 million people hold Disneyland annual passes. The Orange County Register puts Disneyland Park capacity at 85,000 people and Disney California Adventure at 51,000, and estimates that the parks might admit about 10% of their capacity on reopening. At the very outside, it would be about 15,000 people  or about 1.5% of passholders.

So you can see why theyd need to do something drastic to try to get ahead of demand.

Disneys first move towards passholder crowd management was to implement blackout calendars in 2018. In 2019, the Southern California resident annual pass got more expensive, increasing to about $400, and also more restrictive. Almost every week that offered access to the park only did so Monday through Thursday. In the past, the alternatives were $1000-plus passes that gave weekend access, some even in the most popular times. But another option became available that year: a Flex Passport, for $649.

When the resort closed last March, I had just purchased a Flex Passport, which, for me, truly did feel like a flex. I was finally at a point in my life when I didnt have to choose the cheapest option simply out of it being the only attainable one. But it was exciting for another reason: That passport allowed people to choose their attendance dates, booked by reservation two at a time a month in advance, and thereby get in on what were previously blackout dates only available to holders of the premium passes, which cost twice as much and included double the discount. (Ten percent versus 20, making a bottle of water a *much* more affordable $3.40 rather than $3.70.)

When Disney implemented the reservation-based pass, I dont think they or anyone else could have ever imagined the year that would follow, and the ensuing need to pivot to an all-reservation basis. (Walt Disney World is still reservation-only, though it did reimplement limited park hopping this month.)

I got to use that pass exactly twice, on Feb. 13 and 14 of last year, before the park shut down. But those were a sweet, sweet two days. Any annual passholder discounts? a cast member would ask me any time I made a purchase. Yes! Id say with a delicious little flourish. My pass had expired nearly a year before, and I didnt renew, knowing Id be away from California too much in the following months to justify the expenditure, so it felt especially good to be back in the AP club.

To be fair, hordes of people were glad when the AP program was killed, calling passholders insufferable and plenty of other awful things, and that line of thinking is precisely why.

Part of me wishes I didnt have a current pass when they canceled the annual passholder program. I dont love the feeling of being put out to pasture. And I love even less losing the hope that my AP would get me into opening day of the parks, whenever that finally happens. But here we are, no opening day in sight, and no passes to use when we get there. Ill let you know when theres some good news about Disneyland. Today isnt that day.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday said that the government is ready to answer all questions of the Opposition in the second half of the ongoing budget session of Parliament.

"First half of the Budget session is for the Motion of Thanks on the President's address and discussion. The second is for discussion over Budget and any urgent bill. In the remaining second half of the session, let them ask whatever they want to, the government is ready to answer," Joshi told reporters here.

As many as 16 Opposition parties boycotted President Ram Nath Kovind's address in Parliament to register their protest against farm laws on the first day of the budget session.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget for the financial year 2020-21 on Monday.

The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8.

Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.

(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.)
Britain's most notorious Islamic preacher will soon be free to spread his gospel of hate again, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

After his release from prison two years ago, extremist Anjem Choudary was banned from speaking in public under one of the strictest licence conditions ever imposed by judges.

But those restrictions will be lifted towards the end of May  and now security sources fear that Choudary will immediately resume his campaign to radicalise young Muslims.

Britain's most notorious Islamic preacher will soon be free to spread his gospel of hate again, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

Last night, terrorism expert and author Michael Kenney said the 54-year-old hate cleric will have 'street cred' after serving time behind bars, adding: 'He is no longer just a talker, but has served time for his cause, so he has greater credibility.'

Choudary, leader of the banned Al-Muhajiroun group, was jailed for five-and-a-half years after inviting support for Islamic State.

He was released less than halfway through his sentence and has since been living at his family home in Ilford, East London, where his conditions include a night-time curfew and a ban on using the internet or preaching in public.

Before being jailed, he helped to radicalise Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby in South-East London in 2013; and Khuram Butt, the ringleader of the London Bridge attacks of 2017.

Before being jailed, he helped to radicalise Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby in South-East London in 2013

Dozens of Choudary's followers joined Islamic State in Syria, including Siddhartha Dhar, also known as Jihadi Sid, who featured in a video showing him executing a victim.

Mohammed Reza Haque, Choudary's former bodyguard who became known as Jihadi Giant due to his 6ft 6in frame, beheaded a hostage in another propaganda recording.

Choudary, a father-of-five, is understood to have written an autobiography, although is unlikely to make any money from it because he is banned from having a bank account.

The Treasury would probably seek to freeze any income that he earned from the book.

A Home Office source last night said Choudary would continue to be monitored by police and MI5 after his current licence conditions ended.
A British jihadi was the first in a new generation of tech-savvy terrorists who police and spy agencies fear could exploit Facebooks end-to-end encryption plans.

Junaid Hussain, a computer hacker from Birmingham, was 19 when he fled to Syria in 2013.

He was linked to more than 30 terror plots around the world and was in contact with at least nine extremists who were arrested or killed by US law enforcement.

He tasked one recruit  Munir Abdulkader  with beheading a US soldier and bombing a police station.

Junaid Hussain, a computer hacker from Birmingham, was 19 when he fled to Syria in 2013 and the first in a new generation of tech-savvy terrorists. He was killed in 2015

Hussain provided Abdulkader with the soldiers home address and reconnaissance tips, but the 2015 plot was foiled by an undercover agent.

Hussain also communicated with Usaamah Rahim, 26, who was killed by police in Boston in 2015 while apparently hunting for officers to decapitate.

Hussain, who married fellow British terrorist Sally Jones, known as the White Widow, is also believed to have published a hit list of four RAF bases online and urged supporters to carry out atrocities at the sites.

More than a dozen personnel who served at the bases were named in a dossier leaked by Hussains Islamic State hacking division.

Hussain used encrypted apps as well as Twitter and Facebook Messenger to communicate while on the run in Syria, but was tracked down and killed in a US drone strike in April 2015, after GCHQ and its US allies cracked encrypted IS communications.

However, experts warn that Hussain left behind an army of hackers who continue his work.
Nasser Sultan was forced to leave the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion dinner party after the cast demanded an apology for his online trolling.

The 53-year-old refused to say sorry for the cruel things he'd said on Instagram, and was confronted by Michael Brunelli and Cyrell Paule.

After Michael and Cyrell were joined by multiple cast members in offering Nasser an opportunity to atone for his online sins, he refused.

Drama! Nasser Sultan (pictured) was forced to leave the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion dinner party after the cast demanded an apology for his online trolling

'You're now at the time where you can actually just stand up and apologise and take ownership of your actions,' Cyrell said, becoming heated.

Nasser answered, attempting to defend his actions: 'Listen, I thrive on media. My whole life now is media.'

'You are starting these things, and you have a following. That is disrespectful and damaging to the mental health of people,' Michael replied furiously.

Confronted! The 53-year-old refused to say sorry for the cruel things he'd said on Instagram, and was confronted by Michael Brunelli (right) and Cyrell Paule

Nasser answered, attempting to defend his actions: 'Listen, I thrive on media. My whole life now is media'

Cyrell then confronted Nasser about saying she'd had her son, Boston, as a 'publicity stunt'.

'I love my son! He is a 10-month-old baby!' Cyrell cried out, becoming enraged.

The cast joined in on telling Nasser that he should leave - with multiple people crying out, 'Just leave Nasser'.

Anger! Cyrell then confronted Nasser about saying she'd had her son, Boston, as a 'publicity stunt'. 'I love my son! He is a 10-month-old baby!' Cyrell cried out, becoming enraged

Angered, Nasser got up from his seat and snapped: 'I will leave. You know what? I will leave'

Angered, Nasser got up from his seat and snapped: 'I will leave. You know what? I will leave.'

Storming out, he added: 'I don't need to put up with this s**t' before vowing to continue 'attacking' the cast online.

'If they don't wanna hear it, they can all p**s off. I don't need this s**t. Some stupid reunion bulls**t. It's not a reunion. It's an "attack Nasser".

Off he goes: 'I'm a rock star. I'm the people's celebrity. I am Mr Reality. They can kiss my Arabic hairy a*s!' he added before jumping in a car and speeding off

'I'm not gonna put up with it. I'll keep attacking them. Do you know what? They're plebs. Nobodies.

'I'm a rock star. I'm the people's celebrity. I am Mr Reality. They can kiss my Arabic hairy a*s!' he added before jumping in a car and speeding off.

Back at the dinner party, the cast agreed that they were happy to see Nasser leave, and were glad to have stood up to a 'troll' and 'bully'.
The Delhi Police has filed cases against several journalists covering the two-month-long farmers' protest since the violence that broke out on Republic Day

The Delhi Police detained Mandeep Punia, a freelance journalist, at the Singhu border protest site on Saturday. The police alleged that Punia had "misbehaved" with a station house officer (SHO) at Singhu, reports said.

Punia has written for The Caravan and Junputh. Citing purported videos of the detention, reports said that "police personnel in riot gear (were seen) dragging Punia away".

The Indian Express quoted police officials as saying that another journalist, Dharmender Singh, was also "briefly picked up and later let go after he showed his press ID".

"Punia was standing with the protesters and he didnt have a press ID card. He was trying to move through the barricades which were kept to segregate and secure the area. An altercation broke out between police personnel and him. He misbehaved there was some manhandling as well. He was then detained," the report further quoted a police official as saying.

An editor at The Caravan, Hartosh Singh Bal, tweeted that an FIR has been filed against Punia at the Alipur police station.

we have been informed by addl DCP J. Meena that FIR 52/21 PS Alipur has been filed under sections 186, 332, 353 IPC, we'll take whatever legal recourse is necessary. We've learnt Mandeep had spent the morning trying to track down those from bjp claiming to be 'locals' at Singhu https://t.co/VBUfXAmfs5  Hartosh Singh Bal (@HartoshSinghBal) January 30, 2021

Prominent journalists and activists raised the issue of Punia's arrest on Twitter, demanding that he be freed from police custody.

The police should release Mandeep Punia immediately and stop intimidating and harassing journalists. Mandeep interned with @thewire_in a couple of years back and rural reporting is his passion. https://t.co/AUYyfxKYjW  Siddharth (@svaradarajan) January 30, 2021

Just not done.

I have known Mandeep to be a passionate and committed journalist.

Picking up someone like him, without any legal basis, is another instance of growing threat to free media.

Release Mandeep Punia immediately. pic.twitter.com/CQmheGqAU4  Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) January 30, 2021

Solidarity with Mandeep Punia. Is he ok ? https://t.co/3W0fPEOVGW  Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) January 31, 2021

Release Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh immediately https://t.co/XwxbCD6jtP  Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) January 30, 2021

The Delhi Police has filed cases against several journalists covering the two-month-long farmers' protest since the violence that broke out on Republic Day. Politicians like Congress MP Shashi Tharoor have also been booked for various charges, including sedition.

On Saturday, the Delhi Police filed a case against senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, The Caravan magazine, and Tharoor for allegedly misleading the public about the death of a protester at the ITO during the violence on Republic Day. The case has been registered at the IP Estate police station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, PTI reported.

Earlier in the week, six journalists were booked by the Noida Police for sedition, among other charges, over the violence during farmers' tractor rally. The FIR was lodged at the Sector 20 police station in Noida following a complaint by a resident who alleged that "digital broadcast" and "social media posts" by these people were responsible for the violence.

The journalists named in the FIR are Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath. An unidentified person has also been named in the FIR.

With inputs from PTI
By Mark S. Singel

The second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump is set to begin. Maybe.

Like everything else in the last four years, the momentum changes almost hourly. By the time you read this, the leaders may well have agreed to forgo the impeachment trial altogether and instead opt for a censure resolution of some sort.

In fact, an early procedural vote in the Senate sent two messages. One, the Senate ruled that it was Constitutional to impeach and convict a former President. But two, given the 55-45 vote, it is unlikely that the Senate will reach the required 67 votes to convict.

Sen. McConnell and others have indicated that the vote on the Constitutional question is a completely different matter than voting guilty or not guilty. He and others have made it clear that they are ready to review the evidence and act accordingly. But lets get real: it is unlikely that 17 Republicans will join their colleagues in a guilty vote.

Heres why the trial must go on anyway.

The facts of the case are indisputable. The mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol was invited, energized and directed by the former president to wreak havoc on the Capitol and on democracy itself. Even House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Trump bears responsibility for the bloody incursion. The Senators are not only jurors in this trial; they are eye-witnesses to the worst crime ever committed by a sitting U.S. president. Failing to proceed with the trial sweeps this behavior under the rug and guarantees that some future Ppesident may be tempted to act just as badly.

But something has happened since Jan. 6. Partisan amnesia has set in. The Republican Party seems willing to accept continued subservience to a disgraced president rather than to tell right-wing partisans the truth: the election is over, Biden won fair and square, and the former president almost wrecked our system of government in an effort to hang onto power. That would take leadership.

Instead, Senators like Lindsay Graham tuck their souls away and declare that Trump is going to be the most important voice in the Republican Party for a long time to come.

Some say a trial would be divisive. Really? More divisive than anarchists beating up Capitol police and chanting Hang Pence?

Some say an acquittal would allow the former president to do what he does best: twist the truth into a narrative of exoneration. Sure, and those five dead are just part of some hoax.

Some say it is time for healing. Absolutely. Let the healing begin when the Republican leaders disavow the hateful rhetoric and the actions of a rogue ex-president and his inflamed followers.

Steve Schmidt from the Lincoln Project said it best: This is a surrender to Trumps coalition. They are foolish men who continue to believe they are riding the tiger as opposed to riding inside the tiger, which they have been doing for some time.

Time to vote, Senators. Does your own ambition and the need for far right-wing voters outweigh your duty to your country?

Author Robert A. Heinlein said: Anyone can see a forest fire. Skill lies in sniffing the first smoke. Will Maza, a teacher from Lititz, Pennsylvania wrote: When the fire planted its flag on the last un-scorched corner of our land, the fortified pinnacle of our democratic principles, only then did we step back and bear witness to the marred and disfigured wreckage that lay before us.

When leaders fail to call out rampant falsehoods about elections, they fuel the fire. Riots at the Capitol occur. When leaders look the other way to curry favor with an ex-president who has incited insurrection, they guarantee that it will happen again. There will be new fires.

I do not want to hear anybody suggest that this is about vengeance. Nor do I accept that this is some kind of partisan grandstanding. This is upholding our responsibilities to defend the Constitution against all enemies  especially when the threat comes from within.

A Senate vote at an impeachment trial asks only one question: is the former president guilty or not guilty of the crime of inciting insurrection? It may be that the Republicans will march in lockstep to ignore the evidence that they all witnessed in real time. I have little confidence that they will suddenly find a spine and vote to convict.

Does it mean that the former president will twist a politically motivated acquittal into a self-serving rewrite of history? Probably.

Does it require the leaders we elect in our Republic to do the right thing anyway? Absolutely.

Mark S. Singel is a former Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. He and Republican Charlie Gerow can be seen at 8:30 a.m. each Sunday on CBS21s Face the State.
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing farmers' protests against the new farm laws, the Haryana government on Sunday (January 31, 2021) further extended the suspension of mobile internet services in several districts till 5 pm on February 1.

The step, according to the state government, has been taken to 'prevent any disturbance of peace and public order'.

According to an official statement, the government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services in 14 districts.

The following districts will be affected due to the suspension: Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Jind, Rohtak, Panipat, Hisar, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Charkhi Dadri, Sonipat and Jhajjar.

"The Haryana government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), SMS services (only bulk SMS) and all dongle services, etc provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of the 14 districts," the statement said.

"This order has been issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of these districts of Haryana. Any person who will be found guilty of violation of aforesaid order will be liable for legal action under relevant provisions," it added.

The suspension has not been extended in three districts namely - Yamunanagar, Palwal and Rewari districts, where the mobile internet services were snapped earlier.

"The decision was taken in the wake of the situation which had built up following incidents of violence in the national capital on January 26," PTI news agency quoted Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as saying.

Khattar added that the decision to suspend the internet services temporarily in that situation was appropriate and would be restored once things normalise.

Earlier on Tuesday when the farmers' protests had turned violent in the national capital, Haryana had snapped mobile internet services in Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal districts.

Subsequently, the suspension was extended to 14 other districts on Friday.

This is to be noted that clashes took place between the police and farmers during the tractor rally in Delhi on January 26, following which the internet services were also suspended temporarily in some parts of the national capital.



Live TV


Shaheed Al-Hafed, 30 Juanuart 2021- (SPS) - Minister of Information and Chairperson of the Government, Mr. Hamada Selma, has urged the African Union to revitalize its peace and security mechanisms, especially those related to the decolonization of Western Sahara, during the upcoming African summit, scheduled for 6-7 February 2021.



Speaking to the Algerian Radio One on Friday, the Saharawi official recalled to the AUs strategy to silencing the guns and solving all the problems behind conflicts and tensions in the African continent, adding that Western Sahara question is being considered at the African Union level as the last decolonization issue in Africa.



With this in mind, Mr. Hamada said that the upcoming African summit will undoubtedly strongly address the Saharawi issue, with the AU being a partner in the peace process in Western Sahara.



During its 14th extraordinary summit on Silencing the Guns, the African Union unanimously endorsed a draft resolution proposed by the Kingdom of Lesotho and supported by 12 African countries, which highlighted the recent events occurred in the Saharawi Republic after Moroccos aggression.



The resolution also called on the AU Peace and Security Council and the Tripartite Committee to convene, examine and report about the Saharawi issue to the upcoming summit of African heads of state and government, with the aim to reach a solution allowing for the inalienable right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence. (SPS)



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A crew works on a natural gas drilling platform near Farmington in April 2012. A new study found that San Juan County is among the oil- and gas-producing counties in New Mexico and Colorado with a disproportionate rate of COVID-19 deaths.




Meanwhile, experts on international relations from multiple countries also highlighted the importance of U.S.-China relations and expected their ties to improve.

Voices from Davos

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the U.S.-China relations the most important bilateral ties in the world, saying that it will be never too late to reset the tone of their interactions, particularly with the new administration in the United States.

Lee said it "is going to be a very big problem" for the Americans to see China "as a challenger, almost like a threat."

The new U.S. administration is an opportunity to steer the relationship towards safer waters, and amidst U.S. President Joe Biden's many urgent preoccupations, "the U.S.-China relationship should become a key strategic priority," he said, stressing the need for the two sides to find common ground and work together.

At an online session titled "U.S. Foreign Policy: The Outlook from Washington," politicians also discussed the damaging effects of COVID-19 on mounting geopolitical tensions, saying that the United States needs to reconsider its position towards China.

Kirsten E. Gillibrand, U.S. senator from New York, said that she is optimistic that the new U.S. administration will make progress in its relations with both Russia and China, adding that "we need far more engagement that is productive with both of those countries."

Adam Kinzinger, a congressman from Illinois, said that it's crucial to avoid open conflict with China.

Arancha Gonzalez Laya, minister of Foreign Affairs European Union & Cooperation of Spain, said at the session that "above all, we need to avoid open confrontation" between the United States and China.

She expressed her hope that the Biden administration will facilitate collaboration at the World Trade Organization to update the rules of global trade as necessary with China's input, and that geopolitical tensions will not interfere with efforts to combat climate change.

Fu Ying, vice-chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress of China, told the meeting on Friday that China has no intention of vying for world dominance but wants to cooperate and maintain peace.

There are elements of competition in the relationship with America, she said, describing the relationship as a combination of "cooperation and competition."

"The new Biden administration needs time to think about the ways it can cooperate with China and where it needs to avoid conflicts," she said, adding that how China and the United States define their relationship is important not just to both countries but to the world.

Expectations

Carl Fey, professor of international business with Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, voiced hope that the United States and China would take advantage of the emerging opportunities under a new U.S. president and work to reset business relations, which, if successful, would be beneficial for the whole world.

The former dean of Nottingham University Business School China noted that environmental issues, such as climate change, would be an area where the two sides can hopefully find common ground.

David J. Firestein, president and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, said recently that the United States has some great friendships and alliances across the globe, but there is no country more inextricably bound up with America's destiny and future, certainly economically speaking, than China.

Noting that the two countries need each other, Firestein said, "Whether we like it or not, we have to get this relationship right, because the consequences of getting it wrong are unpleasant and far-reaching."

Ivan Timofeyev, programs director at the Russian International Affairs Council, said it is a common hope that the U.S.-China relations can be normalized as the two countries are the biggest economies in the world.

Any crises within the U.S.-China relations will bring about worldwide impact, the Russian scholar said.

Though competitions between the two countries will continue, there is a chance that their relations can be normalized, Timofeyev said, citing the decree signed by Biden that stopped calling the coronavirus by a name of one country or city as it was a signal to China that the virus will not be politicized.

Bambang Suryono, chairman of Indonesia's Asia Innovation Study Center, viewed the normalization of U.S.-China relations as important to the peace and stability in Asia, saying he expects the new U.S. administration to reset positive contacts and talks with China, especially on issues concerning the livelihood of both peoples.

Suryono's remarks were echoed by Norhan el-Sheikh, professor of political science with Cairo University, who said the stability of their relations bear on the stability and security of the world.

The two sides are seeking their own development and long-term interests, but the difference is that China works for joint growth and win-win results while America prefers to pursue hegemony, the Egyptian expert said.

As for the U.S.-China trade tensions, Chris Lipscombe, president of the New Zealand China Cross-border Electronic Commerce Foundation, said the world is "anxious to see how the new U.S. administration address that tension."

The recent positive development of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement talk has sent "a signal of confidence" for countries to move forward on trade issues, Lipscombe said.
Jared Leto has established himself as a premier actor in Hollywood, but it comes at a cost. The Academy Award-winning actor and The Little Things star puts a lot of energy into his roles and frequently has to take breaks between films.

Because he is a method actor, Leto is often very worn out by the time hes finished a film. He recently revealed that the extensive effort he has to put into making films is a big reason why he goes on hiatuses between movies.

Jared Leto has to take breaks in between films to recharge

Jared Leto attends the 2019 LACMA Art + Film Gala | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

RELATED: Jared Leto Ate Microwaved Cartons of Ice Cream With Soy Sauce For 1 Role

Leto explained why he has to take breaks between films during a recent interview with John David Washington for Variety.

I dont know, maybe you feel the same, but when I make films, they kind of take a lot out of me, Leto said. And, you know, emotionally, sometimes physically.

He has other creative outlets that fulfill him when hes not making movies

Leto then revealed that after he finishes films, he spends time working on music to decompress.

You know, Daniel Day-Lewis, I always remember reading he went off to learn how to make shoes in Italy for like, five years, which I thought was hilarious, Leto said. Who even knows if its true or not, but its hilarious  I make music, so for me, Im fortunate in the sense that I always have a creative outlet. So Im not dependent or reliant on films to give me a creative reward or to make a living.

His ability to work on other creative projects makes him less detached to acting.

I acknowledge how incredibly lucky I am to have different pursuits, Leto said. So maybe it was a little bit easier to walk away for six years, or whatever it was.

The Dallas Buyers Club script convinced him to return to acting

Later in the interview, Leto admitted that he almost gave up acting completely.

You know, there was a time where I didnt know if I would come back or not, Leto said. But Im glad I did.

Eventually, he came across the Dallas Buyers Club script, which inspired him to get back into filmmaking.

It was the script, and the role, and the director, and the opportunity, Leto said. You know, just when you read something, like I said before, and immediatelyit doesnt always work like this, I suppose, but I like when it doeswhen I read something and then I immediately start the adventure.

Jared Leto doesnt like filming movies or watching himself in films

Leto also revealed that the filmmaking process is very stressful for him, which makes him hesitant to accept roles.

Shooting the movie is the least enjoyable part for me, Leto said. I always joke, I say  the two best parts of making movies is getting the job and finishing the job. I like the character build, the discovery, I likeI actually like the time that I spend, the investigation.

Furthermore, Leto never watches any scenes from the movies hes been in, not even during production.

I dont watch myself at all, Leto admitted. I dont look atI never saw [Dallas Buyers Club]  I saw still images from Dallas Buyers Club, but Ive never seen a scene or a playback, I dont look at playback on set. And when I stopped doing that,  I had a lot less anxiety when I didnt do it.

Letos most recent role was in The Little Things, a thriller film that also stars Denzel Washington. The Little Things can be seen in theaters and on HBO Max.
The new, totally revamped fourth-generation Hyundai Tucson is likely to be the top seller in Ireland this year

By last Wednesday there were 1,116 pretty smug car owners in the country and another big cohort of people would have been very pleased that a further shipment of Hyundai Tucsons had docked in Dublin and was being distributed to customers up to yesterday.

For, with some reservations, the new and totally revised Tucson is one of the biggest steps forward for an existing car in recent times. But it shouldn't be forgotten that the previous model Tucson was one of the most successful cars on the Irish market, often topping the overall sales chart. Even in the very difficult 2020 it held second place, with 3,227 cars sold, which gave it 3.65pc of the market.

With its strong start the new Tucson is likely to be the country's top seller this year and, from what I have seen, this will be well-deserved.

Why?

Well, this fourth-generation Tucson (sometimes called the iX35 in previous versions) offers more space in roughly the same footprint, very accessible good technology with really clear instrumentation, attractive design - especially from the front - and some excellent hybrid petrol and battery power plants. This latter point puts the diesel engines, on which the Tucson so often relied in the past, into the shade and are worth the price hike - except for very large mileage owners who might be doing a lot of motorway journeys.

However, beyond all that the Tucson now drives so well. Where the previous models lumbered, the new version has a precise agility that belies it as a five-person SUV which looks as though it will take on the rough side but in practice will be bought as a robust 2WD vehicle for the school run and general family driving.

You'll get good economy around town, possibly as much as 5.8l/100km (48mpg), and really perky performance.

There is excellent leg and headroom in the rear and its luggage capacity of 616 litres is first class - the Tucson took my bike in seconds when the seats folded flat. The test car was the Executive Plus Hybrid model at 42,095 before p&p, with massive 19-inch alloys. Purists might say that there would be a slighter softer ride on smaller wheels, but anyone who loves the impact of a big family SUV will go for the 19s.

I loved the wraparound front cockpit, which had just the right amount of chrome and different black textures of cloth and plastic to give a real upmarket feel.

It stands comparison with some of the top Teutonic models. The ambient mood cabin lighting will be especially liked. The automatic box with the hybrid models is absolutely quiet and seamless in its operation and its four-button control is a lovely upmarket feature - as are the 10.25-inch screens for both the infotainment and the instrument panel. The controls for the heating and ventilation, including steering wheel and seats, are separate and very easy to use.

The entry-level Comfort Plus diesel is 32,845, with the 1.6 petrol hybrids beginning at 36,345. A plug-in hybrid is on the way and I would think a full EV can't be far behind.

The Tucson is really striking to look at, especially if it is in your rear-view mirror. It makes a statement. But as they say, it doesn't matter how you look if you can't walk the talk. The Tucson does.

However, I was annoyed that there wasn't a driver's side grab handle. These are very useful for people getting into such an impressive car.

Initially more worryingly, a reader told me he was put off buying by the lights of the Tucson - which certainly look the business but didn't cut the mustard for him, especially seeing the verges on dark and unlit roads.

He wanted my opinion. Frankly I had no complaints and I was driving at night - albeit on suburban roads and Phoenix Park - for seven days. I also trawled through other writers and sites as well as putting the question to Hyundai and again found that no issues with the lights had been reported.

In fact the overall lighting system gets an awful lot of positive comments, mainly because of the design. I must take the reader at his word. Yet he was going from an MPV to a very chunky SUV and it may take a bit of getting used to in achieving the right driving position.

However, he asks a very pertinent question about whether there is a certain standard of light output in lumens the car manufactures have to achieve to pass tests in Europe. In fact Hyundai gave me a pretty comprehensive answer: "The parametric lighting and integrated wing lighting (Halogen or LED) conform and exceed European vehicle UN-ECE regulation build and safety legislation and in real time provide extraordinary driver vision when driving the New Tucson."

It might be worth the reader trying the Tucson again. He could be missing out on what he says was a "lovely car inside and out". There is also the excellent five-year warranty.

********

One of the successes for Volkswagen, as it pivots away from memories of dieselgate into an electrified future, was the launch of the fully electric ID.3 hatchback last year. Coming later this spring is its big sister the ID.4, a very tasty fully-electric crossover which doesn't go the whole SUV route but still has a very impressive road presence. About 1,700 sales are likely to be made this year, with a number being the First Edition model with a range of 520km.

The car has bigger space than the very popular Tiguan but is a much smoother and sleeker ride. I took it out briefly recently and thought it stunning.

There is a very good value version for 43,426 (after grants), which may come down by another 1,200 if the 21pc VAT rate is extended after next month.

There is also a very highly specced 56,565 model and, at the other end, a 52kwh version on the way with a 348km range at under 36,000 (after grants).

What I really liked about the ID.4 was its very stylish look inside and out. It has class. The Tuscon may be going full out to become a massively successful SUV with all the tricks of that rather aggressive sector. But the ID.4 had more actual relaxed style and for those people who want to go electric and want a nice blend of saloon, hatchback and crossover it could really appeal.


Eric K. Ward

Ward is a senior fellow with Race Forward and executive director of Western States Center. He lives in Portland.

As the debate rages over Gov. Kate Browns insistence that Oregon teachers move to the front of the vaccine line, there is a bigger picture that must be considered.

Nationwide, one in every 595 Indigenous Americans has died from COVID-19. One in every 735 Black Americans has died from COVID-19.

Coronavirus mortality rates for Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Pacific Islander communities are more than double that for the white population, when adjusted for age differences. According to a Brookings Institute analysis, the novel coronavirus is now the third leading cause of death for Black Americans.

For communities already subjected to generations of physical harm, cultural erasure, economic theft and legal indignities, death on the magnitude of one in every 595 or 735 of our parents, grandparents, siblings, and children is nothing less than existential peril.

What does this have to do with us in Oregon? The numbers of Black, Indigenous and people of color in our state are often thought to be barely significant. We are the 14th whitest state with an 86% white-majority population. The 14% of us who are not white barely register when it comes to public policy priorities.

There may be nice talk about equity as a value. But if that were the case, the question of when Black, Indigenous and communities of color would be eligible for vaccines would have come up long ago. Instead, theyre included in the broad group of Oregonians whose priority status is still to be determined.

Its time for us to be honest. This is what unconscious racial bias looks like.

Lets be clear about why BIPOC Oregonians are so few in the first place. Indigenous peoples were systematically exterminated. Black people faced exclusion laws not repealed until 1926 along with an active KKK. Chinese laborers were also subjected to exclusion laws and racist mob violence. Oregonians of Japanese descent were rounded up into internment camps. Many Latinos remain subject to deportation despite performing the labor that underlies our states economy. If white supremacy hadnt permeated Oregon history since our states founding, our COVID-19 data would look even worse.

Even so, the impact of COVID-19 on our communities follows national trends. As OPB recently reported, 36% of Oregons COVID-19 cases identify as Hispanic. Despite this, only 2.3% of Hispanics have received a vaccination, compared to 5.1% of white Oregonians. Black Oregonians have a case rate more than two times that of white Oregonians, yet only 4.6% of us have been vaccinated.

No one is calling for a race-based mandate when it comes to vaccine priorities. But equity does call for prioritizing those most at risk due to the legacy of structural racism, within each category.

While a vaccine advisory committee is grappling with how to meet the needs of BIPOC Oregonians in the next phase of vaccines, why did the governor decide back in December  before the committee even met  to move teachers to the front of the line?

I dont know whats worse: if the sidelining of equity commitments wasnt thought through, or if it was.

Educators tell me theyre losing sleep at night worrying that they will be faced with taking a vaccine that should be going to a Black or Indigenous or Latino person, a frontline worker, a person living with the consequences of lifelong health inequities. These are moral decisions that should not be left to the individual.

Oregon as a state should be living its values. Sadly, when it comes to prioritizing equity and those most vulnerable for our scant allotment of vaccines, we are falling short.

Subscribe to our free weekly Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email:


Its done: The 3.45 am call to NSA Doval after Balakot was hit and Operation Bandar was competed

2 JeM terrorists, 4 of their associates held in J&K

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Srinagar, Jan 31: Two newly recruited terrorists and four terrorist associates of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and its offshoot Lashkar-e-Mustafa (LeM) were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

Acting on specific inputs regarding terrorist attacks being planned in Anantnag and Bijbehara towns by the LeM, the police along with the Army established special checking points at multiple locations and conducted intensive checking, a police spokesperson said.

At one of the checkpoints at Donipora in Bijbehera, officers intercepted a car with two persons onboard. The two tried to flee but were apprehended tactfully by the alert forces, he said.

"They have been identified as Imran Ahmed Hajam, a resident of Nathpora Khanabal, and Irfan Ahmed Ahanger, a resident of Nandpora Khanabal. Both had recently joined terrorist ranks and were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeM/JeM," the spokesperson said.

Incriminating material, arms and ammunition including two pistols, three magazines and 116 rounds were recovered from their possession, he said.

The spokesperson said during the questioning, the arrested persons revealed that the LeM was recently floated to give an impression that terrorism in Kashmir is home-grown and not sponsored by Pakistan.

Simbal Camp in Jammu is a fertile ground for Khalistan movement and anti-India propaganda

"They further revealed that they are close associates of Hidayat Malik alias Hasnain, a resident of Sharafpora Shopian and the self-styled chief of LeM; Umer alias Wahid Khan, a resident of Shopian; and Aftab alias Ali Bhai, a resident of Dachipora.

"They said they were conducting recce of the area to plant an IED in order to target security forces and the police," he said.

During the course of investigation, four terrorist associates of JeM were arrested from different locations, the spokesperson said.

They have been identified as Bilal Ahmed Kumar, Tawfeeq Ahmed Lawey, Muzamil Ahmed Wani and Aadil Ahmed Rather.

Incriminating material, ammunition including two grenades, 30 AK-47 rounds and 1 kg of explosive material were recovered from their possession, he said.

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Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 10:08 [IST]
Latest gastronomic experience at Cinnamon Grand By Sashini Rodrigo View(s): View(s):

The newest addition to the family of restaurants at Cinnamon Grand Colombo is all about celebrating togetherness and ensuring that there is something for everyone at any time.

Launched in mid-January, Plates is a 24-hour gourmet dining venue offering a wide selection of multi-country, multi-cuisine dishes.

With the airport opening up for tourists, it seems to be the right time to kickstart the local culinary scene once more and awaken the interest of tourism in Sri Lanka, said General Manager of Cinnamon Kamal Munasinghe at the launch.

Operating 24 hours a day, guests can enjoy a variety of international flavours in a single venue, in the comforts of the sleek, contemporary indoor seating area or in the tropical alfresco dining section.

From continental fare to cuisines closer to home, Plates offers a variety of gastronomic experiences from buffets to a la carte dining, special childrens menu and an extensive beverage offerings including wine and cocktails. The late night snack menu also includes hand-picked selections from the a la carte menu.

The international breakfast buffet includes continental, American, Sri Lankan, Indian and Japanese fare, while the lunch and dinner buffets add Far Eastern, Mediterranean, Arabic, carveries, pasta station, a live pizza oven, salad bar, and desserts with an action station. For something lighter or healthier, a salad-and-dessert-bar only option is recommended.

Plates special Sunday brunch includes all the above and more, including a smorgasbord of seafood, Shawarma and Mongolian counters, an extensive range of carveries and grilled meats and a chocolate fountain adding to the dessert bar.

Adhering to stringent COVID-19 guidelines as directed by the Government and the Ministry of Health protocols, Plates has a total seating capacity of 163, with the deck area seating 41, while all guests are subjected to strict health and safety protocols.

For more details

and reservations, call

+94 (0) 112 497 377-8.
News

New Jersey - The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it reached a settlement with Quantum Integrators Group (Quantum), an IT consulting and staffing company based in New Jersey.

The settlement resolves claims that Quantum (1) discriminated against a lawful permanent resident by requiring her, based on her citizenship status, to provide unnecessary documentation before it would refer her for an employment opportunity, and (2) routinely required other work-authorized non-U.S. citizens to present unnecessary documents to prove their eligibility to work.

Companies cannot make requests for unnecessary work authorization documents because of an individuals citizenship status, or condition a referral for employment on complying with such a request, said Gregory B. Friel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. We are pleased that Quantum will work with the Department of Justice to ensure that its policies and practices do not discriminate on the basis of citizenship status.

The departments investigation began after a lawful permanent resident filed a discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Division against Quantum. Based on its investigation, the department concluded that Quantum would not refer her to a client so that she could be considered for an employment opportunity unless she first proved she was authorized to work by providing a copy of her Permanent Resident Card. According to the investigation, Quantum would have referred a U.S. citizen candidate to the client without requiring similar proof of work authorization. Additionally, the department concluded that Quantum routinely required other work-authorized non-U.S. citizens to provide additional and unnecessary documents to prove their eligibility to work.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from requesting more or different documents than necessary to prove eligibility to work based on employees citizenship, immigration status or national origin. All work-authorized individuals, regardless of citizenship status, may choose which valid, legally acceptable documents to present to demonstrate their ability to work in the United States. The INA also does not permit an employer to verify an individuals eligibility to work before a job offer is accepted.

Under the terms of the settlement, Quantum will pay a civil penalty to the United States, revise its policies and procedures, ensure that relevant employees participate in training on the requirements of the INAs anti-discrimination provision, and be subject to departmental monitoring over the term of the agreement.

The Civil Rights Divisions Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.

Men of Change: Taking It to the Streets exhibition by the Anacostia Community Museum, Washington

An exploration and celebration of world-changing African-American men, both famous and not so, was designed for the gallery of the Anacostia Community Museum before health considerations caused it to be revamped for the outdoors. Now, the exhibition graces two blocks in the Deanwood neighborhood, between a recreational center and Ron Brown College Preparatory High School. Men of Change explores American history through the contributions of figures like James Baldwin, W.E.B. DuBois, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ryan Coogler. A virtual panel for the exhibitions opening moderated by CNNs Omar Jimenez will discuss how Black men embrace creativity amid systemic racism. Jimenez will be joined by Dr. Rob Gore, who started the youth empowerment movement Kings Against Violence Initiative (and who is also featured in the exhibition), the architect Jonathan Jackson and the artist Tariku Shiferaw. Feb. 1-May 31, 4800 Meade St., NE, Washington, D.C.; opening panel discussion, Feb. 6, 1 p.m., smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register

The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop

The author and journalist Clover Hopes enthralling book gives female architects of hip-hop their long awaited dues. The stories of Lil Kim, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes are highlighted, alongside less-celebrated heroes like MC Lyte and Roxanne Shante. Hope gives tremendous context to the contributions of the multitalented Black women who were all too often denied the credit they deserved. Greenlight Bookstore in New York will be holding a Feb. 3 book lopening featuring Hope, the illustrator Rachelle Baker and the music journalist Briana Younger. greenlightbookstore.com/event

Association for the Study of African-American Life and Historys Virtual Festival

Fully virtual this year for the first time, ASALHs 95th annual Black History Month festival will examine the theme The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. Events open to the public include an author talk with the former astronaut Mae Jemison, a discussion on How African-American Families Have Been Portrayed in the Media and music from H.B.C.U. choirs. The marquee event (which is ticketed) is a conversation between Henry Louis Gates Jr. and the groups president, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, on the search for family roots within Black history. The organization was founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who instituted Negro History Week (a precursor to Black History Month), tied to the February birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. asalh.org/festival

The 35th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Held on Martin Luther Kings Birthday and online for the first time this year, the annual Brooklyn Academy of Music event featured a keynote address from Alicia Garza, a founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network; musical performances from PJ Morton, Tarriona Tank Ball and the choir Sing Harlem; along with poetry from Ashley August and Timothy DuWhite. Political appearances included Letitia James, the New York attorney general; Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York; as well as Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York. Available to stream through the month of February. bam.org/mlktribute

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019

After the killing last year of George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis, Ibram X. Kendis 2019 book How to Be an Antiracist, soared up the best-seller list. In February, Kendi, the director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, and the historian Keisha N. Blain will release Four Hundred Souls, a historical retelling they assembled by 90 writers, each examining a five-year period in Black American history. On Feb. 1, the two editors will kick off the book release with a discussion of the work alongside the fellow writers Isabel Wilkerson, Clint Smith and Kiese Laymon. eventbrite.com
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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The Special Cell of Delhi Police had received inputs a month ago that Israelites could be targetted in India by suspected terrorists or their enemies, sources said on Sunday.

The police had reportedly written a letter to the top brass officers regarding a possible threat to the people of Israel and their property. According to sources, the letter stated that Israelites were on the radar of miscreants and those living in India could also be targeted by them. The letter written by the Special Cell is currently with Delhi Police, sources added.

Despite having received inputs, the police failed to prevent the blast near the Israeli in Delhi on Friday, given the scattered deployment of forces in wake of the ongoing farmers' protest and Republic Day celebrations.

A low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off around 5:05 PM on Friday causing a minor blast near the embassy of Israel located in the heart of Lutyen's Delhi. While no injuries were reported in the blast, a few windows of cars parked nearby shattered due to the impact.

READ | Delhi IED Blast: Israeli-populated Areas Of Himachal Put On Alert; Patrolling Intensified

READ | Delhi IED Blast: Police Detains Cab Driver Spotted In CCTV Footage; Investigation Underway

Special Cell investigating Delhi IED blast: Developments so far

The incident took place on the 29th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Israel. A team of Delhi Police's Special Cell conducting an investigation at the blast site has found an envelope addressed to the Israeli Embassy.

Two individuals were captured in the CCTV cameras moving suspiciously near the embassy building, minutes before the blast took place. The police officials have already detained a cab driver who dropped the two suspects at the location of the blast and further investigation is underway.

READ | 'Some Nations Might Be Threatened By Bilateral Ties': Israel Envoy Dr Ron Malka On Blast

Initial investigation revealed that the motive behind the low-intensity blast with the use of ammonium nitrate was likely to deliver a message, that the culprits can also cause a bigger explosion in the region. An alert has been issued at all airports, important installations, and government buildings in view of the blast and enhanced security measures have been put in place by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

READ | Delhi IED Blast: City Police Seeks Information Of Foreigners Entering National Capital

News

Houston, Texas - A Texas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to violent gang-related activities in the Eastern District of Texas.

According to information presented in court and contained in court filings, Glynnwood Derrick, 46, of Texarkana, joined the Aryan Circle (AC) while in state prison in Texas in 2000, and received his patch, or gang tattoo, in 2004 while serving a sentence in federal prison. Derrick held various ranks within the organization over the years, including the ranks of Captain and Major. Derrick attended church, or gang meetings, on numerous occasions at the homes of other AC members.

The AC is a violent, white supremacist organization that operates inside federal prisons across the country and outside prisons in states including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and oftentimes associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.

Prior to Oct. 2, 2016, AC members learned that an AC member wanted to switch his gang affiliation, or patch over, from the AC to a different gang. AC members were ordered to attack the former member in order to X him, or attack and remove him from the gang, because it violated the ACs rules to join another organization. A meeting was held at an AC members home in the Tyler, Texas area where AC members planned the logistics of the assault.

On Oct. 2, 2016, Derrick and other AC members met at a park near Tyler, Texas, where they had planned to attack the former member, who was also present. Multiple AC members violently beat the victim, including kicking the victim in the head while he was on the ground. This attack resulted in the victim seeking medical care.

Derrick will be sentenced at a date to be determined.

Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, and Nicholas J. Ganjei, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, made the announcement.

This case is part of a larger investigation into the Aryan Circle by an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct One Constables Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Indiana State Police; Fort Smith (AR) Police Department; Arkansas Department of Corrections; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriffs Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Waller (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriffs Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriffs Office; Tarrant County (TX) Sheriffs Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) Sheriffs Office; Smith County (TX) Sheriffs Office; McCurtain County (OK) Sheriffs Office; Montgomery County (TX) District Attorneys Office; Liberty County (TX) District Attorneys Office; Harris County (TX) District Attorneys Office; Mercer County (NJ) District Attorneys Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) District Attorneys Office; and the Sebastian County (AR) District Attorneys Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Bethany Lipman of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp of the Eastern District of Texas.
Coal India's dry fuel production



is likely to snap a five-month growth streak to register a decline in January, owing to high pithead stock, sources said on Sunday.

Coal production for the month is likely to be around 60.2 million tonnes compared with the corresponding period a year ago, when the output was at 63.11 million tonnes, they said.

Till January 29, the output was 56.24 million tonnes, and aggregate production for the 11-month period of the current fiscal (AprilJanuary) will be about 454 million tonnes, the sources said.

is targeting an output of 630-640 million tonnes till March.

The world's largest miner has been registering robust growth since August 2020, as the nationwide lockdown began to ease, when it recorded a 7.1 per cent on-year rise, followed by September (31 per cent rise), October (18 per cent) and November (3.4 per cent).

Total coal offtake for the Kolkata-headquartered company in the first month of 2021 is expected to be 53.3 million tonnes, resulting in a decline of about 5.5 per cent as against the figure during the same period in 2020.

Coal demand from the power sector is on the rise, but with 63 million-tonne of pithead stock, non-power sector requirement will also be crucial for the mining behemoth.

Demand for the dry fuel is set to revive in 2021 with a 3.8-per cent increase, according to a Moody's Investors Service report.

(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.)
Andrei Doroshin stood in the lobby of his Fishtown apartment complex Friday  the very place where his dream of building a coronavirus vaccination empire first came to life  and prepared to address the media once again.

Two weeks after national outlets touted him as the 22-year-old whiz kid running the citys vaccination efforts, the disgraced CEO of Philly Fighting COVID was determined to convince the public that he was not the villain. Five days after the health department severed ties with his organization running the largest mass vaccination effort in the city, and one day after he admitted to taking home four vaccine doses for his friend and girlfriend, the Drexel University graduate student stood before reporters, demanding the resignation of Philadelphias top health official.

Doroshin didnt wear a mask. He said he had already been vaccinated and he didnt need it, despite health officials pleas for vaccinated people to continue wearing masks.

He acknowledged he was young and had no medical qualifications, but claimed his group was the only one who presented a mass vaccination plan to the city.

Where are all the credentialed people? he asked, exasperated.

Long before the city cut ties with Doroshins group, many wondered the same thing, and why Philadelphia entrusted a group of self-described college kids with the largest public health initiative in recent memory.

In the end, it was the fine print that brought down PFC. On Monday, the citys Department of Public Health abruptly ended its partnership with the group after it said the organization failed to disclose that residents personal information could be sold, and that it presented itself as a nonprofit even after establishing a for-profit arm, called Vax Populi.

We shouldnt have gone into a relationship with them in the first place, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley told The Inquirer.

On Saturday night, Deputy Healthy Commissioner Caroline Johnson, who had worked closely with Doroshin, resigned after records obtained by The Inquirer showed she gave him an advantage in a city bidding process by providing a suggested budget number.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia deputy health commissioner resigns following Philly Fighting COVID controversy

Johnson sent a similar message to the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, a group of three dozen medical experts offering community testing and vaccination, in an email that was provided to The Inquirer by health department spokesperson James Garrow.

Doroshin said that he never intended to sell personal data and that he told Johnson about Vax Populi in early January. But more information about Doroshin, his group, and allegations of mishandling vaccines arose. By Thursday, he had admitted to taking home the vaccines. By Friday, WHYY reported that his group had provided at-home testing for the family of Councilmember Bobby Henon.

 READ MORE: We demand answers, Council members say as Philly Fighting COVID CEO admits taking vaccine doses

The red flags were there all along: PFC had abruptly abandoned testing community members. Doroshin didnt have any medical or public health certifications, and neither did many other undergraduates running the organization. The top medical staffer listed on its website was a Main Line fertility specialist. Young, healthy Philadelphians not yet eligible for the vaccine easily secured appointments.

The vaccine rollout across the nation has been stymied by a limited federal supply of vaccines, mistrust of the medical system, disagreements over who should get inoculated first, and no infrastructure to efficiently schedule and deliver injections to eligible people. The patchwork response happening in Philadelphia, and nationwide, gave PFC an opportunity to step in.

Philadelphias vaccine rollout became a national cautionary tale. Now, city officials are scrambling to rebuild public trust  the foundation of any successful vaccination campaign.

Golden ticket to med school

PFC sold its largely unpaid workforce on a dream: Be part of history.

When the organization stopped manufacturing face shields and shifted to free COVID testing, it recruited a handful of health-care workers and dozens of undergraduate volunteers to staff its testing site at The Fillmore, a shuttered Fishtown concert venue.

PFCs volunteers were taken by its stated mission of serving the underserved, according to interviews with more than a dozen former workers, nearly all of whom asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution and jeopardizing future job searches.

The volunteers, many of them pre-med, worked five-hour shifts at the testing sites, labeling test tubes, checking patients in, and taking vitals.

We got a lot of attention, said former COO Victor Shugart.

It was suddenly very cool and very glamorous to be running a testing site. One staffer included his position on his online dating profile. Others added it to their Instagram bios.

One employee saw his experience with PFC as the golden ticket to med school. The pay was just above minimum wage  $10 an hour  but it was about the mission, he said. He remembered that at the end of the first day of testing, Doroshin gathered the staff, and they cried together.

You need money to make money

At the helm of the team was Doroshin. He was smart, charming, and knew how to say all the right things  making big promises, giving pep talks, and offering future promotions.

The 22-year-olds resume boasts of his C-suite endeavors: CEO of a real estate firm; CBO of a biomedical tech organization; a filmmaker. In high school, he says, he attempted to change Southern California air-quality legislation through a nonprofit called Invisible Sea. Invisible Sea, however, raised only $684 of its $50,000 goal.

And he laughed when asked about his overstated achievements in an interview. Im from Drexel, we all do that, he said. Who didnt when they were 22 to pump their resume up?

Behind the scenes, he acted more like the college student he is now claiming to be, rather than the leader of a public health movement he pitched to the city. He used Venmo to pay and reimburse PFC staffers, often labeling the payment with vulgar language. He promoted friends and family, and abruptly fired those who questioned his vision or authority.

He even used an Instagram account for his bulldog, Winston, to mock the pandemic. A November photo posted to the accounts story showed Doroshin and a friend smiling inside a building with their masks pulled down, captioned, Dont wear a mask. #COVIDIsAHoaX. He insisted this was a joke.

And the mission Doroshin sold his staff  and the city  largely didnt come to pass. Though PFC secured a more than $194,000 city contract promising to provide testing to low-income, Black and brown communities, its site at the Fillmore did not appear to serve those people, former workers said. PFC acted as a concierge testing service for restaurants, a film crew, and even Henons family. It did run pop-up testing sites in low-income neighborhoods around the city but abruptly shut down when its vaccination effort began.

Asked if he made money off of PFCs testing sites, Doroshin changed his story several times. He told reporters at his apartment that he did not make money while running the sites. I would have loved to have gotten a Bentley, he joked. I love Bentleys, man, but no.

 READ MORE: City drops Philly Fighting COVID as vaccination partner after it failed to disclose for-profit arm

Later, in an interview, he said he paid himself a small stipend to cover rent and food, though he declined to specify how much.

Two former workers said Doroshin and the rest of the executive team bragged about how theyd get rich off the vaccination effort. Doroshin hoped to bill insurance about $20 per patient for administering the vaccine and bring in private investors. This is on top of hourly pay  a budget submitted to the city showed the director of the site would make $60 an hour or $720 a day.

I was bragging about how much money we were gonna make to support the operation, expand the operation, Doroshin told The Inquirer. You need money to make money. You need money to open vaccine clinics.

Mass vaccinations, missing doses

In November, PFC hosted a vaccination training run by a nurse-practitioner. Meanwhile, Doroshin was presenting his grand plan to the city.

When the health department received its first batch of vaccine doses, health-care systems were focusing on their own staff first, Farley said. But home health workers unaffiliated with hospitals were also eligible for the vaccine, and officials wanted to quickly find a solution to reach them.

The city did not see Doroshins lack of medical expertise as disqualifying him as a partner, Farley said.

PFC secured the Convention Center site  and the health department threw its support, and thousands of vaccine doses, behind it.

City officials promoted PFCs registration sign-up. Later, the site added a privacy policy that allowed it to sell personal information. Im guessing we did not check that in advance, Farley said about the policy. Because there was no formal contract, no city funding was given to PFC for the vaccination site, but the city seal appeared next to the PFC logo, which left many patients with the impression the site was city-run.

In a grand opening attended by Mayor Jim Kenney, Johnson, and Council members Henon and Cindy Bass, PFC was declared the largest mass vaccination site in the city.

But those seeking vaccinations quickly saw issues. Lynn Newbould, a health clinical researcher from Newtown, told The Inquirer she was vaccinated before intake was through. The needle was abruptly pulled from her arm, and now she wonders whether she was given the full dose. She reported her experience to Moderna.

 READ MORE: Philly Fighting COVIDs founder met with City Council about vaccines in November. No one asked about his health-care credentials.

A week later, her husband, 68 and also a health researcher, got a text message from PFC canceling his vaccination due to a residency requirement.

That same day, Doroshin would later admit on the Today show, he took home four unused vaccine doses. He said it was a last-ditch attempt to make sure the leftover doses didnt go to waste.

At the Convention Center, Doroshin and PFC had the support of Johnson, the deputy health commissioner. When Doroshin called for Farleys dismissal at the news conference, he endorsed Johnson as a replacement.

Doroshin had lofty goals for the future of PFC. In his application to the city, he budgeted nearly $800,000 for an eight-month lease for the Convention Center site, and estimated that running a six-month clinic to vaccinate more than 500,000 people would cost more than $8.5 million.

Johnson advised him, in emails obtained by The Inquirer, to start conservatively with a $500,000 bid..

Although the requests for proposals had been publicly posted, officials are not permitted to selectively encourage people to apply. The department was unaware of this email until questions from The Inquirer.

Philly Fighting COVIDs application ended up being one of nine submitted to the city as of Friday for a contract to administer vaccinations. But, Garrow said, officials havent reviewed applications yet because they have not secured funding.

Still, Garrow said in a statement that providing a dollar amount to some but not all applicants would present an unfair advantage to those applicants and violate our best practices. The incident has been referred to the City of Philadelphia Inspector General.

Doroshin said Vax Populi was finalizing lease agreements with Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park, with Councilmembers Henon and Mark Squilla listed as references. Doroshin also said he told Johnson of plans to move to a for-profit venture.

 READ MORE: Philly Fighting COVID partnership was a mistake, health commissioner says, as Mayor Kenney calls for new vaccination clinics

The day the city severed ties with PFC, Johnson e-mailed Doroshin about what she called an abrupt and one-sided decision that was made at the highest levels of government.

Even after ending the partnership, Kenney, Farley, and Johnson maintained early last week that the group was doing well running the mass site.

Who advocated on their behalf?

The news of PFCs alleged misdoings sparked outrage across the city. City councilmembers and state leaders called for hearings into how the partnership came to be.

Some saw the bungled partnership as an example of systemic racism, comparing it to officials reluctance last spring to partner with the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium.

Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson said the pain of losing residents trust in the citys pandemic response is only magnified by the work the Black Doctors Consortium was doing to gain it.

At the consortium, Ala Stanford, a board-certified surgeon in charge of the consortium, noted its required that anyone who is sticking a needle in someones arm has a license to do it.

Its about trust, Stanford, who has been practicing medicine for more than two decades, said. Its being empathetic, its looking a person in their eye and noticing that this is really tough for them.  Theres a certain level of maturity, as well.

Councilmember Cherelle L. Parker noted that PFC initially received 7,000 vaccine doses, while the consortium was given 2,500. Who advocated on their behalf? she asked.

 READ MORE: Experts worry that Philly Fighting COVID fuels mistrust in medicine, especially for Black and brown communities

The city has promised to do right by residents. During a news conference after the severed partnership, Farley assured reporters that the city will find a solution and said that the issue at hand is how many vaccines the city acquires.

Kenney doubled down on his support of Farley in a letter Friday but said he was disappointed by the partnership with PFC. He also requested that the health department provide increased vaccine doses to groups across the city, including the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium.

Doroshin said he has nothing to hide, and isnt worried about the future. Hes already planning his next business venture: building a national vaccination registration software.

At his Fishtown apartment Friday, Doroshin said that amid death threats, hes leaving town for a bit. He also asked his entire staff to resign. But he doesnt plan to.

This is my fight to fight, he said.
He thought he would stay only a couple of years in the United States, but since 2002 he is still in San Diego, California. Manuela Raffatellu, 45 years old from Sassari, graduated in Medicine at the university of her city, is now a full professor at the University of California: "I always tell my students: when you arrive in the USA, that from the point of view of research and science are a sort of 'Toyland', then it's hard to leave ".

Considered a profile of excellence in American scientific research in the microbiological and immunological fields, in 2018 Microsoft and Klecha included her among the "Italian Inspiring Fifty", the 50 most influential women in the world of technology in Italy.

Surprise?

"It was a beautiful recognition for me: Microsoft and Klecha had launched a selection by curriculum and I was chosen, also considering my young age, to have achieved high professional goals in the field of science. In the list, together with Italian people residing in Italy and in the world, there was also another Sardinian, Alessandra Todde (currently undersecretary for economic development, ed) ".

What do you do?

"My research field is on intestinal infections, especially salmonella. I also deal with probiotics and microbiota, that is the bacteria that normally live in the intestine without damaging it, to understand how these bacteria interact with the intestine and which ones bring benefits and how".

Its activities have to do withthe emergencyCovid?

"Yes, although not at an operational level. We are completing work carried out in the laboratory. A former 'post-doc' of mine, now a professor at the University of Mexico City, has taken blood samples from Covid patients in Mexico, where unfortunately they are not lacking, and we are looking at the receptors expressed in some blood cells ".

With what goal?

"To study some immune cells (neutrophils), present in a high way in Covid patients with worse prognosis, with the aim of understanding why these cells express receptors that can be connected with a more severe form of the disease; this could help us limit the damage ".

How isthe situation in California?

"Initially quiet enough, compatibly with the pandemic, until Thanksgiving, the American national holiday which occurs on the last Thursday of November. Soon after, the people, tired of the restrictions of a difficult year, began to gather without observing the necessary precautions , thus causing an exponential increase in infections and saturating intensive care. So the closures were triggered, as everywhere, with the difficulty of balancing health needs and those of the economy ".

And at work?

"My university has started an intense vaccination program within a stadium, it seems to me that 5 thousand people are vaccinated every day. I hope that with the vaccine we will be able to reduce hospital admissions and return to hospital as soon as possible. life as before. For the rest, masks, distancing, and recently the restaurants have been able to start working again but only with outdoor service ".

Are population tests a good way to fightthe epidemic?

"Testing and tracing is the most important thing, my University has done an exceptional job. We undergo the molecular swab every week: we have machines, like the automatic ones, you press a button and you receive the swab. Here, in fact, there are many fewer cases than in the whole surrounding area. One thing is to make a swab and that's it, another is to do the molecular periodically like us. Obviously all this requires a considerable investment ".

The carpet vaccination?

"It is essential, but living in a globalized world it must be done everywhere. Unfortunately the virus has spread everywhere, with some exceptions like New Zealand, Taiwan and Australia which stopped the epidemic. They closed the borders immediately, only citizens could enter, tourists could not. And anyone who arrives in those states must do a 14-day quarantine. "

Winning strategy?

"I would say yes, since they checked the circulation of the virus. In doing so they could think of a vaccination campaign at a later time after blocking the emergency. This, you know, creates barriers to tourism, but they had to make a choice , which turned out to be a winner ".

Could Sardinia have done it too?

"Sardinia could have taken advantage of its isolation, as did the other islands I mentioned. Now vaccination is important globally. If all Sardinians were already vaccinated, the question would be: what about those who come from outside? The regions, but also expanding to other states, should go hand in hand. In the meantime, starting to vaccinate health professionals and the over 65s, we could already see a great benefit ".

<| AF-983089-manuela_raffatellu_photo_granted |>

Why do youthinkthere isstill mistrust of the vaccine?

"I think there is a communication error, even on the part of us scientists. But it is not easy to communicate science and its progress to those who have not studied it."

Are there really risks?

"The anti-Covid vaccines are safe. The (minimal) risks are there in any procedure or health treatment and you always have to evaluate them together with the benefits. But the risk of getting Covid, and suffering the consequences, is much higher than that. linked to the vaccine. I have friends who have gotten mildly ill and have had neurological problems for months. "

So side effects of the virus?

"Exactly, not only neurological but also cardiovascular for example. We always talk about the so-called 'long Covid' patients, those who still have the consequences even after the disease".

Are there any new studies in place?

"A very important one, released a few months ago, is that of the group led by an Italian in San Diego, Alessandro Sette. They discovered that there are people who, despite not having been exposed to Covid, have a certain resistance to the virus, a sort of cellular immunity. In a subsequent study, they showed that immunity persists for many months. It is a central study because the hope is that immunity will persist for a long time. "

But can you get sick again?

"This we do not know, to some it has happened in a milder form. We are not certain about the variants of the virus, for example. Let's take the case of the flu: every year there are new variants that are included in the vaccine. If necessary, then , a new vaccine could be formulated with the new variants and, obviously, the times would be much shorter than when we got the first coronavirus vaccine ".

Meanwhile, what tools could be used to face the pandemic in Sardinia?

"I don't want to teach anyone anything, but the experience of New Zealand and Taiwan tells us what worked. The tampon is not enough: it can be negative today and positive in two days, so it is no guarantee of negativity. Why, then , do not draw inspiration from other realities? Which are always other islands anyway? And then there is the economic impact to be evaluated and not to be overlooked, I realize that in a region that thrives on tourism certain choices have very serious consequences ".

How long have you not been home?

"From Christmas 2019. For now I am waiting to be vaccinated and for my family, parents and sisters to be vaccinated, so we can have more safety".

Did you have to or did you want to leave Sardinia?

"I wanted to leave it because I have always been very curious and open to the world, I had the desire to leave to train, to learn, to grow, then when you arrive in the US you see certain high level research perspectives that you cannot find in many other places. And don't leave again. My story is the same as that of many other people. I was lucky enough to make my passion my job. I would like to return, of course, but much later over the years. My dream is that. to reach retirement age and spend six months in San Diego and six months in Sardinia ".

What does the pandemic teach us?

"That many things can be done remotely and from anywhere. Before maybe we didn't know it, now we had to learn it."

CHICAGO

Dictionary adds 500-plus new wordsMerriam-Webster, the United States leading language provider, announced it was adding over 520 new words and definitions to the publishers website. These new words include COVID-19, second gentleman, long-hauler, flex, ASMR and sapiosexual.

Before the pandemic, long-hauler was defined as a person or vehicle that travels long distances, but it now has an additional definition: a person who experiences one or more long-term effects following initial improvement or recovery from a serious illness (such as COVID-19).

ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, means a pleasant tingling sensation that originates on the back of the scalp and often spreads to the neck and upper spine, that occurs in some people in response to a stimulus (such as a particular kind of sound or movement), and that tends to have a calming effect.

Second gentleman has come into use because of Vice President Kamala Harris husband, Doug Emhoff. Merriam-Webster defines it as the husband or male partner of a vice president or second in command of a country or jurisdiction. As a verb, flex means to bend; informally, this word is defined as to talk in a boastful or aggressive way.

So how does a word or a revised definition of a word qualify for entry in the dictionary?

Emily Brewster, a senior editor from Merriam-Webster, says the lexicographers have criteria that are somewhat flexible.

In order for a word to be considered for entry in our dictionaries, we have to have evidence that shows this is really an established member of the language, she said.

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For that to be the case, we look to see that a word is widely used but in a wide variety of texts by a wide variety of people over an extensive period of time. ... We want the use (of the word) to demonstrate that theres an established meaning.

Brewster notes lexicographers dont only look at published, edited texts; nor do lexicographers create new words out of thin air. Rather, they observe and report on language.

For instance, the word yeet has gained popularity and use over the last couple of years. Brewster uses this as an example of a word that exists and is used but its meaning is unclear, which is why it has not qualified for entry in the dictionary. Overall, yeet is positive but can mean excitement or approval.

The term COVID-19 was added in the dictionary in a record 34 days. Lexicographers usually measure a words addition to the dictionary in years, sometimes decades, according to the most recent episode of Merriam-Websters podcast, Word Matters. Before COVID-19, the fastest a word that entered the dictionary was two years with the term AIDS, which was added in 1984, two years after its coinage.

The level of use that (COVID-19) was seeing and the heightened recognition that the term has really outweighs the amount of needing to see it in use for an extended period of time, she says. So in a case like this, the word was instantly everywhere. ... Even at 34 days old, we knew this word is not going anywhere. You could cure the disease the next day, and it would still be appearing in books and articles.

Brewster says lexicographers pay attention to how language changes, and how culture and social media influence the addition of new words. For example, @, the symbol for at, moved online with email addresses and then was attached to social media usernames, but now has evolved to mean to respond to, challenge, or disparage the claim or opinion of (someone) as in the phrase dont @ me.

There is so much discourse happening online now in social media, Brewster says. And in some ways, I think its actually impossible to really draw a line and say that a word becomes established because its appearing in social media or a word goes from social media into broader use. Its clear that the two are feeding each other.

She noted the increase in written communication that hasnt been vetted by editors and other gatekeepers: Now you can read whatever (people) tweet, whatever they want to put on their blog. Theres so much informal communication available to be encountered.

Although the coronavirus pandemic has played a huge role in our collective experience as a society, this new update from Merriam-Webster also included words relating to identity, gender and sexuality.

The English language is still continuing development of terms that have to do with identity, she says. So BIPOC (meaning Black, indigenous and people of color) was entered for this update and also folx. I think (folx) is so interesting, especially because it absolutely requires that the word be seen. It really points very directly at how prominent written language is right now, because you cannot hear the difference when somebody says the word folks with a ks or with an x.

About sapiosexual, which refers to romantic attraction to highly intelligent people, Brewster says, Weve been monitoring words to do with gender and sexuality for a long time now, and this is in a long lineage of terms that have been added.

As for entries that werent added in this latest update, word nerds should check out Merriam-Websters Words Were Watching, a series of articles on words lexicographers are seeing more but that havent yet met their criteria for inclusion.
Denton, TX (76205)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 78F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has thanked Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda for nominating her and "all the people of Belarus" for the Nobel Peace Prize.



Tsikhanouskaya expressed her gratitude on January 30 on Twitter, calling the nomination "a great expression of solidarity with Belarus & acknowledgment of our peaceful fight for freedom that has been inspiring the whole world since last August."

The tweet included four photos taken at mass protests in Belarus since a widely disputed presidential election in August that strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka claims he won over Tsikhanouskaya by a landslide.

Nauseda nominated Tsikhanouskaya to show his support for the Belarusian democratic movement and its demand for free elections, a source with knowledge of the matter said, according to Reuters.



Tsikhanouskaya relocated to Lithuania for security reasons after the election, which she and her supporters say she won.



The trained English teacher and wife of jailed vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski has kept up her campaign from Vilnius, encouraging Belarusians to continue demanding Lukashenka stand down, free jailed protesters, and hold free elections.



Tens of thousands have taken part in the protests despite a crackdown, including thousands of arrests and the expulsion of most top opposition figures. Several protesters have been killed in the violence and some rights organizations say there is credible evidence of torture against some of those detained.

Lukashenka, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing and refuses to negotiate with the opposition.



The European Union, the United States, Canada, and other countries have refused to recognize him as the legitimate leader of Belarus and imposed sanctions on him and senior officials.



Last week, Tsikhanouskaya urged the European Union and the United States to be "braver and stronger" in their actions to help end Lukashenka's rule.



Nominations for this year's Nobel Peace Prize are due to close on January 31. The winner is scheduled to be announced in November.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

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Theres 41 days until the next election but the next five will be a campaign blackout for Premier Mark McGowan and the Labor and Liberal parties as Western Australia grapples with a short, sharp lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Official campaigning was due to start from Wednesday when the government goes into caretaker mode but Mr McGowan said he would be on hand to deliver health information to the public rather than out on the hustings.

Election campaigning is on hold as WA deals with a community case of COVID-19. Credit:WAtoday

Mr McGowan said campaigning was currently the furthest thing from his mind.

There is essential work which is an exemption and me communicating essential messages, I think its important, he said.
Image: ShutterstockConsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses of all sizes have discerned that going digital is an important survival tactic and need their websites to be created or revamped in a way that they can truly represent the essence of the company and its services. Customers rely on the websites they visit to make the decision to associate themselves with that company. To improve the user experience for potential customers, businesses will need to invest in creating attractive and user-friendly websites which will also result in increased conversions.Other industries that hold the potential to foster a successful freelance community are fashion, fitness and makeup, HR and recruiting, education and training, computers and IT, marketing, healthcare, writing and editing, psychology and therapy, image consulting, influencer marketing, and public relations.Today, the choice is not between being an employee or a freelancer, but between a humdrum 9 to 5 existence or a fulfilling career brimming with possibilities. It must also be noted that a digitally advanced world gives impetus to the freelance workforce. The freelance community thrives on technological growth as global markets are starting to understand the cost-effective benefit of having resources belonging to different regions of the world. In essence, the future of freelance work looks promising, as industries of the world move towards a more advanced, receptive approach to finding and hiring resources.
CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 303-810-1816

Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado  January 16, 2021

The Caring Generation Weekly Podcast Series

Golden CO- Caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation podcast series for caregivers and aging adults. This coming Wednesday, February 3, 2021, the topic is Why Caregivers Distrust the Healthcare System.

Why Caregivers Distrust the Healthcare System

A lack of trust about getting the COVID vaccine exists among many consumers. Adults who don't believe they would be hospitalized if they caught the virus are the least likely to be interested in the vaccine according to a recent PEW Research Study. Other consumers have low trust because of a lack of interaction with doctors and other medical personnel. Even healthcare workers who have priority to receive the vaccine are refusing.

What is it about the healthcare system that consumers distrust? Is the current skepticism about the vaccine more about distrust of government? In recent weeks consumers have fled social media channels because of anger about free speech and the cancel culture.

How to Gain Trust in the Healthcare System?

Consumers who regularly receive medical care are more likely to trust the healthcare system to a greater degree. However, consumers without a primary care doctor are more likely to seek care in emergency medical clinics or hospital emergency rooms where care is more expensive and can be rushed or impersonalreinforcing the idea that the healthcare system doesn't care.

Consumers with high deductible healthcare plans hesitate to seek medical care if their incomes make it difficult to make co-pays, pay for recommended treatments, or pay for prescription medications. Television is flooded with pharmaceutical company advertising touting the latest expensive drugs. A lack of consumer trust in healthcare exists when physicians lack time to explain to patients why a medication or treatment is necessary.

On this podcast, caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares suggestions for consumers about building trust with physicians. Wilson also shares questions to confirm that medical recommendations are not based on financial relationships or ownership interests. Trends exist for healthcare companies to combine business interests with ancillary companies, like imaging centers and surgery centers, to increase revenue and profit.

Misdiagnosis Tops the List of Why Consumers Distrust Physicians

Wilson also presents research about the three most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions that harm consumers who lack experience with the healthcare system. Caregivers of the elderly experience difficulties obtaining care for parents and family members because of age bias by the healthcare system.

Wilson offers support for caregivers in two online courses available through her website: How to Get Guardianship of a Parent and Taking Care of Parents: Stay at Home and Beyond. Both online courses share Wilson's expertise gained during more than 20 years as a court-appointed guardian, medical and power of attorney, and a care manager for the elderly and disabled. She also recently created a new online caregiver support group on her website due to consumer concerns about posting information on social media sites.

Join Pamela on The Caring Generation for conversations about aging, caregiving, and relationships. Podcast replays of the weekly programs are available on Wilson's website and all major podcast sites. More about Wilson's commitment to online caregiver education, caregiver support, webinars, and speaking is on her website at www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at 303-810-1816 or through the Contact Me page on her website.

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Chennai:

Oppositions Presidential nominee Meira Kumar on Saturday appealed to all the MLAs and MPs from Tamil Nadu to listen to their inner voice when they cast their votes in the presidential poll.



She urged them to support her in this ideological battle. I am fighting an ideological battle, she told reporters after a meeting here with MPs and MLAs of DMK, Congress, IUML and the Left parties.



She said, the collegium members should only listen to their inner voice and conscience and act. This is my request to everyone.



DMK working president M K Stalin, his party legislators, Left parties MPs TK Rangarajan (CPI-M) and D Raja (CPI), Congress party MLAs, and leaders participated in the meeting.

Watch: It's not Dalit vs Dalit fight, Meira Kumar to NN

Besides DMKs 89 MLAs, Congresss eight and IUMLs lone MLA ruling AIADMK Ammas ally M Thamimun Ansari, MLA representing Nagapattinam has pledged support to Kumar.The DMK also has four Rajya Sabha MPs and CPI and CPI(M) have one RS MP each from Tamil Nadu.



She alleged that principles like transparency and the fight to end the caste system are under threat in the Modi regime.



I am sorry to say that all the 17 Opposition parties (who have supported her) feel that these principles are now in danger, under serious threat.



Kumar said she was honoured by the trust the 17 parties led by the Congress have show in her. This Opposition unity is inspired by the value system which we all hold so dear.



She said she dedicated her life for the cause of the downtrodden and suppressed people.



This is my agenda. Wherever I go and whatever position I hold, this will always be my agenda, she asserted.



She praised Tamil Nadu as a state which fought for ideals like social justice and hailed DMK chief M Karunanidhi as a force in upholding such great values.

Suggested read: NDA President pick Ram Nath Kovind meets Puducherry Legislators, assured support



That is the binding factor that we have between the DMK and the Congress.



Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, Kumar said her party was inspired by Gandhijis thoughts to ensure the dignity of the Dalits, the tribals, and the poor.



My battle is to ensure their right and dignity... I am also fighting for all of you because we are pained to see that lately the voice which used to come out so strongly in the press is not coming out, she said.



Later, Kumar called on nonagenarian leader M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence.



She is scheduled to visit Puducherry on Sunday. Senior Congress leaders Bansal, Mukul Wasnik also participated in the meet.

Suggested read: AAP may back Meira Kumar, rules out support to Ram Nath Kovind

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
People walk past an ad for the PSNIs seasons greetings operation on a quiet street in Belfast city centre as the six week lockdown in Northern Ireland continues (Brian Lawless/PA)

Police are investigating potential breaches of the coronavirus regulations at a loyalist funeral in Belfast.

There have been reports of crowds in north Belfast turning out to send off Hugh Hill.

Under the rules aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, no more than 25 people are allowed to attend funeral services.

Expand Close PSNI officers during a vehicle checkpoint on the Ormeau Embankment in South Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook

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Pre and post-funeral gatherings are also banned as well as wakes.

Chief Inspector Darren Fox said officers had engaged with representatives of the family beforehand as well as local community representatives.

Across these engagements, police emphasised the need for adherence to the current health protection regulations and sought assurances from those with influence, he said.

Regrettably at the funeral on Friday 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, evidence has been gathered, and where individuals are identified as potentially being in breach of the regulations, they will be reported to the Public Prosecution Service.

There were a further 36 deaths across the weekend of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19.

Seventeen deaths were notified by the Department of Health on Saturday, followed by a further 19 on Sunday bringing the toll across the pandemic to 1,850.

Another 881 positive cases of the virus were also announced, 455 on Saturday followed by 426 on Sunday.

Hospitals remain under pressure, caring for 731 inpatients with Covid-19, including 69 in ICU.

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No word to criticise the way Bengal CM, chief secretary insulted PM: BJP''s Suvendu Adhikari on Friday''s cyclone review insulted PM: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari on Friday's cyclone review meeting.

I was invited to review meeting as leader of opposition in Bengal assembly and MLA of cyclone-hit Nandigram: BJP''s Bengal assembly and MLA of cyclone-hit Nandigram: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.
IN the last column I briefly touched on the matter of kufutsa (steaming) as part of a wider cocktail of countermeasures by emaSwati against the ravages of COVID-19 amid condemnation and demonisation of this practice by so-called health experts, including medical doctors, without offering alternative interventions because there seems to be ample evidence on the ground that adhering to the protocols of wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands at particular intervals has not stopped the spike in fatalities from the pandemic.

As I see it, these are desperate times that call for desperate measures and kufutsa falls within this bracket. In the absence of a cure for COVID-19, kufutsa provides hope where there is none. And hope makes the difference in often difficult and intolerable conditions to sustain life itself. EmaSwati could not have been expected to sit back and wait helplessly for a cure they were not assured when it would become available given the perennial shortages of even basic drugs but stood up to embrace the one intervention available to them.

Perhaps in retrospect those who will survive the pandemic will look back and say had emaSwati not reverted to helping themselves with kufutsa more people would have perished. While kufutsa may not have scientific backing and, therefore, footprint, none of the experts, so far domestic, who are against and are critical of this practice, have themselves proved its ineffectiveness. Yet on the contrary, some people who had tested positive for COVID-19 have posited on the efficacy of kufutsa in reversing this status. As yet I am not aware of any studies that have discredited kufutsa and the basis of that but I have come across some literature authored by some doctors and scientists that have been positive and in fact encouraged this type of intervention. But even without scientific proof of its efficacy, kufutsa has given hope to a lot of people, hence they continue to strip the veldt of the leaves of eucalyptus/gum trees that are the main ingredient for this intervention.

Hope

And often times hope is that necessary balm essential to keep body and soul together simply because while it lacks medicinal attributes it is nonetheless a positive attitude that even medicine requires from its subjects to be effective. And if the people say kufutsa is helping them, then it is perhaps opportune that resources are spent to researching its potential as part of medical interventions for specific medical conditions instead of being dismissed summarily.

As it were those critical of and advocating against kufutsa have not told us the dangers posed by this or given us better alternatives. As yet Eswatini has no cure for COVID-19. People continue to die in the overburdened health facilities they are admitted to. And we have not concluded that those who test positive for COVID-19 or those who die from the pandemic are guilty of having failed to adhere to the protocols of wearing masks, socially distancing or regularly washing their hands with soap and running water or using sanitisers. Of course that would be too simplistic a conclusion unless of course we are aware of specifics, such as attending huge gatherings that are known to have the potential to be superspreaders.

Talking about superspreader events, the Ministry of Health has advised against the hosting of the marula festivals that have become a permanent feature on the annual calendar of emaSwati. But of course given the contradictions in the governance of this country, the ministry does not have the final say on this matter.

Talking of contradictions, government has repeatedly promised emaSwati to contain the hike in prices of anything relating to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic but this promise has come to naught. As usual government has not lived up to its word. Most prices of products associated with alleviating COVID-19 have shot up into the stratosphere, and beyond the reach of the majority of emaSwati, with government maintaining a healthy silence on its promises to the people. Now the same government has decided to leave in the lurch emaSwati students studying abroad by not providing them flight tickets. Now parents, some of whom have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, will have to find money they do not have to pay for their children to return to their tertiary institutions abroad. That is how sensitive this government is when it comes to the affairs of ordinary folk. As it turns out government has all the money in the world when it comes to funding the expensive lifestyle of the political elites and their useless projects they hope would transform this country into First World status by next year while neglecting the basics such as investing in the future of this country. The future of this country is in a meaningful and purpose-built education system, a well-supported healthcare system, food security and eradication of poverty; all else follows.

But that would run counter to the philosophy of Tinkhundla political system of serving to deceive the people.






The future of the Iran nuke deal

With the incoming Biden administration looking to restart talks with Iran, Gary Samore, one of the nation's foremost nuclear proliferation experts, asseses the chances of reaching a deal.

An Iranian flag in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant during an official ceremony in 2019 to kick-start work on a second reactor at the facility. Bushehr is Iran's only nuclear power station and closely monitored by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency.

In May 2018, the Trump administration pulled out of what was considered one of President Obama's signature foreign policy achievements  a nuclear deal with Iran.

Now the incoming Biden administration wants to rejoin the 5-year-old agreement, which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and committed Tehran to strict limits on its nuclear weapons program.

But on Nov. 27, Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated. According to the New York Times and other media reports, it was likely carried out by Israel, which has opposed the JCPOA and may be looking to enrage Iran's government to the point that it will refuse to return to the bargaining table. The country is also reeling from crippling economic sanctions that Trump imposed when he backed out of the agreement.

Can the 5-year-old JCPOA be salvaged?

Gary Samore, the Crown Family Director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies, is one of the countrys leading experts on nuclear proliferation and arms negotiations. He served as Obama's "WMD czar" between 2009 and 2013.

Yes. Iran is strongly motivated to reach an agreement in order to obtain sanctions relief, but the details of the JCPOA may be renegotiated to reflect recent developments. Iran will likely accept an offer from the Biden administration to return to negotiations, although it may insist that these negotiations take place in a multilateral context to include the other countries involved in the agreement: China, Russia, England, Germany and France.

Too early to say. Trumps withdrawal from the JCPOA was unnecessary and dangerous because the agreement was working. Whether the Biden administration can use the sanctions leverage it will inherit from the Trump administration to negotiate a better agreement remains to be seen.

It will complicate President Hassan Rouhani's effort to resume negotiations with the U.S. because Iranian hardliners will use the killing of Fakhrizadeh to demand tougher terms or oppose negotiations with the U.S. At the end of the day, however, I think Irans interest in sanctions relief will overcome its outrage at Fakhrizadehs killing.

Iran has rejected any new agreement to replace the JCPOA before it expires and some Iranian leaders have demanded compensation for the economic damage it suffered after the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA and imposed sanctions.

Moreover, in the run-up to the June 2021 presidential elections in Iran, the hard-line opponents of President Rouhani may seek to block any deal that allows Rouhani's faction to claim credit for getting sanctions relief.

What's in it for the U.S. to restart the JCPOA?

For the U.S., a nuclear deal is the most effective way to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons, short of using military force.

Iran already has the basic technological capability to produce nuclear weapons. It can produce weapons grade uranium and it has a reliable nuclear weapons design.

However, Iran is not able to translate this basic capability into actual production of nuclear weapons without exposure and a high risk of provoking a military attack by the U.S. or Israel because all of its critical nuclear facilities are under international monitoring. The only safe path for Iran to produce nuclear weapons is through secret facilities and, so far, its efforts to build secret facilities have been detected by Western intelligence agencies before they became operational.

Do you believe it will be the same deal as before or will there be changes?

It will mostly be the same, but some particular details may be different.

The JCPOA imposes strong physical constraints and verification measures on Irans ability to produce weapons grade uranium, but these constraints begin to lift after 2025 and are removed completely after 2030.

As a candidate, Biden said, "If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations  to strengthen and extend the nuclear deal's provisions."

Presumably, this means the highest U.S. priority will be to extend the sunset provisions limiting Iran's enrichment program (i.e., limits on enrichment levels, numbers and types of centrifuges, stocks of enriched uranium, and research and development on more advanced centrifuges).

Can Biden convince Israel to support the JCPOA?

I think Israeli support will depend on two factors --- first, whether the nuclear deal imposes stronger limits on Iran's nuclear program that go beyond the limits of the JCPOA; and second, on how effective the Biden administration is in reducing Iran's position in the region (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, etc.).
The state government has changed the Building Act to ban dangerous cladding on new multistorey properties, in the latest clampdown on shonky practices.

Planning Minister Richard Wynne announced a prohibition  effective from Monday  on the use of combustible materials, replacing previous looser guidelines, with non-compliant builders now risking fines of up to $400,000.

The 2014 blaze at the Lacrosse tower in Docklands. Credit:MFB

The ban applies to flammable aluminium composite panels and rendered expanded polystyrene being used as external wall cladding on future developments.

It prohibits their use on apartment buildings and other residential sites such as hotels and aged care facilities with two or more storeys. It also applies to office buildings, shopping centres or other retail premises, warehouses, factories and car parks with three or more storeys.
New Delhi, Jan 31 : FICCI has recommended import duty rationalisation for raw materials of medical equipment to encourage indigenous manufacturing.

It has also sought import duty cut for the medical equipment which are not produced in the country.

In a statement, the industry body noted that the quality medical devices not currently available in the country must not face high duties, which will result in high cost of care and will further add burden to the healthcare economy.

It noted that import duty rationalisation needs to be done based on "products currently not manufactured in India, technology intensive products which require a lead time of three or more years to develop, high on investment and lower sales volumes and used in diagnosis or treatment of priority disease area." FICCI also said that health cess on largely indispensable imports of medical devices are only adding to the high healthcare infrastructure cost for patients that is largely funded by out-of-pocket expenses.

It has also recommended basic customs duty to be reduced to 0 per cent to promote medical equipment, assemblies and parts manufacturing in India.

"Exports being the growth engine for the economy, it is important that efforts should be made to make it competitive in the international market. If we take a look at the India's export performance in recent past, there has been a continuous decline and also impacting balance of trade," it said.

Direct tax exemption for the export profits would attract investment to export competitive sectors and will provide impetus to the sector, the FICCI statement added.
The "Doomsday Clock", which illustrates the threats facing the planet and mankind, is closest to midnight this year with a gap of 100 seconds. This timing comes amid the threats of the coronavirus pandemic, nuclear war and climate change. The clock as such is keeping the same time that it had in 2020.

"The hands of the Doomsday Clock remain at 100 seconds to midnight, as close to midnight as ever," Rachel Bronson, president of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said in a statement. Bronson called out the lack of faith in in science and overall lack of preparedness for the coronavirus pandemic.

"The lethal and fear-inspiring Covid-19 pandemic serves as a historic 'wake-up call,' a vivid illustration that national governments and international organizations are unprepared to manage the truly civilization-ending threats of nuclear weapons and climate change," Bronson said.

Last year, the clock moved to 100 seconds from two minutes to midnight, in what was being seen as a pessimistic push.

But what is a Doomsday Clock and what happens when the clock strikes midnight? Here is a brief explainer on how the clock came into being and what it predicts.

The clock was developed by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947. This non-profit group was founded by Albert Einstein and students from the University of Chicago in 1945.

The board members include 13 Nobel laureates.

The 'Doomsday Clock' is a visual depiction of how close (or vulnerable) the Earth is to a catastrophe, like a nuclear accident or the perils of climate change. The clock moved to 100 seconds to midnight in January of last year, the closest to midnight it has been in its history.

It was originally set at seven minutes to midnight. The furthest it has ever been from midnight is 17 minutes, following the end of the Cold War in 1991.

But has the clock always been inching towards the "apocalypse" with no possibility of a reversal? Even tough, the clock has essentially been moving toward doom in the last 10 years, there is hope. When it was first launched in 1947, it was set to seven minutes from midnight. But optimism and hope was the highest in the post-Cold War era when the clock was 17 minutes away from midnight.

Calls for eliminating nuclear weapons have been rising to reverse the clocks ticking toward the midnight of an apocalypse, the final doom.

The Bulletin members recommended that the United States and Russia extend the New START nuclear treaty and that the US return to the nuclear deal with Iran.

They also urged governments, technology giants and media organizations to cooperate on finding "practical and ethical ways to combat internet-enabled misinformation and disinformation."

Former California governor Jerry Brown, executive chair of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said it's "time to eliminate nuclear weapons, not build more of them. "Likewise, with climate change: the US, China and other big countries must get serious about cutting lethal carbon emissions - now," Brown said.

Susan Solomon, professor of environmental studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said "the pandemic-related economic slowdown temporarily reduced the carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming.

"But over the coming decade fossil fuel use needs to decline precipitously if the worst effects of climate change are to be avoided," Solomon said.

Former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the Covid-19 pandemic "is a terrible warning against complacency in the face of global threats to all human life.

"It is only through collective action and responsible leadership that we can secure a peaceful and habitable planet for future generations," she said.
South Africa will receive another 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer, according to a report by The Sunday Times.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed to the publication that these vaccines had been secured by the government and that only final agreements on delivery details and exact pricing were outstanding.

We are negotiating, largely with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, but some of it is coming via the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team and Covax, Mkhize said.

We are reasonably comfortable that what we have paid for, signed for and are negotiating for will cover the numbers that we are looking to vaccinate, he said.

It is important that the vaccines are properly stored at -70 degrees before they are shipped to vaccination sites  a requirement that Mkhize said would be addressed mostly by facilities at universities and tenders.

We have some capacity, mostly at academic institutions. There are now companies coming forward with storage and transit solutions and we will advertise for bids for tenders on 5 February, Mkhize said.

Following Mkhizes unexpected announcement, this means that the country has secured the supply of over 40 million vaccine doses, which brings it much closer to the goal of vaccinating two-thirds of the population.

COVID-19 vaccine registration

Government has begun to implement the framework of its vaccine rollout in South Africa, beginning with an online Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS).

This system will be used to capture all relevant data associated with the administration of the vaccine in South Africa.

South Africans will be required to register on this system before they receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the Department of Health has stated.

The first consignment of 1 million COVID-19 vaccines, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, is due to arrive in the country on 1 February.

DOH Acting Chief Operating Officer (COO) Milani Wolmarans explained the EVDS is linked to supply chain management to ensure that there are enough doses to inoculate the vaccinees when they arrive at the local vaccination service site.

In accordance with the vaccination rollout strategy, healthcare workers will be the first groups to be enrolled for vaccination via an online app linked to the EVDS, followed by essential workers.

Government is also set to launch an online self-registration portal tied to the system in the first week of February.

Vaccine rollout plan

South Africans will gain access to the vaccine according to a rollout plan previously announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This rollout prioritises frontline and healthcare workers, following which essential workers and those who are institutionalised will have the vaccine administered.

After these high-risk groups are vaccinated, the remaining adult population will have access to the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

This rollout plan is summarised below.

Phase 1 : Frontline and healthcare workers.

: Frontline and healthcare workers. Phase 2 : Essential workers, institutionalised persons, and the elderly.

: Essential workers, institutionalised persons, and the elderly. Phase 3: The remaining adult population.

The COVID-19 vaccines purchased by South Africa will comprise two doses, administered one to three weeks apart.

These two-shot COVID-19 vaccines will only begin to provide protection from the virus one week after the second dosage is administered.
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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on External Cables and Connectors Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international External Cables and Connectors Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the basis of regional implications and the world. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of international External Cables and Connectors Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the External Cables and Connectors Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of XX% which is expected to reach US$ XX Mn in 2027.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

The External Cables and Connectors is being used in various electrical and electronic devices which is driving the market at an exceptional growing rate. With the advancement in technology; the inception of new cords; the new materials used to make Smartphone & Computers and the various electronic products have accelerated the market for the innovative Cables & Connectors. The USB connectors and D-Sub miniature connectors are one the most popular connectors due to their usage in small and large electronics. Tablet, Smartphone, Digital Camera, Portable Storage and Wearable are the popular examples where the connectors are being used. Cable and Connectors play an important role in the integration of various Systems and Sub Systems. With the CAGR estimation of xx%, the research report provides a detailed overview of the industry, classifications and application in External Cables and Connectors Market. In the report, North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe are the major regions taken into consideration for the geographical analysis for micro and macro environment. This report also states import & export consumption, demand & supply figures, price, cost, revenue and gross margins.

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This market intelligence report on the External Cables and Connectors Market has been segmented by External Cables and Connectors types; its segmentation based upon application; growing market size & region-wise market shares. In terms of the External Cables and Connectors type, External Cables and Connectors Market has been divided into HDMI; USB; DVI; VGA; and Others. In terms of the application, External Cables and Connectors Market has been classified into Commercial; Oil & Gas; Automotive; Aerospace & Defense; Energy & Power; and Others. By major regions, it is divided into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, South America and Rest of the World.

Profiling of Market Players:

Most of the companies are focusing on the large chunk of potential consumers in Asia Pacific and North America. The key players observed in the study are  ITT Interconnect Solutions, Molex, Alcatel Lucent, TE Connectivity Ltd, Nexans, 3M Company, Amphenol, Axon Cable SAS, Prysmian SPA, Fujitsu, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.

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 This studyofferscomprehensive yet detailed analysis of the External Cables and Connectors Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2019  2027, taking into account2017 as the base year

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 Leading market players covered this report comprise names such as ITT Interconnect Solutions, Molex, Alcatel Lucent, TE Connectivity Ltd, Nexans, 3M Company, Amphenol, Axon Cable SAS, Prysmian SPA, Fujitsu, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.

 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 technicalup gradation

 The world market for External Cables and Connectors Market caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, product manufacturers, investors, and distributors for External Cables and Connectors Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

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South Carolina GOP Censures Rep. Rice Over Trump Impeachment Vote

The South Carolina Republican Party has voted to formally censure Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), who sided with Democrats in support of the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

Rice was one of 10 Republicans who joined Democrats in impeaching Trump for a second time, in a 232197 vote in the House on Jan. 13. Trump was impeached for allegedly inciting violence a week earlier at the U.S. Capitol. He has argued that a speech he gave that day was totally appropriate.

In a statement, state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick noted that after the impeachment vote, an effort to condemn Rice emerged at the grassroots level from a county in his district. The resolution advanced through various committees before being approved by the state executive committee.

We made our disappointment clear the night of the impeachment vote. Trying to impeach a president, with a week left in his term, is never legitimate and is nothing more than a political kick on the way out the door, McKissick said.

Congressman Rices vote, unfortunately, played right into the Democrats game, and the people in his district, and ultimately our State Executive Committee wanted him to know they wholeheartedly disagree with his decision.

Rices office didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

The Republicans who voted to impeach Trump have faced criticism for their decision, with some already facing challenges for their seats. Several Republicans in South Carolina have said that they are looking to challenge Rice, with one state lawmaker saying that hes formed an exploratory committee for a potential run against Rice.

On the day after the vote, Rice acknowledged to The Associated Press that his vote could cost him reelection. But he said that to impeach Trump was more important to him, because of what he described as Trumps inaction during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach.

I cant imagine another president in my lifetime that would not have tried to intervene there, would not have tried to say, Hey, this needs to stop, and you need to go home, Rice told the news service in an interview.

The media, lawmakers, former officials, and other critics have focused the blame on Trump for the Jan. 6 incident. The president had addressed a crowd in Washington, where he reiterated his allegations about election irregularities and fraud and his dissatisfaction with the media and several lawmakers.

Protestors began their demonstration at the U.S. Capitol before Trump completed his address at the rally. Trump had also been posting on Twitter throughout the afternoon, urging his supporters to remain peaceful. He eventually released a video, which was taken down by Twitter, that called on his supporters to go home now.

You have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order and great people in law [enforcement], Trump said in a video address at the time.

Similarly, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the No. 3-ranking Republican in the House, also is facing a challenger, state Sen. Richard Bouchard, for her Wyoming seat. In announcing his candidacy, Bouchard called Cheney out-of-touch with Wyoming, where Trump won about 70 percent of the votes in 2020.

Other members facing challengers include Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), and Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio).

The unprecedented nature of this months impeachment trial has raised questions over its constitutionality. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are arguing whether the impeachment trial can go ahead given that Trump had already left office and is now a private citizen.

Chief Justice John Roberts has decided not to preside over the proceedings.
Quite soon we will have to redesign the Union Jack. I can see no way of stopping Scotland from leaving the Union, so there goes St Andrew's Cross.

At least that will give us a chance to right a historic wrong and include some symbol of Wales on the national flag, provided they don't declare independence too.

Did you know that the Royal Arms of England used to feature a lion for England and a dragon for Wales? The dragon was dropped, in favour of a unicorn, when the English and Scottish crowns were united in 1603.

Quite soon we will have to redesign the Union Jack. I can see no way of stopping Scotland from leaving the Union, so there goes St Andrew's Cross

I find this a useful way to think about it. We have in recent years seen major nations, including Yugoslavia, Germany and the USSR, change shape utterly. Perhaps we should get used to the idea we are about to undergo the same thing.

When the Blair Government began its revolution in 1997, I thought there might be some chance of saving the United Kingdom. But when the Tory Party adopted Blairism under David Cameron, the last hopes of that faded. Not that they were very strong by then. I don't see how anybody can stop it now.

Nationalism makes many people in Scotland feel good about themselves, and anyone who supports British independence from Brussels can't really argue against it. I suspect that, against all logic, if I were Scottish, I would favour it for the sheer exhilaration of it.

And I now think that our only hope of reunifying Scotland and England is to say: 'We will be sorry to see you go, and continue to regard you as friends and allies, closer to us in all ways than anyone else on Earth. But if you must go, you should know that you will always be welcome back if you change your minds. We'll leave a light burning.'

Nationalism makes many people in Scotland feel good about themselves, and anyone who supports British independence from Brussels can't really argue against it

The last thing we should do is behave as Spain has towards Catalonia. Heavy-handed rigidity will only make the divorce worse when it comes. It really is going to be very hard to prevent another vote, and we shouldn't try.

Attempts to argue about finances, or defence, or currency just won't work. Younger people in Scotland are used to the idea. Many don't share the English view of the EU  not surprising, as Scotland's law and politics are much closer to the continental model than ours. Why cover ourselves in bruises in a vain effort to keep hold of people who  for now at least  prefer to leave? Far better to stay on the best terms with them once they go.

Let us, for a while, think rather harder about whether we can save England, our beautiful, free prosperous country, its unique liberty, its limited government, its literature, music, architecture and landscape, its inventiveness and its courage, the things that made us great in the first place and which  if we take the trouble to preserve them  might keep us in being in the future when others fail.

Accused of killing a man I've never met

On Monday I once again had followers mysteriously cancelled on my Twitter account.

On Tuesday I was censored. On Wednesday I was denounced in The Guardian.

On Thursday I was accused of helping to kill a man I had never even met (I'll come back to this). And on Friday I was attacked and abused in the Left-wing New Statesman.

I was also denounced on a website associated with the vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, so effectively an arm of government. Paradoxically, the website  which claimed my words endangered public health  is partly run by a man who spends much of his time defending cigarette companies.

This is normal life now for any dissenter from the official view of the lockdown  abuse, accusations and smears.

On Monday I once again had followers mysteriously cancelled on my Twitter account [File photo]

The censorship was a mysterious cut in the recorded version of a weekly conversation I have each Monday on Talk Radio with presenter Mike Graham. Mr Graham had nothing to do with it. But Talk Radio recently ran into trouble with the pro-lockdown internet monster YouTube, which provides a platform for its recorded material.

My guess is that someone at Talk Radio, worried that YouTube might attack again, cut out some rude words I said about government propaganda (the whole episode is described on the Peter Hitchens blog). This is what censorship does. It makes people cut their own stuff, so the censors don't have to.

But the worst was the suggestion that I should be counted as responsible for a poor man who had died, in Shrewsbury, after testing positive for Covid-19. The claim was that he had liked some of my tweets, and as a result, had ignored precautions against the virus and so died.

I'll leave it to you to judge the strength of that. Furious screeching internet warriors, who remind me strongly of the Red Guards who denounced and attacked Mao's enemies in 1960s China, demanded I should confess my guilt and express public shame. Normally, this sort of thing would be easily dismissed. But in the current atmosphere, I am not so sure.

With every day that passes, this country grows darker and narrower, and more like the places I used to visit in my foreign correspondent days, secure in the knowledge I could fly home to freedom, law and calm. Believe me. I have seen a lot of tyrannies and we are turning, bit by bit, into such a place.

Child spooks? Now that really is sinister

I should have worried more about the TV series Spooks, which glamorised MI5 as a heroic defender of the nation against terrorism.

We have now got far too complacent about this rather creepy organisation, with its enormous budget and its increasingly political remit. I wonder when it will finally get the power of arrest, which will make it truly dangerous?

We have also allowed the police to go down the same path. Infiltrating undercover agents into organisations which are essentially political, as well as into actual criminal gangs. Personally, I don't think this is especially effective at preventing crime, or right. Now, having created this monster, the Government is trying to regulate it.

And what a mess they are in. The Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill actually licenses government informers to commit crimes to help them stay undercover  a direct blow at the rule of law.

If that is not bad enough, it permits children to be used as undercover spies by more than 20 state agencies. Children aged 16 and 17 could even be recruited to spy on their own parents. The only safeguard is that such child spies should only be used in 'exceptional circumstances', which has all the force of a wet paper bag.

Much praise is due to the few MPs who are fighting this nasty development, and to the much larger contingent in the Lords who have repeatedly tried to torpedo it. If you create such powers, they will be used, and in ways that nobody thinks of now.

The most hateful thing I ever saw in my years in Moscow was a statue to Pavlik Morozov, a (probably mythical) child who had denounced his own parents to the authorities, and then been murdered by his grandfather. Millions of children in the Evil Empire were brought up to revere and admire this little toad.

When Communism fell, the Morozov idol disappeared from the park where it had stood and has not been seen since. At the rate we are going, perhaps it will end up on the empty plinth in Trafalgar Square.

If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click here
Sri Lanka's strategic Colombo port trade unions said on Sunday that they were hopeful of a decision by the government on Monday on a proposed joint venture involving India and Japan to develop the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT).

Amid protests by the trade unions, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Sunday that his government will not sell or lease the ECT.

"We are not selling or leasing to anyone. It is not our policy to sell national assets," he said at Tangalle in the south.

He has asked the trade unions to discuss the issue with him on Monday ahead of a Cabinet meeting.

The state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) signed a memorandum of cooperation in May 2019 with India and Japan to develop the ECT during the previous Sirisena government.The Colombo port trade unions are not convinced with the proposal of investors from India and Japan buying 49 per cent stake in the ETC. They want the ECT to remain 100 per cent owned by the SLPA as opposed to the 51 per cent.

"We are only hoping that the government would give us in writing tomorrow that the Indian deal is off," Prasanna Kalutarage, a trade union leader of the ruling Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP), told reporters on Sunday.

Some 23 trade unions have joined hands to oppose the port deal.The protesting unions have been bolstered by Saturdays solidarity expressed by the ministers who are members of the ruling coalition.They pledged that they would oppose the deal at Mondays Cabinet meeting.

"We are opposed to national assets being given to anyone, we will raise the issue at Cabinet," Wimal Weerawansa, the industries minister, told reporters.

A Cabinet sub-committee appointed to review the proposed deal is to finalise their work on Sunday and report to the Cabinet.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met representatives of 23 Colombo port trade unions at the Presidential Secretariat earlier this month and told them that the previous government had agreed to sell the ECT to Indian stakeholders and take a loan from Japan to procure equipment required to operate the terminal.

The president said his administration had re-negotiated the agreement, according to which Sri Lanka would hold 51 per cent of ownership of the ECT and the SLPA would manage the terminal's operations.

Rajapaksa had also reiterated that the investments would not compromise the country's independence or sovereignty.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Federal political parties have received $1.1 billion from hidden donors in a trend towards greater secrecy over two decades, says a new report that warns of dangerous failures in the system meant to expose vested interests.

A handful of dominant players have increased their sway over federal politics by making one-quarter of all donations over the period, led by mining magnate Clive Palmer as well as Liberal and union funds.

Big time political party donor, Clive Palmer. Credit:

In a damning assessment of the disclosure regime, the not-for-profit Centre for Public Integrity says voters are being denied crucial facts about who has paid for influence with about $3 billion in party income over two decades.

The findings come as the Australian Electoral Commission prepares to release annual disclosures on Monday for the past financial year, naming some of the donors but leaving many hidden under the laws agreed by the major parties.

Consultants from Oxford College, the Netherlands, and the US in new research found that the restless sleep and insomnia or disturbed sleeping patterns in adolescents and some adults is caused due to their DNA structure. Scientists studied at least 400 units of grownup twins to see if developments have been genetic, and discovered that 46 per cent of the variability in how long we sleep is related to our DNA composition. The findings were published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews on January 30.

Sleep characteristics are under strong genetic control, the scientists stated after studying 36 research samples. Earlier epidemiological and interventional research linked disturbed or limited sleep with poor physical and mental health. However, in the new study, scientists asserted that the evidence from (behavioural) genetic research showed the heritability of sleep duration. Researchers screened as many as 5,644 abstracts and 160 complete references for population reporting heritability statistics on sleep duration. They found that the 45,328 twins between 6 months to 88 years showed variability in sleep length due to the genetic material, the remaining was attributed to the unique environment that cut short the sleep duration.

Read: Australia: Scientists Embark On Voyage To Count Krill Population In Antarctic

Read: Marine Heat Waves May Become More Intense, Frequent, Say Scientists

Adults reporting 'sleep apnea'

Our findings highlight the importance of considering genetic influences when aiming to understand the underlying mechanisms contributing to the trajectories of sleep patterns across the lifespan, the scientists said in the study. A high prevalence of restless sleep was found in children or people in the tedious work environment such as caregivers. Sleep duration and quality for the population at large has also been impacted due to the coronavirus pandemic. An Artificial intelligence-powered diagnostics company EnsoData, released its second report on COVID-19s impact on national sleep centers which revealed that an increasing number of adults were reporting sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition that plagues nearly one billion people worldwide, costs the US nearly $150 billion annually, and is associated with increased risk for high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, stroke, depression, and complications with medications, surgeries, and pregnancies. We simply cant afford to fall behind in treating patients, Chris Fernandez, CEO of EnsoData, explained in a release. People were adopting new strategies and technologies to treat the disturbed sleep during the prolonged pandemic, the firm alleged.

Read: Phases Of Moon Could Affect Sleeping Patterns In Humans, Says Study

Read: How Does Fitbit Track Sleep? Understanding How The Sleep Tracking System Works
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A former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Obinna Okenwa, on Sunday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Okenwa represented Enugu South Urban in the state assembly from 2015 to 2019 on the platform of the PDP.

He declared for the APC with over 500 of his supporters including his father, Emma Okenwa, a former deputy chairman of the PDP in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The former legislator said he decided to join the new party due to its progressive nature, adding that the PDP had lost touch with reality.

He solicited the support of the APC to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the success of the party in the state and beyond.

We are joining the APC with our supporters, family members and well-wishers with a promise to make a difference.

We have the capacity to move things and make them happen. With the support of the leadership of the APC, we shall defend the party with all our strength, Mr Okenwa said.

The Caretaker Chair of APC in the state, Ben Nwoye, who received the defectors, said more people would be joining the party in the coming days.

Mr Nwoye said the party was not leaving any stone unturned to form the next government in the state.

He appealed to the people of the state to take their destinies into their hands by identifying with a progressive party.

A former president of the senate, Ken Nnamani, said the APC provided the South East with a bigger picture because it currently controlled the federal government.

Mr Nnamani said the time had come for the people of the zone to fully embrace the APC.

The former senate president said that he was gratified by the peace and unity in the state chapter of the party, adding that such would provide the needed push to take over the state.

The Caretaker Committee has a big work to do in the state as we embark on the revalidation and registration of new members. Our people should obtain their membership cards in the APC, Mr Nnamani said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, was among those who attended the rally.

The APC on January 25 commenced membership registration, revalidation and upgrade nationwide as part of its efforts to strengthen the party in the country.

(NAN)
(Natural News) The latest revelations about Gov. Andrew Cuomos (D-NY) nursing home massacre again proves those of us the fake media label as conspiracy theorists almost always end up being right about everything

(Article by John Nolte republished from Breitbart.com)

Trump supporters express their belief that Democrats are only closing down their states and cities to hurt President Trump. The establishment media call us conspiracy theorists. Then, within days of Trump leaving office, Democrats immediately start to reopen their states and cities.

Trump supporters say Barry Obama illegally spied on President Trumps campaign. The establishment media call us conspiracy theorists. Turns out the FBI knowingly falsified warrant requests so the Obama administration could illegally spy on Trumps campaign.

Critics of Gov. Andrew Grandma Slayer Cuomo (D-NY) say Cuomos breathtakingly anti-science policy, the one mandating that still-contagious coronavirus sufferers be place in nursing homes, killed a whole lot more elderly nursing home residents than Cuomo admitted to. The media call us conspiracy theorists. Turns out Gov. Grandma Slayer under-counted nursing home deaths by around 50 percent.

The truth is that THOUSANDS more were killed by Cuomos sociopathic policy.

Heres the far-left PolitiFact covering for Cuomo. Heres Snopes. You dont need me to link all the obsequious coverage Gov. Grandma Slayer received for his handling of the China Virus. Every establishment newspaper, political site, MSNBC, and most especially CNNLOL and its nightly tongue baths They all told us over and over and over that nobody was handling the pandemic that Cuomo and anyone who disagreed was a conspiracy theorist.

Well, to the surprise of no one, it now turns out that was all fake news  but we conspiracy theorists already knew that.

There is simply no question Cuomo horribly mismanaged the crisis and then engaged in corruption to cover up the true scope of his mismanagement.

Nevertheless, even today, even after the horrible and incontrovertible facts of Cuomos malfeasance have been revealed, CNNLOL is still sticking its nose up Cuomos homicidal ass by describing his performance as less stellar. So still stellar, just less stellar.

Democrats sure got it good.

All I know is that over the course of the last ten days, Cuomo has proved us conspiracy theorists accurate on two counts

1) Hes reopening New York for one reason  Trumps out of office, which proves he held his own citizens hostage and bankrupted countless small businesses for partisan political purposes. This is also true of Govs. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Gavin Newsom (D-CA), and Chicagos Democrat Mayor Lightfoot).

2) As hospital ships and a makeshift hospital sat almost entirely empty, Cuomo was indeed pouring infection into nursing homes and as a result, some 15,000 died.

And while Cuomo was unnecessarily killing all these defenseless people, while he was mandating plague be forced into the homes of those most defenseless against the virus, the fake national media were holding him up as an icon of coronavirus leadership, not asking him any tough questions, not demanding answers, and then guarding his palace by attacking those of us trying to sound the alarm about his disastrous policies as liars and conspiracy theorists.

How many people needlessly died because Cuomo knew he would never be held accountable for this?

How many parents and grandparents, husbands and wives, needlessly died because our suck-ass media refused to put any pressure on their Precious Darling?

It always works like this

Trump supporters say THIS.

The fake national media circle the wagons to protect Democrats by saying THIS is a conspiracy theory.

THIS is proven true.

The FBI did in fact launch a coup again Trump. The Steele Dossier was indeed a fake political document. Hillary Clinton did start the birther conspiracy against Obama. The national media did collude with the Deep State to launch the Russia Hoax. Big Tech and Big Media are conspiring to blacklist mainstream conservative voices and ideas. Gay marriage did lead to men in womens bathrooms.

Hate crimes are mostly hoaxes I could go on and on and on

Read more at: Breitbart.com

A winter storm headed to the Northeast late Sunday and could continue into Tuesday, plastering the corridor from Philadelphia to Boston with heavy snow.

Snow totals in that span could be 18 inches or more, depending on an influx of relatively mild air from the Atlantic Ocean.

The storm system has brought eight inches of snow in Chicago and was expected to approach the Canadian border on Sunday.

The low-pressure area that will bring the heavy snow, strong winds and potential for coastal flooding to the Northeast will spend Sunday getting organized in the Mid-Atlantic region, where snow was falling in the nation's capital. Washington was poised to receive more snow in one day than the city has seen in two winters.

The storm has brought wild weather across the Lower 48, first driving an atmospheric river ashore in California last week with extreme snow totals topping 100 inches in the Sierra Nevada. From there, it brought severe thunderstorms to the Southwest and tornado activity to Oklahoma, while a dust storm in its wake caused visibility to plummet Saturday in parts of Texas.

Now the main low-pressure area is transferring its energy offshore into a coastal system, also known as a nor'easter, that will intensify and move north up the coast.

Winter storm warnings for heavy snow were in effect from the mountains of North Carolina through southwestern Connecticut, while watches extend all the way to northern Maine.

- - -

Snowfall rates increased rapidly in Philadelphia as the offshore low-pressure system strengthened Sunday. Computer models showed a band of heavy snow forming between Philadelphia and Rhode Island on Sunday night into Monday.

Forecasters said milder marine air drawn inland could bring mixed precipitation to Philadelphia, including sleet or freezing rain, early Monday before it changes to rain and temporarily ends. Snow will fall most heavily immediately before that changeover, with rates of at least an inch an hour.

In New York, heavy snow was expected early Monday. Uncertainty remained about a potential changeover to a wintry mix or rain about midday.

If that transition does occur, snowfall amounts would stack up to a bit more than a foot. If not, more significant accumulations would be probable - perhaps 18 inches or more.

The National Weather Service included New York in an "extreme impact" zone on its outlook map, citing the potential for "extreme disruptions to daily life." Forecasters said most of the surrounding tri-state area can expect "major impacts" from the storm system.

In Boston, more than a foot of snow is expected.

President Joe Biden was briefed Sunday on the storm, according to the White House.

Some computer models suggest that cold air will remain entrenched in New York for the duration of the event, portending a historic snowstorm. Such heavy snowfall could shut down city streets and cancel flights at the region's major airports.

"Despite the fact that we are forecasting up to 18 inches of snow, these numbers are conservative" if you trust some computer models, wrote the National Weather Service office in New York.

If New York were to pick up 19.8 inches or more in 48 hours, it would qualify as one of the 10 heaviest snowfalls on record in the city. The top spot of 27.5 inches is held by a Jan. 22 and 23 storm in 2016.

"This weather will be serious. If you can stay home, stay home," Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, tweeted Sunday.

Snowfall amounts will vary significantly depending on where the narrow corridors of heaviest snowfall, known as snow bands, set up and stall. In the heaviest bands, rates of one to two inches per hour or more are likely. Eastern Pennsylvania is also likely to see heavy snow, including in places such as Harrisburg and Allentown.

Some areas in northern New Jersey could see more than two feet of snow as moisture from the Atlantic is drawn westward, directly into much colder air.

Snow will ease overnight Monday into Tuesday, but light snow is probable most of Tuesday morning into the afternoon.

The most snow could fall in New York City, while encompassing the southern Hudson Valley and most of central and eastern Pennsylvania.

- - -

Hartford, Conn., could get a foot of snow or more.

Farther northeast, in the Providence-to-Boston corridor, meteorologists were grappling with predicting the finicky rain-snow line. Snow will arrive there Monday midmorning, with the steadiest and heaviest precipitation occurring overnight before winding down midmorning Tuesday.

During the storm, the rain-snow line may wiggle near Interstate 95, with mixing possible in Boston and Providence.

Storm totals of 12 to 18 inches are expected just west of Boston, with the biggest wild card being the amounts in Boston itself and along the coastline. With onshore winds of up to 60 mph, tall waves and coastal flooding will affect the New England shoreline, leading to the potential inundation of vulnerable areas.

The storm is expected to spread snow into northern New England, benefiting ski areas in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Conditions will clear later Wednesday before milder weather late in the week.
Despite an increasing number of barricades, thousands of farmers have been converging at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border following a tearful Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait's impassioned appeal to protesters to bolster the stir.

The tide of the over two-month protest against the farm laws, which had lost its sheen after the violence in Delhi during the tractors parade on Republic day, appears to have regained momentum as is evident from the increased number of tents set up at the protest site.

Many protesters waited for hours to talk to Tikait or take a selfie with him as the farmer leader remained busy meeting his supporters and talking to the media.

A Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) member said Tikait has been sleeping only for around three hours a day for the last three days. "He had complained of blood pressure issues, but is doing fine now," the member said.

Shiromani Akal Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal visited the Ghazipur border to lend his support to the protesting farmers. Badal, whose party pulled out of the NDA government over the three farm laws, met Tikait for around 10 minutes.

Farmers, carrying tricolours and raising slogans, took out marches, while a group of youths gathered at a spot near the Delhi-Meerut expressway and danced to patriotic songs till the sun went down.

The scene was quite different just three days ago.

A day after the Republic Day violence in Delhi, when a section of farmers taking part in the tractor parade broke through barriers, clashed with police and stormed the Red Fort for a few hours, the farmer game it seemed to be over. Morale plummeted and many farmers returned home.

On Wednesday night, the atmosphere was tense at Ghazipur. The Ghaziabad administration issued an "ultimatum" to the protesters occupying a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut expressway to vacate as the January 26 clashes painted a not-so-peaceful picture of the peasant community.

As security presence at the site escalated and fears grew that the protesters would be forcibly evicted, an emotional Tikait broke down while talking to reporters.

"The protest won't be called off. Farmers are being met with injustice," he said and even threatened to end his life for the cause.

A layer of barbed wire fencing was added to the existing multi-layered barricading at the protest site. But that couldn't keep people from reaching the area where farmers have been camping since late November.

Sarita Rana, a BKU member from Gurgaon, said she walked two kilometres to reach the protest site. Rana said she and her husband couldn't sleep a bit the night they watched a video of Tikait crying.

"We have never seen him crying. It moved us," she said.

"The government has been trying to scuttle the protest by blocking roads and withdrawing facilities such as water and power supply. But this has strengthened our resolve to fight on," Rana said.

The farmers kept arriving with water-filled cans from their hometown for their beloved leader. According to a BKU member's estimate, over 10,000 farmers have gathered at the UP Gate protest site on Sunday.

Tikait said he respects the sentiments of the protesters and the water-filled cans will be emptied in the Ganga.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly broadcast, wherein on Sunday he maintained that his government is committed to "modernising" farming and has been taking many steps, many urged him to listen to the 'Mann ki Baat' of the farmers.

"If a politician can come to our house asking for our votes, why cannot they come to us here to resolve the issue... If PM Modi wants to talk, he should give us a phone number to call," said 64-year Satbir Singh from Haryana's Jind district.

Ravinder Singh, 63, from Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, said farmers want to return to their fields, "but that will happen only when the three laws are repealed and a legal guarantee ensuring minimum support price is provided.

(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 United Kingdom will be applying to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) On February 1. This comes exactly one year after it left the European Union. As per the Britain government, joining a group of fast-growing nations will help the UK to boost its exports. CPTPP includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

All that you need to know

According to the reports by PTI, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, One year after our departure for the EU we are forging new partnerships that will bring enormous economic benefits for the people of Britain. He added, Applying to be the first new country to join the CPTPP demonstrates our ambition to do business on the best terms with our friends and partners all over the world and be an enthusiastic champion of global free trade.

Read: Japanese PM Says China Won't Be Able To Join Trans-Pacific Partnership Under Xi Jinping

The Department for International Trade hopes that joining the 9 trillion-pound partnership will cut tariffs for UK industries. The industries include food and drink and cars. Also, this will create new opportunities for modern industries like tech and service. Lord Karan Bilimoria, the President of the Confederation of British Industry, said, This ambition marks a new chapter for our independent trade policy. As one of the largest free trade agreements in the world, these 11 countries contribute over 100 billion pounds to our economy.

Read: UK's Special Visa Scheme To Allow Hong Kong Residents To Become Citizens

In another significant development, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that China may never be able to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, not until it has the current leadership in Beijing. China had recently shown interest in joining the free-trade agreement signed between 11 countries in 2018. Suga, while speaking to a commercial radio broadcaster on January 3, said it would be challenging for any country to join the TPP where the state runs most businesses.

Read: UK COVID-19 Strain To Become 'more Dominant' In US By End Of March: Anthony Fauci

Also Read: UK Bans Flights From UAE, Burundi And Rwanda Shutting World's Busiest International Route

(Image Credits: AP)
Memorial provides service dogs for veterans struggling with PTSD

After losing her brother to PTSD, Heather Wipf creates the Lane Logan Memorial to help veterans find support through service dogs.

Joe Judge and Sholam Weiss were born in the same Scranton hospital and immediately began moving in different directions.

Weiss grew up in a Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York, participated in the largest insurance scam in American history and fled to an international playboys life on the lam. He was sentenced in absentia to 845 years in prison  still the stiffest sentence ever imposed for a white-collar crime.

Judge was raised in West Side, graduated from the University of Scranton with a bachelors degree in accounting and joined the FBI. For eight years, Judge chased Weiss in Israel, Belgium, Brazil and the United Kingdom before catching him in Austria.

What happened in between is the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters.

People always say its like Catch Me if You Can,  Judge said of the similarities between his protracted manhunt for Weiss and the true story of the years-long cat-and-mouse game between fugitive Frank Abagnale Jr. and FBI Agent Carl Hanratty.

Abagnale, played in the 2002 film by Leonardo DiCaprio, rings up Hanratty, portrayed by Tom Hanks, every Christmas Eve. Neither man had anyone else to call.

I say, Yeah, its very similar, but I had somewhere to be on Christmas Eve,  Judge told me. I had a family to be with. I had someone else to call.

The tangled yarn of Judges piecework reeling in of Weiss has been unspooled on 60 Minutes, CNBCs American Greed and in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Times-Tribune.

The story made international headlines again on Jan. 19, when President Trump commuted his sentence among a slew of 70 pardons and 73 sentence commutations on his last full day in office. Judge, who is 75 and retired from a decorated 30-year career in the FBI, reached out to me soon after.

I interviewed Judge by phone from his Florida home on Wednesday. He is blunt, funny and showed his West Scranton roots while telling a few war stories too salty to share in a family newspaper. Thankfully, his dogged quest to bring Sholam Weiss to justice is a bona fide page-turner.

I was unable to independently confirm that Weiss was born in Scranton, but Judge said its a fact he verified during his investigation.

We were both born in the old Hanhemann Hospital (now GCMC), Judge said. After that, we took very different paths.

Weiss was educated in a Brooklyn yeshiva and worked in construction before buying a plumbing supply company that was wildly successful for a few years, but eventually went bankrupt and proved the vehicle for his first stint in prison. In 1994, he was charged with mail fraud after falsely claiming that $1 million in inventory was destroyed in a warehouse fire. He was convicted and sentenced to eight months.

Two years later, Weiss was released to a halfway house and requested a four-day furlough to spend Passover with his wife and children. Instead, he and a 23-year-old woman took a private jet to Trump Atlantic City Hotel and Casino, where they stayed in a complimentary $700-a-night suite. Escape charges were filed but dropped.

Weiss was approached by criminal executives who looted $30 million from Florida-based National Heritage Life Insurance Co. and needed help covering it up. The result was a $450 million scam in which nearly 30,000 mostly elderly Americans saw their retirement savings stolen.

Boiled down to its bones, the complicated fraud is astonishingly simple. The crooks who were already bleeding the insurer had a $30 million hole to fill and were looking at long prison sentences when regulators inevitably caught up with them. Weiss offered a way out. If the company would give him $100 million to work with, he would make the $30 million deficit magically disappear, Judge said.

He was given $100 million to buy mortgages, Judge explained. He bought $60 million in totally crap mortgages and valued them on the books at $100 million, which covered up the $30 million hole that was caused by previous criminals in the company.

And then he stole everything he could along the way out of that $100 million. When I subpoenaed his account, the first very first transaction is a wire transfer to Switzerland. In this business, we call that a clue.

Weiss was offered a sentence of five to 10 years if he cooperated with investigators. He decided to go to trial, and as the jury was deliberating in November 1999, he fled the country. He was convicted on 78 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and racketeering and sentenced in absentia to a staggering 845 years in prison, $123 million in fines and $125 million in restitution.

In hindsight, Judge said Weiss telegraphed his intention to flee with his waistline.

During the trial, he gained like 60 pounds and I was thinking, This guys eating nervous,  Judge said. No, he wanted the last photos of him to be at 260 pounds. While he was a fugitive, he lost 60 pounds. So were looking for a 260-pound guy and hes down to 200.

Weiss also shaved his beard and used the identities and passports of relatives and family connections to stay a step ahead of the FBI and Interpol, Judge said.

I missed him in London. I missed him in Israel. Im pretty sure I missed him in Monaco and Liechtenstein, Judge said. It was frustrating, because Weiss didnt exactly lay low. He was on the run, but loudly satisfying his lavish appetites and hard-partying lifestyle, almost daring authorities to catch up with him.

He got thrown out of a hotel in Sao Paulo, and the Brazilian police told me they were watching the hotel and 10 hookers showed up and five of them were dressed like Catholic schoolgirls, Judge said. I guess youd call that a fetish.

Judge said he was particularly alarmed to learn that Weiss was in Brazil and had a steady girlfriend. The nations courts wont extradite a fugitive who has impregnated a native.

I knew that if we caught Weiss in Brazil, we would be fighting extradition, Judge said with a chuckle. But I feared wed also be fighting ovulation.

Judge followed the girlfriend to Austria, where he found Weiss set up with all the documentation for a new identity. Weiss was arrested and fought extradition, but was eventually returned to the U.S. in 2002 to begin serving the better part of a millennium in prison.

After 18 years, Weiss, 66, was released from a medium-security prison last week and reunited with his family in Monsey, New York. I was unable to reach him, but connected with a friend of the family via the website Freedomforsholam.com.

The man, who would identify himself only as Jay, disputed several elements of the governments case and repeatedly pointed out that Weiss was not convicted of theft, but money laundering. Jay informed me that he had recorded the call and that I could be sued if I wrote that Weiss was convicted of theft.

The more cordial part of the call was when I acknowledged that 845 years is a ridiculous, indefensible penalty that amounts to a life sentence, which is really just a death sentence with a waiting room. Weiss co-defendant, Keith Pound, a mortgage broker, was sentenced to 740 years. He died in prison at 51.

More than a dozen other defendants in the case were sentenced to an average of 20 years. Beyond all that, Weiss paid his fines and the restitution. It took years, but the victims of the scam were eventually made whole.

Not all of those victims lived to see Weiss pay for his crimes, Judge noted.

A lot of those elderly annuitants went to their graves not knowing if their surviving spouses would have those annuities, he said. If the annuitants got to vote on the pardon, the vote would have been 29,000 to zero.

In the end, Weiss only needed one vote to win his freedom, and it came from President Trump, whom Judge voted to re-elect.

It didnt make me happy, but Im telling myself that Jared Kushner put 70 pardons in front of him and said, Pardon these guys, and Trump said, OK,  Judge said. I dont think he knows who Sholam Weiss is, but no, I wasnt thrilled about it. No.

Judge arrested congressmen, senators and mobsters over his storied career, but the Weiss case is a special source of pride. Judge is thankful he and Weiss took different paths out of Scranton, and that it was a West Scranton gumshoe who finally ran him down.

In the end we hung 20 years on him for what he did, Judge said. I have to be happy with that.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, calls dibs on the screenplay.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin.

The authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands of people rallied across the country the previous weekend in the largest and most widespread show of discontent the country has seen in years.

Police have detained more than 1,000 people in protests held in many cities across Russias 11 time zones, according to the OVD-Info, a group that monitors arrests.

In the far eastern port of Vladivostok alone, more than 100 people were detained after protesters danced on the ice and rallied in the city centre.

Expand Close Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok (Aleksander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok (Aleksander Khitrov/AP)

The city of Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia saw one of the biggest rallies, with thousands marching across the city chanting Putin, thief!

About 90 protesters were detained.

The chants referred to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for Russian President Vladimir Putin that Mr Navalnys team have released a popular video about.

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing several subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and shops to stay closed.

Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is the best-known critic of Mr Putin, was arrested on January 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.

Mr Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held in Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which the 44-year-old claims was responsible for his poisoning.

After police cordoned off the area around the square, protest organisers urged demonstrators to gather at another central square a mile away.

Expand Close Police detain a woman during a protest in Ulan-Ude, the regional capital of Buryatia, a region near the Russia-Mongolia border, Russia (Anna Ogorodnik/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police detain a woman during a protest in Ulan-Ude, the regional capital of Buryatia, a region near the Russia-Mongolia border, Russia (Anna Ogorodnik/AP)

Police showed up in force at that location too, detaining some protesters and putting them into buses. At least 100 were detained.

As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Mr Navalnys associates and activists across the country.

His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under two-month house arrest on Friday on charges of alleged violations of coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

Prosecutors also demanded that social platforms block the calls for joining the protests on the internet.

The Interior Ministry has issued stern warnings to the public not to join the protests, saying participants could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.

Those engaging in violence against police could face up to 15 years.

Nearly 4,000 people were reportedly detained at demonstrations on January 23 calling for Mr Navalnys release which took place in more than 100 Russian cities, and some were given fines and jail terms.

Expand Close A woman is detained in Vladivostok (Aleksander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook

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About 20 were accused of assaulting police and faced criminal charges.

Just after Mr Navalnys arrest, his team released a two-hour video on his YouTube channel about an opulent Black Sea residence purportedly built for Mr Putin.

The video has been viewed more than 100 million times, helping fuel discontent and inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet.

Mr Putin has said that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property, and on Saturday construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed he owned the property.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Mr Putins time in office even as many ordinary citizens struggle financially.

Mr Navalny fell into a coma on August 20 while on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow.

He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later.

Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent.

Expand Close Alexei Navalny appears on a TV screen during a hearing of his appeal at a court in Moscow, Russia (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) / Facebook

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Russian authorities have refused to open a fully fledged criminal inquiry, citing a lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

When he returned to Russia in January, Mr Navalny was jailed for 30 days after Russias prison service alleged he had violated the probation terms of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected his appeal to be released, and another hearing next week could turn his three-and-a-half year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.

Most states have started vaccinating older adults, but people across the country have expressed frustration over vaccine shortages, long lines and canceled appointments.

Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the top House Republican, chimed in on Twitter on Saturday to criticize the Pentagons initial proposal. President Biden told us he would have a plan to defeat the virus on day 1, he wrote. He just never told us that it would be to give the vaccine to terrorists before most Americans.

The Defense Department announced the suspension several hours later.

About 1,500 troops serve at the detention center in Cuba, most of whom are National Guard members who arrived during the pandemic and spent their first two weeks there in individual quarantine. But the Southern Command, which has oversight of the prison, has so far not disclosed how many of them were offered the vaccine and how many agreed to receive it.

Dr. Terry Adirim, the Pentagons principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, signed a memo on Wednesday that authorized the vaccination of the detainees. She is a Biden administration appointee who has been serving as a senior health official at the Defense Department since July 2016.

Several hundred doses of the Moderna vaccine first arrived on the base on Jan. 7, and medical personnel received the first shots. It is not known if enough doses have reached the base to vaccinate everyone who seeks it among the 6,000 residents, who include sailors and their families, schoolteachers and contract laborers. The original plan was to begin offering vaccines to the prisoners on Monday. They were to receive information over the weekend to help them decide whether to accept the shots.
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
A recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries study found that three species of Arctic seals are experiencing impacts of climate change and they are losing body mass at alarming rates. As per the study, the researchers studied ribbon, spotted and harbor seals in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands from 2007 to 2018. They tracked the changes in how heavy seals were in relation to their length and found that the seals body condition declined in almost all age and sex classes in every studied species.

The researchers noted that the aforementioned three species are all typically resilient, long-lived predators that eat at a variety of prey. They also informed that only two groups, spotted seal subadults and adults, did not experience a decline in body condition. Lead researcher Peter Boveng said that the findings point strongly to climate-related impacts. He also added that the team saw declines in seal condition that coincided with recent pronounced warming.

READ: Moon Could Get Water From 'wind' In The Earth's Magnetosphere: Study

Boveng said, Warming conditions in the Arctic seem to be affecting the condition of individual seals in a way that could impact their populations.

According to the study, the researchers said that for ribbon and spotted seals, the decline in body conditions is likely related to their reliance on ice environment during pregnancy and nursing cycles. They noted that the species usually gather near the edge of sea ice in the spring to give birth between April and May, and mothers have very high energy needs during this time. The researchers said that they where they gather in the Bering Sea has historically had plenty of food available for that time, however, throughout the study period, sea ice decreased, forcing the mothers to search for food in areas that may have been less favourable.

READ: Shark Population Declining Sharply, 71% Vanished Since 1970: Study

Climate-related impact

The study noted that an average-sized individual seal saw a decrease in body composition of roughly 13 pounds a year. Male harbour seals weigh about 265 pounds on average, and the female weighs about 220 pounds. Further, the study also noted that the Aleutian Islands population of harbor seals have undergone a long-term decline between 1980 and 1999 when the population dropped by 86 per cent. However, the researchers also said that they do not think that decline is linked to the lower body condition.

Boveng explained, We suspect that the recent declines in body condition during our study are an acute response to the very strong North Pacific marine heatwave, rather than a continued chronic response to whatever has caused the long-term decline in numbers.

READ: 20-mn-year-old Tunnels Found In Ancient Ocean Floor Came From 6-foot-long Worms: Study

Further, the authors of the study noted that climate change has been shown to impact fish and other animals low on the food chain who are less able to switch between sources of prey as ecosystems change. However, the also added that when animals like ribbon, spotted and harbor seals are facing physical decline, it likely reflects broad underlying ecological shifts in multiple prey species.

During the time of the study, there were two unusual mortality events in Alaska that impacted all of the ice seals in the area, including the ribbon and spotted seals. The first event revealed seals having sores, hair loss and lethargic behaviour, but in good nutritional condition. In the second event, large numbers of bearded ringed and spotted seals, most of which were young or emaciated, were found stranded or dead. This mass mortality, researchers said, "strongly suggests a climate-related impact".

READ: Dogs Are Able To Sense Heat Through Infrared Sensors In Their Nose: Study
Manoj Bajpayee Fronted Family Man Season 2 Release Pushed Ahead Amidst Tandav Controversy?

The release of the much-awaited second season of Amazon Prime Video's critically-acclaimed web series "The Family Man" may get delayed, following the controversy around the streaming platform's shows "Tandav" and "Mirzapur".

Fronted by Manoj Bajpayee, "The Family Man" season two is slated to be released on February 12.

According to sources, the release of the show will be postponed in wake of the ongoing stir against the streamer and its shows "Tandav" and "Mirzapur".

"The streaming platform is talking, debating about delaying the release of the show," source close to the development told PTI.

Another insider told PTI, "The show has been postponed as the platform appears to be cautious. There's nothing in season two of 'The Family Man' that would hurt anybody but given the current scenario, to be on a safer note it has been decided to push ahead the release of the show."

The trailer of the show was supposed to be released on January 19 but that too has been delayed.

Amazon Prime India has landed into a pool of controversies after several complaints were filed against Saif Ali Khan-starrer show "Tandav", days later a case was also registered against the makers of "Mirzapur" at Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur district for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manoj Bajpayee (@bajpayee.manoj)

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court declined to grant interim protection from any coercive action to "Tandav" director Ali Abbas Zafar, actor Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and others facing multiple FIRs for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

The Allahabad High Court on Friday stayed the arrest of producers of "Mirzapur" web series Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani in connection with a First Information Report that accused them of improper and indecent portrayal of the town Mirzapur and outraging religious belief.

The streamer had in December last year released an intriguing first look of the upcoming chapter of "The Family Man" on social media.

Created and director by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, "The Family Man" season one premiered on September 20, 2019 and received rave reviews.

In the show, Bajpayee plays an intelligence officer Srikant Tiwari.

In the sophomore season, Bajpayee will be taking on a bigger and deadlier mission, along with keeping up with a high-pressure job and keeping his country safe, at the same time juggling with his responsibility towards the family.

Actors Sharib Hashmi, Priyamani, Sharad Kelkar, and Shreya Dhanwanthary will be reprising their role from season one.

The second season of "The Family Man" will mark digital debut of south star Samantha Akkineni.
Veterinary experts have called on the government to improve regulation of non-stun slaughter, including clearer labelling for consumers.

The government must commit to improving welfare of animals at slaughter, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has urged.

It follows the publication on 27 January of the Review of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations (WATOK) by Defra.

The report outlines several policy recommendations proposed by the veterinary group, including a need to improve non-stun regulation.

Figures from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) indicate that in 2018 over 94 million cattle, sheep, and poultry were slaughtered in England without being pre-stunned.

There is currently no non-stun slaughter in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The BVA and other animal welfare groups have frequently called for all animals to be stunned before slaughter, as they are 'highly likely' to suffer pain and suffering without.

In the new report, the veterinary group again made a recommendation to government to introduce 'clear labelling' of meat and meat-products from animals that have not been stunned before slaughter.

BVA President James Russell said: It is critically important that we have evidence-based legislation in place so that slaughter processes result in a humane death for animals, that minimises avoidable pain, distress, fear, and suffering."

But he said there was 'clear room for improvement': "Were pleased that several BVA recommendations were highlighted as key areas for improvements in the current regulations.

The next step must be for the government to demonstrate its intentions to be a world leader in animal welfare across the board by implementing the recommendations, which are supported by vets, animal welfare experts, and industry.

What recommendations were included in the report?

The review of Englands WATOK regulations, published by Defra on 27 January, recognises several policy recommendations proposed by BVA:

 Specifying that all electrical-waterbath of stunning of poultry should be carried out in accordance with the minimum currents laid down in Annex I of EC 1099/2009;

 The urgent need for research to develop non-aversive stunning methods in pigs

 The urgent need for research into the development of recoverable stunning methods that effectively stun birds of all sizes, strains, and ages, and remove the need for live shackling and inversion pre-slaughter

 Improved regulation of non-stun slaughter so that supply meets demand and clearer labelling for consumers

 Legislative protections for the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter.
The Telegraph

Police are conducting an investigation into the death of a woman who was allegedly given higher than recommended doses of a powerful anti-psychotic drug at a mental health unit. Margaret Molyneux, 69, a former lecturer, was undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder when she suffered a series of complications and died in hospital three days after choking in July 2017. A coroner ruled that she had died of natural causes, but Hertfordshire Police launched an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, after a review found that Ms Molyneux had been prescribed higher than recommended doses of the drug Olanzapine. Her daughter, Petria Foley (pictured below), believes the anti-psychotic medication caused dangerous side effects - including choking - which were not picked up by the psychiatrists treating her and eventually led to her death. The Telegraph can reveal that detectives have now appointed a forensic toxicologist to look into the case before deciding whether to bring any charges. Ms Molyneux, a mother of two, was admitted to the Kingfisher Court mental health unit in Radeltt, Hertfordshire in March 2017, after being sectioned following a relapse of the bipolar condition she suffered from. She was prescribed Olanzapine, a powerful anti-psychotic drug that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions including schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. But it has also been linked to a variety of side effects and in 2018 Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation into the death of teenager Oliver McGowan, who died after being prescribed the drug. In the weeks leading up to her death, Ms Molyneaux, had a series of falls and also suffered from sepsis, pneumonia. She also developed dysphagia - a condition where swallowing becomes difficult - and Ms Foley is convinced it was the medication that was causing the physical problems. She said despite her mothers deteriorating condition, the drugs continued to be prescribed and medics also stopped her mother from smoking which meant the medication had an even more powerful effect.
Will Karnataka lockdown be extended till June 30? CM Yediyurappa to take call

COVID-19: India reports 13,052 new cases

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Jan 31: With 13,052 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India''s COVID-19 tally has gone up to 1,07,46,183, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,04,23,125, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The national recovery rate has climbed to 96.99 per cent.

The death toll increased to 1,54,274 with 127 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,04,23,125. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 per cent.

Pak to send special plane to China to receive first tranche of anti-COVID-19 vaccine

The total COVID-19 active cases remained below 2 lakh for the 12th consecutive day.

There are 1,68,784 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 1.57 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

India''s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to the ICMR, 19,65,88,372 samples have been tested up to January 30 with 7,50,964 samples being tested on Saturday.

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Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 13:09 [IST]
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He came to my office with a large bag which contained two bottles of Grand Reserve Havana Club Rum, two boxes of Habanos Cigars, and a card. From that day onward, I became a Castro fan for life!

by Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil

Another State Visit

In May of 1998, I received a call from the Chief of Protocol in the office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica. She was a friend of mine and, as usual, she wanted to give me a heads up regarding another important state visit. I was the General Manager of the largest hotel in the capital city of Jamaica  Kingston. As the Government of Jamaica owned 60% of Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel (Pegasus), my sales team and I did not have to work too hard to get bookings for visiting Heads of State and Government. The team of 400 full-time employees who worked at this 360-room hotel were well-experienced in handling the VIP visitors who frequently patronized the Pegasus. When I heard that this visit had to be kept a top-secret, I was curious to know the name of the VIP. After I promised the Chief of Protocol that I would keep it to myself, I was informed that the President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, would be staying at the Pegasus for two days.

More than half of our hotel guests were usually from the USA, and that itself was a good reason to keep this state visit a secret. Leading up to the day of his visit in July 1998, only two people at the Pegasus  my Director of Marketing and I, knew that President Castro would be staying with us. During my career as a hotelier, I had the fortune of hosting 34 heads of State and Government. Therefore, I was very used to doing VIP meet and greets and ensuring that all five-star services were provided to the complete satisfaction of the VIPs.

However, this visit was very interesting to me. This interest stemmed from listening to the fascinating story my father told me when I was a kid, about a lunch meeting he had with President Castros good friend, Dr. Che Guevara, in 1959 in the parliament of Ceylon. The other reasons for my interest were the mystique and charisma of President Castro, and my observations (good and bad) made during a visit to Cuba as a tourist in 1997.

Lost in Translation

In early June of 1998, the Cuban Ambassador in Jamaica commenced weekly meetings in my office to discuss the logistics of the state visit. The Ambassador did not speak English and I did not speak Spanish. As a result, these weekly meetings became very long and we depended on the translation skills of the Deputy Ambassador and the hotels Director of Marketing. Initially, I did not understand the rationale for some of the requests from the Ambassador, such as: booking all 72 rooms on the top three (14, 15, and 16) floors for a period of seven days (the visit was only for two days), prohibiting any hotel employee from entering these 72 rooms during the VIP stay, and keeping the room number of the suite to be used by President Castro a secret from anyone from Pegasus.

When I offered to personally register President Castro in his suite, the Ambassador informed me that: you are not allowed to do so. Please do the welcome at the entrance, usher His Excellency to the elevator, and the Cuban Secret Police will take it from there. Everything was secretive, so in an annoyed voice I said that: these are my duties as the General Manager!, explaining how I had handled the arrival of Prince Phillip only the previouslast week. At that point, the Ambassador declared: not for President Castro!.

The tension was building up, and although I was getting a bit nervous, I insisted that the Cuban embassy makes the full payment to the hotel, for the 72 rooms for all seven nights, upfront and in US dollars. The very next day, they came to my office with a large bag of US cash and settled everything. During my last pre-visit meeting with the Cuban diplomats, I finally understood that their unusual secrecy and precautions were justifiable, given the large number of failed attempts on President Castros life, choreographed by the CIA! Then on we worked together to ensure a successful state visit and stay for President Castro.

The Arrival of a Dictator

On the day of the visit, July 30th, 1998, during my morning briefing with the hotels management team (who were anxious), I finally announced the name of the VIP guest and details of the state visit. Our Resident Manager was Welsh, Director of Marketing was Chilean, Director of Finance was Guyanese, Training Manager was English and the rest were Jamaican. None of them liked dictators, but as professionals, I knew that my team will do their best during this two-day state visit.

An hour later, the Prime Minister of Jamaica accompanied President Castro to the Pegasus. The motorcade included many senior politicians, military, and police officers from both Cuba and Jamaica. Over 50 journalists awaited his arrival at the hotel lobby. Fidel Castro is one of the most handsome men I have ever met. I shook his hand and welcomed him to the Pegasus. He had a strong grip and looked me directly in the eyes while shaking my hand. As rehearsed, I took him near the elevator, and the Cuban secret police took over from there. To this date, I am unaware of the suite that President Castro used at the hotel I managed!

The rest of the day went as planned  smooth and uneventful, except that an anti-Cuban journalist provoked President Castro during a media briefing. I met him three more times that day. He left the hotel for a public lecture about the History of the Caribbean. He spoke without any notes, off-the-cuff for three straight hours! That evening, our hotel catered for a cocktail reception for over 1,000 invitees hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica at the Kings House, in honour of President Castro.

The Departure of a Hero

The next morning, I was standing at attention in the hotel lobby by the elevator reserved for the Cuban VIPs. When President Castro came down, I noticed that he was in a good mood. He was very friendly, and he surprised me by placing his arm around my shoulders while walking towards the entrance of the hotel. He told me: Thank you for excellent service and hospitality. He then wrote a quick comment on the hotels Golden Book and left for the airport with the Prime Minister of Jamaica in a large motorcade. I was happy, but surprised, by President Castros friendliness.

At that point, the Deputy Ambassador for Cuba spoke with me at the hotel entrance, and asked me: Mr. Chandi, can I meet you at your office?. I was worried, and asked him: Why? Did anything go wrong?. He said: No. President Castro was very impressed with the hotel and you, and he asked me to hand over a personal gift to you. I was shocked, as no other Head of State or Government that I had served has ever made such a gesture of goodwill. He came to my office with a large bag which contained two bottles of Grand Reserve Havana Club Rum, two boxes of Habanos Cigars, and a card. From that day onward, I became a Castro fan for life!
A 15-year-old boy was stabbed after a fight broke out on a London bus this afternoon.

Police were called to reports of an altercation on a bus in Haringey, north London, just before 6pm.

There officers found the teenager suffering from a stab injury and he was rushed to an east London hospital for treatment.

Police were called to reports of a fight on board a bus in Haringey, north London, this evening and found a 15-year-old boy suffering with a stab injury

The youngster's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Three males were arrested nearby on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

They have been taken to a north London police station where they remain in custody and enquiries continue.

Three males were arrested close by on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. Picture: Stock

Pictures from the scene show several emergency service vehicles surrounding the 259 bus heading for King's Cross station.

Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference Cad 5555/31Jan.

Or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Bihar's main opposition party



RJD is in talks with the Trinamool Congress to fight the upcoming West Bengal together, a senior RJD leader said on Sunday.

RJD principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui and national general secretary Shyam Rajak are in Kolkata to hammer a tie-up with Mamata Banerjee's party for the Bengal polls.

"We will be meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday to fight Bengal together," Rajak told PTI.

Siddiqui and Rajak are meeting party leaders in the state ahead of the discussions with Banerjee.

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said over the phone from Patna that the party is exploring the possibility of contesting some seats on the Bengal-Bihar border.

He, however, did not give any numbers on which the party is planning to fight the state elections, likely in April-May.

Banerjee has a cordial relation with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and the party wishes to strengthen her hands in the Bengal polls, Tiwary said.

The primary objective of the RJD is to stop the "communal" BJP from increasing its influence in West Bengal and strengthen the secular forces under the leadership of the TMC chief, he added.

Though not a noticeable player in Bengal politics, the RJD, which emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded Bihar polls and enjoys considerable support among the Muslims besides the Yadavs, is eyeing a few seats on the inter-state border that have a sizeable number of Hindi- speaking voters.

RJD had an MLA in the Bengal assembly between 2006 and 2011 during the Left Front rule.

(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.)
Syracuse, N.Y.  Being incarcerated, it turns out, doesnt disqualify you from receiving a coronavirus stimulus check. You just have to know how to claim it.

Nothing in the two stimulus packages Congress approved last year bars prisoners from receiving stimulus payments, which for most people amounted to $1,200 for the first payment and $600 for the second one.

That did not stop the IRS in June from trying to deny the first stimulus payments to people behind bars. But a federal judge in October ruled the agency had no authority to deny prisoners the payments.

The same holds true for the second stimulus payments, which the IRS began issuing in early January 2021.

Individuals will not be denied Economic Impact Payments solely because they are incarcerated, the IRS says on its website. An incarcerated individual may be issued a payment if all eligibility requirements are met and the individual filed a 2019 tax return that was processed by the IRS.

Prisoners who are eligible for either of the payments but did not receive them may claim them under the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit on line 30 of Form 1040 on their 2020 tax return (the one thats due April 15, 2021). Line 30 includes a worksheet for calculating how much of the stimulus payments a person is eligible for.

Read more:

2nd stimulus check: Will I have to pay income taxes on it?

Stimulus checks: If you missed out, get a 2nd chance via your income taxes (heres how)

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
Algeria on Saturday started the COVID-19 inoculation drive in the country with Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine, which is a two-dose regimen administered 21 days apart. Algeria launched its vaccination programme from the town of Blida, where the country's first case of COVID-19 was detected back in March 2020. A 65-year-old man became the first person in Algeria to receive the COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Read: Algeria Leader Back To Germany For COVID-19-linked Treatment

The vaccines reached Algeria on Friday. However, it remains unclear how many doses have arrived in the first batch of shipment. Though, the Algerian government had earlier said that it ordered 5,00,000 doses of Sputnik-V vaccine for the first batch. During the first phase of the vaccination programme, Algeria has prioritised health care workers, the elderly and other vulnerable groups. The vaccination will be administered across the country from Sunday onwards.

Read: 'On Road To Recovery': Algeria President Makes First TV Appearance Since Contracting COVID

According to reports, the Algerian government is also in talks with British firm AstraZeneca for additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Algerian Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid said that all measures have been taken for safe and secure COVID-19 inoculation drive in the country. Algeria's western neighbour Morocco began a vaccination programme on Friday. Algeria is one of the few countries in Africa to start COVID vaccinations.

Read: President Returns To Algeria, Reports Recovery From COVID-19

COVID-19 in Algeria

The country of 43 million has reported over 1,00,000 COVID-19 cases so far, of which more than 2,800 people have lost their lives. Algeria has passed its COVID-19 peak from reporting a daily average of over 1,000 new infections in November to now at 250 cases. The mortality rate in the country has also declined significantly, reporting deaths in single-digit for the past 30 days. The capital Algiers province remains the worst affected region in the country followed by Blida province, where the vaccination programme commenced on Saturday.

Read: Mystery Over Absence Of Algeria Leader Treated For COVID-19

(Image Credit: AP)




Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Kim Jung-ju, the billionaire behind Nexon Co., is having a turbulent month.Shares of the Tokyo-listed gaming company have plunged 21% since it forecast a decline in profit on May 12, suggesting its strong performance when the pandemic kept people indoors wont be sustained as some countries reopen.Thats erased about $1.9 billion from the South Korean entrepreneurs net worth, reducing his fortune to $8.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.On top of that, Kims diversification away from gaming into areas including cryptocurrency is facing obstacles. Bitcoin has dropped almost 38% since it rose to a record in April, a stark example of the swings in the prices of virtual coins that have left some mainstream investors skeptical.Kim, 53, has been an avid supporter of digital currencies, and has been acquiring cryptocurrency exchanges in recent years. Nexon also bought $100 million worth of Bitcoin last month.It was bound to come down, Matthew Kanterman, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said of Nexons earnings forecast. Last year was a high base and they are not going to replicate that, he said. On Bitcoin, corporations dont like buying stuff with too much volatility, he said, suggesting Nexon is unlikely to add to its purchase for now.Crypto InvestmentsEven before Nexon bought Bitcoin, Kims holding company NXC Corp., which owns almost half of Nexon, snapped up 65% of Korbit Inc., a crypto exchange in South Korea, in 2017.The following year, NXCs subsidiary in Europe acquired another cryptocurrency exchange: Luxembourg-based Bitstamp.Korbits book value plunged to about 3.1 billion won ($2.8 million) at the end of last year from about 96 billion won at the end of 2017, according to NXCs financial statements for 2017 and 2020. A spokesman for NXC said theres no plan to sell the exchanges that it bought.Kim was also keen to acquire Bithumb, one of South Koreas largest virtual currency exchanges, according to local media reports earlier this year. The NXC spokesman declined to comment.Kim declined to be interviewed for this story. Owen Mahoney, Nexons chief executive officer, wasnt available for comment.The company pointed to Mahoneys Medium post in April on the Bitcoin purchase. Nexon sees Bitcoin as a form of cash thats likely to retain its value, he said. The Bitcoin purchase represents less than 2% of the firms cash and equivalents.The technology underlying BTC and other cryptocurrencies is beginning to creep into many areas of day-to-day use, such as payments, digital collectibles and other areas that are increasingly relevant for companies like ours, Mahoney wrote.Embracing CryptoOther big names in the gaming industry have also embraced cryptocurrencies and related blockchain technologies.Kakao Games Corp., a subsidiary of South Koreas most popular mobile-messenger operator Kakao Corp., added to its holdings in blockchain technology company Way2Bit Co. last year, becoming the largest shareholder. Mobile game publisher Gamevil Inc. invested last month in crypto exchange Coinone Inc.As finance and payment systems are quite important in games, developers are thinking of ways to integrate blockchain technology to improve what they have now, said Lee Seung-hoon, an analyst at IBK Securities Co. in Seoul. Their investments are more like R&D efforts at this stage.Square Enix Holdings Co., the Japanese publisher of popular role-playing games such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, was among the investors that injected $2 million in cash and cryptocurrency into Ethereum-based game developer TSB Gaming Ltd. in 2019.Significant PresenceGames using blockchain are no longer in their infancy and are gradually coming to represent a more significant presence, Yosuke Matsuda, the Japanese firms president, said in a New Years letter last year.Kim founded Nexon in South Korea in 1994 after majoring in computer science and engineering at Seoul National University. In 2011, Nexon listed in Japan.Two years ago, he considered selling his stake in the company, held through NXC, triggering discussions with major players including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Hillhouse Capital. He scrapped the plan when he couldnt find a suitable buyer, according to local media reports.Nexon, famous for hit titles such as MapleStory and KartRider, posted net income attributable to its parents owners of 69.7 billion yen ($639 million) in the first six months of 2020 as lockdowns forced people to spend more time at home. For the same period this year, it forecast a range from 55 billion yen to 58.3 billion yen. The high end of the range would represent a 16% drop from last year.Kim said in a rare interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo in 2012 that worrying about keeping up with new technological trends can even disrupt his sleep.In order to survive, I have to accept new things, Kim 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.

Spains minority Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government has passed a bailout handing billions of euros to the banks and corporations thanks to support from the fascist Vox party. The vote sharply exposes the class policy that is pursued. While Vox and Podemos are routinely presented as different anti-system populistsone right and another, supposedly, leftboth are in the service of the financial aristocracy.

On Thursday, the PSOE-Podemos submitted the Royal Decree for the Modernization of the Public Administration and for the Execution of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan in parliament. The law had already been approved in November, with barely any press comment, let alone public debate. However, it required ratification by parliament.

As the WSWS noted in November, the law specified how 140 billion in EU bailout funds will be funnelled to banks and corporations. Large companies from Spains main stock exchange, Ibex-35, such as Endesa, Iberdrola, Ferrovial and Inditex, are already drafting plans to receive billions.

Podemos party leader Pablo Iglesias (Wikimedia Commons)

The reactionary character of the law is clear. Tens of millions of workers and small business owners have only received meagre COVID-19 furlough schemes, if any at all, but billions of euros are to be handed over to the financial aristocracy. It also exposes the lie that there is no money for a scientifically guided shelter-at-home policy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and thus save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Europe.

On Thursday, however, the PSOE-Podemos governments law faced defeat. There were 177 votes against and 173 in favour, after the separatist Catalan Republican Left (ERC) changed its vote. Bucking its consistent support over the past two years for the PSOE-Podemos government, even when it sent ERC leaders to jail on trumped-up charges of sedition and rebellion, the ERC decided to vote against the law. The ERC feared that if it supported the government, its own vote would collapse in the upcoming February 14 Catalan regional elections.

El Pais wrote: The government, which has spent the last hour anguishing over the prospect Congress will overturn the most important decree, that of the management of European funds, the same one that has brought down the Executive in neighbouring Italy, believes it has one last unexpected trump card. The trump card was the fascist Vox party.

After Vox abstained in the vote to allow the EU bailout to pass, Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo thanked the party: The governments gratitude to all those who protected Spaniards and have understood the message. Today parties had to show if they were up to the problems that Spain faces. There will be few times when politics must be so sincere. I thank you in advance.

This cynical language notwithstanding, the law represents a historic assault on the working class. It is the main mechanism through which the financial aristocracy will enrich itself in the coming years. It will be paid with pension and labour reforms, wage slashes and cuts in health care and education spending, and above all, by continued herd immunity policies condemning hundreds of thousands of people across Europe to dieall with the support of Podemos and the trade unions.

The PSOE-Podemos governments herd immunity policy has already cost the lives of over 80,000 people and infected over 2.6 million. The government will continue to claim that in order to save the economy, shelter-at-home policies must be rejected. This comes just weeks after Voxs demand for no shelter-at-home was immediately responded to by the PSOE-Podemos government with insistence that these were not on the agenda.

The vote exposes that the EU bailout policy, as well as the health and financial policies of the PSOE-Podemos government, enjoys the full support of the fascists. It tears to shreds the anti-fascist pretensions of Podemos.

In May, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias called Vox anti-democratic. He said Vox defended the interests of those who have no country other than money and who will never defend the general interest. Iglesias said, You are not on the side of the Spanish families, you are not patriots, you are on the side of vultures and speculators. You are not a Spanish party but a party of false architects and shameless people who sign irregular projects to enrich themselves with real estate speculation while working to criminalize poor families.

Podemos stands, however, in the same trench with the vultures and speculators. Vox works to drive the political agenda to the right, rehabilitate the bloodstained 19391978 Spanish fascist regime led by Francisco Franco, and promote anti-immigrant hatreds in order to divide workers and attack democratic rights. Its program is to install a neo-fascist dictatorship. In this they are aided by Podemos, which provides cover for the implementation of a policy agenda that enjoys the support of the fascists.

The vote also exposed the character of the advanced fascistic coup plans Vox and sections of the army have been plotting over the past year. As the WSWS has noted, while ostensibly targeting the PSOE-Podemos government, which has tried to lull workers to sleep by denying the mounting evidence that officers are plotting a coup, the coup is in fact aimed at working class opposition.

The bailout mechanism is a fundamental part of the political economy of ruling elites murderous herd immunity policy. The enrichment of the ruling class can only be continue if workers are sent to work and children to school amid a pandemic. Vox abstained precisely so that it can pin blame for this reactionary policy on Podemos and continue to posture as an anti-system populist party, even as it supports handing hundreds of billions to the super-rich at the expense of tens of thousands of workers lives.

Some of Voxs supporterslike the far-right web site OkDiario s director, Eduardo Indaclaim this was a historical and tactical error that will take a tremendous toll [on Vox], and a betrayal of Spaniards. For these sections, Vox has missed a golden opportunity to bring down the government and further its coup plans.

The faction of Vox that prevailed in the vote, however, decided to bid its time. Since Podemos, on the most fundamental issues, is implementing policies it supports, it could afford to wait. It manifestly calculates that will be able to profit further from growing working class anger at the bailout, austerity and herd immunity policies implemented by Podemos, inciting nationalism and strengthening its position before a coup to impose a military regime is attempted.

This vote has thus exposed Podemos as a tool of the fascistic policies of the ruling classas are the various bankrupt nationalist and separatist parties. The Basque separatist party Bildu, with its six lawmakers, were essential for the approval of the law. Bildu, formerly the Batasuna party, was the political wing of the armed group ETA which waged a six-decade armed struggle to carve out a capitalist mini-state in the economically rich Basque Country.

Until their dissolution in 2018, Bildu (Batasuna) and ETA were promoted by many pseudo-left groups like the Pabloite Anticapitalistas as part of a radical left struggle against the Spanish state. Since ETA ended its armed struggle, however, the Basque nationalists have rapidly integrated themselves into the state apparatus, both in the Basque Country and, increasingly, in Madrid.

The WSWS noted on Bildu in 2018: For these aspiring upper-middle-class layers, ETA has been an obstacle to their further progress. Its dissolution opens the door to participating more fully in the exploitation of the regions working class. Its leader, Arnaldi Otegi, relished a new situation which opens many windows of opportunity. Nearly three years later, amid the deepest economic and political crisis since the end of the Franco regime in 1978, Bildu is helping implement herd immunity against the Basque and Spanish people.
The ripples of farmers' protest against the new agri laws on Delhi's borders spread further in western Uttar Pradesh with thousands of people converging for a 'mahapanchayat' on Sunday in Baghpat, the third such congregation in the region in as many days.

The 'sarv khap mahapanchayat' took place at the Tehsil ground here with farmers pouring in from nearby districts as well in tractor-trollies, many of which are decked up with music systems, the tricolor and farmer unions' flags.

This is the third 'mahapanchayat' of farmers in the region after a massive congregation in Muzaffarnagar on Friday and in Mathura on Saturday, both resolving to support the ongoing BKU-led protest at the Ghazipur border against the three new farm laws.

BKU leader Rajendra Chaudhary told the crowd, the movement has to be continued with full strength.

The 'mahapanchayat' is also deliberating on the January 26 police action against farmers protesting in Baghpat district against the new central farm laws, a local Baraut resident, who is attending the event, told PTI.

Chaudhary Surendra Singh of the Desh Khap and Chaudhary Subhash Singh of the Chaubisi Khap are among key regional farmer leaders attending Sunday's 'sarv khap mahapanchayat', where supporters of Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) were also present.

A khap is a traditional social council representing a community or a region in parts of north India with a Chaudhary as its titular head.

"Beshak Dilli mein police walon ne kisano ko dande maare hon, par hum aaj bhi bolte hain 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' (No doubt policemen hit farmers with batons in Delhi, but we are nevertheless saying: hail soldiers, hail farmers), a local leader told the crowd from the stage.

Whatever happens, we will respond with non-violence and not violence. Our leaders at protest sites and our panch (leaders of the panchayat) will make decisions and we all will follow them, he added.

The two-month-long protest against the farm laws appeared to be losing steam after widespread violence during a tractor parade by farmers on the Republic Day, but an emotional appeal by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait gave it a fresh lease of life with thousands of farmers gathering at the Gazipur protest site and the 'mahapanchayats' from western UP extending support to the stir.

The farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of UP, have been protesting at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Drug company Cutis Biotech had moved court against Serum Institute of India's use of the trademark 'Covishield'. However the civil court in Pune rejected the plea, said Serum's lawyers in a note to the media.

Maharashtra-based Cutis Biotech filed a suit in civil court seeking to restrain Serum Institute of India, helmed by Adar Poonawalla, from using the trademark 'Covishield' or other similar names for its coronavirus vaccine. The company that makes pharmaceutical products said that it has been using the brand name Covishield much before Serum Institute did.

Serum in its reply stated that both the companies operate in different product categories and there is no scope for confusion over the trademark. Subsequently, the court rejected the injunction application filed by Curtis Biotech against Serum Institute.

Hitesh Jain, managing partner at Parinam law Associates that represented Serum Institute said, "Judge AV Rote has rejected the application which had sought a perpetual injunction against Serum Institute of India for purposes of restraining it from using the trademark Covishield or any other mark which is confusingly similar with the trademark Covishield in respect of the goods which are same, similar, dissimilar with the goods of the plaintiff."

The lawyers said that the court observed that Cutis Biotech did not approach the court with clean hands and suppressed material facts.

Cutis Biotech has decided to appeal in the high court. Aditya Soni, lawyer of Cutis-Biotech said that copy was not yet available but the operative order was read out in court. "We will file an appeal against the order in the high court," said Soni as mentioned in PTI.

Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin have been cleared for use last month. The vaccination drive started off with inoculation of healthcare workers. Frontline workers too would be administered shots from February. Serum Institute if also aiming to launch Novavax's Covovax by June.

Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Dr Reddy's aims to roll out Russia's Sputnik V in India in March

Also read: Third coronavirus vaccine in India? Adar Poonawalla hopes to launch COVOVAX by June
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Operatives from the Anti-kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit of the police in Edo State have arrested six suspected bank hackers who stole N5 million from a victims account.

The suspects, identified as David Ogunowo, Abiodun Adesina, Yusuf Ademola, Balogun Hakeem, Adetono Lukeman, and Adesola Kayode, were arrested on Friday.

They were said to have withdrawn the money through a Point of Sale (POS) operator in Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State after the victims phone was stolen during a robbery operation in October in Benin City.

The SIM card in the phone was reportedly sold to the hackers who in turn broke into the account and successfully transfered money.

The police trailed the suspects to Lagos and Ogun States where they were arrested and brought back to Benin City for further interrogation, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

One of the investigating police officers, who did not want his name mention in the story because he was not authorised to speak on the incident, said some suspected robbers broke into a house along Aiguobasimwin Street in Benin City at about 2a.m., carted away cash, mobile phones, and other personal items.

The officer said the robbery was reported to the police and investigation revealed the stolen phones were sold to some suspected bank hackers in Lagos.

The suspects have so far withdrawn millions of naira from the victims bank accounts, police investigation revealed.

The bank account was successfully opened in Lagos. They then went to Ijebu Ode in Ogun state where they bought a fresh bank account from a 28-year-old man for the sum of N30, 000.

The sum of N1.5 million was first transferred into the account and withdrawn in Ijebu Ode in a Point of Sales (POS) shop. Another N3.5 million was later sent into the account of a POS operator who then collected his commission and gave them the cash, the police officer disclosed.

One of the suspects, Adesola Kayode, was said to have confessed to the police: We buy stolen SIM cards from armed robbers and thieves. We normally assess the ones that have money in their bank accounts and remove the money.

The police spokesperson in Edo State, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the suspected hackers would be investigated and charged to court soon.
Israeli Ambassador Ron Malka on January 30 thanked India for its heartwarming support after Friday's terrorist attack outside the Israeli embassy in New Delhi as the two nations celebrated 29 jubilant years of diplomatic ties. Our genuine friendship will continue to thrive, the ambassador of Israel to India said in a tweet. He thanked friends abroad for their support in the aftermath of the tragic event.

The Indian authorities, meanwhile, have ramped up the investigations against Iranian nationals after retrieving a note that claimed the responsibility for the IED explosion. The content raised suspicions against Irans alleged involvement, as it cited the assassination of the architect of Irans nuclear program Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and Iranian military officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in the US commanded drone strike. The note addressed the Iranian officials as martyrs.

Implying that the explosion was Just a trailer, the unidentified perpetrators of the crime in a letter warned: We can end your life, anytime, anywhere". They added that the blast was intended to harm the Indian government and not Israel, according to a second claim that surfaced on messaging app Telegram by an unknown group, the Indian Police informed news broadcasting networks. Israeli spy agency Mossad, along with Indias National Intelligence Agency (NIA), launched a probe into the blast that occurred after an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated some miles from Vijay Chowk.

Read: 'Some Nations Might Be Threatened By Bilateral Ties': Israel Envoy Dr Ron Malka On Blast

Read: Delhi Blast: Israel Envoy Dr Ron Malka Assures Bilateral Ties With India Remain Undeterred

We are grateful  for the heartwarming support we've received from our friends in India, Israel  & across the world regarding Friday's terrorist attack while celebrating 29th anniversary of diplomatic relations between &. Our genuine friendship will continue to thrive! pic.twitter.com/YEiUFDR7pY  Ron Malka  (@DrRonMalka) January 31, 2021

Nations 'feel threatened'

Ahead of the deadly blast, VVIPS, including Indias President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congregated at the Israeli embassy for the Indian militarys Beating Retreat ceremony to commemorate the Israeli-Indian warm bilateral relations. Indian law enforcement, in a statement to the news agencies, claimed that the explosion was a 'terror attack, citing the evidence from the blast scene. No casualties were reported.

In a live-streamed program, the Israeli broadcasters, including Channel 13 speculated Iranian involvement behind the attack. Israeli media called the bomb blast work of sophisticated terror cell and a very primitive one, condemning the Islamic Republic. In an exclusive televised interview with Republic Media Network, Israeli envoy Malka told Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami that some nations or non-state organisations feel threatened by the India-Israel bilateral ties, laying suspicion on its archfoe's involvement. Furthermore, he alleged, that the 'said nation' attempted to destabilise ties by planting threats in the region where two countries share strong positive values.

Read: 'India-Israel Ties Targeted, Both Sides Investigating': Envoy Dr Ron Malka On Delhi Blast

Read: Israel's Ambassador To India Ron Malka Visits Tech City
DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that India must have strong bases in areas close to borders in the Northeast States.

While addressing the Asia Pacfic Youth Exchange (APYE) meet, The minister said that if India has to successfully engage with the countries across the eastern borders then it must have strong bases in the areas proximal to eastern borders which comprise the Northeast States. He further added, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the vision of Act East, thus imparting a new push to our approach and focus to our relations with neighbouring countries through Act East policy."

Jitendra Singh was addressing APYE meet along with the Vice President of the Republic of Philippines, Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo and the Chief Minister of Mizoram Zoramthanga. He further asserted, In the times to come sustainable development goals (SDG) will be our guide for integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions of development."

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is seen prior to the 59th Presidential Inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images)

Sen. Sanders: Democrats Have the Votes to Pass New Relief Bill

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Democrats now have the votes to pass another COVID-19 relief measure that could include stimulus checks.

Yes, I believe that we do because its hard for me to imagine any Democrat, no matter what state he or she may come from, who doesnt understand the need to go forward right now in an aggressive way to protect the working families of this country, Sanders said after he was asked by an ABC News reporter about whether Democrats in the Senate have enough votes.

It came amid bipartisan pushback against passing the $1.9 trillion bill that was initially championed by President Joe Biden.

Look, all of us will have differences of opinion. This is a $1.9 trillion bill. I have differences and concerns about this bill, Sanders said. But at the end of the day, were going to support the President of the United States, and were going to come forward, and were going to do what the American people overwhelmingly want us to do. The polling is overwhelming. Republicans, Democrats, independents, the Vermont senator added.

There have been concerns by GOP senators that Democrats will attempt to use tactics to keep them out of the loop.

Look, the American people really couldnt care less about budget process, whether its regular order, bipartisanship, whether its filibuster, whether its reconciliation, Biden economic adviser Jared Bernstein told Fox News Sunday, adding that Americans need relief and they need it now.

On Sunday, and in a letter to Biden, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and seven other Republicans in the upper chamber said they would unveil on Monday their proposed legislation to address the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus crisis.

Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support, the Republican group wrote in the letter, whose signatories also included Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who has announced he will not seek re-election in 2022. In their letter, the group said they wished to work in good faith with the new administration.

They did not give an overall cost for the compromised bill, but said money from previous COVID-19 relief bill passed last year remained unspent.

Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, told CNNs State of the Union program that the White House had seen the letter and would review it.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Use Signal

On 11 January 2021, two words accidentally earned a tiny firm 527% profit in shares over night.

When South African tech-guru and multi-billionaire Elon Musk tweeted Use Signal, investors worldwide rushed to buy stocks in Signal Advance. Although the company was literally unknown in the financial arena prior that moment, the intensity of demand drove prices through the roof.

Elon Musk was referring to Signal, an encrypted messaging app striving to be an alternative to Facebook messenger and WhatsApp. However, it was Signal Advance, a small medical device company that ended up in the trading spotlight.

Blind Faith

While news headlines focused on the hilarious but colossal benefits from the publics misinterpretation, what caught my eye was the publics response. Its obvious that none of the investors scrambling for Signal Advance stocks did their homework. Everyone literally put their money where Elon Mucks mouth was. They forked out millions of dollars, putting their financial security on the line in blind faith by taking Musk at (what they assumed was) his word. The immediate, unquestioned and intense response to Elon Musks position caused me to compare it to the response Gods people have to His word.

Lack of Trust

It's obvious why people are quick to follow Elon Musks lead when it comes to investments. His tremendous and sustained success has earned him global respect for his financial know-how. We trust that whatever stock he has his eye on is a winner on the market.

In the same way, and for the same reason, authority should be based on trust. But unfortunately, we do not trust most authority figures (especially political ones). People my age and younger dont even like the concept of authority.

Baby with the Bathwater

Part of this rejection of authority is due to our inbred rebellion and iniquity as human beings. However, it is also partially in response to witnessing and suffering under perverse and damaging abuse of authority in different spheres of our lives. We therefore associate submission to authority with exposing ourselves to abuse, whether its family relationships, professional networks or church leadership.

Instead of rejecting the selfishness, pride and manipulation that pervert authority, we reject the notion of authority in its entirety and throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Wider Perspective

We tend to exclusively see authority as only pertaining to people who outrank us in certain respects (e.g. boss at work, pastor at church, husband in church). But there are other elements of authority that, when considered, will subsequently widen our perspective on how it is manifested in spheres of our lives.

Authority begins with God and comes from God (Romans chapter 13 verse 1) since no one can be in a position of authority unless He allows it. To take that point further, God directs and allows people to hold positions in our lives, not just positions of authority. Ultimately, submitting to authority is accepting the role that God has designated people to play in our lives, and aligning our attitudes and actions towards those people with Gods will.

Hard Science, Soft Hearts

We dont question who our biological parents are. Irrespective of how much we like them, how well they treat us or how often we interact with them, we do not contest that they are our parents. And as Christians, we should honour them just because of their position in our lives, not their performance.

In the same way we accept and submit to the role our parents play in our lives based on biology, we should submit to the roles God has ordained others to play our lives. This is with respect to the nature and duration of each relationship, e.g. who God has assigned someone to be our friend or co-worker or pastor, as well as how long that relationship should last.

To submit to Gods authority over our relationships, we need to know which relationships He has actually ordained. The confidence we have in hard science to inform us of our biological parents should be the same confidence we have in Gods direction over other roles people play in our lives (professional, spiritual, emotional etc). That requires the skill recognise Gods voice and soft hearts to receive His word.

Trust Funds

Its one thing to hear and know what to do; its another to obey it, especially when it is costly. The only way we can obey God is to trust God (Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6).

Trust Gods power over our financial security when our boss undermines us.

Trust Gods wisdom when He instructs us to leave in a comfortable and convenient church.

Trust Gods compassion to change hearts (whether ours or others) when we confront painful and intractable issues with our family members.

Even when we lose comforts, pleasures and fleeting moments of happiness, we can rest assured in Gods authority to powerfully, wisely and compassionately make all things work for our good (Romans chapter 8 verse 28). Exceedingly and abundantly beyond Elon Musk, Gods track record is impressive and impeccable. He deserves and demands our trust.

Trust funds obedience. Trust is the capital that we invest in God, and it always has returns according to His good, perfect and pleasing will (Romans chapter 12 verse 2).

Washington: Former President Donald Trumps fundraising committee, formed after he lost the November election to Democrat Joe Biden, raised $US30.9 million ($40.45 million) in the final weeks of 2020, according to a disclosure filed on Sunday.

Former President Donald Trump looks out his window as his motorcade drives through West Palm Beach, Florida. Credit:AP

Trumps disclosure filing with the Federal Election Commission showed that Save America, a Trump leadership PAC, or political action committee, ended the year with just over $US31 million in cash.

The size of the haul - taken in from November 24 to December 31 - gives a measure of Trumps power to influence Republican politics even out of office.

The revelation comes as Republicans face a week of reckoning ahead of Trumps second impeachment trial as the ex-president contends with a Tuesday deadline to respond to the charges and his party mulls whether to depose Liz Cheney as one of its House of Representatives leaders for backing impeachment.
Twenty-one firefighters were hospitalized after fighting a four-alarm fire in building in New York Saturday morning.

The fire broke out at a six-story building in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood at about 7.30am Saturday.

According to the FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Christopher Bilz, when the first FDNY units arrived within four minutes of receiving the call, the fire was considered 'advanced' on the first floor of the building.

FDNY firefighters are seen working to control a four-alarm blaze at an apartment building in NYC Saturday morning in freezing temperatures

'The fire quickly extended to all floors all the way up to the top floor,' Bilz said in the statement, posted on the FDNY's Instagram page.

Video from the fire showed flames as they burst out from the windows of the building which has 39 units in it.

The FDNY said that 200 fire and EMS personnel - 39 units - arrived at the scene to battle the four-alarm fire and get it under control around 10.10am.

There were no civilian injuries, but 21 firefighters were injured, the New York Post reported.

Four firefighters were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and 17 others were taken to other hospitals with minor injuries.

The fire was said to have started in an empty apartment on the first floor of the building.

About 200 firefighters and EMS workers responded to the fire, which started at about 7.30am

The fire started on the first floor and quickly moved up all six floors of the building Saturday

Samiya Robinson, 21, who lived in the third floor of the building told the New York Daily News she heard someone yelling 'Fire!' and thought there was a fire in another building, but when she opened her door, she saw smoke in the hallway.

She and her family, as well as her 88-year-old grandmother who lived on the first floor of the building, were able to escape to safety.

Once outside, Robinson said, she saw the first-floor apartment where the fire started was 'just in flames' and noted that 'the fire just destroyed everything in that apartment.'

The building - a Housing Development Fund Corp. co-op run by the city Housing Preservation and Development Department - was in the process of gearing up for a massive renovation when the fire occurred.

Only five families were still living in the building, which was built in 1903, at the time.

'We were supposed to be the last ones they relocated before they renovated,' resident Tawana Deaver, 45, told the newspaper. 'We should have been relocated by now and we wouldnt have been in there for this.'

Tenants were allowed to go back into the building to quickly grab belongings, but were warned that the building was 'a bit unstable.'

'Its just a really old building, thats why the fire went so bad,' Robinson said.

The FDNY posted this picture of the building after the fire. Only a handful of families were living in the building when it went up in flames, as it was in the process of being renovated

The FDNY is still investigating what caused the fire to start.

'In these types of buildings, due to the construction, fire often does travel in the walls, through the floor, and sometimes it will what we call auto-expose with the fire coming out the windows and going into the windows above,' FDNY Chief of Fire Operations Thomas Richardson said.

A source told the New York Daily News that construction in the building may have created openings that allowed the fire spread faster through the walls.

In a statement obtained by CBS New York, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development spokesperson Jeremy House said: 'We will continue to do everything possible to help the families impacted by this unfortunate event. HPD is facilitating emergency shelter and will support residents until the necessary repairs are made for the tenants to return home.'

FDNY firefighters also responded to a three-alarm fire in Queens Saturday. In that fire, a person was found on the second floor of the building and taken to a local hospital in serious, but stable condition, the FDNY said.

Later in the day, the FDNY Fire Marshals said that the Queens fire had been accidental and started by a space heater.
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

In 1943, a child was left on the steps of a church in West Falls Church, Va. Taken in by nuns, she was raised with little knowledge of the outside world.

She had to perform chores like scrubbing the convents statues. When she was 12, she tried running away with two girls but was caught. At 14 she became a ward of the State of New York and lived with seven foster families over two years. In one home she befriended a collie named Sheila. The dog remained one of her few fond childhood memories.

When she turned 16, Debbie Hennessy was finally released into society as an independent young woman, and she wasted no time in taking hold of her life. Perhaps because of the adversity she had faced growing up, she was drawn to social work and community service.
The last shots were given at about 3.45am, out on the street, with literally no time to spare.

All night, staff and volunteers with Seattle's Swedish Health Services had been rushing to administer hundreds of doses of the coronavirus vaccine set to expire early in the morning after a freezer malfunction. Finally, they had only a few dozen shots left and about 15 minutes to get them into people's arms.

"We were literally like . . .who can get people here? People started texting and calling and we were just counting down," said Kevin Brooks, the chief operating officer of Swedish, who helped coordinate everything at their clinic at Seattle University. "Thirty-seven. Thirty-five. Thirty-three . . . People were showing up and running down the hall."

By the last shots, staff and volunteers were running out to the road on a cold night, at one point jabbing someone through the window of a car, Brooks said. One elderly woman in flip flops was photographed rolling up her sleeve on the sidewalk just as the clock ran out.

It was a familiar story: Faced with expiring vials, health-care workers distribute vaccine doses at top speed, sometimes to whomever they can find. These impromptu giveaways have been controversial at times, with both waste and out-of-turn vaccinations sparking anger. Officials are juggling strict plans meant to prioritize the most vulnerable with the urgency of inoculating as many people as possible as quickly as possible against a deadly virus.

In the end, none of the more than 1,600 soon-to-expire doses in Seattle were wasted, health officials said, after a colossal scramble that showcased both the enormous pressure on those immunizing millions of Americans and the hope these vaccine doses have brought. The rollout of shots nationwide has been plagued with bottlenecks, frustrations and disagreements over who should get protection first. But Thursday night and Friday morning were full of purpose and joy, with eager people lined up in pyjamas, frenzied activity and at one point a rendition of happy birthday.

Since the early days of the pandemic, Brooks said, "We're the front lines of this, and it was a long year. And now we're also shouldering the great blessing and burden of vaccinating the community."

"The term we use is, we're tired and we're inspired," he said. "And those two things are true at the same time."

The race began at around 9 p.m., as officials at Swedish and another group, UW Medicine, learned that a refrigeration issue had caused doses at Kaiser Permanente to thaw.

Jenny Brackett, an assistant administrator at UW Medicine, was winding down for the night at home when the news came in. She said she had just been reading about another group that scrambled to use expiring vaccine doses a couple of days earlier. Stranded on a shut-down highway with little time to waste, Oregon health care workers started giving shots to other drivers in the middle of a snowstorm.

"When I got the call they're like, 'it's kind of like our snow moment,'" Brackett said.

"I knew we could get the vaccinators there," she said. "So I had every faith in that element. I knew that our nursing team would come through." Brackett was ready to go at the hospital by about 10 p.m., she said, and their vaccine doses arrived about an hour later.

"I was a little bit like, how we're going to get 800 people to show up at, you know, at 10 or 11 o'clock at night?" she said. "But that proved to be no problem at all, because, you know, word kind of spread like wildfire."

Officials say they tried their best to give the shots to people who were slated for early vaccination. That meant high-risk health-care workers and first responders, residents and staff at nursing homes, well as people 65 years or older, and people 50 years or older who live in multigenerational households.

"URGENT: We have 588 DOSE 1 MODERNA appointments available Jan. 28 11 p.m. to Jan. 29 2 a.m.," Swedish Hospital tweeted at 10:59 p.m. Pacific time with a link to book slots, limiting sign-ups to those in high-priority groups already cleared to receive the vaccine.

At UW Medical Center-Northwest, people like Brackett called out for people 65 and over, walking up and down a queue of hundreds that snaked through hallways and then spilled outside.

"I was a little worried that the line maybe would not be too thrilled," she said. "You know, that I am letting others go first. But that wasn't the response I had at all. Actually, the crowd kind of cheered."

And across sites, officials and employees said, workers were calling up union leaders, police and firefighters, even their local grocery stores in an effort to target doses - if they couldn't go to the current vaccination tiers, then at least they could alert the people next in line.

In the end, plenty of shots went to the general public. "The overarching rule was don't waste any," said Cassie Sauer, the president of the Washington State Hospital Association, who says she texted updates to the governor's office and public health officials throughout the night.

For some observers, the overnight success in Seattle seemed like proof that the country's immunization process could move faster. "Idea: vaccinate with this level of urgency all the time," one journalist tweeted.

Sauer said it's not that simple, though - right now, at least.

"My dad is 80 and has Parkinson's disease and he's got some mobility issues," she said. "He can't go stand in line for hours, waiting for a vaccine. He needs an appointment."

"I think it works as a one-time kind of emergency thing, and it might work when we get to the place where we really are doing sort of general public vaccines," she added. "But at this moment . . . I think we need to think strategically about equity as well."

Esmy Jimenez, a 27-year-old reporter, was out covering the scramble Thursday night but also managed to get a shot. Toward the end, she was calling up her best friend, her old roommate and fellow journalists as staff said their last doses were about to expire.

"Get in your car right now," she ordered.

Carolyn Grant, a longtime nurse leader with UW Medicine, came out to volunteer with the rapid vaccinations. She'd come of out of retirement last March for several months to help with drive-through testing sites, "watching the numbers all across the country every single day."

Thursday night, she was thrilled to see so many people flocking to the vaccine that others around the United States - still sceptical - were turning down.

At 64-and-a-half years old, Grant just missed the cut for the latest tier of immunizations. By 1 a.m., though, she said, the line had dwindled and she got her shot.
Secondary school pupils could be sent home testing kits before they return to the classroom under new plans being drawn up by the Government.

Students may have to test themselves for coronavirus using lateral flow tests as ministers at the Department for Education prepare detailed plans for a phased return to the classroom, The Telegraph reports.

It comes a month after questions were raised about the reliability of the tests following an article in the British Medical Journal which claimed the tests were not sensitive enough and not good at detecting the virus in people without symptoms.

Last year the Government asked schools to prepare their buildings for on-site mass testing but headteachers and union members were quick to call the proposals 'inoperable'.

Secondary school pupils could be sent lateral flow tests which would enable them to test themselves for coronavirus. (Stock image)

Speaking at the time, director of Schools North East Chris Zarraga told The Northern Echo: 'Our school staff are exhausted after the longest and most difficult year on record and desperately need the time to recharge and rest before the spring term begins.

'However, this announcement means that substantial planning and preparation will need to be done over the holiday period before term starts in January.

'Furthermore, the burden of testing cannot fall on school staff or on a non-existent ''volunteer army''.

However plans to turn schools into mass testing centres could now be ditched by ministers in favour of the self-administered tests.

A source told The Telegraph: 'On the one hand, the Government wants everyone back at school, but what if a headteacher of a secondary school of 2,000 pupils says 'no way' to setting up lateral flow tests on site?'

Lateral flow tests, which give results in as little as 15 minutes, use swabs of the nose or throat.

Samples are then mixed in a testing liquid and put into a plastic cassette which can detect the presence or absence of coronavirus and then produce an image of a line.

Experts recommend a trained nurse or professional carries out the insertion of the swab to get to the necessary spot, which can be extremely uncomfortable.

In December, a study in the British Medical Journal warned the rapid test kits were not as effective as others.

It comes as ministers at the Department for Education prepare detailed plans for a phased return to the classroom. (Stock image)

The findings of a pilot of 3,199 people at the University of Liverpool found that the lateral flow tests, produced by US-based Innova, only picked up 48.89 per cent of active infections.

It contradicted earlier lab tests, which found the test had an overall sensitivity of 76.8 per cent, rising to 95 per cent in individuals with a high viral load.

It said the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was more accurate and gained better detection results.

The BMJ report said: 'The Innova Lateral Flow SARS-CoV-2 antigen test failed to detect three in 10 cases with the highest viral loads, in preliminary data released from the field evaluation of testing in asymptomatic people.'

However Dr Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser for NHS Test and Trace, and Sage's Professor Calum Semple were among 14 senior figures who criticised the report's findings.

Dr Hopkins and others said the authors of the article, had 'prejudged' lateral flow tests, adding: 'They appear to have made up their minds that LFDs (lateral flow device) are dangerous and of no value and therefore should never be used.'

They claimed the article contained 'factual errors and makes several unsubstantiated allegations and assertions'.
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WASHINGTON  Vice President Kamala Harris will spend a lot of time in the 50-50 Senate, you hear nowadays, since shes constitutionally required to break tie votes. People say this with a sigh, as if the duty will be a drag and distraction. But theres no better thing for shaping a new era of bridge-building between the Biden White House and Capitol Hill.

Becoming president of the Senate presents an opportunity to be a critical player in re-inventing American democracy, battered in our time and breached in that very building, the Capitol.

Her fresh face and voice representing the White House in the Capitol could be invaluable to President Biden, who prizes the Senate above all. The divided body, which has a second impeachment trial of Donald Trump to weather this winter, could easily break apart and fail to advance Bidens urgent agenda on the pandemic and economy. Congressional majorities for Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal crisis programs were much more solid.

The reservoir of good will toward Joe is real on Capitol Hill, but he knows the old guard best.

From her perch and gavel, Harris can round up the younger generation of Democrats ready to inherit the mantle from the aging Democratic party leadership  the oldest in history. Shes a mere 56, compared to the oldest senator, 87-year-old Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Its no secret. The easy camaraderie of the Senate is mostly gone and lawmakers are hardly friends across the aisle any more. Bipartisanship is gone with the bison and the greatest legislator of his era, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. As a newcomer, Harris cut a crisp and cool figure on the floor, voting quickly and beating a businesslike retreat. Her lack of presence can be chalked up to the relentless partisan tone practiced by Senate Republican Leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

But in Harris new role, outreach is critical to warming up a dysfunctional body at loggerheads every day of the Trump presidency. Working with new Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Harris can energize and cohere a caucus exhausted from playing defense on major loss after loss. She went through those team losses, too, notably contesting Trump nominees to the Supreme Court. Her standout Judiciary Committee moments were in sternly questioning Attorney General nominee William Barr and Brett Kavanaugh, who barely cleared Senate approval to the high court, 50-48.

Still new herself to the clubby Senate as a freshman California lawmaker, Harris can get to know senators on both sides better, in keeping with Bidens famously personal touch and history as a senator, dating to the 1970s. And if she brings her charm, persuasion and personal story, that could make a difference to working relationships with the other side.

A freshman senator when he launched his bid for president, Barack Obama never tried to get to know its customs, history or rules. He was too busy on book tour, and didnt have time to talk with guardians of the institution, such as Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. Va., who opposed the Iraq War as fiercely as he loved the Roman Senate. That cool stance to the Senate hurt Obama later as president, in close legislative losses when he did not have personal bonds to build on. His gun control and immigration reform bills failed on the floor. He did not even engage with Mitch McConnell to stand by his Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, another shrug to the Senate.

Thats not Bidens way.

Harris and Obama are mold-breakers, of course, who may not have felt at home as junior senators of color in a chamber nicknamed The Plantation. The Senate has often been ruled by Southern white men, or bulls, since before the Civil War. So-called compromises on slavery always served to buttress the peculiar institution. McConnell is in that tradition. A portrait of Sen. John Calhoun, legal architect of slaves rights and secession, hangs prominently outside the floor. The hateful South Carolinian died before the Civil War fire broke out, but laid the logs and kindling for it. A Union man, Andrew Jackson said his only regret was not hanging Calhoun, his vice president.

Finally, its a short stroll to the House chamber, the fountain of ideas. Few senators take it. Harris will be in the same building with San Franciscos own House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She would be wise to visit and exchange strategy notes with the savvy speaker. In politics, people build trust and coalitions face to face. With a strong, open and collegial presence in the Capitol, Harris can be a history-breaking vice president.

Jamie Stiehm writes a Washington column on politics and history for Creators Syndicate.

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The Israeli occupation army said it killed a Palestinian who carried out an attempted knife attack Sunday in the Gush Etzion area of the occupied West Bank.

"A knife attack was reported at the Gush Etzion junction, south of Bethlehem," the army said in a statement. "The attacker was neutralised."

The attacker "is dead", the army told AFP, confirming that the military had killed the assailant.

Gush Etzion is a bloc of two dozen Israeli settlements and outposts near Bethlehem.

There is frequent friction at the nearby junction, which has been the site of numerous so-called lone wolf Palestinian attacks.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.

There are currently about 475,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank living in communities considered illegal by most of the international community, alongside some 2.8 million Palestinians.

All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are regarded as illegal by most of the international community.

Short link:


 Flash

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday discussed over phone the ongoing efforts to secure the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire, the Kremlin said.

The two sides welcomed the launch of the joint Russian-Turkish center "for monitoring the ceasefire and any military activities in the conflict zone," it said in a statement.

The presidents expressed hope that the center's efforts will contribute to the further stabilization of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and the proper observance of the agreement reached by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia and the prime minister of Armenia in November 2020.

"The two leaders also discussed some issues of Russian-Azerbaijani bilateral cooperation," it added.
Joe Biden is willing to meet with a group of 10 Republican senators proposing a counter package to his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, his senior adviser Cedric Richmond said Sunday.

'The president said in his inauguration speech that he wanted to work with both sides in order to help the American people,' Richmond, a former Louisiana representative, told 'NBC's 'Face the Nation' Sunday morning.

'What we know about President Biden is it's never about him, it's always about the people,' the White House senior adviser continued. 'So yes, he's very willing to meet with anyone to advance the agenda.'

The group of 10 Republicans, including moderate Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, sent a letter to Biden Sunday requesting a meeting to discuss a coronavirus relief package compromise they feel could gain swift support from both parties.

Their proposal has a price tag of $600 billion, less than three times what Biden and the Democrats are looking to get signed next month.

'In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,' the moderate Republicans wrote in a letter to the president.

But progressive Senator Bernie Sanders said that getting a relief deal passed fast is more important than having Republican support.

'We all want bipartisanship,' Sanders said during an interview on 'This Week' on Sunday morning.

White House Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond said Sunday morning that President Joe Biden is willing to meet with the 10 Republican senators proposing a $600 billion coroanvirus relief package as a counter to his $1.9 trillion bill

A group of 10 moderate Republicans, including Senator Mitt Romney, are requesting a meeting with President Joe Biden to propose a counter to his $1.9 trillion coroanvirus relief package

'Are we going to address the incredible set of crises and the pain and the anxiety which is in this country? You know what? I don't care what anybody says,' he continued when asked about Republicans' counter-offer. 'We have got to deal with this pandemic.'

'If Republicans want to work with us, they have better ideas on how to address those crises, that's great,' he said.

'But to be honest with you, I have not yet heard that.'

Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese told CNN's 'State of the Union' earlier on Sunday morning that the White House had seen the letter and would review it.

Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the 10 co-sponsors of the bill, lashed out at the Democratic proposal on 'Fox News Sunday', claiming they only want the appearance of bipartisanship without actually working across the aisle with the GOP.

'If you say you want bipartisanship and you want unity and you want Republicans to join, and then you have a budget reconciliation which is chock-full of handouts and payouts to Democratic constituency groups you don't want bipartisanship, you want the patina of bipartisanship, but you want to stick it and ram it through,' the Louisiana Republican told Fox's Chris Wallace.

'In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,' the senators wrote in a letter to Biden on Sunday

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the co-sponsors of the latest proposal, said Democrats only want the appearance of bipartisanship without working with Republicans. He also said their proposal includes $1,000 direct checks for Americans in the midst of the pandemic

Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders said it's more important to get a deal passed now to get relief to Americans rather than work in the spirit of bipartisanship and drag the process out

The group will unveil on Monday a $600 billion stimulus bill to address the coronavirus crisis, which is meant to act as a counter balance to Biden's $1.9 trillion package but appeal to some hesitant Republicans.

'Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support,' the letter continued.

'We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic.'

The letter was signed by 10 upper chamber Republicans considered more moderate, including Senators Romney of Utah, Collins of Maine, Murkowski of Alaska, Cassidy of Louisiana and Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Michael Rounds of South Dakota.

The progress of Biden's package to support individuals and businesses will be an early test of the new president's promise to work across the political divide and deliver on his message of 'unity.'

Some Republicans, after losing control of the Senate earlier this month, have questioned the cost of the latest relief bill, while others urged more targeted measures.

'We recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your Administration to meet the health, economic, and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,' the senators concluded in their letter.

Rob Portman announced he will not seek re-election in 2022, paving the way for him to be more outspoken and work in a more bipartisan manner before retiring from Congress.

After losing two Georgia runoff elections in early January, the Senate now sits at a 50-50 split with Democrat Kamala Harris, who served in the Senate for one term before becoming vice president, holding the tie-breaking vote.

During her time in the Senate, Harris was rated as the most politically left-leaning lawmaker.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine (left) and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (right) also signed the letter as they prepare to unveil their $600 billion plan on Monday

The current Democrat package backed by Joe Biden is $1.9 trillion, which many Republicans claim is too high. The counter is less than half that price-tag at $600 billion

The letter from the group of Republicans details several of the proposals they feel will please both sides of the political aisle.

Cassidy said Sunday during his Fox interview that the bill would include $1,000 direct payments to Americans. He didn't specify any income threshold like an earlier version that proposed sending the checks to those who made $75,000 in 2019.

Biden's proposal includes a third round of direct payments in the amount of $1,400.

Republicans claim their plan will also echo Biden's call for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and child care centers, but said their plan would include more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses.

While offering few specifics, they said their plan echoed Biden's call for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and child care centers, but said their plan would include more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses.

Congress, controlled by Democrats, is set to move this week on Biden's plan to deliver a fresh infusion of COVID-19 relief to Americans and businesses reeling from the pandemic, which has killed more than 430,000 people in the United States.

Cassidy detailed that the GOP proposal offers $20 billion in school funding, instead of Biden's $170 billion. The Republican senator said funneling more money into these schools would just perpetuate teachers' unions' perspective against returning to in-person teaching.

He said, however, that one area of agreement between the parties is vaccinations.

The Republican bill would match the White's House's $160 billion figure to distribute and administer shots.
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As public demand grows for limited supplies of coronavirus vaccines, questions remain about their appropriateness for older adults with various illnesses. Among them are cancer patients receiving active treatment, dementia patients near the end of their lives and people with autoimmune conditions.

Recently, a number of readers have asked me whether older relatives with these conditions should be immunized. This is a matter for medical experts, and I solicited advice from several. All strongly suggested that people with questions should contact their doctors and discuss their individual medical circumstances.

Experts' advice may be helpful since states are beginning to offer vaccines to adults over age 65, 70 or 75, including those with serious underlying medical conditions.

Q: My 80-year-old mother has chronic lymphocytic leukemia. For weeks, her oncologist would not tell her "yes" or "no" about the vaccine. After much pressure, he finally responded: "It won't work for you, your immune system is too compromised to make antibodies." She asked if she can take the vaccine anyway, just in case it might offer a little protection, and he told her he was done discussing it with her.

A: First, some basics. Older adults, in general, responded extremely well to the two vaccines that have received special authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. In large clinical trials sponsored by drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, the vaccines achieved substantial protection against significant illness, with efficacy for older adults ranging from 87 percent to 94 percent.

But people 65 and older undergoing cancer treatment were not included in these studies. As a result, it's not known what degree of protection they might derive.

Tobias Hohl, chief of the infectious diseases service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, suggested that three factors should influence patients' decisions: Are vaccines safe, will they be effective, and what is my risk of becoming severely ill from covid-19? Regarding risk, he noted that older adults are the people most likely to become severely ill and perish from covid-19, accounting for about 80 percent of deaths to date - a compelling argument for vaccination.

Regarding safety, there is no evidence at this time that cancer patients are more likely to experience side effects from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines than other people. Generally, "we are confident that these vaccines are safe for (cancer) patients," including older patients, said Armin Shahrokni, a Memorial Sloan Kettering geriatrician and oncologist.

The exception, which applies to everyone, not just cancer patients: People who are allergic to the coronavirus vaccine components or who experience severe allergic responses after getting a first shot shouldn't get the vaccines.

Efficacy is a consideration for patients whose underlying cancer or treatment suppresses their immune systems. Notably, patients with blood and lymph node cancers may experience a blunted response to vaccines, along with patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Even in this case, "we have every reason to believe that if their immune system is functioning at all, they will respond to the vaccine to some extent," and that's likely to be beneficial, said William Dale, chair of supportive care medicine and director of the Center for Cancer Aging Research at City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles County.

Balancing the timing of cancer treatment and immunization may be a consideration in some cases. For those with serious disease who "need therapy as quickly as possible, we should not delay (cancer) treatment because we want to preserve immune function and vaccinate them" against covid-19, Hohl said.

One approach might be trying to time vaccination "in between cycles of chemotherapy, if possible," said Catherine Liu, a professor in the vaccine and infectious-disease division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

In new guidelines published Jan. 22, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of cancer centers, urged that patients undergoing active treatment be prioritized for vaccines as soon as possible. A notable exception: Patients who've received stem cell transplants or bone marrow transplants should wait at least three months before getting vaccines, the group recommended.

The American Cancer Society's chief medical and scientific officer, William Cance, said his organization is "strongly in favor of cancer patients and cancer survivors getting vaccinated, particularly older adults." Given vaccine shortages, he also recommended that cancer patients who contract covid-19 get antibody therapies as soon as possible, if their oncologists believe they're good candidates. These infusion therapies, from Eli Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, rely on synthetic immune cells to help fight infections.

Q: Should my 97-year-old mom, in a nursing home with dementia, even get the vaccine?

A: The federal government and all 50 states recommend vaccines for long-term care residents, most of whom have Alzheimer's disease or other types of cognitive impairment. This is an effort to stem the tide of covid-related illness and death that has swept through nursing homes and assisted-living facilities - 37 percent of all covid-19 deaths as of mid-January.

The Alzheimer's Association also strongly encourages immunization against covid-19, "both for people (with dementia) living in long-term care and those living in the community," said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of care and support.

"What I think this question is trying to ask is, 'Will my loved one live long enough to see the benefit of being vaccinated?' " said Joshua Uy, medical director at a Philadelphia nursing home and geriatric fellowship director at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.

Potential benefits include not becoming ill or dying from covid-19, having visits from family or friends, engaging with other residents and taking part in activities, Uy said. (This is a partial list.) Since these benefits could start accruing a few weeks after residents in a facility are fully immunized, "I would recommend the vaccine for a 97-year-old with significant dementia," Uy said.

Minimizing suffering is a key consideration, said Michael Rafii, associate professor of clinical neurology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. "Even if a person has end-stage dementia, you want to do anything you can to reduce the risk of suffering. And this vaccine provides individuals with a good deal of protection from suffering severe covid," he said.

"My advice is that everyone should get vaccinated, regardless of what stage of dementia they're in," Rafii said. That includes dementia patients at the end of their lives in hospice care, he said.

If possible, a loved one should be at hand for reassurance since being approached by someone wearing a mask and carrying a needle can evoke anxiety in dementia patients. "Have the person administering the vaccine explain who they are, what they're doing and why they're wearing a mask in clear, simple language," Rafii suggested.

Q: I'm 80 and I have Type 2 diabetes and an autoimmune disease. Should I get the vaccine?

A: There are two parts to this question. The first has to do with "comorbidities" - having more than one medical condition. Should older adults with comorbidities get the coronavirus vaccines?

Absolutely, because they're at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from covid-19, said Abinash Virk, an infectious diseases specialist and co-chair of the Mayo Clinic's vaccine rollout.

"Pfizer's and Moderna's studies specifically looked at people who were older and had comorbidities, and they showed that vaccine response was similar to (that of) people who were younger," she noted.

The second part has to do with autoimmune illnesses such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, which also put people at higher risk. The concern here is that a vaccine might trigger inflammatory responses that could exacerbate these conditions.

Philippa Marrack, chair of the Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine at National Jewish Health in Denver, said there's no scientifically rigorous data on how patients with autoimmune conditions respond to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

So far, reasons for concern haven't surfaced. Millions of people have been vaccinated at this point, "including some who probably had autoimmune disease, and there's been no systematic reporting of problems," Marrack said. If patients with autoimmune disorders are really worried, they should talk with their physicians about delaying immunization until other vaccines with different formulations become available, she suggested.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently recommended that most patients with multiple sclerosis - another serious autoimmune condition - get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

"The vaccines are not likely to trigger an MS relapse or to worsen your chronic MS symptoms. The risk of getting COVID-19 far outweighs any risk of having an MS relapse from the vaccine," it said in a statement.

- - -

This report is a product of Kaiser Health News, a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

The number of Covid-19 patients in French hospitals hit a near nine-week high on Sunday, as the country shut its borders to all but essential travel to and from nearly all countries outside the European Union.

There are 27,613 Covid-19 sufferers being treated in hospitals in France, up 331 on the previous day and hitting a level last seen on Dec. 1.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday did not impose a third national lockdown and instead tightened Covid-19 border controls, shutting down large shopping malls and stepping up the policing of a nightly curfew.

Health Minister Olivier Veran told the Journal du Dimanche that France could still avert a third wave without another full confinement. But he said the variants first detected in Britain and South Africa were dangerous and the government would swiftly impose another lockdown if infections spiked.

Health authorities reported 19,235 new Covid-19 cases, compared with 18,436 last Sunday. The number of patients infected with the coronavirus in intensive care increased by 45 to 3,158, they said.

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

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It was easy to root for Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship last weekend. The little boy who learned to play golf left-handed by standing opposite his right-handed dad and mirroring dads swing has long been a crowd favorite. He is not only immensely gifted; he is imaginative and willing 
As expected, President Joe Biden issued executive orders that he deems necessary for America to fight global warming.

He canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from our ally, Canada, to Gulf refineries  expecting Canadians would leave the oil in the ground, hence fighting global warming. Actually, the oil can now go to China, thereby powering our global arch-enemy. What a poke in the eye to all the now-unemployed union workers on this major infrastructure project who supported him.

He rejoined the Paris global warming accord which would badly damage America while the worlds largest greenhouse gas emitter, China, has no obligations. Their economy and military can now catapult past ours more rapidly.

He promised to destroy all of the nations fossil-fuel power plants within 14 years, replacing them principally with unreliable wind and solar. This, plus automobile electrification, will require mind-boggling tonnages of rare-earth metals that are overwhelmingly owned or controlled by ... our global arch-enemy, China  the country of origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed 200 times more Americans than Japan did at Pearl Harbor.

Half a century ago, America was dangerously dependent on oil imported from hostile Arab countries that hated us. After their oil embargo, it took us until just recently to become energy-independent  a great place to be, both economically and for national security. Biden is moving to throw that all away and make America dependent on ... our global arch-enemy, China.

Anybody studying Mandarin?

James M. Policelli

Plainfield Township

Will you feel safe if you are double masked but the places you visit people are not masked, no plexiglass, no social distancing? I ask as there are a few places that we really like and are a go to for us. But if you are worried with Covid, they may not be the place for you. What are you comfortable with? I would hate to make suggestions that you plan but when you get there you are uncomfortable.

I do know there are places that require masks in PCB. You could always just visit those places. They have signs in the windows so they are easy to spot. Ron Jons is mask required, that I know. But come May, who knows with the vaccine coming out.

Have fun. If you have any other questions, just ask.
For Lyons Steel, a trip to Freehold Raceway is the equivalent of Clark Kent stepping into a phone booth.

Away from Freehold, he's a solid mid/upper-level conditioned pacer. At Freehold, however, he's a beast. He won Freehold's featured race on Saturday (January 30), going a huge mile to do so.

Bettors knew about Lyons Steel's love of Freehold, and sent him off as the 1/5 favourite in a non-winners of $8,000 last five pace. Leaving from post position five, driver Eric Abbatiello left quickly with him, but three horses to his direct inside also wanted the lead. He was four-wide for almost the entire opening quarter, while going that fraction in a blazing :27.1 seconds.

Heading around the second turn, Lyons Steel finally cleared to the lead and dropped to the inside. He went by the half mile in :56.1 seconds, a much-needed breather after that fast opening quarter. If he backed up after that grueling early tempo, no one could blame him.

However, Lyons Steel never really stopped. Pocket-sitting The Rev loomed large turning for home, and Betting Exchange, Vasari N, and Alberto Contador N all made solid rallies, but Lyons Steel held them all off and won by 1-1/4 lengths. The final time was 1:56.

This win marked Lyons Steel's fourth victory in his last five races at Freehold. Since August of 2019, he's won ten times from 24 starts at this track. Dennis Watson trains Lyons Steel for BD Racing LLC of Brick, N.J.

MATT ZUCCARELLO WINS AHDC TROT AT FREEHOLD ON SATURDAY

When Matt Zuccarello is not writing about about a harness race he is equally at home sitting up behind a steed and competing against his fellow amateur drivers.

Case in point: the American Harness Drivers Club Trot at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (Jan. 30) where Zuccarello used the front-end route to score a 2:01.3 triumph over seven others with Latoka.

Sent off as the second choice in the eight-horse field and knowing that he had solid contender, Zuccarello sent Latoka for the lead and they gained command after a :29.1 first quarter. Once on top Zuccarello kept the pedal to the metal and Latoka had a 1-1/4 length lead over Can Do and driver Joe Lee at the first quarter.

When the field trotted by the halfway point, public choice Always A Good Time and driver Joe Faraldo moved off the pylons and up towards the leader. But as the field trotted by the third stanza Latoka was still in command when Faraldo's charge couldn't get by.

As the field headed for home Always A Good Time stalled which allowed 16-1 Can Do, who was trailing the pacesetter throughout, a clear shot at Latoka and although he got to Latoka's chin-strap Can Do couldn't get by. Latoka was a head winner in the 2:01.3 trotted mile, followed by Can Do while Always A Good Time held on for the show dough.

It was the second Freehold consecutive victory for Latoka, who was victorious last week in 2:01.3. Owned and trained by Donald Maiorano, Latoka paid $8.00 for the win.

Live harness racing resumes at Freehold on Friday (February 5) starting at 12:30 p.m. Racing at Freehold will be held every Friday and Saturday until May 29.

(Freehold / AHDC)
Newly crowned opposition resources spokeswoman Madeleine King has labelled the federal government obstinate and daft for not committing to a 2050 net zero emissions target.

In the West Australian MPs first interview with WAtoday after Labors shadow cabinet re-shuffle, she also called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take advantage of the strong relationships between China and WA businesses as well as Premier Mark McGowan in order to reset the trading partnership with the powerful Asian country.

Labors trade and resources spokeswoman Madeleine King. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Ms King, who already handles the shadow trade portfolio for federal Labor, said there was a dearth of national leadership on both China and emissions despite corporate Australia already taking more initiative than the government on the latter.

What were lacking is a clear energy policy and a way to deal with climate change, she said.

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Edna Mahan Correctional Facility is in the news again. Last year, the states only prison for women was in the news for the release of a U.S. Department of Justice report revealing that the state corrections department violated inmates constitutional rights by failing to protect them from a culture of severe and prevalent abuse and that officials failed to take action despite being aware of systemic problems.

Last week another horrible complaint emerged: Dozens of guards were placed on paid leave for allegedly brutally beating and sexually assaulting inmates.

Why not think about reducing the prison population? Most women end up in prison for drug abuse, or because of structural poverty and lack of opportunities. They are often victims of domestic violence or human trafficking, and many are single moms and main breadwinners.

They need help. They do not need punishment. They do not need revenge. They are being victimized again when they enter the criminal justice system. Besides, male guards should not be working inside female facilities, according to international law standards. Just remove male guards and complaints will drop to the floor.

Lets invest in human beings and not feed the criminal justice system. It is cruel, inhumane, destroys the community, is expensive and does not make our neighborhoods safer.

Maria Eva Dorigo, Montclair

Its not all rosy with Essex vaccination plan

Letter writer Ron Citron recently praised the COVID-19 vaccination program in Essex County and said he received acknowledgement and an appointment within a couple of weeks.

Id like to know if he knows someone in the system, or what conditions he and his wife have that got them in so quickly. Ive registered three times and been acknowledged, but havent come close to getting a vaccination date, either through the county or my doctors office.

Theres a phone call to our house every week or so from County Executive Joe DiVincenzo to tell us how well hes doing and urging us to make appointments. Weve gotten so we ignore the calls, because they are of little or no use. My husband also saw someone yelling at a cashier at the local Walgreens about not being able to get the vaccine anywhere.

Essex County isnt doing any better than anywhere else, maybe worse. But we do have a county executive who likes to say we are doing better.

Kathleen Pearlman, Verona

Shredding party for impeachment clause?

If Donald Trumps words and actions between the November election and Jan. 6 arent offenses worthy of impeachment and conviction, Congress might as well convene a constitutional convention to shred and trash Article II, Section 4  the impeachment clause  and confine it to the scrap heap of American history.

From the moment the electoral votes were counted and Joe Biden was declared the overwhelming 306-232 winner  a term that Trump used to describe an identical margin in 2016  he set out to spread the lie that the election was rigged and stolen from him.

Days before the fateful Capitol riot on Jan. 6, he used a veiled threat of criminal liability to try to intimidate Georgia election officials, including the secretary of state, to alter the election results by finding 11,780 votes, one more than he needed to flip the state.

On Jan 6, he urged protesters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol and fight like hell to overturn the certification of electoral votes that made him a loser. Meanwhile, he was reportedly desperately trying to remove acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and replace him with someone who was more sympathetic to his delusional view that the election was a fraud, despite dozens of court rulings to the contrary.

There can be no more impeachable conduct. Remember, President Bill Clinton was impeached over lying about the definition of a two-letter word: Is.

Rudy Larini, Somerset

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Authorities scrambled on Sunday to meet a flight from Perth to Canberra carrying federal politicians who will have to self-isolate after a sudden lockdown in parts of Western Australia.

In a rush to deal with the situation while the plane was in flight, authorities ordered MPs and others who had come from Perth to stay away from federal Parliament until more details emerged.

Attorney-General Christian Porter is believed to have been one of the federal MPs on the flight from Perth on Sunday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The passengers were understood to include Attorney-General Christian Porter and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, who had boarded Qantas flight QF856 about lunchtime in Perth, before the lockdown.

A passenger on the flight raised concerns about having been at one of the COVID-19 exposure sites named on Sunday when the WA government declared a snap five-day lockdown.
The Mail on Sunday today launches a major campaign to roll out rapid Covid-19 testing in workplaces across Britain  and help reboot the economy. An investigation by this newspaper found that a string of giant companies had recorded astonishing successes in large-scale trials of regular testing for their employees.

John Lewis, Tata Steel, Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley and Octopus Energy told us they had saved tens of thousands of employee hours and hundreds of thousands of pounds in business that would have been lost due to staff having to stay at home.

They said in some cases the regular rapid testing programme had helped avoid entire factories being shut down. The results indicate that rapid testing could play a vital role in reopening the economy and getting millions of people back to work. Several of the companies took part in a Government pilot scheme to conduct routine tests on staff who display no Covid symptoms. In most cases, these were so-called 'lateral flow' tests which cost as little as 5 a test.

What a result: Testing of staff in the workplace means they can carry on with their jobs  and boost the economy

After the tests, employees waited in isolated areas to receive their results within 15 to 60 minutes. If they tested positive, they were sent home to isolate. If they tested negative, they were allowed to go into the workplace.

Under the trials, even staff who had been in contact with a Covid sufferer were allowed to go to work each day, provided they kept testing negative for seven consecutive days. Two of the largest participants using this strategy, Tata and John Lewis, have together saved around 8,000 sick days for thousands of staff who would have had to self-isolate.

The Government's support package for the pilot scheme paid for testing kits at companies across the food, manufacturing, energy and retail sectors, as well as public sector organisations including transport networks, job centres and the military.

Now The Mail on Sunday wants workplace testing to become commonplace across the UK. Our Tests at Work campaign calls for:

More companies to launch rapid Covid testing in the workplace to bring staff back to factories, plants, shops and offices;

The Government to help pay for the testing kits by extending the deadline for its pilot support scheme beyond the current date of March 31;

An official marketing campaign informing businesses how to apply and how to implement Covid testing in the workplace;

A major expansion of the Government support scheme to include businesses based in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Last night the British Chambers of Commerce threw its weight behind our campaign.

Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, president of the BCC, said: 'We have been campaigning for mass workplace testing throughout the pandemic. We are delighted to support The Mail on Sunday's campaign to help make it a reality. Mass testing is crucial to help businesses restart, rebuild and renew, and alongside the vaccines it will help build the economy and keep it open.'

Lord Bilimoria, the president of the Confederation of British Industry, Britain's biggest business lobby group, said: 'To truly get to grips on this stubborn virus, we must not only continue with a successful vaccine roll-out, but get more businesses testing in the workplace. Lateral flow tests in factories, shops and work sites would mean we can catch new cases quicker when there are no symptoms.'

About one in three people who test positive for Covid display no symptoms and may be unknowingly spreading the virus.

The Government's official advice remains to work at home if you can, but many companies and staff have no choice but to go to a workplace to enable their businesses to function. Government departments and NHS Test and Trace launched the testing pilot scheme late last year to pay for kits, and to support companies in the roll-out.

Most companies used both mass testing and so-called daily contact testing. This is where employees without symptoms who believe they may have been in contact with Covid sufferers  for example, because they received a notification on the NHS contact tracing app  are allowed to go to work each day if they keep testing negative.

John Lewis Partnership told the MoS it is now testing 21,400 employees a week across 57 sites, including at warehouses and Waitrose stores. More than 45,700 tests have taken place with fewer than 1 per cent of results positive. John Lewis said it had saved 6,643 working days for 2,286 employees by using daily contact testing.

Boost: John Lewis Partnership said it is now testing 21,400 employees a week across 57 sites, including at warehouses and Waitrose stores

The retailer, which launched testing in November, said it had helped manage absences more effectively during the Black Friday and Christmas sales rush and now with increased demand for John Lewis online and Waitrose food stores during lockdown.

Andrew Murphy, group operations director at John Lewis, said the company had concerns over how smooth and effective the testing scheme would be before entering the pilot.

But he told the MoS: 'There was serious consideration, but we felt that having the knowledge [of Covid test results] ultimately couldn't be a bad thing for our partners [as the retailer calls its staff] or for us. And we recognised that unless businesses like ours played a part, the pace at which society in general would come to any real usable conclusions and gain knowledge [from the trials] would be slowed.

'If there was an unintended consequence of doing this testing that was worrying on the infectiousness or illness side, we would be seeing it at Magna Park.' The park is the company's 1,000-staff campus near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.

Murphy said: 'But instead we're seeing lower absence, lower cases, lower spread. All the metrics are better, not just the fact we're releasing people to come back to work sooner than would normally be the case when asymptomatic. That feels really exciting, if you think about what lateral flow tests  if properly administered  could do for the country at scale.' Tata Steel launched daily contact testing  alongside mass testing  in late December and told The Mail on Sunday it had saved 'hundreds of thousands of pounds' as a result.

The testing programme helped it to avoid five potential production stops at its vast Port Talbot steelworks, which employs 4,000 people. The system allowed major maintenance works at the South Wales site, and at Shotton in North Wales, to continue using outside contractors, who were tested each day.

Tata estimates 12,500 work hours have been saved as staff who would have had to self-isolate were allowed to continue to work. In total, it has completed 5,627 tests with 88 positive case identified. It now plans to roll out contact testing to all of its 18 UK sites.

Dean Magill, head of central operations at Tata Europe, said: 'You can't easily switch off our process. It's a 24/7 operation and with the potential isolations that we would have had in place if we had not had the daily contact testing scheme, we would have found it very difficult to run the plant.' Magill said Tata had drawn up early-stage plans to use its on-site 'testing village'  which has dedicated test administering and waiting areas  to be used for vaccinations for employees, their families and contractors.

Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson said, though testing was voluntary, 'almost 100 per cent' of staff use its testing facilities.

Help: Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson said, though testing was voluntary, 'almost 100 per cent' of staff use its testing facilities

He said: 'By getting up and running quickly, we were aiming to help other companies and the Government learn how workplace testing could contribute to tackling the pandemic.'

Smurfitt Kappa's UK chief executive Eddie Fellows said the FTSE 100-listed packaging giant had begun testing earlier this month and had found 26 asymptomatic Covid cases. He told an online conference: 'Our view is to do something is better than to do nothing. The cost of a test is relatively modest compared to the cost of bringing this into your factory.'

Bentley has provided nearly 15,000 tests to staff at its Crewe factory since May last year, which revealed just 272 'mostly asymptomatic' cases. The carmaker has had no proven cases of on-site transmission.

Jaguar Land Rover  which was forced to transfer employees from its plant in Castle Bromwich, in the West Midlands, seven miles south to Solihull to cover Covid-related absentees  is also part of the pilot. Employees who may have been in contact with a person with Covid must be tested each day for seven consecutive days  either at work or at an NHS site.

Routine: Jaguar Land Rover  which was forced to transfer employees from its plant in Castle Bromwich to Solihull to cover Covid-related absentees  is also part of the pilot

Defence giant BAE Systems is conducting thousands of tests a week at its submarine factory in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, which has 3,500 staff on site. It plans to roll out the scheme to sites in Lancashire, Portsmouth and Glasgow.

A CBI survey showed that 87 per cent of businesses were currently not testing in the workplace, with a lack of expertise, unclear guidance and logistical constraints cited as key barriers.
As Dominion Energy begins its next tree-trimming cycle with more than 170 palmettos to be cut away from the Charleston peninsulas power lines, city officials are hoping to save some of the condemned foliage.

Mayor John Tecklenburg spent Saturday morning walking alongside Dominions experts to see which of Charlestons trees are becoming hazards, and how city leaders can either circumvent the trimming or replace intrusive trees with safer plants.

The utility's tree cutting, done on a five-year schedule, has attracted ire in the past from several communities who don't want to see the greenery go. One group called Stop Dominion formed in protest.

The work in downtown Charleston had already begun, with 50 trees cut. It was halted so that city crews can coordinate to remove the stumps promptly after the cutting, said Jason Kronsberg, the director of the parks department for the city of Charleston.

"We just want to make sure were doing it in an efficient manner, and we don't leave a bunch of cut-in-half trees for too long," he said.

The work will happen on the west side of the peninsula. One section slated for cutting is between Line Street, King Street, Calhoun Street and the Medical District; the other is south and east of Colonial Lake: south of Beaufain Street and east of King Street.

While Dominion begins trimming the trees that are growing dangerously close to the overhead wires, Tecklenburg said hed work with city leaders to greenlight a plan for underground lines so that Dominion could begin burrowing under the trees rather than trimming them.

Tecklenburg said he hopes the city will pen a new ordinance within the next few months, allowing authorities to divide neighborhood-wide initiatives into smaller projects and to hire someone dedicated to overseeing the program. The city and Dominion can then work block-by-block, finding streets that will be easy to dig under and have a high number of trees to preserve.

Those areas, including the stretch of South Battery from Ashley to Rutledge Boulevards, can serve as case studies for city leaders to gauge the projects ease and impact.

This isnt a work-around-the-edges issue, said Danny Kassis, Dominions general manager of strategic partnerships and renewable energy. Every day that goes by is more risk  we want to do this cheaply, quickly and safely.

Where two rows of palmettos currently line the historic street, Dominions safety experts have found about a dozen trees that will have to come down out of concern they will knock down power lines and spark fire hazards, causing outages in the process.

Palmettos are an icon in South Carolina  they provide the state's nickname, a point of debate as the state flag is redesigned, and a tropical draw for the many people who visit or move to the coast. They're also hard to trim, as cutting below the growth bud at the center of the fronds kills the tree.

They weren't always the main street tree in downtown Charleston. In the 1800s, city leaders opted for different species with broader canopies to shade the streetscape, historian Nic Butler has told The Post and Courier; the palmetto saw a surge in prominence later, in part, because Charleston was trying to market itself to tourists after World War II.

Trimming that would inevitably kill the palmettos gives the city an opportunity to reconsider what trees should be placed in the street, considering shade, growth rates and the ability to suck up water, said Councilman Mike Seekings. Seekings' district will include much of the cutting.

"We planted numerous trees around the city after Hurricane Hugo," he said. "Some, it turns out now 30 years later, were the appropriate tree to plant, and some weren't."
Welcome to another week's recap. The biggest story of the fourth week of 2021 was the unveil of the Oppo A55 5G in China. Based around a Dimensity 700 chipset, 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD and a 5,000mAh battery. It costs CNY 1,599 (about $245/200) in China and we expect it to launch globally soon.

Xiaomi closed off the week with something truly unbelievable. Mi Air Charge technology promises to be able to wirelessly charge a phone from a distance of "several meters". Providing up to 5W to multiple devices while you're using them, walking around or even when there are objects in the way. The smartphones need to be outfitted with a miniaturized antenna array with built-in beacon antenna and receiving antenna array. The smartphone has 14 antennas to convert a millimeter wave signal thats emitted by the charging pile. The signal is converted into electric energy through a rectifier circuit.

Huawei is reportedly in talks to sell off its P and Mate series to a consortium, backed by the Shanghai government. This comes after Huawei offloaded its Honor division. Huawei sold 50 million phones fewer in 2020, than it did in 2019.

Two phones leaked this week, showing periscope cameras. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro showed off a quad camera, including a 10x optical zoom via a periscope lens. We expect the Mi 11 Pro to add a 6.81-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED with 480Hz touch sampling rate and a Snapdragon 888 chipset.

The other phone that leaked was the Sony Xperia 1 III, which looks to include some sort of periscope of its own. Otherwise the Xperia 1 III looks to retain the flat and tall design and will likely go with an improved 6.5-inch 4K OLED panel on the front.

Those were the key stories of the week. The full list is below. See you next week!



Xiaomi introduces Mi Air Charge, wireless charging from across the room The companys new technology would let you charge a device while youre using it or walking around.





Blood sugar monitoring is expected to arrive to Apple and Samsungs next smartwatches The new smartwatch feature could let you check blood glucose levels without having to prick fingers.





Samsung brings ECG and blood pressure measurements to Galaxy Watches across 31 countries Galaxy Watch3 and Watch Active2 users will soon be able to track their vitals directly from their wrists.





Huawei reportedly considers the sale of the flagship P and Mate series Component shortages have halted production, this could revive the two premium series the same way it helped Honor.





Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro poster leaks, showing a beefier camera with 10x periscope However, a leakster is pointing to an alternative design and saying that the 108 MP camera from the Mi 11 will be replaced with a 50 MP sensor.





New Sony Xperia Compact is on its way, first renders leak The phone might arrive as a direct competitor to the iPhone 12 mini, but sources from Japan say otherwise.





Sony Xperia Pro finally on sale as a $2,500 US exclusive The phone is meant to double as a 4K HDR external monitor for your professional Sony camera.





The iPhone 12 magnets might interfere with pacemakers, Apple warns The latest phones and Magsafe accessories should be at least six inches away from the heart implant.





First Sony Xperia 1 III renders show a periscope camera, slimmer bezels The design is otherwise unchanged - all flat sides and 90 angles. Sony will keep the 3.5 mm jack and microSD slot that we enjoyed on the Mark II.





Apple to move production from China to India and Vietnam The iPhone 12 will be manufactured in India starting this quarter, Vietnam gets iPads and HomePod mini.


Georgia Harrison hits back at critics accusing her of being on holiday in Dubai despite the fact she has rented out her UK home and moved there.

The Love Island star, 26, took to her Instagram stories on Saturday to insist she wasn't one of the many influencers who have flocked to the country on a 'work trip'.

Georgia admitted that she didn't understand over the confusion over why she was in the UAE, and clarified she wasn't 'stuck amid travel restrictions'.

Having her say! Georgia Harrison hits back at critics accusing her of being on holiday in Dubai despite the fact she has rented out her UK home and moved there

Georgia took to Instagram on Saturday and told followers: 'I rented out my flat, sold my car and moved to Dubai months ago. I'm not stuck here, I live here.'

Thousands of travellers have scrambled to return to the UK after the government added the United Arab Emirates to the 'red list' of high-risk countries on Friday, with a ban on direct passenger flights from the country.

But Georgia, who was on her way to camp in the desert when her car got stuck during the video, insisted she wasn't among the stranded travellers.

She shared her ordeal with fans in a video from the stranded vehicle.

'I live here!' Georgia admitted that she didn't understand over the confusion over why she was in the UAE, and clarified she wasn't 'stuck amid travel restrictions'

Oops! But Georgia, who was on her way to camp in the desert when her car got stuck during the video, insisted she wasn't among the stranded travellers

The influencer was sporting a low-key road trip look featuring a grey, navy and green colour-blocked hoodie.

Georgia has been involved in an ongoing legal dispute with ex Stephen Bear over what she alleges was an intimate video shown to others without her consent.

Stephen, 31, was arrested at Heathrow Airport earlier this month.

Essex police have since announced a formal charge is yet to be made while the investigation continues, with Bear released on bail until February.

In statement to MailOnline, a spokesperson confirmed: 'A 31-year-old man from Loughton, who was arrested on suspicion of disclosing private sexual images or film without consent with intent to cause distress, voyeurism, harassment and obstructing a police officer, has been released on bail until 10 February.'

The former TOWIE star has since thanked her fans and 'everyone that has reached out' following his arrest.
The Taoiseach said the EU Commission should have spoken to him before triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Photo: John Thys/Reuters

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the acrimonious row between the EU Commission and Astrazeneca took centre stage on Friday night, leading to the EU triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Commission quickly reversed this decision - which would have given the EU power to block deliveries of vaccines destined for Northern Ireland - after the Taoiseach articulated the very serious implications the move would have to Commision President Ursula von der Leyen.

Speaking with Andrew Marr on the BBC, the Taoiseach said the Commission should have spoken to him before taking action and admitted there are lessons to be learned from this.

Mr Martin said only when the EU Commission released a public statement on the matter did he become aware of it.

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The Taoiseach then contacted President von der Leyen and articulated the very serious implications the move would have on the protocol itself.

To be fair, the Commission President took on board fairly quickly my concerns.

Mr Martin disclosed he had a series of engagements with President von der Leyen and these led to a statement from the EU pulling back and reversing its decision.

Mr Martin said he believed this debacle occurred because the terrible, acrimonious row between Astrazeneca and the Commission.. took centre stage here, and people were blindsided by the decision that was taken and its implications for the protocol, the Taoiseach said.

The Taoiseach said the point of the EU Commissions move was transparency between them and Astrazeneca, but admitted the Commission used the wrong mechanism to try and achieve this.

Mr Martin said the move to trigger Article 16 initially was certainly not an act of hostility by the European Commission. He said his overall experience of the Commission was one of supporting the overall edifice of the Good Friday Agreement and getting the Northern Ireland situation right.

There is now an opportunity to re engage to ensure the [NI] protocol operates smoothly and efficiently on behalf of all citizens on the island.

It took four years to put together the agreement, we are only four weeks into the protocol - there are bound to be teething problems, Mr Martin said.

The Taoiseach urged all sides to calm down in the row over vaccine doses, but also pointed out how Astrazeneca deliver on its contractual obligations is a matter for Astrazeneca. There is still a genuine desire for this contract to be honoured with the EU, Mr Martin added.

The Taoiseach rejected Andrew Marrs claim that there was an issue within the EUs procurement of vaccines and said: whats gone wrong is that the commitments made in terms of volume levels are not being realised.
In last year's Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced a new income tax regime that came into effect from April 1. So some tax experts say that in this year's Budget there might not be many new changes. Under the new simplified income tax regime, there is zero tax for income up to 2.5 lakh; 5% for income between 2.5 lakh and up to 5 lakh; 10% for income between 5 lakh and up to 7.5 lakh; 15% for income between 7.5 lakh and up to 10 lakh; 20% for income between 10 lakh and up to 12.5 lakh; 25% for income between 12.5 lakh and up to 15 lakh; 30% for income above 15 lakh.

These income tax rates are optional and are available to those who are willing to forego some exemptions and some deductions.

"The fact that a new tax regime has been introduced last year means that not many changes can be expected now," HDFC Securities said in a note.

Religare Broking in a note said: "Given that the government is already running a high deficit owing to lower tax collections, we believe any large cuts would be unlikely. However, some relief to certain distressed sectors and tinkering in personal income tax could be on the cards."

Here are five changes to income tax rules that could be announced in Budget 2021:

1) Tax experts expect the government to fix some anomalies in the NPS or National Pension Scheme with regard to income tax benefits.

"For contribution towards Tier I account up to 14% of the employers contribution is permitted for central government employees but when it comes to other employees maximum up to 10% of the contribution from employer is eligible for deduction under Section 80CCD(2)," said Balwant Jain, a tax expert.

Under the current income tax laws, if an employer is contributing towards the employee's NPS account, a deduction up to a certain percentage of salary (basic + DA) irrespective of any limit qualifies for income tax deduction under Section 80 CCD(2). For central government employees, it is 14% of salary and for others, the limit is 10%.

2) "From a capital market perspective, key expectations include allow indexation while calculating LTCG on equity shares/equity MFs and/or allow setoff of STT against the tax liability thereon, reduce LTCG period to 1 year for debt MF, exempt dividend income in the hand of recipient to the extent of Rs.2-3 lakhs per annum," HDFC Securities said in a note.

"The reintroduction of long-term capital gains tax in the 2018 budget affected the investors confidence. The 10% LTCG tax is an additional tax burden along with other transaction taxes  like STT, stamp duty. Reducing or abolishing LTCG can raise the investors confidence," said Harsh Jain, Co-founder and COO, Groww,

3) Currently, long-term capital gains (LTCG) arising out of the sale of listed equity shares and units of equity-oriented mutual fund schemes are now taxed at the rate of 10%, if the LTCG exceed 1 lakh in a financial year ( gains up to January 31, 2018 being grandfathered).

Long term capital gains on debt mutual fund units held for more than 36 months are taxed at 20% after adjusting for indexation. Short-term capital gains on units held for 36 months or less are added to the income of the individual and taxed as per the applicable slab rate.

4) Under the current income tax laws, switching of investment in units within the same scheme of a mutual fund from growth option to dividend option (or vice-versa), and from regular plan to direct plan or (or vice-versa) is considered a transfer" and is therefore liable to capital gains tax, even though the amount invested remains in the mutual fund scheme. However, the switching of investments to/from investment plans to another within the same Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) of insurance companies is not considered as a Transfer" and hence, not subjected to any Capital Gains Tax.

The mutual fund industry in its proposals for Budget 2021 has said that "there is need to have uniformity in the tax treatment for switch" transaction in respect ULIPs and mutual fund products to have a level playing field."

5) In a relief to salaried middle class taxpayers amid the coronavirus pandemic and to boost consumption, the central government may hike the standard deduction limit in Budget 2021, experts said. Standard deduction is a fixed deduction that is allowed to specific income tax assessees, irrespective of expenses incurred or investments made. Introduced in the 2018-19 Budget, the standard deduction replaced the medical and transport allowance. It was further increased to 50,000 in the following Budget.

Standard deduction should be hiked from 50,000 to 1,00,000, Axis Securities said in a note.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 19:59:55|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The huge container ship teno arrived on Sunday in Tripoli's port in Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.

The 300-meter-long teno is part of the megam maritime line, which is run by the French company CMA CGM in cooperation with a group of international maritime companies. It is considered a commercial link between the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf.

This line takes Tripoli's port as a focal point in the eastern Mediterranean for the transport of goods to the Lebanese local market and a transshipment point. Enditem
Almost the very first act of the Biden administration was to ditch the 1776 Project, which celebrates Americas legacy of liberty. The administration gave pride of place to the 1619 Project, which obsesses about slavery, a concept that was always antithetical to American values. The real start of Americas core values was in November 1620, when people seeking religious liberty set foot on Americas shores.

In November 2019, the New York Times Magazine began a program named the 1619 Project. The editors assert that the history of the United States has its foundation in the first slave ship that docked in Jamestown on August 20, 1619. According to History.com, on that day the privateer White Lion docked at Jamestown colonys Point Comfort unloading 20 Angolans. The privateers exchanged the captives for food as indentured servants, but Jamestown placed them in slavery.

The 1619 Project considers those 20 Angolans to be the defining moment in American history. From that moment, they contend, America irrevocably became a racist nation governed by white supremacy. The New York Times editors insist that systemic racism became Americas character from that time forward. America has a racist core that defines who we are.

The 1619 Project view of history entirely neglects another ship that landed far north of Jamestown just one year later, in 1620, a date that is now also 400 years in Americas past. The Mayflower left Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620, destined for the Hudson River near what became New Amsterdam. A violent winter storm blew the ship off course to the north, forcing it to anchor in Cape Cod harbor on November 21, 1620.

The Mayflower carried a mix of 40 English Puritan Separatists and 62 English colonialists. The two groups had very different purposes for immigrating to America. Both Queen Elizabeth I and King James I had severely persecuted the Puritans. To escape this persecution, the Puritans felt that God had called them to journey into the wilderness of America to establish a City on the Hill in line with their Puritan beliefs and traditions. The 62 English colonialists, on the other hand, took part in a strictly commercial venture.

Since the Mayflower landed in an area outside territory governed by the Jamestown charter, the colonialists entered into a compact to ensure that the rights of both groups would be respected. On November 21, 1620, 41 passengers representing both groups signed the Mayflower Compact. That compact, the first document written in America to ensure civic harmony, represented a precursor to the Constitution. Then, on December 18, 1620, the passengers disembarked at the legendary Plymouth Rock.

The Puritans endured many hardships. It was their values and culture that created the core culture for the United States, rather than the values and culture of the Jamestown slavers. The Puritan core values include first and foremost faith in God. Next, that the Bible serves as their guidebook for creating holy families, holy communities, and a holy nation. They understood their mission to be to create a City on a Hill and, later, a Nation on a Hill.

The 1619 Project misses the importance of the Puritan core values, and of other key religious communities, in creating the United States of America of 1776. The Quakers, led by William Penn, infused America with genuine respect for all people. Everyone has a divine spark that makes us all the children of God. Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, is Americas birthplace. Jamestown is not. Drawn to the freedom of religion experienced in America, Catholics flocked to New York, Maryland, and New Jersey. Jews found refuge in New York, South Carolina, and Georgia.

The values of the New England Puritans, Quakers of Pennsylvania, Jews and Catholics of the Middle States, and Virginian Anglicans all contributed to Americas moral strength. The positive values of the Virginian love of freedom, independence, and religious tolerance contributed to the creation of American culture.

The Virginian practice of slavery, in conflict with American core culture, led to a horrendous and brutal Civil War. Americans rejected slavery when the anti-slave North was victorious over the South. Racism is not the defining characteristic of Americans. Love of God, family, community, and nation are. The 1620 Project trumps the 1619 Project.

IMAGE: The Mayflower at Sea by A S Burbank. Public Domain.
Polarization, or a tendency toward the extremes, is a matter of degrees and frequently vexes free and democratic government. The hyper-polarization that disfigures American politics today -- the determination to view fellow citizens who vote differently as mortal enemies -- subverts free and democratic government.

A healthy liberal democracy thrives on a diversity of opinions. Hashing matters out in public frequently gets messy and often makes a hash of matters. But the gains that come from putting competing opinions to the test of open discussion with fellow citizens representing a range of perspectives and parties offset the inconveniences and unlovely aspects of democratic give-and-take. Free-flowing debate exposes errors to the light of day, refines evidence and argument, and develops the habit of listening and considering before dismissing or embracing.

The hyper-polarization that plagues the United States stifles the conversation among citizens that is democracys lifeblood. To benefit from the public exchange of opinion -- indeed, to sustain it  citizens must respect others and trust that their views will be heard fairly and responded to in civil fashion. That cant happen when a significant segment of the right despises the left and believes they are enemies of the state and a significant segment of the left despises the right and believes they are enemies of the state.

Hyper-polarization differs from the endless disagreements about policy and the normal opportunism and hypocrisy that mark democratic debate. Between 2001 and 2016, for example, views on executive power tended to reflect preferences in the most recent presidential election. As polarization intensified, the opportunism and hypocrisy got harder to swallow, but the controversies followed a familiar pattern.

During the presidency of George W. Bush, Republicans argued for far-reaching presidential powers, encompassing the authority to employ highly coercive interrogation techniques against enemy combatants, to detain them indefinitely, and to intercept a wide range of foreign and domestic communications. Democrats accused Bush of shredding the Constitution.

Subsequently, Democrats defended President Barack Obamas still more expansive interpretation of presidential power. It included sending Americans into battle in Libya without congressional authorization, making new law through executive fiat to grant approximately 5 million undocumented immigrants the eligibility for temporary legal status, and promulgating a dear colleague letter that sidestepped the legally prescribed regulatory process in order to compel colleges and universities to deny the accused in campus sexual-misconduct cases elementary due-process protections. Republicans were aghast not only at Obamas substantive policies but at the latitudinous view of executive power that informed them.

Donald Trumps victory in the 2016 Republican primaries changed the terms of the debate. While frequently speaking in characteristically grandiose and sweeping terms of the extent of his power as president, President Trump did not surpass Bush or Obama in expanding executive power. Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed resistance to Trumps presidency -- launched before he entered the White House and set in motion publicly and behind the scenes before he won the election -- indefatigably challenged his very exercise of executive power.

With Trumps presidency, polarization in America turned into hyper-polarization. The anger and bitterness that had been increasingly rearing their ugly heads metastasized into fury and hate engulfing the body politic.

To slow down the spread of these destructive passions and lower the temperature of American politics, it will be necessary to exercise virtues of evenhandedness, toleration, and civility while embracing shared principles that can frame political controversies, bridge disagreements, and yield accommodations and compromises -- sometimes favoring the right, sometimes favoring the left -- with which both sides can live. In The President Who Would Not Be King: Executive Power Under the Constitution, Michael McConnell exhibits those virtues and shows that those principles can be discovered in the Constitution.

A Stanford Law School professor and my colleague at the Hoover Institution, McConnell did not in the first place undertake to counter hyper-polarization. The work of an eminent scholar of constitutional law, his book authoritatively reconstructs the original understanding of Article II -- which lays out the scope and character of the presidents powers, eligibility for the office and the manner in which the president is chosen, presidential duties, and the actions for which the president may be removed from office -- and related constitutional provisions in order to illuminate contemporary controversies over executive power.

At the same time, McConnells study of the Constitutions original design and his treatment of executive power furnish a nonpartisan standpoint for organizing partisan political disputes of all shapes and sizes. In addition, his unfailing judiciousness in considering evidence, sorting through claims, and reasonably interpreting and impartially applying constitutional principles provides a model of virtues that undergird free and robust discussion.

Among the leading questions at the Philadelphia convention of 1787, according to McConnell, was how to achieve the independence, vigor, secrecy, and dispatch necessary for an effective executive without rendering him an elected monarch? Taking advantage of executive power -- which, as the presidents constitutional responsibility as commander-in-chief demonstrates, extends well beyond implementing the law made by the legislative branch -- without opening the door to illiberal and anti-democratic government remains the central question for constitutional government concerning presidential power.

To understand the delegates answer, McConnell argues, we must become students of history. Only by grasping how the Constitutions clauses would have been understood by Americans at the time of the documents drafting and ratification by the states can we appreciate the Constitutions legal meaning. That in turn requires detailed examination of British political and legal history in which the drafters were steeped as well as of the writings of Locke and Montesquieu among other seminal thinkers who shaped the eras leading ideas and major intellectual currents.

Some will disparage -- or praise -- such an approach as conservative. In fact, it lies at the very heart of the judicial enterprise. If federal judges confronting cases and controversies about the supreme law of the land are not construing the Constitution as understood by those who composed it and expressly consented to it -- the authority of which is tacitly affirmed in every generation by those who live under it and enjoy the rights it secures and the prosperity it promotes -- then they depart from the specific grant of power the Constitution assigns to the judicial branch.

Because language is malleable, judges will encounter -- in even the most carefully crafted charters of government -- play in the joints and face the responsibility of filling in gaps, overcoming ambiguities, and reconciling conflicts. Whether they discharge that responsibility in light, or in defiance, of the Constitutions text, structure, and history makes all the difference.

Constitutional text and original meaning are the only hope we have for finding principles that could constrain modern assertions of presidential prerogative, writes McConnell. And the principles of free and democratic government embedded in the Constitution are the only hope we have for establishing a common ground on which to conduct constructive public discourse; refine opinions about law, policy, and politics; and advance the public interest.

McConnell places on a sounder footing the jurisprudence of the presidency and the separation of powers. Legal scholars and experts in political ideas and constitutional government will derive great benefit from his meticulous and trenchant account of the work of the Philadelphia convention; of the distribution between Congress and the presidency of what were considered royal powers in the British political tradition; of the internal logic of Article II; and, not least, of the application of constitutional text and original meaning to classic Supreme Court cases and contemporary controversies about executive power.

Amid the hyper-polarization racking the country, McConnells demonstration of the centrality and wisdom of the Constitution along with the spirit of his argument, at once rigorous and generous, also contribute to the still more urgent task of stabilizing liberal democracy in America.

Once a week Blackstones local head of real estate Chris Tynan wakes up in the middle of the night, drives to the office, and gets on a video conference call to talk deals.

Its usually 2am in Sydney but Monday morning in the US when Tynan and his team meet on Level 39 at Circular Quays Gateway building overlooking Sydney Harbour. Theyre there to pitch their plans to Blackstones top brass including billionaire chief executive Stephen A. Schwarzman and president and chief operating officer Jon Gray.

Chris Tynan, the head of Blackstone real estate investments in Australia Credit:Jessica Hromas

It starts at 10am New York time and that can be midnight for us in the winter, which is terrible, and and a little worse during the summer, he says. [But] these meetings are a hugely important part of our process.

And the reason that its fairly inflexible is because Steve [Schwarzman] and Jon [Gray] attend all of the investment committees during the day.
The UK 's supply of vaccines is secure and the country will be sticking to its rollout timetable, according to International Trade Secretary Liz Truss.

Her comments came after the European Unions executive arm announced it would require vaccine makers to obtain authorization before sending shots manufactured in the bloc to some other countries. The spat has raised concerns over the provision of supplies of the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE shot, manufactured in Belgium, to the UK

We are absolutely confident we can continue to deliver our program," Truss said in a Sky News interview. We have received assurances from the EU that those contracts wont be disrupted. And now I think we need to move forward, working together."

Britain has vaccinated more than 8 million people so far, Truss said.

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

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DOW  Voting last month at the TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow resulted in the election of a surprise winner from a field of much more popular, photogenic and less stinky candidates.

The centers 2020 Critter of the Year winner is Isaac Newton, a 7-year-old turkey vulture who bested majestic bald eagles, sleek foxes, mesmerizing owls and other more glamorous animals to snatch victory from the talons of defeat.

TreeHouse asked the public to send holiday cards or letters during the final weeks of 2020 to their favorite resident animals at the center. Each card or letter counted as one vote, or two votes if the sender added a one dollar or more donation. Center officials quickly uncovered the source of the unanticipated election outcome.

Friends of Col. Stephen R. Miller, U.S. Air Force (retired) of Fairview Heights who sponsors Isaac Newton, created a vote campaign to honor both Miller and his feathered friend. The result was a landslide victory of 65 votes for Isaac Newton. The next closest finishers were Vixey the red fox, 12 votes; Noodle, an albino California king snake, 10; Apache the coyote, nine; and Nyx the bobcat, eight votes.

Patti Brogan of Fairview Heights said the get-out-the-vote campaign for the huge, scavenger bird hatched from a desire to give Miller, a longtime friend, a unique holiday gift.

We always give each other something for Christmas and I wanted to come up with something unusual that wouldnt just lay around the house, Brogan said. I learned about the Critter of the Year contest and thought, This is cool as heck; Im going to recruit some friends and see what we can do.

Brogan and friends sent cards and also mailed cards from their children and pets  all with cash donations enclosed. Even Miller, the man for whom the campaign was started, contributed a card and a cash donation.

Isaac Newton is a pretty cool character. I admire the role that turkey vultures play in the environment, they are very valuable, Miller said. Im a staunch believer in the mission of TreeHouse Wildlife Center and they do a great job.

The election results were unexpected but greatly appreciated, according to TreeHouse clinic supervisor Kerry Lennartz.

The turkey vultures arent the most popular, especially because their enclosure is right next to the eagle enclosure, Lennartz said. Most of the time when people are over there, they are looking at the eagles.

The Critter of the Year voting was all in fun and it garnered a lot of publicity and good will for TreeHouse Wildlife Center, Lennartz said. But the election outcome was a result nobody saw coming, especially when you take a good look  and get a good whiff  of the winner.

One of the turkey vultures main defenses is to throw up. A lot of times when we try to work with them in rehab they continuously vomit, Lennartz said. They are pretty stinky guys, too. They keep cool by continually pooping on their legs.

And thats in addition to having a face that, to put it charitably, isnt ready for prime time.

They are missing the feathers on their head because they are scavengers and they eat really gross meat all of the time, Lennartz said. So when they are going in that carcass they are not getting their feathers caked in old meat.

Isaac Newton was brought to the center in 2014 with wing and neck injuries that were severe enough that he could not be released back into the wild following rehabilitation. His fellow turkey vultures at the center include Einstein, Igor and Karion, a nod to carrion, or road kill, the birds chief source of food.

The Critter of the Year election of Isaac Newton becomes even more strange when you realize he isnt even the most famous turkey vulture at the center. That accolade goes to Einstein, who often goes off site for educational programs.

Einstein has been trained and works well with us, and shes pretty cool, Lennartz said. She likes to spread her six-foot wings and it makes her look bigger and more dominant.

Shes not as bad with the vomiting and pooping either, Lennartz said. She has imprinted on humans so she thinks she is more of a person. So she doesnt get as offended by us being around.

TreeHouse fundraising coordinator Kelly Vandersand was thrilled by the response to Critter of the Year.

We had a great time with this project. It was nice to open so many cards and letters, Vandersand said. The kids letters and drawings were awesome. It was a nice change from all the pandemic issues.

TreeHouse Wildlife Center is located on more than eight acres of land near Dow where the center rescues and cares for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The center receives no government funding and relies on donations, fundraisers, grants and education program fees.
New Delhi, Jan 31 : India's health diplomacy is yielding unexpected results with the United States now joining the United Nations in lauding New Delhi's vaccine heft. On Friday, the newly-appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a conversation with External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, nailed Covid-19 vaccinations as a key dimension of ties during the Joe Biden presidency.

"Warm conversation with Secretary of State @SecBlinken. Congratulated him on his appointment. Look forward to working with him again. Agreed that we could build further on the solid foundation of our partnership. Also discussed our efforts at combating the Covid-19 pandemic," tweeted Jaishankar.

The dialogue between the two top diplomats follows an unexpected praise about India's global role in vaccinations by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

"I would like to say how much we count on India. I mean, India has one of the most advanced pharmaceutical industries. India played a very important role in the production of generics for use that was a very important element of democratisation of access to medicines all over the world," Guterres said during a media interaction in New York on Friday.

He added: "And we strongly hope that India will have all the instruments that are necessary to play a major role in making sure that a global vaccination campaign becomes possible. I think that the production capacity of India is one of the best assets the world has today, and I hope the world understands that it must be fully used." As IndiaNarrative.com reported earlier, nearly a dozen vaccines are in the pipeline in India. The vaccine factory of the world is not only developing indigenous vaccines but also manufacturing vaccines developed by MNCs. The line-up is such that a series of launches will take place from India right till the end of 2021.

India has in the past few days supplied millions of Covid-19 vaccines to countries in South Asia, South America, Africa, West Asia, as well as the Pacific Island states.

After Brazil, Mexico has become the second Latin American country that will be getting an India-made vaccine to inoculate its frontline workers amid the surging Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Mexico will be importing about 870,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from India in February, Mexican President Andres Manuel Loapez Obrdor said on Friday.

India, which has emerged as the "pharmacy to the world" in the war against Covid-19, had dispatched two million doses of the same Pune-made vaccine to Brazil on January 22. This has enabled the Latin American country to kick off its inoculation drive at a time when its Covid-19 death toll has crossed 214,000 which is the second highest in the world after the US.

Mexico, which has been averaging over 16,000 fresh Covid-19 cases every day and has lost 1.55 lakh lives to the pandemic, also has an agreement with UK pharma giant AstraZeneca to produce the vaccine but this is expected to take more time.

India has also exported three million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to Saudi Arabia in a reinforcement of its extended neighbourhood doctrine. All this is happening at a time when India has also launched the world's biggest vaccination campaign within the country.

As many as 92 countries, across the globe have so far approached India for Covid-19 vaccines. While currently two India-made vaccines have been approved for use, Russia's Sputnik V and Novavax of the US are expected to be cleared very soon.

World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has thanked India for its "continued support" in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

"India, the vaccine hub of the world is now stepping into the next level of not only becoming part of a manufacturing supply chain but also a candidate for world class R&D. There's a huge international demand for our vaccines," said Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla in an interview to a news channel recently.

"We expect to see more global players cooperating with their Indian counterparts in the pharma and healthcare sectors. This is likely to go beyond shifting parts of supply chains to India. We expect to see collaborations, manufacturing and R&D tie ups in this field," he added.

Going beyond vaccines, in his conversation with Jaishankar, Blinken told his opposite number that India was Washington's preeminent US partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

"I was delighted to speak today with my good friend @DrSJaishankar to discuss US-India priorities. We reaffirmed the importance of the US-India relationship and discussed ways we can better seize new opportunities and combat shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond," Blinken tweeted after the call.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
BIOS Illuminated logo We already have customers who are specifying SkyBlue technology and we expect as other companies strive to meet WELL Building Standards, they will also.

Today, Kenall debuted a new circadian lighting option from BIOS: SkyBlue, a proprietary circadian solution designed by NASA to promote better sleep, better energy, and better health.

BIOS SkyBlue is a unique, biologic solution that works by using a sky blue (490nm) wavelength, which is found in daylight but is missing from most traditional LED lighting systems. SkyBlue 490nm communicates directly with the human body via non-visual photoreceptors in the eye, known as ipRGCs (photosensitive retinal ganglion cells).

ipRGCs contain melanopsin, a protein, which, when stimulated by light, sends a signal to the body to reset its cycle for the next 24 hours. This triggers several biological processes, including the production of cortisol for morning alertness, and melatonin for a restful nights sleep. The BIOS SkyBlue spectrum optimizes this natural process without complicated controls, energy-sapping increases in illumination, or uncomfortable color temperature changes.

Kenalls Product Marketing Manager, Lynn Walldorf, is enthusiastic about the partnership: We already have customers who are specifying SkyBlue technology and we expect as other companies strive to meet WELL Building Standards, they will also. Our goal is to offer options across many of our markets, including healthcare, behavioral health and cleanroom. BIOS SkyBlue contributes toward satisfying Circadian Lighting Design Feature 54 under the WELL Building Standard v1, and Feature L03 under the WELL Building Standard v2.

About Kenall

Kenall Manufacturing, an independent sector of Legrand, was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1963 and has built a reputation for durable lighting solutions of superior quality and exceptional value. Today, the company creates unique solutions for the healthcare, cleanroom/containment, food processing, transportation, high abuse, and correctional lighting markets. Kenall luminaires are designed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and comply with the Buy American Act (manufactured in the United States with more than 50% of the component cost of US origin). For additional information, visit http://www.kenall.com.

About BIOS

Biological Innovations and Optimization Systems, LLC (BIOS), a NASA spin-off, is a recognized innovator in the biological application of LED lighting. Through continuous research and development, BIOS LED lighting solutions continue to be at the forefront of human-centric lighting and a leader in plant growth lighting. By integrating years of biological expertise, with science first developed for the International Space Station, BIOS is driving the circadian lighting market with a biology first approach and brilliant quality LEDs that can help achieve WELL Building Standards
Were giving an opportunity to come together on important and timely legislation, so why wouldnt you do that rather than trying to move it through with reconciliation and having a fully partisan product? asked Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska and one of the signers of the new letter.

While they have yet to roll out their plan, members of the group said it would omit Democrats proposal for a federal minimum wage increase and scale back direct stimulus payments to individuals, excluding Americans earning more than $50,000 a year or families with a combined income exceeding $100,000.

Lets focus on those who are struggling, Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, said on the CNN program State of the Union on Sunday.

But to Democrats, the scars from 2009 cut deep. First, they believe they were too accommodating to Republicans, who called for restraint in providing stimulus for the economy. Then Democrats saw themselves as sandbagged by Republicans who engaged in prolonged negotiations over health care before pulling the plug entirely, opposing legislation that they had helped draft and inflaming a partisan fight that cost Democrats dearly in the 2010 midterm elections.

This time, Democrats say the new aid must be robust and delivered quickly. They do not intend to allow Republicans to dictate the timing nor the reach of the legislation.

Im not going to let Republican senators stall for the sole purpose of stalling, Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and the incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said on a conference call hosted by the advocacy group Invest in America. He added that his view grew out of his own experience serving as a junior member of the panel during the Great Recession.

Mr. Biden would no doubt prefer to push his proposal through with bipartisan support to show he is able to bridge the differences between the two parties. But the White House has been adamant that it will not chop up his plan to try to secure Republican backing and that while the scope could be adjusted, the changes will not be too substantial.
A list of the best walking and trekking trails near Rome you must experience.

Walking, hiking, and trekking routes at just "a stone's throw" from Rome, all in the Lazio Region.

With its numerous paths and trails, Italy is a paradise for trekking lovers, and since the crisis linked to covid has limited the possibility of sport and movement, a hike in the fresh air is an excellent way to experience Italys outdoors while getting great exercise.

From the sea to the mountains, the Lazio region offers a range of landscapes and paths to shake off the constraints of Rome, open your eyes and stretch your legs. It is one of the best regions of Italy to combine nature, history and hiking. The vicinity to Rome, the cradle of the Roman Empire, makes Lazio a treasure trove for those determined to get outside, from children to history buffs, to athletes.

Here are 10 suggestions for walking, hiking, and trekking routes at just "a stone's throw" from Rome.

1. Necropolis and Waterfalls of Cerveteri

The first route on our list leads to Cerveteri Falls, a wonderful and little-known place. The ruins of a city that the Romans called Caere, and which was a wealthy Etruscan town, can be discovered through the Necropolis of Banditaccia. You can explore different types of Etruscan tombs, and it is one of the UNESCO wonders of Lazio . Here, local associations have collaborated to restore a part of the ancient remains.

Also read: Best lakes around Rome

After the visit to the Necropolis, continue towards the Via degli Inferi and the Necropolis of Laghetto. Among the most majestic points of this trek is are the natural waterfalls located at the end of the route. There is a bookshop, bar and picnic tables at the site of the Necropolis. Ceveteri has restaurants.

Starting Point: a dirt track just before you reach the town of Cerveteri leads to the Fosso della Manganella, which then leads to the archaeological area of the Banditaccia (this part is well-marked by road signs). The return route is the same.

Getting there from Rome:

By Bus: COTRAL buses leave from Lepanto Station (Metro A). The journey time is approximately 1 hour, depending on traffic in Rome. The bus stop in Cerveteri is a 25 minute walk from the archeological site of the Necropolis. By Car: Takes about 1 hour.

Walking time: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Route length: 5 kilometers

Best time to do it: Year round

Level of difficulty: Medium. Suitable shoes advisable due to watery ground.

Visit: The Necropolis of Banditaccia

2. Summit and hermitages of Monte Soratte

Monte Soratte is a singular mountain. It is 691 meters high and dominates the landscape from the Autostrada del Sole, the Via Flaminia and the two Rome-Florence railway lines. Beautiful and wild, it has been a destination for excursions since the late nineteenth century. Often called the balcony of Rome, as it boasts 360 degree views or the Green Lung for its well- preserved nature. Monte Soratte was used as a place of worship since ancient times.

Also read: Best day trips from Rome

You can admire the medieval church of San Silvestro, built on a temple of Apollo, which the volunteers of Avventura Soratte keep open on holidays for hikers. There are also the ruins of quite a few medieval hermitages. The hike will hopefully delight botanical enthusiasts. It starts with a trek half- way along the Tiber valley, over the summit ridge of the mountain, with wide views of the volcanic hills and the Apennine mountains. Dont miss the medieval dwelling of Santa Romana, built in a cave, and the bunker used in 1943-44 by Field Marshal Kesselring, commander of the German troops in Italy (which can also be visited on guided tours of the tunnels and their peculiar history). Sant Oreste has a few restaurants and bars for lunch.

Also read: Exploring Rome's Parks

Starting Point: From the center of the town of Sant Oreste follow the Via Degli Eremi road. There are a variety of well- marked paths to follow.

Getting there from Rome:

By Bus: COTRAL buses leave from Saxa Rubra (A line) and the journey time is 1 hour and 50 minutes. By Car: About 1 hour from Rome.

Walking time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Route length: 3 kilometers

Best time to do it: Year round

Level of Difficulty: Medium. There is a steep point to reach the church and monastery.

Visit: The church of San Silvestro from the 6th century (on weekends or by appointment), the bunker of Monte Soratte, and the Natural History Museum of Monte Soratte.

3. Ring of Monte Calvio and Casalaccio

The Park of Veio spans from between the main roads via Cassia and via Flaminia and goes south along the Grande Raccordo Anulare. This green belt around Rome produces a mitigating effect on the climate and ensures continuity of the natural environment, protecting biodiversity.

Also read: Mountains become accessible to the disabled in Austria and Italy

The Park of Veio, despite having undergone urbanization processes in the past, is still intact and has therefore preserved a high value for its landscape. We propose you follow the trail that is a long ring, a short distance from the Flaminia road, which includes numerous ups and downs and allows you to reach some of the most interesting places in the park, including the summit of Monte Calvio. Although it is only 267 meters high, it offers a magical panorama and silence. The walk is simple, almost completely flat and recommended to those who love excursions with children, who will surely appreciate this place full of history immersed in the Roman countryside.

Starting Point: From the station of Magliano Romano, next to the junction of the provincial road to Campagnano on the Via Flaminia. Next to the road is a parking lot, just beyond is the Ostello di Veio. Follow an asphalt path to the entrance gate to the park.

How to get there: By car: 40 minutes from Rome.

Walking time: 2 hours

Route length: 6 kilometers

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Best time to do it: Year round

Hours: Monday- Friday 9.30am- 1pm

4. On the via Francigena: from Formello to Isola Farnese

The via Francigena is the aorta of Europe. It connects the English cathedral of Canterbury to St. Peter's Basilica through France, Switzerland and five Italian regions. Then it approaches Rome, right through the countryside protected by the Park of Veio. The route we propose starts from the medieval village of Formello, guarded by a castle well worth a visit. Then continues along via di Monte Michele, a dirt road that leads to a necropolis. Finally, you wander around the ancient city in the southern part of the trek, Isola Farnese, a nature- filled gem in the heart of Rome. Here is where you can visit the Sanctuary of Portonaccio di Veio.

Also read: Canale Monterano: deserted village near Rome

Starting Point: From the central piazza of Formello, the medieval town where Palazzo Chigi stands. The return route is the same. Or: From via Cassia you can reach the town of Isola Farnese, with the beautiful fortress of the noble Roman family, and park near the church of San Pancrazio. Once the car is parked, go down the stairs that leave from the square and when you reach the main road, continue to the right. The Park of Veio is very well marked, at each junction you will find indications.

How to get there: By car: 40 minutes from Rome.

Journey time: 3 hours

Route length: 12 kilometers

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Visit: The Museo dell'Agro Veientano and the Shrine of Portonaccio

5. The Etruscan City of Veio

The park of Veio is one of the main attractions of the Roman countryside. Its vastness offers several possibilities for visits, with well marked paths. The name Veio refers to the ancient Etruscan city that once stood on the land. The charm of this place is provided by the Shrine of Portonaccio, built on the ruins of the temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva and dating to 510 B.C. Here you can admire the statue of Apollo, thrown into a ditch around 200 AD and found in 1916. But the most exciting part of this route is the Ponte Sodo. It is a seventy-meter tunnel dug by the Etruscans to allow the flow of the waters of the Cremera, now known as the Valchetta stream.

Also read: Wolves get close to centre of Rome

Starting point: The entrance to the archeological site is located on Via Riserva Campetti. Begin the trek at Mola waterfalls, continue to the Portonaccio shrine, and finish with the Ponte Sodo. Return route is the same. We recommend lunch at the Antico Mulino a Vejo restaurant near the waterfalls.

Getting there: By Bus: No. 32 to Isola Farnese/ Riserva Campetti By car: 40 minutes from Rome.

Journey time: 2 hours

Route length: 6 kilometers

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Visit: The Shrine of Portonaccio

6. Woods and plateaus of Monte Gennaro

Mount Gennaro is the mountain of the Romans. From anywhere in Rome you look, you can see it. With a height of 1300 metres, it dominates the city. It was the sacred mountain of Janus, hence the name Gennaro, and is the natural barrier to the east of the Roman countryside. The classic route to climb to the top of this mountain crosses the Cavalera Valley and then the Pratone (a large grassy field). We recommend an uphill hike, which allows you to overlook the Scarpellata gorge from above, and climbs directly from the small town of Mercellina, even if it is definitely more tiring.

Also read: Visiting the Vatican Museums: All You Need to Know

Getting there: By Car: 1 hour from Rome.

Walking time: 4 hours

The Route: one hour from Prato Favale to Pratone; one hour and a quarter from Pratone to Monte Gennaro; three quarters of an hour from Monte Gennaro to Pratone; one hour from Pratone to Prato Favale

Route length: 8 kilometers

Level of Difficulty: Medium

7. From Genzano to Nemi and around Lake Nemi

The trail from Genzano to Nemi and the lake offer beautiful places to walk. The medieval village of Nemi is one of the most alluring of the Castelli Romani area. The views stretch as far as the Tyrrhenian Sea on clear days. A delicious treat for those who choose to walk this routes that you can buy fragrant strawberries, also offered in bars and pastry shops.

Also read: All you need to know about lake Nemi

On the opposite bank of the crater belt of Lake Nemi is Genzano, a town famous for the Infiorata, which is celebrated during Corpus Christi. The walk that connects the two towns follows the road of the southern Francigena, reaches the Fountain Tempesta, then strays from the famous trail and continues towards the Piagge meadows, on the belt of Nemi Lake, up to the upper part of Genzano town. An easy descent leads to the lake and the Museum of Roman Ships, not to be missed. The excursion is a ring.

Also read: Must-see museums in Rome

Getting there: By Bus: From the Anagnina Metro stop in Rome, take the CoTral bus heading to Genzano. At Genzano, change buses, an get on the one marked Nemi. By car: 1 hour.

Journey time: 3 hours

The route: three quarters of an hour from Nemi to Fontana Tempesta; one hour from Fontana Tempesta to Piazza Dante Alighieri; half an hour from Piazza Dante Alighieri to the Museo delle Navi; one hour from the Museo delle Navi in Nemi

Route length: 9 kilometers

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Visit: Museum of Roman ships in Nemi

8. Amatrice

Amatrice, in the province of Rieti, is known not only for its namesake dish, a symbol of Lazio cuisine in Italy and around the world, but also for the terrible earthquake that devastated the village on August 24, 2016 along with the town of Accumuli. Just outside of the city of Rome, here you can discover some great trekking routes along the 2,458- meter climb of Gorzano, the highest peak in Lazio, as well as on the slightly lower altitudes of Cima Lepri, Pizzo di Sevo and Pizzo di Moscio. However, they are recommended for more experienced hikers.

Also read: Pope visits Amatrice

The walks in the woods and towards the waterfalls that roar between spring and summer are more accessible, but require attention to the slippery ground. Under the Laga mountains, which are the highest in Lazio, there are many beautiful paths, very well marked. On the other side of the basin you can trek around the Pantani lakes, in the territory of Accumoli, and the solitary Monte Pozzoni, which dominates the small town of Cittareale and its castle. You can follow the Cammino delle Terre Mutate, the Sentiero Italia, admire the waterfalls of the Scalette and Barche and stop at the Santuario dell'Icona Passatora, rich in frescoes.

Getting there from Rome: By car: About 2 hours.

Journey time: three quarters of an hour from Retrosi to Capricchia; an hour and a half from Capricchia to the junction for Monte Gorzano; an hour from the junction for Monte Gorzano to Colle Piano; an hour and a quarter from Colle Piano to San Martino; three quarters of an hour from San Martino to Retrosi.

Route length: 11 kilometers

Best time to do it: from May to October

9. Archaeological Park of Vulci

Vulci became famous in 1828, when a farmer broke through an Etruscan tomb with his plow. Since then looting and vandalism have damaged the remains of this very rich archaeological area. But today, thanks to the Municipality of Montalto di Castro, the ruins and the Archaeological Park are protected in part because of the taxes paid by the nearby Enel electrical center.

Also read: I Predatori dellArte at Villa Giulia

The course along the river and the Pellicone Lake, surrounded by rocky walls, make the area charming. The Castle and the magnificent Abbadia Bridge, which crosses the Fiora gorge upstream on the Pellicone Lake, and houses a small archaeological museum, are all worth a visit. Ph: leoks / Shutterstock.com

How to get there: By Car: 1 hour and 30 minutes from Rome

Walking time: three quarters of an hour from the ticket office to the Fiora; half an hour from the Fiora to the Laghetto del Pellicone; half an hour from the Laghetto del Pellicone to the ticket office.

Route length: 4 kilometers

Best time to do it: all year round

Visits: Francois Tomb (please contact the park ticket office) and the Archaeological Museum of the Abbadia Castle

10. Appia Antica

The Appia Antica is one of the wonders of Rome and Italy. Still, today, the ancient Regina Viarum (Queen of Roads) is surrounded by extraordinary monuments. It is bordered by six of the eleven aqueducts of Imperial Rome. All around it lies the Roman Countryside. Inaugurated in 312 BC, the Via Appia connected Rome with Benevento and the ports of Puglia. Today the Appia Antica offers to Romans and tourists a fantastic walk.

Also read: Living on the Appia Antica

You just have to pay attention to the passing vehicles. On weekdays, at any time of the year, it is best to reach the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella by bus and walk along the ancient basolato of Capo di Bove, or start the walk by crossing the Caffarella. Bring snacks or have a picnic along the way!

How to get there: By Bus: From Piazza Venezia take the 118 public bus to Basilica S. Sebastiano. By Car: About 20 minutes from the city center

Walking time: one hour from Piazzale Numa Pompilio to Capo di Bove; three quarters of an hour from Capo di Bove to Casal Rotondo; one quarter of an hour from Casal Rotondo to Via Appia Nuova; three quarters of an hour from Casal Rotondo to Capo di Bove; one hour from Capo di Bove to Piazzale Numa Pompilio.

Route length: 8 kilometers

Best time to do it: all year round

Visits: Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, Villa di Capo di Bove, Villa dei Quintili
A new visa scheme offering millions of Hong Kongers a pathway to British citizenship will go live later on Sunday as the city's former colonial master opens its doors to those wanting to escape China's crackdown on dissent.

From Sunday afternoon, anyone with a British National (Overseas) passport and their dependents will be able to apply online for a visa allowing them to live and work in the United Kingdom. After five years they can then apply for British.

The immigration scheme is a response to Beijing's decision last year to impose a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong to snuff out huge and often violent democracy protests.

Britain has accused China of tearing up its promise ahead of Hong Kong's 1997 handover that the financial hub would maintain key liberties and autonomy for 50 years. London argued it has a moral duty to protect its former colonial subjects.

"We have honoured our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said of the scheme this week.

China has reacted with fury to the visa offer.

On Friday it announced BN(O) passports would no longer be recognised as a legitimate travel or ID document.

The move was largely symbolic as Hong Kongers tend to use their own passports or ID cards to leave the city.

But Beijing said it was prepared to take "further measures", raising fears authorities might try to stop Hong Kongers from leaving for Britain.

- Applications soar -

It is not clear how many Hong Kongers will take up the offer, especially as the coronavirus restricts global flights and mires much of the world, including Britain, in a painful economic malaise.

But a BN(O) passport is available to a huge number of people -- about 70 percent of Hong Kong's 7.5 million population.

Applications for BN(O) passports have skyrocketed more than 300 percent since the national security law was imposed last July, with 733,000 registered holders as of mid-January.

Britain predicts up to 154,000 Hong Kongers could arrive over the next year and as many as 322,000 over five years, bringing an estimated "net benefit" of up to 2.9 billion ($4 billion).

The BN(O) passport is a legacy of Hong Kong's return to authoritarian China.

Many Hong Kongers at the time wanted Britain to grant them full citizenship but China was opposed to the move.

The BN(O) was a compromise, allowing Hong Kongers born before 1997 the right to stay in Britain for six months at a time, but with no working or settling rights.

Now it has become one of the few ways out for Hong Kongers hoping to start a new life overseas as authorities conduct mass arrests against democracy supporters and move to purge the restless city of dissenting views.

- 'A lifeboat' -

Stella, a former marketing professional, plans to move to Britain imminently with her husband and three-year-old son.

"The national security law in 2020 gave us one last kick because the provisions are basically criminalising free speech," she told AFP, asking to use just her first name.

Under the visa scheme, those hoping to move have to show they have enough funds to sustain both themselves and their dependents for at least six months.

Hong Kongers already in Britain who are involved in helping others relocate say many of the early applicants tend to be educated middle-class people, often with young families, who have enough liquidity to finance their move.

"Most people we spoke with are families with primary school or nursery age kids," Nic, an activist with a group called Lion Rock Hill UK, told AFP, asking for anonymity.

Some Hong Kongers began leaving the city even before the new scheme went live.

Earlier this week Britain said around 7,000 people moved over the last six months under a separate Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR) system. They will also be able to apply for the pathway-to-citizenship visas.

"The BNO is definitely a lifeboat for Hong Kongers," Mike, a medical scientist who recently relocated with his family to the city of Manchester, told AFP.

He said many Hong Kongers feared China might stop residents leaving the territory.

"So it is better to leave as soon as possible," he added.





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

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Reporter

Ben Zigterman is a reporter covering business at The News-Gazette. His email is bzigterman@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@bzigterman).
After the Karnataka government asked all school in the state to only charge 70% of the tuition fees for the academic year 2020-21, private school managements in Bengaluru and across the state are criticising the move, with some associations also considering approaching the courts over the matter, the News Minute reports.

Minister for Primary and secondary Education S Suresh Kumar told media persons on Friday that the 30% reduction was arrived at after detailed consultation with all stakeholder including parent associations and school managements.

"Developmental fees, festival fees, or uniform fees cannot be taken. Fees for excursions or use of swimming pool etc. cannot be charged. Private schools should look at parent sympathetically and parent should also realize that it is their teachers who are going without salaries, so this common minimum understanding should help in implementing this solution that we have derived at," he had said.

ALSO READ | Karnataka Schools Ordered to Slash Fees By 30% After Parents Protest: What You Need to Know

Shashi Kumar, President of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary School (KAMS) said that the 30% fee cut ordered would actually be around 50-60% of the fee for schools who charged Rs 25,000 yearly for students.

"We do not know on what factors the government has decided this cut. This is because they have already curtailed development fees, term fees and special development fees; and the yearly increment has already been cut, Shashi said.

He pointed out that for most schools, entry-level admissions had not taken place for classes like LKG, UKG or first standard at all, and that all the deficits had resulted in a cash crunch.

He asked whether the government wanted private schools to pay only 50% of the salaries to the teachers and non-teaching staff, adding that the association may have to approach the courts if the government did not come up with a solution.

President of the CBSE Schools Association M Srinivasan said the state government could not enforce this order "due to an ongoing litigation at the Karnataka High Court".

He said the body was considering all options and exploring whether to go to court again. He said they had already approached the HC, challenging the state governments amendment which has brought non-state board schools under the Karnataka governments ambit. "In that case, the HC in an interim order had said that the state government cannot take any coercive action until the court settles the matter, Srinivasan told the News Minute.

We have already lost more than 25-30% of our revenue, if you account for the 20-30% of parents who have anyway not paid the fees," he said, adding that they not saved money on anything other than transportation, for which most schools had already paid back part of the fees to parents.

Srinivasan asked how they could refund the money that parents have already paid, having spent it on salaries.

He suggested that instead of the blanket fee cut, the government could have opted to specifically help parents in financial turmoil.
Starting Sunday, Hong Kong residents can apply for a special visa which offers them the opportunity to become British citizens. The move by UK has come as a response to Beijings imposition of a national security law in the Asian financial hub last year.

But China is not happy. The two nations have been, for some time, exchanging barbs over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019, and 2020. London says Beijing is trying to silence dissent in Hong Kong.

The new visa move comes amid China and Hong Kong's declaration that they will no longer recognise the British National Overseas (BNO) passport as a valid travel document from Sunday, Jan. 31.

As speculation remains rife over what will happen next, here's a lowdown on how the dispute took shape over the years:

Historical Arrangement(s)

In 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang signed an agreement in the Beijing's Hall of the People to promise Britain to return Hong Kong to China in 1997, in exchange for terms promising a 50-year extension of its capitalist regime.

But wait, the actual arrangements start way back. Let's rewind further.

The United Kingdom actually obtained control over portions of Hong Kong's territory through three treaties concluded with Qing China after the Opium Wars in the 19th century.

Britain invaded China in 1839 during the First Opium War. One of its first acts of war was to occupy Hong Kong. China ceded the island to the British In 1841. At the end of the Second Opium War in 1860, China was forced to cede the Kowloon Peninsula, adjacent to Hong Kong Island, along with other islands.

As an East-West trade hub and as the commercial gateway and distribution centre for southern China, Britain's new colony flourished. And in 1898, Britain was granted an additional 99 years of rule over the Hong Kong colony. Even though the Japanese occupied Hong Kong from 1941 to 1944 during the World War II, it was in British hands throughout many of China's political upheavals in the 20th century.

Coming back to where we started in the Beijing's Hall of the People in 1984, it was the start of the 'one country, two systems' - the principle is enshrined in a document called the Basic Law, which is Hong Kong's mini constitution.

It protects rights such as freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, neither of which exist in mainland China, and sets out the structure of governance.

An Extradition Law, and a Threat to Old Liberties

Hong Kong residents in 2019 began protesting Beijing plans to allow extradition to mainland China. There was fear among critics that the move would undermine judicial independence, as under the 'one country, two system' ensured its people had more autonomy and rights than the rest of China.

In April, the extradition bill - The Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 - that provoked the first outcry was presented. It would have allowed, under some cases, criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China.

Critics said this risked exposing Hong Kongers to abusive treatment and unfair trials. The bill would give China greater control over Hong Kong and could be used to harass activists and journalists, they also argued.

Thousands thronged streets in protest of the bill. After weeks, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam said the bill would be suspended indefinitely. The bill was finally withdrawn in September, but by then, Hong Kong had seen too much turmoil and unrest over the issue.

On October 1, 2019, the city saw violent clashes, while China celebrated 70 years of Communist Party rule.

As protestors fought police with poles, gas bombs and other projectiles, an 18-year-old was shot in the chest with a live bullet. Protesters wearing face masks were then barred by the government. A pro-Beijing lawmaker was stabbed in the street in early November by a man pretending to be a supporter.

How Did the Proposal Come About?

It came about after an alleged murder case. A 19-year-old Hong Kong man allegedly murdered his pregnant girlfriend while holidaying in Taiwan together in February 2018. The man fled Taiwan and returned to Hong Kong, and when Taiwan officials wanted to extradite the man, Hong Kong said it could not comply because of its extradition agreement with Taiwan.

While the Taiwanese government said it would not attempt to extradite the alleged murder under the new amendments, the extradition proposal set fire to alarm, especially for activists, human rights lawyers, journalists, and social workers working under Beijing's eye.

A Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing Kee said he was abducted, detained and charged with operating a bookstore illegally in China in 2015 for selling books that were critical of Chinese leaders.

After Protests, a Law to 'Secure' Hong Kong

In June 2020, Beijing unveiled details of a controversial national security law, which took into effect just before midnight on the eve of the anniversary of its handover from British to Chinese rule on July 1.

The international human rights organisation Amnesty has said that immediately after the laws passage, "authorities started to use it to crack down on legitimate and peaceful expression."

"People were arrested for possessing flags, stickers and banners with political slogans. Police and officials have also claimed that slogans, T-shirts, songs and pieces of white paper could endanger national security and lead to criminal prosecution. Two days after the law was passed, the Hong Kong government declared that Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times, a common political slogan during last years protests, connotes Hong Kong independence, or separating Hong Kong from China, and effectively forbade its use," said Amnesty.

"It is clear that the law will have a severe impact on freedom of expression, if not personal security, on the people of Hong Kong," Professor Johannes Chan, a legal scholar at the University of Hong Kong, told the BBC before the passage of the law.

On July 1 itself, police arrested more than 300 people as protesters took to the streets. Ten were arrested under the new national security law.

That's where Britain stepped in and promised to grant those in Hong Kong with British National Overseas (BNO) passports five years of limited stay to work or study as a pathway to citizenship.

The United Nations too said it was alarmed at arrests in Hong Kong under new law.

These were some of the controversial things carried out under the law, even as international pressure mounted:

 Hong Kongs Education Bureau urged schools to review textbooks to make sure they do not violate security law.

 First person charged under the new law is denied bail.

 New national security office employing mainland agents was set up in a Hong Kong hotel. Protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong was banned in schools.

 On July 14, Beijings top representative office in Hong Kong warned that primary elections to select democracy candidates for Legislative Council elections in September could violate the national security law.

 The University of Hong Kong (HKU) sacked veteran pro-democracy activist Benny Tai on July 28 from his tenured position as an associate professor of law.

 On July 30, Hong Kong disqualified a dozen pro-democracy candidates from running in the September election, citing reasons including collusion with foreign forces and opposition to the new law.

 A day later, Carrie Lam postponed the September election, citing a spike in coronavirus cases.

Britain Steps in

On July 20, Britain announced it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. The UK government has often reiterated that new law restricts the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and "constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration".

Britain says it is fulfilling a historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong after Beijing imposed the security law on the semi-autonomous city that Britain says breaches the terms of agreements under which the colony was handed back to China in 1997.

The UK government forecasts the new visa could attract more than 300,000 people and their dependents to Britain. Beijing said it would make them second-class citizens.

The scheme, which was first announced last year, allows those with BNO status to live, study and work in Britain for five years and eventually apply for citizenship. But China maintains the Wests views on its actions over Hong Kong are clouded by misinformation and an imperial handover.

(With inputs from agencies)
The City regulator's call for banks to reconsider their decision to axe branches during lockdown has fallen on deaf ears.

Barclays, Lloyds and TSB have all confirmed to The Mail on Sunday that their plans to shut between them more than 160 branches in the first three months of this year will not change as a result of the regulator's appeal last week.

They argue that lockdowns during the pandemic have irrevocably changed the way most people now do their banking, resulting in reduced demand for branch-based services and greater take-up of mobile and online banking.

Appeal: Barclays, Lloyds and TSB plan to shut between them more than 160 branches

But those campaigning for wide spread access to cash on the high street beg to disagree. On Friday, Natalie Ceeney, chair of a key report on access to cash, said that 'banks removing such a core part of the cash and banking infrastructure would seriously affect the viability of many high streets'.

She called on the regulator to draw up urgent plans with the banks to ensure nationwide access to cash.

In its statement last week, the Financial Conduct Authority said it was imperative that banks should consider the effect of any branch closures on customers  and where necessary pause or delay closures where there could be a 'significant impact on vulnerable customers'.

But none of the banks that have already announced their intention to close branches this year say they will now pause their plans.

TSB, the country's seventh largest bank, has no intention to halt its branch closures that will result in some 80 branches being shut in the first quarter of this year  and about the same again later in 2021.

TSB believes its closures comply with all the guidelines laid down by the regulator  in terms of contacting impacted customers well in advance.

Since the start of the pandemic in March last year, TSB's branches have been quiet and product sales in branches (for example, current accounts and mortgages) now account for only 20 per cent of all sales  compared to 80 per cent five years ago.

TSB has on average 10,000 customers per branch, below the average for all UK banks of 20,000. Even after all its closures, it will stand at 17,000.

Once the closure programme is complete later this year, TSB will have 290 branches and 480 cash machines, compared to 454 and 655 respectively at the end of last year.

On Friday it said: 'TSB is committed to a national branch network. We are working closely with stakeholders to ensure we support our customers through these changes, particularly in the current environment.'

Lloyds Banking Group is closing 56 branches in March and April. On Friday, it told The Mail on Sunday that these closures would still go ahead  having previously been earmarked for closure last year.

It said: 'We retain our commitment in respect of branches, which is to maintain the largest market share on the high street. Branches remain a vital part of how we serve our customers and we have 1,600. We do not make the difficult decision to close any branch lightly and this is always driven by customer behaviour and branch usage.'

Barclays said: 'We are in regular dialogue with the FCA regarding our approach to branches and on how we're compliant with its branch closure guidance.'

Earlier this month, HSBC said it would be closing 82 branches this year with the first batch earmarked for the axe in late April. In light of the regulator's announcement, it said it would keep the timing of the closures 'under review' and 'amend them as necessary'.

It added: 'We are extremely mindful of the impact branch closures have on individuals and communities and we do not take these decisions lightly.

'We work hard to ensure our customers are given clear information about what is happening and their options going forward.'

Derek French, a longstanding campaigner for a nationwide network of shared branches, describes the FCA's latest guidance to the banks as 'weak' and full of 'get-out phrases'.

He believes the banks are able to justify their closures to the regulator by pointing to the availability of nearby alternative banking services  usually provided by a local post office.

But he says such services often cannot cope with the extra demand caused by bank closures.

'I have no evidence the FCA has tightened up on the rules governing closures,' French says, 'and this latest weak plea confirms it.'

...and they want cashless society, say consumers

Research conducted by cash machine operator Cardtronics indicates that 70 per cent of people believe high street banks are intent on turning the UK into a cashless society.

The survey results come as the regulator debates the raising of the purchase limit on contactless cards from 45 to 100. A year ago, pre-pandemic, it was just 30.

Marc Terry, a director at Cardtronics, believes the findings discredit the argument often put forward by the banks that they are only responding to changing consumer behaviour when they close branches or axe cash machines.

He says: 'Consumers have cottoned on to the fact that the banks' agenda of digitalisation is what is really causing the drop in cash use.' Since the pandemic in March last year, many retailers have stopped taking cash. If the 100 limit on contactless payments gets the go-ahead, it is likely that more retailers will adopt a card-only policy.

Last March, the Government said it would legislate to ensure high street access to cash. But distracted by the impact of coronavirus on the economy, it has yet to do so.

Consumer group Which? has just written to the country's largest eight banks asking them to 'publicly' commit their support to the national network of cash machines operated by Link  as well as the post office banking service. Recent research by Which? suggests that nearly ten million people are not ready  or able  to give up using cash.
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The New Mexico Supreme Court has ordered jury trials to resume Feb. 1, following their suspension because of increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases statewide and potential for further cases after end-of-year holidays. Recognizing public concerns about the coronavirus, all courts have implemented carefully considered, successful measures to protect jurors and trial participants. New Mexicans who reported for jury service during the pandemic overwhelmingly have indicated they felt safe while performing their civic duty.

Jury trials serve as a cornerstone of the American justice system. In criminal cases, many defendants will remain in custody until afforded their constitutional right to a jury trial. In civil cases including business disputes, severe injuries and divorces, parties may have waited years for a jury trial to resolve their cases. While taking appropriate and effective health precautions, it is important to provide jury trials to these New Mexicans.

Public health officials recommend each of us wear a mask, frequently wash our hands, and maintain at least a six-foot physical distance to minimize the risks of contracting the coronavirus. New Mexico Courts follow strict protocols regarding health screenings, masks, distancing at all times, certainly with jurors, and during jury trials. Infectious disease experts indicate that, although new variants of the coronavirus are more easily transmitted during person-to-person contact, masks, distancing and hand-washing are as effective in reducing transmission for the new strains as for the original virus.

Safety protocols in place for jury trials between July and November 2020 will continue for jury trials beginning in February. Reconfigured courtrooms keep jurors at least six feet apart. Jurors, like all courthouse visitors, must wear masks and undergo a health screening daily upon entry into the building. Courtrooms are disinfected regularly, including between uses for common touch surfaces. Everyone in a courthouse has ready access to hand sanitizer. Each juror receives sanitizer, a mask and individual supplies to avoid contact among jurors. Plexiglas barriers separate people in areas with tight spacing. Judges conduct most non-jury court proceedings through online audio-visual systems to reduce the number of people inside courthouses. Interpreters appear remotely, and witnesses can testify by video to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

Juror survey responses during the pandemic attest to the effectiveness of court practices to protect the health and well-being of jurors and others during trials. Of 720 jurors who reported for jury selection and responded to judicially conducted surveys from August to November:

 96.9% stated the courts made efforts to minimize the risk of contracting the coronavirus while in the courthouse;

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

 94.9% responded yes they felt safe throughout their jury service.

 95.4% indicated they received good information about COVID-safe precautions implemented by courts.

The small number of negative responses were individually addressed with each court where those jurors served. When appropriate, the courts adopted adjustments to enhance safety. Anyone who observes a deficiency in adhering to safety protocols should immediately communicate that to the court. In addition, courts invite any suggestions to effectively further enhance the safety of jury trials when they resume.

The judiciary honors those willing to serve as jurors, and all courts take seriously their obligation to keep jurors safe. Feedback from jurors shows that courts are meeting that obligation. On behalf of the Supreme Courts Emergency Response Team, I assure all New Mexicans that the judiciary will continue to protect the health and safety of jurors and everyone entering a courthouse when trials resume in February.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 15:03:32|Editor: huaxia

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Workers of a quartz glass company check quartz tubes at Jinping industrial park of Haizhou District in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 30, 2020. (Photo by Geng Yuhe/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 51.3 in January, edging down 0.6 percentage points from December, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Sunday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction. The PMI remained in the expansion zone for the 11th consecutive month.

The slowdown came as a series of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases temporarily affected the production and operation of enterprises, NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said, adding that the period around the Spring Festival holiday is traditionally an off-season for factory activities.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 12 this year. It is an important occasion for family reunions.

NBS data showed the sub-index for production stood at 53.5 in January, down 0.7 percentage points from December, while that for new orders dropped 1.3 percentage points to 52.3.

The new export order and import sub-indexes edged down to 50.2 and 49.8, respectively.

Sunday's data also showed that the PMI for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 52.4 in January, down from 55.7 in December, which also remained above 50 for 11 consecutive months.

Some surveyed enterprises reported that the epidemic situation had affected the normal arrival of employees and some workers had returned home early for the Spring Festival, thus widening the shortage in staffing, according to the statistics bureau.

Vehicles wait for assembling at a factory of the First Automotive Works (FAW) Group Co., Ltd. in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

In the next stage, macro policies should maintain continuity, stability and sustainability, consolidate the foundation for an economic rebound, and further promote the accelerated recovery of manufacturing and small enterprises, said Wen Bin, chief analyst at China Minsheng Bank.

The country is expected to coordinate COVID-19 control with personnel mobility to meet the workforce needs of enterprises and improve the quality of employment, Wen said in a research note on the PMI data.

Lu Ting, chief China economist with securities firm Nomura, said that to fight the latest wave of sporadic and cluster COVID-19 cases, Chinese authorities have tightened social distancing measures, reimposed some locality-based lockdown measures and travel bans, and encouraged migrant workers to stay in the cities of their workplaces for the impending Lunar New Year holiday.

Lu said these measures will likely dent the recovery in the services sector, especially the hospitality industry, but may provide a small boost to industrial production and construction in south China in the holiday season, as workers would remain at workplaces.

"We expect some pent-up demand for services in the second quarter, boosting GDP growth by 0.2 percentage points," Lu said.

Photo taken on July 16, 2020 shows a container dock in Tangshan City, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)

Last year, China unveiled a series of special measures in response to the epidemic-induced economic fallout. These measures played an important role in stabilizing the Chinese economy amid the ravaging COVID-19 and global economic recession. The country has vowed not to see a "policy cliff" in 2021 as it aims to keep its macro policies consistent, stable and sustainable to support steady economic recovery.

"China's macro policies will be in line with the needs of sustaining stable and sound economic development, and there will be no abrupt turnarounds," Yan Pengcheng, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, said earlier this month.

Yan underscored the necessity of sustaining supportive measures this year, as some micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have just managed to navigate the COVID-19 slump and still need some time to recover.

But some of the temporary and emergency relief policies cannot be used as "long-term solutions," Yan noted.

With the economy gradually restoring strength, China will make more efforts to stimulate the vitality of market entities via reforms and innovation, which will also provide more space for policymakers to maneuver in the face of a more complicated situation in the future, Yan said. 
Perhaps because they are political animals themselves, lawmakers behind the effort to politicize the state appellate courts through gerrymandering apparently cant view governance through anything other than a political lens.

Because some Republican leaders dont like some recent decisions of the state Supreme Court  the 2018 dismantling of the states grotesquely gerrymandered congressional districts, the more recent validation of the states presidential election  they have concocted a constitutional amendment to gerrymander the courts to their own liking.

Members of the General Assembly are elected by districts of roughly equal population to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have equal representation in the political process of crafting of state laws and related policies.

But appellate judges, who now are elected statewide, do not represent constituents. They represent the law, which applies to the entire commonwealth. There is no standard for regional interpretation of state laws. The reason that the lawmakers want to create seven Supreme Court districts, nine Commonwealth Court district and 15 Superior Court districts is simple: divide and conquer. It is a ploy to gain political control of the appellate court system.

That is even more evident in the process that the lawmakers would implement for a transition from the current system to districts. Now, each appellate judge stands for retention election, statewide, after a 10-year term. Under the plan, retention elections would be eliminated and the Legislature would designate which new district would conduct the election for a replacement. It would do the same when a sitting appellate judge reaches the retirement age of 75.

Gerrymandering advocates complain that the appellate court seats too heavily are filled by judges from the states urban centers, especially Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Those areas are, of course, the states population centers. They also are the states centers of commerce and law. There not only are more lawyers in those areas, but a far wider diversity of legal practice than in smaller urban or rural areas. Also, there are far more courts to conduct that business, which translates into more experienced and qualified judges for appellate court seats.

This effort to gerrymander the courts has nothing to do with fair representation or justice. It is a perverse political exercise that voters statewide, who will have the last word via referendum in May, emphatically should reject.
Labour's Shadow Cabinet charged thousands in expenses during lockdown, billing taxpayers for first-class travel, rent - and even hand gel.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner, who boasts of 'standing up for working people', claimed 30,952.98 including 1,600 on 23 first-class rail tickets between London and her Manchester constituency since March.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy chalked 23,083.44 to her expenses, including 8,883.35 on non-office rent and 475.67 in council tax - and 20 on hand-sanitiser gel, new figures reveal.

The Wigan MP, who has called for the British Army to be replaced with a 'gender-balanced human security force', also claimed 2,298.50 in expenses on rail, including 334.50 on railcards.

Though MPs can claim expenses, including the cost of accommodation, they have come under increased scrutiny after a major scandal following the disclosure of widespread misuse of allowances and expenses.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner, who boasts of 'standing up for working people', billed 30,952.98 in expenses to British taxpayers - including 1,600 on 23 first-class tickets between London and her Manchester constituency since March

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy spent 23,083.44 which she chalked to her expenses, including 20 for hand-sanitiser. Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth charged taxpayers 23,865.67, including 72.20 on taxis between his London home and Westminster

The disclosure of more than a million documents and receipts in June 2009 led to a large number of resignations, sackings, de-selections and retirement announcements.

Several MPs and peers were prosecuted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment after the disclosure provoked public anger.

Shadow Business Minister Lucy Powell billed British taxpayers 25,206.49 last year, including 1,141.10 on rail trips including 390 for first-class, and 5.65 for postage - as well as 35 in parking fares.

Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Gill Furniss spent 19,506.31, including 7,136.72 on non-office rent and 780.78 in council tax.

She also travelled first-class 10 times as Covid-19 sparked government pandemic measures including the shutdown of most of the travel industry.

Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Health Secretary, charged taxpayers 23,865.67, including 2,843.20 on travel, of which 72.20 was spent on taxis between his London home and Westminster.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer appears to have billed taxpayers just 13,179.64 in office costs, including 907.62 on stationery

Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Gill Furniss spent 19,506.31, including 7,136.72 on non-office rent and 780.78 in council tax. Shadow Business Minister Lucy Powell billed British taxpayers 25,206.49 last year, including 1,141.10 on rail trips including 390 for first-class, and 5.65 for postage - as well as 35 in parking fares

According to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, the taxis were justified because alternatives were 'impracticable' - a nod to coronavirus restrictions on travel, including the 'stay at home' diktat and the closure of several TfL Tube stations last spring.

Mr Ashworth billed taxpayers 2,600 on rail trips and 11,427.17 on non-office accommodation including 9,625 on rent at 1,925 per month between April and September, and 1,501.63 on council tax.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer appears to have billed taxpayers just 13,179.64 in office costs, including 907.62 on stationery.

Responding to the findings, John O'Connell of the TaxPayers' Alliance told the Sun on Sunday: 'Standard class is good enough for most people.'

Labour has been contacted for comment.
Fears of virus spreading among students; few turn up in class By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s):

Only half of the student population turned up at school last week when classes resumed for grade 11 in the Western Province.

An average of 50 percent attendance was recorded in the 11 education zones in the province. In the Colombo zone, schools had a record low turnout of 26.81 percent on the first two days of the week.

Meanwhile, in Kalutara, schools recorded the highest numbers with 63.84 percent attending. In the Negombo zone, there was 60.60 percent attendance.

Provincial Education Director Srilal Nonis said average attendance was 45 percent on Monday, 49.8 percent on Tuesday and 48.1 percent on Wednesday. On Friday, attendance was 48 percent.

The teacher turn out was high with an average of 90 percent. Nearly all teachers reported to work on Monday, and 87 percent came on Tuesday and 92.5 percent on Wednesday.

The Education Ministry expressed concern over the low turnout in Colombo.

Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera said schools resumed for the benefit of grade 11 to help complete the syllabus for the Ordinary Level examinations in March.

Those who want to come to school, come, he said.

He said he had visited a few schools in Colombo, including Nalanda and Devi Balika Vidyalaya and the children had been happy to return.

Classes will continue, he said. We will not deprive them of their education. However, he agreed that parents are worried about children being infected with the coronavirus disease.

Another issue is transport. Many school vans have not started operating yet and students coming from other districts to Colombo are unable to secure transport.

The Education Ministry statistics said that a number of schools were closed in several zones including two each in Kalutara and Minuwangoda, one each in Homagama, Horana and Kalutara due to various factors such as students testing positive for the coronavirus, students who are first contacts of patients, students in quarantine, and schools situated in lockdown areas.

Meanwhile, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) charged that the Government has resumed schools amid a surge in coronavirus infections last week.

The figure reported is more than 700 a day with most reported from Western Province, the secretary, Joseph Stalin said .

He said all schools in the Hatton educational zone had to be closed last week when nine students and two teachers tested positive. In Galle District, 43 students and teachers in 26 schools are positive.

A school in Kurunegala closed due to a positive patient in class.

Introduce PCR tests or antigen tests for students and teachers before they are allowed in a room, Mr Stalin, said.

Prof. Perera said the decision to test students and teachers has to come from the health authorities and that he is open to the idea. We can request.
Public officials in New York have repeatedly stressed concerns about the possibility of a highly transmissible coronavirus variant taking root in the state, ultimately leading to more strain on hospital systems.

But knowing whether a variant is widespread requires broad and regular genomic sequencing. Now, laboratories in New York are trying to ramp up capacity to do more genomic sequencing, to look at both the whole genome of the coronavirus and specifically at the most important surface protein that indicates whether it is variant. The latter sequencing is cheaper and faster, researchers say.

Genomic sequencing of positive Covid-19 samples in New York is primarily carried out by public laboratories for the state and New York City and by several academic medical centers. The number of sequences performed in a week across the state isnt tracked in one place. In the past week, there were more than 73,000 new Covid-19 cases confirmed in the state.

As of Friday, 42 people in New York state have been found to have a variant first detected in the U.K., and no resident has been found with the South African or Brazilian variants, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Speaking Friday during a press conference, Mr. Cuomo said he knows there is anxiety over any variant causing increased infection rates.

This is a situation where nobody knows whats coming down the road. Nobody knows," Mr. Cuomo said.

Adriana Heguy, director of the Genome Technology Center at NYU Langone, performs genomic sequencing in her lab at a rate of 96 samples a week. In general, she said, more sequencing needs to be done: If there are so few cases of the variants popping up, it is because there isnt enough sequencing.

Everything is logarithmic. Are these variants going to take over? Well, if they took over in other places and theyre getting seeded here, most likely," Dr. Heguy said, unless we have a competing variant. Which is the reason to do genomic surveillance."

Federal officials say the U.K. variant appears to be spreading widely in the U.S. and have warned it could become dominant by March. Minnesota health officials on Monday reported the first known U.S. case of the Brazil variant, and South Carolina health authorities said Thursday they have identified two people infected with the variant first detected in South Africa.

Both Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. with partner BioNTech SE have said their Covid-19 vaccines appear to protect against new variants. Moderna has said it would test if a booster shot improves immune responses. The effort to vaccinate Americans, particularly older and more-vulnerable people, however, has been slow and uneven.

Dr. Peter Palese, chair of the department of microbiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in Manhattan, said vaccines need to be rolled out as fast as possible to limit the spread of current variants, or new onesbecause tomorrow or at the end of the week in another country or another town that theres another variant which is different, and that may change the story."

Genomic sequencing has happened in piecemeal fashion across the country, researchers say. The actual sequencing takes time and can be labor intensive, requiring people and resources. Even moving samples so that there is a good representation of specimens can be an effort, researchers say.

Currently, the Mount Sinai Pathogen Surveillance program aims to sequence 50 samples a week from patients seeking care at Mount Sinai Health System locations, according to Dr. Viviana Simon, professor of microbiology and medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine.

She said the lab is planning an additional sequencing stream to look only at the spike protein of the coronavirus, which would allow us to ramp up sequencing sample volume."

The New York State Department of Healths public lab, Wadsworth Center, is doing the bulk of the sequencing in the state, at a rate of approximately 90 specimens a day. Some 3,400 virus samples have been sequenced at the lab since March 2020, and turnaround takes between two and five days, a spokesman said.

The Public Health Laboratory for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has also done genomic sequencing since March, according to a spokesman for the department. The lab is currently performing whole-genome sequencing at about 145 specimens a week, which is the capacity. There are 13 known cases of the U.K. variant in New York City, the spokesman said, and 10 were identified by the citys lab. Since Jan. 1, nearly 1,500 specimens from city residents have been sequenced, he said.

The Pandemic Response Lab, a private lab contracted by the city to quickly process Covid-19 tests for NYC Health + Hospitals and private hospitals, is expected to begin genomic sequencing of some 2,000 specimens a week by mid-February, according to Will Canine, co-founder of Brooklyn-based Opentrons, which runs the lab.

The 2,000 specimens, Mr. Canine said, would represent in a week about 10% of the positive Covid-19 tests that are reported through the lab. The lab has the capacity to do more sequencing, if there were more resources, he said.





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Back in the late 1990s as the editor of The Australian Financial Review I took a trip to Silicon Valley to see what the fuss was all about.

My first visit was to three Indian guys in a small shopfront who showed how the internet could be used to search classified ads. It was starkly apparent the rivers of gold  the monopoly stream of jobs, homes and car ads that made my sister publications The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age so profitable  were going to one day dry up.

Googles business model put a sharp end to the rivers of gold that made newspapers so successful. Credit:Bloomberg

Later I visited a fledgling Google, then housed in a nondescript glass building in Palo Alto.

At the time there were plenty of search engines all competing with intent. Yahoo was the best known but also Lycos, Excite, Looksmart, Alta Vista. Googles claim to superiority was an algorithm that could cross-reference relevance between sites.
KABUL  Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab received Pakistani Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan to discuss bilateral economic cooperation and the Afghan peace process.

Discussing the Afghan peace process, the Minister Nab emphasized the importance of achieving a comprehensive ceasefire and its impact on improving bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Pakistani Ambassador assured Mr. Nab of Pakistan sincere support for sustainable peace in Afghanistan. He added that peace in Afghanistan supports stability in Pakistan and enhances economic cooperation bilaterally and on a regional level.

Both sides exchanged views on bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidary (APAPPS), revising The AfghanistanPakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), and ongoing trilateral cooperation between Afghanistan-Pakistan-Uzbekistan.


Hayley Vernon has shared her opinion on the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion, which aired on Sunday night.

The former season seven star took aim at former co-stars Seb Guilhaus, 31, and Elizabeth Sobinoff, 29, accusing the pair of 'faking' their split ahead of the reunion special, on which they appeared while still a couple.

In a post shared to Instagram Stories, the OnlyFans star, 32, wrote: 'My opinion is they got paid a big wad of cash by Channel Nine.'

Outspoken: Hayley Vernon (pictured) has shared her opinion on the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion, which aired on Sunday night

Hayley went on to claim that a majority of her season seven castmates believed the pair had timed the announcement of their split to coincide with the show's air date.

The model added: 'They broke up just before the reunion to make hype. 90 percent of our season thought this was fake. The way they acted was cringe'.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Seb Guilhaus and Elizabeth Sobinoff.

Lizzie and Seb found love on season seven of the show last year, before announcing their split in January.

True love? The former season seven star took aim at former co-stars Seb Guilhaus (left) and Elizabeth Sobinoff (right) accusing the pair of 'faking' their split ahead of the reunion special, on which they appeared while still a couple

In a post shared to Instagram Stories, the OnlyFans star, 32, wrote: 'My opinion is they got paid a big wad of cash by Channel Nine'

In an Instagram post, the pair said they had 'mutually decided to end' their relationship.

'We are both respectful of each other and are still involved in each other's lives. We both have cherished each other and have grown together,' Lizzie wrote.

Seb explained how a string of setbacks led to the pair growing apart after he moved from Adelaide to Sydney.

Hype? Hayley went on to claim that a majority of her season seven castmates believed the pair had timed the announcement of their split to coincide with the show's air date

Seb said that despite being kept apart from Liz due to the Covid-19 pandemic for six months, they tried their best to make the long-distance romance work.

Having relocated to Sydney, Seb explained he 'immediately felt totally isolated'.

Seb was then left heartbroken after learning his cat, Little Savage, had died in Adelaide.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 crisis continued to take a toll, forcing Seb to cancel his wellness seminar.

Over: Lizzie and Seb found love on season seven of the show last year, before announcing their split in January. In an Instagram post, the pair said they had 'mutually decided to end' their relationship

Unfortunately for Seb, he also fractured his leg and damaged three ligaments after his first game for his new footy club, the Inner West Magpies.

He then had a traumatic near-death experience while driving back to Adelaide when his car exploded in flames.

At the time, the car was filled with thousands of dollars worth of equipment and belongings, which were destroyed.

Upon his return to Adelaide, the couple announced their split.
Former judge, Patricia Bergin will hand down her report into Crown Resorts this week. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit:

Crown Resorts tense wait for Patricia Bergins verdict on its suitability to operate a Sydney casino is coming to an end: the former judge is set to hand her report to the NSW gaming regulator on Monday.

But it might be another fortnight before the public  and Crown executives  are able to read Bergins recommendations, given the Independent Liquor and Gaming Regulator wants to consider the findings in private before making the report public.

Let rumour and speculation about the impact on major shareholder James Packer reign.

But that hasnt stopped Crown from pushing the accelerator on board renewal in the hope of persuading the regulator on its suitability to run the casino in Sydney.
Active military personnel and veterans are over-represented among the first 150 people to be arrested and have records released for federal offenses in the violence and insurrection at the US Capitol.

Analysis by CNN of Pentagon records and court proceedings show 21 of the 150, or 14%, are current or former members of the US military. That is more than double the proportion of servicemen and women and veterans in the adult US population, calculated from Census Bureau and Department of Defense statistics. In 2018, there were 1.3 million active-duty members of the services and 18 million veterans. Together, they comprised just 5.9% of the overall 327 million US population at the end of 2018.

Two of those arrested are in the Army, and two are National Guardsmen. Of the 17 veterans, six are former Army, eight are former Marines, two served in the Navy, and one was in the Air Force. Their service records show at least one served in Vietnam; others were deployed in the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq. At least one earned a Purple Heart. They were discharged with a variety of ranks and included officers -- a captain and a lieutenant colonel.

And on January 6, the active and former military personnel are accused of declaring a war at home -- attacking the Constitution they once swore to defend, some even equipped with military gear and weapons.

The world watched as hundreds of rioters stormed the US Capitol in what became a deadly insurrection. Five people died due to the events at the Capitol that day, including a police officer hit in the head with a fire extinguisher and a woman trampled to death.

Analysis of the charges faced by some of the veterans show prosecutors say they led the violence and lawlessness that disrupted the certification of President Joe Biden's election win.

There are also alleged links between some of the veterans and extremist groups.

Veterans and Proud Boys

CNN tracked down 9 of the accused veterans.

The most well-known of those arrested so far is Joseph Randall Biggs. The 37-year-old is an Army combat veteran. He is also one of the leaders of the far-right Proud Boys group that is known for violent clashes with anti-fascists or Antifa during protests from Portland, Oregon, to Washington, DC.

Biggs became an online personality of the far-right, spouting bombastic and sometimes violent rhetoric toward women and Antifa.

As far back as 2012, there were a plethora of tweets mentioning sexual violence on his @RamboBiggs account, which has been archived by the Media Matters For America group.

One said: "Every Kiss begins with ... Roofies." -- a reference to Rohypnol, the "date rape drug."

Biggs tweeted a rallying cry of "DEATH TO ANTIFA" and called on others to get guns and ammunition to take to a rally in Portland. His account was suspended by Twitter in 2019 for repeatedly violating the terms of service.

One of his self-titled online shows was still being featured on a right-wing subscription website a week after his arrest. It began with computer-generated explosions, and a tank firing out the letters B-I-G-G-S.

On January 6, Biggs is accused of going far beyond rhetoric.

In video CNN has reviewed from January 6, Biggs is seen commanding his Proud Boy troops and guiding them to the Capitol steps.

Federal prosecutors say he "did aid, abet, counsel, command, induce, or procure others to unlawfully enter the U.S. Capitol by means of destruction of federal property."

He is charged with unlawful entry, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding of Congress.

In the criminal complaint, federal agents say Biggs was among the first to enter the Capitol during the mob attack.

One of Biggs' Proud Boys, Dominic Pezzola, who has been charged with several crimes including conspiracy, is shown on video smashing a window of the Capitol with a plastic shield, which several people climb through before a door was opened.

Pezzola's lawyer said he was "denied contact" with his jailed client, which, he said, undercut his ability to mount a "meaningful legal defense."

"Hey Biggs, what do you gotta say," a voice off camera says in a video reviewed by the FBI. "This is awesome." Biggs replies on camera before walking into the Capitol building within 20 seconds of the door opening, the FBI agent alleged in court documents.

CNN visited Biggs' home in Ormond Beach, Florida, just north of the Daytona International Speedway, to hear what he had to say now that he is out on bail and on house arrest.

He peeked through a curtain on his door when we identified ourselves, but stayed mostly hidden.

When asked if he was an insurrectionist, Biggs replied, "Oh God no."

But as we pressed for why he was inside the Capitol building, he threatened to call police.

"If you don't get the f**k out of here, I'm calling the police right now," he said, pushing his phone around the curtain to take video.

Proud Boy and would-be politician

A four-hour drive south from Biggs is the Miami home of Gabriel Garcia, a former Army captain, now a Proud Boy extremist who is also accused of involvement in the insurrection.

Last year he ran for the Florida House of Representatives as a Republican, though he told CNN affiliate WPLG at the time there were questions about the election system. "There's people starting to doubt this process," he said then. Garcia lost in the Republican primary.

Now he is charged with "certain acts during civil disorder, aiding and abetting; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds."

According to the federal complaint, Garcia was inside the Capitol when he said on a video: "We just went ahead and stormed the Capitol. It's about to get ugly."

The affidavit says he called police who were trying to stop the siege "f**king traitors."

But when we tried to get comment from him, he had no problem calling the Miami-Dade police.

He is free on $100,000 bail, WPLG reported. His lawyer told the station, "He didn't commit any violent acts up there and didn't intend to."

'Revolution' call allegedly from dog rescuer

In the Texas city of Longview, between Dallas and the Louisiana border, Ryan Nichols lives in a gated community with large homes and big lawns.

A neighbor called police to try to stop us from approaching Nichols' house. Down the street at Nichols' wholesale business, a man refused to say if he was inside and threatened to call 911.

Nichols, 30, says in an ad that he has made "millions of dollars here on the e-commerce platforms" and claims he can help others do the same.

A former Marine, Nichols was once featured on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2018 after video of his work rescuing dogs during Hurricane Florence was shared widely over the internet.

On January 6, federal prosecutors say Nichols was at the Capitol with a Texas buddy called Alex Harkrider, who is also a former Marine.

The FBI says Nichols can be seen on video yelling through a bullhorn towards the large crowd, "If you have a weapon, you need to get your weapon!"

The complaint says another video shows Nichols shouting, "This is the second revolution right here folks! [...] This is not a peaceful protest."

A person who recognized the men told the FBI according to court documents: "I have photo screen shots from their social media pages showing they were there and showing Alex stated they were planning a civil war."

The complaint says Nichols had a canister of OC/pepper spray and a crowbar with him and sprayed what is believed to be pepper spray toward the Capitol entrance where federal agents were trying to stop the attack.

Federal agents obtained a Snapchat photo they said was "apparently shared by Harkrider."

"We're in. 2 people killed already. We need all the patriots of this country to rally the f**k up and fight for our freedom or it's gone forever. Give us liberty, or give us death," the caption read.

He and Nichols are charged with conspiracy and unlawful entry with a dangerous weapon, violent entry or disorderly conduct, civil disorder, assaulting a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon, and aiding and abetting, according to a federal complaint.

They both remain in jail.

Purple Heart recipient lives with parents

Three hours south, in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, Army veteran Joshua Lollar is staying with his parents as part of his bond requirements.

The home is part of a planned community with tree-lined streets and large brick homes at the ends of long driveways.

It's a far cry from Iraq, where Lollar was deployed, and from Washington, DC, on January 6.

A screen capture of Lollar's Facebook account shows a picture of people wearing red "Make America Great Again" hats entering the Capitol, with a caption saying "busting in."

The complaint against him said he was livestreaming on Facebook while taking part in the siege. He is also captured on police body camera video admitting to violence against officers, the affidavit says.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just got gassed and fought with cops that I never thought would happen," Lollar posted on Facebook, the affidavit said.

Lollar's father came out of his home, holding a small fluffy dog. After greeting CNN in a soft voice, he said, "I can't tell you anything."

He did confirm his son was an Iraq war veteran, awarded a Purple Heart.

Lollar told a federal court hearing he lives with his parents, is being treated for PTSD, and has been receiving disability since 2009, according to CNN affiliate KPRC, which attended the hearing. He has been charged with numerous offenses including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, obstructing or impeding law enforcement officer during civil disorder and obstructing federally protected functions.

Lollar was released on bond. The court ordered that guns, body armor and gas masks be secured by Lollar's father.

"He will have no knowledge of where they are," Grover Lollar told the judge, according to KPRC.

More veterans accused of conspiracy

The first people to be charged by federal officials with conspiracy in connection with the insurrection are all veterans. Jessica Watkins, who served in the Army under another name, is also accused of being part of the far-right Oath Keepers.

The complaint against her says she conspired with former Marine Donovan Crowl and Navy veteran Thomas Caldwell.

CNN has reached out to the arrested veterans mentioned in this story and any lawyers listed on their court documents. Most did not respond. Lollar's representative said his client had no comment at this time.

CNN is continuing to keep count of the number of military members arrested in connection to the insurrection, as well as police officers and others who have been trained or prepared for combat in the name of the United States.

"What we've seen too often is that this kind of ideological militancy is allowed to exist in the military," said former FBI agent Michael German who spent years undercover in White supremacist and domestic extremist groups and is now a fellow at the Brennan Center For Justice. "And there isn't enough effort to root it out and to actually paint it as what it is: an anti-democratic movement that's a threat to our security within our security forces."

But he added that the threat extended outside the armed forces and law agencies.

"It's not just the military veterans and the police officers who were involved in the violent and illegal activities, but the fact that these groups that have been engaged in militant violence across the country over the last four years and beyond have support among elected politicians."
The Budget session began on January 29 with President Ram Nath Kovind's address to both houses of the Parliament. Today, FM Sitharaman will present the Budget in the Parliament.

The Budget for FY22 will come on the backdrop of an economic contraction of 7.7 per cent.

The making of India's Union Budget kicks off with a customary ritual, called the 'halwa ceremony' in the presence of the Finance Minister and the Ministry of Finance staff. Officials who are tasked with printing the budget are kept in total isolation in North Block to maintain complete secrecy.

Some legal experts from the law ministry, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) officials are also part of the team. A few days before the Budget speech, a few Press Information Bureau officials also join into work on press releases.

Initially, the Budget documents were printed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, after a leak in 1950, the printing venue was shifted to a press at the Minto Road in Delhi. And, in 1980 the printing venue was shifted to North Block in the national capital.

Blue Sheet, a secret sheet, is maintained during the Budget preparation process. The Blue Sheet is called so as the colour of the sheet is blue. The Blue Sheet comprises significant numbers from the Budget and is constantly updated throughout the process of Budget formulation. The secrecy of the Blue Sheet is entrusted to the Joint Secretary of the Finance Minister. Only a handful of very senior officials get to actually see the Blue Sheet.

Additionally, to prevent any cyber theft, the e-mail facility on the computers of the finance ministry gets blocked as the Budget day approaches. The computers inside the press area are delinked from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) servers.

The Delhi Police, as well as, Intelligence Bureau keeps a close watch on movements of finance ministry officials.

On the day of the Budget, the Finance Minister first visits the Rashtrapati Bhawan to brief the significant points of the Budget to the President. Next, the FM meets the Prime Minister and briefs him and his cabinet about the salient features of the Budget. After which the Finance Minister visits the Lok Sabha where the annual general Budget is presented.

Also Read: Budget 2021: Will schemes for women receive a push?

Also Read: Budget 2021: Will FM Sitharaman balance between growth and inflation?
CNN -- The Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

A member of the Norwegian Parliament made the nomination Saturday, praising Black Lives Matter for bringing a new awareness of racial justice.

Proponents say it is a similar situation to when the Nobel Peace Prize went to Martin Luther King, Junior fifty years ago.

They also compare it to Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress, who were honored twice.

An estimated 20 million Americans have taken part in Black Lives Matter protests, and millions more have made their voices heard globally.

Monday is the deadline for submission for the Nobel Peace Prize and the nominating committee should have a short list in March.

The Parliament member nominating Black Lives Matter says it may be a long shot to win, but its important to spark the discussion.

A far right member of the Norwegian Parliament is also said to be nominating former President Donald Trump for his work on middle east peace.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Kathy Alvarez has been slinging tacos since Richard Nixon left the White House in disgrace, Ford Pintos graced local car lots and bell bottoms ruled the fashion scene.

It was 1974 and Alvarez was not even a year out of high school. A failed attempt at Bible school left her wondering what to do next. She had pictured herself living on a sprawling campus with many other students, but that wasnt quite what she found once she arrived.

That only lasted two weeks, she said. I thought it would be a large campus. It was 10 people living in the back of the church. I left.

Alvarez had worked at a small restaurant for her pastor as a teenager. There was a small building along Isleta Boulevard. Her mother encouraged her to start her own business there, so she did. Kathys Carry Out opened on April Fools Day 1974.

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We didnt get a loan and we didnt get new stuff, she said. Because we didnt know if we would make it. We went to garage sales to find things. I bought canned sodas because I didnt even have a soda machine.

The irony, though, is that Alvarez doesnt like to cook.

I dont even cook for my husband at home, she said. I bring food from here or we go out to eat.

She leaves that part of the business to her employees but said she opened a restaurant because she always wanted to be her own boss.

Alvarez and the restaurant have become South Valley staples. She said people have a negative view of the South Valley, but its a tight-knit community full of friendly people. She spent much of her time growing up in the South Valley and graduated from Rio Grande High School in 1973. Her family had moved away to another part of town by that point, but Alvarez was willing to ride home on the city bus so she could continue attending school at Rio Grande.

Her niece Ava Holley, who worked at the restaurant as a teen, said her aunt takes great pride in being located in the South Valley. She donates to local teams and people she served at her restaurant as children are now coming in with their grandchildren. Holley said her customers know shes a part of the community and that she cares what happens to them.

She comes off as this tough person because she doesnt always smile, Holley said. But she is everyones second mom. Shes the loving, caring person everyone needs in their lives.

Holley said her aunt is very much a minimalist. She might now have a credit card machine but everything is still prepared the way it was in 1974.

She has kept the same recipes, Holley said. It has not changed. When I worked there as a teen, peeling 100 pounds of potatoes was no fun.

The restaurant was initially located in the small, rundown building next door to her current location. It was painted a bright purple and only had enough room for a kitchen. There was no indoor seating or a drive-thru. Customers had to walk up to a window and order face-to-face.

When the owners decided to raise the rent in 2007, Alvarez decided it was time to build her own place. She bought the property next door and built a larger restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, a drive-thru and finally a credit card machine.

Covid-19 has brought challenges, but business is still booming.

Alvarez attributes a lot of that to her loyal customers. She has elected to close her outdoor seating area because she said it was too hard to police social distancing and she didnt want to be constantly battling with her customers. This can mean long waits of up to 30 minutes to get food. Customers must call in their orders and pick it up at the drive-thru.

Richard Lucero, 63, has been going to Kathys for 30 years with his wife Amalia.

That line is down the road on Isleta sometimes, he said. But its worth it. Its all like homemade.

True to her practical nature, Alvarez has not tried to turn her Kathys Carry Out into anything more than a place to get a good meal. She once tried opening another location in Los Lunas but came to the realization she only wanted to run one restaurant and the only place she wanted to do that was the South Valley.

I was a workaholic when it first opened, she said. I worked day and night. Now I can come when I want and leave when I want. It runs itself. I want to celebrate 50 years in business and then well see whats next.

Kathys Carry Out

823 Isleta Blvd. SW, 505-873-3472. Call to place an order and for the most current operating hours.
Over 70 people have been reported for attending a boat party in Ealing, West London, and are under consideration for a fixed penalty notice of 800 each.

Met Police were called to Volt Avenue, North Acton shortly after 11pm on Saturday, 30 January to reports of a large gathering on a moored boat.

The group was dispersed and a total of 72 people were reported for the consideration of fixed penalty notices of 800 for attending an indoor gathering of more than 15 people in breach of the coronavirus regulations.

The organiser was identified and reported for consideration of a 10,000 fixed penalty notice.

Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Bowen, of the Metropolitan Police, said: This was a blatant breach of the coronavirus rules that are in place to save lives and protect the huge pressure on the NHS.

All the people who attended this event, which appears to have been organised on social media, have quite rightly been reported for the consideration of fines.

The Met will continue to shut down and disperse events such as this, which risk spreading a virus that has already claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people in this country.
A Korean woman in a palanquin in the late 19th century. Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff





Japanese military officers in Korea in the early 20th century. Robert Neff Collection A corpse wrapped in straw in the late 19th century. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection

On January 22, 1904, a palanquin stopped in front of the gates of Deoksu Palace and a young woman got out and approached the guards. She declared that she was "the daughter of Heaven" and had come to advise Emperor Gojong as to what steps to take in the coming year. She was promptly arrested and taken away. What became of her is unclear but there were some  including Homer Hulbert  who thought it was "rather a pity she was not given a chance."



Within months, following the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in early February, the Korean Peninsula was awash with foreign troops and displaced refugees. Political unrest was rampant and in Seoul there were several assassination attempts  some even made with incendiary bombs.



Adding to the misery of the people was the bitter cold and the shortage of food. On January 6, eight Korean soldiers on duty in Seoul, unable to endure the excessively cold temperatures, deserted their posts. In an effort to boost the soldiers' morale, additional money was provided to the soldiers of the twelve regiments of Seoul  apparently, at least for a short time, it worked.



The common people, however, were suffering as much  if not more  than the soldiers. One night three citizens froze to death in the streets. A couple of days later, a dead woman was discovered with a baby at her breast  both were frozen stiff.



Conditions in the countryside were even worse. The Korea Review  an English-language magazine published in Seoul  reported:



"Great suffering is being caused in [Gongju] by the failure of the semi-annual fair. People are afraid of highwayman and war rumors are rife; so neither buyers nor sellers came up to the fair and the people of the town find it extremely difficult to get rice at any price. A foreigner recently offered to pay any reasonable figure for a few bags of rice but found it impossible to buy. No one would even name a figure."



William B. McGill, an American Methodist missionary-doctor in Gongju, recalled that while walking through the city he encountered a group of beggar boys huddled around a small fire of straw and sticks. The boys had discovered a dead dog in the sewer and were attempting to burn off the hair and cook the frozen carcass  they succeeded in only singeing the flesh.



McGill recalled that "it was a very sad sight to see the little fellows fight for the possession of the only knife in order to cut off a piece of the meat." One young lad managed to secure the dog's head as his share of the carcass and triumphantly declared to the American doctor that it was the best part of the dog.



According to another missionary  who heard the tale from McGill  the beggar boys' "clothes are black & filthy. Some are orphans, some of their mothers married again & abandoned their children. They get used to begging & will not work."



To escape the bitter cold, the boys often went to the local butcher shop and slept in front of its fireplace. At the end of the day, the butcher would apparently allow the fire to die and the eight or ten boys  in an effort to stay warm  would crawl into the furnace and huddle together. Sometimes they entered too soon and were badly burned by the contact with the hot stones on the sides of the fireplace. These children were then forced to seek medical attention from Dr. McGill. Some children were beyond help.





Gongju in the early 20th century. Robert Neff Collection
Click here to read the transcript of tonights live baseball chat.
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi sent messages to Arab leaders to express Egypt's intention to re-nominate Aboul-Gheit as the AL chief for another five years, Rady said in a statement on Saturday.

Cairo, Jan 31 (IANS) Egypt will re-nominate Ahmed Aboul-Gheit as Secretary General of the Arab League (AL) for a second term, Egyptian Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said.

He added that Cairo is looking forward to the leaders' support for this nomination, reports Xinhua news agency.

The spokesman explained that the re-nomination comes within the framework of the great interest that Egypt attaches to the work of the AL which serves Arab peoples.

This characterized the role of Aboul-Gheit during his first term of wise management for the joint Arab action, Rady added.

The first term of the 78-year-old Secretary General will end this June.

He had earlier served as Egypt's Foreign Minister from July 2004 to March 2011.

The AL was formed in Cairo in March 1945 initially with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

Yemen joined as a member in May 1945.

Presently, the regional organisation has 22 members, but Syria's participation has been suspended since November 2011.

--IANS

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New York Citys Department of Education has taken its first steps toward reopening middle schools and high schools, all of which have been closed for in-person instruction since November as the result of rising coronavirus infection rates across the city.

The agency sent an email to middle school principals Saturday to prepare for the possibility of reopening, asking them to complete a School In-person instruction survey" by Feb. 5. The survey asked them to detail their capacity to provide in-person instruction 5 days a week."

We are encouraging your school to begin planning on how you will serve all blended learning students in-person as many days per week as possible, which may necessitate modifying previously assigned teacher programs," the agency said in the letter.

We know that many schools were already providing 5 days of in-person instruction per week to some or all their students prior to transitioning to full remote, and many more will be able to based on their in-person attendance and space," the letter read.

The DOEs letter follows statements by Mayor Bill de Blasio in recent news conferences saying that he would release a plan in February about when the city plans to reopen middle and high schools. The official reopening could happen in the spring, he said, depending on the availability of vaccinations and testing. The mayors statements are drawing concern from the citys teachers union, which says testing and tracing in the citys schools is at capacity," and vaccination is lackluster."

The city is barely managing all the aspects of the current random testing program and tracing requirements," said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, which represents 120,000 DOE employees. They are not prepared to handle any additional schools."

In a Friday press conference, Mr. de Blasio said he anticipates that middle and high schools will open during this school year.

Obviously, the big factors here are whats going on with the coronavirus, in general, whats going on with the variants, whats going on with the vaccine," he said.

Middle schools would reopen first, and then the city would work our way up to high school," Mr. de Blasio said.

The city is vaccinating teachers and school staff, and Mr. de Blasio said the reopening effort will rely on having enough testing capacity.

The DOE letter told principals to review their ability to provide for students with disabilities, students in shelters, multilingual learners and those needing academic interventions."

DOE spokesman Nathaniel Styer said the agencys goal is to bring students back in-person for as many days a week as possible, while maintaining our high health and safety standards.

We are surveying school leaders to determine their capacity to serve blended learning students in-person as many days as possible, as well as what additional resources and support they might need for a safe return to school buildings," he said.

The survey is similar to the one given to elementary school principals before reopening for 5-day-a-week instruction in December.

The nations largest school district has had a rocky school year due to the pandemic. Teacher shortages and concerns about the districts Covid-19 testing plan delayed the start of in-person instruction until late September. Mr. de Blasio suspended in-person classes on Nov. 19 after the rate of positive Covid-19 tests in the city over a seven-day average hit 3%, a threshold set by city officials before the academic year as a trigger for closures.

Schools reopened in December offering in-person learning a few days a week for students in preschool programs and kindergarten through fifth grades. Middle and high-school students have had remote learning only.

The citys testing of school staff and students has shown a low infection rate in classrooms, leading officials to reconsider the 3% mark for closures. City officials have said that some decisions regarding school closures are being made on a school-by-school basis using state guidelines.

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Sources inside the preselection event, held in Ivanhoe, said Mr Wolahan received hostile questioning about why he was challenging a candidate who was endorsed by a sitting prime minister and two former leaders  Tony Abbott and John Howard. Mr Andrews was backed by the conservative faction in the party, led by Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar, and the result is a blow to Mr Frydenberg, who supported his colleague during the preselection campaign. Former prime minister Mr Abbott and senior federal ministers, including Greg Hunt, made calls to delegates on behalf of Mr Andrews last week. Mr Wolahan campaigned on a call for renewal in Menzies. He did not seek high-profile endorsements, but was backed by more moderate elements in the party. Mr Frydenberg told delegates after voting commenced that he would support whoever the successful candidate was. A total of 292 of 318 eligible delegates attended the preselection convention. He said the Liberal Party had started a new chapter in the seat of Menzies.

Kevin Andrews has served the people of Menzies and the people of Australia with distinction for nearly 30 years, Mr Frydenberg said. In that time he has held a number of senior portfolios in a Coalition government and continues to perform senior roles in Scott Morrisons parliamentary party ... Kevin, thank you for your outstanding commitment to Liberal values, to your electorate, to your country. The Treasurer also praised Mr Wolahans credentials and said the duo performed brilliantly during the preselection battle, which he said was democracy in action. Mr Wolahan was the first person to attempt to unseat a federal Liberal in Victoria since Mr Frydenberg unsuccessfully challenged Petro Georgiou in Kooyong in 2006. The last successful preselection challenge was in 1990 when future ministers Peter Costello and David Kemp won battles against sitting members Roger Shipton and Ian Macphee in the safe Liberal seats of Higgins and Goldstein. The contest was predicted to be neck-and-neck by both camps in the lead-up to Sundays event at Ivanhoe, where local delegates heard speeches from the two candidates and held a question and answer session.

While Mr Frydenberg spoke at an event with Mr Andrews and supported his federal colleague, he was not active behind the scenes in the same way his federal colleagues Mr Sukkar and Mr Hunt were. Mr Frydenberg met with Mr Wolahan in recent weeks and the pair have a respectful relationship. The administrative committee met and endorsed the votes outcome on Sunday afternoon. Mr Wolahan  who completed three tours of Afghanistan in the 2nd Commando Regiment of the Australian Army, including as platoon commander, and who has a degree from Cambridge  was touted as a potential rival to Mr Andrews for many years and appealed to local members to renew the party by electing him as the candidate. The barrister did not seek high-profile endorsements and relied on the support of local community members. Mr Andrews campaign focused on his three-decade career, during which he opposed voluntary euthanasia laws and the introduction of abortion medication RU486. He outlined a fresh five-year plan and had endorsements from a cohort of federal ministers including Health Minister Mr Hunt, Trade Minister Dan Tehan, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, former prime minister John Howard, and News Corp commentators Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin, who spoke at events in support of Mr Andrews.
Police maintain a presence at Clapham Common during the anti-lockdown demonstration in London, England, on Jan. 9, 2021. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images)

UK Police Break up London Boat Party With Over 70 Guests

British police on Saturday night broke up a party being held on a boat with more than 70 guests in attendance, in breach of CCP virus restrictions, London police said.

The Metropolitan Police said it received reports of a large gathering on a moored boat on Saturday evening.

Officers arrived at the venue in Volt Avenue, North Acton, at 2300 GMT local time and saw more than 70 people at the party.

The group was dispersed and a total of 72 people were reported for the consideration of fixed penalty notices of 800 ($1,096) each for breaching COVID-19 lockdown rules.

A total of 72 people have been reported for the consideration of a fine after they attended a party on a boat in #Ealing last night. DCI Thomas Bowen said: This was a blatant breach of the Coronavirus rules that are in place to save lives.https://t.co/QCzGh0O3eR  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) January 31, 2021

The 800 fine, which was introduced last week by Home Secretary Priti Patel, applies to those who attend gatherings of more than 15 people in homes.

The organiser of the boat party was identified and will face a 10,000 ($13,705) fine, police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Bowen said the party appears to have been organised on social media.

Also on Saturday, Essex police broke up a house party at a vacant rental property, which was attended by 18 people.

18 revellers fined after breaking COVID regulations at illegal house party in #Epping #protectingandservingEssex More here: https://t.co/CrtA85nHOH  Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) January 31, 2021

When officers attended the venue in Bury Road, Sewardstonebury, at 1700 GMT, they were initially refused entry from those inside who claimed to be making a music video, police said.

When they finally got inside, the officers found 18 individuals clearly having a party while others were still arriving at the property.

All 18 people present were fined 800 each for breaching CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus restrictions and an investigation is under way to establish who organised the event, said the police.

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, Mary Clark, and Lily Zhou contributed to this report.


10 GOP Senators Offer Alternative Pandemic Relief Plan, Seek Biden Meeting

A group of 10 GOP senators on Jan. 31 called on President Joe Biden to support their alternative CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus stimulus package and asked the president to work with them on passing the measure.

The lawmakers said in a letter to Biden that they welcome the opportunity to work with [him] in a bipartisan manner to combat the COVID-19 virus and provide continued support to families struggling during the pandemic.

In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support, they wrote (pdf). We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic.

Brian Deese, the director of the White Houses National Economic Council, told CNNs State of the Union that the White House received their letter.

Weve received the letter and we certainly will be reviewing it over the course of the day, Deese said. What I will say is that the provisions of the Presidents plan, the American Rescue plan, were calibrated to the economic crisis that we face.

The proposal is about $600 billion, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), one of the lawmakers, said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Thats less than a third of Bidens $1.9 trillion package.

Biden has said hes open to passing portions of his proposal via reconciliation if Republicans reject the measure. That includes $1,400 stimulus checks, unemployment assistance, and funding for local and state governments.

President Joe Biden prepares to sign executive orders after speaking about climate change issues at the White House on Jan. 27, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images)

Our proposal also includes economic relief for those Americans with the greatest need, providing more targeted assistance than in the Administrations plan, the 10 senators wrote. We propose an additional round of economic impact payments for those families who need assistance the most, including their dependent children and adults. Our plan also includes extending enhanced federal unemployment benefits at the current level and fully funding your request for nutrition assistance to help struggling families.

Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) signed the letter.

Finally, we note that billions of dollars remain unspent from the previous COVID relief packages, the letter reads. Just last month, Congress provided $900 billion in additional resources, and communities are only now receiving much of that assistance. Some of the spending appropriated through the CARES Act, passed last March, also has yet to be exhausted.

The proposal we have outlined is mindful of these past efforts, while also acknowledging the priorities that need additional support right now.
The vaccine of the Swedish-British pharma giant has caused somewhat of a stir this week after it was reported that the vaccine was not as effective with people older than 65.

Germanys vaccine commission announced this week that it would only recommend the use of the AstraZeneca shot for people aged 16 to 65. The decision was based on the lack of data of the medical trials at which only few people aged older than 65 participated.

However, Professor Markus Ollert, Director of the Department of Infection & Immunity (at the Luxembourg Institute of Health), expects the AstraZeneca shot to be effective with older people too. At worst, the vaccine could just be a little less effective for that age group compared to younger people, which could be explained by their generally lower immune response. According to Prof Ollert some protection against Covid-19 would be better than none.

He did suggest however that the vaccination strategy could be adapted to the AstraZeneca jab.

At the moment it is crucial to step up the vaccination efforts, says Ollert. Due to the short supply, it would be important to use up as much available supply as possible. He also floated the idea of giving out the AstraZeneca shot now and at a later date administering a second dose of a more effective vaccine.

Yet, due to the announced delivery reductions, the AstraZeneca jabs have been delayed.

Ed's Note: in an earlier version of this story, we wrote that Ollert was the Director of LIH, this was incorrect and we have amended accordingly.
Japan 's capital Tokyo logged nearly 40,000 new COVID-19 cases in January, marking a record that doubled the number of infections in the previous month, figures released by the metropolitan government showed on Sunday.

The data revealed the significant increase in infections before Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared the country's second state of emergency in the capital and surrounding prefectures on Jan. 7, asking people to avoid unnecessary outings and calling on restaurants and bars to shorten opening hours.

The metropolitan government reported 633 new COVID-19 cases in the capital city on Sunday, bringing the total number in January to 39,664 and the cumulative figure to 99,841. The figure of January compares to 19,245 in December.

Although the COVID-19 infections have gradually shown signs of abating under the state of emergency, the capital city's medical system remains overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Suga has been criticized for the government's lack of effective measures to maintain a sound medical system as cases of COVID-19 patients not being admitted to hospitals and later dying at home have occurred.

The Japanese government is scrambling to curb the pandemic resurgence ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics which are slated to kick off in less than six months.

Suga is set to extend the current state of emergency in place until Feb. 7 over 11 of Japan's 47 prefectures by as much as one month, according to local media reports.

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

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DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 31st Jan, 2021) H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the Board of Directors (BoD) of Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), presided over the first Board of Directors virtual meeting in 2021 by congratulating the management for achieving unparalleled success in the past year, reflecting the strength of the national economy despite challenges faced by the global economy due to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chairman lauded the substantial contributions of the UAE Federal export credit company to UAE businesses and SMEs during this economic cycle, supporting their growth in the international market and thereby propelling the nations non-oil economy towards greater heights, in line with the vision of our wise leaders.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, was nominated as the new Deputy Chairman of the BoD by the members. Sheikh Hamdan also welcomed the new Deputy Chairman.

Sheikh Hamdan expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, former UAE Minister of Economy and Deputy Chairman of the BOD of ECI, for his efforts in supporting the operations of the ECI and contributing to its goals. He wishing Al Mansoori all success and prosperity.

He stated that the ECI has been firm in its support to the UAE businesses by enhancing their competitiveness in the global arena. "The ECIs broad range of trade credit solutions and guarantees play a pivotal role in fortifying exporters and investors, enabling their contribution to the countrys diversified Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in this economic cycle. We recognise the efforts of the ECIs management, and the monumental strides it has taken to further shore up their competitiveness in the international markets from initiatives that aim to educate businesses, partnerships with various local and global entities to ease SMEs access to funding, to innovative and modern tools that further help protect our entrepreneurs and investors from the risks associated with foreign markets.

"

Dr. Al Zeyoudi praised the ECI for being assigned with the Insurance Financial Strength (IFS) Rating and an Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of AA - (Very Strong) with Stable Outlook from Fitch Ratings, for the second year. He said that the high rating received by ECI reflects how the company is strategically important for the UAE economy, the strength of its government shareholders, strong company capitalisation and its prudent investments, the strong and well-diversified reinsurance programme built by the management, and the disciplined commercial and risk underwriting strategy.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi said, "With our strong presence in the global arena through our bespoke export credit, financing, and investment insurance products, ECI has proven its solid contributions to the UAE economy despite being only on its third year of operations and amidst the ongoing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic."

During the meeting, the Board of Directors also discussed ECIs 10-year strategy implementation that aims to further strengthen its support for UAE businesses, examined the audited financial statements of 2019 and 2020 preliminary figures, and commented on the initiative of having a new visual identity to continue its innovative strategic development that is leaning towards digitalisation. The board also underscored the implementation of the Board Governance Manual for Federal companies, issued by the UAE Cabinet.
New Delhi: As millions of salaried individuals are eagerly waiting for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Union Budget 2021 announcement, the government's notification on Code on Wages 2019 may reduce the take-home pay of employees next financial year ie, April 2021 while components like PF and Gratuity might rise.

A couple of months ago, the government notified draft rules under Code on Wages 2019, following which take-home pay of employees may be reduced from next financial year ie, April 2021 because the draft rule required companies to restructure their salary break up.

The draft rules mention that employees' allowance component cannot exceed 50 percent of the total pay package, resulting which, companies or employers will have to allocate 50 percent of the salary to basic salary component. This also means that there will be a consequent rise in gratuity and PF contribution of the employee.

Hence, while the take home pay of the employees may be reduced, the Gratuity and PF component may rise.

In a related news, the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment had on November 13 notified the draft rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020 inviting suggestions from the stakeholders within a period of 45 days from the date of notification of the draft rules.

The draft rules provide for operationalization of provisions in the Code on Social Security, 2020 relating to Employees Provident Fund, Employees State Insurance Corporation, Gratuity, Maternity Benefit, Social Security and Cess in respect of Building and Other Construction Workers, Social Security for Unorganised Workers, Gig Workers and Platform Workers.

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The draft rules also provide for Aadhaar based registration including self-registration by unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers on the portal of the Central Government. Ministry of Labour and Employment has already initiated action for development of such portal. For availing any benefit under any of the social security schemes framed under the Code, an unorganised worker or a gig worker or platform worker shall be required to be registered on the portal with details as may be specified in the scheme.
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A Senior Lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, Moses Foh-Amoaning has commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for nominating Godfred Yeboah Dame as Attorney-General.



According to Mr Foh-Amoaning, Mr Dame has demonstrated the expertise of a 70-year-old legal practitioner during his young legal career.



He, however, advised Mr Dame to listen more and talk less as well as improve his relationship with the more senior members at the Bar.



Ill say this for Godfred, for a young man, hes really got the head of a 70-year-old practitioner," Foh-Amoaning said in an interview on Metro TV's Good Evening Ghana.



"Hes solid with his law, he has a deep understanding of the law and not just the mechanical bit of the law, it is the way you appreciate the broad spectrum of the law, the jurisprudence and the policy of the law.



He also relates well at the Bar, Ive seen him in the Supreme Court and his relationship with the members of the Bar is excellent. So I think hell be a good Attorney General. What he needs to do is to listen more, talk less, and probably relate more with senior members of the Bar and the appropriate advice. I think hell be successful because his technical knowledge of the law is flawless.



Mr Dame was nominated for the substantive Attorney General position after deputising for Attorney General Gloria Akuffo during President Akufo-Addo's first term.

Source: Daily Graphic









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The Federal Government has pledged to assist a private shipbuilding firm, Norfin Offshore Shipyard, to thrive.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made the pledge on Saturday in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, while inaugurating the Norfin Offshores shipyard.

Mr Mustapha, represented by the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Abba, spoke of the readiness of the Federal Government to partner the firm and provide for as much as it requires to succeed.

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, in his remarks, said his administration was out to attract more private investments and provide a conducive environment for investors.

Mr Emmanuel pointed out that the establishment of the shipyard was a historic endorsement of the industrialisation agenda of his administration.

The governor urged Akwa Ibom people to take advantage of the vast opportunities in the nations maritime, oil and gas industry.

He said the state government was also ready to partner the Norfin group.

He lauded the CEO of Norfin Group, Charles Udonwa, a Singaporean-based shipbuilder, for his decision to build the shipyard in Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Udonwas gesture was worthy of emulation, Mr Emmanuel said, while condemning the January 19 attack on the shipyard by suspected militants.

The governor appealed to the host community to see the investment as their asset that must be protected.

He, however, said that the shipyard would benefit the entire country, irrespective of its location.

Today marks a seed harvest in the entire Gulf of Guinea and we dont take this for granted. It is worthy of emulation. I hope the host community will behave well.

My brother Charles (Udonwa), I share your pains in the last attack. Whatever we are going to do as a state government to ameliorate that pain, we will do.

Locating this facility here is for the benefit of the entire country, the governor said.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Trade and Investment in the state, Prince Akpabio, said Mr Emmanuels administration had been attracting industries that would contribute a high percentage to Nigerias Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Mr Akpabio also said the shipyard would create job opportunities for Akwa Ibom youth.

The President, Ship Owners Association of Nigeria, Eke George ,described the investment as historic and praised Governor Emmanuel for creating an investment-friendly environment in the state.

The CEO of Norfin Group, Mr Udonwa, thanked the Akwa Ibom State Government for creating an investment-friendly environment in the state.

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Mr Udonwa said his firms presence would help Akwa Ibom to become a major player in the nations oil and gas industry.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Norfin Group, which has begun the building of security patrol vessels to curb militancy in the Nigerian maritime corridors, is partnering the Niger Delta Development Commission and another federal agency for youth training.

(NAN)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 11:01:22|Editor: huaxia

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Police officers line up at the entrance to the expressway to bid farewell to the medical assistance team from Shaanxi Province in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhu Xudong)

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 92 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 73 locally transmitted and 19 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said Sunday.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 63 were reported in Jilin, nine in Heilongjiang, and one in Hebei, the commission said in its daily report.

No suspected case was reported.

No deaths related to the disease were reported on Saturday, said the commission.

By the end of Saturday, the mainland had reported 4,708 imported COVID-19 cases in total. Among them, 4,399 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 309 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 89,522, including 1,668 patients still receiving treatment, of whom 76 were in severe conditions.

A total of 83,218 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died of the disease, according to the commission.

Staff members load donation of daily life supplies to a truck for delivery to the residence of medical workers in Tonghua City of northeast China's Jilin Province, Jan. 30, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

There were two suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland Saturday, and 38,895 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Saturday saw 19 asymptomatic cases newly reported on the mainland, of which 14 arrived from outside the mainland. On the same day, 58 asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

There were 910 asymptomatic cases still under medical observation, of which 296 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Saturday, 10,339 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 179 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 47 cases in the Macao SAR, and 909 cases, including eight deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 9,362 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 823 in Taiwan. 
The European Union is working to support the launch of the vaccination campaign in Ukraine in February.

The EU Delegation to Ukraine says the European Union welcomes the decision to provide Ukraine with 117,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within the COVAX Facility.

Read alsoUkraine to receive 117,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within COVAX in Feb"The European Union welcomes the decision of the EU-supported COVAX Facility of January 30 to allocate 117,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine and the government's approach to first offer vaccination to people at risk, such as medical workers treating COVID-19 patients. Team Europe  including the European Commission, the European Investment Bank and Member States  has so far announced contributions of more than EUR 870 million to COVAX," the EU Delegation to Ukraine wrote on Facebook on January 30.

"COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the entire world  it impacts our health, our jobs, our families and quality of life. Vaccination is central to ending the pandemic. No one is safe until everyone is safe. In line with the Team Europe spirit, the EU is proud to support COVAX in delivering vaccines to our partners, and Ukraine is among the first of them," Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Ambassador Matti Maasikas said.

The European Union is working to support the launch of the vaccination campaign in Ukraine in February, together with Ukraine's other international partners.

"The vaccine delivered via COVAX through this first assistance to Ukraine has been authorized in the EU by the European Medicines Agency. We welcome the government's approach to first offer vaccination to people at risk, such as medical workers treating COVID-19 patients," the EU Delegation to Ukraine said.

Other related news reports

Reporting by UNIAN
CAIRO - The pleas for help were flooding in. By 2 p.m., Raba Mokhtar was picking up the 131st call of the day to the Mersal Foundation's 24-hour hotline. Like the vast majority, it was related to the coronavirus pandemic.

On the other end of the line, a woman was frantically describing the condition of a relative, a 67-year-old man who had tested positive for the virus. He had a 100-degree fever and could hardly breathe. They had first tried the Health Ministry's hotline to look for a bed in a government hospital, with no luck.

"So, you called them and they placed him on a waiting list?" Mokhtar confirmed, peppering the woman with questions and jotting down answers. "And he needs an intensive care unit?"

In a country where government health resources can be either stretched or inadequate and where most people cannot afford hospitalization, a once little-known charity has become a lifeline for thousands of Egyptians. For the past year, and especially during the latest coronavirus wave, the Mersal Foundation has contracted and paid for beds in private hospitals or provided oxygen tanks to people in need.

Mersal and its founder, Heba Rashed, have become so trusted that more than a quarter-million people now follow her social media accounts to learn the true impact of the pandemic in Egypt. Her posts have become an antidote to a widely criticized lack of transparency in the government's response to the crisis. Today, many Egyptians cling to Rashed's every assessment.

"Founder and CEO of the NGO @Mersalcharity, one of the most trusted voices on Covid19 in Egypt, stating that there is a slight decline in the number of cases," tweeted the Big Pharaoh, a well-known blogger, on Jan. 13. "A similar report of her during wave 1 preceded a decline. Situation is still very serious, but let's hope."

Egypt has reported about 165,000 infections and 9,100 deaths since the start of the outbreak. Medical experts and even government ministers have publicly said the real numbers are far higher.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi's government has sought to suppress critics who contradict official accounts of the pandemic. At least 15 people have been arrested for spreading "false news" about the virus, U.N. officials said. Doctors have been jailed or reprimanded for complaining about a lack of protective equipment, and a Western journalist was expelled for publishing data that questioned the official toll.

The lack of public confidence deepened in January when a video went viral online claiming that coronavirus patients at a government hospital had died because of a lack of oxygen. The government denied the report, but a week later Sissi ordered a doubling of oxygen production to meet increased demand.

Against this backdrop, the Mersal Foundation has emerged as a trusted oasis of care.

And every day, Rashed has become a covid-19 prognosticator for her legions of followers. "It makes me feel very responsible for every word I utter," said Rashed, 40. "People get affected by everything I say."

Growing up in Jordan and the Egyptian desert town of Fayoum, Rashed never intended to start a charity. In college, she studied Spanish and Arabic and later earned a master's degree in linguistics and several diplomas in other fields. She later worked as a linguist and as a project manager. In her spare time, she volunteered at a local charity.

Soon, Rashed said, she found she had "no passion" for her job and found her charitable work more fulfilling. She also noticed there were few nonprofit groups in Egypt specializing in health issues. So with two other friends, she launched Mersal five years ago.

"It was truly hard at the start," Rashed recalled. "We had no connections."

Eventually, they found a sympathetic donor. He gave roughly $1,300, and they set up the charity in Rashed's apartment. Slowly they grew, soliciting donations mostly on social media. They began to get noticed by some larger donors.

Today, the foundation has four offices in Cairo and one in the northern city of Alexandria, with roughly 200 employees, according to Rashed. She is often hooked, like an IV, to her phone, fielding scores of calls daily with the energy of a teenager.

On a recent afternoon, Rashed was at the foundation's office on a quiet tree-lined street in Cairo's affluent Maadi enclave, in a large, multilevel house with a green gate. At the reception area, several people were seeking financial help to address various medical ailments.

The nerve center is a small room with eight desks and a rotating shift of employees answering the hotline round-the-clock. The past few weeks, in particular, have been busy, averaging 60 to 70 coronavirus emergencies per day.

"The second wave is much more vicious than the first one, in terms of the intensity of the infection," Rashed said. "The number of infections is bigger than the last wave. The symptoms are much more."

She was infected. So were more than half of her 100 employees in the office, forcing mass isolations.

"It made it very hard to do our work," Rashed said matter-of-factly.

Still, the foundation kept operating.

The case of the 67-year-old man who had been struggling to breathe was typical. His oxygen levels were extremely low, though he was using a tank. He was also suffering from diabetes and a heart condition, exacerbating the effects of the coronavirus.

Mokhtar, the employee who took the call, asked the man's relative to send a complete medical report, X-rays of his lungs and any bloodwork. Mokhtar gave her the WhatsApp number.

"We will show them to the medical department, and we will get you a bed when one becomes available," Mokhtar said. "Peace be with you."

Finding a bed usually takes a few hours but can stretch into a day or two, employees said. During the earlier wave in the summer, few private hospitals accepted covid-19 cases, and the government hospitals were less prepared, creating huge shortages of beds.

Now, the foundation has contracted with more than 30 private hospitals. In some cases, patients who need help getting care can pay some or all costs. Mostly, though, the charity pays as much as $1,300 per day for hospital beds in intensive care units, money obtained in large part through online appeals for donations. In many instances, beds in government hospitals eventually become available, allowing the foundation to save its funds for the neediest cases.

"The government has prepared more hospitals to treat the virus, and the private sector has started to deal with it as well," Rashed said.

Nearly 90 percent of patients hail from urban areas, and they often contact to the foundation when the symptoms become unbearable, said Magdy Eissa, the foundation's medical director. The charity also has helped 22 infected refugees, largely from sub-Saharan Africa, since December.

The foundation's Facebook page is filled with grateful notes from patients and their relatives, urging people to donate. There are also searing descriptions of the toll the virus has taken.

Hossam Elagamy wrote about his family's struggle last year to save an aging, diabetic relative infected with the virus who fell ill and started to vomit. The ambulance arrived three hours later, but the paramedics refused to transport the man, because he had not taken a coronavirus test. Finally, an hour later another ambulance came and took him to a hospital.

At the hospital, the staff refused to give him an ICU bed, saying they were not equipped to treat covid-19 cases. An hour later, an ambulance took him to another hospital. It, too, was full.

"We called everyone we know who might help and it was in vain," Elagamy wrote.

He finally went online to search for options for hospitals. He spotted a Facebook post from a woman applauding the Mersal Foundation's efforts. Elagamy called the hotline and was asked to send his relative's medical report.

Fifteen minutes later, the foundation had found a hospital bed, he wrote. But his relative's condition deteriorated at the facility. He later died, Elagamy said.

"May God remove this crisis," Elagamy wrote. "May God end this epidemic."
In a big success, Jammu and Kashmir Police have managed to expose the new modus operandi being used by Pakistan and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence agency of Pakistan for recruitment of terrorists in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan is now activating its sleeper cells in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Jammu region to achieve its plan of destabilising region.

In past six months, Pakistan and its agency have resorted to new tactics and it was a couple of months ago that our boys on ground were able to crack the modus operandi which they were following to carry out a major strike in Jammu region, Senior official privy to development told Republic Media Network on the condition of anonymity.

READ | Terming Children Foreign Terrorist Fighters May Lead To Stigmatisation, Dehumanisation: India At UN

Sources: Pak resorts to new tactics

He further added that during some intelligence-based operations carried out in last quarter of 2020, a new trend came into being that those terror associates arrested during these operations were linked to terror activities in past but were silent for almost a decade.

During the investigation, we came to know that they were into this terror trade earlier as well but were recently activated by the agencies of Pakistan to help them in carrying out terror activities. Pakistan is trying to cultivate next generation of terrorists as most of the Top Commanders in Jammu and Kashmir have been neutralised and most of its terror outfits are headless now, he added.

READ | South Africa Women Vs Pakistan Women 1st T20I Live Stream, Pitch & Weather Report, Preview

There has been a continuous change in Pakistans Terror Plan, earlier there were instances when Pakistan shifted their focus to those whose some relative was killed by security forces for being involved in terrorism or have relatives in Pakistan. This was successful to some extent as they tried to play with emotional sentiments of the youth but the crackdown by forces foiled this plan of Pakistan.

READ | 'This Is What Pakistan Wanted': Captain Amarinder Singh Condemns Singhu Border Violence

Agencies have tasked their sleeper cells to recruit 10-12 youth from their areas into the fold of these terror outfits. Newly recruited youth are lured for money and initially are used to get photos or videos, which are of no use to Pakistan handlers but are used as a loyalty test of these new recruits of terror outfits. Once they get through this loyalty test of Pakistan, they are given step by step tasks to carry out and finally are tasked with major terror strike,  Official added.

He further added that this is a dangerous trend which has come into being and we are working round the clock to identify those who have past record of terrorism and are keeping a continuous tab on their activities through various possible ways.

READ | Pakistan Violates Ceasefire Along IB In J&K's Kathua
Critical Race Theory is a poisonous, racist, anti-American set of doctrines, but we are all supposed to pretend we dont understand that. Criticism of CRT is forbidden, or will be if the Left gets its way.

Take the case of Georgia, where a state representative has questions about the institutions that his constituents support with their taxes:

A Georgia lawmaker is trying to find out whether any of the states public universities are teaching about white privilege or oppression, part of a larger national debate over how colleges should teach about American history and race relations. University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley asked the systems 26 colleges and universities on Jan. 21 to research the information after state Rep. Emory Dunahoo, a Gillsville Republican, submitted questions on the topic to Wrigley following budget hearings. Some faculty members are bristling at the questions, saying they intrude into a professors academic freedom and are part of an effort by Republicans to impose their vision of history and social relations. Conservatives, though, say theyre fighting left-wing indoctrination by professors.

State legislatures have oversight responsibility over public institutions, but any time they try to exercise that responsibility, it is considered dirty pool. Representative Dunahoos questions are entirely reasonable:

1) Are any classes within the Georgia public school system or the University System of Georgia teaching students that possessing certain characteristics inherently designates them as either being privileged or oppressed? 2) Are any classes within the Georgia public school system or the University System of Georgia teaching students what constitutes privilege and oppression? 3) Are any classes within the Georgia public school system or the University System of Georgia teaching students who identify as white, male, heterosexual or Christian are intrinsically privileged and oppressive, which is defined as malicious or unjust and wrong?

Inquiring minds want to know! Specifically, Dunahoo says, his constituents.

The request is an attack on higher education, [English professor Matthew] Boedy said. It perpetrates a pernicious agenda. I dont know why a state representative who won his district by 40 points needs to throw red meat to his base, but this echoes national conservative discourse that has been laughed from the public square by historians and other experts.

So I take it the answers to the representatives questions are Yes, Yes and Yes. Actually, it is Critical Race Theory that deserves to be laughed out of the public square. Or, better, ridden out on a rail.

Liberals are free to be racist and anti-American, but it is hard to understand why taxpayers should be expected to support such evils. Certainly if Georgias university system were teaching that the Earth is flat, that the South won the Civil War, or that the Holocaust is a myth, no one would suggest that legislators interest is misplaced. But the Left fights tenaciously to protect its most important doctrines from scrutiny.
Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait addresses a protest over Centres farmlaws at Ghazipur border in New Delhi on Saturday.  PTI

NEW DELHI: Farmers protesting at the three sites at Delhis borders held a day-long fast, between 9 am and 5 pm, as they observed Sadbhavna Divas to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers stayed put at the Ghazipur border on Saturday morning, as more supporters poured in at the protest site on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway in Ghaziabad following which Delhi Police shut down NH-24 highway and all roads leading to Ghazipur border. Union home ministry temporarily suspended internet services in Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders and their adjoining areas from 11 pm of 29 January to 11 pm of 31 January to maintain public safety and averting public emergency amid the ongoing farmers protest.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the crime branch of Delhi Police has issued a second notice to nine farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait.

The Delhi police carried out raids in Punjabs Jalandhar on Friday to arrest Jugraj Singh and Navpreet Singh who hoisted the Nishan Sahib flag at Red Fort on January 26. Meanwhile, 38 cases have been registered till now in farmer's rally matter and 84 persons have been arrested, according to the police.

Security personnel, including from anti-riot police and paramilitary forces, were deployed in massive strength. Multiple layers of barricades, including concrete blocks, were being put at the protest sites.

The farmer leaders on Saturday morning, wearing garlands, observed Sadbhavana Diwas (Harmony Day) and observed fast on Saturday after the immense outrage over violence by protesters during their Republic Day tractor rally. The farmer leaders sat on the dais during the fast, as crowds of supporters swelled, especially in Ghazipur where the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) is leading the protest.

The farmers have fought this battle for over two months now and they wont relent or retreat, said Rakesh Tikait, the BKU spokesperson.

Till now, the agitation was seen as mainly being led by Punjab-based farmer unions.

A multitude of green-and-white caps, symbolic of the unions spearheading the battle, union flags and the tricolour, planted on tractors dotted the highway. On various tractors and camps, photos of legendary farmer leaders such as Chaudhary Charan Singh and Mahendra Singh Tikait were put up.

Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC AAP, RLD and the Left, have openly supported the stir. Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior member of Samkyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), said that the ongoing agitation would gain strength, as farmers in large numbers will join them in the coming days.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), said in Chandigarh that he expected a record gathering by February 2 at the border points of Delhi.

People in large numbers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are reaching the protest sites. Possibly by February 2, there will again be a record gathering of people at the protest sites," he said, adding that the agitation would remain peaceful.

Rajewal also criticised the Haryana government for suspending Internet services. He accused the Centre of instilling a sense of fear among people by showing pictures of the "unfortunate incidents", apparently referring to the January 26 violence in the national capital.

Rajewal appealed to those joining the agitation at Delhi's borders to keep the protest peaceful. "It is our responsibility to keep the agitation peaceful," he stressed.

To a question on joining the investigation following notices issued by the Delhi Police to farmer leaders in connection with the Republic Day violence, Mr Rajewal said, "We will send them a reply."

The Delhi Police has issued notices to around 20 farmer leaders, including Mr Rajewal, over the violence during the farmers' tractor parade, asking why legal action should not be taken against them.

A team of forensic experts on Saturday visited the Red Fort, where the protesters had indulged in vandalism, hoisted a religious flag and attacked the police personnel, to collect evidence.

The Delhi Police examining dump data of mobile calls, registration numbers of tractors in probe into January 26 violence said that it had received 1,700 video clips, CCTV footage from public related to tractor rally violence.

The police had on Friday used tear gas and baton charge to break up a clash between farmers and a large group of men who claimed to be local residents at the Singhu border.

The Delhi Traffic Police said that the movement on the National Highway 24 (Delhi-Meerut Expressway) has been stopped.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police filed an FIR of criminal conspiracy, under IPC Sections153, 504, 505 (1)(b) against Shashi Tharoor, journalists-Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pande, Paresh Nath, Editor in chief of Caravan, Anant Nath, Managing Editor of Caravan & Vinod K. Jose, Executive Editor of Caravan.

Due to misleading and false information by the Caravan that a farmer protestor has died due to police firing, a case has been registered in IP Estate Police station. FIR includes certain others also who also tried to mislead the public, cops said.

As per post-mortem report the cause of his death is shock and haemorrhage due to a head injury received after his tractor overturned.


A father-of-five who was caught with over 700,000 worth of drugs has been jailed for seven years.

Darren King (34) of Cole Park rd, Ballyfermot, Dublin, pleaded guilty to having cannabis and cocaine for sale or supply on Ballyfermot rd., Cole Park rd. and at his home on April 23, 2019.

Sentencing him on Friday, Judge Pauline Codd noted King had been involved in dealing and distributing drugs and that the Probation Service had placed him at a moderate risk of reoffending.

Another aggravating factor was the high value of the drugs involved, the judge said.

Detective Garda Val Russell told the court that King's partner's home in Cherry Orchard in Dublin was under surveillance and gardai observed Cole driving from there to his own home and later meeting two men with a bag containing over 100,000 worth of cannabis.

Follow up searches of a jeep parked at King's home revealed cannabis with an estimated street value of nearly 600,000 and cocaine, valued at 15,000. During a follow up search of King's home 6,900 Sterling and 800 in cash was also found along with a small quantity of cannabis.

King was interviewed three times and ultimately admitted to possessing the drugs for the purpose of sale or supply.

Det Gda Russell said a small amount of cannabis was found on King's person during interview and he told gardai that he was due to meet a fella with a sample to let him see what it is like.

He refused to answer some questions put to him by gardai because he said he was concerned for his own safety but he accepted that he owned the money. He has a previous conviction for robbery.

The court heard King told gardai that he started to use cocaine after he received a serious injury to his back. He got into debt and got involved to pay off his debt.

He further accepted that King was out on sick leave at the time of his arrest and now has arrears on his mortgage.

Seamus Clarke SC, defending, said King was a father of five children with another baby due soon.

Additional Evidence

Det Gda Russell previously told Eoghan Cole BL, prosecuting, that King's partner's home in Cherry Orchard in Dublin was under surveillance when gardai saw him leave the house in a Nissan Qashqai and drive to his own home on Cole Park Road.

He was later spotted taking a large bag from a black jeep parked at his home and placing that in the Qashqai. King then drove to Ballyfermot Road where he parked up.

Within minutes a taxi pulled up opposite the Qashqai, two passengers got out and took the bag from the vehicle. Det Gda Russell said the men returned to the taxi and pulled off.

King also left but gardai intercepted and stopped both vehicles moments later. One of the taxi passengers fled but the second man was arrested.

King was also arrested. The bag held five kilogrammes of cannabis valued at 102,000. A follow-up search of the jeep parked at King's home revealed a further 29kg of cannabis valued at 590,000 and a further 209 grammes of cocaine, valued at 15,000.
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - UNICEF Gambia, has cautioned that too many people in The West African nation are disregarding COVID-19 prevention and control measures, especially with regards to the use of face masks, posing a major hindrance to the countrys efforts to control the spread of the virus, especially now that cases are rising and new variants confirmed
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AUSTIN  The Texas Department of State Health Services hosted a webinar regarding vaccine rollout in which they announced Texas has passed the 2 million vaccine dose mark, with over 370,000 people fully vaccinated as they continue to push to ramp up vaccine efforts.

Just two weeks after hitting the 1 million milestone, Texas crossed the 2 million dose threshold; but with a population of nearly 29 million people, supply has yet to catch up to demand. However, Assistant DSHS Commissioner Imelda Garcia explained the issue of supply would be the deciding factor in growing vaccination efforts.

Were not 100% sure what we are getting each week, said Garcia. Stating the CDC doesnt let DSHS know exactly how many vaccine doses the state will receive until Tuesdays, which is after the DSHS expert panel identifies locations and providers to distribute the vaccine. Once they have a concrete number of doses, DSHS alters the allocation plan as necessary and then lets providers know how much to expect through an electronic database. At that point, providers can choose to accept, modify, or even decline their allotments based on their capability to administer them.

At the onset of vaccine distribution, Garcia explained hospitals and doctors offices were prioritized to get shots into the arms of Phase 1A-covered recipients, which included healthcare workers, first responders, and long-term care residents. As eligibility opened to Phase 1B, those 65+ and 18+ with one chronic medical condition, the state began focusing on hubs which could vaccinate large numbers of people.

Garcia reasoned the transition to hubs allowed for easy identification of vaccine centers for those covered under Phase 1A/1B instead of scrambling around smaller providers and hospitals in search of doses.

Vaccine Hubs

There are 82 hubs currently active in the State of Texas, but Garcia advised there would be no new hub locations in Week 8 allocations despite receiving a one-time boost in vaccines from the federal government as a result of released back-up doses. While new hubs will be evaluated in Week 9, Garcia announced DSHS would begin focusing on supplying more vaccines to rural areas of the State.

Garcia further explained hubs had to use every single dose allocated within the week they were allocated, and must target the hardest hit areas.

In Montgomery County, only two hubs have opened, the Lone Star Family Health Clinic in Conroe and CHI St. Lukes  The Woodlands; both in the hardest hit COVID-19 zip codes for the County.

Federal Aid

The distribution of vaccines is wholly in the hands of the federal government, who negotiates vaccine doses with the vaccine manufacturers and then distributes those doses to the states. According to Garcia, DSHS has begun introductory meetings with the Biden administration regarding plans to bring in FEMA and other assistance to distribute the vaccine.

However, Governor Abbott announced Tuesday a pilot program has been launched using the Texas National Guard to set up mobile vaccination clinics. The program is being tested in DeWitt, Marion, Real, Sherman, and Starr counties, and could be used to distribute vaccine in many other counties.

However, Garcia stated they are not happy with the amount of doses coming from the federal government at this time.

I think weve done a great job so far, but we can do better, said Garcia. We do not want a single dose left on the shelf.

Whos Next?

Unfortunately, Garcia expressed the Phase 1B rollout would take some time to move through, stating, Were going to be here for a while.

While the DSHS expert panel is involved in robust discussions regarding who should be covered in Phase 1C or a Phase 2, they have not made any final decisions. The focus is still squarely on vaccinating those 65 and older and those with chronic medical conditions, but Garcia did hint that a blended transition would be most likely.

As for when, the transition would be dependent once again on supply of the vaccine.

For King & Country release 'Amen Reborn' with Lecrae, Tony Williams to promote healing

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Grammy Award-winning duo for KING & COUNTRY teamed up with Lecrae and The WRLDFMS Tony Williams to remix their hit single Amen, and the song, now named Amen (Reborn), has been dubbed by the Smallbones as a prayer of healing in divided times.

The song is being pegged as a renaissance and renewal anthem. It was inspired after brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone were joined by Lecrae and Williams at the 2020 Dove Awards to perform the new version of the hit song. Amen (Reborn) now includes a reworked track, emotive vocals from successful soul musician Williams (cousin of Kanye West), and a rap verse from Billboard-topping Reach Records founder, Lecrae.

Amen is a song of deep personal significance to us, Luke Smallbone said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. It represents a sort of death and new life, a rebirth if you will.

When we performed it last autumn at an award show with Lecrae, Tony Williams, and a gospel choir, it launched the song into another stratosphere of meaning," Joel Smallbone added. "So with 2020 now in the rearview mirror, we look to move past these global hardships together and start fresh with a new perspective, which is the core essence of the song. And thanks to Lecraes galvanizing prayer of humility along with Tonys characteristic and purposeful voice."

Upon its release, for KING & COUNTRY went on Instagram live with Lecrae where they shared more details about the single.

When speaking to Lecrae, Joel Smallbone told the Atlanta resident that he believes his verse on the song was a prayer.

"What I love, and this is just a testament to the way you approached it in the subject matter of it, was there was such a humility, Joel Smallbone said. I've been calling it a prayer because what it felt like was this beautiful, reverent prayer from you.

I dare say, even on behalf of the black community, saying, 'Hey, how do we, on every level  socially, spiritually, politically and emotionally start healing?'" he continued. "2021, I believe, I've dubbed it the year of healing in this nation.

Lecrae revealed that he wasnt sure how he would squeeze all of his thoughts into one verse, but was happy with how the song came out. He then praised the brothers for their genuine heart as creatives.

"Oftentimes, the music industry is more about consumerism than it is about transformation, Lecrae said on Instagram live. It really does turn into a place where people just want to figure out how to make people buy, instead of how to really serve people artistically. What I appreciate about you all is that sincerity; it's something that's rare.

for KING & COUNTRY first teamed up with Lecrae for the emcees song Messengers in 2015, which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song that year.
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Nonprofit Fundraiser Sues Connecticut Over Burdensome, Invasive Regulations

A West Virginia-based nonprofit fundraiser has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Connecticut over that states unusually burdensome rules that require him to tell state officials what hes planning to say to prospective donors a full 20 days in advance of donor contact.

The lawsuit, Kissel v. Seagull, was filed on Jan. 31 in federal court in Connecticut.

The plaintiff is Adam Kissel of Charleston, West Virginia. The defendant, Michelle H. Seagull, is being sued in her official capacity as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

Daniel M. Ortner, an attorney with the Sacramento-based Pacific Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm that is representing Kissel free of charge, said Connecticut is restricting the ability of people to go out and fundraise money for charities.

While most states require a paid solicitor to register, and some require the posting of a bond, Connecticut goes far beyond what most states require, he told The Epoch Times in an interview.

The First Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of speech. The Supreme Court has made it very clear that fundraising is a form of protected speech. It is ultimately advocacy.

Connecticut requires independent paid solicitors to inform the state in advance when they plan to talk to a potential donor and what exactly they will say, and then report to the government the name of everyone who gives any amount. Going off script could lead to a $5,000 fine and a year in prison. Connecticut law also requires fundraisers to maintain files containing private information about donors and to make that information available to the state on demand.

Kissels argument is that under the First Amendment, the government cant demand that he tell them in advance what he is going to say and provide it with a script before he can speak; nor can the government deprive citizens of their privacy when they donate to a nonprofit.

According to PLF, Kissel has extensive experience in higher education policy and philanthropy, previously serving as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs at the U.S. Department of Education. Before that, he worked for several charities, including Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Charles Koch Foundation, and Philanthropy Roundtable. He is now a senior fellow at the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, a nonprofit that researches, develops, and communicates free-market economic public policies for West Virginia.

The Philadelphia-based nonprofit known as the Jack Miller Center, which educates students about Americas founding principles and history, agreed to pay Kissel to fundraise as an independent contractor. Some of the prospective individual and institutional donors are located in Connecticut.

Kissel believes the states law hinders his ability to do his work.

Connecticut law imposes significant costs and substantially chills his speech, according to the legal complaint. The 20-day-notice requirement kills the opportunity for spontaneous expression or outreach based on topical events.

Fundraisers are not only restricted from speaking freely, the state also compels them to speak and to communicate to each prospective donor the exact nature of their compensation agreement with a charity, the complaint continues. This requirement is directly contrary to Supreme Court precedent and yet remains the law of the State of Connecticut.

Urging others to support charitable causes by making financial contributions is a time-honored tradition that is fully protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. That is true whether or not the fundraiser receives compensation for his advocacy. But the State of Connecticut imposes a series of barriers which restrict both the ability of paid charitable fundraisers to speak freely and the ability of individual donors to give to these organizations anonymously.

Ortner added: What Connecticut is doing goes well beyond anything the Supreme Court has ever upheld for these kinds of restrictions on fundraising. There is no precedent for the idea that the state can require 20-days advance notice before you can speak or that they can make you tell them what youre going to say before you speak.

If there is a problem, some kind of fraud, or wrongful conduct, the state can always go after people afterward and prosecute people for violating the law, but they cant in advance assume that youre going to break the law even before you speak and make you jump through all these hoops.

On Jan. 8, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from two conservative charities that fundraise in California, challenging demands by that state for a list of financial contributors, which they argue violate the two tax-exempt groups constitutionally protected freedom of association, as The Epoch Times previously reported. The case is Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Becerra.
Cyrell Paule undeniably made her presence felt during Sunday's Married At First Sight Grand Reunion, hurling a glass of wine at Jessika Power at the dinner table.

And while her behaviour certainly attracted a flurry of tweets, her appearance was also critiqued by diehard fans of the franchise.

Some viewers mocked the feisty 31-year-old for her 'exposed' hair extensions, urging her to 'get them fixed'.

'Not okay about seeing her hair extensions': Viewers urged Cyrell Paule (pictured) to fix her 'exposed' hair extensions during the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Sunday night

'I love Cyrell but I'm not okay about seeing her hair extensions,' another posted.

One, who also weighed in on her metallic sequinned mini-dress, wrote: 'Cyrell exudes confidence in a disco era dress and the worst extensions know to man.'

While others kept their remarks to the point, with the likes of 'it's so uncomfortable to look at' and 'fix her extensions please'.

Online: On Twitter, diehard fans of the franchise said it was 'uncomfortable' to look at the 31-year-old's hair extensions. Some even said they were the 'worst extensions known to man'

Unhinged: Cyrell certainly made her presence felt during Sunday's episode, having hurled a glass of wine at rival Jessika Power at the dinner table

During Sunday's highly anticipated reunion episode, Cyrell confronted Jessika, 29, accusing her of having said that her son Boston with Love Island star Eden Dally was just 'a publicity stunt'.

Jessika denied she ever said anything negative about their 10-month-old son, but did admit to having called their romance fake.

An emotional Jessika broke down in tears, eventually storming off the set.

Claims: Cyrell confronted Jessika, accusing her of having said that her son Boston with Love Island star Eden Dally was just 'a publicity stunt'

Copped it: Jessika (pictured), 29, denied she ever said anything negative about their 10-month-old son, but did admit to having called their romance fake

'To be angry at me like that... because I've never once said a bad word about Cyrell and her son,' Jessika said in between tears, in a piece-to-camera.

'I feel disappointed and feel let down. Sorry. I didn't buy in to the drama, and I walked away when I should've... when I normally would have reacted, and I'm proud of myself tonight,' she continued.

Tracey Jewel also weighed in, accusing Cyrell of 'unacceptable' behaviour.

'It's unacceptable to treat anyone the way she carried on tonight. And I don't care what you've done to anyone. No-one deserves that,' she said.

Married At First Sight's Grand Reunion continues Monday at 7.30pm on Nine
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Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Covid-19 trend lines are headed in the right direction in New York: New caseloads, hospitalizations and the percent of positive test results are all on the decline.

Even with that good news, thousands continue to test positive for the coronavirus daily, according to state data.

Of 243,066 tests results on Saturday, 10,793 came back positive. Thats a positive rate of 4.44%.

The states weekly average of positive tests results is 5.17%, down from 5.35% two days ago.

That rate is also falling in Central New York, according to state data.

Over the past seven days, an average of 3.17% tests came back positive. Thats the second-lowest regional rate in the state.

Another 138 people died in the past day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Since March, the state has reported 35,178 people have died related to the coronavirus.

Hospitalizations are also down by 200 compared with the previous day. Now, 7,976 people are hospitalized, with 1,534 of those patients in intensive care.

Those trends come as new, more infectious strains of the virus are emerging. Cuomo cautioned that could be the next trigger for yet another increase in cases.

What to watch for are these strains, he said. That could change the trajectory.

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share with a Syracuse-area reporter? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.


The number of COVID-19 patients in French hospitals hit a near nine-week high on Sunday, as the country shut its borders to all but essential travel to and from nearly all countries outside the European Union.

There are 27,613 COVID-19 sufferers being treated in hospitals in France, up 331 on the previous day and hitting a level last seen on Dec. 1.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday did not impose a third national lockdown and instead tightened COVID-19 border controls, shutting down large shopping malls and stepping up the policing of a nightly curfew.

Health Minister Olivier Veran told the Journal du Dimanche that France could still avert a third wave without another full confinement. But he said the variants first detected in Britain and South Africa were dangerous and the government would swiftly impose another lockdown if infections spiked.

Health authorities reported 19,235 new COVID-19 cases, compared with 18,436 last Sunday. The number of patients infected with the coronavirus in intensive care increased by 45 to 3,158, they said.

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Before his death in March, Judge Peter Garcia was working to create another specialty court for St. Tammany and Washington parishes. Garcia had launched the 22nd Judicial District's Behavioral Health Court a decade ago, and its success  and his belief that more were needed  spurred him to develop another specialty court aimed at helping people with mental illness.

Called Assistive Outpatient Treatment Court, it differs in a key way from the other six specialty courts already operating in the district, such as Veterans Court and Drug Court. Participants won't be criminal defendants who have run afoul of the law; instead, they'll be people struggling with severe mental illness, with histories of psychiatric hospitalizations and noncompliance with treatment.

"The purpose is to try to get them out of this revolving door," said Judge Alan Zaunbrecher, who presides over the new court as well as Behavioral Health Court. "Most participants will have been hospitalized on numerous occasions."

Such outpatient treatment courts gained legislative support in Louisiana in 2008, after New Orleans police officer Nicola Cotton was fatally shot by a man who had struggled for decades with schizophrenia. The first Assistive Outpatient Court was created in New Orleans in 2018. Another followed in Baton Rouge.

The 22nd Judicial District's version was launched last month with a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to cover its first three years of operation. The court will be able to handle 35 participants who will essentially have an organized treatment plan backed by a civil court order.

+11 Could a judge's intervention help fix Louisiana's mental health care system? A man with a decades-long struggle with schizophrenia jumped New Orleans Police Officer Nicola Cotton in 2008, taking her gun and shooting her

Participants will get a lot of support to stick with their treatment plan. The court has contracts with treatment groups but will also offer help with getting insurance, transportation to appointments and even things such as a mobile phone to ensure they are able to stay in communication.

The initiative fills a critical need in the community, said Nick Richard, executive director of the nonprofit National Alliance on Mental Illness's St. Tammany affiliate.

"They're on empty, past on empty. It's pure exhaustion," Richard said of families trying to get help for mentally ill loved ones. One father told Richard that if his son could just get arrested, he could then get into Behavioral Health Court, which also requires participants to comply with treatment.

"Imagine as a parent you've reached that point. Those are the phone calls I take," Richard said.

22nd Judicial District Judge Peter Garcia dead at 66 Judge Peter Garcia, who held the Division D judgeship of 22nd Judicial District Court since 1996, died Tuesday of heart complications, accordi

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Eligibility rules are strict. Participants must be 18 or older with a history of mental illness and noncompliance with treatment that has resulted, in the previous three years, in at least two hospitalizations or one or more acts, attempts or threats of serious violent behavior toward themselves or others.

A participant enters through a petition to the court, typically filed by a health care provider, Zaunbrecher said. But the law also lets a relative or other concerned party to petition with the concurrence of the coroner.

So far, the court has one participant who entered by petition from a relative, Zaunbrecher said. "The dedication of the family to this person is just amazing," Zaunbrecher said.

+2 Military veterans in trouble with law get second chance at North shore's Veterans Court DeRoderick Jackson returned from military combat in Afghanistan a changed person  and not for the better, the 32-year-old Army veteran from S

Coroner Charles Preston said his office is working with an attorney for someone seeking a petition, the first it has handled under the new program.

Behavioral Health Court also includes court-ordered treatment. But those participants face the threat of jail if they don't comply with treatment.

That's not the case for Assistive Outpatient Treatment Court, Zaunbrecher said. There is no criminal proceeding and no specter of jail time or even contempt of court. The only downside for someone who doesn't follow the court's plan is that they likely will be hospitalized, he said.

But even without threat of jail, Richard said the court provides what he calls the "black robe effect," interaction with a judge on a weekly basis. "People don't hear positive words regularly from those in authority," Richard said. "The judge is huge in this."

The court has hired a director, licensed clinical social worker Wendy Griffith, who began in November. When the number of participants increases, there are plans to hire a program manager who will call every participant every day, Zaunbrecher said.

Arrest rates, emergency room visits and hospitalizations also will be tracked.

The hope, too, is that more consistency in care and medication will reduce suicides and homelessness, Griffith said.

"This is not one of these courts where if 100 go in, 80 are going to complete and graduate and be healthy, and we know it," Zaunbrecher said. "What we are trying to do is help one person, because if we help one, maybe we can help a second and then a third. We're going to keep trying."
Healthcare, education and "security" workers will get vaccinated first.

The first batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 has reportedly arrived in the Russia-occupied city of Donetsk.

This was announced by the occupying administration, according to the Ukrainian media outlet Novosti Donbassa, which quoted the media controlled by the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR").

Read alsoEU welcomes allocation of 117,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine

"DPR leader" Denis Pushilin said, in particular, that several thousand doses had been delivered. He said he expected shipments on a regular basis.

Healthcare, education and "security" workers will get vaccinated first.

In particular, the vaccine will be distributed among 32 hospitals and other healthcare institutions.

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

In August 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was the first in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V. Putin also claimed that one of his daughters had been vaccinated with the vaccine.

Moscow has not provided the international scientific community with any data on vaccine trials confirming that it is safe and effective against COVID-19. Phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine had not been conducted prior to registration. Yet, the Russian side claims the effectiveness of the vaccine is 92%.

In January 2021, Putin launched a mass vaccination campaign in Russia.

Reporting by UNIAN
A former QAnon supporter apologized to Anderson Cooper for believing he was a robot who ate babies, admitting that the conspiracy theory was just one of many he was obsessed with.

Australian Jitarth Jadeja is confronted by Cooper in a CNN special report about conspiracy theories which airs on Saturday night.

Inside the QAnon Conspiracy follows the origins of the ultra-right group and how it has grown to such prominence in the U.S. - even now making its way into Congress thanks to believer Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-R).

Cooper, 53, explains: 'This is also something of a personal project as the QAnon fringe was previously focused on me, and a bunch of other reporters as well as many other public figures, as somehow being responsible for some of their more outlandish, should we say, and bizarre conspiracies.'

QAnon conspiracy theorists believe that Cooper and other Hollywood notables are part of a ring of elites abusing children, and have used manufactured flight logs alleged to be from Jeffrey Epstein to support their outlandish claims.

On Friday, Cooper previewed a CNN special report about conspiracy theories that is scheduled to air Saturday. The clip includes a video call with Jitarth Jadeja, an Australian native who was a QAnon 'believer until June 2019'

'It's all made up, of course, but QAnon supporters seem to believe it or use it to harass me,' he added.

The show includes Cooper's video call with Jadeja, who was a QAnon 'believer until June 2019.'

Cooper asked the former QAnon believer: 'Did you, at the time, believe that Democrats, high-level Democrats and celebrities were worshipping Satan, drinking the blood of children?'

Jadeja quickly retorted: 'Anderson, I thought you did that. And I would like to apologize for that right now. So, I apologize for thinking that you ate babies But, yeah, 100%.'

'Some people thought you were a robot,' Jadeja declared, explaining to Cooper that QAnon supporters were discussing the host just as recent as four days ago

The host seemed completely dumbfounded by the admission.

'You actually believed that I was drinking the blood of children?,' he asked.

Jadeja asserted: 'Yes, I did.'

'I was so far down in this conspiracy black hole, that I was essentially picking and choosing whatever narrative I wanted to believe in,' Jadeja said

Cooper asked what it is about him that made Jadeja believe such a conspiracy.

'It's because "Q" specifically mentioned you and he mentioned you very early on,' Jadeja said.

'He mentioned you by name, and from there, he also talked about like, for example, your family. I'm going to be honest, like people still talk about that to this day.'

It was not further clarified what Jadeja meant by Cooper's family, in the clip.

'Some people thought you were a robot,' Jadeja declared, explaining to Cooper that QAnon supporters were discussing the host just as recent as four days ago.

He continued: 'I didn't just believe that. I at one stage believed that QAnon was part of military intelligence, which is what he says but on top of that, that the people behind him were actually a group of fifth dimensional intra-dimensional extra terrestrial bi-pedal bird aliens called Blue Avians.'

'I was so far down in this conspiracy black hole, that I was essentially picking and choosing whatever narrative I wanted to believe in.'

Inside the QAnon Conspiracy airs Saturday at 9pm Eastern and will look into the ultra-right group that has barged into mainstream politics

QAnon started on fringe website 4chan, where a poster calling themselves Q left messages claiming to be a senior federal official and purporting to reveal a 'deep state' cabal intent on bringing down Donald Trump.

Q grew out of the discredited Pizzagate conspiracy that top Democrats were involved in pedophilia and cannibalism from the basement of a Washington D.C. restaurant, but quickly picked up steam with 'Q' leaving 'clues' and claims that Trump was going to bring down the deep state.

Whenever the conspiracies turn out to not be true, followers rationalize that the inaccuracies are part of Qs larger plan.

Inside the QAnon Conspiracy airs Saturday at 9pm Eastern.
Oregon businesses cited by the state for violating coronavirus safety standards nonetheless received more than $12.5 million in federal pandemic relief loans last year through the Paycheck Protection Program.

The relief program doesnt specifically require that businesses comply with safety rules to be eligible for coronavirus relief loans, or to have those loans forgiven. That means businesses that resist those rules are still able to access the free government help without experiencing the same level of economic hardship of those that fall in line.

Most Oregon businesses appear to be complying with state safety rules, despite the severe economic consequences for restaurants, gyms, theaters and others that have been forced to stop or sharply limit indoor activities.

Among the businesses that arent complying, though, a few have made a show of defying the states safety protocols. That hasnt stopped some of those same businesses from accepting the government handouts.

These employers received a significant amount of taxpayer dollars from the federal government to make sure they could keep people employed, said Jess Giannettino Villatoro, political director for Oregon AFL-CIO, one of the states largest labor groups.

Nobody wanted this money to flow into the state more than Oregons workers because that meant they continued drawing a paycheck, she said, but what no one expected at the onset of that money landing is that those employers would go on to put their workers lives at risk.

HANDOUTS AND FINES

At least 31 businesses that have been cited by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health division (Oregon OSHA) for violating state regulations aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 also accepted loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which Congress created last March to help businesses keep workers on payroll and cover other expenses during the pandemic.

Many businesses will ultimately have their loans forgiven, turning them into outright government grants.

Seven businesses that accepted loans were cited and fined by Oregon OSHA for willfully and sometimes repeatedly violating state rules.

Kevista Coffee in Bend was fined $8,900 by Oregon OSHA in July after the state alleged that it willfully failed to require face coverings. The state was continuing to receive complaints about the cafe earlier this month. Between Dec. 30 and Jan. 5 alone, five people complained to Oregon OSHA that the cafe wasnt requiring masks or physical distancing. One complaint noted that the coffee shop was asking for donations to help in its fight against Oregon OSHA, according to state records.

A blatant disregard for stated government orders and the health and safety of patrons is insulting, another complainant wrote. Not a single employee had a mask, nor did any of the dine-in patrons.  The interior space was packed with people freely conversing and dining without masks or regard for distancing.

While it allegedly flouted coronavirus safety requirements, the cafe benefited from a $32,185 relief loan from the federal government. Kevista Coffee didnt respond to a request for comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The Paycheck Protection Program application requires businesses to certify that they are not engaged in any activity that is illegal under federal, state or local law. But a spokesman for the U.S. Small Business Administration said that loan requirements didnt state that businesses must follow emergency coronavirus orders to be eligible for loans or loan forgiveness.

Salem-based gym chain Courthouse Club Fitness accepted a federal coronavirus relief loan of over $1 million last April to help keep a reported 368 staff members employed during the heart of the pandemic.

But when Oregon Gov. Kate Brown mandated that gyms close in November in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Salem gym refused. Oregon OSHA fined the gym $90,000 for operating four facilities in defiance of state regulations. The gym appealed the fine and continued operating.

In January, the agency issued the gym a second fine of $126,749 for continuing to defy Browns mandates, by far the largest fine it has issued for a coronavirus violation.

Owner John Miller defended his gym in a since-deleted Facebook post, questioning Browns logic for closing gyms and vowing to stay open, despite the second fine.

Miller said the gym had been taking safety precautions while remaining open and contended that the one COVID-19 case linked to the business occurred when an employee contracted the virus elsewhere.

Its unclear if thats true  contact tracing in Oregon, like other states, is scattershot and traces only a fraction of infections back to their origins. County health officials also dont disclose details of specific cases.

I repeat my pledge to support any reasonable request to help in the fight against covid, Miller wrote on Facebook. Voluntarily bankrupting a business my members depend on for their health, and 300 employees depend on for a living, is not reasonable.

Courthouse Club Fitness did not respond to a request for comment about its federal loan.

Liz Merah, a spokesman for the governor, said earlier this month that businesses that defied public health orders risked creating new spikes in COVID-19 cases and setting their communities back.

She said Browns executive orders are enforceable by law and that a violator could be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail. However, the state hasnt taken that approach to force businesses into compliance, even in cases when they have repeatedly defied state orders.

Our focus is on voluntary compliance, Merah said. If Oregonians and businesses dont take these measures seriously, and we dont see reduced case numbers, communities will end up staying in more restrictive risk levels for longer periods of time.

LIMITED VETTING

But that compliance hasnt been a prerequisite for businesses that have applied for coronavirus relief money.

In an effort to get money into the hands of struggling businesses as quickly as possible, the federal government approved Paycheck Protection Program loans last year with only limited vetting.

That led to the program handing out multimillion loans to large and established companies and failing to prevent fraudsters from accessing tens of millions of dollars. When the program reopened earlier this month to first- and second-time applicants, it did so with new fraud safeguards in place.

However, there remains no explicit requirement that businesses abide by local and state coronavirus mandates to access the money, beyond standard language requiring them to abide by the law.

Juley Fulcher, worker health and safety advocate for Washington D.C.-based watchdog group Public Citizen, said the federal government didnt adopt a workplace coronavirus safety standard last year, making it more difficult for them to tell businesses what guidance to follow. President Joe Biden last week directed the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to explore adopting an emergency temporary standard.

Still, Fulcher said the federal government could have required businesses to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to receive federal loans. Individual states also have issued specific mandates to employers to protect workers and consumers. Oregon OSHA adopted its own temporary coronavirus workplace rule last fall and Gov. Kate Brown has issued numerous executive orders regulating businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

Fulcher said she believes the Small Business Administration would be arguably within its rights to claw back money from businesses that certified they were in compliance with state laws and then flouted state coronavirus mandates, if those regulations were in place when the business accepted the loans. However, there is no indication that the agency has plans to take that action.

There was no attempt to look at how workplaces were handling COVID protections and connecting that at all to the ways that federal funding was given out, Fulcher said. Its a real problem that these companies are benefiting from federal funding to address COVID-related issues and arent bothering to protect their workers.

BUSINESSES PUSH BACK AGAINST RULES

Glamour Salon owner Lindsey Graham reopened her Salem salon in defiance of Browns public health orders last May, saying that she had to resume operations to pay her bills and provide for her family.

Her business was fined $14,000 by the state for willfully defying Browns order requiring salons to close. Graham appealed the fine. The same month, Grahams corporation, Glamour LLC, accepted a federal loan of more than $35,000 to keep 14 employees on payroll. Graham said she used the money to pay employees and cover some expenses at multiple tanning salons and a gym that she also owns, but didnt use the money for the salon because the hair stylists who work there are independent contractors, not employees.

While the loan program allowed employees to get paid, Graham said it did little to alleviate the stress of business owners. Businesses were required to use 60% of the money for payroll before covering other expenses in order to be eligible for loan forgiveness.

Graham said she stands by her decision to open against state rules and to apply for the federal loan. She contends that she didnt break the law, saying that law enforcement would have charged her with a misdemeanor if Browns orders were really being enforced as law. Graham filed a lawsuit in December challenging Browns authority to shut down private businesses.

If saving lives was the agenda then Walmart should have closed, Graham said. Everyone should have locked down with no exceptions, including liquor stores and weed stores.

Oregon, like other states, has tried to strike an uneasy balance of public safety and economic health. But the science around how the coronavirus spreads is in its infancy and the governor and other public health officials have struggled at times to explain why some businesses must close while others remain open, and why the ground rules frequently shift.

The regulations in place now are significantly more relaxed than what Oregon adopted last spring. But many businesses continue to chafe at restrictions that currently prohibit indoor dining in most of the state, for example, and limit the number of clients inside a gym to just six.

Oregon OSHA had received nearly 19,000 complaints related to COVID-19 workplace violations but had issued just 73 citations to businesses for violating coronavirus safety requirements as of Jan. 14. The state generally reserves formal citations and fines for situations where employers commit willful or egregious violations of coronavirus public health rules.

The agency issued a $8,900 fine to Caseys Restaurant in Klamath Falls in December for potentially exposing employees to COVID-19 by continuing to allow on-premise dining.

The family-owned restaurant, which accepted nearly $80,000 in federal money, defended its actions in a video posted earlier this month by the Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank. The foundation announced Thursday that it will run commercials defending the restaurants decision to fight against the death sentence it has been issued by state regulations.

Ive had a feeling that we need to fight for our freedom, said co-owner Annie Patzke in the video. She did not respond to an email seeking comment on the federal loans.

CONTINUED COMPLAINTS

Employees and customers have continued to express concerns about businesses that have flouted coronavirus safety rules.

Caseys Restaurant in Roseburg, which is not related to the restaurant in Klamath Falls, accepted a $123,600 federal loan to keep 23 employees on payroll, but then allegedly remained open for on-premise dining last spring in violation of state regulations. The restaurant continued to remain open after Oregon OSHA issued a Red Warning Notice, which requires that businesses cease all actions that violate public safety rules.

Oregon OSHA levied a $13,900 fine against the restaurant last May. It then issued another $280 fine to the restaurant in November for allegedly failing to require employees to wear face coverings and not mandating physical distancing.

But the agency continued to receive complaints about the restaurant in December. One complaint contended that the restaurant had replaced workers with volunteers so it would fall outside of Oregon OSHA jurisdiction and was boasting that it remained open.

The restaurant declined to comment. Brown allowed restaurants in Douglas County, where the restaurant is located, to open for limited indoor dining on Jan. 1.

Charlie Fisher is Oregon state director of OSPIRG, which promotes consumer protections, environmental standards and public health measures. He said he understands why the federal government prioritized getting loans into the hands of businesses quickly during the heart of the pandemic last year instead of requiring stringent vetting.

But with the Paycheck Protection Program open for another round of loans, Fisher said the federal government should be putting a greater emphasis on ensuring that the money isnt going to businesses that are undermining public safety.

The government is providing these loans to businesses so they can either stay closed or operate in a manner that is safe, Fisher said. By ignoring the rules, they are in a lot of ways prolonging the pandemic for everyone.

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg



Carrie Symonds, prime minister Boris Johnsons financee, is returning to work following the birth of the couples son last April.

According to reports, Symonds, 32, has landed a high-ranking role at a famous animal charity, nine months after the birth of their son Wilfred.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed Johnsons fiancee has been hired by the Aspinall Foundation as head of communications for the wildlife charity and conservation project.

The foundation is internationally known as a leading conservation charity that breeds and protects endangered species.

The Aspinall Foundation was founded in 1984 by professional gambler and zoo owner John Aspinall and its mission is to halt the extinction of rare animals, They have two animal parks in the UK open to visitors, Howletts near Canterbury and Port Lympne, near Ashford, where there are dedicated sanctuaries for protecting endangered animals.

They fund animal protection projects in Congo, Gabon, Java and Madagascar while also providing financial support for sanctuary schemes in India and Cambodia.

Damian Aspinall, the charitys chairman, said: Carrie takes up her new role at an exciting time for the Foundation, and we are delighted to have someone of her calibre on the team.

Aspinall added: Shes a passionate champion for wildlife and conservation, whose energy and expertise will be a huge asset to us.

Recommended Samantha Cameron defends Carrie Symonds amid claims she influences PM

Symonds is a known conservationist with a history of campaigning for animal welfare. Her new role follows a stint in public relations for the Oceana project that tackles plastic pollution. Carrie Symonds was named person of the year by leading animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) in 2020.

She has previously held positions as a press officer in the Conservative Party and as a media special advisor to former chancellor Sajid Javid. Symonds became the Conservative Partys head of communications in 2018 but resigned from the position later that year.

After beginning a relationship with Boris Johnson, Symonds moved into 10 Downing Street with the prime minister in July 2019 and the couple announced their engagement in late 2019.
The on Saturday slammed the BJP over FIRs filed against party MP and six journalists, with its leader Vadra alleging that the ruling party has "torn to shreds" the "dignity of democracy" by this action.

The opposition party also alleged that the BJP governments at the Centre and in states are hell-bent on "brutally and blatantly silencing" every contrarian or dissenting voice "by hook or by crook".

Tharoor and six journalists -- Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath -- have been booked by police in some BJP-ruled states over their allegedly misleading tweets on the violence during the farmers' tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.

Reacting to the development, said the trend of the BJP government threatening public representatives and journalists by filing FIRs is "very dangerous".

"Respecting democracy is not the government's prerogative but it is its responsibility. The atmosphere of fear is like poison for democracy," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The BJP government has torn to shreds the dignity of democracy by FIRs against senior journalists and public representatives," she said.

In a statement, chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "The BJP governments at the Centre and in states are hell-bent on brutally and blatantly silencing every contrarian or dissenting voice by hook or by crook."



In doing so, it is resorting to threats, intimidation and coercion that seem to be exceeding the overreach of even the "draconian Press Act of 1910 and the Rowlatt Act of 1919", he said referring to the British-era laws.

"The FIR filed against senior journalists and editors and a MP is a clear cut instance of strangulating democracy by the BJP and its leaders," Surjewala said.

"'Either you should be with us, or we will use state machinery to harass and bulldoze you' is thoroughly embedded in the Modi government's DNA," he alleged.

The bedrock of BJP's 'New India' is based on creating an atmosphere of fear by systematically targeting its detractors and labelling all dissenting voices as anti-national', he claimed.

"No segment of the society, be it farmers, youth, Dalits, tribals, women or any common citizen with a mindful alternative view has been spared by this concerted modus operandi of the Prime Minister, Home Minister and various BJP CMs, especially Yogi Adityanath of UP," Surjewala said.

The entire nation has witnessed how ministers in the Modi government have repeatedly spewed venom against the lakhs of farmers who have been protesting in a largely peaceful manner for the last 70 days, he alleged.

"Dismantling that side of the fourth pillar the media which does not toe the slated line of the BJP, while protecting the one which does, exposes BJP's utter hypocrisy," he said.

The Congress strongly condemns the FIR against senior editors and a Congress MP, which is nothing but another step in the direction of "criminal intimidation of dissent, taken by this tyrannical government," he said demanding that the FIRs be quashed.

Tharoor and the six journalists have been booked by the Noida Police for sedition, among other charges, over the violence during the farmers' tractor rally in Delhi, officials said on Thursday.

Madhya Pradesh police have also filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Tharoor and the six journalists over their 'misleading' tweets on the violence during the farmers' tractor rally in Delhi.
Legal Aid Society seeing an increase in calls during pandemic, and local grant money will help them take more calls

Utica, N.Y. - There's a resource here in Central New York that you may not have heard of, but you may need, especially now during the pandemic.

It's called the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York.

Legal Aid Society Mid-New York Executive Director Paul Lupia says his agency has seen a large spike in cases since the pandemic, a majority are for domestic violence issues, "An increase in domestic violence cases because of the stay at home orders and lost jobs."

Lupia says his agency can provide a number of services for domestic violence victims, "We can represent them in a divorce proceeding, get them an order of protection, get them child support, fairly dividing up the marital assets and there could be a final divorce judgment which ends the relationship."

He says thanks to a $10,000 grant from The Community Foundation and the United Way of the Mohawk Valley, his agency is able to provide more legal aid for people in need during this ongoing pandemic.

The not for profit agency covers 13 counties in the region and provides civil legal aid to people in need in those counties, covering everything from domestic violence issues, veterans issues, elder law and scams, to problems with eviction or foreclosure, "We go as far north as Jefferson County and Watertown as far east as Herkimer County and then down into Delaware county and then Binghamton. We go up as far west as Auburn and Cayuga."

Lupia says because of the pandemic, everything is basically being done over the phone, online, or in some cases via Zoom.

He says the grant money is allowing his agency to purchase equipment to allow more staff members to work from home.

Lupia says sometimes it's confusing to people, but when people have a criminal case they are entitled to an attorney, he says that is not true in civil court.

He says that's where the Legal Aid Society comes in, which provides legal counsel and advice to members of the community involved with civil legal matters.

Lupia adds that because of people's lost income during the pandemic, foreclosure and evictions are going to increase once the state and federal moratorium end, and that will mean more people in need will need the free legal aid.

Lupia says if you need help, you can apply for services online confidentially at www.lasmny.org or call 877.777.6152 anytime and leave a message, someone will get back to you.

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A man who fought off a killer crocodile who had his head in its jaws wants authorities to shoot it dead.

Mark Ridge, 56, was swimming in Lake Placid in Cairns, Queensland, when he was attacked by the saltwater crocodile at about 12.40pm on Thursday.

The 2.5m reptile grabbed his head in its jaws and Mr Ridge fought back, putting his hands into the mouth of the beast to pry its teeth off his scalp.

Mark Ridge, 56, (pictured) prised the crocodile's jaws off his head then swam 400m to safety

The crocodile responsible is believed to be about 2.5 metres long (stock image)

The jaws snapped shut on his left forefinger - which amazingly was not severed or broken - and the injured man managed to swim 400m to safety.

The authorities are now hunting for the crocodile which they believe may have left the popular tourist swimming lake and returned to the nearby Barron River.

Their intent is to catch and relocate the creature.

However Mr Ridge wants it shot dead.

'I don't want them to catch it, I want them to shoot it, it's a menace,' he told the Courier Mail.

Queensland Department of Environment and Science spokesman Dr Matthew Brien said if the croc had been slightly larger at 4m, Mr Ridge would have been killed.

'The chances of surviving an attack from a 4m crocodile are zero,' he said.

Mark Ridge (pictured) was swimming in Lake Placid in Cairns, Queensland, when he felt the jaws of a crocodile on his head before managing to free himself

Dr Brien said there was a 4m crocodile that is often seen just 1km away from the scene of the attack.

Another crocodile was removed from Lake Placid more than a year ago, and a 3m reptile was shot dead by wildlife officers in 2017 in the lake due to the risk it posed to swimmers.

Crocodile numbers in Queensland have exploded since 1974 when the species was protected after they were hunted nearly to extinction.

Saltwater crocodiles can grow up to 6m with some males exceeding this.

It takes a long time for them to grow this large however the risk posed by the increased numbers of large crocodiles since protection have often sparked calls for a cull.

Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan floated a shoot-to-kill policy ahead of last year's Queensland election for crocodiles spotted in public hotspots.

The policy would see hired professionals on call to attend beaches, waterholes and work sites to reduce the threat.

Critical care paramedic Paul Sweeney said Mr Ridge was treated for multiple lacerations to his head, hands, and shoulder but was lucky that crocodile's teeth had not severed one of the arteries in his neck, which could have been fatal.

Mr Ridge said it was the first time he had encountered a crocodile but took it in his stride, saying it's not every day 'you get chewed on'.

'Youve only got two weapons, thats your hands, so you do what you have to do,' he said.

Pictures of Mr Ridge's injuries show cuts to his scalp and under his ear

Mr Ridge's daughter Mili earlier told Seven News that Mr Ridge was in pain but would be fine.

'He is at home resting, he said his head hurts a bit and he is in pain but should be OK,' she said.

Pictures of Mr Ridge's injuries, shared with Seven News, show cuts to his scalp and under his ear.

Mr Sweeney said the injured man was conscious when paramedics arrived.

'There was definite evidence of puncture wounds through his scalp to the right side of his head from either the upper or lower jaw,' he said.

Mr Ridge swam slowly to shore, terrified the reptile would attack again. Pictured: Lake Placid

'There were additional puncture wounds, then, to the left angle of the jaw, the cheekbone there and the jaw, corresponding to a bite which the  the animal has bitten his head with jaws either side'.

Mr Ridge was doing swimming training in the water, Mr Sweeney said, when he felt a 'sudden impact clasp on the top of his head'.

'He put his hands into the jaws to prise them off his head, and when he did so and let go, the jaw snapped shut onto his left forefinger, which wasn't broken or severed thankfully,' he said.

Mr Ridge was taken to Cairns Hospital where he is in a stable condition.

Rangers from Queensland Parks and Wildlife are investigating the croc attack.

Warning signs were recently put up at the popular tourist spot after sightings of a two metre crocodile in the area.
In an open letter to the university community, the Penn State Black Caucus detailed an ambush of one of its Zoom meetings recently by 51 people who used white supremacist language, hurled racial and homophobic slurs, and exposed themselves to the cameras.

In the letter, which was posted on Twitter and Instagram on Friday, the Black Caucus called on Penn State to use its full resources in holding these attackers accountable.

The letter says that during the Black Caucus Jan. 27 Zoom recruitment meeting as part of the universitys virtual Spring Involvement Fair, 51 unwanted users ambushed the call and directed racial and homophobic slurs against three caucus executive board members. They also flooded the chat section with anti-Semitic and white supremacist language and symbols, the letter said.

Additionally, some of the intruders screamed, played loud music, and exposed themselves to the camera in a sexual manner during the video call, according to the letter.

Members of the Black Caucus removed the unwanted users and immediately contacted school administration, the letter said.

The Black Caucus mission is to promote and protect the safety and well-being of Black students and to educate and serve the universitys minority community.

In a message to the members of the Black Caucus and the Penn State community that was posted on the universitys website Saturday, Penn State president Eric J. Barron said Zoom bombings of various lectures and meetings in which hate-filled, racist and antisemitic language was spewed and specifically targeted at people of color and other populations have been reported, though he did not go into detail about any of the calls or indicate which other groups aside from the Black Caucus have been targeted.

Barron said Penn State has alerted police as well as Zoom to these cases to investigate and hold the perpetrators accountable.

The vile language, images and vulgar content that are characteristics of these coordinated online attacks reflect broader social challenges and ongoing problems within our community and our nation at large, Barron wrote. For me, these types of troubling activities serve to strengthen my goal of creating a more inclusive community and certainly underscore the need for continued work together on initiatives like the recent revisions to our Student Code of Conduct.

In its letter, the Black Caucus called the incident traumatic but stressed that it was not an isolated event, citing three cases of white supremacist attacks and threats against Black students at the school in 1987, 1990, and 2001.

This country has consistently failed us systemically, resulting in racial injustices in every sector of life, the letter said. Throughout the nation and here in Central Pennsylvania, we have seen a rise in recent years of hate crimes and hate-driven radicalization that have resulted in hostility, harm and violence towards Black and brown people.

The letter acknowledges that Penn State has taken some steps to combat hate, but the authors said it was not enough and called on university officials to investigate this incident and invest in opportunities to comprehensively combat anti-Blackness.

This incident begs the question: If we are not safe in our classrooms, on our campus, in our homes, in an online meeting, then where are we supposed to go?

The group issued a statement Saturday night saying it has received a lot of support from faculty, staff, students, and alumni, including assurances the attackers will be held accountable.

We are asking that people share our message and continue to support us and those who are working towards eliminating anti-Blackness in Central Pennsylvania.
Muscat : A consignment of India-made vaccines arrived in Muscat on Saturday, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar adding that India providing vaccines to Oman is a friendship "spanning millennia."

"Made in India vaccines arrive in Muscat. Reflects a deep friendship, spanning millennia," the External Affairs Minister wrote on Twitter.

"Vaccines made in India arrive in Muscat. It reflects a deep friendship spanning thousands of years," the Indian Embassy in Muscat also wrote from its official Twitter Handle retweeting Jaishankar's tweet.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday said India plans to gift vaccine doses to Oman, CARICOM countries, Nicaragua, Pacific Island states.

Srivastava said New Delhi plans to supply 1 crore or 10 million vaccine doses to Africa and 10 lakh to United Nations health workers under GAVI's (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) COVAX facility.

"From 20th January 2021 onward, we have gifted over 55 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to our neighbouring countries and in the extended neighbourhood--1.5 lakh to Bhutan, 1 lakh to Maldives, Mauritius and Bahrain, 10 lakhs to Nepal, 20 lakhs to Bangladesh, 15 lakhs to Myanmar, 50,000 to Seychelles, 5 lakh to Sri Lanka. In the coming days, We plan to gift further quantity to Oman that is of 1 lakh doses, 5 lakh doses to CARICOM countries. 2 lakh to Nicaragua, 2 lakh doses to the Pacific island state," Srivastava added.

These supplies are based on the request of these countries, he said.

India, Srivastava said, plans to commercially export coronavirus vaccine to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada, Mongolia and other countries.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the capacity to produce vaccines of India is one of the 'best assets that the world has today'. To which, Jaishankar replied that the global community can count on the 'Pharmacy of the World'.

"You can count on the Pharmacy of the World to help overcome the COVID-19 challenge," he wrote in a tweet dated Friday.

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While the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) gave the entity managing Los Alamos National Laboratory a very good score, two local groups that keep an eye on the lab are more skeptical.

Jay Coghlan, executive director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, complained that the evaluations the NNSA released earlier this month were reduced to a three-page summary, which he said doesnt provide the public with the transparency it deserves.

Up until last year, the full Performance Evaluation Reports, paid for by the taxpayer, were available to the public, he said in a statement. These sanitized report summaries hide the dirty details, such as chronic nuclear safety infractions that citizens should really know about.

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Coghlan said Nuclear Watch New Mexico would take legal action against the federal agency to make available the full evaluation of Triad National Nuclear Security, which is charged with managing LANL.

In 2012, Nuclear Watch New Mexico filed a lawsuit to get the full report and the NNSA obliged before a first hearing. The full reports were released every year since then until last year.

But even from the summary, Coghlan didnt have to look far to find fault in the evaluation for Triad. He took exception to the first issue listed under Goal 1 of the evaluation, which is the execution of the labs nuclear mission. The NNSA noted that LANL did not meet all scheduled Pit development builds, a reference to prototypes of plutonium pits, the triggering device on nuclear warheads, it is tasked with producing.

This calls into question how the Lab can possibly meet NNSAs declared goal of producing at least 30 plutonium pits at LANL for the nuclear weapons stockpile by 2026, when it cant even build all scheduled practice pits, he said.

Greg Mello, who heads the Los Alamos Study Group, had the same concern.

It should be troubling to NNSA that Los Alamos hasnt met pit production goals, he said, but how they failed is impossible to pull out of this summary.

Mello also had the same complaint about the lack of detail contained in the summary.

These evaluations are too friendly, and way too vague and opaque, he said.

For instance, the evaluation says that COVID-19-related impacts slowed the pace of work at LANL.

Was that because most of the workforce was working from home, he wondered.

If 85% of staff is teleworking, what is really getting done? A lot? A little? Medium? Its not clear, he said.

Both Mello and Coghlan said they were hopeful that things might change under a new presidential administration.

In the past, there was more information available as to specific successes and failures, Mello said. Now, its difficult to make head or tail out of whats happening here. Its a lot of money and almost no accountability for performance.
EDWARDSVILLE Figuratively speaking, there appeared to be a global timeout during the year of 2020, and in America there seemed to be constant angst because of political and social unrest, according to St. Louis native actress, writer and director Sophia Stephens, who has starred in such television shows as Fuller House, Dear White People, Luke Cage and Blackish.

Stephens, who starred in the film What Happened to Girls Night? and has performed on Broadway in The Lion King, was the featured speaker at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Centers (ESLC) inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. virtual lecture on Wednesday, Jan. 27.

The pandemic forced us to face ourselves and look within. Many people experienced depression, isolation, confusion and personal loss. But, believe it or not, that was and this is the time for dreamers, encouraged Stephens, a one-time SIUE theater student, to an audience made up of mostly young people from ESLC programs. Stephens is also an instructor at The Bronx Charter School for Excellence in New York.

Dr. King was one of the greatest dreamers and orators of all time, she intoned. He was looking at a mountain of problems and not those just within the Black community. Dr. King spoke about wars, sanitation workers and union rights. He had an immense gift to see a vision that others could not see, and he did it so well that the world caught fire from his words.

King dreamed in the face of despair, and Stephens encouraged her audience to do the same. When I say dream, what do you imagine? she asked. Imagination is the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.

Dreams are also like visions. A vision is a picture of the future that produces passion. What pictures do you have right now about your future?

Answers that popped up in the chat included: going to college, moving to another state, being independent, differences accepted rather than discouraged, broadcast journalist or screenwriter.

Stephens also shared with her audience, an episode from her web series, Quarantine Quarrels in 2020, that she wrote and produced. She began her production company, Philosophia Productions, in 2017. Stephens attended SIUE from 2000-02, where she initially was a political science major who had an interest in theater dance performance. She changed direction after being impacted by her mentor, the late Lisa Colbert, assistant professor in the SIUE Department of Theater and Dance.

The presentation was amazing, as well as inspiring, said John Easley, a freshman in the ESLCs Collinsville Upward Bound (UB) Math and Science program. I really liked how interactive the presenter was with the audience.

It was fantastic learning more about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said Joseph Rauk, UB Math and Science sophomore. She gave valuable advice and hearing her first-hand experiences about dreaming was great.

Even in the face of some people who wanted him dead, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke, inspired, demanded and marched, recounted Donald Thomas, UB Math and Science senior. He did not raise his fist in violence. He kept on demanding justice, and he knew that it couldnt be brought by violence.

I was so excited for our students to be able to hear this extremely gifted and inspirational young actress, Ms. Sophia Stephens, said ESLC Executive Director Timothy Staples, EdD. She was the perfect person to kick off what will be an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lecture series.
 Flash

Another 23,275 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 3,796,088, according to official figures released Saturday.

Meanwhile, Britain also reported another 1,200 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country now stands at 105,571, the data showed. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

The latest data were revealed as Britain is stepping up its efforts to speed up the vaccine rollout to bring the pandemic under control.

More than 8.3 million people in Britain have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures. Britain aims to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn.

Earlier Saturday, a British expert warned that some restrictions will remain in place in Britain until the coronavirus pandemic is over globally.

"We're still going to be living in some form of restrictions -- travel restrictions, border controls -- even when we're vaccinated, until it's over round the world," Clare Wenham, assistant professor of global health policy at London School of Economics, told Sky News.

"There's a real imperative to make sure that everybody round the world has at least minimum levels of vaccines at the same time," Wenham said.

"If we want to return to global systems of trade and travel we need to make sure that the vulnerable globally are vaccinated," she said.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.
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With more than 25 million U.S. cases, more than 430,000 deaths and thousands dying per day, the expanding distribution of two vaccines is bringing excitement and hope for many in the United States that this may finally be what we need to get control of this pandemic. That said, an important question remains: How many people will actually take it?

The first responders, nurses and doctors will take the vaccine because they trust the rigorous scientific process vaccines are subjected to during clinical trials. They will take the vaccine because it has the potential to save their lives, so they can continue to save ours. These brave individuals are risking their lives every day to save our families, our friends and our colleagues. They are fatigued, exhausted and filled with grief for the seemingly never ending deaths of their patients.

Our hospitals are at or near capacity, which means there is a potential for rationing of care; all of this will continue to increase with people defying to follow common sense, easy behavioral practices to avoid catching and spreading the virus. Experts have warned us that the United States is on the verge of facing its worst public health event ever. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director has warned that we will have more deaths per day for the next 60-90 days than the number of people we lost on 9/11.

So why, after many months of living with this virus, are people still refusing to follow CDC guidelines to wear a mask, distance socially, avoid large gatherings and wash hands regularly? Moreover, why do some people believe the virus isnt even real?

One reason is that the former president and his administration lied to the American people from the very beginning of this pandemic about the severity and deadliness of COVID-19. Former President Donald Trump claimed the virus would disappear at least 40 times. There were also mixed messages by other federal, state and local authorities. State governors refused to implement mask-wearing mandates or place limits on sizes of crowd gatherings, and some media outlets spread false, misleading information. Some news organizations continue to downplay the devastating effects of the virus. Some even praise Trump supporters for their refusal to wear masks and refer to the pandemic as phony.

As a behavioral psychologist, I can tell you that providing verbal encouragement and praise for such behavior will most likely reinforce non-mask wearing and other noncompliant behaviors, thus leading to deadly consequences.

A second reason for lack of following guidelines is the blatant disregard for those at the highest level of government to follow their own agencies guidelines, including avoiding indoor gatherings. In the midst of a pandemic with an extremely contagious, airborne virus, the Trump White House had at least 10 parties, with some including more than 200 guests. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defied safety guidelines and hosted his own 200-plus person party. Even more shocking and insulting was his plan to hold a party on Dec. 15 with at least 900 people. This sent a dangerous message to the public. Why should everyday Americans follow the guidelines when our top government officials dont bother to do so?

Misinformation, lies and disregard for following CDC guidelines resulted in a lack of public trust in government agencies. Political pressure from Trump and his administration also undermined public trust and confidence. Late last summer there was pressure put on the Food and Drug Administration and CDC from the Trump administration regarding the effectiveness of plasma therapy. We learned that non-scientists Ivanka Trump and Kellyanne Conway recommended changes to CDC guidelines. Finally, Trumps pressure via tweet calling for the FDA to approve the vaccine further added to uncertainty in the publics ability to trust COVID- and vaccine-related messages coming from the federal government.

Unfortunately, the lack of public trust in the COVID-19 vaccines, especially among people of color, who are more significantly affected by the virus, could lead to fewer people taking the vaccine. This, in turn, could lengthen the recovery from the pandemic. This is why we need a coordinated, national public outreach and education campaign to educate the American people on the scientific facts regarding stopping the spread of COVID-19 and the importance of taking the vaccine.

The Biden administration is unabashedly pro-science and intends to deliver clear, science-based efforts to combat the coronavirus with career professionals guiding the way. Additionally, in an effort to combat the months-long bombardment of misinformation, the Democrats have called on Biden to take on the infodemic information pertaining to COVID-19. This is essential: If people remain misinformed on how dangerous this virus is, how it spreads, and how to protect themselves and others, we will continue to see widespread death and sickness.

In an effort to demonstrate to the American people that they trust the science and scientists behind the COVID-19 vaccine, government leaders and three former presidents committed to publicly take it to demonstrate their confidence in its safety. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been vaccinated, and even former Vice President Mike Pence, who famously said there wouldnt be a second wave, took the vaccine.

These former and current public officials endorsement of the vaccine may help educate the American people about the safety and benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine, which in turn may lead to more people taking the vaccine and potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives.

Without a vaccine, we would continue to see devastating losses in life, in employment and in overall quality of life. When the vaccine becomes available to all Americans, those of us who can should follow the lead of those first responders and take the vaccine. Doing so will save lives and begin a return to a life where we can be with our loved ones, hug each other and go to concerts, museums and sporting events. Moreover, we would be able to do these things without the fear that doing so could result in our own death or the death of another person whom people love and will miss and mourn for the rest of their lives.

It didnt have to be this bad and we have the power to make it better.

Trust science: Wear a mask, distance socially, avoid indoor gatherings, wash your hands and get the vaccine as soon as you can. Doing so could save your life or your fellow humans lives. That is a wonderful gift to give anyone and everyone in 2021.

Susan Snycerski, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at San Jose State University and a Public Voices Fellow with the OpEd Project.
Govt. to gazette Rs. 1,000 daily wage for estate workers without consent of companies By S. Rubatheesan View(s): View(s):

The Government has decided to gazette the minimum wage of Rs 1,000 for estate workers, after failing to reach consensus with plantation companies.

The move came following the Cabinet approval granted this week to proceed with the Wages Board process after all three trade unions collectively declared that they would not make any compromise with regard to their demand for a basic wage of Rs 1,000 a day.

The plantation trade unions have decided to take up the basic wage dispute at a special Wages Board meeting after failing to reach consensus with Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs).

The talks ended up in a deadlock despite several rounds of discussions.

The special Wages Board meeting is scheduled for February 6.

Labour Commissioner General B.K. Prabath Chandrakeerthi told the Sunday Times that during the special Wages Board meeting, only matters related to basic wage, working hours, overtime claims and leave would be discussed and would not discuss any social benefits of the workers as mandated in the collective agreement.

This is not the first time the Wages Board is intervening in the plantation workers wages. It had done so in 2004 and 2014. The focus of the Wages Board meeting would be resolving the basic wage dispute, he said.

This week, Labour Minister Nimal Sripala de Silva told Cabinet that the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) which represents the RPCs had proposed to increase the daily wage up to Rs 920.

The Cabinet approved the Memorandum by the Minister to take necessary steps to increase the employee wage to Rs 1,000 by taking up the matter with the Wages Board to ensure that the budget proposal could be implemented.

However, a CEA spokesperson disputed the Cabinet memorandum saying that during the last round of talks, they agreed to Rs 725 as basic wage  a Rs 25 increase from the previous wage.

With the 2019 collective agreement expiring last week, the Labour Ministry published a gazette this week issuing notice to the signatory parties.

In the 2020 Budget, the Government pledged once again to provide Rs 1,000 a day as basic wage for the plantation workers in keeping up with President Gotabaya Rajapaksas presidential election promise and Cabinet decisions followed thereafter.

The RPCs came up with a final proposal last week suggesting workers could earn more than Rs. 1,000 while maintaining Rs 700 as basic wage.

The breakdown is as follows: Basic Wage  Rs. 700, EPF/ETF  Rs. 105, Attendance Incentive  Rs. 150 and Productivity Incentive  Rs. 150. Under the new proposal, workers will receive a substantial Rs. 6,250 increase to their monthly earnings.

Describing the referral of the dispute to the Wages Board as a very very regressive step by the trade unions, EFC spokesperson Roshan Rajadurai told the Sunday Times the Government should not have been involved in negotiations in the first place.

The Government did not consult us before announcing its approval for the payment of a basic wage of Rs 1,000 a day for plantation workers. We proposed a mechanism to the unions where workers can earn over thousand rupees but they vehemently rejected it, Mr. Rajadurai said.

Therefore, the companies would be focusing on the basic wage alone during next weeks meeting and could not be expected to provide other benefits covered under the collective agreement, he said.

Ahead of next weeks Wages Board meeting, the three plantation trade unions which are signatories to the agreements  the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) and the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC) met on Friday to reiterate that they would not back down from the Rs 1000 demand.

JPTUC General Secretary S. Ramanathan said they welcomed the move to refer the issue to the Wages Board since they could not agree to anything less because of the increasing cost of living.

Roughly on a given day, a plantation worker plucks 12kg of tea leaves in which at least five kilograms of black tea can be processed and sold at more than Rs 5,000. Why cant they be given Rs 1000? asked Mr Ramanathan stressing the collective stand of the trade unions.

According to Forbes & Walker tea brokers, Sri Lankas tea output, although it is likely to recover this year, is unlikely to achieve the heights registered from 2010 to 2015.

Despite the record low production, the tea broker company highlighted that the average prices at the Colombo Tea Auction reached their highest ever value in rupee terms of Rs. 628.21 a kilo last year, topping the previous all-time high of Rs .618.14 achieved in 2017.
HOLYOKE  After Dr. Alejandro Esparza-Perez received his second dose of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine, his shoulder area was a bit sore and he had a slight headache and chills.

All temporary symptoms, the chief medical officer of Holyoke Health Center said, that the vaccination was doing what it is supposed to do: Arming his immune system to fight a virus blamed for 14,000 deaths in Massachusetts and 2 million worldwide.

Immunization had one more personal side effect, turning the 48-year-old physicians into a madman in advocating others to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 education has been a priority for Esparza-Perez whose federally-qualified health center serves a high percentage of Hispanic or Latino patients. It provides primary and preventative care in both English and Spanish.

COVID-19 hospitalization rates for such patients are much higher than those of non-Hispanic whites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Government agencies, as well as others, have highlighted the need for information about the virus  and the two recently authorized vaccines  to be accessible to blacks, Latinos and people of color.

I was looking like a mad man, Esparza-Perez said. Telling everyone on the street who would listen that I got vaccinated as well as on my social media and having lots of conversations with people at work as well as with my patients. The science behind the vaccine is very solid, side effects are mild and well-tolerated in the majority of cases.

Vaccine education that Holyoke Health has done with staff has resulted in many of them being immunized, Esparza-Perez said. He is optimistic for similar results with patients as the states timeline for who can get vaccinated begins to broaden.

People respond very well once they understand, Esparza-Perez said. We make the information we give personal and local. If you dont take the time to do this, then people resort to finding information wherever they can. If you know how to explain it and give them the right sources for information, people respond positively.

Some 70 percent of the 24,000 patients that Holyoke Health serves annually in Holyoke, Chicopee and surrounding communities, identify as Hispanic or Latino.

According to the most recent cumulative data from the CDC, this is a population group whose rates of hospitalization with COVID-19, which begins as a respiratory condition but can advance to impact every organ system, are 3.2 times higher when compared to rates for non-Hispanic white persons, and 2.9 times higher among non-Hispanic black persons compared to non-Hispanic whites.

Brian Beauvais, a physician assistant at Caring Health Center, a health center that provides medical care to the underserved in Greater Springfield, said this is a population of patients who struggled even before the pandemic for access to resources, but given reliable information is willing to listen.

The majority of my patients are considered underserved, including a majority of Latino and African American patients, Beauvais said. Patients struggling with employment, housing, access to resources and many with underlying health conditions.

In early December, Beauvais said he started asking each patient at the end of their office visit, If the vaccine were available, would you be willing to receive it today?

When I asked patients about vaccination hesitancy, the answers varied somewhat, but mostly patients were responding: How do I know its safe? Im not sure about the long-term side effects. What if it is dangerous? What if I take the vaccine and it hurts me and doesnt even work? These are such valid responses. It is a new vaccine. It was created in less than a year using a rather unique mechanism of action.

Beauvais said that since then something has changed.

Beginning a few weeks ago, I noticed more willingness to consider accepting the vaccination, Beauvais said. It seems more patients are responding Yes, I would accept the vaccine. I think the more patients hear about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine from health care providers and trusted news sources, patients begin to understand that the vaccine is one of the best tools, in addition to masks and social distancing, that we have right now to end this pandemic.

Beauvais, who received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Christmas Eve and the second last week, added he emphasizes with patients that the vaccine is safe, it is effective, and it is our best chance to end the COVID pandemic.

I also try to lead by example, letting patients know that I am very excited to be vaccinated, and that there is a profound peace of mind knowing that my body now has antibodies to fight COVID, Beauvais said.

He added, I have been thinking about COVID as a building on fire, the flames are getting hotter and we are all standing on the roof ready to jump, and the vaccine is the landing pad that will catch us safely.

Dr. Alejandro Esparza-Perez (right), is the chief medical officer at Holyoke Health Center. He is looking on as clinical pharmacist Marisa Piers-Gamble prepares supplies to travel to a COVID-19 vaccination site. (Don Treeger | The Republican)

Esparza-Perez said there is a lot of reassurance and education that can be done as Phase II on the states timeline for COVID-19 vaccinations begins Monday, Feb. 1, starting with those 75 and older, and Phase III, in April for the general public.

We are leveraging some of our technology tools during Phase II, such as encouraging our providers during telehealth visits to have a conversation with their patient in regard to the vaccine and to address concerns ahead of time even if that patient is not part of Phase II, Esparza-Perez said.

Esparza-Perez added that he is very proud of the number of the centers employees who agreed to be vaccinated.

We did a lot of education. I gave out my email and told people not to hesitate to contact me personally to discuss any concerns that make them hesitant to get the vaccine, he said.

Esparza-Perez praised his pharmacy and infectious diseases staff who researched data around the Moderna vaccine, the brand allocated to Holyoke Health by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, to present at weekly meetings for employees.

The Moderna vaccine was given emergency use authorization Dec. 18 by the Food and Drug Administration for individuals 18 and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was given the first such authorization Dec. 11 for individuals 16 and older.

We have a dedicated observation area within our pharmacy, which is large, and have been very strict that those getting the vaccine stay the required 15 or 30 minutes, said Esparza-Perez of the CDC guidelines that all people receiving either of the authorized vaccines be monitored on site for a period of time for any adverse reaction.

The CDC has characterized as a rare event any severe, life-threatening allergic reaction to either vaccine, and Esparza-Perez said none was observed during the immunizations of employees.

Holyoke Health is all set up to schedule patients and hold vaccination clinics for our patients that are eligible in Phase II but was notified by the state last week that the centers expected re-allotment of the Moderna vaccine would not be available for at least two weeks, Esparza-Perez said.

He said that many of the centers patients, most of whom live within a 10-mile radius, may not be able to travel to one of the states mass vaccination sites, which include the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, so will continue to go unvaccinated until the center receives additional doses.

In addition to its regular services, Esparza said the center has created a dedicated clinic to treat patients with upper respiratory symptoms suspected for COVID-19 where we provide five-days-a-week, in-person evaluations, testing and treatment ,as well as telephonic home monitoring for those patients who were positive and symptomatic.

During the spring, summer and the fall we also had a drive-through testing site that now has gone indoors during the winter, he said.

Sixty percent of centers patient visits remain remote. Marlo Connor, a registered nurse and the centers chief operating officer, said investment has been made in its telecommunications infrastructure to address this switch to lessen virus exposure and additional patient access representatives hired as well as triage nurses.

Esparza-Perez described his older patients as most eager to receive the vaccine, and tells less-interested younger patients that they need to think of exposure risk they may present to their parents, grandparents and other household members and get vaccinated when they are eligible.

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STAMFORD  An office complex on the edge of the downtown has sold for $8.5 million, although the seller will retain a long-term presence at the property.

Manhattan-based Silverback Development has sold the two-building site at 1111-1177 Summer St., after acquiring it for $12.4 million acquisition in 2018, according to property-transfer records in the Stamford Town Clerks Office. The two six-story towers cumulatively cover about 137,000 square feet and have an appraised value of about $21 million.

The sales terms entail Silverback leasing back 1111-1177 Summer for the next 98 years. A $12 million note on the leasehold interest is facilitating the transaction.

After acquiring the property, Silverback officials said their firm carried out a $4 million improvement plan that stabilized the asset and increased occupancy from 50 percent to 92 percent. They also cited the support of Plaza Realty Management, the propertys manager and leasing agent.

Silverback is excited to have effectuated this structure, as it allowed us to accomplish two principal objectives of the company: monetize our investment, while retaining a presence in Stamford and participating in the continued maturation of the market, said Silverback Vice President Alan Glick.

AGW Summer LLC, which lists a Queens, N.Y. business address, was the buyer, according to the property-transfer records. Officials at AGW Summer could not be reached for comment.

At the same time, Silverback is redeveloping a neighboring property.

In 2016, Silverback acquired for $12.5 million three downtown office buildings across 733-777 Summer St., and 612 Bedford St. About two years ago, Silverback gained approval from the city to demolish the two office buildings that then stood at 733-777 Summer to make way for apartments.

Today, the lot at 733-777 Summer is empty. But construction of the apartment complex is scheduled to start later this year, with a 376-unit building planned there, according to Stamfords economic development director Thomas Madden.

The sale generated $41,000 in local conveyance taxes. It was exempt from state conveyance taxes.

Stamford has seen a number of other major commercial property sales in the past few weeks.

In the citys largest real estate deal of 2020, telecommunications giant Charter Communications bought for $100 million the downtown office building at 400 Atlantic St., which has served as its headquarters since 2012. The company still plans to open a new headquarters this year a few blocks away, at 406 Washington Blvd., in a new 500,000-square-foot building next to the downtown Metro-North Railroad station.

A few blocks from 400 Atlantic, the downtown office tower at 1055 Washington Blvd., sold for $24 million in a leasehold deal. The approximately 183,000-square-foot property stands next to the Trump Parc condominium building and across the street from Mill River Park.

The acquisition added the first Connecticut property to the Rye Brook, N.Y.-based RPW Groups portfolio, which also includes nine buildings in Westchester County, N.Y., as well as 275 Madison Ave., in midtown Manhattan.

In the past three years, weve been focused on expanding our real estate footprint throughout the tri-state area, and Stamford was a focus for us, RPW Executive Vice President Andrew Weisz said in a recent interview. 1055 presented a great opportunity for us to enter the Stamford market. Its a terrific building, its got curb appeal and a terrific location. The infrastructure is excellent. and the tenant roster is very strong. It checked a lot of the boxes.

Also last month, the site of the former Stamford Sheraton hotel, which closed last October, sold for $6 million. The property appears to have been considered for uses including military veterans housing, but the buyers have not publicly disclosed their plans.

This article has been updated to include additional information about the sale of 1111-1177 Summer St.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
Advertisement

Grim new graphs lay bare the dilemma facing Boris Johnson's government as officials try to work out how to reopen the country without causing a third wave of coronavirus infections, as SAGE recommends keeping social distancing measures in place until 2022.

Modelling passed on to No10 suggests that restrictions including the dreaded Rule of Six may have to remain in place until the end of the year, while coronavirus vaccines would need to be 85 per cent effective to prevent a surge in deaths if curbs were totally eased.

A downbeat paper commissioned by SAGE subgroup SPI-M and produced by the University of Warwick showed that the UK could experience a large spike in deaths if inoculation fails to significantly cut transmission of Covid-19 while draconian shutdown measures are relaxed.

It warns that a 'high uptake' of vaccinations is also vital to getting the country back to normal without risking a dreaded third wave of the disease, which has now claimed more than 100,000 lives according to official figures.

The paper also claims that even with Britain's breakneck jab roll-out well underway, the decline in deaths would be crushingly slow - and that even in a best-case scenario lockdown would have to be kept in place until June to prevent another significant spike in deaths.

'Only vaccines that offer high infection-blocking efficacy with high uptake in the general population allow relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions without a huge surge in deaths,' the paper recommends.

Lead researcher Dr Sam Moore said that even if vaccines do have a significant impact on reducing infections, the impact will not be seen 'for some time to come'. He added: 'So I think they have to relax slowly and we're going to have to be patient. 'And we need a very high uptake in order to have this effect.'

The modelling, which helps to explain why Boris Johnson is so reticent to end the third national coronavirus lockdown, comes amid renewed pressure from Tory backbenchers for a 'roadmap' out of lockdown.

So far the government's route out of the cycle of shutdowns initiated last March would see schools closed until at least March 8, with hospitality businesses including pubs and restaurants to reopen as far away as April.

But with Rishi Sunak mulling increases to capital gains tax to pay for the massive 400billion blackhole in public spending accrued during the pandemic and warnings that the economy could take a decade to recover, Tory MPs are likely to be rattled by the new graphs.

It comes as minister are told by government scientists to ease the lockdown 'slowly', and after an extraordinary diplomatic spat between Britain and the EU over coronavirus vaccines.

In other coronavirus developments:

Figures showed daily positive Covid tests have fallen by 31 per cent in the past week to 23,275, with hospital admissions down by 16 per cent over the same period, and deaths down six per cent to 1,200;

German claims that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective in over-65s were rubbished by senior government adviser Professor Andrew Harnden, who said: 'We are absolutely confident the vaccine is safe and effective';

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer writes in today's Mail on Sunday in support of the Jabs For Teachers campaign for all school staff to be vaccinated during half-term so pupils can return more quickly - although a major teaching union repeated its opposition to classes reopening;

Mr Johnson signalled that he wanted to relax lockdown rules on exercise, but was urged to move quickly by allowing cooped-up children to enjoy half-term sports;

Some of the UK's biggest firms, including John Lewis and Tata, told this newspaper that rapid workplace tests have prevented thousands of sick days and the closure of sites;

A major US study found proof that Covid-19 originated in China, undermining Beijing's claims it may have come from elsewhere.

Germany's government on Sunday threatened legal action against laboratories failing to deliver coronavirus vaccines to the EU on schedule, amid tension over delays to deliveries from AstraZeneca.

Grim new graphs lay bare the dilemma facing Boris Johnson as officials try to work out how to reopen the country without causing a third wave of coronavirus infections, as SAGE recommends keeping social distancing measures in place until 2022

Wendy Milbank, aged 75, from Newmarket, receiving the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at the Newmarket Racecourse. Modelling passed to Downing Street showed the UK would see a large spike in deaths if inoculation fails to significantly cut transmission

The Health Secretary said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year. Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins warned that relaxing lockdown measures would have to be done 'very slowly, very cautiously'

The UK has streaked ahead of Europe in terms of the number of vaccines administered (pie chart shows the number of vaccines given by January 26)

Cabinet minister Liz Truss hints the UK WILL export Covid jabs before everyone in the UK is covered saying new drugs 'won't benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island' with disease rife elsewhere A senior Cabinet minister refused to rule out sending doses of Covid jabs earmarked for British citizens abroad today as she blasted 'vaccine nationalism and protectionism'. Trade Secretary Liz Truss said that Britain becoming a 'vaccinated island' while the disease remained rampant elsewhere would be bad for the UK. Ministers and officials have not ruled out the possibility that vaccines could be sent abroad after the most vulnerable domestic recipients have been covered if it does not slow its plans for all adults to be jabbed by the autumn. Ms Truss told Sky this morning: 'It's a bit too early to say how we would deploy excess vaccines. But we certainly want to work with friends and neighbours, we want to work with developing countries, because we are only going to solve this issue once everybody in the world is vaccinated. 'Some of these supplies there have been supply issues so we need to make sure the new drugs that are coming online are delivered, the population is vaccinated. But of course as we are developing that, we are also working with other countries about how we can help. 'Because it won't benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island and many other countries don't have the vaccine, because the virus will continue to spread, so we need to tackle this on a global basis.' Advertisement

It comes as Matt Hancock today hinted that Britons will not be allowed to fly abroad this year after claiming that Britons will be able to enjoy a 'great British summer' this year thanks to the coronavirus vaccination programme.

The Health Secretary said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year. But he comments to BBC local news came as a senior government health expert warned against rushing to lift the lockdown.

Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins warned that relaxing lockdown measures would have to be done 'very slowly, very cautiously' to avoid a surge in infections.

Speaking on BBC Politics East this morning, Suffolk East MP Mr Hancock said: 'In six months we'll be in the middle, I hope, of a happy and free Great British summer.

'I have a high degree of confidence that by then the vast majority of adults will have been vaccinated.' Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate.

In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday, travelling to Cornwall with his osteopath wife Martha and their three children.

The success of the UK vaccines programme has fostered hopes that lockdown restrictions can be lifted sooner rather than later, with a review expected to take place late in February.

However, Dr Hopkins today cautioned against excessive speed, despite fears over the economy and the impact on schoolchildren.

'We have learnt, as we did on the first occasion, we have to relax things really quite slowly, so that if cases start to increase we can clamp down quite fast,' she told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.

'The NHS is going to be under pressure until the end of March, as normal in winter, but even more so with the amount of inpatients they still have with Covid-19.

'Any releases that we have will have to happen very slowly, very cautiously, watching and waiting as we go, with a two-week period to watch and see the impact of that relaxation because it takes that to see what's happening in the population.'

It comes as Tony Blair today criticised the EU's short-lived move to override the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland under its vaccine export controls as a 'very foolish' move that jeopardised the peace process.

The former prime minister, a vocal supporter of the UK remaining in the bloc, said Brussels' action in triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to control the movement of coronavirus jabs was 'unacceptable'.

The EU backtracked on the move, imposed unilaterally as it faces shortfalls on vaccine supplies, after facing universal criticism from London, Dublin and Belfast.

Asked if the move was irresponsible, the Labour grandee told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'Yes, it was a very foolish thing to do and fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.

'I was somebody who negotiated the Good Friday Agreement, it's brought peace to the island of Ireland and it is absolutely vital that we protect it and that's why what the European Commission did was unacceptable but, as you say, fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.'

Shoppers queue outside during the opening day of Rogers Wholesale, a supermarket which only sells food that's past its Best Before date on January 30 in Stockport

What is Article 16 and why has the EU invoked it? Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol allows either the EU or the UK to override part of the Brexit trade agreement in relation to border controls in Northern Ireland. The protocol itself was designed to avoid a re-emergence of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. But in the deal, both parties agreed to a get-out clause, which could be used if the protocol was thought to be causing 'serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties'. However the EU has now invoked the clause, to put measures on vaccines coming from the EU to Northern Ireland. The move is being introduced amid a huge row between the UK and EU over vaccines supplies, with Brussels accusing the UK of 'hijacking doses'. The row started after Oxford vaccine maker AstraZeneca announced it would not be able to supply as many vaccines as it had first hoped to the EU by Spring. The EU has since unveiled plans for an export ban which could stop 3.5million Pfizer vaccines - made in Belgium - from being exported to the UK. The aim of this move will be to prevent the possibility of the UK bringing vaccines into Northern Ireland 'through the backdoor', by using the controls-free border to bring in vaccines from the EU. Advertisement

Mr Blair also said there is a 'very strong case' for teachers to be vaccinated before schools are reopened to all students in England, which the Government has earmarked for March 8.

The move would require a delay for some older people to receive the jabs, but it is not suggested it starts before the top four priority groups are vaccinated, which is aimed for mid-February.

'Well, I am suggesting I would push back,' Mr Blair, 67, said. 'If it's 500,000 people it is two days of vaccination.

'I think that is a reasonable thing to do in these circumstances if it helps allow you to get the schools back sooner.'

Mr Blair was joined in his criticisms by former Tory Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said it was a 'huge wrong step' for the EU to have triggered a provision in the Brexit deal to control jab exports.

He told Sky News: 'It (the EU) got it completely wrong and I think the Government is being very wise to lower the temperature in a situation like this.

'Because this year the big threat, which is not something many people predicted, is around these new variants, particularly from South Africa and also Brazil.

'If we are going to tackle these new variants, and they could happen to be South Africa and Brazil this time, could be anywhere else next time, we are going to need to have high levels of close co-operation and collaboration across the world.

'We all know the problems that happened because we didn't find out about the virus in China as quickly as we might have, so we really do need to be working closely with everyone and we have the capacity to do that in this country with our world-beating genomics capacity.

'That's why I think this was a huge wrong step for the EU to take, but I think it's very welcome that it's been resolved.'

However, Ireland's premier Micheal Martin has disagreed with the assessment of Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster that the EU displayed an 'act of hostility'.

'My observation is that the terrible row is an acrimonious row between AstraZeneca and the (EU) Commission over the contractual obligations of the company in respect of supplying vaccines to European member states took centre stage here, and people were blindsided by the decision that was taken and the implications for the Protocol,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

The Taoiseach stressed it took four years to negotiate the Protocol to facilitate access for Northern Ireland's economy to the single market as well as to the UK market and to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Critically ill Covid patients are dying unnecessarily because they REFUSE to go on ventilators amid fears the machines will kill them, doctors warn A refusal to go on ventilators is putting critically ill Covid-19 patients at unnecessary risk, senior medics have warned. The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine has reported an increase in the number of patients and their families who are confronting doctors over fears the machines will kill them. The body has said this follows theories put forward that the widespread use of ventilators at the start of the pandemic was linked to the high death rate. The survival rate for ICU patients then improved following the first spike, correlating with a decline in the use of ventilators. But Dr Alison Pittard, the dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine in London, has said evidence shows the two trends are not related. Speaking to the Telegraph, she said: 'It's really difficult for doctors working in ICU when you see a patient deteriorate and you know that if you don't put them on a ventilator they are going to die, but they are refusing. 'They get sicker and sicker and sicker, then you have a situation when they become semi-conscious, so you can't have an informed conversation. 'We have to honour our patients' wishes.' Advertisement

'It's a good thing, the Protocol, overall. There are issues there that we have to fine-tune and work out, but essentially I think there are positives there medium term for Northern Ireland in terms of its economic development which we should not underestimate.

'We are only four weeks into the operation of the Protocol, there are bound to be teething problems but I do acknowledge the need for engagement here on all sides, between the European Union, the United Kingdom and the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive.'

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the PM made European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ditch plans to stop 3.5 million doses of the Pfizer jab from reaching the UK from a factory in Belgium and abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent them reaching the UK.

Following his diplomatic victory, Britain yesterday recorded a daily record for first-dose jabs - 487,756 - to bring the total to almost 8.4 million.

In his phone calls, Mr Johnson warned Ms von der Leyen that her actions risked denying millions of British pensioners their second Pfizer injections. She immediately capitulated in a tweet sent out shortly before midnight on Friday.

As part of an implicit 'peace deal' with the EU, No 10 yesterday adopted a conciliatory tone. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the EU recognised that it had 'made a mistake' and both sides agreed on the need for a 'reset'.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster was less diplomatic, branding the EU's move an 'incredible act of hostility'.

Meanwhile Tory MPs were jubilant, with one describing the EU's surrender as Mr Johnson's 'Falklands moment'.

The Mail on Sunday understands that before Brussels was forced to blink twice, the Government had drawn up contingency plans to break any EU blockade.

Under a 'vaccine security exercise' adapted from plans for a No-Deal Brexit, supplies of the Pfizer jab could have been airlifted out of the continent.

The EU - and Ms von der Leyen in particular - were savaged by the European media for their handling of the row as governments across the bloc faced a backlash from their voters.

And with the EU having only vaccinated 2.5 per cent of its population - compared to 12 per cent in the UK - Ms Foster suggested that Northern Ireland could help to provide vaccine supplies to Dublin.

The simmering row over vaccines exploded on Friday evening when Brussels said it would trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement - thereby creating a hard border on the island of Ireland - and take other measures to stop supplies of the Pfizer vaccine from reaching Britain.

Intensive care doctor says Covid crisis in hospitals has 'stabilised' and staff are no longer having to plan for extra capacity - but warns there is a 'very hard year ahead' The coronavirus crisis in hospitals across the UK has 'stabilised' and staff are no longer having to plan for extra capacity, an intensive care doctor has said. But Professor Rupert Pearse from the Intensive Care Society said 2021 is going to be 'another very hard year' and warned of the mental health impact on NHS staff. There are currently nearly 35,000 people in hospitals in the UK and 3,832 patients on ventilators, according to the latest official figures. The second wave has seen bigger numbers of coronavirus patients in hospitals, with 21,684 patients during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic last April. The consultant in intensive care medicine at a London hospital told BBC Breakfast the situation had 'stabilised in most areas' as a result of the national coronavirus lockdown - calling it a 'big step forward'. Advertisement

Mr Johnson called an emergency meeting at No 10 to decide the UK's response, then spoke to the Commission President just before 10pm to set out his demands and warn Ms von der Leyen her actions could threaten the Irish peace process.

They spoke again at 10.30pm when Ms von der Leyen agreed to issue a climbdown message that 'there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities'.

The fiasco has put Ms von der Leyen's position in doubt, with one senior EU source saying 'the disquiet is growing'.

Tory MPs on both sides of the Brexit divide heralded Mr Johnson's efforts. One Remainer said: 'If this had happened in 2016, I would have voted to Leave without blinking.'

Elsewhere the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the EU's U-turn was 'welcome' but added 'lessons should be learned'.

In a statement on Twitter, he said: 'Welcome news, but lessons should be learned; the Protocol is not something to be tampered with lightly, it's an essential, hard won compromise, protecting peace & trade for many.'

Brussels had triggered the controversial Article 16 just 29 days after the UK and EU struck the post-Brexit trade deal when Britain left the transition period.

The EU's chief negotiator in that agreement, Mr Barnier, today called for 'co-operation' between Brussels and the UK over the supply of vaccines across Europe.

Mr Barnier told the Times: 'We are facing an extraordinarily serious crisis, which is creating a lot of suffering, which is causing a lot of deaths in the UK, in France, in Germany, everywhere.

'And I believe we must face this crisis with responsibility, certainly not with the spirit of oneupmanship or unhealthy competition. I recommend preserving the spirit of co-operation between us.'

Last night, Lord Ricketts, a former UK ambassador to France, accused Brussels of 'escalating recklessly in an attempt to get more doses [of the vaccine] from the UK'. He added: 'The EU is all at sea on this.'

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted: 'The European Union was originally inspired by Christian social teaching - at the heart of which is solidarity.

'Seeking to control the export of vaccines undercuts the EU's basic ethics. They need to work together with others.' The World Health Organisation also said the export ban was a 'very worrying trend'.
Ismael Cervantes, 31, from Fountain Valley, Calif., died of COVID-19 on Aug. 11, 2020. He is one of hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives to the disease since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.

If you asked him for anything, he would immediately give to you regardless of whether he was left with nothing or not, Cervantess wife, Karina Olivares, told Yahoo News.

This is part of a Yahoo News series honoring some of the American lives lost to COVID-19. Their stories are told by family and friends, who were left to deal with their often sudden and painful deaths.

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

KARINA OLIVARES: Ismael was very loving, caring, charismatic, loved to party, he loved his family, he loved his parents, he was an amazing father, and an amazing husband.

My name is Karina, and I lost my husband, Ismael Cervantes, to COVID. Ismael was 31 years old. We had just gotten married in March, through court. Ismael is from a very small pueblo in Guerrero. He comes from a beautiful family, and his main goal that he would always talk about was he wanted to work really hard so he can retire his parents and take care of them. He just wanted to be a good father, to be a good husband, a good son, a good brother. You could ask him for anything, and he will immediately give it to you, regardless of whether he was left with nothing or not.

One time, we were going to the cemetery to visit my father's grave, and there was an old lady selling flowers, and it was really hot that day, and he bought all the flowers from her so that she could go home early. And he said, I don't know why she's working. She shouldn't be working. She should go home and rest. And at that moment, I fell in love with him all over again. He just had a beautiful heart.

He worked at a tile and stone warehouse. He was a warehouse administrator. He was a very dedicated employee. He loved his work. He was very proud of it.

We were very careful. We would not leave the house, skipped out on family gatherings because he was so scared to get sick, and we both tested positive. I got better. However, he got worse. He was admitted on July 6. He walked into Fountain Valley Hospital, and by day three, he was put on a ventilator, where he was on a ventilator for seven weeks.

Story continues

It was really hard. The best way I can describe it is living in a nightmare that never ends. Every day, I would call to get an update, because there was not a lot of changes the first few weeks. It came to the point where they told me that there was nothing more they could do for him by week two.

On our last Facetime call, as soon as he saw me, he put a smile on his face, and that smile he gave me was everything, honestly, because I had not seen that smile in seven weeks. That smile was a gift for me, that he was able to give me before he passed.

Ismael passed away on August 11 at 9:45 AM. That morning, I got a call at 6:00 in the morning saying it was time for me to come and say goodbye to my husband. The first time I walked in there, I still kept telling him to fight, because I was being selfish. But then I couldn't do that anymore. So I went back in, and I told him, I said, babe, if God's calling you home, it's OK to go. And that was really hard, but he had suffered so much already that it was selfish of me to try and keep him.

I got a call about an hour later, and they told me that he had passed. And he passed away 15 minutes after I told him it was OK to go. So I knew that it was something that he needed to hear so that he can peacefully go.

I cannot get used to not having him around. It's really hard. He was my best friend. He was so hands on with my daughter. Watching her cry is probably the hardest. My friend gave me a pillow as a gift with his face on it. It was meant for me, but it brings my daughter so much comfort during her grieving process that she sleeps with it. And I miss him. I can't figure out how to do life without him at this point. It's affected every aspect of my life, financially, emotionally, physically, and I don't wish this upon anybody. Anyone.

I want people to know that COVID is real, and it happens to anyone. It happened to us. He was 31 years old. We had a whole future ahead of us. We had plans, we had goals, and it was taken from us.
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After months of stonewalling, Gov. Andrew Cuomos administration last week released data on Covid-19s deadly march through the states nursing homes. The state Department of Health now says 12,743 fatalities are linked to coronavirus infections in nursing homes  a number 43% higher than previously reported.

The enormity of the loss staggers the soul.

Everyone knew the coronavirus preyed on nursing home residents already weakened by age or disease. Until now, only state officials and the nursing homes themselves knew the true scope of the tragedy.

Their lack of candor cast doubt on whether they were on top of the problem; built suspicion that they had something to hide; called into question the agencys competence to perform a simple function; prevented families from making informed healthcare decisions for their loved ones; and kept policymakers from getting a handle on the size of the problem and thus developing approaches to contain it.

For months, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker repeatedly delayed releasing the complete nursing home death data, despite demands and lawsuits from legislators, public policy groups, journalists and families.

The dam finally broke Thursday. Syracuse.com struck the first blow. An investigative report by Tim Knauss estimated the number of nursing home residents who died of Covid in Onondaga County was roughly 50% higher after counting people who died in the hospital.

Hours later, New York Attorney General Letitia James dropped her bombshell investigation, also estimating nursing home deaths statewide were 50% higher than previously known. A few hours after that, Zucker finally released the true number of nursing home residents who died from Covid: 12,743 when the 3,829 deaths in hospitals were added in.

Zucker and Cuomo continue to brush off the difference as mere bookkeeping. After all, every Covid death was counted in the states grand total, they say. We strenuously disagree.

By understating the scope of Covid fatalities linked to nursing homes, the public and policymakers could not properly assess the administrations response to the crisis or demand changes to it based on accurate data. Its especially infuriating to hear the governor proclaim the states Covid response is guided by the numbers  except, apparently, when the numbers make him look bad.

Cuomo further blames political enemies for harping on nursing home deaths. Attacking the Trump administration for New Yorks decisions wont fly here. And last we checked, AG James was a Democrat and an ally of the governor.

Nevertheless, her report pulled few punches.

The AGs investigation slammed nursing home operators for not hiring enough staff, paying too-low wages, pressuring sick employees to come to work, failing to enforce infection control measures, providing insufficient personal protective equipment to staff and failing to communicate with families. The report makes a direct correlation between low staffing ratios and Covid fatalities. It castigates for-profit nursing home operators  which represent two-thirds of the states 619 homes  for putting profits over patient care. It notes how immunity from liability shields nursing home operators from the consequences of bad decisions.

Jamess report is inconclusive when it comes to assessing the Cuomo administrations misbegotten policy requiring nursing homes to admit Covid-positive patients being discharged from hospitals. It is neither the indictment the governors critics wanted, nor the exoneration Cuomo claims.

We call on the state Legislature to settle that question. It should demand a full accounting of the administrations response to Covid-19 in nursing homes. This crisis also should prompt a broad and deep reassessment of how we care for our vulnerable elderly, and how we treat the workers who care for them.

Accurate numbers are important. We must not lose sight of the fact that each number represents a parent, grandparent, sibling, friend, co-worker or neighbor whose life was cut short by Covid -19. Their absence leaves a huge hole in our hearts and our community. We owe them a frank examination of the circumstances that led to their deaths.

About Syracuse.com editorials

Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte, Katrina Tulloch and Marie Morelli.

To respond to this editorial: Submit a comment through the Google form above, or submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines.

If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion leader, at mmorelli@syracuse.com
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 21:52:28|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

HARBIN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province saw its forest coverage rate rise to 47.3 percent in 2020 from the former 46.8 percent, thanks to its afforestation efforts, according to the provincial forestry authority.

In the past five years, the province afforested 388,000 hectares of land, raising its forest stock volume from 1.99 billion cubic meters to 2.24 billion cubic meters, according to the Heilongjiang provincial bureau of forestry and grassland.

The province also restored 212,000 hectares of degraded grassland, increasing the average vegetation coverage of its pastures to over 75 percent.

During the period, the province banned commercial logging in nearly 20 million hectares of its natural forests and intensified the crackdown on wildlife hunting and other environmental crimes.

Heilongjiang has announced a target to raise its forest coverage rate to 47.32 percent by 2025. Enditem
In one-party states such as the old PRI-ruled Mexico, the stealing tended to start late. Before a Mexican president was escorted out for the next, he and his would sweep the presidential palace for everything not nailed down -- the lightbulbs, the toilet seats, the doorknobs and more. There were exceptions, but it was generally the known narrative. In more than one Latin American country, the last-minute asset grab on the way out actually had a name -- "La Pinata." After all, as former PRI mayor of Mexico City, Carlos Hank Gonzalez, used to say: "A politician who's poor is a poor politician."

Which brings us to Joe Biden, and his family's unusually fast scramble to profit from his public office right out the gate.

Son Hunter still has his 10% China equity fund stake, contrary to what had been reported, and a new art gig just perfect for bringing in money from non-transparent sources, as the New York Post, in this excellent report notes, all because his blow-pipe 'art' done as his personal art therapy is somehow so very valuable.

Brother Frank, meanwhile, is advertising his connections to old Joe for Florida law firm he's connected with, using Joe's name in a bid to drum up business. As New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin reported:

The latest sordid example involves one of Joes younger brothers, Frank Biden, appearing in a Florida law firms ad  on Inauguration Day no less. The ad used the presidents name to draw attention to the Berman Law Groups class-action suit against sugar cane growers. The two Biden brothers have long held a commitment to pushing environmental issues to the forefront, says the ad. The president-elect has vowed to rejoin the Paris Agreement and wants to set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. The ad, first reported by CNBC, appeared in the Daily Business Review and carried a picture of Frank Biden and quotes him saying, My brother is a model for how to go about doing this work. How touching. And shameless.

Brother James hasn't changed any, still under federal investigation for a hospital company that feds say isn't being run properly.

Bidens of all sorts are under federal investigation for tax evasion, money-laundering, and unregistered agent foreign ties, as this Politico report citing Hunter notes.

And it seems to be having a knock-on effect as Vice President Kamala Harris's stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, an art student (which generally isn't the most employable of professions), has suddenly gotten a fancy modeling contract, to be a 'style icon,' which hadn't been her forte until the establishment noticed she was close to power. Now they're gushing about her, selling her as stylish as emperor's new clothes. Kamala Harris, meanwhile, might just owe someone a favor.

It's happening, Goodwin observes, because the Bidens have been doing it for decades, and never with any consequences. Now that Joe's 'the big guy' and not a mere vice president, for them it's all the better.

Which is true enough as far as it goes, but still doesn't entirely explain the speed of the influence-peddling and pocket-lining -- why, contrary to the Mexican and Latin American model -- did the rush to grab money start on day one?

With these questionable acts starting early -- despite Joe's call to brother Frank to 'watch yourself,' what seems a distinct possibility is that the family members think the gig is not going to last so the time to act is now.

Maybe they're betting Joe isn't going to last for one reason or another. That might explain why they are rushing to scarf up all they can without covering their tracks. They're like fund managers divesting a stock --- quickly, and all at once. Fund managers buy stocks quietly and gradually on expectations the price will go up, but when they think it's heading down, they don't play around, they dump it all at once and don't care who's watching.

That kind of desperation seems to be evident in House Biden's quick bid to cash in all at once, too. Do they know something we don't? Do they expect their window of opportunity will be short? How is it they can jump up so fast to cash in, even against warnings from Joe, who after all, assured the voters last fall with this malarkey:

My son, my family will not be involved in any business, any enterprise that is in conflict with or appears to be in conflict, with inappropriate distance from the presidency and government, he said.

Even with the spotlight on, for them, it's as if the walls are closing in and Gotterdammerung is beckoning. If that's not a vote of low confidence in the durability of Joe and his presidency, what really is?

Image: Screen shot from a camera aimed at a television set, processed with FotoSketcher.

TN elections 2021: BJP re-affirms AIADMK alliance

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Jan 31: BJP national president J P Nadda on Saturday said that his party's alliance with the AIADMK would continue for the assembly elections, due in Tamil Nadu in a few months.

Both parties would face the polls together, he said, addressing a public meeting, his first in the run-up to the Assembly elections expected in April or early May. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi facilitated projects like the defence corridor for Tamil Nadu while the state was 'ignored' during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime.

Praising Tamil as the world's oldest language, Nadda, who is here on a one day visit, said when the right person assumed the right place, it led to right decisions. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed the top office, a 'safe destiny' was assured for the nation and Tamil Nadu as well, he said.

Be it projects like the defence corridor or allocation of funds for Tamil Nadu, the situation changed only after the BJP came to power at the Centre, he said. Nadda recalled that Modi had quoted a couplet from 'Tirukkural' to soldiers at Ladakh and also cited the Prime Minister's 'Yaadum Oorey' reference of Tamil poet Kaniyan Poongundranar in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019.

Tamil Nadu elections 2021: Nadda offers prayers at Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Dwelling on Tamil, he said the Tamil people had a unique combination of entrepreneurship, economic and cultural ethos. The BJP top leader's Tamil pitch assumes significance Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had some days back alleged that the saffron party had no respect for Tamil language and culture. Nadda praised Madurai as a 'pious land,' home of Goddess Meenakshi and recalled the link the temple city has with Mahatma Gandhi, who decided to use the only dhoti during his visit here.

BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief L Murugan said it was his party's Vetri 'Vetri Vel' yatra that prompted DMK president M K Stalin to 'hold a Vel' days ago. 'Vel' is the spear-like weapon of Lord Muruga and the saffron party had last year held a 'Vel yatra' in Tamil Nadu.

Accusing the DMK of double standards, Murugan alleged that the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was a mute spectator when Tamils were killed in 2009 in the civil war in Sri Lanka. The party gave a standing ovation to Nadda for the AIIMS Hospital project for Madurai by the Centre. Earlier, when the BJP national chief arrived at the venue of the public meeting, he was greeted with slogans of 'Vetri Vel, Veera Vel."

An ancient war cry, it denotes victory and valour with Lord Muruga's 'Vel.' Nadda, who arrived here last night, was accorded a warm welcome by party cadres. He visited the famous Meenakshi temple, garlanded a statue of freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar and chaired a core committee meeting of the party.

Tamil Nadu Ministers R B Udhayakumar and Sellur Raju called on Nadda, according to the party, which described it as a courtesy visit. The top leader in the core panel meet deliberated on constituencies in Tamil Nadu with winning chances and asked the state leadership to focus more on such segments.

Nadda also addressed social media volunteers and interacted with noted personalities who joined the party recently. On Sunday, the BJP chief would visit Puducherry. Former public works minister and ex-Congress leader from the union territory, A Namasivayam joined the Saffron party days ago in Delhi.

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Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 9:42 [IST]
How far can you stretch 500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Thats the question schools across Bay County found themselves asking when the countys health department was able to get 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine for teachers and support staff this week.

For Pinconning Area Schools, a district of more than 1,200 students, the modest supply was enough to provide vaccinations for every teacher in the district who wanted one.

The 210 doses the Bay City School District received, though, resulted in just 25% of teachers and staff getting vaccinated at a clinic hosted by the Great Lakes Bay Health Center.

Obviously we can do a larger percentage of our teachers and support staff because there are less of us, Pinconning Superintendent Mike Vieau said. Im just happy we were able to get vaccines for the people who wanted them.

With limited supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine taxing health departments across the state, the Bay County scenario is just one example of the varying success Michigan school districts have had in getting teachers and staff vaccinated thus far.

School districts in counties with higher populations and greater demand for getting health care workers vaccinated have experienced delays in getting doses for teachers and staff. That has resulted in health departments and intermediate school districts getting creative to make sure the most essential and at-risk staff are prioritized in the early stages of distribution.

While many Bay City teachers and staff still await vaccination appointments, Superintendent Steve Bigelow said his district did inoculate a decent portion of its staff and teachers, including older employees, those with suppressed immune systems and those required to work in a closer proximity to students.

The biggest issue youre hearing again and again is access, Bigelow said.

Limited supply, varying approaches

Across Michigan, and even within some counties, school districts have explored multiple avenues to get teachers and staff vaccination appointments.

With 25,000 people in the queue in Bay County, Bay Arenac Intermediate School District Superintendent Deb Kadish said prioritization was given to school employees who currently are giving more face-to-face instruction. Beyond that, Kadish said doses were primarily allocated based on district size. Kadish said the county received word another shipment of the vaccine should arrive soon, allowing the rest of the county to vaccinate its educators.

We looked at the number of staff that needed the vaccine, the number of kids and how theyre impacted and whos face-to-face already, she said. We wanted to make sure every category received some and that nobody was left in the dark.

In Washtenaw County, where 80,000 residents currently are eligible for vaccinations, the health department has only been able to offer a limited number of appointments to teachers and staff who are assigned to a self-contained classroom for special-needs students.

Educators age 50 and older are next on the priority list for vaccination by the Washtenaw County Health Department. Spokeswoman Susan Ringler-Cerniglia said the countys overall population, and particularly its large number of health care workers, have slowed its ability to progress through the initial vaccination eligibility groups and schedule more school employees for appointments.

Were hearing from teachers that theyre perceiving other teachers in other areas are getting vaccinated, but at the same time were hearing from all our county counterparts in other areas that theyre having all the same struggles we are, Ringler-Cerniglia said. We felt age was a parameter that was more science-based in terms of knowing the risk of severe illness potentially increases with age.

Approximately 102 of the 450 teachers and staff at Saline Area Schools, Washtenaw Countys second largest district with 4,932 students, have received vaccinations as the district transitions back into a hybrid learning format.

Sixty of those employees work with high risk, special needs students, while the other 42 have gotten vaccines through their own efforts outside of scheduling with the health department, Interim Superintendent Steve Laatsch said.

Theyve been able to receive them in other various ways  they might live in another county where they can get vaccinated, Laatsch said. Theres been a lot of talk about how Washtenaw County has a large number of health care workers and a lot of doses have been going that way. Some of the other counties dont have that scenario.

Arrival concerns

With vaccinations arriving slower than expected the push for more in-person school by March 1 from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has caused anxiety for some teachers wondering if theyll get vaccinated before returning to the classroom.

Teachers are being told to go through their employer to get vaccinated, but the district is dependent on the health department for doses, said Amanda Miller. president of the Kalamazoo Education Association teachers union.

If we dont have the vaccine -- which it does not look like were going to have the vaccine in time -- I dont think we should be going back, Miller said.

Some Kalamazoo Public Schools employees received their vaccinations independently this past week, but how quickly the rest can receive their shots will determine whether the district will transition to in-person classes for the final trimester, Spokeswoman Susan Coney said.

The status of the vaccination of our staff and teachers will be one of the factors considered, Coney said.

The Michigan Education Association teachers union believes vaccinations should be part of the plans Whitmer encouraged districts to craft to offer in-person learning, Spokeswoman Liz Boyd said. Local communities should make decisions that give priority to health and safety, and educators must have a voice in that decision-making process, Boyd said.

The MEA felt strongly that educators should be designated essential workers and, therefore eligible for the vaccine sooner rather than later, Boyd said. Our members want to ensure the safety of their students, first and foremost, and so in-person learning plans need to take that into consideration. Some of our members have been providing in-person learning since the school year began. There has to be a commitment to safety.

Waiting and collaborating

County health departments, their school districts and, in many cases, health care providers have worked together to try to take advantage of opportunities that come up to get more school employees vaccinated.

In early January, dozens of special education and elementary school teachers and staff in Muskegon County were able to get their vaccines by officials being prepared to supply a list of people interested in receiving them.

While the 400 Pfizer vaccinations being offered daily at Mercy Health have decreased in the weeks as the countys wait list reached 20,000, Chief Medical Officer Justin Grill said the key to getting early vaccination doses to teachers was having prioritization groups within the school system ready before the category opened.

Right now, because of the allocation of the vaccine, the majority of doses we get are going toward second doses for the people who have already been vaccinated, Grill said. There are not a large number of people who are currently receiving first dose vaccinations due to the constrained allocation of vaccine that we are receiving.

While many of Grand Rapids Public Schools 2,600 employees are still waiting to receive their vaccinations, district Spokesman John Helmholdt said the delay has been of no fault of the health department and local healthcare providers like Spectrum Health and Mercy Health, which recently worked together to organize a large vaccination clinic at DeVos Place.

A similar partnership between Henry Ford Allegiance Health and the Jackson County Health Department allowed teachers and staff there to receive vaccinations nearly two weeks ago at HFAHs Occupational Health Clinic.

Helmholdt expects vaccinations will eventually pick up as more supplies are distributed, from the roughly 7,200 doses distributed last week to as many as 20,000 doses a day as supplies become available. A survey the district conducted last week found about half of its 750 respondents had been vaccinated so far.

Within the last week is when we saw the greatest number of vaccine appointments scheduled, thanks to the mass vaccination site downtown, he said. What weve tried to do is level set expectations and really put emphasis on the fact that this is going to take time.

To help you navigate this complicated school year, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.

READ MORE:

Jackson teachers hope COVID-19 vaccine increases comfort in community

Kalamazoo teachers fear vaccine wont come in time for spring return to classrooms

Bay County continues vaccinating those in phase 1B, adds phone hotline

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New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to accord urgent hearing on a plea of former Calcutta High Court judge, Justice C S Karnan, seeking bail and recall of the order convicting him for contempt.



Karnan, who was arrested on June 20 in pursuance of the apex courts judgement awarding him six-month jail term for contempt of court, has requested urgent listing of his petition seeking bail and setting aside of his conviction.



Declined. We will not accept an oral request against the judgment, a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said.



Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, representing Justice Karnan, said that he has been serving the jail term and his petition needs to be heard on an urgent basis.



On June 21, a vacation bench of the apex court had refused to entertain the plea of the arrested ex-high court judge saying it cannot override the seven-judge bench order in the case.



Karnan, 62, who retired on June 12 as Calcutta High Court judge, was arrested on June 20 by the West Bengal CID. He had been in Coimbatore since May 9 when the apex court held him guilty for contempt of court and sentenced him to six months imprisonment.



Karnan has the dubious distinction of being the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the apex court and also the first to have retired as a fugitive.



A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, had on May 9 directed the West Bengal director general of police to take the then serving judge into custody immediately.



Despite several attempts, Karnan has failed to get any relief from the apex courts vacation benches which has refused to hear his plea seeking a stay of its jail term order.

Read | CS Karnan's bail plea rejected, Supreme Court refuses to suspend retired Calcutta HC judge's 6-month jail term

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Ex-Soldier Preferred Over MP Kevin Andrews by Victorian Libs in Preselection

The longest currently serving MP in the federal parliament has been overlooked by Liberal colleagues in a preselection battle.

Former SAS commando and barrister Keith Wolahan was preferred over former defence minister Kevin Andrews in the preselection for the Victorian seat of Menzies on Sunday.

Andrews, 65, had the backing of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg as well as support from ex-leaders John Howard and Tony Abbott.

It is understood to be the first time an elected sitting federal Liberal MP has been unseated in a Victorian preselection since 1990.

The 43-year-old challenger had the backing of party moderates.

By Paul Osborne
Hanoi authorities ordered schools to close one week early for the Lunar New Year holiday, as a new COVID-19 outbreak has hit the capital this week.

The closure was initially scheduled to start on February 8.

All students attending kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, vocational training centers, and regular education centers in Hanoi will stay home from Monday.

The end date of the holiday, which was previously slated for February 16, remains unchanged.

The Hanoi Peoples Committee ordered the municipal Department of Education and Training to guide lower-level authorities and school facilities to strictly adhere to the prime ministers directive and instructions from city leaders on COVID-19 prevention and control.

The administration also encourages a proactive stance on the developments of the epidemic to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and school employees in the capital city.

On Saturday, Hanois Department of Health confirmed a third-grade student studying at Xuan Phuong Elementary School as a new case of COVID-19 infection.

All classmates and teachers of this student were deemed to be high-risk individuals and were thus brought to obligatory quarantine.

The capital city has recorded 11 local coronavirus infections since a new wave struck Vietnam earlier this week.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,781 COVID-19 patients since the pathogen first emerged in the country on January 23 last year, according to the health ministry's data.

The Southeast Asian country had detected zero local infections for nearly two months before it uncovered new outbreaks on Thursday.

Authorities are conducting quick and extensive contact tracing to contain the new wave of infections, at a time when the Lunar New Year holiday, Vietnams biggest festival, is less than two weeks away.

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Rishi Sunak is said to be targeting business tax and fuel duty rises to pay for the massive level of public spending during the pandemic - amid warnings that the economy could take a decade to recover.

The Chancellor is mulling increases to capital gains tax - paid on shares and other asset sales to bring it into line with income tax rates in news likely to alarm Tory MPs.

Corporation tax could also rise from 19 to 24 per cent under plans that would allow the Tories to keep to their manifesto pledge not to increase VAT, National Insurance or inheritance tax, the Telegraph reported.

And fuel duty rises are seen to be 'inevitable' after a decade-long freeze, sources told the newspaper. A 1p or 2p increase in a litre of fuel is believed to be 'bearable' in the circumstances, it was said.

It came as a new poll today suggested the public want to see ministers use the Covid recovery to rebalance the UK economy.

Just 21 per cent of those polled by BritainThinks for the Sunday Times want public services cut to reduce the UK's eye-watering debt levels.

Almost nine in 10 supported levelling-up the economy away from a reliance on London and 83 per cent said that key workers should be paid more.

The paper suggested that Mr Sunak will use his Budget in March to prepare the nation for a decade of high spending, saying the 'post-pandemic phase' may take 'five to 10 years'.

Mr Johnson also came under pressure from within the Conservative Party today, as former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggested he emulate Labour's creation of the Welfare State after the Second Worlds War

Mr Hunt said the UK can have a '1948 moment' in rebuilding the country that would also help it see off a resurgent Labour Party.

'This could be a very exciting period for this country and if you look at what is, I think, generally recognised as the most successful Labour government since the war, the Attlee government, they were running the country in a period after a great crisis, the second World War,' he told Sky's Ridge on Sunday.

'They showed enormous imagination in the setting-up of the NHS in 1948. I think we could turn this into a 1948 moment for the country as we come out of this crisis by completely reforming the social care system, giving it a proper 10-year plan, sorting out the workforce issues in the NHS, getting our cancer survival rates to the levels of France and Germany.

'I think sometimes there are opportunities in these terrible crises and if we grasp those opportunities, Boris Johnson really can show the country that we are the party of the NHS, which is something I know he very much wants to do.'

The Prime minister and Chancellor are to head up a new taskforce to rebuild the battered economy in the wake of the pandemic, The Mail on Sunday revealed today.

The Chancellor (pictured today in London) is mulling increases to capital gains tax - paid on shares and other asset sales to bring it into line with income tax rates in news likely to alarm Tory MPs.

Mr Sunak is said to be planning to use his Budget in March to prepare the nation for a decade of high spending, saying the 'post-pandemic phase' may take 'five to 10 years'.

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are to head up a new taskforce to rebuild the battered economy in the wake of the pandemic, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

The Chancellor has watched with growing alarm as the cost to the public finances has exceeded 340 billion  and with normal economic life not expected to return until summer at the earliest, the bill will keep on rising.

Now a new Cabinet sub-committee, the National Economy Recovery Taskforce, has been set up with the pair as joint chairmen  an attempt to signal that No 10 and the Treasury are in lockstep on policy.

The group, which will also include Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, will try to fill the hole in public finances by devising a 'plan for growth' which will advance the Prime Minister's aim to 'level up' regional income disparities.

As part of the plan, Downing Street has approached many of the 'Red Wall' MPs  who propelled Mr Johnson to victory at the 2019 Election by winning seats from Labour  to ask them to list the investment priorities in their constituencies.

However, No 10 and No 11 disagree on the role of public spending plans in the recovery.

While Mr Johnson wants to pursue his beloved infrastructure plans, such as high speed rail projects in the North of England, Mr Sunak does not think the country can afford them while also ploughing billions into propping up stricken businesses.

Mr Sunak is more concerned about restoring the Tory Party's reputation for prudent management of the public finances by cutting spending.

The group, which will also include (l to r) Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, will try to fill the hole in public finances by devising a 'plan for growth' which will advance the Prime Minister's aim to 'level up' regional income disparities

Although March's Budget is unlikely to include aggressive tax-raising measures, given that the country is still likely to be in lockdown, the Chancellor has warned backbenchers that he will have to start tackling the Government's soaring deficit of 400 billion before the end of the year.

Public debt now stands at more than 100 per cent of GDP for the first time since the 1960s.

Mr Kwarteng echoed Mr Sunak's private views in public yesterday, when he warned that Britain could not spend its way out of the crisis.

The Business Secretary said: 'Without a thriving private sector we will not be able to afford good public services.

'The Chancellor is of the same opinion. We are not going to be able to spend our way to prosperity.'

Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson told the Northern Powerhouse group of Tory MPs that the Treasury was 'uncomfortable about making long-term spending commitments, because of all the uncertainty around the public finances'.

'At the same time, the Prime Minister still holds to his firm view, that he expressed in February last year, that we need to have a plan that sets out where we are going for the next few decades, so businesses can invest, so people can be skilled up, so they can deliver those infrastructure projects.

'We need to give industry and the country that confidence.'

A source close to Mr Sunak said: 'Last year's spending review delivered the highest level of investment in infrastructure and public services for a decade.'
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No, Laura Dern did not grow up in Cherry Hill. But the actor inhabits the pages of her L.A. mom friend Jona Franks photographic memoir, Cherry Hill: A Childhood Reimagined, playing the role of Franks depressed, but still pie- and pizza-making, mom.

The books harrowingly detailed narrative of Franks family, with its cinematically staged scenes from her Cherry Hill childhood, nails the quintessential Philly suburb. The singular Dern portrays the interior life of Franks mom, placed into an interior Frank could never forget, from leftover Cool Whip containers to a brothers struggle with mental illness. The book was mostly staged in an old beach house in California and enabled by the endless shelves of Hollywood prop shops.

It was a life Frank ultimately left behind for Santa Monica.

The idea was you just keep everything within the walls of that house, said Frank, 54, in a recent interview. Thats why the significance of the house was something I tried to emphasize. Life within the walls. You dont talk about stuff. Its these things that walk around with me.

One memory, from a time at summer rec camp when a counselor took off in his cherry-red convertible with several campers on the hood, survives along the edge of danger and humor, horror and nostalgia. The resulting photo (one of several headed for an exhibit at Bowdoin College Museum of Art) plays somewhere between Seurats A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, and Gericaults The Raft of the Medusa. Basically, The Wreck of Cherry Hill.

Frank re-created and staged it in Los Angeles Rustic Canyon Park, grabbing kids from her neighborhood, and moms and dads to play the police.

Making that picture was epic, Frank recalled, via Zoom. The kids had so much fun. All the kids just wanted more blood on them.

Here, lightly edited for clarity and space, is the rest of the conversation:

An incredible amount of stuff in the book just kind of spoke to me, like it was right out of my childhood.

I think how much is resonating with people in that way. Its both affirming and also surprising. The oddest thing I will say is getting notes from people from Australia, or France.

Anything in particular people connected with? The wallpaper, right?

They definitely mentioned that. Its this story about a mother and daughter, but also about growing up, how we find our identity and connect with who we want to be. We have to reach a point where we stop listening to the shoulds in our life, and say what is it that I want.

Just a lot of the physicality of it, the sets, the details. When youre younger, things like wallpaper, or shorts, or the ring of a phone after 10 p.m., or that slight danger of a camp counselor, loom super large.

I think thats really true. Our minds are not filled with other stuff yet. There was a period in elementary school where everybody had these satin jackets, and were obsessed with them.

At the end, there are credits like its a movie. Did you write it first, or did you set up the photos in your mind, and was any of it done in Cherry Hill?

I would say, 10% of it was done in Cherry Hill. One of the images, the actor who plays me, she has the phone on her back. Thats in front of my house in Cherry Hill. Im told people have been re-creating that photo [in front of her old house].

In the Bruce Springsteen story [where Jona is dressed as the worker in the song Factory], shes walking the route that I walked to to take a bus.

Was Laura Dern ever in Cherry Hill?

She did drive through once, but not for the book.

Was it always going to be cast, with actors?

it was very intentional to make this feel like a film. The way I photographed the shot, I used lenses that are traditionally used on cinema cameras. I really wanted to create this sense of looking in. Theres a lot of images that are slightly out of focus on the edges. I was playing on this idea that people are used to being told stories in a certain way with a film language. Laura has said it is like holding a film in your hands.

I feel like family photos are really evidence. These pictures that I made are not about proof. They are about memory. They are about this idea that we absorb the atmosphere we grew up in, and it stays with us our whole life. I had a crazy memory for things. I could tell you what every kid wore in class on that day. I just took all these things in, but I never talked about them. Thats a big part of what I wanted to re-create.

Your mom hasnt seen it yet?

Part of that is, I wanted to be the one to show it to her. We havent been able to do that because of the pandemic. Also my father died in March. They were married for 62 years. They were still living on their own when he died. She is coming to terms with a lot of stuff. I want to approach carefully.

When I would talk to my father about it, he would say, its your story. The things that would have been hard with my mom, he would have helped her with. But to not write about her depression would have changed the whole tenor of the book. I really worried about my mom as a child. There is that line of loving somebody, but also feeling worried about them. Thats really hard for a kid.

I found a few times the narrative struck me in a way that, I felt empathetic, I felt sad. But when I looked at the photo, I laughed. I felt there was humor in the photos. Was that deliberate?

Totally. I love that you say that because I think theres a lot of humor in it. My joke, of the repetitive nature of saying we had dinner every night at 5:30 p.m. I have friends that will always joke with me about that. It was this detail that was utterly, utterly completely true. I felt like I wanted to do that with the images. On the picture with the pies, theres that red step stool. So many people would say, I had that same step stool. Or the banana seat bike, the CorningWare coffeepot. These things that places it in a certain time period.

Did you get a lot of reaction from Cherry Hill?

I received several emails with people asking me: Cherry Hill East or West? [Its West.] Just that question. I would look at that and say, is that your only question? It was astonishing to me.

Did anyone in Cherry Hill say, oh you made Cherry Hill the villain in your story?

Do you think I am trying to make Cherry Hill look bad? I feel like the bigger story is theres something about the notion that this way of life is something that youre handed.

You know whats funny, I went back summer of 2019. I wanted to take some of those pictures of the sunrise, and me leaving. I just parked and walked through my neighborhood for a couple of hours. I went to the Rec. I went to these paths along the creek at the Rec. Nobody was out. The smells of that neighborhood, just being in the neighborhood there, the cracked sidewalks, and the way that was as a kid, and riding my bike over those sidewalks, all of that felt so present. The nostalgia of that was very strong. It was a good place to grow up.


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Liz Truss talked up hopes of a US-UK trade deal today as she said there are 'huge opportunities out there' for post-Brexit Britain.

The Trade Secretary said that a deal with Washington is 'in the pipeline' as she was grilled over plans for Britain to become the 12th member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The bloc of nations includes Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand  in which 95 per cent of goods are traded between members tariff-free - and accounts for 13 per cent of global commerce.

Boris Johnson's administration had been hopeful of striking a trade deal with the US while Donald Trump was in the White House.

But the talks were hindered by the pandemic and then Mr Trump was defeated in November's election, so it will now have to deal with a Biden administration that needs time to swing into action.

Ms Truss told Sky's Ridge on Sunday today: 'If you add up the CPTPP and the United States, that's 40 per cent of global GDP, that is a huge market for us to go after.'

When Sophy Ridge pointed out that the UK does not yet have a trade dea with the US, the minister added: 'Well, we're working on that as well, those are in the pipeline.

'But my point is that there are these huge opportunities out there and those markets are growing faster than the EU markets and we need to think about where do we want Britain to be in 2030?

The Trade Secretary said that a deal with Washington is 'in the pipeline' as she was grilled over plans for Britain to become the 12th member of the The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

Boris Johnson's administration had been hopeful of striking a trade deal with the US while Donald Trump was in the White House. Pictures is Ms Truss holding remote talks with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer last May

'Where do we want us to be in 2050 when digital trade is much more important, where British products like financial services and robotics will be in huge demand across the world so what I am doing is laying that groundwork for our future economic opportunities.'

Ms Truss told Times Radio she would send a 'letter of intent' on Monday and that she expected formal negotiations will start in the spring.

Since leaving the European Union, Britain has made clear its desire to join the CPTPP, which removes most tariffs between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

It would cut tariffs on food and drink and cars and boost the service industries.

As an example, joining the bloc would cut the tariff on Scotch whisky in Malaysia from 165 per cent to nothing.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Britain will not publish an assessment of the economic benefits of CPTPP membership before requesting to join it - contrary to earlier promises.

Previous government economic analyses of Brexit have pointed to small boosts to economic output from additional trade deals.

Joining the group would cut tariffs on food and drink exports (including whisky, pictured) and cars and boost the service industries

Businesses reacted warmly to the plans, with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) saying it would help firms 'thrive and succeed more than ever'.

But shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said Labour will closely scrutinise any pact and called on the Government to consult the public.

'Like any other trade agreement, the advantages of joining the CPTPP will have to be assessed once we see the terms on offer.

'At present, Liz Truss cannot even guarantee whether we would have the right to veto China's proposed accession if we join the bloc first,' she said.

'More generally, people will rightly ask why we have been through five years of debate in Britain over leaving a trade bloc with our closest neighbours only to rush into joining another one on the other side of the world without any meaningful public consultation at all.'
The number of passenger trips dropped by 75.2 percent year on year to 17.58 million on Friday. It was the second day of the Spring Festival travel rush amid stringent epidemic control measures, official data showed.

Passengers made 2.83 million railway trips on the day, down by 77.2 percent from one year earlier, according to the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

The country reported 13.97 million road trips and 287,000 trips through waterway transportation, which decreased by 75.1 percent and 51.1 percent year on year, respectively.

The civil aviation sector operated 492,000 passenger trips, registering a 73.2-percent yearly decline, the MOT data showed.

To reduce the flow of personnel and curb the spread of the epidemic, many places across China have encouraged residents and migrant workers to stay put for the festival.

Despite this, railway, electric power, civil aviation and other departments continue to guarantee travel services, implement epidemic prevention and control measures, and strengthen safety inspections.

At some railway stations, large-scale disinfection and cleaning work continued effectively. Robots for contact-free temperature screening have also greatly enhanced travel efficiency, according to the MOT.


https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Austrian-Jew-Leaves-Fortune-to-French-Town-that-Saved-His-Life.html

Eric Schwam was one of over 3,000 Jews saved by the residents in one small French town.

When Vienna-born Jew Eric Schwam recently passed away at the age of 90, he left an unusual bequest. He left the small fortune hed managed to save up in a lifetime working in the pharmaceutical field to Le Chambon sur Lignon, a town of fewer than 2,500 people in southeastern France. Eighty years ago, the residents of Le Chambon sur Lignon saved the life of Mr. Schwam as well as thousands of other Jewish refugees during the darkest days of the Holocaust.

Mr. Schwam was just thirteen years old when he arrived in Le Chambon sur Lignon with his parents and grandmother in 1943. Little is publicly known about the familys journey other than the fact that when they arrived in France they were imprisoned in Frances notorious Rivesaltes Camp, near Frances border with Spain. Frances Nazi collaborationist Vichy government banished approximately 8,000 Jews, Gypsies and other undesirables to Rivesaltes. Many were sent from there to Auschwitz and other extermination camps. The camp was closed in 1942 and most of the remaining Jewish prisoners were sent to their deaths; its not known how the Schwam family managed to escape.

They made their way to Le Chambon sur Lignon in 1943. Perhaps other Jewish refugees told them that the town was fast becoming known as a haven for desperate Jews. Local residents welcomed the Schwam family and sheltered them in a schoolhouse for two long years, until the end of the war. The grateful Schwam family joined thousands of other Jews who were hidden and sheltered by the towns citizens  and people who lived in small villages nearby to Le Chambon sur Lignon, often at great personal risk.

Le Chambon sur Lignon had been actively resisting the pro-Nazi government for years. When Nazi Germany invaded France in 1940 and installed the collaborationist Vichy Regime governing much of the country, Le Chambon sur Lignons local Pastor, Andre Trocme, and his wife Magda urged the townspeople to hide Jews. Pastor Trocme called Jews the people of the Bible, and built on a strong tradition of respecting Jews that had long flourished in the area. Word spread that the town was a haven for persecuted Jews. Jewish refugees began making their way from across Europe to Le Chambon sur Lignon and its surrounding villages.

When France started deporting its Jews to death camps in 1942, Pastor Trocme stepped up his rhetoric, and encouraged his congregants to shelter Jews, hiding them from Nazi and Vichy authorities who were now seeking to arrest them and send them to concentration camps and death camps. Many local residents stepped up to the task.

Andre and Magda Trocme

Andre Trocmes wife Madga discreetly identified local families who were willing to shelter Jews in their homes or on their property. Townspeople hid Jews in their homes. Local farmers sheltered Jews in their barns and other buildings. Volunteers waited at local railway stations to identify and greet Jewish refugees and ferry them to Le Chambon sur Lignon and safety. One local religious leader, Pastor Edouard Theis, led Jews on secret journeys to the Swiss border where he worked with Protestant activists in Switzerland to smuggle Jews to safety there.

Do the will of God, not of men, Pastor Trocme kept urging his congregants, imploring them to keep sheltering and aiding Jews.

This work was incredibly dangerous. Soon, Le Chambon sur Lignon was a major target for the Vichy authorities who were tasked with rounding up Jews  and with punishing anyone who helped hide desperate Jewish families. Matters came to a head in 1942 when Vichy policemen entered the town. These people came here for help and for shelter, Pastor Trocme told them, refusing to divulge the whereabouts of the towns hidden Jews. More visits from Vichy authorities followed and tensions in the town increased. Do the will of God, not of men, Pastor Trocme kept urging his congregants, imploring them to keep sheltering and aiding Jews.

In February 1943, Nazi officials arrested Pastor Trocme and several other town leaders. One of the men arrested was Daniel Trocme, Pastor Andre Trocmes brother. Daniel Trocme ran a childrens home in Le Chambon sur Lignon, which hed used to shelter Jewish refugees. For this crime, the Nazis deported Daniel Trocme to Buchenwald where he perished.

Pastor Andre Trocme was held in a camp near the historic town of Limoges for five weeks. Ordered to sign a document promising to uphold all Vichy government orders, he refused. Even though their religious leader was absent from the town, the residents of Le Chambon sur Lignon and nearby villages continued their vital work shielding Jews.

Miraculously, Pastor Andre Trocme was released. He returned to Le Chambon sur Lignon and resumed his activities helping Jews, though in a much more secretive way than before.

Jewish children saved in Le Chambon sur Lignon

After the end of the war, Eric Schwams parents returned to Vienna. His father was a doctor; perhaps he planned to resume working there. Eric remained in Le Chambon sur Lignon, living in the town until 1950, when he moved to the French city of Lyon to study pharmacy. Mr. Schwam doesnt seem to have been closely connected with the Jewish community during his life  he married a non-Jewish French woman and they had no children  but he seemingly harbored a life-long attachment to the town that saved him and so many other Jews.

A few years ago Mr. Schwam and his wife got in touch with Le Chambon sur Lignons mayor, Jean-Michel Eyraud, about the possibility of leaving their savings to the town in their will. Mr. Schwam passed away on December 25, 2020. A few weeks later, his executor got in touch with the town, letting them know that Mr. Schwam, who was by then a widower, had indeed left his life savings to the town.

Its a large amount for the village, Mayor Eyraud told reporters. The bequest is thought to total as much as 2 million Euros  about 2.4 million dollars. Following Mr. Schwams wishes, Le Chambon sur Lignon plans to use it to help fund programs for childrens educational and other youth activities.

Mr. Schwans gift isnt the only recognition the town received for sheltering thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Yad Vashem named Andre and Magda Trocme  along with 32 other residents of Le Chambon sur Lignon  Righteous Among the Nations for risking their lives to save Jews. Its thought that between 3,000 and 5,000 Jews were ultimately sheltered by town residents during the Holocaust.

In 1998, Yad Vashem presented the entire town with a special Diploma of Honor for their bravery and humanity during those years of darkness and terror.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has responded to calls for her to run for president and said she could -- but her bid could be more than a decade away.

In a message sent to members of the media Sunday, Duterte said, "I understand where they are coming from, I too am anxious where we are going as a nation. I am always grateful that I have their trust and confidence. I am pleading to them to please allow me to run for President on 2034, if at that time there is something I can do to help the country. Thank you."

When asked why she preferred to run 12 years from now, the mayor said, "Dahil malayo pa at malaki ang chance makalimutan na nila ako sa 2034."

[Translation: Because it's still far away and there's a chance they could forget me in 2034.]

In a separate video message last week, Duterte cautioned the public against individuals who reportedly are soliciting money for her supposed bid for president. She said she has not endorsed this.

"Huwag po kayong maniwala. 'Wag po kayong magbigay. Ito ay scam o uri ng panloloko," she said, adding the money would only serve the personal interests of those behind the act.

[Translation: Do not believe this. Do not give money. This is merely a scam.]

Duterte's name was top-of-mind for people who recently were polled on who they would vote for president should the elections happen at the time of the survey.

Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte cautioned his daughter against running, saying being president is not a woman's job.
Black and Hispanic Americans are dying from COVID at nearly three times the rate of white Americans, yet based on preliminary data, theyre getting vaccinated at dramatically lower rates. That should alarm us all.

These are the folks most likely to be working in crowded conditions, up close with this virus. We wont bend the curve if were inoculating mostly middle-class white people, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Wednesday. You really want to get it to the people who are really the most vulnerable.

Yet thats not whats happening, including in New Jersey. So far, only 8 percent of those vaccinated have been confirmed as Black or Hispanic, even though they make up about 35 percent of the population.

Were seeing all the usual barriers reflected in this shortfall: Distrust of the government and medical establishment, practical restraints like work and lack of computer access  and the failure of the state to respond aggressively. Whats clear is that the disparity is unacceptable, and the need to address it is urgent.

A recent poll found 43 percent of Black people and 37 percent of Hispanics say they will wait and see to get vaccinated, compared to 26 percent of whites. It only underscores the need for a vigorous grassroots campaign to get this into arms; Black and brown arms.

These are people that, if they dont get the vaccinations, they end up with an empty chair at their table, says Rev. David Jefferson, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark.

A history of well-earned medical mistrust, including the Tuskegee study that horrifically abused Black men with Syphilis, contributes to vaccine hesitancy. Hispanic people are less likely to be insured, often face language barriers or in some cases are fearful because of their immigration status.

But the pastors we spoke with say their congregants are ready to roll up their sleeves. Access is the immediate problem. Not everyone can spend their day tapping on a computer, competing to get in line.

Here are three things that experts suggest would help. First, work with community leaders to sign up as many people as possible, then give them the vaccine. Tell everyone to show up at church, where a mobile vaccination van will be parked outside. Second, expand the hours at vaccination sites to include more evenings and weekends. And finally, get the word out with a targeted public health campaign.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh says hes working the phones to get Black leaders and celebrities involved. This is something were doing on our own, he said. We cant wait for anybody. We have to act.

The state has some promising ideas, including establishing mobile units, enlisting Black doctors to give the shots, and going door-to-door to register people. The Rev. Charles Boyer was with the governor when he visited the Morristown supersite, and watched as the eldest member of his congregation was vaccinated last Friday.

But scarcity of supply remains a huge problem. Rev. Jefferson, who has a lawsuit against the state on a separate matter, is offering to get this out into the community. He has a congregation of more than 7,000, with 10 churches under his umbrella, and a partnership with St. James Medical Center to run his own testing site. Now he wants to use it to vaccinate. Except he hasnt gotten any doses from the state.

I am very, very disappointed, he told us on Thursday. My fear is, even when they become available, other people are going to get them.

On Friday night, after we inquired, the governors office told Jefferson that theyd get him some vaccines, he said. Great. Lets make sure, in the scramble, that no one gets shut out.

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POTTSVILLE  A Frackville man will serve more time in prison and on probation after a Schuylkill County judge sentenced him Tuesday in two cases.

Robert L. Rockwell Jr., 50, must spend four to 12 months in prison, and an additional 24 months on probation, Judge Charles M. Miller decided.

Miller imposed the sentence after revoking Rockwells probation, which the defendant admitted violating by not reporting to his supervising officer and moving without permission.

Rockwell originally pleaded guilty on Sept. 4, 2020, to theft by deception and bad checks in one case and bad checks in another. At that time, Miller placed Rockwell on probation for four years, and also sentenced him to pay costs, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, $100 in bench warrant fees and $252 restitution.

Frackville police charged Rockwell with passing a bad check on Aug. 29, 2015, in the borough, while West Mahanoy Township police charged him with passing a bad check on June 11, 2018, in the township.

Rockwell already is an inmate at the county prison, and Miller conducted the hearing by videoconference.

Also on Tuesday, Miller revoked the probation and parole of Jeffrey M. McAnany, 32, of Bethlehem, for a second time and sentenced him to serve four to 12 months in prison.

Youre still a young guy, Miller told McAnany. Its a shame that youre having all these problems with drugs.

McAnany, who admitted violating his parole and probation by failing to report to his supervising officer, possessing drugs and not making payments on his court-ordered costs and fines, originally pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, 2018, to three counts of possession of a controlled substance

At that time, Miller sentenced him to serve one to 12 months in prison and 12 months on probation, and pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, a $50 CJEA payment and a $50 bench warrant fee.

Miller first revoked McAnanys probation and parole on May 10, 2019, and imposed the same sentence he had at the time of the guilty plea.

McAnany already is an inmate at the county prison, and Miller conducted Tuesdays hearing by videoconference.

In a Monday case, President Judge William E. Baldwin revoked the parole of Tyvonne W. Conrad, 28, of Pottsville, and recommitted him to prison. Conrad must get a mental health evaluation, cannot apply for reparole until May 27 and could remain behind bars until Aug. 5, 2022, Baldwin ruled.

Id like to apologize for violating parole and being a nuisance, Conrad said.

Conrad admitted violating his parole by moving without permission, incurring new criminal charges and not making payments on his court-ordered costs and fees.

He originally pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2020, to criminal trespass. At that time, Baldwin sentenced him to serve 87 days to 23 months in prison, pay costs and a $50 CJEA payment and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Pottsville police charged Conrad with trespassing on Sept. 30, 2019, in the city.

Conrad already is an inmate at the county prison, and Miller conducted the hearing by videoconference.

Also on Monday, Baldwin sentenced Victoria N.M. Binkley, 28, of Tremont, to serve six to 23 months in prison. Baldwin imposed the sentence after revoking Binkleys probation.

Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin originally admitted Binkley into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program on Jan. 10, 2019, after she had been charged with retail theft. Dolbin removed Binkley from the program on Nov. 26, 2019.

Binkley then pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2020, to retail theft. At that time, Baldwin placed her on probation for 12 months, and also sentenced her to pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and $153.84 restitution and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Saint Clair police had charged Binkley with committing the theft on Jan. 15, 2017, in the borough.

Binkley already is an inmate at the county prison, and Baldwin conducted the hearing by videoconference.

A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
COVID-19 testing is carried out in a parking lot of Gwangju Antioch Presbyterian Church, Thursday. The church, known to have some 1,500 believers, had a service recently in which 87 attendees were infected by COVID-19. Yonhap





By Park Ji-won







A Protestant church member who wished to be identified only by his surname Yoo says he doesn't go to church anymore. He is still a believer but says he is tired of the way Protestant churches reacted after the outbreak of the coronavirus.







"I stopped going to church. It doesn't mean I am not a believer," he said. "The pandemic was a milestone event. I don't feel comfortable with the church community anymore because of how they've been handling the pandemic."







Yoo is not the only church member to boycott Sunday service.







A recent survey found that more Koreans think the Protestant church is not trustworthy after the spread of COVID-19.







The Ministry Data Institute released the results of its recent survey conducted on 1,000 people between Jan. 12 and 15. It showed only 21 percent of respondents said they trust the church, dropping by 11 percentage points from last year's survey conducted by the Christian Ethics Movement. Nearly eight out of every 10 Korean respondents said churches are not trustworthy.







Meanwhile, 86 percent said the country should limit religious activities if it is necessary for public safety. Church-related infections account for 11 percent of all infections, but the respondents said they feel like the figure is much higher than that.







The Ministry Data Institute said Koreans losing faith in church is largely attributable to the church itself, urging church leaders to form a body to deal with the estranged public.







"Some say the media is responsible for antagonizing churches as people's perceptions of the role of church in the surge of infections is a lot greater than actual church-related infections. But this doesn't justify the actions of some churches after the virus outbreak. Currently there seems to be no concrete measures churches can take to steer the public's perception in favor of them, except their continued efforts to restore public trust," the survey report reads.







"Over the past year, the church has had difficulties in dealing with the media. It is necessary for the religious community to operate a channel to deal with the media."







The survey results were made public while infection cases are showing small signs of decreasing to between 300 and 400. Some of the infections came from churches or church-related groups such as missionary training schools run by the International Mission (IM), a local Christian missionary group.







Leaders of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), YMCA Korea and YWCA speak during a press conference held in a church in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Friday. They apologized for mass infections made in Protestant church groups. Courtesy of NCCK





Amid the public giving a cold shoulder to churches, some liberal Protestant church leaders apologized to the public.







The group of churches  the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), YMCA Korea and YWCA, which are widely categorized as liberal groups  said in a joint press conference, Friday, that "Facing the reality that Korean churches are regarded as a major threat to public health, we deeply apologize to the people in the nation."







It criticized churches for allowing gatherings in these dangerous times while urging religious communities to sacrifice for the good of their neighbors.







"We're so sorry for some defiant churches. Self-employed people, citizens, government employees and healthcare workers, all united to overcome the pandemic, but some churches didn't," they said. "Social distancing is not a political decision and it has nothing to do with religion or faith. The entire nation tried hard to overcome the pandemic which sometimes required them to set aside their personal interests, but some churches were defiant and went ahead with physical services which is irresponsible."


As a result of the UK leaving the EU in recent weeks, online shopping from the UK has changed a lot for consumers in Ireland and it is more important than ever for online shoppers to know where they are buying from.

But how do you know where a business is based, what consumer rights apply and whether you have to pay additional taxes and charge?

The Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has a list of top tips that consumers need to know before buying online:

1: A '.ie' domain is not a guarantee of an Irish-based business

The most important step to now take, is to check where a business is based before you make a purchase. Check the businesss registered address in the terms and conditions (T&Cs) section of the website to find out where they are registered. This is an essential step, even if you have bought from a business previously, or if the site has a .ie or .eu domain, as this is not always a sign of where a business is registered or based. If you cannot find these details, consider buying from an alternative website.

If the registered address is within an EU, they are not only required to provide their trading name and address but the business must provide you with other important consumer protections. If the registered address is outside of the EU, which now includes the UK, then your consumer rights may be different. If a business has more than one website with a number of different domains  e.g. .de or .co.uk be sure to check the registered address on each website before you buy from it.

2: You may have to pay additional taxes and charges

From 1 January, all online shopping orders received from the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) are subject to Irish VAT and customs charges, depending on the value and the type of items purchased (see below). Before ordering from outside the EU, check the T&Cs to find out what VAT and import charges you may have to pay. Full information about the additional charges can be found at revenue.ie

3: If you are not happy to pay additional charges - exercise your right to a refund

If you are buying from an EU website, then you should be told about any additional costs before you make a purchase. If you make a purchase and, upon delivery, you are advised of additional charges and you are not happy to pay them, you can choose to refuse to pay the charges and the purchase will then be returned to the sender.

Separate to this, under EU consumer protection law you have a 14 day cancellation period, so we would suggest that, as soon as you decline to pay the additional charges, you should immediately contact the business (by email) that you bought from and advise them that you are cancelling your order and are seeking a full refund.

More details about your right to cancel are available at ccpc.ie or by calling their dedicated consumer helpline on 01 402 5555.

4: Always check the T&Cs for a returns policy before you buy from a non-EU website

If you are buying from a non-EU website, including a UK website, you may not automatically have the right to return a purchase, or the timeframes for returns may have changed. So, before you buy, always check T&Cs to find out what it says about returns such as;

 Can you return an item if you change your mind and within what timeframe?

 Can you cancel an order before it is sent to you?

 Who pays for the cost of returning it  you, or the business?

Also check what the T&Cs say about faulty products and if there are any limits to the businesss returns or faulty goods policy. If so, you may consider buying from an EU-based website to ensure you have strong rights.

5: EU businesses are responsible for delivery delay follow-ups

In recent weeks there have been reported delays in deliveries, however, if you buy from an EU website (unless you have agreed an alternative delivery date with the business) your purchases should be delivered within 30 days. If a business does not deliver it to you within the time frame agreed they should either:

1. Agree a different date, or

2. cancel the contract and get a refund

A business is responsible for a purchase until it is delivered to you, unless you organised your own delivery. This means that if a business organises a courier to deliver a purchase to you, they must ensure its delivery and should the item not be delivered they should either organise a replacement or a refund.

6: If you buy from an EU website you have strong protections if something goes wrong

If you buy from an EU-based business you have strong consumer protections, which ensures that you have enough, clear information and are not mislead before you make a purchase. Importantly, it ensures that you have rights if something does go wrong  particularly the right to a refund. Buying from a non-EU website means that these rights do not automatically apply and therefore, if something does go wrong it may be more difficult to get the issue resolved.

This is particularly important to consider if you are buying high-value items, in case any issue arises down the line.
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People walk by branches of Citibank Korea, left, and Standard Chartered Bank Korea in Seoul in these file photos. / Yonhap



NongHyup resists financial regulator's guideline



By Park Jae-hyuk



Attention is focusing on whether Citibank Korea and Standard Chartered Bank Korea will reduce dividends paid to their foreign headquarters this year to follow a recommendation by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) to keep their dividends below 20 percent of earnings.



Last Wednesday, the financial regulator advised financial holding companies and banks to follow the guideline so they can boost their ability to absorb potential losses from the prolonged coronavirus crisis.



This guideline is also applied to the two foreign banks, which have long been accused of draining out the national wealth with their hefty dividend payouts sent overseas. Their dividend payout ratios have remained much higher than those of their Korean peers, which have paid 25 percent to 28 percent of their earnings in dividends.



In 2019, Standard Chartered Bank Korea sent its largest shareholder 655 billion won ($585 million), more than double its annual net profit that year.



Citibank Korea paid 65.2 billion won in dividends in the same year with a 22.2 percent dividend payout ratio, but the bank sent its parent company 934.1 billion won in 2018, which was more than triple its annual net income.



Industry officials are wondering whether the financial regulator's latest guideline will put the brakes on their longstanding practices.



"If the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs, some banks will need to take a conservative approach to their capital management because their capital adequacy may not be stable enough," an FSC official said. "Foreign financial authorities in the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States are also calling for conservative capital management."



The recommendation will remain in effect until the end of June. Local lenders will be able to make autonomous decisions on their dividends since then.



Citibank Korea and Standard Chartered Bank Korea have yet to determine their dividend payouts for this year, but some industry officials said the banks may not follow the government's recommendation by demanding fair treatment between foreign and Korean banks.



According to the FSC, domestic banks' dividends paid to their holding companies are not subject to the guideline because the financial authorities determined their dividends paid to their parent companies here would not affect their capital adequacy.



The foreign banks can claim their dividend payments will not harm their capital adequacy, given the U.S. Federal Reserve and the U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority also asked banks to limit their dividend payouts to their shareholders.



Backlash from shareholders



Furthermore, the recent dividend regulation is facing sharp criticism from Korean banking groups and their shareholders.



NongHyup Financial Group expressed concerns about the guideline, citing possible damage to local farmers, who have already suffered financial difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic.



The nation's fifth-largest financial group has paid dividends to its owner, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, so that the federation can supply fertilizer and pesticides to farmers and give them the remaining money. If the financial group cuts its dividends, the federation will face a shortage of money to support farmers.



The financial group said it plans to talk with the financial authorities over this issue.



Other local financial holding companies will decide their dividend payout ratios in their general shareholders' meetings scheduled for March.



Their decisions also remain uncertain because their shareholders are protesting the possible reduction of dividends. The financial groups said foreign and retail investors made frequent calls to their investor relations departments last week to ask whether they decided to keep their dividends below 20 percent of earnings.


New Delhi:

The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, designated global terrorist, has reportedly admitted on a Pakistan TV channel that he carried out terrorist attacks on Indian soil.

Speaking during an interview on Pakistani news channel Geo TV, Salahuddin asserted that he has many supporters in India. Salahuddin admitted to purchasing weapons from international markets, adding that he has the capacity to deliver weapons at any place if he is paid for it, a report said.

"Till now our focus was on Indian occupation forces. All the operations that we have done or are underway, we focus only on the installations of these occupational forces," Salahuddin said in an interview with Geo TV.



Asserting that Kashmir was his home, the Hizbul chief stated that the Valley was witnessing an uprising since the killing of Burhan Wani.



Informing that he carried out many operations in India, Salahuddin stated that the international scenario changed after 9/11.



"If we would have taken our operations out of Kashmir at that time, India would get a chance to label Kashmir-e-Tehreek a terrorist organization. We have support and we can target any place in India, at anytime," he said.



United States put Salahuddin in the 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' list after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Donald Trump during India-US Summit in Washington late last month.



Pakistan slammed the decision and said that 'US'designation of the individuals supporting the right of self-determination of Kashmiris as terrorists as completely unjustified'.



Pakistan shall continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support for the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for the realisation of the right to self-determination and the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions, the Foreign Ministry said in Islamabad in a statement.



The designation of individuals supporting the Kashmiri right to self-determination as terrorists is completely unjustified, a ministry spokesperson said in a statement without naming Salahuddin.



The 70-year long indigenous struggle of Kashmiris remains legitimate, the spokesperson claimed.



Hizbul Mujahideen chief Mohammad Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, who was on Tuesday declared a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' by the United States, is wanted in over 50 terror cases in India, including Jammu and Kashmir, reports said on Wednesday. The cases include hawala funding, assassination, abduction and attacks on security forces.



Investigating agencies have filed charge sheets in some cases, while the probe is still on in few others. Since Salahuddin has been absconding, little headway has been made in these cases.



The 71-year-old politician-turned-terrorist leader is based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) since 1993. He is also the head of the United Jihad Council, an umbrella group of over a dozen terrorist outfits based in PoK. In 2013, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had declared him as a proclaimed offender in a Rs 80 crore terror funding case. Also, an Interpol Red Notice is pending against Salahuddin.

(Read full profile here)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
India was "deeply anguished" by the insult to the flag on Republic Day last week, said Prime Minister on Sunday, referring to farmers breaching the Red Fort in Delhi during protests against three agriculture laws.

Modi, in his monthly radio speech 'Mann Ki Baat', spoke about protesters hoisting flags at the Fort after hundreds of them deviated from agreed routes and breached the heart of Delhi. Farmers commandeered cranes and used ropes to tear down roadblocks miles from routes approved by the police, forcing the police in riot gear to fall back and let them pass during Republic Day celebrations.

"India was deeply anguished at seeing the insult to the tricolour on January 26. We showed extraordinary resolve and bravery last year. We have to work hard this year to fulfil the promises we have made, he said, referring to the coronavirus pandemic.





  ,  , 26      , ,     |             |           |              : PM @narendramodi #MannKiBaat  PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 31, 2021

Modi on Saturday told leaders of various political parties that his government is trying to resolve the issues raised by farmers. "During the All-Party meet PM assured that GoI (Government of India) is approaching the farmers' issue with an open mind. The PM said GoI's stand is same as it was on January 22 - the proposal by the Agriculture Minister still stands," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Twitter.

The government suspended mobile internet services in several areas around Delhi on Saturday as protesting farmers began a one-day hunger strike after a week of clashes with authorities that left one dead and hundreds injured. Angry at new agricultural laws that they say benefit large private food buyers at the expense of producers, tens of thousands of farmers have been camped at protest sites on the outskirts of the capital for more than two months.

Modis speech this morning comes a day before his government presents its annual budget that is expected to boost spending on job-creation and rural development to mend an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

A barrister has been expelled from his chambers for calling a black girl a 'stroppy teenager of colour'.

Jon Holbrook had been commenting on the case of Ruby Williams, who won 8,500 in an out-of-court settlement from her school for alleged discrimination.

Teachers had sent her home because of her Afro hair. Her case was brought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission under the Equality Act in 2018 and featured in a video.

Jon Holbrook has been expelled from his chambers for calling a black girl a 'stroppy teenager of colour'

Student Ruby Williams,19, pictured in Fallowfield, Manchester. She said: 'I am pleased that the chambers have taken this seriously and acted so quickly'

Miss Williams was repeatedly sent home from Urswick School in Hackney, east London, over a period of more than three years, starting in 2014 when she was just 14

But in a tweet about it Mr Holbrook said: 'The Equality Act undermines school discipline by empowering the stroppy teenager of colour.'

Cornerstone Barristers yesterday ended Mr Holbrook's association with their chambers after he refused to take down the offending online posts from January 17.

Miss Williams, now 19 and a student at the University of Manchester, told the Daily Mail last night: 'I am pleased that the chambers have taken this seriously and acted so quickly.

'I'm not against people expressing their opinions but it was unfair for him to talk about what I went through at the age of 14, and to call me a "stroppy teenager of colour" for simply calling out a discriminatory policy.

'I was not surprised at all when he said that, actually. I know there are lots of people out there who have those thoughts. But he had such confidence to say what he did publicly, even with the position that he holds.

Jon Holbrook commented on the case of Ruby Williams (seen with her parents Kate and Lenny), now 18, who was awarded 8,500 following an Equality Act case against her school in east London

'I had hoped he would take it down and possibly even apologise. He has now written two articles continuing to challenge the validity of my case.'

Members of Cornerstone Barristers voted to expel Mr Holbrook with effect from today. In a statement they said his comments were 'irreconcilable with membership'.

Miss Williams was repeatedly sent home from Urswick School in Hackney, east London, over a period of more than three years, starting in 2014 when she was just 14.

She was constantly policed by staff over her hair, according to her father Lenny.

The school had previously said Afro hair, including buns, should be of 'reasonable size and length'. But following a complaint, the guidelines now say only that hairstyles should be 'reasonable and should not impact on other students'.

After the case was settled the school's governors said they were 'hugely distressed if any child or family feels we have discriminated against them', adding: 'We do not accept that the school has discriminated, even unintentionally, against individual or groups.'

Mr Holbrook said he had resigned before the decision to expel him.

Mr Holbrook, who was called to the Bar 30 years ago, retweeted a post by the Equality and Human Rights Commission which referred to the case on January 17. He said: 'The Equality Act undermines school discipline by empowering the stroppy teenager of colour'

He said: 'I don't accept that a policy premised on reasonableness should be outlawed as discriminatory. 'Those, like Ruby's parents, who advocate a particular political view must accept the right of others to criticise it. Equality laws put considerable force on schools to accommodate cultural differences.'

In an article for The Critic , Mr Holbrook wrote: 'The only reason that chambers proceeded to expel me, despite my resignation, was because the salivating attack dogs wanted some red meat to chew.

'Chambers was compliant enough to jump to their barking but it made no difference to me  save to enhance my reputation as a free speech advocate.'

He said he would now do pro bono work, via the Free Speech Union, for anyone similarly 'cancelled' in their workplace.

Miss Williams said: 'Afro hair is a protected characteristic. We want the choice to wear our natural hair  like everybody else  without being judged.

'I don't know what people thought went on that makes them call me 'stroppy'. He seemed so proud to say it, showing how much privilege someone has to write whole articles on a topic they know nothing about. I'm just fighting for the same school rules that others have.'
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An agitation that appeared to be fizzling out after the Republic Day violence in the capital, has been revived with more and more farmers heading to Delhi from various parts of Punjab and other states.

Various farmer leaders on January 30 claimed that with more and more farmer groups marching towards Delhi, there would be a record gathering of peasants and farm labourers on the borders of the national capital by February 2.

ANI

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said he expects a record gathering by February 2 at the border points of Delhi.

Farmers and farm labourers at some places including Sangrur and Mohali in Punjab observed a hunger strike in support of farmers' agitation on January 30. Protesting farmers even burnt effigies of the Centre at 400 places in 14 districts of Punjab against the new farm laws, demanding its repeal.

"People from several areas are heading towards Delhi borders to join the agitation, said Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan on Saturday. Our "jatha" (group) of at least 700-800 tractors will leave for the Tikri border protest site on Sunday, said Kokrikalan. He said only those people who went for participating in the January 26 tractor parade came back.

ANI

He insisted that the laws enacted by the BJP-led central government would cause heavy damage to the farm sector of the country. BKU (Rajewal) leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said people in large numbers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are reaching the protest sites.

Possibly by February 2, there will again be a record gathering of people at the protest sites, claimed Rajewal, insisting that it would be completely peaceful. Rajewal also appealed to the people joining the agitation at the Delhi border to keep the protest peaceful. He also asked them not to get provoked which otherwise would affect the ongoing peaceful agitation.

To express solidarity with protesting farmers, panchayats of some villages in Bathinda, Ludhiana and Sangrur in Punjab even passed resolutions, asking villagers to send one person from each family to the protest sites.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  Ralph Agee had 22 points plus 14 rebounds as San Jose State got past Air Force 75-62 on Saturday at Ability 360 Sports and Fitness Center. Trey Smith added 21 points for the Spartans.

Agee made 9 of 11 shots.

Sebastian Mendoza had 13 points for San Jose State (5-11, 3-9 Mountain West Conference). Omari Moore added eight rebounds and eight assists.

A.J. Walker had 16 points and six assists for the Falcons (4-12, 2-10), whose losing streak stretched to five games. Nikc Jackson added 14 points. Chris Joyce had 13 points.

The Spartans improve to 2-0 against the Falcons on the season. San Jose State defeated Air Force 59-58 on Thursday.

Due to local restrictions concerning the coronavirus pandemic, SJSU's home games have been moved to Phoenix.

___

For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com
FILE PHOTO: Restaurants reopen in Michigan Reuters

At least 60 Michigan restaurants are defying state orders and remaining open for indoor dining.

Owners said they don't believe public health warnings about the dangers of coronavirus, The Washington Post reported.

Many say they can't afford to operate without indoor dining.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Some restaurants in Michigan are refusing to abide by state-mandated measures to quell the spread of the coronavirus, claiming the virus is over-politicized and the science untrustworthy, the Washington Post reported.

"I don't think it's as bad as they're saying it is," David Koloski owner of the Sunrise Family Diner told the Post. "The whole thing with the coronavirus is political. I think Democrats are dug in and unwilling to move on this."

The state is currently on lockdown, but last week Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that restaurants can reopen at 25% capacity on February 1.

Stand Up Michigan, a group of business owners who have held protests against COVID-19 restrictions, has been keeping a running list of restaurants that are defying the order to close indoor dining. Right now there are more than 60 restaurants in 33 counties defying the order.

For weeks, restaurants like the Sunrise Family Diner have remained open for indoor dining with limited enforcement of mask use or social distancing, in part because law-enforcement officials support them and some residents are willing to drive long hours just to publicize their rebuke of Whitmer, the Post reported.

Koloski told the Post that he simply can't afford to do takeout-only orders.

"If we didn't open, we would have shuttered. Doors closed. Out of a house, out of a job, out of a car. Me and the rest of my staff," Koloski said.

He added: "I'm not holding a gun to anybody's head and making them come here."

While the state has seen a decrease in cases, 17 of the state's hospitals are at 90% capacity.

Story continues

Read more: Coronavirus variants threaten to upend pandemic progress. Here's how 4 top vaccine makers are fighting back.

Lansing's Sparrow Hospital has had several ICU expansions, the Post reported. The facility normally has five to 10 free ICU beds, but 30 to 40 people who need them.

"You see that and you know that there's a percentage of these folks, once they get COVID, some of them will die. And it doesn't have to be that way," Sparrow president Alan Vierling told the Post. "This isn't like getting leukemia, where you can do everything right and get leukemia and die. With this, you have a choice."

The overload of patients has meant that Vierling has to have an additional 90 travel nurses who work 12-hour shifts, five days a week.

Last week, the state recorded 12,535 new cases and 487 deaths compared to 16,452 new cases and 430 deaths the week before, the Detroit News reported. On Saturday, the state had 1,358 new cases.

Two months after the lockdown was enacted in November, health department spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin told the Post that cases per million people decreased by 70%.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Ireland, and the world, may be facing a challenging road ahead to bring the pandemic under control given recent vaccine supply issues but there are reasons to remain optimistic.

The rapid development of vaccines against Covid-19 in less than a year brought great hope that an end in sight to the pandemic was near.

In reality, it will take time to manufacture and distribute these vaccines as they are approved, as evidenced by Pfizer and AstraZeneca supply issues in recent weeks.

The good news is that more vaccines are being approved and more are in the pipeline.

Ireland has pre-purchased more than 14m doses of six different Covid-19 vaccines under the EU advance purchase agreement, three of which have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) so far.

The pace of the rollout, however, has and will continue to be determined by supply.

To date, almost 148,000 healthcare staff and long-term care residents have received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the equivalent of around 3% of the population.

The approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday will ramp up the rollout from mid-February onwards although recent supply issues triggered a major diplomatic row with the European Commission.

Tonight, the pharma company agreed to supply the EU with a further 9m doses in the first quarter, softening the supply setback.

The move will also mean an extra 100,000 vaccines for Ireland, reducing the expected supply shortfall from 300,000 doses to 200,000 in the first quarter but could still dent ambitions to vaccinate 700,000 people by the end of March.

On Sunday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he could not be precise about targets but that a significant increase in supplies is expected in the second quarter and significant numbers would be vaccinated by autumn.

'Great hope'

The vaccines do offer us great hope," said Mr Martin. "I understand the impatience that is out there but I do believe that the rollout so far has been in line with commitments made.

He added that the manufacture and supply of vaccines was outside of the Governments control.

Despite the supply setbacks, there are reasons to be optimistic. Other vaccines in development have shown promising clinical trial results  the Janssen vaccine is 66% effective while the Novavax vaccine is 89% effective.

The Janssen vaccine could also prove to be the real gamechanger in the fight against Covid-19 as it is one of the few single-dose vaccines being developed and the company intends to seek approval in the US this week, with hopes for EU approval shortly afterward.

On Friday, Professor Brian MacCraith, who chairs the high-level vaccine taskforce, said the single-dose vaccine was very attractive and, once approved, Ireland could expect to see hundreds of thousands of the 2.2m pre-ordered doses being delivered from the second quarter onwards.

Ireland has also pre-purchased more than 5.5m doses of vaccines in development by Curevac and Sanofi/GSK, although how close they are to approval is a little less certain.

The EU has not yet agreed a contract for the Novavax vaccine.

Pfizer/BioNTech: This was the first Covid-19 vaccine to be rolled out in Ireland following approval by the EMA on December 21 last. Ireland has pre-ordered 2.2m of the Comirnaty mRNA vaccine as part of the EU advance purchase agreement. The two-dose vaccine is 95% effective and requires storage at ultra-low temperatures. Pfizer and BioNTech have committed to supplying 1.3bn doses globally and other pharma companies, such as Novartis and Sanofi, have agreed to help manufacture supplies.

Moderna: This is the second Covid-19 vaccine to be rolled out in Ireland following approval by the EMA on January 6. Ireland has pre-ordered 880,000 doses separate to the EU advance purchase agreement. The two-dose mRNA vaccine has been shown to be 94% effective and must be stored at -20C.

AstraZeneca/Oxford University: This two-dose vaccine has been shown to be 60% effective against Covid-19 and was the third vaccine to secure EU approval. Ireland has pre-ordered 3.3m doses, although scheduled deliveries to Ireland in the first quarter have been revised downwards. The vaccine is easier to handle and administer as it does not require deepfreeze storage.

Janssen (Johnson & Johnson): Still in phase three clinical trials, early results suggest the Janssen vaccine is 66% effective against Covid-19. This vaccine requires just one dose and can be refrigerated, making it easier to handle and administer. Ireland has pre-ordered 2.2m doses as part of the EU advance purchase agreement. Janssen intends to seek approval in the US this week, with EU approval likely soon after.

Curevac: This mRNA vaccine is still in phase three clinical trials but holds promise given that two other mRNA vaccines have been shown to work and are already approved for use. Ireland has pre-ordered almost 2.5m doses under the EU advance purchase agreement. The two-dose vaccine does not require deepfreeze storage making it easier to handle and administer.

Sanofi/GSK: This protein-based two-dose vaccine is still in phase two clinical trials and is further away from the approval process. Ireland has pre-ordered 3.3m doses of this vaccine under the EU advance purchase agreement.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  The penalty imposed on event organizer Tim Yap and the other attendees of his birthday celebration in Baguio City showed the unjust treatment of the government.

This according to some groups on the 1,500 penalty on Yap and other party attendees.

The group PISTON recalled the situation of one of its members during the height of the lockdown Elmer Cordero, a senior citizen who was detained seven days for violating protocol guidelines.

Cordero then had to post bail amounting to 10,000.

He and five other PISTON members were arrested for "disobedience to authority" when they allegedly refused to stop protesting in EDSA for government aid and permission for jeepney drivers to ply the roads.

"Dapat tingnan ng gobyerno yung kalagayan ng mga drayber hinuli sila ng June 2 at dinetain ng pitong araw. Pero itong mga kilalang tao ay hindi man lang na detain at mas mababa pa yung penalty. Ibig sabihin yung batas ay hindi pantay yung trato sa mga mamamayan," says PISTON President Mody Floranda.

[Translation: The government should look at the plight of the drivers who they arrested on June 2 and detained for seven days. But these popular people were not even detained and paid a lesser penalty. This means the law does not treat people fairly.]

According to Ariel Inton, president of Commuters Safety and Protection, if the gathering in Baguio City was not posted on social media, the attendees would go unpunished.

"Kinulong muna. Nadetain siya at hindi inilabas hanggang di nakakapiyansa sa bail recommended ng prosecutor ng Caloocan. Si Tim Yap hindi. Matapos magpakasarap ay minultahan. Kung hindi na-social media at napabalita eh wala. Walang mangyayari," says Inton.

[Translation: They were jailed. They were detained and not allowed to leave until the bail recommended by the Caloocan prosecutor was not paid. Tim Yap didn't get the same treatment. After enjoying themselves, they just paid a fine. If it wasn't posted on social media and didn't go viral, there would be nothing. Nothing would have happened.]

Yap and other participants paid P1,500 for violating health protocols at his birthday party, held at The Manor at Camp John Hay in Baguio City on January 17.

Meanwhile, the venue itself paid P9,000 for violating the city's ordinance for New Normal Operations for Business Establishments.

Among those who faced backlash for attending the party was Contact Tracing Czar and Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

Magalong offered to quit his IATF post because of what happened, but the Palace asked him to stay on.

This move was lauded by different personalities such as Vice President Leni Robredo because they said it meant Magalong knows how to accept his shortcomings.
Imperial Valley News Center

Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of Veterans

Washington, DC - A former doctor of osteopathic medicine who previously worked at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, was sentenced Monday for depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.

U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Jonathan Yates, 52, of Bluefield, Virginia, to 300 months in prison and three years of supervised release, announced Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory B. Friel of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart of the Southern District of West Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Christman of the Pittsburgh Division of the FBI, and VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal.

Yates previously pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2020, to three felony counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. According to the plea documents, Yates rubbed the genitals of two veterans and digitally penetrated a third veterans rectum under the guise of legitimate medicine, when in fact he acted without a legitimate medical purpose. This conduct, performed while Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a VA physician and a federal employee, deprived the veterans of their constitutional right to bodily integrity and caused them pain. According to the plea documents, the veterans had sought treatment from Yates to manage chronic pain through osteopathic manipulative therapy. Several veterans addressed the court at sentencing, describing the trauma and mental anguish that Yates had caused them. Yates surrendered his medical licenses as a condition of his plea agreement.

The sentence reflects the seriousness of this defendants misconduct. In a despicable betrayal of his oath, he used his specialized medical knowledge and expertise to sexually abuse his own patients. He has now been held accountable, said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory B. Friel of the Civil Rights Division. It is a testament to the bravery of our veterans that so many came forward to bring this defendant to justice.

Military veterans who serve and sacrifice to protect our nation deserve only the best of care. Yates betrayed his oath as a physician and the veterans under his care, said U.S. Attorney Michael Stuart for the Southern District of West Virginia. Today, Yates has been called to account for his heinous acts. While his prison sentence will not undo the significant harm Yates inflicted on the victims, we hope that it will ease their pain. I want to commend the incredible work of the FBI and the Department of Veterans Affairs-OIG in this investigation. I also want to thank the victims and their families for their unwavering support during the prosecution of this case.

Yates committed hideous crimes in a hospital room, which should be a sanctuary for patients, said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. The facts of this case are disgusting and these patients and their families deserved better care. While todays sentence wont take away what happened to these patients who dedicated their lives in service to our nation, Yates will never be able to hurt anyone again. Hopefully, this will serve as justice for his victims.

This sentence is the culmination of the exceptional work of the Office of the Inspector General special agents and our law enforcement partners, said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal. Our thoughts are with the veterans who suffered horrific abuse by a doctor entrusted with their care, and we remain vigilant in our efforts to keep all VA patients safe from harm.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Veterans Affairs Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg McVey of the Southern District of West Virginia, and Assistant Chief Kilby MacFadden of the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Unionism needs to unite in a peaceful way over opposition to the Northern Ireland protocol, Billy Hutchinson said (Liam McBurney/PA)

Unionism needs to unite in a peaceful way over opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, a senior community activist said.

Billy Hutchinson said the response had to come through politics.

A senior police officer warned last week that discontent over regulatory barriers was growing and said the pandemic may have masked action on the streets.

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Mr Hutchinson said: I do not want to over or under-play the anger.

It is there and we really need to listen to that anger and we also need to make sure that it is turned into a positive way forward.

We need to show people who are unionists that unionism is united in every way around this and that the only way forward is by using political means.

If people need to protest then we need to make sure it is done in a peaceful way so others cannot hijack it.

Stormont ministers have been engaged in discussions with their Government counterparts in London around easing bottlenecks in trade.

Northern Ireland is continuing to follow the EUs rules on trade following Brexit to keep the free-flowing Irish land border open.

There is a very definite anger out there Billy Hutchinson

That has caused extra paperwork at the ports on trade from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland and has affected goods including soil and plants as well as the transit of pets.

Supermarket shelves were emptied of some products at the start of the year as suppliers in Great Britain delayed lorryloads to assess the changes.

The haulage industry has been left struggling for orders but its representatives have accepted progress has been made in some areas.

Last week the Ulster Unionists suggested Brexit red tape could hinder the movement of military equipment within the UK.

Mr Hutchinson said: There is a very definite anger out there.

No matter where you live, in a village or a town or a city, that anger is there and a lot of it is based around the fact that they did not understand what was happening when they voted for Brexit.

They do feel anger at people not explaining this to them.

It is definitely out there, we can see it.

Expand Close The haulage industry has been left struggling for orders (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook

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Mr Hutchinson is a Belfast City Council councillor representing the Greater Shankill Road area, with deep roots in the loyalist community.

He said: This must be a decision and a way forward that comes from political unionism.

Political unionism needs to stand up and say this is what we need to do.

We need to use the political process to deal with this anger.

More graffiti as well as low-level intelligence and social media monitoring have provided early pointers to unionist discontent, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.

Another unionist politician, Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, last week called for co-operation with the Republic of Ireland to be frozen and work implementing the Protocol to be abandoned.
If we needed a reminder of how fragile democracy can be, former US president Donald Trumps assault on the outcome of last years American election has given all democracies a masterclass in what damage malicious intentions can inflict on our system of government.

A constitution and long-standing conventions may set out the foundations of representative government, but the real-world practice of daily politics can expose shortcomings. They are not always as obvious in their corruptive effect as that practised by the likes of Mr Trump.

The nexus of politics and money is a fraught area. Illustration: Rocco Fazzari Credit:

All of which leaves it to those who wield and scrutinise power to stay vigilant and for citizens to demand accountability and transparency from their politicians and institutions.

Australia is a liberal democracy of which we can be proud, but we have challenges that we can no longer ignore. This year, The Age recommits on behalf of citizens of every political persuasion to campaign to fix the obvious chinks in our democracy.

The move comes after the judge acquitted a man accused of groping a teenager's breast because he did not make 'skin-to-skin' contact and also ruled that holding hands and unzipping trousers do not amount to 'sexual assault' under the POCSO Act

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium is understood to have withdrawn its approval to a proposal for the appointment of an additional judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice PV Ganediwala, as a permanent judge of the court following her two controversial verdicts in sexual assault cases.

The decision was taken after the judge faced flak for her interpretation of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, a source said.

Justice Pushpa Ganediwala recently acquitted a man accused of groping a 12-year-old girl's breast because he did not make skin-to-skin contact and days earlier, ruled that holding the hands of a five-year-old girl and unzipping the trousers do not amount to "sexual assault" under the POCSO Act.

On 27 January, the Supreme Court stayed the Bombay High Court order acquitting the man after Attorney General KK Venugopal said the order would set a dangerous precedent.

The collegium headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, at a meeting held on 20 January, had okayed the proposal for making Justice Ganediwala a permanent judge.

In two other judgments this month, Justice Ganediwala acquitted two men accused of raping minor girls after noting that the testimonies of the victims did not inspire confidence to fix criminal liability on the accused.

"No doubt the testimony of the prosecutrix (victim) is sufficient for a conviction of the accused. However, the same ought to inspire the confidence of this court. It ought to be of sterling quality," she said in one of the judgments.

Justice Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala was born on 3 March, 1969, at Paratwada in Maharashtra's Amravati district.

She was a panel advocate for various banks and insurance companies and was also an honorary lecturer in various colleges of Amravati and gave lectures to the MBA and LLM students of the Amravati University.

She was directly appointed as a district judge in 2007 and was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on 13 February, 2019.

Besides the CJI, justices N V Ramana and RF Nariman are part of the three-member collegium, which takes decisions with regard to high court judges.
27 church leaders sue Scottish govt for criminalizing in-person worship

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More than two dozen church leaders in Scotland have joined legal proceedings against the Scottish government, demanding a judicial review of tighter pandemic lockdown measures that have closed churches for in-person services and criminalize[ed] public worship.

The church leaders argue in a claim for judicial review that the coronavirus regulations imposed by the Scottish government this month are in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights [Articles 9 and 11] and the Scottish Constitution, according to a statement issued by the London-based Christian Legal Centre.

The claim is filed by 27 church leaders, including those from the Free Church of Scotland, the Church of Scotland and independent churches.

Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued the regulation that took effect on Jan. 8. According to the legal group, the regulation makes it a criminal offense in the highest tiers for churches to hold services in-person and, for example, to conduct baptisms.

On Jan. 15, a pre-action letter was sent to Scottish Ministers on behalf of the church leaders.

The Scottish Ministers have failed to appreciate that the closure of places of worship is a disproportionate step, and one which has serious implications for freedom of religion, they wrote. Scotland is the only nation in the United Kingdom that has closed places of worship at this present time and this action is also out of step with the restrictions that have been put in place in other countries.

The pastors also warned that the restrictions prohibit them from supporting the material, emotional and spiritual needs in their congregations and communities.

However, The Scottish Ministers rejected the claim in a response letter dated Dec. 22 from the Scottish Government Legal Directorate. The letter contends that the state can regulate the secular activities of Churches  for the purposes of protecting public health.

But the Christian Legal Centre argues that there had been no attempt to close churches in Scotland since the persecution of the Presbyterian church, instituted by the Stuart kings, in the 17th century.

In the legal filing, the church leaders hold that public, corporate worship, involving the physical gathering together of Christians, is a fundamental and indispensable aspect of their religion. The leaders stressed that in the absence of the gathered people of God, there is effectively no church.

The Rev. Nathan Owens from Maxwell Church in Kilmaurs said in a statement that he serves several people in the vulnerable population. He said he had seen the dire consequences that have resulted from the shutdown of churches.

We think churches being open is not only a human right or a Scottish constitutional matter, but is one of the most vitally important ways our society can respond to this pandemic, Owens asserted.

Rev. William Philip, who leads the 500-member Tron Church in Glasgow City Centre, warned that the poorest, the oldest, and those most vulnerable do not have access to his churchs remote broadcasts.

They are excluded completely from the possibility of Christian worship, and the comfort and encouragement in life and death only this can give, Philip said in a statement.

Pastor John William-Noble of Grace Baptist Church in Aberdeen points out that churches recognize the pandemic as a very serious matter and have followed a number of guidelines given by the government in order to protect health and safety.

Churches have demonstrated that they are one of the most COVID-secure parts of society, he said.

The Christian Legal Centre quoted microbiologist Ian Blenkharn, who described the lockdown strategy as illogical.

It is illogical to propose that church premises can be used for blood donor sessions, food banks, and other social support activities, and if required for COVID-19 testing and vaccination activities, but not for public worship, Blenkharn was quoted as saying.

There are no barriers to the safe opening of churches for worship, he added.

Indeed, there is an overwhelming and unavoidable comparator that church services present no additional risk of COVID-19 coronavirus infection than would the many different commercial activities in the manufacturing, supply, and retail sectors, etc. that are now permitted to operate, Blenkharn said.
Not only is Joe Biden shaping up to be the worst president in American history  and yes, I can say that even though hes been in office for only ten days  hes also shaping up to be the greatest nonentity in American history. Despite finally having their puppet in the White House, leftists cannot let go of their Trump obsession. Theyre still determined to destroy Trump, and they cant seem to quit him.

The winning entry for failing to grok that Trump is gone, really gone, goes to Joe Biden himself. He was declared president-elect months ago and moved into the Oval Office ten days ago, but deep down he knows its a fake. His subconscious is sending him the truth. While riffling through his little notecards telling him what the heck he was doing, Biden had this to say about signing one of the Executive Orders his puppet-masters placed before him:

The second order Im going to be signing also changes what the president has done, Biden said, before correcting himself. The president, the president  the former president has done and a memorandum reverse of my predecessors attack on womens health access.

In Palm Beach, where Trumps moved into Mar-a-Lago, the city of Palm Beach has decided to try to deny him legal residency. As you may recall, because New York was relentlessly harassing him, Trump, who lived in New York until he entered the White House, announced that he would henceforth have his primary residence in Florida. Palm Beach opposes that:

The town of Palm Beach, Fla., confirmed to The Hill on Friday that its performing a legal review of former President Trumps residency at Mar-a-Lago after suggesting that it might do so in December. Our town attorney is reviewing the agreement and the laws surrounding it, Palm Beach Town Manager Kirk Blouin told The Hill. [snip] The former presidents decision to make Mar-a-Lago his permanent residence could be a violation of rules set forward in a previous agreement with the town when he decided to convert the private residence into a club in 1993. Among those conditions were that club members, including Trump, could only spend a maximum of seven consecutive days and no more than three weeks a year at the premises, CNN reports. [snip] A spokesperson for the Trump Organization previously told the Herald that There is no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-a-Lago as his residence.

And theres the pending impeachment based on the claim that Trump inspired an insurrection against the Capitol. We know that the Capitol incursion was planned months in advance, that Trump spoke only of peacefully approaching the Capitol (unlike the Democrats military branches of BLM and Antifa, which like to storm places), and that the small percentage of rally attendees who entered the Capitol were already on the move before Trump even finished speaking. There are also 45 Senators already on record opposing the impeachment. Yet the loopy Democrats persist, unable to let go of their favorite scapegoat.

Out in the country, though, far from from the fetid, poisonous swamp gas of D.C., something interesting is happening. Within just ten days, those who voted for Biden, having witnessed his 42 socialist, anti-American, job-killing, anti-women, pro-insanity Executive Orders, are having buyers remorse.

As for Trump? Hes going up in peoples estimation:

Former President Donald Trump has actually gained -- not lost -- political clout since leaving office, a political observer asserted Friday. Politico reporter Tara Palmeris observation runs contrary to the assumptions of many in the Washington D.C. establishment and the mainstream media. People dont want to hear anything against Trump, Palmeri said during an appearance on MSNBC. Actually, the more he stays out of the media, the more that he becomes this martyr, this looming figure over the GOP. [snip] She then described an apparent disconnect between whats perceived as truth in D.C. and whats perceived as truth in Cheyenne. Palmeri mentioned locals not wearing masks, expressing distrust of the coronavirus vaccine, claiming both that the number of reported deaths from the pandemic were inflated, believing the 2020 presidential election wasnt legitimate, and that the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill was staged by Antifa.

Bidens actions are creating clarity: People are seeing that the man who sold himself as a moderate is a senile puppet who is taking orders from radical socialists. Theyre also realizing that Trump and conservatives were right when they said that socialist policies will destroy every American, not just the ones that the Democrats dont like.

Abraham Lincoln famously said, You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. Were about to see the truth behind that statement play out.

Alessandra Ambrosio teased an upcoming appearance on Germany's Next Topmodel on Sunday.

The former Victoria's Secret Angel looked sensational as she flashed her abs in sexy snaps shared to her 10 million followers on Instagram.

The supermodel did not state if she was going to be a featured guest on an upcoming episode or if she had been designated as one of the show's judges.

Appearing soon: Alessandra Ambrosio teased an upcoming appearance on Germany's Next Topmodel on Sunday

Ambrosio, 39, added her own spin to the business look with a see-through bra worn underneath a tailored blazer.

The Brazilian stunner rocked high-waisted slacks and emphasized her slender frame with a massive gold belt buckle positioned on top of her hips.

She added inches to her statuesque frame with a pair of strappy black heels and accessorized with a host of rings, necklaces and bracelets.

Stylish: Ambrosio, 39, added her own spin to the business look with a see-through bra worn underneath a tailored blazer

Strike a pose: The Brazilian stunner rocked high-waisted slacks and emphasized her slender frame with a massive gold belt buckle positioned on top of her hips

Her gorgeous brunette hair cascaded down onto her shoulders and she simply captioned the series: 'boss lady.'

In addition to posting the haute snaps, Ambrosio also took to her Instagram story to share some images architecture seen during her trip to Berlin.

The supermodel made her first appearance on the fashion competition show in 2018 and served as a guest judge; she returned in the same capacity in 2020.

The swimwear designer has also been seen on the American and Australian versions of the show.

Not the first time: Ambrosio has made appearances on the fashion competition series in 2018 and 2020

Sharing the sights: The supermodel also posted multiple snaps to her Instagram story to give her followers a glimpse into her time in Berlin

The German iteration of Top Model first premiered in 2006, three years after the Tyra Banks-hosted original show made its debut.

Supermodel Heidi Klum has hosted the series since its inception, and numerous other guest judges have been featured alongside her.

A short-lived spinoff, entitled Die Model WG, first appeared on the air in 2010 and focused on the post-reality show career of multiple former contestants.

Germany's Next Topmodel has been subject to criticism for its perceived shift in focus from runway shows and competition to conflicts between contestants.


BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua)  General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a message to Nguyen Phu Trong, congratulating him on election as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee.

In the message, Xi said he is glad to hear that Trong has been elected as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, and would like to extend warm congratulations to him, and through him to the new CPV central leadership, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and in his own name.

Since its 12th National Congress, the CPV, under the strong leadership of the CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, has strengthened party building and led the Vietnamese people to a series of achievements in the cause of socialist construction and reform, Xi said, adding that the successful convention of the 13th National Congress of the CPV has started a new journey in Vietnam's socialist modernization.

Xi said he believes that under the leadership of the new CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, new greater achievements will be made in the various causes of the CPV and Vietnam.

China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors and also a community with a shared future of strategic significance, said Xi.

Xi said he attaches great importance to relations between the two parties and between the two countries, and stands ready to work with Trong to enhance strategic communication, promote traditional friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and promote the cause of socialism.

In so doing, he added, they will jointly steer the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership along the path of sustained, healthy and stable development, bring more benefits to the people in both countries, and make positive contributions to promoting regional and global peace, development and win-win cooperation.

Xi said he sincerely wishes Trong new achievements in his noble post.

(Source: Xinhua)
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Dhaka, Jan 25 (UNI) Bangladesh Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday hoped that the Bangladesh-US relations will reach a new height under the new Biden administration.

The developmental vision of Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the welfare view of the new administration in the US closely matches lockstep, he said.

Dr Momen said the new US administration has already marked such indications as it rejoined the Paris Agreement and also started exploring whether genocide took place in Myanmar.

We welcome the new administrative and thank them for their initiatives, he said.

The foreign minister was addressing the virtual Frontline Journalism Award Presentation Ceremony as chief guest organized by The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham). US ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller spoke as the special guest.

Momen urged AmCham to play substantial role for boosting Bangladeshs export to the USA and attract Foreign Direct Investment and incubation of technology.

He said Bangladesh hopes to promote Culture of Peace, creating a mindset of respect and tolerance towards others irrespective of religion, ethnicity, race and colour for a sustainable world of peace and stability across nations.

We dont want to see any more the movement like Black life Matters or uprooting of 1.1 million Rohingyas due to spread of venom of hatred and intolerance, he said.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign minister said journalists played a noteworthy role in raising awareness about the vicious effects of the deadly virus.

I am happy that the journalists disseminated every directive and initiative of the government to the people, he said.

He urged the media to highlight the remarkable works of the government and create a narrative so that we all could be proud of. We are no longer a bottomless basket but a land of opportunity, a vibrant economy.

He said everyone will agree that in the last 12 years, Bangladesh achieved tremendous success in its efforts to develop its economy and to provide improved living standard to its people.

UNI MAZ JAL 1924
RTHK: More than 3,000 held as Russian police get tough

Police detained more than 4,000 people across Russia and blocked off the centre of Moscow on Sunday in a massive clampdown on protests demanding the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Thousands of protesters defied government warnings to rally from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg in a second weekend of mass demonstrations over the arrest of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic.

Navalny was detained at a Moscow airport in mid-January after flying back to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from an August poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner is being held in a Moscow detention centre and faces years of potential jail time in several different criminal cases, despite calls from Western governments for his release.

In moves not seen in years in Moscow, authorities locked down the centre of the capital on Sunday, with hundreds of police lining the streets, central Metro stations closed and the movements of pedestrians restricted.

Protesters who had hoped to gather outside the headquarters of the FSB security service were instead scattered to various parts of the city as organisers made last-minute changes in locations.

Dozens of protesters were seen detained and taken into police vans. It was unclear amid the chaos how many people took part in the demonstration.

Independent monitor OVD-Info said at least 4,027 people had been detained across the country, including 1,167 in Moscow, and arrests were continuing. It reported more than 4,000 detentions during similar protests last Saturday.

The Russian Union of Journalists said around 35 people working for media outlets were also detained on Sunday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter condemned "the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight."

The Russian foreign ministry hit back, accusing the United States of "gross interference" in its affairs and of using "online platforms controlled by Washington" to promote the protests.

Hundreds marched through the centre of Moscow chanting "Freedom!" and "Putin is a thief!" before arriving outside Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny was being held.

Several dozen were detained at the prison, with police chasing down protesters in the snow outside the complex.

"The people in power don't want to listen to anything or to anybody," said 34-year-old vet Darya at the Moscow rally.

In the second city of Saint Petersburg, police closed off the main thoroughfare Nevsky Prospekt, shut Metro stations and police cars were parked all across the centre.

Police were seen roughly detaining several protesters, including one young man who was left with a bloodied head.

Local media reported that police used tear gas and tasers in the city, while one policeman reportedly threatened protesters with his service weapon.

"The whole centre is cordoned off," said Natalya Grigoryeva, who came to the Saint Petersburg rally with her daughter. "And who is this all against, against their own people?"

Earlier protesters had rallied in cities including the Pacific port of Vladivostok, where dozens escaped the police on the frozen waters of the Amur Bay and danced in a circle.

Several thousand were also reported to have protested in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk despite temperatures dropping to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Local politician and Navalny ally Helga Pirogova said that Sunday's protest in Novosibirsk was potentially bigger than the week before.

"People are still outraged by what is happening," the 32-year-old said.

Russian authorities issued several warnings against participating in the unauthorised rallies and threatened criminal charges against protesters.

The head of Russia's Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeyev, called Sunday's events a "provocation" and said they have "nothing to do with protecting rights," news agency TASS reported.

Navalny is due in court several times next week, including on February 2 on charges of violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence.

His wife Yulia posted a picture of her family on Instagram on Sunday, urging supporters to make their voices heard.

"If we remain silent, then tomorrow they will come for any one of us," she wrote.

Navalny's team said Yulia was detained by police shortly after she announced her arrival at the rally on social media.

This week several Navalny associates were placed under house arrest pending charges for violating coronavirus restrictions by calling people to join protests.

In a continued effort to clamp down on online platforms used to coordinate the rallies, Russia's media watchdog on Sunday ordered social networks to block posts with "false" information about the protests, including those "over-estimating" numbers of participants.

Many of those joining the protests have voiced anger at authorities over a video released by Navalny's team alleging that Putin had been gifted a US$1.35 billion property on the Black Sea coast, a claim denied by the Kremlin. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-01-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Unique mangrove restoration project takes root in Puttalam By Tharushi Weerasinghe View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka and Britain are together supporting a unique mangrove caretaker programme in the Puttalam District which aims to regenerate these vital plants in a manner that will set an example to the world.

The project, led by Professor Sewwandi Jayakody, senior lecturer at the Wayamba University, eschews the traditional mangrove restoration approach of merely planting new trees. It focuses on returning the ecosystem of a particular area to what it was. The site is at Pubudugama in Puttalam where, last week, Environment Ministry Secretary Anil Jasinghe and British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton launched the initiative.

Prof Jayakodys team first looked at the nearest mangrove patch to analyze what contributed to its health and sustenance. This includes soil and water conditions, tidal fluctuations, inundation periods, and other factors. Many sites have saline soil because they were dug ponds that had previously been shrimp or salt farms. And the main soil component was sand as the absence of low plants such as grasses had caused sediments to blow out. This did not favour mangrove growth.

The Department of Forest Conservation trained their forest officers from Puttalam to Trincomalee on, among other things, maintaining mangrove nurseries. The replanting, meanwhile, mimicked the natural process.

Of the planted seeds, the weaker ones died while the stronger ones remained. Depending on elevation, the team cut an extensive canal system (wide and shallow) to facilitate the arrival again of lagoon water. It brought in vital sediments that settled in the soil and washed away the extreme acidity.

Soil samples were carbon tested. And once the site was completely ready, planting began. Approximately 490,000 plants were initially planted, Prof Jayakody recalled. Rhizophora Mucronata was placed along the canals because they naturally grew on shores. Avicennia Marina was planted further in, as was Ceriops Tagal.

We expected mortality, the Prof said. And our target was a ten-percent survival rate since these sites had no habitation for over ten years.

The canals also allowed animals to enter into the ecosystem, an important way to maintain and provide nutrition to the sites as well as acting as a water quality indicator. With the area now becoming more self-sufficient, the authorities are more laidback, choosing to clean the canals periodically to excess sand and waste. The plants will be left to evolve.

The local community was drawn in. Nadeesha Sheehan, Kaveeshan Kumar, Prabasara Madushanka, and Janitha Nuwan, all 17-year-old classmates, spent hours planting seedlings. The young volunteers pitched in after beat forest officer, Sampath de Silva, scouted local schools to recruit young people. They spent around eight hours per day for a week each month attending to the nursery and mangrove plants. While they did receive a stipend, it was love for the work that motivated them.

Fishing and tourism are staples in the area. But authorities are also exploring other income-generating avenues for local communities. For instance, mangroves, which have small flowers, were ideal for bee-honey farming, said Conservator of Forests Nishantha Edirisinghe. The Department provided six bee colonies but only two survived owing to a lack of expertise among bee-keepers. The programme is likely to be restarted with better training.

These efforts are all the more significant as Sri Lanka has pledged to be a champion in mangrove restoration. The Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Environment championed the Mangrove Ecosystems and Livelihoods Action Group of the Commonwealth Blue Charter since 2018. It is signed by all 54 Commonwealth nations to actively co-operate to solve ocean-related problems and meet commitments for sustainable ocean development.

Through two resolutions related to mangroves proposed jointly with Indonesia at the United Nations Environmental Agency, Sri Lanka was also tasked with being an example to the world. The country is home to 21 true mangrove species, almost one-third of the global diversity of true mangroves. Approximately 18,000 hectares of mangrove forests were gazetted under the Forest Ordinance as conservation forests and reserved forests in the years 2019 and 2020.

The mangrove caretaker program underpins the work the UK and Sri Lanka are delivering on nature-based solutions in the lead up to COP26 later this year and illustrates how countries can work together to achieve shared climate and environmental objectives, a British High Commission spokesperson said.

Replanting begins at Anawilundawa The replanting of mangrove in the ravaged Anawilundawa site will start today, World Wetland Day, said Manjula Amararathna, Director of Protected Area Management at the Wildlife Conservation Department. Site studies and preparation were in collaboration with the Wildlife and Forest Ministry, Wayamba University, and other private organizations like the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society. Prior to its declaration as a Ramsar wetland, approximately one hundred acres held shrimp farms which are now abandoned for nearly two decades. The area dried up as there was no saline irrigation. It was mostly grasslands when the Department took over the replantation project. One main canal with two smaller canals were built to water a 10-acre plot selected for the pilot project. This has improved the water levels in the soil. Checks on the salinity and PH levels of the soil, mangrove species, and the animals in the area have been completed. Various mangrove species will be planted in different locations of the plot based on these assessments. They will be monitored for three to five years, Mr. Amararathna said. The Wildlife Conservation Department will use funds from the Wildlife Preservation Fund as well as other private entities. It has been a month since the irrigation system was set up and endemic and migratory aquatic birds have begun to settle in the area. Unlike other WCD jurisdictions, the Anawilundawa area has sufficient resources in its local office including technically trained officers to monitor the project. The Anawilundawa Sanctuary was the subject of much controversy a few months ago when a local politician attempted to start up an illegal shrimp farm. However, these efforts were quelled and the involved parties heavily fined.
Pictured: Majid Derbas, who was found dead on Saturday night

The family of a 'harmless' 22-year-old tradie are demanding answers after his body was found with gunshot wounds in a burning SUV in Sydney's west.

Emergency crews discovered Majid Derbas' charred body when they were alerted to a car on fire on Hume Road in Smithfield at about 6pm on Saturday.

NSW Police have launched an investigation into Mr Derbas' death, with detectives treating it as 'suspicious'.

His family are at a loss as to why their 'baby boy' was taken away, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'How could they kill a baby, he's only 22, he's never had any trouble with the police; we were called this morning (Sunday) and told Majid was dead, had been shot in the car and burned,' a relative said.

'Why burn our baby boy? Who can be so cruel to do that? Majid is a sweet, sweet kid, he was never in trouble with police, he was a quiet nerd who worked hard and kept his head down.'

Detectives are speaking with Mr Derbas' friends and families to determine his last movements.

The 22-year-old's family gathered at his Greenacre home on Sunday following news his body had been found in the car.

Another relative said Mr Derbas was a 'good kid'.

'He'd never harm a fly,' they said.

Shocking daylight video from the scene showed black smoke billowing as flames engulfed the car.

NSW Police have launched an investigation into Mr Derbas' death, with detectives treating it as 'suspicious'. Pictured: Police are seen on the scene in Smithfield on Saturday night

Emergency crews were alerted to a car on fire on Hume Road in Smithfield (pictured) at about 6pm on Saturday

A fire engine was also seen reversing away from the blazing car to keep a safe distance.

Mr Derbas' body was found by police after firefighters extinguished the fire.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Officers are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to contact Cumberland Police or Crime Stoppers.

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No word to criticise the way Bengal CM, chief secretary insulted PM: BJP''s Suvendu Adhikari on Friday''s cyclone review insulted PM: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari on Friday's cyclone review meeting.

I was invited to review meeting as leader of opposition in Bengal assembly and MLA of cyclone-hit Nandigram: BJP''s Bengal assembly and MLA of cyclone-hit Nandigram: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.
With Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancelling his visit to Matua stronghold Thakurnagar in North 24 Paragans district on Saturday, senior BJP leaders Kailash Viayvargiya and Mukul Roy met prominent members of the community and assured them that the central minister will hold a meeting for them "very soon". However, the ruling Trinamool has attacked the saffron party stating that it is confusing the Matuas and spreading false information regarding the citizenship issue.

Addressing a press conference, senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee claimed that BJP was giving "false promises" to the Matua community. Referring to the assurances by BJP in the past about Citizenship Amendment Act among the Matuas, Mukherjee, who is also a state minister, said, "Matuas have always had citizenship in Bengal. They have voted then how can they not be the citizens?"

Mukherjee pointed out, "How can you give citizenship to those who are already citizens? Those who have ration cards are citizens. In November 2020 Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had distributed 25,000 land pattas to refugees from the Matua community. This land right document will ensure that they are citizens. Parliament rules were supposed to be framed within six months for Citizenship Amendment Act after the Lok Sabha polls. They (BJP) asked for more time to make rules, leaving thousands of people in uncertainty. Now they are using COVID- 19 as an excuse. All of this is false promise (jumla)," he added.

It is to be noted that in Lok Sabha elections, the Matuas voted en masse for BJP with hopes pinned on CAA, under the leadership of BJP MP from Bongaon, Santanu Thakur. Matuas are originally from East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), and had started migrating to West Bengal in the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution. In the Lok Sabha polls, the community, voted en-masse for BJP due to the CAA. However, sudden cancel of the plan has made BJP leaders rush to the Matua stronghold.

BJP leaders rush to Matua stronghold

Vijayvargiya, BJP national general secretary and Mukul Roy, the party's national vice-president, were closeted in an over an hour long meeting with party MP Santanu Thakur. They told the members of the community that Shah's visit to Thakurnagar was cancelled due to sudden developments in Delhi and that he will visit the place "very soon" and address the Matuas during his next visit to the state. Shah's two-day visit to West Bengal from Saturday was cancelled at the last minute following a blast outside the Israeli embassy in the national capital.

His proposed meeting at Thakurnagar assumes importance as the Matuas with an estimated population of 30 lakh in the state can influence the poll outcome in at least 60 assembly seats in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts of poll-bound West Bengal. Polls are likely to be held in April- May this year.

Roy told reporters "Amit Shah spoke to Santanu Thakur about holding the proposed meeting on any coming day and asked the organizers not to dismantle the stage originally erected for the meeting. Please don't dismantle the stage and keep yourself ready for all last minute arrangements in 24-48 hour notice. My office will keep you posted," Roy quoted Shah as having told Santanu Thakur.

READ | Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA): One year since contentious law was passed by Parliament PTI SUS KK kk kk

READ | 'BJP Committed To Implement CAA': Mukul Roy In Presence Of Matua Neta Shantanu Thakur

BJP and its stance on CAA

On December 6, senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is likely to be implemented from January next year. Vijayvargiya added that the Centre is keen to grant citizenship to the large refugee population in the state. He also accused the ruling Trinamool Congress government of not being sympathetic to the cause of the refugees.

"We are hopeful that the process of granting citizenship to refugees under the CAA will begin from January next year. The Centre has passed the CAA with the honest intention of granting citizenship to persecuted refugees coming to our country from neighbouring nations," he said in North 24 Parganas.

However, on December 20, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the rules of CAA are yet to be framed and the law will be acted upon after COVID vaccine inoculation is done. "Rules of CAA are yet to be framed. Due to Coronavirus, such a massive drive cannot be undertaken and hence after inoculation, we will think about it," said Shah. When asked about his 'understand the chronology' remark, Shah said, "Let the first part of the chronology be fulfilled".

READ | All Assam Students Union holds anti-CAA torchlight march, faces lathicharge by police

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. The Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill on December 11, 2019, and President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12.

READ | Amit Shah Says 'CAA Rules To Be Framed After COVID Vaccination'; Opines On Centre V Mamata
Phuket Opinion: Drawing battle lines

PHUKET: Chalermluck Kebsup has drawn a clear line for voters in the upcoming municipal election for Patong Mayor: vote for the brother of the man deeply involved in the running of taxis and tuk-tuks in the town, or vote for the person pushing for an actual form of public transport to be brought to Patong.

opinionpatongtransporttourismeconomicspolitics

By The Phuket News

Sunday 31 January 2021, 09:00AM

Whether to allow tuk-tuk and taxi drivers to continue to rule Patong has just been put on the agenda. Photo: The Phuket News / file

The election is to be held on Mar 28. Pakrit Keeesin, younger brother of influential Patong businessman Preechawut Prab Keesin, last weekend announced that he will contest the seat of mayor in the upcoming municipal election.

Ms Chalermluck announced her intention to run for re-election by Tuesday this week.

Campaigning in earnest is expected to begin in the coming week. The Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (PEC) is expected to declare all mayors and municipal councils no longer able to perform any official duties as standard procedure ahead of an election tomorrow (Feb 1), making the timing of the announcement of the proposed electric bus service in Patong impeccable. The project is already in motion, and it will take some almighty efforts to run it off the road by the time the eventual winner of the election takes office.

That said, it is not lost on The Phuket News the incredible clout Phukets taxi and tuk-tuk cartels and cooperatives have, especially in Patong, while also noting that candidate Mr Pakrits brother Mr Prab helms only one of the companies, not all of them. Very few towns could boast the level of integrated cooperation taxi and tuk-tuk drivers in Patong have. Any disputes are resolved either by blockades or simply shooting dead a rival that poses a threat, including motorbike taxi touts.

It is also not lost on The Phuket News that Ms Chalermluck was elected Patong Mayor in 2014, the year of the military-backed crackdown on Phukets taxi mafia, winning the election with just 3,330 votes. That was all that was needed to take the big chair in the busiest tourism town on the island, at a time when Phuket generated some B800 billion a year in tourism revenues.

It will be an interesting ride to see how the Patong election pans out, now that the only people left in the town are actual residents. The old ploy of paying employees to change their registered address in order to cast their vote the right way is not expected to be a factor this year.

Over the years no single segment of Phuket tourism businesses has done more damage to the islands tourism image than our illustrious public transport industry, as officials continue to call it despite every aspect of it being privately owned and operated, through countless incidents of violence and ripoffs in the past.

The residents of Patong are about to be given a choice. Its a pity that other true stakeholders wont get a vote too.
Former President Donald Trump has parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers a little more than a week before his trial.

Reuters

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, have left the defense team in what one person described as a mutual decision that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case.

Pak-Based Terror Group Lashkar-e-Islam Picks A New Leader

Pakistan's banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Islam has named Zala Khan Afridi as its new head, days after the outfit's fugitive leader Mangal Bagh was killed in a roadside bomb blast in southern Afghanistan.

AFP/ File

Afridi, a close associate of Bagh, was named as the new head after members of the group held a meeting at Bander area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Bill To Ban Private Cryptocurrency Likely In Budget Session Of Parliament

The government is set to introduce the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill during the current session of Parliament to ban private cryptocurrencies

Reuters

It will also be putting in place a framework for the launch of a digital currency by the Reserve Bank of India.

700 More Vehicles With Farmers To Leave Punjab For Tikri Border

After briefly appearing to be fizzling out following the Republic Day violence in Delhi, the farmers' stir against the agri laws on Saturday seemed to be reviving with more and more of farmers groups heading to the national capital from various parts of Punjab.

BCCL

Various farmer leaders on Saturday claimed that with more and more farmer groups marching towards Delhi, there would a be a record gathering of peasants and farm labourers on the borders of the national capital by February 2.

China Shuts Down 18,489 'Illegal' Websites

China, which tightly controls the country's internet access, shut down 18,489 "illegal" websites last year and issued warning notices to 4,551 online platforms, according to the official media.

(Representative Image)

Some of the websites were shut down for promoting online games or dating information in the guise of online courses while others were punished for spreading illegal materials, including pornographic and violent content, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).

Germany Threatens Legal Action Over Vaccine Delays

Germany's government on Sunday threatened legal action against laboratories failing to deliver coronavirus vaccines to the European Union on schedule, amid tension over delays to deliveries from AstraZeneca.

Reuters

"If it turns out that companies have not respected their obligations, we will have to decide the legal consequences," Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told German daily Die Welt.
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Channel Seven host and former White Ribbon chairman Andrew OKeefe was arrested by police and charged over an alleged domestic assault on his partner in Sydney early on Sunday morning.

OKeefe, 49, is due to face Waverley Local Court on Thursday, when police will allege the former Weekend Sunrise host assaulted his partner, Orly Lavee, at an apartment in Randwick just before 1am.

Channel 7 personality Andrew OKeefe is facing domestic violence charges. Credit:Simon Schluter

The host of The Chase Australia was arrested on a nearby street about 3.30am before being taken to Maroubra police station, where he was charged with common assault.

He was granted bail on the condition he avoid all contact with Ms Lavee, unless through a lawyer.
Halle Berry encourages her seven-year-old son Maceo to challenge gender stereotypes - and has done since he was five.

The Oscar-winning actress, 54, shares Maceo with Olivier Martinez and said: 'I have realised what my job is in raising him. If we want to have a future that's different, that is where it starts.

'You made me think of how many conversations I've had with him, say, since he's turned five years old, about the differences in boys and girls, and I see how he's taught to feel like he's superior, at five, than girls are.

Lessons: Halle Berry encourages her seven-year-old son Maceo to challenge gender stereotypes - and has done since he was five

'I've had to really break that down for him and give him a new perspective, and challenge those thoughts and ask him to identify where that comes from, and if he believes that or not and challenge what he's subconsciously getting from somewhere.

'I can tell that because we're having those conversations he is going to grow as a deep thinker on the subject. He's going to be determined not to just accept it.'

Halle was speaking at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's panel titled Women Breaking Barriers: An Industry Shift as part of the Sundance Film Festival.

Doting: Halle is mother to daughter Nahla, 12, and Maceo, seven [pictured in 2018]

She said: 'I can tell that because we're having those conversations he is going to grow as a deep thinker on the subject. He's going to be determined not to just accept it'

Speaking virtually, she went on: 'I keep challenging him all the time, like "Well, why is that a 'girl colour?'"

Halle also revealed she discusses the issue of sexism with both of her children - she shares daughter Nahla, 12, with Gabriel Aubry.

She spoke about how women of color are fighting for equality in Hollywood in the wake of major social movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter.

Equality: She admitted it's 'heartbreaking' that she's still the only woman of colour to win the Best Actress Oscar [pictured accepting the gong in 2002]

The movie star - who won the coveted gong for her performance in Monster's Ball [pictured] - said: 'The heartbreak I have is because I really thought that night meant that very soon after that, other women of colour, black women, would stand beside me'

She admitted it's 'heartbreaking' that she's still the only woman of colour to win the Best Actress Oscar.

The movie star - who won the coveted gong in 2002 for her performance in Monster's Ball - said: 'The heartbreak I have is because I really thought that night meant that very soon after that, other women of colour, black women, would stand beside me.

'Now it's been 20 years and no one has, and so every time Oscar time comes around, I get very reflective and I think, "Well maybe this year, maybe this year."

'It has become heartbreaking that no one else has stood there.'
A Georgia chief of police has resigned and an officer has reportedly been fired after bodycam footage that surfaced last week showed the moment they used racial slurs during a a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest.

Hamilton Police Chief Gene Allmond and Officer John Brooks were both caught on video, obtained by WTVM, using the N-word and discussing slavery as the mere 'mistreatment' of African Americans.

In the footage the men discuss slavery and at one point it appears that they talk about the killing of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot dead by officers outside a Wendy's in Atlanta in June 2020, just weeks after George Floyd died under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Officer Brooks is heard referring to a man who used to be Secret Service saying "'you didnt have to shoot em, its just a taser," then how come when you tase a f**king n***er its like you done killed him 27 times?'.

Hamilton Police Chief Gene Allmond (pictured) and Officer John Brooks were both caught on video using the N-word and discussing slavery as the mere 'mistreatment' of African Americans

'The guys running, hes got the taser in his hand, and you see him and he turns, and you see him fire the taser at the officer?' Brooks continued, likely referring to Rayshard Brooks.

Allmond then chimed in: 'But what would you have done if it had hit the officer? Go over there and get his gun and kill him?'

Brooks continued his rant and defense of the officers shooting Rayshard Brooks: 'What if one of them projectiles woulda struck him [police officer] in the eye? The act of him firing that taser at an officer is an aggravated assault because he has not been trained in the proper useAn officerif I go to tase somebody, I know to shoot low, I know what to do. He doesnt know.'

'Thats exactly right,' Allmond said.

'And that Mayor up there? Uhshes already fired the officer. And um without a hearing, and shes pushing real hard. They say shes now the front runner to be Joe Bidens vice presidential candidate,' Brooks added.

Allmond responded, 'Youre kiddin!' before Brooks said: 'Becauseif I had to f**k a n***er, Id rather f**k the Mayor than Stacey Abrams.' Officer Brooks was referring to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the black mayor of Atlanta.

They then start a discussion around the Black Lives Matter protest that they were patrolling.

At one point, Brooks said: 'Becauseif I had to f**k a n***er, Id rather f**k the Mayor than Stacey Abrams.' Officer Brooks was referring to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (pictured on January 3), the black mayor of Atlanta

'F**kProtests, son of a b**ch what is the matter with these f**king people? I dont own no slaves. My folks didnt own no slaves,' Allmond is heard telling Brooks. 'You know what are we talking about? 200 fucking years ago?'

Brooks added: 'Hey, Ive been doing uhI do a lot of stuff on my family history on My Ancestryand you know were all from up north, but there was a small branch of the family that lived in Virginia, which before the Civil War, what is West Virginia, was Virginia. And I did find evidence of some slave ownin part of my family. Even though were from Ohio and didntnobody up there. But Ill tell ya, looking at Chriss family? Holy shit! Man let me tell you what

'She had a, one relative I cant remember his name, he was, fought in the Civil War, after the Civil War was over with, he became an overseer at a plantation, he was in charge of all the slaves, and there was some article or something about something he did and the paper and the newspaper said that whatever his name was he was known to be the meanest man alive,' Brooks said.

Allmond then said: 'Well you know what now? This, I dont know if this has any merit, back in the slave times, but there was a lot them mistreated. I dont have any doubt about that. But for the most part, it seems to me like, they furnished them a house to live in, they furnished em clothes to put on their back, they furnished em food to put on their table, and all they had to do was fuckin work.'

Brooks responded: 'And now, we give them all those things and they dont have to work.'

'Thats it!' Allmond said.

The pair carried on conversations with protesters and relatives on their personal phones.

At one point Brooks can be heard saying he'd let a group of 'rednecks' take care of the situation if the protest got out of hand.

The disgusting footage resurfaced after a part time city employee was checking if the body camera was functional on January 25, according to WRBL.

He then found the footage and alerted the mayor's assistant, Buddy Walker, who then called in Mayor Julie Brown, the City Council, and City Attorney Ron Iddins.

The Hamilton City Council asked for Allmond and Brooks to resign or face termination.

Officials immediately removed the two men from their positions with the Hamilton Police Department.

According to WTVM, Chief Allmond resigned, while Brooks was terminated.

The station reported that both men believed that their body cameras weren't working while they patrolled the Black Lives Matter protest in Hamilton.
Brussels was determined to force AstraZeneca to its knees at the start of the week but by the end of it, it was the European Union which was left humiliated.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, is facing calls to resign amid accusations of a "vaccine nationalism" and fierce criticism in her home country of Germany.

Ms von der Leyen, who had taken personal charge of the AstraZeneca issue, badly botched the response to the company's failure to fulfil EU orders of jabs.

She had moved to impose a "vaccine border" on the island of Ireland as she stepped up threats to impose an export ban on jabs to Britain. At a stroke, she trashed the bloc's reputation worldwide and sacrificed the moral high ground the Commission had taken over the Irish Border during Brexit negotiations.

Her decision to trigger Article 16 of the Brexit treaty's Northern Irish protocol achieved the once unimaginable feat of uniting an unimpressed Michel Barnier, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and British prime minister Boris Johnson against her.

Ms von der Leyen ordered a U-turn late on Friday night and blamed the crisis on "an oversight", but the damage was done. Brussels had spiralled out of control, turning its own member states against it and ignoring their instructions.

It should have been very different. How had Ms von der Leyen managed to turn a week that should have been a crowning moment for her administration into such an unmitigated disaster?

Brussels had planned for the first AstraZeneca jabs to be rolled out across the bloc once the European Medicines Agency approved the vaccine on Friday.

The European Commission, which negotiated the supplies on behalf of the 27 member states, would use the delivery as a symbol of the benefits of EU unity.

The inconvenient point that the EU's vaccination roll-out was lagging far behind Brexit Britain would soon be forgotten in a flood of up to 400 million jabs; enough to vaccinate about half of all EU citizens.

The day couldn't come soon enough for the EU's heads of state and government, who had decided not to use the emergency authorisation procedures Britain used to fast-track the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Commissioners in Brussels claimed that theirs was a safer, more responsible route.

Many EU governments had chosen not to buy doses of rival vaccines, preferring to wait for the cheaper and easier to store jab from the British-Swedish company. The slower pace this caused was, however, exacting a political price on the bloc's national leaders.

Polls in France showed Marine Le Pen trailing Emmanuel Macron by just 48 to 52 in second round voting intentions for next year's presidential elections.

European newspapers were reporting that Johnson's vaccine gamble had paid off, which they said was a source of great frustration to the French.

The strain was showing elsewhere in Europe as well. The normally docile Dutch erupted into days of rioting, their worst in 40 years, in protest against the imposition of a curfew.

Hungary had got tired of waiting for the EU collective purchasing plan to bear fruit. It became the first EU country to approve and order Russia's Sputnik V jab and later in the week also authorised a Covid-19 vaccine from China.

The pressure was on the European Commission to deliver, which explains the furious reaction after AstraZeneca broke the news that there would be a shortfall.

The company would only be able to deliver a quarter of the jabs promised in the first quarter of the year, it said. There would be about 75 million vaccines missing because of production problems at its Belgian plant.

Ms von der Leyen was determined that the member states would not point the finger of blame for the delays at her Commission.

She had long insisted that the answer to the health crisis was "more Europe" and so the decision was made to launch an unprecedented, attack on AstraZeneca.

Over the weekend, suspicions grew in Brussels that AstraZeneca may have sold reserved EU vaccine stock to countries such as Britain, which had paid a higher price for the jab. Despite the fact that AstraZeneca was providing the vaccine at cost price, the story was given legs in Brussels. The EU message was clear; this was not our fault.

Diplomats in the Belgian capital began circulating news stories from last year, when the UK had signed a deal with AstraZeneca three months before the EU.

AstraZeneca had imported millions of vaccines from its EU plants to compensate for a delay in production of UK supplies of the jab. Perhaps these were jabs meant for the bloc, the anonymous briefers suggested.

The commission, which prides itself on its legal expertise and respect for the rule of law, turned the screws on AstraZeneca, accusing it of breaching its contract with Brussels.

Ms von der Leyen gave Pascal Soriot, the CEO of AstraZeneca, a dressing down in a morning phone call.

Stella Kyriakides, the EU's Health Commissioner, left the meeting and addressed the press. AstraZeneca's explanations for the shortfall in supplies were "unsatisfactory".

She demanded AstraZeneca provided a list of how many vaccines it had provided to each country, which the company, and the British government, has been desperate to keep secret.

The Cypriot commissioner dropped a bombshell. Brussels would introduce an "export transparency mechanism" by the end of the week, Ms Kyriakides said.

Cyprus's EU commissioner said that manufacturers in the EU would have to ask Brussels for permission before exporting vaccines out of the bloc. The threat of an EU export ban was clear. Britain, less than a month out of the Brexit transition period and expecting almost 3.5 million vaccines from Pfizer's Belgian plant, was in the firing line.

On Tuesday, AstraZeneca's CEO hit back. There was no contractual obligation to supply the vaccines beyond an obligation on the company to make "best reasonable efforts" to provide it, he said.

The company's two production plants in Britain could help with the EU supply but, under the terms of the supply contract with the UK, only after a British order of 100 million jabs had been supplied.

An infuriated Brussels hit back hard on Wednesday. It demanded AstraZeneca divert supplies of millions of UK-manufactured vaccines to the bloc and accused Soriot of breaching confidentiality by revealing details of the contract. It called on Soriot, who endured another EU meeting that day, to agree to the publication of the bloc's Advance Purchase Agreement.

Ms Kyriakides said the firm had "contractual, societal and moral obligations" to use all its facilities to make up the shortfall.

MEPs began to talk of a vaccine trade war. Britain made clear its vaccines were going nowhere. Boris Johnson refused to be drawn into the row, insisting it was purely between AstraZeneca and his EU allies.

On Thursday, Belgian authorities, acting on a European Commission request, raided AstraZeneca's plant in the French-speaking region in Wallonia.

The reason was to see if the company's explanation of production problems was genuine, but another motivation was to keep the pressure on the company.

Having secured AstraZeneca's permission to release a redacted version of the contract, Ms von der Leyen had a devastating salvo planned for Friday.

After the contract was released, the Commission pointed to clauses that supported its arguments.

In one, AstraZeneca appeared to confirm that no other agreement would interfere with its supplies yet another clause said that, for the purposes of the deal, the two UK factories should be considered part of the EU.

Opinions were divided over who had the stronger legal case but eyebrows were raised that Ms von der Leyen that very day had said there were no "best endeavour" clauses in the contract. The published deal - accidentally released unredacted - had those clauses.

"She either told an intentional lie to 447 million people or she didn't know what was in her own contract," Germany's Bild paper said.

EU officials demanded that Britain now publish its contract. This was followed up by the official announcement of the export transparency mechanism, which Ms Kyriakides claimed was not aimed at any one country.

There was growing disquiet that the commission was going too far in its battle with AstraZeneca. What happened next was to see any remaining supporters desert Ms von der Leyen.

The regulation for the export transparency mechanism revealed that the European Commission planned to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Irish Protocol.

Despite the warnings of her own trade experts over the triggering of Article 16, Ms von der Leyen was set on imposing the hard vaccine border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Barnier was not in the loop. In an astonishing gaffe, Ms von der Leyen only deigned to inform Ireland after the announcement.

It wasn't long before Micheal Martin was on the phone to the commission's Berlaymont headquarters, where Ms von der Leyen lives in a converted flat.

Johnson was raising his concerns soon afterwards as the pressure began to build against the European Commission president.

At 11.45pm local time, about eight hours after the announcement, a statement was released saying that Article 16 would not be triggered after all. The regulation was withdrawn to be amended but the transparency mechanism, and with it the threat of an export ban, entered into force.

What Ms von der Leyen planned as a show of strength and a reassertion of control had demonstrated anything but.

"Lessons should be learned; the Protocol is not something to be tampered with lightly, it's an essential, hard-won compromise, protecting peace and trade for many," said Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney.

Trade experts were also unimpressed. "Disrupting the already fragile implementation of the Irish Protocol on the off-chance that someone in the EU exports vaccines they don't have, to a Northern Ireland that doesn't need them, is folly of the highest order - and compounds a vaccine nationalist export control policy that is itself flawed and short-sighted," said Dmitry Grozoubinski, the founder of ExplainTrade.

Another EU diplomat commented: "The pressure on von der Leyen is huge and increasing. This is not a good look."

 Telegraph Media Group Ltd (2021)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
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Belagavi, Jan 31 : Slamming Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey for raking up the inter-state border row, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol on Sunday claimed that the Maratha king Chhatrapti Shivaji was a 'Kannadiga'.

"Thackrey does not know history. Shivaji's forefather Belliyappa was a Kannadiga from Soratur in Karnataka's Gadag district. When drought struck Gadag, he (Belliyappa) migrated to Maharashtra, and Shivaji was the fourth generation of his family," Karjol told reporters in Karnataka's Belagavi.

At a book launch on the border dispute between the two states in Mumbai on January 27, Thackeray said areas dominated by Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka like Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani should be declared as the 'Union Territory' till the Supreme Court gave its final verdict in the decades old case.

Asserting that the Mahajan Commission's report in 1968 upheld Karnataka's claim on Belagavi, Karwar, Nippani and 800 villages in the border areas," Karjol said that Thackeray had been raising the issue to divert attention from the 'infighting' in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government, which was formed by Shiva Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on November 28, 2019 in Maharashtra.

"Thackrey should at least know now that Shivaji, who is Shiv Sena's icon and named the party after the Maratha king was a Kannadiga by origin," reiterated Karjol, who hails from Bijapur (Vijayapura) in the state's north west region.

Considered to be the founder of the Maratha empire, Shivaji Bhonsale (1630-1680) was crowned emperor (Chhatrapati) in 1674 at Raigad in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.

Echoing Karjol, the state's another Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi said as Belagavi was part of then Bombay province or presidency during the British rule, Mumbai should be part of Karnataka and should be declared as Union Territory till the apex court gave its verdict.

"As Thackeray could not implement pro-people policies during the Covid pandemic, he was losing popularity in the neighbouring state (Maharashtra).

Savadi, who hails from Athani in Belagavi district, also said the MVA coalition government had failed on various counts in Maharashtra.

Thackeray said, "When the case is being heard in the Supreme Court, the Karnataka government renames Belgaum (as Belagavi), declares it as its second capital, constructs a legislature building and holds one legislature session there every year. Isn't this a contempt of court," thundered Thackeray.

Authored by Deepak Pawar, an officer in the Maharashtra's boundary dispute cell, the 530-page book - "Maharashtra-Karnataka Seemavad: Sangharsh Aani Sankalp'" (Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute: struggle and pledge) gives details of the dispute between the two states.

Belagavi, about 500km northwest of Bengaluru, was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency during the British rule but was given to Mysore state during the reorganisation of the states on linguistic grounds in 1956.

When Maharashtra made claim to the border district on the basis that there were more Marathi-speaking people living in Belagavi and hundreds of its villages, which are part of Karnataka, the central government constituted the Mahajan Commission in 1967 to settle the inter-state boundary dispute.

Though the Commission upheld Karnataka's claim on Belagavi and about 800 villages on demographic data showing more Kannada-speaking people residing in them, Maharashtra filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Mahajan report and the case is still pending in the top court.
ALTON  Alton High School students will now have the opportunity to take a fourth year of math.

At its Jan. 19 meetihg the Alton school board unaminously approved offering a Transitional Math QL- Stats class to be taught to seniors at the high school.

Illinois is requiring every high school to offer a transitional math course in conjunction with a local community college. The three different pathways the Transitional Math program offers are STEM, Technical, and Quantitative Literacy/Statistics. Alton High School will be offering the Quantitative Literacy/Statistics pathway.

In Illinois, three years of high school math are required for graduation and to be admitted to most colleges and universities.

Rene Hart, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Alton School District, said that Transitional Math is designed to encourage students to take a fourth year of math during their senior year.

Transitional math courses are not skill based, but instead focus on the integration and application of skills in larger problems, Hart said. These courses are about reducing the list of skills to an essential set, putting those skills together often, and reducing any deficits in them.

The class is designed to help students understand the meaning behind the math and be able to explain it. A passing grade in Transitional Math QL-Stats gives a student guaranteed placement into certain college-level math courses for up to 18 months and removes the students need to take a math placement test at Illinois community colleges and some universities.

The students will have paper homework and a Capstone project that sums up the entire class.

Each unit focuses a little bit on the project and by the end of the fourth unit they should be able to tie everything together by applying the principles learned during class, Hart said. The paper homework is not your typical math assignment. It has more of a real life connection to it.

Natalie Rhea, Math Department Chair for Alton High School, said that she is excited students will be able to connect this class to the math they learn in the real world.

The question I get asked the most is, When am I ever going to need this math? Rhea said. This course will not only help students see the connection to adult life, but it also gets them placed into a credit-earning college course. Its a win-win situation for these students.
Humanitarian and compassionate considerations for immigration to Canada A strange case illustrates some of the strengths of the Canadian immigration system.

Humanitarian and compassionate considerations for immigration to Canada A strange case illustrates some of the strengths of the Canadian immigration system.

Humanitarian and compassionate considerations for immigration to Canada A strange case illustrates some of the strengths of the Canadian immigration system. Michael Schwartz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canadas immigration system, by its very nature, is forced to reconcile many differing values and aspirations.

For example, the system attempts to mediate between providing both consistency and certainty on one (metaphorical) hand, but also flexibility and fairness on the other.

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) is the main statute governing immigration to Canada. IRPA reflects this balancing effort. When seeking immigration status in Canada, section 25(1) of the IRPA allows persons who do not meet one or more of the application requirements set forth in the Act to request that the government consider waving the relevant requirements on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration may also, himself, request such consideration.

When an H&C request is made by a foreign national inside Canada, the Canadian immigration system is obligated to consider it. H&C requests can also be made by foreign nationals outside of Canada; however, there is no legal obligation to consider them.

To be clear, H&C consideration is just that: it is a request for an exception to usual application requirements, not an automatic grant of a waiver.

Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration

Canadian legislation and jurisprudence have a longstanding and well-developed framework for evaluating such requests, which has evolved considerably over time.

This body of work allows immigration officers and other decision-makers to grant exemptions to application requirements in many different circumstances, taking into account the facts specific to a given case (e.g. ties to Canada, medical, financial, and admissibility issues, the best interests of children involved, etc.) in a consistent manner.

Sometimes, however, a case emerges which, by its nature is very unusual and challenging. The unfortunate situation of Ms. Elena Starach, on which the Federal Court ruled this past November, is such a case.

Ms. Starach is in her early sixties. Unfortunately, she has long suffered the ravages of mental illness  in her case, schizophrenia. Ms. Starach has spent many of the past years homeless in Toronto; she is now a ward of the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee.

Because of her illness, Ms. Starach is unable to recall many basic details of her biography, such as where she was born. Compounding this imbroglio, neither Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) apparently have any immigration records relating to Ms. Starach.

Given her inability to provide relevant background information and documentation, counsel for Ms. Starach accordingly requested that her application for permanent residence receive consideration on H&&C grounds. Factors included: Ms. Starachs mental illness; that Ms. Starach is apparently stateless; and that lack of permanent status in Canada could prejudice Ms. Starachs receipt of government housing and social services.

The reviewing officer acknowledged Ms. Starachs situation was difficult but nevertheless rejected the H&C grounds application. Counsel for Ms. Starach sought and obtained leave to pursue a Judicial Review at the Federal Court of Canada to challenge this decision.

The judgment of the Court was, simply put, scathing. It held that the Officer entirely failed to engage with [Ms. Starachs H&C] request and instead engaged in a circular and unintelligible analysis of her situation. The Court concluded that the Officers outright dismissal of Ms. Starachs application on the apparent ground that the Officer was not satisfied Ms. Starachs was in fact stateless, was, itself, unintelligible and without explanation. The judgment also drew from a previous case, Abeleira v Canada (M.C.I.), 2017 FC 1008 [Abeleira], which like that of Ms. Starach, involved a person who was stateless, without identification, and not known to have ever been a citizen of another country at any point. The ruling in this Abeleira case emphasized that the immigration officer was required to consider the global deleterious impact of a refusal of H&C permanent residency to such a person.

Accordingly, the Federal Court accepted Ms. Starachs appeal and set aside the initial officers decision, remanding it to another officer for redetermination.

Ms. Starachs case, while most unfortunate, also illustrates some of the strengths of the Canadian immigration system. There is room for individuals to seek humanitarian and compassionate consideration for their immigration applications when they do not meet all application requirements. The Federal Court demands that Officers determinations be reasonable, intelligible, and in line with existing jurisprudence. If an application is rejected, applicants may still be able to seek recourse at the Federal Court, as Ms. Starach successfully did.

Ms. Starach may have tragically forgotten herself, but the Canadian immigration system has not forgotten her.

If you are interested in learning more about this case, Starach v. Canada (M.C.I.), 2020 FC 917, you can access it at https://canlii.ca/t/jb494

Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
No word to criticise the way Bengal CM, chief secretary insulted PM: BJP''s Suvendu Adhikari on Friday''s cyclone review insulted PM: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari on Friday's cyclone review meeting.
SAD chief on Sunday met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur border and presented him with a 'siropa' (robe of honour), as he assured his party's support to the farmers movement.

Badal said Tikait had made the farming community proud by following the footsteps of his father Mahendra Singh Tikait, a towering farmer leader, a party statement said.

He reminisced about the joint battles of Mahendra Singh Tikait and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal for the welfare of the peasantry, it said.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief also met the families of farmers whose next of kin had been missing since January 26, besides those whose relatives have been incarcerated for supporting the farmers' protest, the statement said.

Badal assured the families that SAD would take up their cases and ensure appropriate legal remedies were made available to them.

He also requested his party's Delhi unit chief Harmit Singh Kalka to establish a control room in the capital to ensure that aggrieved families were given assistance as and when required.

The SAD leader said the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee would also contest all such cases free of cost even as he assured the families that a committee of lawyers had been established in Chandigarh and across all districts in Punjab to ensure a coordinated effort in this direction.

He requested all political parties to leave aside petty differences and unite for the greater cause of the peasantry.

He said it was now clear that farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh besides those from different parts of the country had formed a united front.

We must strengthen this front further to ensure that the 'kisan andolan' is a resounding success, Badal added.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the Centre has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
James E. Campbell, long-time educator and activist who many considered the wise elder of South Carolinas community of social justice warriors, died Saturday. He was 95.

His death was confirmed by his niece Dana Campbell, one of his caregivers.

Campbell was a regular at many local events, both intellectual and artistic. Receptions at the Avery Research Center? He was there. A Pure Theatre performance? He was there. A lecture by an important scholar? He was there.

In 2019, the Avery Research Center named its student grant program, part of the Racial and Social Justice Initiative, after Campbell. The grants go to select students involved in social justice work, and research.

Coordinator Daron Lee Calhoun II, called Campbell prophetic, considered him a mentor, and credited him with inspiring Calhouns own activism.

To know Mr. Campbell was to know a true scholar, activist, lifelong educator, and humanitarian, he said. We are all blessed that he left his legacy for everyone to learn from in his collection at the Avery Research Center, and, personally, I am a better person for having known him.

Campbell grew up in a cottage on President Street that was demolished to make way for the Crosstown expressway, and then in the Gadsden Green housing complex. His father, James Campbell Sr., was a farmer and railroad fireman from Hopkins, S.C., who moved to Charleston and became an ambulance driver for Roper Hospital. He also served as a driver for funerals. His mother, Eva Juliette Jones Campbell, graduated from the Avery Normal Institute in 1916, along with Septima Poinsette Clark, served as a teacher for a while, then devoted herself to family.

The Campbells were members of the NAACP, attuned to current affairs and determined their five children (Jim was the oldest) visited the Dart Library. Jim would sneak away sometimes to swim or fish, but the smell of pluff mud would give him away.

You stinkin to high heaven! his mother would say admonishingly.

He attended Immaculate Conception School and then the Voorhees Normal and Industrial School in Denmark. At Voorhees, Campbell met students from big cities up north and first began to conceive of the larger world beyond South Carolina.

In 1943, he was drafted, helping to integrate the U.S. military as a Montford Point Marine, and was about to see action in the Pacific theater when the U.S. dropped its two atomic bombs on Japan, bringing an end to the conflict. After the war, Campbell attended Morgan State College in Baltimore where he majored in English and minored in theater. After he graduated, Campbell taught elementary school in Baltimore and helped organize the Arena Players, a Black theater company.

He moved to New York City with the idea that he would pursue an acting career. He studied with Uta Hagen and launched another theater project, which eventually fizzled. So Campbell turned his attention to teaching and civil rights activism.

Campbell was a successful teacher and administrator in the New York City schools for 40 years. He embraced Marxist theory, especially dialectical materialism, as a way to explain the injustices he saw around him.

This philosophy expounded that we live in a material reality whose contradictions are generated and explained by real-world conditions: class, work, economic interaction. Even the human mind is subject to these conditions. Our thoughts are not independent or metaphysical; they are shaped by our socio-economic circumstances.

He worked for Baynard Rustin, befriended Jack ODell, chaperoned James Baldwin, interviewed Paul Robeson, and collaborated with Malcolm X.

Soon after he met Malcolm in 1964, he designed the program for what they called a Liberation School, which would teach groups of students about the African liberation movement, capitalisms impacts on marginalized people, and the importance of enlightened thought.

Campbell applied a fiercely analytical mind to everything he did, from studying economics, history and politics to engaging young people in conversations about civil rights. In the 1970s, he contributed to the influential political and cultural journal Freedomways.

He spent nine years in Tanzania teaching English and trying to settle into a life distant from the racial discrimination rampant in American society. But he always felt an outsider and, by 1982, concluded that he should fight for liberty and justice in his own country.

First, he came home to Charleston, in time to say farewell to his dying mother. He taught briefly at Burke High School then returned to New York, where he became assistant principal at two Harlem middle schools and then district coordinator for social studies until his retirement in 1991.

Then began a second distinguished life in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Campbell got involved in labor issues, joined the Medical Universitys bioethics team as a member-at-large, and he became involved with Bob Moses Algebra Project.

He also served on the advisory board of the College of Charlestons School of Education, and was chairman of the education committee for the Charleston branch of the NAACP.

Dave Dennis first met Campbell in Mississippi during the summer of 1964, when many activists joined the effort to get Black people registered to vote. But it wasnt until the early 1990s that the two men became colleagues and friends.

Dennis was Southern coordinator for the Algebra Project, a math literacy organization that works with low-income youth. He and Campbell set up programs on St. Helena Island, in Savannah, in the Charleston area and in Weldon, N.C.

We called him Mzee, Dennis said, invoking the Swahili honorific, the elder of the movement, the person civil rights veterans go to for advice. ... Students liked him because he told stories. At the same time, he understood community organizing, so he could get families involved.

When Campbell attended staff retreats, he generally held forth like Socrates.

Jim just started telling stories, until lunch, Dennis said. He had talked for two and half hours. We just sat there listening to him.

Campbell had a nimble mind to the end. He easily recalled the details of his life, and was happy for an audience so he might recount his experiences growing up in Charleston, at the various schools he attended, in New York and Tanzania, and elsewhere, and the deep lessons he learned along the way.

He was a griot, said Bobby Donaldson, director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina. In his resonant tone, I could hear the voices of our ancestors. Jim Campbell was a master teacher who, even in his last days, pushed us to think seriously and critically about the past and to use that reflection in an ongoing battle against injustice and inequality. In my mind, he is not dead. His words still speak, and the lessons he imparted live on.

Campbell donated his body to the Medical University. He was fond of quoting the inscription over the door to the morgue and autopsy room. It reads: This place is where Death rejoices to come to the aid of Life.

The challenges faced by US cities during the pandemic were and continue to be multifaceted. Cities and their residents are dealing with what some are calling the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: 1. the COVID-19 pandemic; 2. civil unrest (exacerbated before, during, and after the election); 3. a weak economy; and 4. the continuing environmental crisis. Because of the pandemic, the inequalities and inequities in many of our cities were laid bare for all to see. The challenges are many-fold in the US. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10.7 million Americans are out of work; in part related to our heavily dependent service economy. The number of food insecure people rose from 10.5% in 2019 to as high as 23% in 2020. According to researchers at Broadband Now, 42 million Americans do not have access to broadband, and that statistic does not include people who live in areas with broadband infrastructure but cannot afford it or the quality is sub-par. This means compared to people with quality broadband access, these Americans are less capable of working at home, their kids cant attend online school, and the family cant access telemedicine resources. Transportation and mobility have also been severely disrupted - especially public transportation - most severely affecting essential workers and people who could not work from home, like retail workers and food service workers.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, people are still trying to build resilience and combat the inequities that have been highlighted by the pandemic and help their communities. Some regions have used CARES ACT funding to invest in expanding fiberoptic, high-speed broadband and cities like Chattanooga, TN that made investments decades ago are reaping the benefits. Another homegrown example of building resilience through tech is a project at Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. In this project, Feeding Families in Need, Metro21 collaborated with numerous municipal, educational, non-profit, corporate and community groups in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, applying machine learning technology to addressing the disruption to school meal programs caused by COVID-19. In operation since July 2020, this collaboration has helped provide over 7,000 meals/month in Penn Hills, McKeesport and McKees Rocks communities.

A recently released report by the Centre for Public Impact, entitled Innovation in the Face of Crisis: Insights from European Cities, highlights public sector innovation with a focus on communication, inclusion, public participation, dialogue, collaboration, and cooperation. The report outlines many examples of how Europe is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic that could provide models for our own interactions with government. For example, Barcelona launched hackathons to help provide technical solutions, including connecting medical professionals with personal protective equipment, designing platforms to combat misinformation, and creating artificial respiratory equipment. Likewise, the recent report Smart City Solutions for a Riskier World aims to help inform leaders post-pandemic, offering insights and resources on issues related to broadband, lowering emissions, and economic suggestions. This report can help leaders prepare for the inevitable re-building that will be necessary as we navigate the pandemic and its effects, and it provides examples of cities that are providing solutions.

While COVID-19 has laid bare the inequities in our society, it has also given cities a chance to address these problems and become more resilient. Cities are accepting more outside help. They are collaborating within their communities and they are listening, so they know how their communities can be best served. This is how we will reach the SDGs, by encouraging innovations in the public and private sector, united. Though I know its not a straight path, Im hopeful for this future; one that is sustainable, resilient and equitable for all residents.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Bahrain will have to wait at least three weeks for dine-in services

Bahrain will have to wait at least three weeks for dine-in services

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Restaurants, food and beverage stores, cafes and shisha cafes should stop providing dine-in services for three weeks starting today.

Outdoor services are allowed to continue but will be limited to 30 individuals per reservation.

The Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry also emphasised the need to adhere strictly to measures outlined to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Services are suspended for three weeks until February 20.

Public and private schools will also switch to remote learning during this period.

Health Ministry earlier said it had detected a new variant of Covid-19 virus, without specifying which kind.

Meanwhile, restaurants could continue to provide outside services, but following the controls and requirements of the pandemic protocol.

The total number of people on one reservation should not exceed 30 people.

In case of multiple reservations, restaurants are allowed to serve more than 30 people, depending on the capacity.

Among other norms, restaurants should abide strictly to social distancing measures; with space between tables should not be less than two meters.

The number of people should not exceed 50% of the table capacity, with the maximum allowed people per table being six.

The restrictions are in addition to other previously announced measures.

Violators will attract legal action per the Public Health Law.

The Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry cautioned that it would not hesitate to impose penalties, including administrative closure of the violating shops.

The move comes in light of the exceptional situation caused by the discovery of the mutated virus in several existing cases, in addition to the high number of existing cases of Coronavirus, (COVID-19), the ministry said.

Citizens can report violations by calling the complaints Centre on 8000 1700, or through the Tawasul app, or via any other channel available to communicate with the ministry.

National Disaster Management Committee Chairman Lieutenant General Tariq Al Hassan earlier confirmed that security efforts would continue to confront the pandemic, noting that the Ministry of Interior is working to intensify law enforcement campaigns.

He said that police directorate would take legal measures for not wearing facemasks in public places and flouting social distancing measures.

Bahrain offers its citizens either the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or one manufactured by Chinese state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm free of charge.

The Kingdom also approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Monday for emergency use.

Bahrain recently received a batch of the Covishield - AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India under the name Covishield as a gift from India.
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A photographer on a ladder tries to take photos of the World Health Organisation convoy after it entered Huanan Seafood Market on the third day of a field visit in Wuhan in central Chinas Hubei province (Ng Han Guan/AP)

A World Health Organisation (WHO) team looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has visited the seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan that was linked to many early infections.

The team members visited Huanan Seafood Market for about an hour in the afternoon, and one of them flashed a thumbs up sign when reporters asked how the trip was going.

The market was the site of a December 2019 outbreak of the virus.

Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold in the market.

The market has since been largely ruled out but it could provide hints to how the virus spread so widely.

Very important site visits today  a wholesale market first & Huanan Seafood Market just now, Peter Daszak, a zoologist with the US group EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO team, said in a tweet.

Very informative & critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019.

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Whatsapp A convoy of cars carrying the World Health Organisation team arrives at Huanan Seafood Market (Ng Han Guan/AP)

Earlier in the day, the team members were also seen walking through sections of the Baishazhou market  one of the largest wet markets in Wuhan  surrounded by a large entourage of Chinese officials and representatives.

The market was the food distribution centre for Wuhan during the citys 76-day lockdown last year.

The members, with expertise in veterinary medicine, virology, food safety and epidemiology, have so far visited two hospitals at the centre of the early outbreak  Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital and the Hubei Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital.

On Saturday, they also visited a museum exhibition dedicated to the early history of Covid-19.

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The mission has become politically charged, as China seeks to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak.

A single visit by scientists is unlikely to confirm the viruss origins.

Pinning down an outbreaks animal reservoir is typically an exhaustive endeavour that takes years of research, including taking animal samples, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies.

One possibility is that a wildlife poacher might have passed the virus to traders who carried it to Wuhan.

The Chinese government has promoted theories, with little evidence, that the outbreak might have started with imports of frozen seafood tainted with the virus, a notion roundly rejected by international scientists and agencies.

Meanwhile, China recorded more than 2,000 new domestic cases of Covid-19 in January, the highest monthly total since the tail end of the initial outbreak in Wuhan in March last year.

The National Health Commission said on Sunday that 2,016 cases had been reported between January 1 and 30. This did not include a further 435 infected people who had arrived from abroad.

Two people had also died in January, the first reported Covid deaths in the country in several months.

The numbers, while low compared to many other countries, have prompted officials to tighten restrictions and strongly discourage people from travelling during the Lunar New Year, a major holiday when people typically return home for family reunions.
Benefits under PM-KISAN scheme worth Rs 1,364 crore have been wrongly disbursed to more than 20 lakh ineligible beneficiaries and income tax payer farmers, a report said. The detail surfaced in response provided by Agriculture Ministry against an RTI query by activist Venkatesh Nayak.

Till July 2020, around 20.5 lakh farmers, who should have been included in the scheme, received payouts under the PM-KISAN scheme, reported The Hindu. According to Agriculture Ministry, 56 per cent of undeserving beneficiaries belonged to the 'income tax payee' category, while the rest belonged to 'ineligible farmers' category.

However, the report stated, 72 per cent of the payout amount went to income tax payees, indicating that this category received money for multiple instalments before they were found to be ineligible and removed from the scheme's beneficiary database.

Punjab had the highest number of such discrepancies, accounting for 23 per cent farmers who wrongly received funds under PM-KISAN scheme, the daily reported. Maharashtra saw 17 per cent of these cases, whereas Assam had 14 per cent of the cases. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh account for 8 per cent cases of each.

All wrong payments in Punjab and Assam went to those in the 'ineligible farmers' category. Maharashtra, meanwhile, had the highest number of beneficiaries under the 'income tax payee' farmers.

The daily reported that state agriculture departments have begun to recover the amount disbursed to undeserving beneficiaries.

PM-KISAN is the ambitious scheme rolled out the Modi government to disburse monetary help directly to farmers. Under this scheme, Rs 6,000 is transferred to farming families every year in three tranches. There are 11 crore total beneficiaries registered under the scheme. The funds are meant to help farmers with financial troubles hindering agricultural activities.

Certain classes of farmers are exempt from receiving the benefits of the scheme. If a member of a farming family paid income tax, received a monthly pension above Rs 10,000, held a constitutional position, was a serving or retired government employee, was a professional, or an institutional landholder, then they were not included in the s
As the farmers' protest against the three agricultural laws entered its 65th day, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, addressing an ever-swelling crowd of farmers at Ghazipur, responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Saturday remark that the government's proposal of suspending the laws for 18 months is still open to farmers. He also demanded that arrested farmers be released.

He said, "There won't be any agreement under pressure. We will hold discussions on the issue, The Prime Minister is ours also, we are thankful for his initiative, we will respect it. We want our people to be released."

During an all-party meeting held on Saturday, the PM repeated what agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar had told the farmers. "He said - we've not reached to consensus but we're giving you (farmers) the offer and you may go and deliberate. He told farmers that he was just a phone call away," ANI sources quoted Modi as saying.

ALSO READ: Tractor Parade: Forensic Team Visit ITO to Investigate Republic Day Violence in Delhi

Tikait brothers insist on repeal of laws

"What is the compulsion of the government that it is adamant on not repealing the new farm laws? The government can tell its reasons to farmers and we (farmers) are the kind of people who believe in the panchayat system. We will never let the government bow its head in shame in front of the world. We have an ideological fight with the government, something which can neither be fought with sticks and guns nor suppressed by them. The farmers will return home only when the new laws are repealed," Tikait said.

Condemning the violence between locals and farmers at the border areas, he said, "The farmers won't mind if the police even baton-charged them but if goons of political parties dare touch them, neither the farmers nor their tractors would leave the site. The tears that I shed the other day were not mine but of all farmers."

On a conciliatory note, Tikait's brother and fellow BKU leader Naresh Tikait said, "Protesting farmers will honour the dignity of prime minister, but are also committed to protecting their self-respect." He said the government should "Release our men and prepare an environment conducive for talks". "A respectful solution should be reached. We will never agree to anything under pressure," he told PTI. "We will honour and respect the dignity of prime minister. Farmers don't want that the government or Parliament bows down to them," the younger Tikait said.

Responding to the Republic Day violence, he said, "The violence on January 26 was part of a conspiracy. The Tricolor is over and above everything. We will never let anyone disrespect it. It will not be tolerated."

Narendra Singh Tomar hits back at Sharad Pawar

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar attacked Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and his predecessor Sharad Pawar saying that it was dismaying to see a man of his experience "employ a mix of ignorance & misinformation on the agriculture reforms".

New Laws facilitate promotion of additional choice channel for farmers with choice to sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with hassle free movement in & outside the state to realize competitive & better net price for their produce. This doesnt affect the current MSP system. Narendra Singh Tomar (@nstomar) January 31, 2021

ALSO READ: 'Mix of Ignorance and Misinformation': Tomar Hits Back at Pawar, Says New Laws in Interest of Farmers

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address condemned the violence that took place during the farmers' Republic Day tractor rally. "The country was saddened by the insult to the tricolor on the 26th of January in Delhi," he said, alluding to the hoisting of a religious flag at Red Fort.

Amarinder Singh calls all-party meet

Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh called an all-party meeting on Tuesday to show support for the protesting farmers. "This is not the time to stand on ego but to come together to save our state and our people," the chief minister told the parties.

"Our farmers are dying out there at the Delhi borders for more than two months now. They are being beaten up by the police and assaulted by goons. They are being harassed by being deprived of basic amenities," the CM said.

Badal meets Rakesh Tikait

Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal, whose party pulled out of ruling NDA alliance over the farm laws, visited Ghazipur to lend his support to the agitation, IANS reported. Prior to his arrival, Rakesh Tikait announced that no politicians will be given the microphone to speak on the main stage, claiming that he has received a notice for allowing political leaders to take up the stage and address protesters in the last few days. Badal met Tikait for ten minutes near the protest site, and assured support to the protesting farmers.

"I congratulate Rakesh Tikait ji for his fight against the farm laws. All farmers are grateful to him, our party stands with him," said Sukhbir Singh Badal during his visit at Ghazipur border.

Meanwhile, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party Raghav Chadha wrote to Amarinder Singh demanding deployment of Punjab Police to safeguard the demonstrators.

I write to @capt_amarinder Saab demanding deployment of Punjab Police to safeguard safety and security of peacefully protesting farmers, in the light of recent attacks on them engineered and executed by goons from BJP. pic.twitter.com/G3SpGNRmuY Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) January 31, 2021

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reiterated his support to the farmers protesting the Centre's new laws and said he will offer any help possible to them. Responding to a tweet by farmer leader Naresh Tikait, Kejriwal said, "I will help in every way through my party and my government."

         ,              https://t.co/X2orvO9CAi Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 31, 2021

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik requested the Centre to listen to farmers' concerns and urged it to not suppress the movement. "I emerged as a leader from farmers' movement and understand their cause. It is in the interest of nation to find a speedy solution to the issue. I urge the government to listen to their concerns, both sides should responsibly engage in talks. Most of the farmers have remained peaceful, I appeal to them to negotiate with the government. Also, I want to caution that no movement in the world can be sorted through suppression," Malik was quoted as saying by ANI.

Rajya Sabha MP of the CPIM and Kisan Sabha leader KK Ragesh, who was part of the protest at Delhi borders, tested positive for Covid-19. He submitted a notice seeking to table private member bills to to repeal the three laws.

The Delhi Police Welfare Mahasangh staged a protest against the attack on police personal during the tractor rally violence. The protesters demanded strict action against those who attacked police personnel during the tractor rally organised by farmers.

(With agency inputs)
The lawyer hopes his client's arrest will be discussed at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny counts on Germany's support at the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

This was announced by his German lawyer Nikolaos Gazeas, Deutsche Welle's Russian service reported, citing the lawyer's January 31 interview for Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung.

Read alsoNavalny's wife detained in Moscow

According to the lawyer, he expects that CoE member states will put the arrest of his client "on the agenda of a meeting of the Committee of Ministers."

Gazeas also noted that the detention of Navalny in Moscow violates the decision of the ECHR. The opposition leader was arrested for alleged violations of the probationary period arising from a verdict invalidated by the ECHR. Therefore, the lawyer asked the German authorities to initiate legal proceedings against Russia under Article 46 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The ultimate sanction under this article is the exclusion of a state that ignores ECHR decisions from the Council of Europe.

Chairman of the Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs Norbert Rottgen and head of the German delegation to PACE Andreas Nick told the publication that the arrest of Navalny was "arbitrariness by the state and an incredible perversion." The state "responsible for the poisoning of Navalny" has now arrested its victim, the politicians said.

They also believe that the CoE member should defend the ECHR's decisions and demand that Moscow comply with the court rulings and the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

"We call on the federal government to be active in this situation," the politicians said.

Navalny's case: What is known

Navalny was arrested in Moscow on January 17 immediately upon arrival from Berlin, where he was undergoing treatment after an assassination attempt with the use of a Novichok agent. Navalny says the Kremlin is to blame.

The opposition politician then called for protests against the authorities. On January 23, over 150,000 people took to the streets in different cities.

Similar rallies were held on January 31. Over 4,000 protesters were reportedly detained by Russian security forces.

Reporting by UNIAN

Fines have been issued to people attending a gym, a hotel and a house party as police enforce new tougher coronavirus regulations for gatherings of over 15 people.

Eighteen revellers were fined nearly 15,000 in total after holding a illegal house party in Essex that breached Covid lockdown rules on Saturday - as party-goers told Essex police they were shooting a music video.

Pictures from inside the 4 million party house in Sewardstonebury, near Chingford, which had been rented for the occasion, show countertops littered with vodka bottles, red party cups and drug paraphernalia.

Essex Police raided the property at 5pm yesterday, fining 18 people 800 each - 17 of whom were from London, and one from Essex.

The property, Knoll House, is now under investigation with police being called to break up three illegal gatherings there in the past four weeks.

Eighteen revellers are slapped with fines totalling nearly 15,000 after they were caught holding illegal house party at Knoll House on Bury Road, Sewardstonebury, Essex, on Saturday

Pictures show party light machines (bottom left) and a large amount of alcohol on the counter tops of the rented property's kitchen

A spokesman for Essex Police said officers attended a house in Bury Road, Sewardstonebury, at about 5pm on Saturday after reports of a party and when they arrived were initially refused entry by people inside who claimed to be making a music video.

The force added: 'An investigation led by our detectives is now underway to establish who organised the event. We are also working with our partners to put measures in place to prevent the future unlawful use of the property.'

The same property was used to host an extravagant and illegal New Years Eve party for 100 people, which featured a DJ, a fire dancer and alcohol served in large ice buckets by a waiter in a bow tie.

The woman organiser of the party was given a 10,000 fixed penalty notice by Essex Police for breaking strict anti-coronavirus rules.

Police are seen escorting party-goers out of the property in Sewardstonebury on Saturday

Earlier this month police were called to another illegal gathering at the property, and again on Saturday.

Following the incident on Saturday Essex Police's Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills, said: 'This party was a clear and blatant breach of the current restrictions which were put in place to save lives and protect the NHS.

'These selfish individuals not only have no regard for their own safety, but they clearly didn't give a second thought for the safety of the local community, the police officers who had to attend to deal with their reckless behaviour or the NHS who are under unbelievable pressure.'

The Essex party took place at a luxury property called Knoll House in the upmarket hamlet of Sewardstonebury in Epping Forest (pictured)

The latest coronavirus regulations in England, which came into force at 5pm on Friday, include fines of 800 for people caught at house parties with groups of more than 15 people and will double after each offence, up to a maximum of 6,400 for repeat offenders.

Police raided an illegal party on a boat moored in Ealing, London, on the River Thames last night giving the 72 people aboard fines of 800 each, while the organiser was fined 10,000 for staging the party.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said today: 'Police were called to Volt Avenue, shortly after 23.00hrs yesterday, to reports of a large gathering on a moored boat.

'Police attended and located the party which was attended by more than 70 people. The group was dispersed and a total of 72 people were reported for the consideration of fixed penalty notices of 800 for attending an indoor gathering of more than 15 people in breach of the Coronavirus regulations.

Officers also handed out more than 25 fixed penalty notices to guests on New Year's Eve and seized sound equipment (pictured) from the same luxury house in Sewardstonebury

'The organiser was identified and reported for consideration of a 10,000 fixed penalty notice.'

Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Bowen said: 'This was a blatant breach of the Coronavirus rules that are in place to save lives and protect the huge pressure on the NHS.

'All the people who attended this event, which appears to have been organised on social media, have quite rightly been reported for the consideration of fines.

'The Met will continue to shut down and disperse events such as this, which risk spreading a virus that has already claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people in this country.'

In Merseyside, police issued fixed penalty notices to 19 people who were found in Shred Fast Gym on Long Lane in Aintree at 10.30pm on Saturday.

At 3.15am today officers found around 200 people at the Richmond Hotel in Liverpool city centre where four parties were going on

The force, which has reported the business owner to the local authority, said those attending were not wearing PPE or social distancing and had travelled from areas including Billinge, Widnes, Wirral and Southport.

At 3.15am today officers found around 200 people at the Richmond Hotel in Liverpool city centre where four parties were going on, the force said.

A police spokesman said 13 fixed penalty notices were issued, 11 documented warnings were given and everyone who was not a legitimate guest at the hotel was removed.

One woman was arrested on suspicion of breaching coronavirus legislation and two counts of assaulting a constable and a man was arrested as he was wanted, the force said.

Chief Superintendent Matt Boyle said: 'This sort of behaviour is unbelievable and unacceptable and officers should not be confronted with abuse and violence when attempting to uphold the law, which most people are rightly abiding by.'
There has been condemnation over threatening graffiti in Belfast targeting Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.

The message scrawled on a wall in the Belvoir area of south Belfast has since been painted over.

Northern Irelands Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill urged anyone with information to speak to police.

Shocked at the disgusting graffiti targeting Leo Varadkar which I condemn, as will the majority of people across the community, she tweeted.

This is a hate crime motivated by prejudice. Its also criminal damage and anyone with information should contact police who must investigate.

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna said she had been contacted by residents who were nauseated by it.

These were sickening words that look like they were borrowed from the Ku Klux Klan, the SDLP representative told the PA news agency.

Its hate crime, incitement to violence and a dangerous escalation of careless language in recent weeks.

We have to get serious about treating the elements behind rhetoric and actions like this as the threat to society that they are.

This is a very challenging time politically and it needs all political leaders to be crystal clear that relighting old fires serves no-one.

These views arent widespread in Belvoir or elsewhere in South Belfast. PSNI are investigating and I hope anyone with information will pass it on.

Meanwhile, Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International tweeted: Leo Varadkar has been a very welcome visitor to Belfast, whether to the Orange Order or Belfast Pride. That welcome will continue.
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Garlic-and-Jews-6-Little-Known-Jewish-Facts.html

Garlic has long been associated with Jewish life and cooking.

Garlic, a plant thats native to Central Asia, has long been prized for its sharp, delicious taste. Since Biblical times, garlic has been beloved by Jews, and has also been considered a Jewish food for much of history. Here are six little-known Jewish facts about this pungent food.

Longing for Garlic in Egypt

Garlic was so prized by Egyptian cooks that remains of garlic bulbs have been found in burial chambers. These were meant to be enjoyed by Egyptian noblemen in the afterlife.

After leaving Egypt, the now-freed Jewish slaves still longed for garlic. We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt, the freed Israelites complained to Moses as they wandered in the wilderness on their way to Israel: ...the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. (Numbers 11:5).

Garlic as a Key Shabbat Ingredient

In ancient times, garlic was a central part of celebrating Shabbat. The Talmud devotes several passages to talking about garlic, explaining that it is a key part of Shabbat meals. With what does one delight in the day of Shabbat? the Talmud asks, recording an answer provided by Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, who recalled the words of his teacher Rav: With a dish of beetroot, and a large fish, and heads of garlic (Talmud Shabbat 11b). Elsewhere, the Talmud refers to Jews who celebrate Shabbat as garlic eaters, so closely identified was Shabbat dinner and lunch with this fragrant vegetable. (Talmud Nedarim 31a)

The Jewish sages ascribed important qualities to garlic: It satisfies, it warms (the body), it causes ones countenance to shine... some say that it also instills love into those who eat it and removes jealousy from them. (Bava Kamma 82a)

Garlic has long been associated with romance  despite its strong smell  and Talmud also describes garlic as way to foster feelings of love. A Shabbat meal containing garlic, in particular, is described as a way to create a romantic atmosphere between husbands and wives on Shabbat. (One 2016 study seems to bear this out, finding that the odor of people after an increased garlic dosage was assessed as significantly more pleasant and attractive The study authors posited that this might be because garlics positive health effects make people more healthy and therefore more attractive to others.)

Garlic as a Jewish Food

Food historian Claudia Roden explains that the Sephardim have a reputation as vegetable lovers even by Mediterranean standards. Jews living throughout the Mediterranean region were strongly associated with the use of vegetables in their cooking  including garlic. In fact, garlic was so popular in Jewish dishes that it began to be considered a Jewish food. Jews were always known as onion and garlic eaters, Claudia Roden explains. In Istanbul, when Jews avoided the plague during a terrible epidemic, it was said that the virus did not penetrate the Jewish area because of the smell of garlic. Jews hung bulbs of garlic outside their doors to ward off the plague as a talisman and sign of good luck.

In some Muslim communities, eating garlic is discouraged and looked down upon. The use of garlic was thus a stark divider between Jewish and Muslim cooking customs, even in areas where Jews and Muslims lived in close proximity to each other.

Gil Marks, another food historian, observes, Historically, the addition of garlic was among the typical Jewish touches that enhanced local dishes. In many cultures, the presence of garlic marked a dish as Jewish. Roden notes that stewing meat and vegetables in a sauce made of onions and tomatoes was long seen as a quintessential Jewish way of cooking  the addition of garlic was a common way to add even more flavor to Jewish stews.

The Medieval Italian Hebrew poet Immanuel ben Solomon of Rome, also known as Manoello, penned a comic poem in the late 1200s called From the Hungry, Praise, in which he described the garlics role in Jewish eating in extravagant terms: For hearts redeemer is the onion...garlic, leek, my peace Garlic is earths stag and blossom

The Jewish Garlic Communities of Germany

In the Middle Ages, the German areas around the towns of Speyer, Worms and Mainz were home to large, vibrant Jewish communities. A popular acronym for these areas took the first letter from each town  S, W (which is written with a double U sound in Hebrew) and M  echoed the Hebrew word for garlic, shoom. The area was known as Kehillas Shoom  the community of Shum, or garlic in Hebrew.

So identified were German Jews with garlic that some anti-Semitic images persist from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, depicting Jews holding or posing with bulbs of garlic. Some of these anti-Jewish images show a Jew holding garlic in one hand and a bag of money in the other.

Garlic heads, money bag, and yellow badge as the insignias of a medieval, and here renaissance Jew of the city of Worms. (Wiki Commons: Thesaurus Picturarum of Marcus zum Lamm, March 3, 1544  February 13, 1606.)

Garlic, Danger and the Spanish Inquisition

By the 1490s, Jews were so closely associated with the consumption of garlic that during the Spanish Inquisition merely eating garlic could draw suspicion and single out Jews for torture and death. Andrew Bernaldez was chaplain to the Archbishop of Seville in Spain during the Inquisition and wrote about the hunting down of Jews that he witnessed in his Historia de los Reyes Catolicos. In it, he chillingly describes how eating garlic could single one out as a Jew.

Bernaldezs hatred makes his prose difficult to read even today: Just as heretics and Jews have always fled from Christian doctrines, so they have always fled from Christian customs, the priest wrote; They...never lose the Jewish habit of eating garbage of onions and garlic fried in oil He singled out the smell of garlic as something that could identify a home as belonging to Jews. Even Jews who publicly pretended to be Christian continued to eat garlic, which Bernaldez viewed as evidence that Jews were continuing to practice their religion in secret and were therefore subject to the violence of the Inquisition.

Garlic and Good Luck

In some Jewish communities, garlic is associated with good luck and the avoidance of evil. Among Sephardi Jews, garlic was associated with warding off the evil eye. In Ladino, the traditional language of Sephardic Jews, the word for garlic, ajo, sounds much like the word for eye, ojo. After complimenting someone, it was customary to ward off the evil eye (thought to bring bad luck) by saying Al ajo ke se la vaiga  literally let it go to (be absorbed by) the garlic.

In some Sephardi communities, it was customary to put a bulb of garlic on a pillow next to a baby boy at his bris, and to give out garlic as a gift to guests at a baby boys pidyon haben (a ceremony performed with a firstborn baby boy).

In Yiddish, the prominent role of garlic in Jewish culture is reflected in the saying Az men est nisht kayn knobl, shrink men nit  If you dont eat garlic, you wont smell bad. The meaning is that if you do nothing wrong youll have nothing bad to hide.

Top 50 women awards pays tribute to those in the COVID fight By Sashini Rodrigo View(s): View(s):

Top industry professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers from around the country once again gathered together under one roof to celebrate the achievements of women in their respective fields, at the tenth edition of the Top 50 Professional & Career Women Awards Sri Lanka held on January 26 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.

Hosted by Women in Management (WIM), in collaboration with Women in Work (a partnership between IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and the government of Australia  the awards saw inspirational business and career women honoured for the roles they have played in their industries, along with Sri Lankan corporates which have supported the growth and empowerment of women in the workplace.

In her opening speech, Founder/Chairperson of WIM Dr. Sulochana Segera highlighted the resilience and strength of women, particularly the innate ability to survive no matter the circumstances. She also urged her peers to redefine success, and prioritise humanity and happiness over all else. Positions have a retirement age, but personalities do not.

This year, special appreciation awards for those who helped combat the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 were given out to the Sri Lanka Police, Sri Lanka Army, Public Health Officers and Medical Practitioners for their contribution.

The top awards for the year was the clear highlight of the evening. Amongst the winners were Chamila Bandara, the Director/Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Hawk, the Express Licensee of Federal Express Corporation who was awarded the Career Role Model of the Year award. Selyna Peiris, the Head of Business Development at Selyn bagged the award for Emerging Business Leader of the Year, while the award for the Best Corporate Leader of the Year went to Shehara Jayawardena, the Managing Director at McLarens Group. Amongst some of the other winners for the evening were Shehara De Silva, who won the award for Woman in Boards, and Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing Symphony PLC who was awarded the Male Champion of Change.

As the night progressed, Professor Neelika Malavige of the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura and a visiting professor at the University of Oxford, was honoured with the Inspirational Woman of the Year award (COVID-19 category) for her contribution in COVID-19 research.

The first female Group CEO of a conglomerate in Sri Lanka, Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, of the Hemas Group,was honoured with the Trail Blazer award, while Attorney-at-law and founder of Velox Legal, Lihini Fernando, was also awarded the Inspirational Woman of the Year for her work in women in governance.

Amongst some of the winners were women from across multiple sectors who were recognized for their contributions towards Sri Lankas socio-economic development. Soundarie David Rodrigo, Founding Director of Soul Sounds Academy Sri Lanka was recognized for Arts & Creative Industry category, Gillian Edwards, Senior Vice President Consumer Banking at DFCC Bank, for banking industry, Bimsani Jasinghaarachchi, Deputy Inspector General of Police for Welfare at Sri Lanka Police for defence force and civil security, Nilanthi de Silva, Dean and Professor of Parasitology at University of Kelaniya for education and Chandrika Perera, Executive Director at Abans PLC for financial services.

Namini Wijedasa, Deputy Editor, Investigations of the Sunday Times, received the award for print media, while Indeewari Amuwatte, news anchor and broadcast journalist at TV Derana, was recognised for electronic media and Shanuki De Alwis of Shhh Talk Show for digital media.

Also receiving awards were Ayesha Jinasena, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Attorney General Office (legal) and Nishirani Lanka Jayasuriya-Dissanayake, Chairperson of Indira Cancer Trust for Best NGO, INGO or Association on Women Empowerment for the remarkable service in helping cancer patients in Sri Lanka.

In a special message broadcast at the event, IFCs Vice President for Asia and Pacific, Alfonso Garcia Mora noted that women must be central to the thinking and action to build a sustainable resilient future out of this crisis, while Deputy High Commissioner of Australia Amanga Jewell reaffirmed Australias commitment to the women of Sri Lanka encouraging them to participate in the economy and build a sustainable future for their country, particularly in the time of COVID-19.
Texas is preparing to launch several legal battles against Joe Biden for his current and future climate initiatives, which Governor Greg Abbott claims are 'hostile' and 'job killers.'

The Republican governor signed an executive order Thursday directing Texas' state agencies to 'use all lawful powers and tools to challenge any federal action that threatened the continued strength and vitality of the emergency industry.'

'Each state agency should work to identify potential litigation, notice-and-comment opportunities, and any other means of preventing federal overreach within the law,' Abbott included in the announcement of his executive order.

The order from the Lone Star State's Republican leader came after Biden's climate czar John Kerry said blue collar energy workers were fed lies that environmental protections would come at a cost to their jobs and livelihoods.

'They've been fed the notion that somehow dealing with climate is coming at their expense,' Kerry said during a briefing at the White House Wednesday of energy workers. 'No, it's not. What's happening to them is happening because of other market forces already taking place.'

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order Thursday directing all state agencies to pursue litigation and legal channels to challenge Joe Biden's energy and climate agenda, which he claims will 'kill jobs' in Texas

'Each state agency should work to identify potential litigation, notice-and-comment opportunities, and any other means of preventing federal overreach within the law,' Abbott wrote in his executive order announcement

'Texas is going to protect the oil and gas industry from any type of hostile attack launched from Washington D.C.,' Abbott said

Biden announced Wednesday several climate initiatives of his administration, including stopping construction of the Keystone Xl Pipeline, rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and reinstating restrictive regulations on the industry

Climate czar John Kerry (right) said 'better jobs choices' would open up for energy workers who would lose their jobs with these new initiatives, like 'they can be the people who go to work to make the solar panels'

He said those working in energy and coal who would lose their jobs through the new administration's agenda would now 'have better choices'  like going 'to work to make the solar panels.'

'Coal plants have been closing over the last 20 years,' Kerry outlined. 'So what President Biden wants to do is make sure those folks have better choices, that they have alternatives, and they can be the people who go to work to make the solar panels.'

The comment was blasted by the right as extremely 'out of touch' and 'elitist.'

Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted in retaliation: 'Rich, out-of-touch Dems lecture the thousands of blue-collar union members whose jobs are being deliberately destroyed by the Biden admin: 'Make 'better choices'. While you're at it, don't forget 'let them eat cake!''

'Texas is going to protect the oil and gas industry from any type of hostile attack launched from Washington D.C.,' Abbott said on Thursday in his plans to launch litigation against Biden.

He called the president's recent executive orders and actions related to the energy industry 'regulatory overreach' that could 'damage the stability of the Texas economy.'

'On his very first day in office, President Joe Biden signaled extreme hostility toward the energy industry, and thus toward Texas, by rejoining the job-killing Paris Agreement and signing Executive Order 13990,' he continued.

The executive order Abbott is referencing revoked federal funding and therefore stopped construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which was a means of transporting crude oil to refineries in the U.S.

'Texas is not going to stand idly by and watch the Biden administration kill jobs in Midland, in Odessa or any other place across the entire region,' Abbott asserted.

Biden signed a slew of executive orders related to the environment that will affect the energy sector  and he put Kerry, an Obama-era secretary of state, in charge of his climate initiatives.

In the less than two weeks since Biden took office, he has signed more than 40 executive orders  mostly undoing much of Trump's policies rather than forwarding his own agenda

Those orders revoked the permit for the massive pipeline project and put a stop to new oil and gas leases on federal lands. He also rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, which Donald Trump existed during his presidency over claims it was inherently unfair to the U.S.

Since taking office a week-and-a-half ago, Biden has signed more than 40 executive orders.

He has faced harsh criticism for relying too heavily on this executive power 'in an effort to undo the damage Trump has done' instead of moving forward with advancing his own agenda.

Since taking office 11 days ago, Biden has signed orders stopping construction of Trump's southern border wall, reversed his ban on travel from several Muslim-majority countries and ended an order barring transgender individuals from serving in the military.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Ireland's prime minister lashed out at the European Union today over its vaccines threat to Northern Ireland, admitting he was one of those 'blindsided' by the announcement.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had been given no advance notice of the intention by the EU to trigger Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol on Friday.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that the first he was aware of it was a public announcement by the bloc on Friday night.

After invoking Article 16 to stop the unimpeded flow of vaccines from the European bloc into Northern Ireland, the EU later backtracked, following condemnation from London, Dublin and Belfast.

It is understood that a compromise will see vaccines crossing between the Republic and Northern Ireland being recorded in Dublin, but will not be at risk of being blocked.

Any move to prevent vaccines entering Ulster via the republic would effectively create a hard border that could have had serious ramifications for political stability.

The Taoiseach said he articulated the 'very serious implications' the move would have and engagement began between his office and the office of president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

'I had a number of conversations with President von der Leyen and, in the aftermath of those, I also spoke, of course, to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and we discussed the implications of all of this, and the importance of getting a resolution by the close of that evening, Friday evening, and thankfully the commission did issue a statement pulling back and reversing its decision.'

Mr Martin also criticised French president Emmanuel Macron for suggesting - contrary to all available evidence - that the AZ jab did not work for those aged over 65.

''I don't think politicians should pronounce on the efficacy or otherwise of vaccines,' the Irish leader said.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had been given no advance notice of the intention by the EU to trigger Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol on Friday

Boris Johnson handed the EU a stark warning that a vaccines blockade of Northern Ireland could kill British pensioners in 'spicy' late-night phone calls with Ursula von der Leyen.

The Prime Minister told the European Commission president that plans to stop 3.5 million doses from the Pfizer factory in Belgium the UK risked preventing people from receiving the second injection, forcing it into a hurried climbdown.

While a single vaccination gives some protection from coronavirus, both are needed to achieve the maximum impact and Mr Johnson told Ms von der Leyen the EU's hardline plan could lead to the deaths of the most vulnerable, including elderly grandparents.

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the Prime Minister made Ms von der Leyen abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent vaccines reaching the UK.

She immediately capitulated in a tweet sent out shortly before midnight on Friday.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss this morning said it was important to 'resist vaccine nationalism and protectionism', adding: 'The Prime Minister has spoken to Ursula von der Leyen. She's been very clear those contractual supplies won't be disrupted.'

Following the PM's diplomatic victory, Britain yesterday recorded a daily record for first-dose jabs  487,756  to bring the total to almost 8.4 million.

However Mr Martin laid some blame at the door of AstraZeneca, saying there is a 'strong sense across Europe' that the Anglo-Sewdish jab manufacturer has not delivered on commitments around the vaccination.

'My observation is that the terrible row is an acrimonious row between AstraZeneca and the (EU) Commission over the contractual obligations of the company in respect of supplying vaccines to European member states took centre stage here, and people were blindsided by the decision that was taken and the implications for the Protocol,' he told Marr.

The Taoiseach stressed it took four years to negotiate the Protocol to facilitate access for Northern Ireland's economy to the single market as well as to the UK market and to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

'It's a good thing, the Protocol, overall. There are issues there that we have to fine-tune and work out, but essentially I think there are positives there medium term for Northern Ireland in terms of its economic development which we should not underestimate.

'We are only four weeks into the operation of the Protocol, there are bound to be teething problems but I do acknowledge the need for engagement here on all sides, between the European Union, the United Kingdom and the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive.'
This is a great opportunity for Yukon to work with some of the most competitive and aggressive rigs on the planet

Yukon Gear & Axle announced today their promotional partnership agreement with National Rock Racing Association (NRRA). For the 2021 season, Yukon will be the official drivetrain sponsor for NRRA and the races held by their three regional divisions (SRRS, CRRS, NRRS). Yukon Gear & Axle is manufactured by RANDYS Worldwide, the leading distributor of aftermarket drivetrain and performance parts for automotive, motorsports, and off-road.

Competitive rock crawling and hill climbing is a fast and growing sport and the vehicles used take an incredible beating. Both driver and fan participation continue to grow, and as the competition continues to escalate, the necessity for quality drivetrain parts is critical to the driver completing the course.

Yukon Gear & Axle announces their new partnership with the National Rock Racing Association, NRRA. Neal Hollingsworth, Director of Marketing for Yukon Gear & Axle states This is a great opportunity for Yukon to work with some of the most competitive and aggressive rigs on the planet. Clyde Bynum, President, NRRA said Considering Yukon quality and tech support throughout the industry, its great to have that leadership associated to the sport. The partnership begins immediately as NRRA and Yukon hit the desert at the King of the Hammers for the Holley Shootout Monday night.

About Yukon Gear & Axle

Established in 2002 and based in Everett, Washington, Yukon Gear & Axle manufactures quality engineered aftermarket drivetrain and performance parts for the general automotive, motorsports, and off-road enthusiast. Yukon offers the widest selection of drivetrain products for cars, SUVs, and light duty trucks. Yukon Gear & Axle is a brand of RANDYS Worldwide, installed and distributed through thousands of shops and automotive distributors nationwide. To learn more about Yukon Gear & Axle, visit http://www.yukongear.com.

About NRRA

Established in 2012, National Rock Racing Association and its three divisions (Southern Rock Racing Series  SRRS, Central Rock Racing Series  CRRS, Northern Rock Racing Series  NRRS), provides the highest level of professional, competitive rock crawling and hill climbing. The three divisions cumulatively have ten events scheduled in 2021 across the United States and have three classifications of vehicles. More information can be found at http://www.nationalrockracing.com.
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I have been wondering why our churches are finding it difficult to borrow the template of the early church's social welfare program and practice it in today's churches.





That none was in lack among the worshipers in the Jerusalem church in Acts chapter 4 sounds unbelievable but it was a reality. There was an account of believers selling what they had to contribute to the social welfare program of the church. Barnabas sold his land and gave the proceed to the church and all they gathered were shared to every man according to his need. When the success of this program was evaluated, it was observed that there was no needy worshiper among them.

A clear look at why the early church was able to successfully execute this program reveals that the foundation of their Christian faith was built on suffering, sacrifice, self denying and cross carrying. Immediately when the church was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost, they were baptized with persecution. It was out of necessity that the worshipers congregate in the nearest proximity and in one accord.

I also observed that the messages preached by this church helped them to a large extent to be willing to sacrificially donate what they had to be shared by all. The focus of their message was Christ and Him crucified. The messages they preached pricked the hearts of the listeners and everyone was willing to seek God through acts of Christian kindness. They understood the concept of Kingdom seeking and were ready to suffer and make sacrifices to access the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). They were willing to deny themselves of luxury to ensure that the other brethren had the basic supplies of life.

It is obvious that the sermons that the the early Christians heard that motivated them to practice radical communitarianism are completely different from the messages that make today's Christians continue to pile up wealth for themselves and families. With great power, the apostles preached the resurrection of Christ and believers were convicted to sell their possessions for the common welfare of all members of the church. Why are we not practicing theocratic welfarism in our church administration? Why have the church and the Christians become so capitalistic and materialistic?

"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need" (Acts 4:32-35 ESV).

Divisions and denominationalism in Christianity have not allowed us to adhere and operate one accord system as seen in the early church. Even Nigerian churches that are under high persecution have refused to come together as one. Until we pull down the walls of partition within our various churches and denominations, apostolic templates will continue to be a mirage. Selfless living was a watch word in the early church and that was why no one could lay claims on his properties. Our inability to deal with self is responsible for lack of workable social justice system in the church today. We live for ourselves and family and are not ready to share with others who are not related to us. This is an error that must be corrected if we desire to do the right things.

The early Christians dropped their donations at the feet of the Apostles and the Apostles made sure that the proceeds were judiciously distributed. None of the Apostles embezzled it; they did not share the proceeds among themselves. Neither did Peter, who was the senior pastor, take a large chunk for himself. The only complaint was from the Grecian members who pointed out that their widows were short-changed in the distribution of the daily rations. The Apostles immediately resolved the dispute by appointing seven men of honest report to take care of the table. The Apostles decided to focus on spiritual administration and addressed the injustice meted on the Grecian Christians by giving them a sense of equality and belongingness.

Most pastors in Nigeria are like demigods and attract worship for themselves and the poor worshipers run after them to pick the crumbs that fall from the master's table. If there is any place where people should have equal opportunity for political, economic and social rights, the church should be the place as exemplified by the early church.

In a ministers' conference in Nigeria, I emphatically told the ministers that until we go back to the Acts of the Apostles and borrow the template of social justice program of the church, there shall come a day when poor worshipers will radically and riotously demand equitable distribution of the accumulated wealth of the churches that are at present in the hand of a few. I predicted that there shall come a day when the hypnotisms and hallucinations programmed against vulnerable worshipers will expire and they will make revolutionary demand for a return of all the funds that were fraudulently obtained from them by pastors. If we fail to go back to the Acts of the Apostles and learn how the early church administered the offering and donations of the church, these predictions are inevitable. Only time alone will tell!
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will commit $1.9 billion to ramp up vaccinations at hospitals, surgeries and pharmacies in a pledge to protect health while weaning the economy off the blank cheque of endless federal payments.

Outlining his agenda for the year, Mr Morrison will talk of delivering the first jabs in late February as part of a comeback in the economy that will see Australians return to work.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will deliver a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But he will spurn industry calls for another big stimulus to replace the JobKeeper wage subsidy when it stops at the end of March, saying the economy is still gaining the benefit from federal payments worth $251 billion.

You cant run the Australian economy on taxpayers money forever, Mr Morrison says in a draft of a speech to be delivered to the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 15:29:36|Editor: huaxia

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Cranes rest in a paddy field at the Kangshan farm of Yugan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 15, 2021. Lei Xiaoyong is head of the wild animal and plant protection station of the forestry administration of Yugan County. One of the duties of Lei and his colleagues is to protect migrant birds at the Poyang Lake, the largest fresh water lake in China and an important wintering spot for waterfowl in Asia. In this winter, a large number of white cranes flied to Kangshan farm in Yugan for wintering, with nearly 3,000 at its peak. Local authorities provided sufficient food to those birds in the fields. The white cranes attracted many bird watchers and photographers. Lei and his colleagues patrolled the "dining" area of the birds and observed the condition of them, placed notice boards and guided visitors to watch birds in an orderly manner. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi)

Vaccinating the masses is underway in California, but Kern County continues to lag behind almost all other counties in its vaccination rates, 



Thousands of protesters faced off with police in riot gear in Vienna on Sunday at the site of a banned far-right demonstration against coronavirus restrictions.

Vienna police banned numerous protests planned for this weekend, including one by the far-right Freedom Party on Sunday, on the grounds that protesters have generally failed to observe rules on social distancing and often not worn face masks.

Since Dec. 26, Austria has been in its third national lockdown, with non-essential shops and many other businesses closed and their staff unable to work.

The opposition Freedom Party has denounced various restrictions as "corona madness" and its leaders have sent mixed messages on issues such as vaccinations.

Freedom Party deputy leader Herbert Kickl on Saturday accused the conservative-led government of banning criticism in general. He urged his supporters to go on a walk in the capital instead of attending the banned protest, and to "articulate their displeasure peacefully".

The affiliation of many of Sunday's protesters was not immediately clear.

Some of them, however, expressed support for the Freedom Party, and many opposed conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, chanting and waving banners saying "Kurz must go" - often without wearing masks. Many carried Austrian flags.

The crowd, which police estimated at 5,000, gathered on a square in central Vienna across the central ring road from the former imperial palace as well as from the offices of Kurz and President Alexander Van der Bellen.

Rows of police in riot gear and face masks prevented the crowd from marching down the ring road.

After riots in the Netherlands apparently set off by the introduction of a night-time curfew, Austrian police avoided escalation despite having ordered the crowd to disperse, and the atmosphere was tense but peaceful.

A Reuters witness saw police make some arrests and estimated the size of the protests at thousands. Police confirmed arrests had been made without giving numbers.

It has often been said that there is a link between colours and emotions, but in fact there are also practical reasons for colours to be chosen, especially by artists, as Miquel Barcelo explained at the opening of his new exhibition at Malaga's Picasso Museum this week.

As an example, Barcelo referred to Picasso's so-called Blue Period, featuring squalid characters and sad scenes, but pointed out that the use of this colour had not been emotional at all: on the contrary, it was a very pragmatic decision. Picasso bought that intensive Prussian blue from a German factory because it was the cheapest on the market.

Nevertheless, Barcelo's research then discovered a darker side to this story. The same chemical process involved in producing that shade of blue was also used to make the gas with which the Nazis murdered millions of Jews in the concentration camps. This discovery obviously had an effect on this artist's creative world, as the works now on display at the MPM revolve around themes of life and death, the passing of time, the saving yet also demonic power of art.

The artist describes his work as always a digression and a type of joke he plays upon himself. / SUR

This new exhibition is as powerful as it is eclectic, as colourful as it is enigmatic, an evocation of this artist's ability to devour space so it seems as if the creation being viewed is completely alone with nothing around it.

It consists of around 100 works, including ceramics, oil paintings, drawings and watercolours. This is a journey from maritime iconography to the desert, from the bullring to nocturnal landscapes, and the thread which links them all is the idea of mutation. Or, to be more specific, Frank Kafka's famous story The Metamorphosis. And despite these conceptual threads, Miquel Barcelo says his exhibition is "very amicable", and it consists of works he has produced during the past six years, including some during last year's lockdown which are now on display for the first time.

Barcelo is the best-known Spanish contemporary artist on the international art scene, and is popular with critics and the public alike. His career began to take off with the Sao Paulo biennial (1981) and Documenta 7 in Kassel (1982) and in 2003 he won the Principe de Asturias Arts Award. Five years later, he created a sculptural installation for the dome of the Human Rights Room at the UN in Geneva. His popularity and institutional prestige has taken his works to the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Reina Sofia in Madrid, and for many people in his native Spain his name is instantly recognisable.

/ SUR

His work, especially with ceramics, has been compared with that of Picasso himself, with both artists displaying the same quest for experimentation and search for something new.

"I do have a relationship with Picasso that I have rarely had with other artists," he admits, and says he has only ever had the urge to get to know the places where three artists have worked: Pollock in New York, Tintoretto in Venice and Picasso in Paris. "My work is nearly always more than it seems, and so is the material it is made with," says Barcelo, who has previously said that what he creates with clay is like "a caricature of painting," a type of "joke" he plays upon himself and his own work.

The Miquel Barcelo: Metamorfosis exhibition will be at the MPM until September.
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MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A 33-unit townhomes development proposed for a small parcel at Stroud and Smith roads has drawn nearby residents dismay.

They spoke to City Council and Mayor Matt Castelli during the Jan. 26 council meeting, saying they are not thrilled. One citizen called it a harebrained idea.

You cant convince me thats an ideal spot to put that many people in a 5-acre area, the Middlebrook Boulevard resident said. I dont know anybody who is happy about it.

Developer Dino Palmieri of Palmieri Builders is leading the project, with assistance from Neff and Associates engineers. Prices would range from $230,000 to $250,000 for the 1,600- to 2,200-square-foot townhomes. Each three-story unit would have a two-car garage.

Resident concerns include traffic flow and congestion, lack of parking, property flooding, landscaping buffers, property setbacks, housing density and loss of green space.

Townhomes are being proposed for this Middleburg Heights site located at the intersection of Stroud and Smith roads. (Neff and Associates)

Plans are preliminary and subject to change. No site plan presentation to the Planning Commission has taken place yet, which would be the first official step.

The mayor emphasized that any project can be proposed to the city.

This is a privately owned piece of property, Castelli said. Private property owners are entitled to work within the zoning that is provided, and thats what this private property owner has done.

They would submit a preliminary proposal and get feedback from the Planning Commission, possibly coming back for a second meeting for final approval. At that time, it would either be accepted or not accepted, he said.

Because variances will be necessary, the Board of Zoning and Building Appeals also must review the site plans. The board would either accept or deny those variances.

I want to be clear that the city cannot tell somebody theyre not allowed to present a proposal, Castelli said, noting that legal action could be taken against the city if it did.

City Law Director Santo Incorvaia reiterated that the project is in a very early stage. He said theres no guarantee of project approval, but checks and balances are in place to ensure compliance with all requirements.

Read more stories from the News Sun.
A man and woman from Massachusetts were both injured in separate snowmobile crashes in New Hampshire Saturday, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division.

Authorities were notified about a single person snowmobile crash around 10 p.m. Saturday on the First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, New Hampshire.

First responders rushed to the scene and located 30-year-old Giovani Fodera of Reading, Massachusetts.

A Massachusetts man was injured in a snowmobile crash on Jan. 30, 2021 in Pittsburg, New Hampshire.

Upon interviewing the patient and witnesses to the crash, Conservation Officers determined that Fodera was operating a family members snowmobile by himself on First Connecticut Lake, N.H. Fish and Game officials said. He admitted to operating it at a very high rate a speed beyond his ability to control. While doing so, he struck rocks, leading up to the shoreline, causing him and the snowmobile to crash.

Fodera was seriously injured. The snowmobile had extensive damage as well.

Witnesses took Fodera back to the rental cabins where they were all staying and called 911 after the crash. Fodera was taken Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Conservation officers determined operator inexperience and excessive speed were the primary contributing factors in the crash.

Earlier in the day, around 10 a.m., authorities responded to a snowmobile crash on a trail in Randolph, New Hampshire.

Authorities said 43-year-old Colleen M. Legros of North Andover, Massachusetts lost control of a rental snowmobile and collided with a tree. Her injuries are not considered life-threatening, N.H. Fish and Game officials said.

A Massachusetts woman was injured in a snowmobile crash on Jan. 30, 2021 in Randolph, New Hampshire.

Legros was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

According to the operator, she had started her ride approximately an hour before the incident occurred and had very little experience operating a snowmobile, authorities said. Based on information provided by the operator and a witness, the snow machine was making a turn in the area of the Warming Hut when she suddenly mistook the throttle for the brake and accelerated abruptly over a snow bank, through the air and into a tree.

Legros was wearing a helmet. Investigators said operator inexperience was the main contributing factor in the crash.
Bengaluru, Jan 31 : Former AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala was on Sunday discharged from the state-run Victoria Hospital here on recovering from Covid-19 four days after she was released from prison on January 27.

"Sasikala has been discharged from the hospital post-noon, as she completed 10 days of treatment for Covid symptoms on Saturday," Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK) party source told IANS.

For security reasons, the 66-year-old close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha was made to leave the hospital in a car from the hospital's back gate.

"Chinnamma (Sasikala) left the hospital around 12.10 p.m. from the back gate in a car amid tight security," the source said from the spot.

About 200 supporters of Sasikala, who assembled outside the hospital in the morning, greeted her with flowers while coming out in a white car.

"AMMK founder T.T.V. Dinakaran received Sasikala on coming out of the hospital and accompanied her when she left the place," the source added.

Dinakaran had floated AMMK in March 2018 as a breakaway faction of the ruling AIADMK after Saskiala was expelled from the party.

US President Joe Biden faces enormous challenges: not just COVID-19, climate change, racial injustice and social and economic inequality, but also a deep sickness of pandemic proportions  the fear and loathing of closed hearts and minds.

The deadly assault on the Capitol on January 6 has left America more divided than ever and underlines the need for a revolution in consciousness. This spiritual revolution has actually been going on for millennia, with the Buddha and Jesus having been among its most prominent leaders.

What author and theologian Matthew Fox calls the reptilian brain  the dualistic thinking of Im right, youre wrong; I win, you lose  is now dominant in much of our civil discourse, and has been on naked display during the Trump presidency.

US President Joe Biden has an immense task repairing the deepened political divisions among Americans. Credit:AP

Spiritual revolutionaries for millennia have been seeking a transformation of consciousness, which happens when we tune in to what the author and anchorite Maggie Ross calls deep mind, a level of consciousness in which we find the source of the better angels of our nature, as that great Republican president Abraham Lincoln described them.
A police chief and a patrolman from a small city in Georgia were ousted from their positions after body camera footage was discovered in which the pair made racist comments about slavery and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta.

Gene Allmond, the chief of the police department in Hamilton, Ga., resigned Monday, said Buddy Walker, an assistant to the mayor, Julie Brown. The patrolman, John Brooks, was fired on Tuesday after he offered to resign but did not return his department-issued equipment on time as promised, Mr. Walker said.

The video, which was recorded in June on a body camera that Mr. Brooks was wearing and was posted online by television news station WTVM, shows Mr. Brooks using a racial slur while making lewd comments about Ms. Bottoms and Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic candidate for governor.

The video also shows Mr. Allmond and Mr. Brooks discussing slavery. Mr. Allmond is heard saying, They furnished them a house to live in, they furnished them clothes to put on their back, they furnished them food to put on their table, and all they had to do was work.
A fitness guru and professional surf photographer is fighting for his life in Bali with a neck infection that saw him drop more than 30kg in a month.

Brad Masters went to Siloam Hospital, near Canggu in the south of the Indonesian island, on Christmas Day after complaining about a swollen gland in his jaw.

The father-of-one, who is originally from Fremantle in Perth, was using antibiotics to treat pneumonia just weeks earlier, but his partner Trish Kincaid said his neck was 'scarlet and bigger than his head' by December 25.

Surgeons tried for four weeks to remove the widespread infection but, when the 41-year-old caught a superbug in hospital, he was placed in an induced coma and on life support.

Mr Masters (pictured in hospital) was complaining of neck pain on Christmas Day and went to hospital

Brad Masters (pictured) is a professional surfing and snowboarding photographer who lives in Bali

As a personal trainer, avid weightlifter and thrill-seeking surfer who has sought out the most dangerous waves to shoot with world champion Kelly Slater, Mr Masters normally weighs about 90kg.

After spending weeks heavily sedated on life support, the muscled man is a shell of his former self at just 58kg.

Ms Kincaid told Daily Mail Australia the doting father's antibiotics were constantly changing after the bug spread to his lungs and he got pneumonia.

'The abscess on his neck almost killed him,' the model said.

Brad Masters is a known surfing photographer and has been featured in international publications

Pictured: Brad Masters with his model girlfriend Trish Kincaid in Bali. The couple also live with his son, Kai

Brad Masters (pictured) went to hospital on Christmas Day because his neck was larger than his head (left)

He was transferred to another hospital and put on a ventilator for three weeks while doctors tried to remove more infection, but the pneumonia came back after the third operation.

'Brad was then put back on to the ventilator and life support machines under controlled sedation,' she said.

Doctors were eventually able to clear the infected areas and close the wound on his neck, but Mr Masters' now has a hefty medical bill because insurance company rejected his claims.

Pictured: Brad Masters with his partner Trish Kincaid. Ms Kincaid is a gymnastics teacher in Bali

Pictured: Mr Masters with heavy weights at a gym in Bali. He was a healthy and fit sportsman before he got sick

Pictured: One of Brad Masters' surfing photographs. The 41-year-old was extremely fit before got sick

'Apparently [the neck infection] is one of the few infections not covered under the policy,' Ms Kincaid said.

'The medical cost for his treatment is in excess of $75,000 and increasing daily by $3,500.'

To give Mr Masters a fighting chance at survival, the family have pleaded with the community to donate to a GoFundMe campaign.

'Brad needs to be in ICU possibly for a further month on a mechanical ventilator,' the fundraiser read.

'Evacuation is vital for his survival and for his family who are retired to not go into bankruptcy.'

'The medical cost for his treatment is in excess of $75,000 and increasing daily by $3,500,' Ms Kincaid wrote on the fundraiser page

Mr Masters' parents Biba (pictured left) and Russell are unable to fly to see him due to coronavirus border closures

'He is still going to need ongoing surgeries, treatment and rehab to get back on his feet and hopefully return to a normal life.'

The family hope to repatriate him on a medivac flight back to Australia, but exorbitant costs of about $100,000 stand in the way.

His parents Biba and Russell are unable to fly to see him due to coronavirus border closures, as his brother Justin - who also lives in Bali - triesto raise enough to get him home to Western Australia.

'We are all praying in the hope he has the will to fight and return to a healthy state' Ms Kincaid wrote.

Mr Masters has lived on the resort island for the last three years with his 11-year-old son Kai.
The Kennedys were famous for their hangers-on. They seemed countless in number, and limitless in their devotion. They started as JFKs team during the first years of his political career, and they were constantly at his beck and call, apparently prepared to perform any errand, do any dirty work, clean up any mess. Ted Sorensen, for example, ghostwrote JFKs Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage (1956), for him. After JFKs death, several of these guys went on to serve the same function for RFK, and after he was gunned down some of them moved on to Teddy just in time to help him lie his way out of Chappaquiddick. In the 1960s and 70s a few of them wrote bestselling memoirs of JFK -- such as Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye (1972) by Kenneth ODonnell and Dave Powers -- which played a major role in shaping the posthumous Kennedy myth. Its hard to feel much sympathy for most of these fellows, who, one has the impression, hitched their wagons to JFK for career reasons.

Lem Billings was different. Hed been there long before it started. He and Jack met in 1930, when they were prep-school roommates at Choate, and he soon found himself welcomed into the Kennedy clan as a sort of extra brother. (Think Charles Ryder in Brideshead Revisited.) After Jack was elected president and began dispensing plum White House jobs to his inner circle, Billings alone turned down every offer -- from head of the Peace Corps to ambassador to Denmark -- because he worried that if his friend were to become his boss, it would inevitably alter their relationship. Instead of an ambassadorship, he had something no other JFK insider had: his own bedroom in the White House.

After JFKs murder, while other insiders wrote their bestsellers, Billings stayed mum, continuing, until his own death in 1981, to serve the Kennedy family in various behind-the-scenes capacities and to play a role as a sort of low-key keeper of the flame. His devotion, in short, was the real thing. Indeed, for Billings it was everything. JFKs other sidekicks had love lives, families, career aspirations. Lem had Jack, period. He was gay, but never public about it. Friends believed that Jack was the love of his life. (The most he would say, years after the assassination, was that because of Jack, hed never been lonely, and that Jack may have been the reason I never got married.")

JFK knew that Lem was gay from the beginning, but even then -- in 1930! -- it didnt keep him from making Lem a constant fixture in his life. Rather, one gets the impression that Lems orientation was a plus for Jack. Aside from feeding Jacks vanity, Lems adoration meant he could be trusted. It also meant he wouldnt try to steal Jacks girls - of whom, from the beginning, there were many.

Ever on the sidelines during his life, Billings is now the protagonist  or, at least, the point-of-view character -- of a genuinely wonderful novel, Things in Glocca Morra, by Peter Collier, who died in November at age 80. You cant say that Collier didnt know his subject: the founder of Encounter Books, he wrote a series of bestselling family chronicles in collaboration with David Horowitz, including The Kennedys: An American Drama (1984), described by the New York Times as hypnotically fascinating and by Newsweek as eloquent and devastating.

Things in Glocca Morra is no less impressive. It opens in 1981, when an archivist from the Kennedy Presidential Library, knowing that Billings is not long for this world, calls on him in hopes of picking his memories and seeing his papers, both of which Billings has kept closely guarded. The archivist observes that while most of JFKs life is well-documented, there are virtually no records about a couple of months in late 1945 during which, he knows, Kennedy and Billings were together in Los Angeles. What, the archivist wants to know, happened during that time?

The archivist departs, and Billings sits there wondering what to do. What does he owe to history, and what does he owe to Jack? Whereupon his memory takes him, and us, back to those days in L.A., as Collier has imagined them. In his telling, Joe Kennedy -- the wily paterfamilias, former FDR ambassador to the Court of St. James, and intimate of many of Americas most powerful, glamorous, and dangerous people  has arranged a job for Jack as a reporter for the Hearst papers, and Jack has summoned Lem to stay with him at the Malibu house hes rented.

Although Jack is working on a news story about a grim subject  the brutal effort by Communists to wrest control of Hollywood unions from the Mob  this ugliness seems, at first, to be unconnected to Jack and Lems halcyon life together. For them, everything seems to be looking up: while America, having just won the biggest war ever, stands on the verge of a remarkable era of prosperity, these two young men, both bursting with youth and vitality, one a recent Harvard grad and the other newly graduated from Princeton, zip around L.A. in a glorious Lincoln Zephyr, drinking in the regions natural beauty and meeting movie stars at Ciros.

But then something happens. Jack, who, for as long as Lem has known him, has been a wham-bam-thank-you-maam type of the first order, proclaiming that Love is for suckers, falls in love. And not with just anybody. He falls in love with Valentina, Val for short, a striking but deeply haunted young Italian who just missed being killed in a Nazi death camp and who has a wisdom far beyond her years. (Think Sophies Choice.) And Val, a starlet at Warners, falls in love with Jack too, even though she recognizes that he has not yet taken on the burden of moral seriousness. In this privileged young American sun-god, whos incapable of grasping the depth of torment in her European soul, she sees not good but, most assuredly, the potential for good. And as the weeks go by, she begins to bring out his goodness and seriousness -- begins to teach him to love maturely -- even as he begins to liberate her from her traumas.

They are perfect for each other.

Unfortunately, theres a snake in this Eden, and its name is Joe Kennedy Sr. Jacks elder brother, Joe Jr., having died in the war, the Old Man (as Lem and Jack refer to him) has transferred to Jack the political ambitions hed previously fastened upon his namesake. A man with spies everywhere, he soon turns up in L.A., determined to destroy his sons idyll. Suffice it to say that there ensues a series of events that lifts the nostalgic charm of this novels early chapters to the level of tragedy. (Think The Great Gatsby, with Lem as Nick Carraway.)

The result is an utterly beautiful work of art, tender and witty, splendidly written, with richly and sensitively drawn characters, a keen moral compass, and, in its later chapters, an almost unbearable feeling of rising suspense. It is at once a biographical novel that paints a credible picture of the young Jack, imagining how he might have come to be the man he was, for good and for ill; a Hollywood novel that provides vivid glimpses of the dream factory in its Golden Age; and a labor novel that unflinchingly depicts the hard-knuckle violence used by Marxists and mafiosos alike in their postwar fight to run the Hollywood unions.

Its also a story of two young peoples doomed love and of one young mans unrequited love. And in the end its also a whodunit, raising questions about the stories behind two horrible deaths. One of those deaths, Jacks, is historical; the other, while an invention, is part of a fascinatingly plausible scenario that would very neatly explain not only Jacks adult personality  the way in which, as Lem puts it, he settl[ed] into the drivers seat of his life (a remarkable amount of this books action takes place in cars, foreshadowing Dealey Plaza)  but also the assassination in Dallas that transformed America forever.

Throughout the novel, Lems explicit focus is on the moral and emotional dimensions of Jack and Val. But what about Lem himself? Jack struggles to stand up to his domineering father, but Lem, when ordered by the Old Man to obey, does so without question. Meekly reliable, he seems to be motivated exclusively by a desire to do whatever it takes to be permitted to remain at Jacks side. When events occur that another person would walk away from in disgust, Lem, though he seems a thoroughly decent and ethical sort, doesnt even seem to consider checking out. Its as if, when push comes to shove, he has no moral agency of his own; as if hes driven entirely by love -- although its a love thats only exploited, not requited.

About the novels title. In real life, after Kennedys assassination, his widow, Jackie, spoke of his fondness for the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot (1960), which celebrated the era of King Arthur and his Round Table as a brief shining moment of glory; soon enough, as America descended into the quagmire of Vietnam and into ideological street warfare that would shape the nations culture for generations, the thousand-odd days of the Kennedy administration came to be affectionately remembered as golden Camelot. But Camelot doesnt figure in Colliers book; instead a young JFK, visiting the Warner studios in Burbank, meets the songwriter Yip Harburg and flips over his new song How Are Things in Glocca Morra?:

How are things in Glocca Morra?

Is that willow tree still weeping there?

Does that lassie with the twinklin' eye

Come smilin' by and does she walk away,

Sad and dreamy there, not to see me there?

Whats the point of being Irish anyway, Jack asks Lem, if you dont think the world will break your heart? Its entirely appropriate that the brilliant, multitalented Collier borrowed from Harburg for the title of this exceedingly wise, wistful, and, yes, ultimately heartbreaking valedictory volume.

Image: Encounter Books

The Western Regional Police Command has called on all well-meaning Ghanaians to be sensitive on any commentary or reports regarding the death of Superintendent of police (SP) Cyprian Zenge, the Jomoro Municipal Police Commander.



The Municipality woke up early hours of Saturday to the terrifying news of the suicide committed by the Officer in his residence.



Meanwhile, a statement signed by DSP Olivia Adiku, the Regional Police PRO intimated the need for sensitivity and decorum on reporting on the matter as investigations were underway to unravel the real cause leading to the action of his suicide.



The Police Command had already visited the crime scene, which revealed that the deceased shot himself, while sitting on a blue chair and the gun was seen beside the seat.



DSP Adiku said family members of the deceased have been informed accordingly and expressed the command's condolences to the family.

Source: GNA









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Small landowners near the new airport in western Sydney who will be forced to sell their homes to make way for an $11 billion rail line say the state government has failed to justify the scale of compulsory acquisitions planned for the construction of a train station.

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Orchard Hills residents Christine and Jason Vella will be forced to sell their home of almost 12 years. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

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WASHINGTON: A group of 10 moderate Republican U.S. senators urged Democratic President Joe Biden on Sunday to reconsider his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, saying they wanted a meeting to discuss a compromise that they said could win swift bipartisan support.

In a letter to Biden, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney and seven other senators said they would unveil on Monday their proposed legislation to address the coronavirus crisis.

The progress of Bidens package to support individuals and businesses will be an early test of the new U.S. presidents promise to work across the political divide.

Some Republicans, who have lost control of the Senate, have questioned the cost, while others urged more targeted measures.

Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support," the group wrote in the letter, whose signatories also included Bill Cassidy, Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young, Jerry Moran, Michal Rounds.

Rob Portman, who has announced he will not seek re-election in 2022, also signed the letter, which said the group wished to work in good faith" with the new administration.

While offering few specifics, they said their plan echoed Bidens call for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and child care centers, but said their plan would include more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses.

They did not give an overall cost for compromised bill, but said money from previous COVID-19 relief bill passed last year remained unspent.

Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, told CNNs State of the Union programme that the White House had seen the letter and would review it.

Congress, controlled by Democrats, is set to move this week on Bidens plan to deliver a fresh infusion of COVID-19 relief to Americans and businesses reeling from the pandemic, which has killed more than 430,000 people in the United States.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
The economy may be hovering on the edge of a double-dip recession, unemployment is rising and tax rises could be just around the corner, but 21million people are considering taking out a loan this year once lockdown ends.

A survey by AA Financial Services indicates that 40 per cent of adults are planning to borrow  with a new car, a family holiday (travel restrictions permitting) and home improvements top of their purchase lists.

Buying a pet  a feature of lockdown UK  is also a popular choice with one in 12 wannabe borrowers looking to acquire a four-legged friend. On a darker note, three per cent of those thinking about taking out a loan say they will be using the money to fund a divorce  a sign that lockdown has been too much for some couples.

Splashing out: A survey by AA Financial Services indicates that 40 per cent of adults are planning to borrow

James Fairclough, director of AA Financial Services, says the survey results confirm an optimism among many households that the last chapter of the pandemic has been entered.

He says: 'The fact that so many adults have the confidence to start making plans points to happier times in the months ahead  even though lockdown may continue for months to come.'

He adds: 'It certainly seems that lockdown has prompted many people to reassess their financial affairs.'

Data released earlier this month by the Office for National Statistics indicates that the economic impact of the pandemic has forced more households to borrow money  18 per cent of adults compared to 11 per cent at the end of June last year.

But AA's survey suggests that the new wave of prospective borrowers are those that have survived the lockdown in rude financial health and are looking at some stage to spend, spend, spend.

The Himachal Pradesh Police has sounded an alert and intensified patrolling in Israeli-dominant areas of the state in wake of the minor IED blast that took place near the Israel embassy in New Delhi on Friday. The cops have beefed up security in areas including Mcleodganj and Dharamkot, due to the large number of Israeli tourists visiting the region.

Speaking on the development, SSP Kangra Vimukt Ranjan, Himachal Pradesh said, "After the blast in Delhi, patrolling has been intensified 24x7 in Israeli-populated regions including Mcleodganj and Dharamkot. The Mcleodganj police station has been put on alert to cope with any situation if it arises. The security personnel that carry out mobile patrolling across the state have been instructed to increase surveillance in the said regions."

READ | 'India-Israel Ties Targeted, Both Sides Investigating': Envoy Dr Ron Malka On Delhi Blast

Delhi IED blast near Israel embassy

A low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off around 5:05 PM on Friday causing a minor blast near the embassy of Israel located in the heart of Lutyen's Delhi. While no injuries have been reported due to the blast, a few windows of cars parked nearby were shattered due to the impact.

The incident took place on the 29th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Israel. A team of Delhi Police's Special Cell conducting an investigation at the blast site has found an envelope addressed to the Israeli Embassy.

Two individuals were captured in the CCTV cameras moving suspiciously near the embassy building, minutes before the blast took place. The police officials have already detained a cab driver who dropped the two suspects at the location of the blast and further investigation is underway.

READ | Israeli Officials May Visit India To Probe Blast Near Embassy; Bigger Explosion Suspected

The initial investigation revealed that the motive behind the low-intensity blast with the use of ammonium nitrate was likely to deliver a message, that the culprits can also cause a bigger explosion in the region. An alert has been issued at all airports, important installations, and government buildings in view of the blast and enhanced security measures have been put in place by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

From National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's top officials have been briefed about the incident, and are closely following the developments.

READ | Delhi IED Blast: Police Detains Cab Driver Spotted In CCTV Footage; Investigation Underway

READ | 'Full Confidence That India Will Ensure Safety Of Israelis': PM Netanyahu On Delhi Blast
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) today announced new data from the COMMENCE clinical trial that demonstrate Edwards' bioprosthetic surgical aortic valve with the company's novel RESILIA tissue platform show favorable safety and hemodynamic performance through a median of five years follow-up. The data were presented at the 57th annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

"There continues to be a significant focus placed on tissue valve durability given the increase in life expectancy and lifestyle implications for more active patients who historically would receive mechanical valves," said Joseph E. Bavaria, M.D., lead enroller and site principal investigator for the COMMENCE study and the Brooke Roberts-William M. Measey professor of surgery and vice chief of the division of cardiovascular surgery, University of Pennsylvania. "The latest data from the COMMENCE study are encouraging and speak to the promise of RESILIA tissue as a significant advancement in technology for patients with valve disease."

There were no incidences of structural valve deterioration (SVD) at the five-year review mark, a key safety outcome. SVD can be caused by a buildup of calcium on the valve's tissue or by other damage that impacts long-term durability of the valve. RESILIA tissue is specially formulated using a proprietary integrity-preservation technology that may eliminate a key factor in calcification leading to valve deterioration.

"Beyond the COMMENCE study, Edwards continues to invest in research to examine different outcome measures to further validate the long-term performance and durability of RESILIA tissue," said Daveen Chopra, Edwards' corporate vice president, surgical structural heart. "Evidence from the COMMENCE trial adds to the growing body of research that demonstrates the value of innovative, RESILIA tissue-based technologies in transforming care for patients, especially more active patients."

Current technologies utilizing this novel tissue include the INSPIRIS RESILIA aortic valve and the KONECT RESILIA aortic valved conduit, the first ready-to-implant solution for bio-Bentall procedures. In addition to its anti-calcification properties, RESILIA tissue also allows the valve to be stored under dry packaging conditions, facilitating ease of use in the operating room.

The COMMENCE study is a prospective, non-randomized, multicenter, single-arm investigational device exemption (IDE) trial comprised of 689 patients at 27 clinical sites across the United States and Europe. The trial evaluated the safety and effectiveness of Edwards' RESILIA tissue aortic valve in patients ages 18 and older with diagnosed aortic valve disease and scheduled to undergo aortic valve replacement surgery. Data were collected for a total of five years and a subset of these patients will continue to be evaluated through 10 years. At this stage, the study has recorded data equivalent to 2,989 patient-years of follow-up.

Additional RESILIA tissue studies include:

European feasibility study: a prospective, single-arm observational clinical trial that evaluated SVD in a cohort of 133 patients. There were no events of structural valve deterioration throughout the study period of five years.

RESILIENCE clinical trial: an ongoing, first-of-its-kind study designed to assess calcium deposits as a way to potentially predict long-term bioprosthetic valve durability. The study will enroll up to 250 patients under the age of 65 at the time of surgery to examine incidence of valve deterioration from year five to 11 after surgery.

Dr. Bavaria is a consultant to Edwards Lifesciences.

About Edwards Lifesciences

Edwards Lifesciences is the global leader of patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring. We are driven by a passion for patients, dedicated to improving and enhancing lives through partnerships with clinicians and stakeholders across the global healthcare landscape. For more information, visit Edwards.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to statements made by Dr. Bavaria and Mr. Chopra and statements regarding expected product benefits, patient outcomes, future plans related to the product lines, objectives and expectations and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the company and are believed to be reasonable, though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statement. Investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements based on a number of factors as detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. These filings, along with important safety information about our products, may be found at edwards.com.

Edwards, Edwards Lifesciences, the stylized E logo, Edwards RESILIA, COMMENCE, INSPIRIS, INSPIRIS RESILIA, and KONECT are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This statement is made on behalf of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation and its subsidiaries.

SOURCE Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

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The Osun State government has confirmed the discovery of five cases of the deadly B117 strain of COVID-19.

This was announced in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the states Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode, on Sunday.

The government of the state of Osun regrets to announce that the State has in the past few days recorded five cases of the violent and deadly B117 strain of COVID-19, which was first reported in the United Kingdom.

This is particularly worrisome because it is barely a week that the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 announced the discovery of the strain in Nigeria, and Osun already has five cases.

Considering the continued disregard and defiance for safety protocols in the state, the government is extremely concerned about the days ahead. This new strain spreads faster and kills quicker. If it continues to grow, more citizens will become vulnerable and those with underlying ailments more endangered.

We cannot continue to act like Covid-19 is not real. It is not just a sad reality but one that has changed momentum with this more deadly strain. Citizens are enjoined to scale up their personal responsibility for safety by complying with all the non-pharmaceutical protocols outlined by the government, to avoid tragic consequences, Mrs Egbemode said in the statement.

Health experts have begun to analyse the B117 virus and they said it is more dangerous than what has been obtained before now.

They argued that B117 virus is 70% more transmissible than the other strains.

As of the time of this report, there is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines will not immunise against B117 virus. More over, scientists have reportedly started new research into the vaccines efficacy in building an immune response to B117 virus.
The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and many other top officials of the Nigerian Police Force are billed to retire on Monday, after spending the maximum number of years in service.

The IGP, who joined the service on February 1, 1986, will attain the mandatory 35 years in service.

Mr Adamu took over from Ibrahim Idris who retired in January 2019.

Aside the IGP, three Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs) and 10 Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs) are also due to retire from the police.

The DIGs are former EFCC boss Ibrahim Lamorde, Aminchi Baraya and Nkpa Inakwu.

The AIGs are Nkereuwem Akpan, Olafimihan Adeoye, Agunbiade Labore, Undie Adie and Olugbenga Adeyanju.

Others are Asuquo Amba, Mohammad Mustapha, Jonah Jackson, Olushola Babajide and Yunana Babas.

The amended Police Act, signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari recently, pegs the retirement age of police officers at 60 years of age or 35 years of service.

By precedence and practice, a replacement for the IGP ought to have been announced few days to his retirement.

However, sources in the police have said the IGP is expecting a tenure elongation, just like the immediate past military chiefs.

The immediate past heads of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) also got tenure extensions beyond their retirement ages.

WHAT THE POLICE ACT SAYS

President Muhammadu Buhari, in September 2020, assented to the Nigeria Police Bill, 2020, which was passed by the National Assembly.

Amongst others, the new Police Act stipulates that a person to be appointed IGP shall be a senior police officer not below the rank of an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

It also says such a person must have an academic qualification of not less than a first degree or its equivalent in addition to professional and managerial experience.

READ ALSO: IGP approves deployment of five newly promoted DIGs

Part 111 Section 7 (6) of the Act prescribes a four-year single tenure for a person appointed to the office of the IGP.

Some lawyers have argued that based on the subsection mentioned above, any senior police officer who has less than four years to retirement cannot become an IGP while others are of the opinion that the four years only counts from the date of appointment.

The amended police act, however, did not explain elaborately on the eligibility.

ELIGIBLE CONTENDERS

Going by the amended Police Act which permits only the appointment of only officers on DIG and AIG cadres as IGP, the president would have to choose from the current DIGs and AIGs.

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With the retirement of three DIGs and 10 AIGs, the race has now been limited to 33 eligible officers.

Out of the officers, five are DIGs while the remaining 28 are AIGs.

If an AIG is appointed, all the other DIGs must go on compulsory retirement.

The eligible DIGs are Sanusi Lemu, Usman Baba, David Folayiwo, Joseph Egbunike and Moses Jitoboh.

The AIGs are Garba Umar, Bello Sadiq, Illiyasu Ahmed, Dibal Yakadi, Zaki Ahmed, HH Karma, Baba Tijjani, Hafiz Inuwa, Lawal Ado, Austin Abonlahor and Isaac Akinmoyede.

Others are Dan Bature, Awuna Donald, Uba Kura, Johnson Kokumo, Zana Ibrahim, Murtala Usman, Maurice Abimbola, Bala Zama, Basen Dapiya, Haruna Mshelia, Aishatu Abubakar, Garba Umar, Aminu Pai, Gwandu Abubakar Omolulu Bishi, Ajani Olasupo and Dasuki Galadanci.

The president is expected to pick one amongst the eligible senior officers to replace the outgoing IGP.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Managers of New Mexicos two national laboratories each earned very good overall ratings and will receive 88% of the annual fees they were eligible for, based on performance evaluations conducted by the federal agency supervising the labs and released earlier this month.

That translates to a $10 million increase in management fees paid to Triad National Security, manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), upping its payment to $45.7 million just as the lab ramps up production of the triggering devices for nuclear warheads.

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Its a $2.5 million boost for National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia (NTESS), which oversees operations at Sandia National Laboratories, bringing its management fee to $38.6 million.

The evaluations are conducted annually by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy thats in charge of national security and oversees the production of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. While some fees paid to the lab managers are fixed, a portion is determined by how well they are meeting performance goals.

Coping with COVID

The NNSAs evaluation period was from Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020, so it covered the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic. Both lab managers received praise in their performance evaluations for their leadership in response to the outbreak.

That was particularly true for LANL, which received an excellent rating for mission leadership.

Triad demonstrated excellence during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted by effective personnel accounting and reporting processes, an online onboarding process, contained hiring, PPE and cleaning supply procurement, testing and analysis facilities, increased productivity, and effective telework policies, the summary evaluation states.

It says 85% of LANLs workforce made the transition to telework, demonstrating strong resilient management in crisis.

Thom Mason, director at LANL and president of Triad, said he was pleased with the result of the evaluation and with the way the lab was able to respond to the outbreak.

It was encouraging to see that, through what was a very difficult and challenging year with the COVID pandemic, our efforts to kind of keep everyone safe and execute the high-priority items that we had to get done, was recognized. It does represent, I think, a significant improvement over the year prior, he said. In March of last year, we had to very quickly shift to a mode of operation that was really almost completely new to us.  All of a sudden, we had to shift the majority of our activities to that kind of remote work option where people could accomplish their jobs as much as possible from the safety and comfort of their homes. And that had to happen quite rapidly.

Addressing issues

Triad, a consortium made up of the Battelle Memorial Institute, the University of California System and the Texas A&M University System, has completed its second full year of managing LANL.

The more than $10 million fee increase is due largely to improvements made on the good rating it got in 2019 when Triad received only 66.3% of the eligible fees.

This year, Triad scored higher in three of the six evaluation categories, listed as goals in the performance evaluation.

Altogether, Triad received excellent ratings in four categories. In addition to leadership, Triad earned the top rating in global nuclear security, strategic partnership projects objectives, and science technology and engineering.

Even with all the challenges we had with the pandemic, we were able to get a lot done, and we also made a lot of progress in terms of our longer-term efforts to improve the infrastructure of the lab and improve the safety culture here at the lab, and execute some of the high-priority activities that have been assigned to us, said Mason, who, prior to coming to LANL, was a senior vice president at Battelle.

Triads score in global nuclear security jumped to excellent after earning only a satisfactory rating last year.

Mason and the NNSA blamed last years rating on an incident involving a subcontractor at the University of Washington, where LANLs Off-Site Source Recovery Program is located. The recent performance evaluation says Triad addressed that issue by developing a safety plan for remediation efforts after the release of cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, there in 2019.

It also says Triad adjusted well to the pandemic and provided critical support to remove disused radioactive sources.

Triad also improved from satisfactory to very good in operations and infrastructure  despite the summary identifying four issues within that goal, the most in any category.

Triad did not always identify legacy issues before they manifested into security and maintenance issues, reads the report.

Mason said aging infrastructure may be to blame for that problem.

One of the challenges that we have, where we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do relates to the condition of our infrastructure. Many of our facilities were built in the post-Cold War era. They may have been state-of-the-art at that time, but they are no longer and, in some cases, the condition of those facilities makes them challenging to work in the 21st century, he said. In some cases, the aging of the facilities gets out in front of us. And I think thats whats really referred to there. And its an encouragement for us to do a better job at identifying those legacy issues.

Triad was also inconsistent in delivering documentation, failed to meet four of six small business goals, and struggled with some small-business relationships, the evaluation said.

The most important one is the overall fraction of our procurement that goes to small businesses, and we met that one, he said, adding that a total of $413 million in contracts went to small businesses in New Mexico.

Mason said it was within some subcategories  such as women- and veteran-owned businesses and HUBZone businesses  where theres room for improvement.

What it points to is that we need to work harder to identify more capable small businesses in some of those subcategories, he said.

Mason said such issues as challenges in cybersecurity and having improper access controls werent direct references to the SolarWinds hack, which has been blamed on the Russian government, because the breach wasnt discovered until after the fiscal year.

The Department of Energy maintained that the attack was limited to business networks, yet the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning, calling the hack a grave risk to federal, state, local and tribal governments, as well as private sector businesses.

Mason said that, so far, theres nothing to suggest LANLs systems were jeopardized, though that remains to be seen.

Like almost every government entity and major company, we were customers of SolarWinds and use their products. At this point, it does not appear that there has been any compromise of the important national security information that we are custodians of, he said. As far as we know, we have no loss of control of national security information. There are things we dont know yet. And, obviously, you know, we dont know what we dont know. So far, so good, but people are still working very hard to understand the full implications of that.

Mason said 2021 is going to be another challenging year.

COVID is still with us. Hopefully, were in a position where were working to safely transition to a post-COVID environment, he said. My goal is to finish up next year every bit as strong as we finished up the year we completed at the end of September 2020.

Lawrence Livermore National Security received an excellent overall rating and is receiving 91% of the fee it was vying for  a total of $58 million  and the most of any national lab.

Like New Mexicos labs, managers of Savannah River Site, Nevada National Security Site, Kansas City National Security Campus and the NNSA Production Office each received overall ratings of very good.
Yanghwajin Cemetery in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul, in April 2020 Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff





Anna P. Jacobsen in the mid-1890s / From Prof. Oak Sung-Deuk's book "A Pictorial History of Modern Nursing in Korea." "A Pictorial History of Modern Nursing in Korea" by Prof. Oak Sung-Deuk

One of the first Norwegians in Korea, and possibly the earliest to be buried here, was Anna P. Jacobsen, a young nurse whose past is relatively unknown and only remembered with a small plain stone in the Yanghwajin Foreigners' Cemetery. Anna's life was one of hardships and sacrifices brought upon her by her extreme religious devotion.



Anna was born April 18, 1866, on the island of Nottero, near the town of Sousberg, Norway. With the passing of time, Sousberg has disappeared from the map, but it was most likely a large village of fishermen and farmers. She grew up in a large family. Her father, a baker, appears to have made a good living and had several employees working for him. Not only was he successful, he was also very conservative and domineering. Like most of the population, her father was Lutheran, and he demanded that his entire family follow his faith, thus, at a young age, she was forced to become a member of the Lutheran Church. It was not her wish. She was troubled by attending the Lutheran Church because it violated her own personal beliefs, and she was obviously afraid of her father's wrath, but, while still young, she summoned the strength to declare that she would no longer attend the Lutheran services and instead switched to the Presbyterian Church. "After a long hard struggle, she found Christ and the forgiveness she craved."



While still a young teenager, she became engaged to marry a young Lutheran boy. Unfortunately, Anna left no diary, but apparently from the conversations she had with her friends in Seoul, the marriage was not one of her choosing. "Feeling that she could not conscientiously marry an unbeliever, her engagement was broken." This broken engagement further infuriated her father who cast her from his house without means at the tender age of 15.



Anna managed to find employment as a maid, and appears to have saved up enough money that she was eventually, in the summer of 1889, able to leave Norway, arriving in New York on Aug. 27, 1889, aboard the steamship Wyoming. She eventually settled in Portland, Maine, where she again found employment as a maid, but it was her dream to save up enough money so that she could attend a nursing school.



Maine General Hospital Training School for Nurses was established in the 1880s in Portland. Its first class of seven women (10 started but three were unable to complete the course) graduated in 1887, and were gainfully employed almost immediately afterwards. Sometime in the early 1890s, Anna, who had worked for three years as a maid in Portland, managed to save up enough money to enroll in the prestigious school. Despite her poor English, she was able to keep up with, and often surpass, her fellow students  all native English speakers.



While attending school, Anna was active in the Presbyterian community, and often heard stories of missionaries in faraway lands. These stories inspired her to apply for a position as a missionary, which was accepted the year before her graduation. Much to her pleasure, the Presbyterian Church assigned her a position in Korea as the assistant to Dr. Oliver R. Avison. Many of the doctors at Maine General Hospital tried to discourage her from leaving. They assured her of ample employment opportunities in Portland, but she politely turned down their offers and insisted that she wanted to be a missionary.





Anna P. Jacobsen's grave at Yanghwajin Cemetery in April 2020 Robert Neff Collection
A doctor has been arrested for intentionally killing two Covid patients with a specific drug administration.

The doctor, Carlo Mosca, head of the emergency department of the hospital of Montichiari in Brescia, was arrested by the Carabinieri of the local NAS - Nucleo Antisofisticazioni e Sanita - and is now under house arrest.

The doctor had intentionally administered drugs with anaesthetic effects and neuromuscular blockers to patients suffering from covid-19 , causing the death of two of them, as reported by Il Messaggero.

The facts date back to March of last year, at the height of the epidemic crisis.

"I'm not up for killing patients just because they want to free up beds," he wrote in a WhatsApp message to a colleague, a nurse at the Montichiari hospital. "I'm not up for it, this is crazy," replied the colleague referring to the doctor's decision to prepare the two drugs usually used before intubating a patient.

The Carabinieri of the NAS of Brescia, two months after the events, immediately started an investigation, in agreement with the Brescia Public Prosecutor's Office. Three corpses were exhumed for autopsy and toxicological investigations.

The investigations revealed, within the tissues and organs of one of them, the presence of an anaesthetic and muscle relaxant drug commonly used in intubation and sedation procedures that, if used outside of specific procedures and dosages, can lead to the death of the patient.

Furthermore, in the medical records of the deceased patients subject to verification, the administration of those drugs does not appear. The administration of the same drugs appears instead in the records of other patients that actually were then intubated. As a consequence, the doctor is now also being accused of forgery.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 11:58:41|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Sun has set on the British empire, but it seems that some in London have yet to wake up from their colonial dreams.

Beginning on Sunday, Hong Kong residents who hold the so-called British National Overseas (BNO) passports can apply for settlement and British citizenship. Such a political manipulation driven by a colonial thinking is a flagrant interference in China's internal affairs, which will take another toll on bilateral ties and further hurt Britain's own long-term interests.

As an immediate countermeasure, China said it will no longer recognize the BNO passport as a valid travel document or for identification from Sunday and reserves the right to take further actions.

Britain's tailored policy for Hong Kong residents reflects that the outdated mentality of colonialism still doggedly persist in the minds of some decision-makers in London. They are still pretending that they have some kind of a special responsibility for Hong Kong, which is handed back to China more than two decades ago.

The truth is that from the moment the handover of Hong Kong was done, all the rights and obligations regarding Britain in the Sino-British Joint Declaration were fulfilled.

It means that Britain has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of "supervision" over Hong Kong since then, and the "historical duty" it claimed it has to the Hong Kong people is as misleading as it is fictional.

Obviously, there are at least three calculations behind its new BNO policy: to cash in on those immigrants from Hong Kong, who could bring considerable economic benefits to Britain; to sow more seeds of chaos and divisions in Hong Kong; and to force Beijing to compromise on issues related to Hong Kong, particularly the national security law.

In the past two and half years, London has repeatedly tried to make waves in Hong Kong. The Chinese city, in its eyes, is no more than a geo-political leverage.

The birth of the law to safeguard national security in Hong Kong is the constitutional obligation of the Chinese government and a fundamental move to restore stability in one of the world's most robust financial hubs. Beijing will not give in for doing the right thing.

Those British politicians who are strategizing to profit from fueling instability in Hong Kong and challenging China's sovereignty, may feel "immensely proud" about their BNO tactic.

However, they are just penny-wise and pound-foolish. A healthy and stable China-Britain relationship is vital for both. Creating tensions between the two countries will endanger their mutually beneficial cooperation and overshadow the prospect of bilateral ties in the post-pandemic and post-Brexit era.

London should drop its obsession with colonialism and call off provocations against China's core interests. Holding onto an inglorious past will not help with Britain's present-day global relevance. Enditem
UPDATE: Jack Palladino died shortly after noon Monday, according to his attorney, Mel Honowitz, of San Francisco. Read more about his life here.

The nearly fatal attack on a renowned San Francisco private detective may be solved by an unlikely person: Jack Palladino himself.

City police on Sunday identified two suspects now jailed in Thursday afternoons violent robbery, 24-year-old Lawrence Thomas of Pittsburg and 23-year-old Tyjone Flournoy of San Francisco.

The breakthrough in the case was partially thanks to Palladino  photographs recovered from his camera that the suspects allegedly tried to steal, his family said.

Palladino, 76, remained unconscious but was given the good news of the two arrests during a visit from his wife, fellow detective Sandra Sutherland, on Saturday night.

I said, Guess what, Jack, they got the bastards, and it was all your doing, Sutherland told The Chronicle on Sunday.

Palladino, whose clients included political heavyweights and Hollywood celebrities, remained in grave condition with a head injury in a San Francisco hospital. Sutherland said he was taken off life support and was breathing on his own, but was not expected to survive.

Jacks a hard person to keep down, she said. But I really think this is it.

Thomas was booked into jail Friday evening; Flournoy was taken into custody Saturday in Reno and booked into San Francisco jail Sunday morning.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of the same crimes: attempted robbery, aggravated kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy, false imprisonment and elder abuse, as well as an enhancement for allegedly causing great bodily injury to Palladino. They had yet to be charged.

Palladinos storied career includes clients ranging from former President Bill Clinton  who according to a top aide hired the pair in 1992 to help quell rumors of his extramarital affairs  to a 14-year-old boy who won a multimillion-dollar civil settlement against Michael Jackson for alleged molestation.

Just before the attack, Sutherland said, her husband had taken off his reading glasses, grabbed his camera and bolted out the door of their yellow Victorian home on the 1400 block of Page Street in the Haight.

He went out to take photographs of people who were doing mischief in the neighborhood, Sutherland said.

As Palladino snapped shots outside, the men who were in a car apparently spotted him, Sutherland said.

They gunned him down (with the car) and tried to get the camera, which they failed to do, she said. Because Jack wouldnt let go.

Palladino was dragged, fell and hit his head, said his stepson, Nick Chapman. He said his stepfather was briefly conscious as he lay in the street but soon lapsed into unconsciousness.

Sutherland said she doesnt know what her husbands photos show, but police found that evidence very useful in apprehending these two people.

Records show Flournoy was one of four men San Francisco police arrested late last year in connection with the killing of 33-year-old Ronisha Cook, who was fatally shot on Dec. 19, 2019, on the 500 block of Ellis Street in the Tenderloin.

City prosecutors charged two of the men  Gary Owens, 39, and Robert Huntley, 31  with murder and told police more evidence was needed to bring charges against Flournoy and the fourth suspect, District Attorney Chesa Boudin said Sunday. Flournoy was released.

We filed murder charges against the people we believe we can prove were the actual shooter and the driver of the car, Boudin said. At the time of the arrests, we asked police to keep investigating the two passengers in the car, including Mr. Flournoy.

San Bruno police arrested Flournoy and two other men on Feb. 21, 2019, on suspicion of burglarizing a car. He pleaded no contest to auto burglary that April and was placed on three years supervised probation, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe.

Boudin said his heart goes out to Palladinos family, and he commended police for solving the case so quickly.

Boudin, a prosecutor who pledges to use his post to help stem mass incarceration, has recently faced intense scrutiny over a hit-and-run crash that killed two pedestrians on New Years Eve, and whether his office could have done more to prevent it.

Palladino, however, did not count himself among such critics, Sutherland said.

Im a supporter of Chesa Boudin, and so is Jack, she said. And Im sure hell do the right thing.

Palladino and Sutherland  who have both worked extensively on criminal defense teams  believe in restorative justice, and that there is systemic racism in law enforcement, Sutherland said. Both issues were among the centerpiece of Boudins campaign and policies.

The pair conducted investigations out of their home for decades. Among their other clients: Don Johnson, Kevin Costner, Robin Williams, Huey Newton, Snoop Dogg and carmaker John DeLorean.

Though the detective by last week had all but joined his wife in retirement, he had one final case to wrap up, Chapman told The Chronicle.

Sutherland said she certainly wont work on the defense team for her husbands case, but she saw a cruel irony in which victim they attacked.

She recalled the death in 1979 of James Martin MacInnis, a leading San Francisco defense lawyer who was killed in a car crash by an intoxicated driver. Chronicle columnist Herb Caen weighed in at the time, Sutherland recalled, noting that it was really bad luck that the driver killed the only person who could have gotten him off.

Similarly, if anybody could have gotten the suspects off in her husbands case, it would have been Palladino, Sutherland said. He never got to try.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
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Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

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In depths of pandemic, one fashion designer turns hand to being a movie director View(s):

PARIS (Reuters)  French fashion designer Julien Fournie first learned to wield a pair of scissors, then to design a dress on an iPad. Now, the global pandemic has forced him to pick up a new skill  as movie director.

Paris Haute Couture Week is normally a riot of runway shows where the fashion crowd congregate in sumptuous locations. This year, COVID-19 means most live events are off.

Instead, many designers have turned to video to showcase their collections for the week, which officially began on Monday and runs until Jan. 28.

Fournie, a 45-year-old who runs his own couture label, spent three days shooting a 9 minute and 30 second film in his Paris workshop, starring himself, some of his staff, and three models. We designers have to reinvent ourselves endlessly, he said in a break from filming. We have to know how to sew, to design, to manage social networks.

That meant moving into a new medium to present his collection was not a big leap, he said.

Its an incredible opportunity in our times to be able to reinvent yourself during COVID, to be the director of your own destiny, to stage your own universe.

The film features women dressed in goose feather outfits and multicoloured organza fabric, moving through a fantasy world with a Middle Eastern flavour.

The majority of Fournies clients are from the Middle East. Because of the global pandemic, customers want less extravagant designs, because the gatherings where the outfits will be worn these days are more modest and intimate, said the designer.

His staff too have had to adapt. After a client has visited to try out an outfit, employees iron the dresses. The heat eliminates bacteria and viruses, said Lea Gelenan, one of Fournies senior staff.

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Washington: Former US president Donald Trump has parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers little more more than a week before his trial, two people familiar with the situation have said.

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, are no longer with Trumps defence team. One of the people described the parting as a mutual decision that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case. Both insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

One said new additions to the legal team were expected to be announced in a day or two.

Former US president Donald Trump. Credit:Bloomberg

The upheaval on Saturday, US time, injects fresh uncertainty into the make-up and strategy of Trumps defence team as he prepares to face charges that he incited the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. However, all but five Senate Republicans this week voted in favour of an effort to dismiss the trial before it even started, making clear a conviction of the former president is unlikely regardless of his defence team.


Egypts President, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, reiterated the necessity of formulating a binding legal agreement with Sudan and Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), as he met with Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki on Sunday.

El-Sisi affirmed that an agreement should fundamentally address Egyptian concerns, especially those related to the rules of filling and operating the dam, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

He also renewed the rejection of any measure or act that harms Egypts water rights in the Nile River.

Multiple rounds of negotiations between the three countries to reach a binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam have ended in various deadlocks.

Last year, Ethiopia unilaterally completed the first filling of the GERD and plans to execute the second filling of the dam next July "under all circumstances."

In a speech to the Egyptian House, Egypts Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, complained that Ethiopia is acting unilaterally and intransigently in the GERD dispute.

Faki, during the meeting, expressed appreciation of the Egyptian efforts in the ongoing GERD negotiations and Egypts insistence on reaching a solution to the issue.

Faki highlighted the need for intensive coordination on the dam issue so that a fair and balanced agreement can be reached.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attended the meeting.

El-Sisi and Faki discussed a number of African issues in light of preparations for the upcoming African summit, scheduled for February. They reviewed updates on conflicts and the efforts to settle them, foremost among which is the Libyan crisis and the situation in the Horn of Africa.

El-Sisi referred to the role of achieving stability and establishing a comprehensive infrastructure that allows linkage among African geographical provinces as the starting point for the path of development in the continent.

Sisi affirmed that Egypt has not and will not spare any effort toward supporting its African brothers and that its hand will remain always extended for cooperation, construction, and development for the sake of all African countries.

According to the presidency, Faki affirmed that the African Unions efforts are based mainly on Egypts role in the continent, saying that this role represents a strong pillar for joint African work.

He expressed confidence that Egypt will continue its role in enhancing developmental efforts in Africa and preserving security and political stability throughout the continent.

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Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
New Delhi, Jan 31 : As India's Covid inoculation drive completes 15 days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the programme is "faster than anywhere in the world" and India in the process has left the US as well as the UK far behind in the exercise.

Mentioning that the beginning of this year marks the completion of almost one year of our battle against coronavirus and that India's fight against the pandemic became an example, the Prime Minister said our vaccination programme too is turning out to be exemplary for the world.

"Today, India is undertaking the world's biggest Covid vaccine programme. Do you know what's a matter of more pride? Along with the biggest vaccine programme, we are vaccinating our citizens faster than anywhere in the world," Modi said while addressing the country in his first 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme of this year.

"In just 15 days, India has vaccinated over 30 lakh Corona Warriors, whereas an advanced country such as US took 18 days to get the same done; Britain 36 days!" The Prime Minister further said the Made-in-India vaccine is, of course, a symbol of India's self-reliance and a symbol of her self-pride.

Citing appreciation received on the vaccination drive, Modi said many Indians have written messages on 'NamoApp' that the vaccine has generated a new self-confidence.

"These days," he said, "I too receive similar messages for India from Presidents and Prime Ministers of different countries." "You must also have seen recently how the President of Brazil, thanked India in a tweet...." He also lauded India's efforts in providing the Serum Institute of India's Covishield vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin to a number of foreign countries, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

"In this vaccination programme, you must have noticed something more. During the moment of crisis, India is able to serve the world today since it is capable, self-reliant in the field of medicines and vaccines. The same thought underpins the Atmanirbhar Bharat Campaign. The more India is capable, the more will she serve humanity; correspondingly, the world will benefit more." India launched its vaccination drive against Covid-19 on January 16 and aims to first inoculate three crore health and frontline workers. While so far only healthcare workers were getting inoculated, now frontline workers will also start getting the doses from the first week of February.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  The government has approved and ratified the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines and is now set to implement the nationwide immunization campaign to combat the coronavirus.

"All implementing agencies of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, all Regional and Local COVID-19 Task Forces, and all Regional and Local COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Centers, Local Task Forces and Local COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Centers are hereby mandated to implement and adopt the said plan," a recent memorandum by the National Task Force against COVID-19 read.

The Regional and Local COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Centers are also directed to develop their own deployment and vaccination macro and microplans based on the templates disseminated by the Department of Health.

The NTF COVID-19 uploaded on Saturday a copy of a January 26 memorandum on the approved Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution No. 95.

The memorandum was signed by NTF COVID-19 chairperson and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, vice chair and Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, and chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr.

"By approaching the vaccination program in a whole-of-system government, whole-of-society approach, we can ensure the successes of the national vaccine deployment program in delivering safe, effective and accessible vaccines for all Filipinos," Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in the Foreword.

The document, which is over a hundred pages, mainly comprises seven phases of the plan, divided into chapters. These are: Scientific Evaluation and Selection, Diplomatic Negotiation and Engagement, Procurement and Financing, Shipment and Storage, Distribution and Deployment, Implementation of a Nationwide Vaccination; and Assessment, Evaluation and Monitoring.

The prioritization mechanism and the criteria for technical evaluation of the short-listed vaccines are explained in the vaccine plan. The document also describes the government's process of engagement with foreign entities on vaccine development, evaluation and selection, the funding requirements, and the technical details on the cold chain management and ancillary immunization supplies.

Eleven COVID-19 vaccines have been shortlisted by the vaccine expert panel so far, including Sinovac, Sinopharm, Novavax, and Clover. AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech are also among the candidates, but these are the only ones which were granted with an Emergency Use Authorization so far as of last week.

Of the allotted 82.5 billion for the COVID-19 campaign, 70 billion will come from the unprogrammed funds in the 2021 General Appropriations Act for the procurement of vaccines. Meanwhile, for the logistics and other supplies, 2.5 billion has been set aside under the Department of Health's budget and 10 billion under the Bayanihan 2.

The plan also lays down the process of masterlisting or the registration of the population prior to vaccination. Under Group A, health workers, senior citizens, the indigent population, and the uniformed personnel are included. Group B comprises other frontline workers and special populations, while Group C comprises the remaining population.

The plan also details the role of vaccination experts and trainers from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Department of Health, the regional training teams on the designated COVID-19 vaccinators, as well as the process of their post-training supervision on the field.

Under the implementation phase, there will be fixed vaccination sites in medical centers, hospitals, rural health units, health facilities of other government agencies and private clinics. Local officials and other personnel may do house-to-house visits to mobilize those who have successfully registered for the vaccination.

Those who have pre-registered for the vaccination will go to the site with a designated QR code and sign a final consent form prior to the inoculation. They will then be given an immunization card afterwards and will stay in a post-vaccination monitoring area for up to an hour where they will be observed for possible adverse effects by a separate team of health workers.

The plan also bares the surveillance of adverse effects of the vaccine, to be done by a surveillance officer, who is part of the composite team assigned in the post-vaccination monitoring area. Monitoring and reporting will be done every two weeks for the first two months, then monthly for one year.

The vaccinee can also report his or her condition by calling his designated vaccination operation center, by filing a report to the Food and Drug Administration through the pharmacovigilance system or directly to the vaccine manufacturer. He or she can also report online through a system that will be set up by the government.

RELATED: COVID-19 vaccines: Where is PH in the procurement, clinical trials?

"This is a living plan and will be updated as more information becomes available or as recommendations are provided by WHO and UNICEF," the document read.

Galvez earlier said that the first batch of coronavirus vaccines is set to arrive in the Philippines this February, in line with the government's aim to vaccinate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year.

While lives will not yet return to pre-pandemic times for at least two years, Duque previously expressed the need to achieve herd immunity this year, admitting this is the best-case scenario.

READ: Vaccine czar eyes jabs by February, but Filipinos may need to endure pandemic until 2023
County of Los Angeles paramedics administer oxygen to a potential COVID-19 patient on the sidewalk in front his building before taking him to a hospital in Hawthorne, Calif., on Jan. 21, 2021. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)

Orange and Los Angeles Counties Continue Downward COVID Trend

SANTA ANAOrange County reported 1,355 new cases of COVID-19 and 44 additional deaths Jan. 31, bringing the countys totals to 232,391 cases and 3,062 fatalities.

The number of CCP virus patients in county hospitals continued its downward trend, declining from 1,442 Jan. 31 to 1,412, with the number of patients in intensive care dropping from 394 to 392.

The countys state-adjusted intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability remains at zero, and the unadjusted figure decreased slightly from 9.9 percent Jan. 30 to 9.8 percent.

The state created the adjusted metric to reflect the difference in beds available for COVID-19 patients and non-CCP virus patients. The county has 48 percent of its ventilators available.

Of the fatalities reported Jan. 31, three were residents of skilled nursing facilities and six were residents of assisted living facilities. Since the pandemic began, 830 residents of skilled nursing facilities have died from the virus, along with 320 residents of assisted living facilities.

The death reports are staggered because they come from a variety of sources and are not always logged immediately.

The Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) reported 16,044 tests on Jan. 31, for a total of 2,681,673. There have been 175,513 documented recoveries, according to the OCHCA.

The countys large-scale vaccination site at Disneyland, which was shut down Jan. 29 because of stormy weather, reopened Jan. 30. Vaccines were also being doled out at an indoor site at Soka University in Aliso Viejo.

Orange County chief executive Frank Kim said last week he was frustrated that officials dont have a long-term view of when more vaccines will arrive.

We need an estimate two weeks out, Kim said. That would address a lot of concerns people have. We cant schedule beyond two or three days out.

Kim said hospitals are also ramping up inoculations.

Outbreaksdefined as at least two cases over the past two weekswere reported in 26 skilled nursing facilities and 37 elderly assisted living facilities in the county as of Jan. 29.

Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesawhich was set up to handle overflow from local hospitalswas treating 30 patients, 20 from Orange County, seven from Los Angeles County, two from Riverside County, and one from San Bernardino County.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles County reported 5,925 new cases of COVID-19 and 124 additional deaths on Jan. 31, bringing the countys totals to 1,116,892 cases and 16,770 fatalities.

The countys COVID-19 hospitalization rate continues to decline, with 5,328 CCP virus patients hospitalized as of Jan. 31, down from 5,669 the day before, with 27 percent of those patients in the ICU.

The countys hospitalization rate has been dropping steadily since it peaked at more than 8,000 in early January.

The latest numbers came one day after health officials confirmed the second local case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, first discovered in the United Kingdom, and four additional cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

The B.1.1.7 specimen, submitted by a clinical facility, was sequenced as part of routine surveillance by the countys Public Health Laboratory. The first confirmed case of B.1.1.7 was logged on Jan. 16, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Officials believe the B.1.1.7 and other variants are already spreading in the county, and theyre continuing to test samples. B.1.1.7 is considered more contagious, and possibly more deadly, than the original strain of COVID-19.

The four additional cases of MIS-C bring the total number in the county to 66 children, including one child death. All 66 children with MIS-C in LA County were hospitalized, and 44 percent of the children were treated in the ICU. Of the 66, 32 percent were under the age of 5, 38 percent were between the ages of 5 and 11, and 30 percent were between the ages of 12 and 20.

Latino children account for nearly 74 percent of the reported cases, the department said.

MIS-C is an inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19, and symptoms include fever that doesnt go away and inflamed body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.

Meanwhile, some elected officials were condemning the actions of anti-vaccination protesters who caused a brief disruption at Los Angeles Countys COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 30.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) closed the gates from 1:50 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Jan. 30 to keep protesters out, according to LAFD Firefighter David Ortiz.

The Los Angeles Police Department estimated there were about 50 protesters. The group was expressing opposition to both the vaccine and government shutdown orders, with some calling the entire coronavirus pandemic a hoax.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis condemned the actions of the mask-less anti-vaccine protesters.

What they did today amounts to intentional sabotage of an effort to keep our community healthy and get ahead of alarming variants making their way into Los Angeles County, Solis wrote on Twitter.

Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon called what occurred at Dodger Stadium intimidation, not protests.

Anyone obstructing vaccinations must be held accountable, de Leon wrote on Twitter.

No arrests were reported, and officials said everyone who showed up with an appointment for a vaccine was able to get one.
As the government has decided to use the police for ensuring people follow COVID-19 protocol, police teams in Mallapuram said they will take strict action against those flouting social distancing norms imposed to limit the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The decision has been taken as continues to record the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases in India. The state has 72,482 active cases, as per the government.

"We plan to control/limit the number of new COVID-19 cases in by enforcing social distancing in public places. We have also made announcements using police vehicles. After issuing warnings for 1-2 days, we will take stringent action," Abdul Karim, Malappuram Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdul Karim told ANI on Sunday.

The Malappuram Police has marked some places as hotspots to take extra caution to combat COVID-19.

Earlier, Director General of Police (DGP) Lokanath Behera had directed the police force to be at the scene to ensure that the regulations are strictly adhered to in wake of increasing COVID-19 spread."The entire police force will be on the scene to ensure that the COVID-19 regulations are strictly adhered to by the public in wake of increasing COVID spread. The arrangement runs until February 10," said a statement issued by the Kerala Police Department."State Police Chief Loknath Behra directed all District Police Chiefs, Sub-Divisional Officers, and Station House Officers in this regard. Police also have been given permission to use discretion where necessary," it added.Vijay Sakhare, ADGP, Law and Order Division, is in charge of COVID-19 control in the state.Priority will be given to avoid crowding as much as possible. Police will ensure that restrictions are enforced, including maintaining social distance, said the statement.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Thousands of people from across New Zealand celebrated the upcoming Chinese New Year at the 2021 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day event in Auckland on Saturday.

The annual event, one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations in New Zealand, was joined by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Opposition leader Judith Collins and many distinguished guests.

In her keynote speech, Ardern said that the 2021 Chinese New Year represented an opportunity to acknowledge the past year and to look forward to 2021 with optimism and with hope.

"People born in the year of Ox, are known to be honest, consistent, hardworking and generous. Those character traits of the Chinese community, who have joined New Zealand and contributed to New Zealand for over 170 years with all of those many traits", said Ardern.

Ardern also mentioned the economic ties between New Zealand and China, particularly the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement upgrade that was signed this week.

"Alongside the renewed commitment to our people-to-people links, stands our on-going commitment to our economic and trade ties, which are equally long and deep and important to us," said Ardern.

"It is a really important milestone for both countries, and shows the strength of our relationship," said Ardern.

Ruan Ping, Chinese consul general in Auckland, said in his opening remark that New Zealand was now well positioned for post-pandemic recovery.

"For 12 years, The China-New Zealand FTA has brought huge benefits to both countries and peoples. The upgrade protocol involves multiple areas such as trade, investment and rules, making China-New Zealand free trade more efficient. I am convinced that by working together, China and New Zealand will achieve more tangible results in pragmatic cooperation and friendly relations," said Ruan.

Traditional Chinese performances including lion and dragon dances, Wushu performances, face-changing performance, magic shows, singing and dancing were showcased in the celebration.

Free facemasks and hand sanitizers were provided during the event to the general public for additional safeguarding people's health, although facemasks were not mandatory by government regulation. People were also encouraged to scan the NZ COVID Tracer App for contact tracing.

New Zealand is currently at COVID-19 Alert Level One with no restriction on public gathering.
A photo of an Indian couple sitting on the bank of the Ganges River at Sangam in Allahabad on July 5, 2015. Briana Joseph, an Indian American undergraduate student at Texas Womans University in Denton, Texas, is conducting a study that examines the perceptions of intimate partner violence within Indian American communities. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP via Getty Images)

Bengaluru, Jan 31 : With the easing of Covid-induced restrictions on declining positive cases across Karnataka, regular classes for students of standard 9 would begin from Monday as per the guidelines, an education official said on Sunday.

"As per the protocols of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and guidelines of the Union Health Ministry, full-day classes for 9th standard students will begin in all high schools across the state from Monday," the official told IANS.

As schools and colleges remained shut since March 25, 2020 to contain the pandemic, their students were attending classes through online, since July.

Offline classes for students of standard 10 in higher secondary schools and pre-university course (PUC) in junior colleges were started from January 1 in addition to online classes to make up for the last 6 months as they were shut.

"Classes for students of 6th-8th standard under the Vidyagama programme will continue to be held in the open air under shade on alternate days from 10:00am to 12:30pm," said the official.

Wearing a face mask, maintaining physical distance and sanitising hands will be mandatory for all students, teachers and staff in all schools and colleges.

"The department has issued a time-table to all high schools for classes 9,10, 11 and 12 from 10:00am to 4:30p.m. on all days - Monday to Saturday," said the official.

"As classes will be for a full day, students have been advised to carry their lunch packed from home and a consent letter from parents to attend classes in their respective schools, mentioning that their wards are free from the virus," asserted the official.

The education department is yet to decide on starting classes for students of first-to-fifth standards in primary schools across the southern state.

The education department has also directed all schools to sanitise classes and maintain hygiene in the premises to prevent the virus spread.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 19:51:44|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran welcomes the formation of a government with the participation of all ethnic and political groups in Afghanistan, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said here on Sunday.

"Political decisions cannot be made in vacuum, and the formation of an inclusive government must take place in a participatory process, taking into account fundamental structures, institutions and legislations such as the constitution," Zarif was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry's official website.

Zarif made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Taliban's deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, announcing his country's readiness to facilitate talks between the Taliban and the Afghanistan government and other Afghan groups.

The Taliban delegation arrived in Iran on Tuesday for talks with Iranian officials. Enditem
UPDATE: Snowstorm totals leap to 24 inches in some areas in the latest forecast update.

A major snowstorm that will drop more than a foot of snow on much of New Jersey by early Tuesday is set to get underway in some parts of the state by early afternoon.

The noreaster will pack strong winds, especially along the Jersey Shore, and could lead to coastal flooding as well as scattered power outages with travel expected to be significantly disrupted, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service has placed nearly the entire state under a winter storm warning with 2 to 4 inches of snow expected on Sunday before a lull that lasts into early Monday. The storm cranks up in a big way on Monday when some areas could receive an inch of snow an hour. There could be a bit of light snow on Tuesday before the storm winds down.

Residents along the Jersey Shore should expect moderate coastal flooding and beach erosion, according to AccuWeather.com and the weather service.

Heres what the National Weather Service is forecasting in New Jersey:

Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Union and Passaic: Blizzard-like conditions are possible Monday and Monday evening with wind gusts as high as 35 to 45 mph. In all, 14 to 18 inches of snow should fall in the five northeast counties under a winter storm warning from 7 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Sussex, Warren and Morris: These counties will be among the hardest-hit with 15 to 19 inches of accumulation. The winter storm warning lasts from 5 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Mercer: Residents of these four Central Jersey counties should brace for 13 to 18 inches of snow and winds gusts that might reach 35 mph. A winter storm warning will be in effect from 5 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Monmouth, northwest Burlington: The weather service is calling for 7 to 14 inches of snow as winds gust as high as 45 mph. Some mixed precipitation, including sleet, late Sunday and early Monday could cut down the snow totals. The winter storm warning runs from 1 p.m. Sunday to 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Ocean, southeast Burlington: Expect 6 to 8 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 45 mph. A period of rain late Sunday and early Monday will limit snow totals. The winter storm warning starts at 1 p.m. Sunday and concludes at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Snow will start accumulating early Sunday afternoon in South Jersey before overspreading northwestern New Jersey by late tonight.National Weather Service

Salem, Gloucester and Camden: An estimated 8 to 12 inches of snow in these counties. A tenth of an inch of ice accumulation is also in the forecast. Mixed precipitation or rain late Sunday and early Monday will also be a factor before snow resumes. The winter storm warning will be in effect from 1 p.m. Sunday until 10 a.m Tuesday.

Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and coastal areas of Ocean county: Two to 4 inches of snow are expected with a period of mixed precipitation, or rain Sunday night and Monday morning leading to much lower totals than elsewhere in the state. These areas are under a winter weather advisory from 10 a.m. Sunday to 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Heavy snow, strong winds and potential coastal flooding are among the impacts from a storm that will begin hitting New Jersey on Sunday afternoon.National Weather Service

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ.

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The study of economics has lost its way because economists have laboured for decades to make their social science more mathematical and thus more like a physical science. Theyve failed to see that what they should have been doing is deepening their understanding of how the behaviour of economic agents (aka humans) is driven by them being social animals.

In short, to be of more use to humanity, economics should have become more of a social science, not less.

British economics professor Mervyn King. Credit:Ian Tuttle

This is the conclusion I draw from the sweeping criticism of modern economics made by two leading British economics professors, John Kay and Mervyn King, in their book, Radical Uncertainty: Decision-making for an unknowable future.

But dont hold your breath waiting for economists to see the error of their ways. There are two kinds of economists: academic economists and practising economists, who work for banks, businesses and particularly governments or, these days, are self-employed as economic consultants.
Passengers wait for trains at Harbin Railway Station in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of passenger trips dropped by 75.2 percent year on year to 17.58 million on Friday. It was the second day of the Spring Festival travel rush amid stringent epidemic control measures, official data showed.

Passengers made 2.83 million railway trips on the day, down by 77.2 percent from one year earlier, according to the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

The country reported 13.97 million road trips and 287,000 trips through waterway transportation, which decreased by 75.1 percent and 51.1 percent year on year, respectively.

The civil aviation sector operated 492,000 passenger trips, registering a 73.2-percent yearly decline, the MOT data showed.

To reduce the flow of personnel and curb the spread of the epidemic, many places across China have encouraged residents and migrant workers to stay put for the festival.

Despite this, railway, electric power, civil aviation and other departments continue to guarantee travel services, implement epidemic prevention and control measures, and strengthen safety inspections.

At some railway stations, large-scale disinfection and cleaning work continued effectively. Robots for contact-free temperature screening have also greatly enhanced travel efficiency, according to the MOT.

Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in quarantine as mystery surrounds when he will be allowed to play again.

The Gabon striker was expected to return to action on Saturday against Manchester United having missed the last two games due to his mother's health issues.

Manager Mikel Arteta revealed after the goalless draw that his star forward is in quarantine, with no date set for his return.

It is unclear when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (left) will be able to return with Mikel Arteta (right) revealing the striker is in quarantine

It is not known whether or not Aubameyang, 31, had to go abroad to see his mother as Arteta said: 'He's been looking after his family and now he's in quarantine.

'We have to follow the rules and the protocols right now. And the protocols says that he cannot be involved at the moment. We have to respect that and the doctor is managing the situation currently.'

Asked if Aubameyang's situation was due to travel restrictions, Arteta responded: 'It's because he had a family issue that he had to attend to. And these are the consequences to that moment.'

Arsenal's next match is away to Wolves on Tuesday night and Aubameyang's possible involvement is up in the air. 'I don't know,' Arteta said. 'I cannot give you an exact answer.'
Washington, Jan 31 : An influential Covid-19 model has predicted a possible "spring spike" in coronavirus deaths in the United States if emerging variants rapidly spread and people let down their guard against the virus.

In its latest forecast, the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa and identified in the United States this week could drive the country's Covid-19 death toll up to 654,000 by May 1 in a worst-case scenario if mobility returns to pre-pandemic levels, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

A resurgence of the virus could also occur in the spring in California and Florida, according to the forecast.

Keeping mobility low and maintaining social distancing could reduce that number by approximately 30,000, said the forecast.

"What we're seeing is sobering, and will require us to continue taking this pandemic very seriously," said Christopher Murray, director of IHME.

"Getting vaccines out quickly is essential, and masks are still one of the best tools we have to keep transmission low and avoid the worst possible outcome. People will need to continue taking precautions even once they are vaccinated, because of the potential for more contagious variants to spread," he said.

"We have not been seeing governments taking action to apply cautionary measures as quickly as expected, and have incorporated that information into the modelling," said Murray. "Without measures to control the spread of the disease, mobility remains higher and transmission is more likely." IHME's forecasts predict only 38 per cent of people in the United States will be immune by May 1.

In a worst-case scenario, there is also the possibility of a third wave next winter, according to the forecast.

The vaccine rollout in the United States has drawn great public attention since it started on December 14 last year. Health experts and officials have blamed states for slow vaccine rollout.

In face of growing frustration over vaccine shortages, US President Joe Biden announced earlier this week a roughly 16 per cent boost in vaccine deliveries to states over the next three weeks.

The country expects to provide enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall, according to Biden.

About 27.88 million doses have been administered as of January 29, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sources inside the preselection event, held in Ivanhoe, said Mr Wolahan received hostile questioning about why he was challenging a candidate who was endorsed by a sitting prime minister and two former leaders  Tony Abbott and John Howard. Mr Andrews was backed by the conservative faction in the party, led by Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar, and the result is a blow to Mr Frydenberg, who supported his colleague during the preselection campaign. Former prime minister Mr Abbott and senior federal ministers, including Greg Hunt, made calls to delegates on behalf of Mr Andrews last week. Mr Wolahan campaigned on a call for renewal in Menzies. He did not seek high-profile endorsements, but was backed by more moderate elements in the party. Mr Frydenberg told delegates after voting commenced that he would support whoever the successful candidate was. A total of 292 of 318 eligible delegates attended the preselection convention. He said the Liberal Party had started a new chapter in the seat of Menzies.

Kevin Andrews has served the people of Menzies and the people of Australia with distinction for nearly 30 years, Mr Frydenberg said. In that time he has held a number of senior portfolios in a Coalition government and continues to perform senior roles in Scott Morrisons parliamentary party ... Kevin, thank you for your outstanding commitment to Liberal values, to your electorate, to your country. The Treasurer also praised Mr Wolahans credentials and said the duo performed brilliantly during the preselection battle, which he said was democracy in action. Mr Wolahan was the first person to attempt to unseat a federal Liberal in Victoria since Mr Frydenberg unsuccessfully challenged Petro Georgiou in Kooyong in 2006. The last successful preselection challenge was in 1990 when future ministers Peter Costello and David Kemp won battles against sitting members Roger Shipton and Ian Macphee in the safe Liberal seats of Higgins and Goldstein. The contest was predicted to be neck-and-neck by both camps in the lead-up to Sundays event at Ivanhoe, where local delegates heard speeches from the two candidates and held a question and answer session.

While Mr Frydenberg spoke at an event with Mr Andrews and supported his federal colleague, he was not active behind the scenes in the same way his federal colleagues Mr Sukkar and Mr Hunt were. Mr Frydenberg met with Mr Wolahan in recent weeks and the pair have a respectful relationship. The administrative committee met and endorsed the votes outcome on Sunday afternoon. Mr Wolahan  who completed three tours of Afghanistan in the 2nd Commando Regiment of the Australian Army, including as platoon commander, and who has a degree from Cambridge  was touted as a potential rival to Mr Andrews for many years and appealed to local members to renew the party by electing him as the candidate. The barrister did not seek high-profile endorsements and relied on the support of local community members. Mr Andrews campaign focused on his three-decade career, during which he opposed voluntary euthanasia laws and the introduction of abortion medication RU486. He outlined a fresh five-year plan and had endorsements from a cohort of federal ministers including Health Minister Mr Hunt, Trade Minister Dan Tehan, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, former prime minister John Howard, and News Corp commentators Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin, who spoke at events in support of Mr Andrews.
(Natural News) Residents in the northeastern Chinese city of Tonghua have been stuck in their homes due to the local governments lockdown order. Many of them have been running out of food, if not getting insufficient amounts of it. Locals have complained of a food shortage and inadequate rations after being locked inside their homes for several days. State-run media outlet Xinhua News Agency reported Jan. 27 that many are still required to stay home, despite the city testing all residents for the Wuhan coronavirus thrice.

The local government of Tonghua ordered the citywide lockdown Jan. 18, prohibiting people from going outside. Community volunteers are in charge of distributing food supplies to residents who cannot leave their homes. The Epoch Times managed to get in touch with some of the volunteers to find out the actual situation in the city.

A college student who used the alias Gao was among the volunteers The Epoch Times contacted. He said he has been doing volunteer work for nearly a week ever since returning to Tonghua for the Chinese New Year holiday. According to Gao, residents are still stuck at home  with some of their doors sealed shut  despite a third round of COVID-19 mass testing.

The college student described his work as a food delivery volunteer. When residents place an order, the supermarket gives it to the volunteers. The volunteers then go to the supermarket to pick up the ordered items such as vegetables, fruits and other essential supplies and deliver them to the customers. Residents pay for the items online and they will just have to wait for their orders to arrive. Gao and other volunteers would need to remove the seals from residents doors so they can be opened. They then give the residents their orders of food and essential supplies, re-sealing the doors before departing.

We usually work with supermarket chains. We start as early as 7 a.m., put on protective clothing and start the delivery. We usually finish the delivery at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m, Gao said. He added that he would immediately fall asleep after getting home and disinfecting himself. Unfortunately, Gao commented that volunteers do not receive any subsidies despite the risks and long working hours.

Lockdown measures only cause more damage

Another volunteer who used the alias Lin told The Epoch Times that people are not allowed to go downstairs or go out of their buildings. Thus, community or neighborhood volunteers take care of delivering food and supplies to Tonghua residents. But the volunteers movements are also limited as they are prohibited from going to different neighborhoods. They are generally assigned to do deliveries in the communities they live in. Lin continued that some volunteers are using their own vehicles as the government cannot provide any transportation.

Lins main task is to sort vegetables for delivery. He mentioned that volunteers like him that handle logistic support and vegetable sorting have a special pass that lets them go beyond their neighborhoods. Some volunteers dont have a pass, so they are not allowed to leave their neighborhood. They can only work inside the community, he said.

On the issue of Tonghuas food shortage, the volunteer commented that there was none. Instead, he pointed out chaotic management for the food supply issues. Lin believes that young migrant workers, the low income groups, the unemployed, the handicapped and the elderly living alone are those needing food the most.

Even other volunteers have been hit hard by the citys inconsistent food supply. A Tonghua volunteer aired his grievance on Chinese social media Jan 26. He said that his team did not have anything to eat after their morning and afternoon shift as food supplies were insufficient. Our team leader led us on a strike and Im starving, the volunteer said. (Related: New coronavirus outbreaks in China lead to strict lockdown measures.)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against the use of lockdowns, such as the one in Tonghua City, to curb the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. The global health body initially supported lockdown measures during the pandemics early days. WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Takeshi Kasai said in April 2020 that lockdowns have proved effective. WHO Health Emergencies Program Executive Director Dr. Michael Ryan shared Kasais view. In July 2020, Ryan said that countries may face situations where a full lockdown is the only option.

However, the WHO made a complete turnaround regarding its stance on lockdown measures in October 2020. WHO Special Envoy on COVID-19 Dr. David Nabarro told The Spectator that lockdowns do more harm than good to a countrys citizens. He said: Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never, ever belittle  and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer.

Pandemic.news has more about coronavirus lockdown measures in China and other countries.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Reuters.com

BusinessInsider.com

Spectator.us
President Joe Biden says he wants most schools serving kindergarten through eighth grade to reopen by late April, but even if that happens, it is likely to leave out millions of students, many of them minorities in urban areas.

Were going to see kids fall further and further behind, particularly low-income students of color, said Shavar Jeffries, president of Democrats for Education Reform. Theres potentially a generational level of harm that students have suffered from being out of school for so long.

Like some other officials and education advocates, Jeffries said powerful teachers unions are standing in the way of bringing back students. The unions insist they are acting to protect teachers and students and their families.

In a call Thursday evening with teachers unions, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal governments top infectious disease expert, said the reopening of K-8 classrooms nationally might not be possible on Bidens time frame. He cited concern over new variants of the virus that allow it to spread more quickly and may be more resistant to vaccines.

Biden is asking for $130 billion for schools to address concerns by unions and school officials as part of a broader coronavirus relief package that faces an uncertain fate in Congress. If his reopening goal is realized, millions of students might still have to keep learning from home, possibly for the rest of the school year.

California was an epicenter of infection in the first part of January, and public health officials say many of the states districts are in areas where transmission remains too high to reopen. But a statewide group called Open Schools California is pushing for reopening as soon as public health standards are met.

I think that data will bear out that the children who have been most disadvantaged are going to be low-income children, Black and brown children, children with special education, learning differences, homeless and foster youth, said Megan Bacigalupi, a mother of students in the Oakland public schools and one of the organizers.

Its hard to tally exactly how many schools are open in person now because of the size and diffuse nature of the nations school system  and because districts approaches change frequently.

By early January, about a third of students in a sample of 1,200 U.S. school districts were in schools where classes had been held exclusively online since last March  many of them in cities. By last week, more than half of students were enrolled in schools where in-person learning was at least an option, according to Burbio, a data service tracking school-opening policies.

For the first time since shuttering schools in March, Atlanta began returning the youngest and special education students to some in-person learning last week. Other districts planning to reopen by early March include Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas; Kansas City, Missouri; Boston and the big Ohio school systems.

Younger students in New York City already have the option to attend school in-person. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that he expects middle school and high school students back in some capacity later this school year.

Jeffries acknowledges that there are reasons its harder to open schools in cities: Theyre more densely populated, meaning the virus can spread faster; more people rely on public transportation, a potential hot spot for contamination; and more parents have front-line jobs that could expose them, and, in turn, their children, to the virus.

But he said the major obstacle to reopening city schools is political. The teachers unions tend to be pretty obstinately opposed to going back to school, Jeffries said.

In Chicago, only prekindergartners have been in school so far. This week, the Chicago Teachers Union voted to teach online only in a showdown with the district over plans to bring students to school starting Feb. 1. The union has authorized a strike if school officials retaliate, but negotiations are continuing.

Claiborne Wade, 31, has three children in the Chicago Public Schools system, ages 10, 9 and 7. Wade believes the district is not quite ready to reopen schools, and he favors distance learning for now.

Even so, he said minority students in large urban districts have fewer resources for online learning. Hes seen students from more affluent schools get a laptop and a tablet, and even a desk, while his kids only have a laptop to work with. Having both a laptop and tablet helps because the students can see their teacher on one screen and follow along with instruction materials on another, he said.

Its been going on for years, even before the pandemic hit, he said. Weve always been at the bottom of the totem pole, in receiving resources that we need.

Public health officials increasingly say that virus transmissions in schools are low, so long as measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing are in place  even if teachers and other school staff have not received vaccinations.

On Jan. 21, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, declared: There is no public health reason for school boards to be keeping students out of school. None.

This past week, Maryland State Education Association President Cheryl Bost wrote to Hogan, saying his statement would be laughable if it were not so dangerous. She said the coronavirus is not predictable and that dangers are heightened with the spread of new mutations. Infection risks increase when people gather indoors for long periods.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said it could be safe to return to schools in the spring semester with rigorous testing programs in place and the option for students and educators to remain online if they choose to.

Teachers know how important in-person instruction is, but we have to make it safe. Testing and vaccination, as well as masking and distancing, are crucial, as are accommodations for educators at risk, she said in a statement last week.

Keith Benson, president of the Camden Education Association, which represents teachers in a New Jersey city with a long history of poverty, crime and high dropout rates, said conditions are different in the city than outside it. The schools there plan to keep buildings closed until at least April.

What keeps someone safe in a suburban area is not the same thing that would keep folks safe here, Benson said, adding that while remote learning is not ideal, he believes students will be able to catch up eventually.

Dr. Lavanya Sithanandam, a pediatrician who practices in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, said she has seen a record number of children and teenagers with mental health issues since online learning began in her area more than 10 months ago.

Initially, many physicians, including myself, were very hesitant about kids returning to school, she said. But as the data evolved, many of us have realized that school reopening is incredibly important.

Most of her patients are children from lower-income minority families. She said students she sees from private schools where classes are being held in person tend to fare better than their public school peers in terms of mental health.

Theyve done the basics of masking, distancing, sometimes the windows being open. With that, theyve been able to minimize any outbreaks, she said.

Grace Lovelace Guishard, a second grade teacher, also has three children enrolled in Marylands Montgomery County public schools, a large and racially diverse district where classes are to remain all virtual until at least March 15, a schedule that will depend on the spread of the virus.

She said schools cannot take shortcuts in preparing to reopen and believes teachers must have the right to refuse to work if they believe conditions are unsafe. That also means ensuring that students like hers, many of whom come from Spanish-speaking households, will have equal treatment.

Any plan for reopening schools needs to be centered around equity for all, she said.

___

Geoff Mulvihill,, Adrian Sainz and Michael Kunzelman of The Associated Press wrote this story.

Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Sainz from Memphis and Kunzelman from College Park, Maryland. Also contributing were Associated Press writers Collin Binkley in Boston; Jennifer Peltz in New York; and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland; and AP data journalist Larry Fenn in New York.
BGI Group, the world's largest genomics company, has worked with China's military on research that ranges from mass testing for respiratory pathogens to brain science, a Reuters review of research, patent filings and other documents has found.

The review, of more than 40 publicly available documents and research papers in Chinese and English, shows BGI's links to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) include research with China's top military supercomputing experts. The extent of those links has not previously been reported.

BGI has sold millions of COVID-19 test kits outside China since the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic, including to Europe, Australia and the United States. Shares of BGI Genomics Co, the company's subsidiary listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange, have doubled in price over the past 12 months, giving it a market value of about $9 billion.

But top U.S. security officials have warned American labs against using Chinese tests because of concern China was seeking to gather foreign genetic data for its own research. BGI has denied that.

The documents reviewed by Reuters neither contradict nor support that U.S. suspicion. Still, the material shows that the links between the Chinese military and BGI run deeper than previously understood, illustrating how China has moved to integrate private technology companies into military-related research under President Xi Jinping.

The U.S. government has recently been warned by an expert panel that adversary countries and non-state actors might find and target genetic weaknesses in the U.S. population and a competitor such as China could use genetics to augment the strength of its own military personnel.

BGI has worked on PLA projects seeking to make members of the ethnic Han Chinese majority less susceptible to altitude sickness, Reuters found, genetic research that would benefit soldiers in some border areas.

Elsa Kania, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank, who has provided testimony to U.S. Congressional committees, told Reuters that China's military has pushed research on brain science, gene editing and the creation of artificial genomes that could have an application in future bioweapons. She added that such weapons are not currently technically feasible.

BGI's pattern of collaboration with the Chinese military was a reasonable concern to raise for U.S. officials, said Kania.

In response to Reuters questions, BGI said it adheres to international standards and Chinese laws related to open science, data sharing and genomic research. It said its collaboration with military researchers was for academic purposes only.

BGI strongly rejects any accusations about links with the PLA, particularly in relation to our COVID-19 test kits, it said in a statement.

China's defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

'ENHANCE' SOLDIER STRENGTH

Chinese technology companies have come under increasing scrutiny by the United States and were subject to mounting restrictions under the administration of Donald Trump. In November, the Department of Commerce proposed a rule to add gene-editing software to the U.S. export control list, saying it could be used to create biological weapons. Officials in the new administration of President Joe Biden have signalled a continued tough approach to what they see as a rising threat from Beijing.

A technology industry panel on artificial intelligence, appointed by the U.S. government and chaired by former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, raised the alarm in October about China's financial support for its biotechnology sector, its advantages in collecting biological data, and the PLA's interest in potential military applications.

The panel, which will deliver its final report in March, warned about adversaries using artificial intelligence to identify genetic weaknesses in a population and engineering pathogens to exploit them, and genetic research designed to enhance soldiers mental or physical strength.

The panel recommended that the U.S. government take a more aggressive public posture regarding BGI, citing national security risks posed by the company's links to the Chinese government and its trove of genomic data.

The U.S. Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Reuters' findings.

In response to Reuters' questions, China's foreign ministry said the U.S. government had "wantonly misinterpreted and smeared China's military-civil fusion policy," and was imposing unreasonable sanctions that would hamper research.

China's military-civil fusion policy is aimed at effectively mobilizing military and civilian resources, coordinating socio-economic growth and national defense development, and benefiting the public with scientific and technological progress. This policy is above board and beyond reproach, the ministry said in a statement to Reuters.

It added that this was customary international practice and said the U.S. government had effectively pursued military-civil fusion for more than 100 years.

KEY PROJECTS

BGI Group, based in Shenzhen, has grown quickly by selling genetic sequencing services to universities and health systems around the world and amassing a large DNA databank. It created China's first cloned pig in 2010.

One science paper authored by BGI founders Yang Huanming and Wang Jian along with the PLA's Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine and the Third Military Medical University focused on experiments with the brains of monkeys suffering altitude sickness.

The study, published in January 2020, stated that it was funded as one of the key projects of military science and technology by the PLA. A decade ago, the military university's research sought to identify genes related to altitude sickness so the PLA could screen for susceptible soldiers. The latest research focused on how drugs interacting with genes could potentially protect a person from brain injury.

An earlier 2017 study designed by BGI's Wang and published in conjunction with a PLA research centre in Xinjiang looked at the effect of rapid mountain ascent on the bodies of young, healthy men.

China has the world's longest highland border, which includes its border with India, where fighting broke out between the two countries' troops in 2020. A 2018 paper by the same PLA laboratory stated that high altitude disease is the main reason for reduced combat effectiveness and health damage to soldiers at high altitudes and influences the results of war.

Reuters was unable to contact Yang and Wang. BGI said its research collaboration with the PLA lab and the Third Military Medical University, where Yang has been a professor for almost two decades, was for academic purposes only.

SEQUENCING COVID

BGI jointly holds a dozen patents for tests that screen for genomes linked to disease with the military university, the PLA's Academy of Military Medical Science, which is the top medical research institute of the PLA, and PLA hospitals.

One patent was granted in 2015 to BGI and the Academy of Military Medical Science for a low-cost test kit to detect respiratory pathogens, including SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and coronaviruses.

BGI's current chief infectious disease scientist, Chen Weijun, is listed as an inventor on the patent documents. Chen was among the first scientists to sequence COVID-19, taking samples from a military hospital in Wuhan, according to sequence data later shared internationally.

Chen is listed as affiliated with the Academy of Military Medical Science in three science papers reviewed by Reuters.In response to Reuters questions, BGI said in a statement that Chen has not been affiliated with the PLA's Academy of Military Medical Science since 2012. Chen did not respond to a request for comment.

BGI's COVID-19 test kit did not use the method jointly patented with the PLA, the company said in the statement.

Four BGI researchers have also been jointly affiliated with another military institution, the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), according to publicly available science and conference papers reviewed by Reuters. Hunan-based NUDT is under the direct leadership of China's Central Military Commission, the top-level body that steers the Chinese military and is headed by Xi.

The NUDT is on a U.S. blacklist as a threat to national security because its Tianhe-2 supercomputer  one of the world's most powerful  is used to simulate nuclear explosions, according to a Department of Commerce listing. That listing restricts U.S. companies from supplying NUDT with technology.

One researcher, Peng Shaoliang, was instrumental in developing software to speed up BGI's sequencing of human genomes using supercomputing developed by NUDT.

Peng has won military awards for his work. He is a member of an expert group advising the Central Military Commission's Science and Technology Commission, set up in 2016 when Xi began promoting a strategy to integrate China's civilian and military research.

Patent applications in 2020 show Peng is also a member of the PLA's Institute of Military Medicine. Liao Xiangke, the head of the NUDT's supercomputer programme and a major general in the PLA, has published seven scientific papers either co-authored with BGI researchers or crediting them for providing data and source code.

BGI said in a statement to Reuters that Peng and Liao were two collaborators of BGI for the project at the time for the purpose of academic exchange only. Since the project ended BGI has no more affiliation with them.

Peng and Liao did not respond to requests for comment.

BGI said it uses Tianhe-2 on a commercial basis, as well as other supercomputing platforms, to speed up research. The papers it wrote with the NUDT were for academic purposes only, it said, and were open for public reference, while the programmes themselves have ended.

Tianhe-2 has also been used to solve pharmaceutical, cryptology, engineering and climate problems that have no military application, the company said.
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When Jaco Coetzee first came to Roseburg, he knew he wanted to help people in the community 

Need help?

FARA4Youth provides immediate support. The hotline, 541-229-0126, is staffed 24 hours a day by someone who will drop everything  night or day  to assist youth in need. The hotline offers crisis intervention, assistance finding a place with Hearts with a Mission youth shelter in Josephine county, counseling for both the youth and their family members, family mediation, parent education and other services.
'New farm laws wont affect MSP': Tomar counters 'misinformed' Pawar

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 31: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday countered NCP President Sharad Pawar's criticism over the new farm laws and accused him of being "ignorant" and "misinformed".

Tomar said it was "dismaying" to see the veteran leader's tweets employing "a mix of ignorance and misinformation" on the agriculture reforms.

In a series of tweets, Pawar had on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the Mandi'' system.

The tweets by Pawar -- who as the Agriculture Minister during the UPA period had pitched for these reforms -- came at a time when talks between the Centre and the 41 protesting farmers'' unions have reached a deadlock.

Responding to the NCP leader''s remarks, Tomar said Pawar, who is a veteran leader, is also considered well-versed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. "Pawar himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier."

Three contentious farm laws will affect MSP, weaken mandi system: Pawar

"Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts," Tomar said on Twitter.

The minister countered Pawar''s tweet which said that the amended Essential Commodities (EC) Act "may lead to apprehensions that corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stockpile and sell at higher prices to consumers."

"The apprehension has no basis. Under the EC Act, the central government can intervene in case of extraordinary circumstances including war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamities of grave nature," Tomar said.

He said the new laws encourage additional choice channels for farmers as they can sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with a hassle- free movement in and outside the state to realise a competitive and better net price for their produce.

"This doesn''t affect the current MSP (minimum support price) system," he added.

Under the new ecosystem, the minister said, the mandis are not affected. Instead, they will be more competitive and cost-effective in terms of services and infrastructure; and both the systems will synergistically co-exist for the common interest of farmers.

Tomar said: "As he (Pawar)is such a veteran leader, I would like to believe that he was genuinely misinformed of the facts. Now that he has the right facts, I hope he will also change his stand and also explain the benefits to our farmers."

Pawar, in his tweets on January 30, had expressed concern over the removal of stock limits on food commodities under the amended EC Act.

"Stock piling limits have been removed on food grain, pulses, onion, potato, oilseeds etc. It may lead to apprehensions that Corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stock pile and sell at higher prices to consumers," he had tweeted.

The NCP chief also said that reform is a continuous process and no one would argue against the reforms in the APMCs or Mandi System.

"...a positive argument on the same does not mean that it is done to weaken or demolish the system," he noted.

The government has offered some concessions including keeping the new farm laws on hold for 1-1.5 years and the Supreme Court has set up a panel to look into the matter keeping the contentious legislation in abeyance for two months.

However, the agitating farmers'' unions have rejected both and intensified their over two-month-long agitation on the borders of the national capital.
Back on Sept. 12, 2013, I had a phone interview with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. I remember the date because it was the day of the big fire that destroyed several blocks of the Seaside pier.

Though few people knew it at the time, something else was happening on that date that ended up knocking Chris Christie out of the top tier of potential presidential candidates. The governors people at the Port Authority were conducting a traffic study that caused massive bottlenecks on the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge.

Christie didnt recover from that scandal in time for the 2016 race. A guy from across the river jumped in and went on to win the presidency. But Donald Trump is now relegated to the role of president of Palm Beach.

Even on his own terms, the 74-year-old Trump will be too old for a comeback in 2024. That clears the way for the two 58-year-old Republicans to resume their grudge match.

The last one wasnt pretty. After one tiff on the campaign trail in 2016, Paul offered to sort things out over a beer. Christie declined the offer.

It looks like the rivalry will soon be resuming. Christie has already said hes interested in running in 2024. And last week, Paul made a move that put him in the top tier of GOP presidential wannabes: He forced a vote on the constitutionality of holding a Senate trial for Trump now that hes out of office.

That Paul would lose the vote was a foregone conclusion. It was the margin that mattered: 55 to 45 against calling off the trial. That means Trumps opponents would need another dozen defectors on the Republican side to convict him.

If you voted that it was unconstitutional, how in the world would you ever vote to convict somebody for this? Paul said after the vote. This vote indicates its over. The trial is all over.

When I ran that by New Jerseys leading legal commentator, he agreed.

I thought what he did was brilliant, actually, said Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano. Its taken a lot of the wind out of the Democrats sails. The Democrats would love to drag this out.

As for the Republicans, the sooner they can get the focus off Trump and onto President Joe Biden, the better.

Bidens coming across as hard-left and pro-abortion, said Napolitano. Hes making himself a target for Republicans and moderate Democrats.

But who will lead the loyal opposition? If Christie decides to run, hed better update his policy views. Theyre stuck in the post-George W. Bush era but were in the post-Trump era.

The big beef between him and Paul has been over the role of government. Christie criticized this strain of libertarianism thats going through both parties right now and making big headlines.

A typical issue was the call for decriminalization of marijuana. Paul backed that. It has since caught on across the nation. Meanwhile Christie was still trying to sell the Reefer Madness view of weed as a deadly menace.

And when it comes to the libertarian preference for a non-interventionist foreign policy, Trump took that idea from Paul and beat Jeb Bush over the head with it, running him out of the 2016 race.

As for Christie, at one campaign stop he said that if elected he would phone Russian president Vladimir Putin and inform him the U.S. will be imposing a no-fly zone in Syria (as pushed by Hillary Clinton.).

Listen, were enforcing this no-fly zone, he quoted himself as telling Putin in an imaginary conversation. And I mean were enforcing it against anyone, including you. So dont try me. Dont try me because Ill do it.

Meanwhile Paul told me back in 2013 that Americans now realize a small war can become a big war and you can slip and slide your way from a skirmish into an all-out war.

That view won the day among Republican primary voters  but only after Trump lifted it wholesale.

If Biden decides to engage in any military adventurism, Paul is well-positioned to lead the Republican opposition.

And with Biden expanding the role of the federal government in many ways, Pauls endorsement of what you might call libertarian lite policies will be popular within the GOP that rejected his father Rons strict libertarianism.

As for Christie, hell need a new political philosophy in the post-Trump Grand Old Party.

But he should have a lot of fun taking shots at the Biden administration once Trumps out of the news.

He can thank Paul for bringing that day closer.

Maybe he should offer him a beer.

BELOW - RAND PAUL GOES AFTER DIVISIVE DEMOCRATS:
Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

A person driving a vehicle in northwest Harris County was wounded Saturday when a driver in another vehicle opened fire in what possibly was a road rage incident, authorities said.

The condition of the driver, only described as a male, had been stabilized following the shooting after 4 p.m. on Highway 6 between Huffmeister and West roads, said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Anyone in Queensland who has been Perth and surrounding areas since January 25 will need to go into quarantine as Queensland declares the areas a COVID-19 hotspot.

The measure was put in place on Sunday night after the states border was closed to most of WA when a hotel quarantine security guard in WA contracted COVID-19.

Acting Premier Steven Miles said border restrictions were ramping up to protect Queenslanders. Credit:Jono Searle/Getty Images

The case, which is the states first in 10 months, has triggered a five-day lockdown in the affected areas.

Queensland Health has urged anyone who has been in metropolitan Perth, Peel and the south-west region to get tested and to isolate until they receive a negative result.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 00:13:22|Editor: huaxia

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait will receive 200,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, the Ministry of Health announced Sunday.

Abdullah Al-Bader, assistant undersecretary for drug and food control affairs at the Ministry, said the ministry has authorized the vaccine for emergency use to protect people from the coronavirus.

The first batch will arrive at dawn on Monday to ensure the vaccination program will not be delayed, Al-Bader added.

Kuwait launched a national vaccination campaign against COVID-19 on Dec. 24, 2020. Enditem
A Perth man has sparked panic in Western Australia by posting on Facebook that he 'tested positive' to Covid-19 - as the city reeled under an emergency five-day lockdown after the state's first community transmission in 10 months.

Philip Latour claimed he was suffering 'breathing difficulties' and took himself to Fiona Stanley Hospital's emergency department on Saturday.

Six hours after sharing a selfie from his hospital bed, Mr Latour shared another photo of his blood test results which show he 'tested positive' to Covid-19.

Mr Latour's post sparked fears the outbreak was growing after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive to Covid-19 on Saturday night and put Perth in lockdown for five days.

However, the WA Health Department said he would be considered 'a historic case' who was infected in December 2020 with little or no danger to the community because of his 'weak PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test'.

Philip Latour (pictured) took himself to hospital on Saturday after having difficulty breathing and shared a selfie

'The Department of Health believes that this historic case and that this person was infected in Mexico in December 2020,' Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson told The West Australian.

'He has subsequently completed two weeks in hotel quarantine in Sydney and there was no cases in the hotel that could have infected him.'

Mr Latour will have another nasal-throat PCR swab done on Monday and it is believed the result will be even weaker, or negative.

A serology test that measures antibodies in a patient's blood serum will be conducted to confirm Mr Latour isn't infectious and has an old infection.

'This patient was treated with precautions and transferred to hotel quarantine  where they will remain until results are returned,' the department continued.

'Fiona Stanley Hospital has asked a number of staff associated with the initial treatment to stay at home  until the results of the patient are returned.'

Mr Latour told The West that he 'tried to protect the community' by sharing his story.

The Department of Health however believe Mr Latour's result would be considered 'an historic case' because of the 'weak PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test'

WA Premier Mark McGowan announced the snap five-day lockdown on Sunday after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested positive to coronavirus and visited at least 16 locations around the city.

Perth, Peel and the South West are closed until Friday - covering about 80 per cent of WA's population.

The three regions have been closed off to each other, meaning people are banned from travelling between them without an exemption. Road checkpoints have been set up to ensure compliance.

The infected employee worked two shifts at Sheraton Four Points in Perth's CBD, and was stationed on a floor where at least one returned traveller was diagnosed with the UK strain of the disease, which is up to 80 per cent more infectious than the original Chinese coronavirus.

Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan held an emergency press conference on Sunday

LOCKDOWN RULES Residents in Perth, Peel and the South West are required to stay home, except for the following four reasons: - Shopping for essentials like groceries, medicine and necessary supplies - Medical or health care needs including compassionate requirements and looking after the vulnerable - Exercise, within their neighbourhood, but only with one other person and only for one hour per day - Work, where you cannot work from home or remotely If you do leave home, for one of the four reasons you will be required to wear a mask at all times outside and if you need to work indoors, then wearing a mask in the workplace is also mandatory Mask wearing on public transport is also mandatory Advertisement

Mr McGowan said genomic sequencing is already underway, but it would be reasonable to accept that the man contracted the mutant strain, and that his close contacts would test positive in the coming days.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders.

As per the lockdown orders, residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for four reasons; shopping for essential goods like groceries and medicine, seeking medical treatment, exercise for one hour per day and work if a person cannot work remotely.

All pubs, clubs, playgrounds and gyms in Perth are closed, while restaurants are open for takeaway only and visits to care homes and hospitals have been banned.

Schools will remain closed - they were supposed to reopen on Monday for the first day of the year.

Restrictions have also been reintroduced for funerals, limiting them to just 10 people for the duration of lockdown.

Weddings have been cancelled during the lockdown period.

Residents must wear face masks whenever they are outside and face masks are also compulsory at indoor workplaces.

Masks are mandatory on public transport.

Anybody within the locked-down regions has been urged to stay put to avoid potentially spreading the virus to regional and vulnerable communities.

'We are strongly encouraging that everyone in this area who is from another WA region, stay here,' Mr McGowan said.

'Do not travel further outside of this area until the lockdown is over.'
ALBANY  Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's proposed financial plan, which supplants state education aid with federal COVID-19 relief dollars, steers school districts towards a fiscal cliff  one potentially steeper than the fallout of the 2007 financial recession, education and school finance officials warned at a joint legislative hearing on Thursday.

Aid to New York's more than 700 school districts would rise by $2.1 billion to $31.7 billion, through a combination of federal and state dollars, according to the governor's budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.

The governor's office has also confirmed that it will reimburse school districts for all school aid withheld during the 2020-21 fiscal year, including reductions to August payments that were part of the aid allotment for the previous school year.

The threat of further cuts prompted high needs school districts, including Albany and Schenectady, to lay off hundreds of teachers and reduce in-person learning opportunities.

Most local school districts appear to be getting slightly more aid in the executive budget proposal for next year, but the boost is heavily reliant on one-shot federal pandemic relief funds, a plan that critics say hurts schools in the long run and denies them much-needed help with costs associated with the pandemic.

We cannot balance the state budget on the backs of our students by forcing school districts to use federal funding to fill the holes left in their budgets by a decrease in State Aid, Education Commissioner Betty Rosa told lawmakers at the budget hearing on elementary education.

Schools are facing long-term expenses associated with mental health services and identifying at-risk students who checked out during the pandemic, and helping them make up ground academically. In the short-term, schools continue to have expenses associated with remote learning technologies and personal protective equipment.

But instead of going to districts, much of the $3.8 billion in federal funding made available to school districts is used to backfill $2 billion in state education reductions elsewhere in the proposal.

The state used a similar strategy between 2009 and 2011, backfilling state aid cuts with federal American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) funding. When those federal dollars expired, districts faced a $2.5 billion reduction in state aid that took five years to fully restore, according to Association of School Business Officials Executive Director Brian Cechnicki, who testified at Thursday's hearing.

"This year's proposal is a ghost of the past that school districts are all too familiar with, as they are still dealing with the programmatic fallout from those cuts," Cechnicki said.

Cuomo is calling on Congress to send New York $15 billion in order to eliminate its budget gap without cutting aid or raising taxes, but the current budget proposal presumes the state will receive $6 billion in federal aid.

If Washington, D.C delivers, We are going to build back a state that youve never seen before," Cuomo said. "We know how to build, and we do it well. And we know how an investment pays back dividends that you will see for generations.

Cuomo's budget uses the federal funds to reduce its education spending by more than $607 million in order to narrow the state's $14 billion budget deficit.

School finance officials are concerned that part of the state's savings would come from the consolidation of 11 expense-based aid categories, which reimburse districts for things like transportation, text books, and BOCES services. This is projected to reduce state spending by $393 million in 2021-22.

Cuomo has long sought to consolidate these funding streams, citing the rapidly rising cost of the services. Restructuring the way these reimbursements would be a permanent hit to school budgets.

This year's executive proposal also includes $1.3 billion in reimbursements to school districts for the School Tax Relief (STAR) Exemption, which is not typically lumped in with state aid.

The state Board of Regents and Education Department asked the state to restore education funding for the current year. Pandemic adjustment in the 2020-21 budget cut school aid and used federal CARES Act dollars to make up the gap.

"When you combine dollars and you combine a one-time amount, yes a narrative can be told to make it look better than what it is. We oppose using any of these dollars for anything other than what they were intended for," Rosa told lawmakers.

Schools in Albany and Schenectady may need more certainty about the future funds before they can begin to build back programs and rehire teachers, Cechnicki said.

"It's unquestionably a good thing that we are getting this extra federal money, but the finance people are worried about 2023 and beyond and that's where this budget proposal is setting up many red flags," Cechnicki said.

State budget negotiations take place in March. The final spending plan is due April 1.

The Democratic-run legislative houses are expected to produce their own budget proposals that will likely propose a significantly larger investment in education funded in part by new taxes on the wealthy.

On Election Day, Democrats in the state Senate gained a veto-proof supermajority -- meaning the Democratic conference holds two-thirds of votes in the 63-seat chamber -- which will give the Legislature more leverage over the budget process. Democrats in the 150-member state Assembly have held a supermajority for two decades.

"People are saying now that we have a supermajority, we should be able to do anything we want to do," Sen. Robert Jackson, D-Manhattan said at Thursday's hearing. "So I'm going to ... be laser-focused on making sure education is very critical this year as far as the budget is concerned."
The government on Sunday further extended the suspension of mobile internet services in 14 districts till 5 pm on February 1 to "prevent any disturbance of peace and public order" amid a protest by farmers against three farm laws.

According to an official statement issued here, the government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services in districts of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Charkhi Dadri, Sonipat and Jhajjar till 5 pm on February 1.

In the fresh order issued by the Home Department, the suspension has not been extended in Yamunanagar, Palwal and Rewari districts, where the mobile internet services were suspended earlier.

"The government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), SMS services (only bulk SMS) and all dongle services, etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of the 14 districts," the statement said.

"This order has been issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of these districts of Any person who will be found guilty of violation of aforesaid order will be liable for legal action under relevant provisions," it added.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the decision was taken in the wake of the situation which had built up following incidents of violence in the capital on January 26.

Talking to reporters in Ambala, Khattar said the decision to suspend the internet for a temporary period in that situation was appropriate and it would be restored once things normalise.

Referring to the criticism of the Congress party which said that suspension of the mobile internet services would also affect the students, Khattar said his government had made all arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic also to ensure that studies of students were not disrupted.

Hitting out at the Congress, he alleged that the party has contributed towards the situation which has built up after January 26 incidents.

Khattar said the issue can be resolved through dialogue and added the prime minister has said that doors are always open for talks.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala had claimed that the internet ban was ordered "with the intention to crush the farmers'' agitation" and demanded its immediate resumption.

He had said the decision would affect professionals working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, students, traders and shopkeepers and cause inconvenience to the common people.

The state government on Tuesday had ordered suspension of mobile internet services in Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal districts after a violent farmers' protest rocked Delhi.

On Friday, it extended the suspension to 14 other districts. There are a total of 22 districts in the state.

Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally in Delhi called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for the repeal of the Centre's three farm laws.

Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts.

(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.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Weather forecasters are predicting several inches of snow to hit Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina and Summit counties Saturday night through Monday morning, with one model showing areas east of Cleveland getting up to about nine inches of accumulation.

The National Weather Service is calling for accumulations of 2 to 4 inches on Sunday followed by no signs of hazardous weather through Friday of next week, but the interactive map above using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows substantially more snow falling across Northeast Ohio through Monday morning.

Plug your location into the map to get a closer look at the forecast.

Heres the National Weather Service forecast through Monday:

Saturday day: Mostly cloudy with a high near 31.

Saturday night: Snow will start mainly after 11 p.m. Low of 25.

Sunday day: Snow showers throughout the day with a high near 33.

Sunday night: Snow showers. Low of 29.

Monday day: Snow showers likely with a high near 32.

For more weather information from cleveland.com, click here.

Read more weather stories on cleveland.com:

Temperatures warm slightly: Northeast Ohios weekend weather forecast

Speed limit reduced on section of I-90 in Lake County because of snow squalls

Morning flurries and colder temps: Northeast Ohios Thursday weather forecast

Cold with a chance of late snow: Northeast Ohios Wednesday weather forecast

Snow, freezing rain likely: Northeast Ohios Tuesday weather forecast
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Office of Research  Innocenti and the World Food Programme (WFP) report indicates that nutrition crisis looms as globally more than 39 billion in-school meals missed since start of COVID-19 pandemic.



The report, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency by UNICEF, attributed the situation to schools closures since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.



The report, dubbed COVID-19: Missing More Than a Classroom notes that 370 million children worldwide  many of whom are reliant on school meals as a key source of their daily nutrition  have missed 40 per cent of in-school meals, on average, since COVID-19 restrictions shuttered classrooms.



Despite clear evidence that schools are not primary drivers of COVID-19 infections, millions of children are facing school closures around the world, said Madam Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.



Children who depend on schools for their daily meals are not only losing out on an education but also on a reliable source of nutrition.



As we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and await vaccine distribution, we must prioritize the reopening of schools and take action to make them as safe as possible, including through renewed investments in proven infection prevention measures like clean water and soap in every school around the world.



According to the report latest estimates show that 24 million schoolchildren were at risk of dropping out of school due to the pandemic  reversing progress made in school enrolment in recent decades.



It said school feeding programmes could provide incentives for the most vulnerable children to return to school.



Missing out on nutritious school meals is jeopardizing the futures of millions of the worlds poorest children. We risk losing a whole generation, said Mr David Beasley, WFP Executive Director.



We must support governments to safely reopen schools and start feeding these children again. For many, the nutritious meal they get in school is the only food they will receive all day.



Regarding the situation in Ghana, the report indicated data provided by the Ghana School Feeding Programme, under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, shows that, whilst Government provided meals for Junior High School (JHS) Three and Senior High School (SHS) Three students, under the Government of Ghana COVID-19 response plan, as they returned to school to prepare and write their final exams, more than 2.9 million children who were entitled to school meals, missed out for up to ten months.



It said for many vulnerable children, this daily meal was an important part of getting access to sufficient calories and helping them to concentrate and learn in school.



It said the absence of these meals, therefore, was a threat to the overall wellbeing and development of many vulnerable children.



It said furthermore, approximately three million adolescent girls aged between 10 and 19 years  who were already experiencing high rates of anaemia prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana  were not able to access their weekly iron-folic acid supplementation, leading to a potential roll-back of recent progress made on reducing anaemia rates amongst girls.



It said during the pandemic, there had been a 30 per cent overall reduction in the coverage of essential nutrition services including school feeding, micronutrient supplementation, and nutrition promotion programmes in low- and middle-income countries, as well as programmes for the treatment of severe malnutrition in children. During nationwide lockdowns in some countries, all school feeding programmes were cancelled.



The report said schools meals were not only vital in ensuring childrens nutrition, growth and development, they also provided a strong incentive for children  especially girls and those from the poorest and most marginalized communities  to return to school once restrictions were lifted.



It said the longer children were out of school, the greater the risk that they would drop out of education altogether; adding that girls face the added risk of forced transactional sex or early marriage.



It said in the first nine months of 2020, more than 13 million schoolchildren received WFP school-based support as compared to 17.3 million the previous year.



It said since the start of the pandemic, UNICEF had supported national governments to maintain the continuity of nutrition services for school-age children and adolescents.



It said in 2020, nearly 25 million school-age children and adolescents benefitted from programmes for the prevention of anaemia.



The report said where schools were still closed, UNICEF and WFP were urging governments to prioritise their reopening while making sure that the health, food and nutritional needs of children were met through comprehensive, high-quality school feeding programmes.

Source: GNA









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Maryland on Saturday became the second state to report a case of a coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa -- a strain that health experts say is more transmissible than previous ones.

The announcement by the Maryland governor's office came two days after South Carolina reported two cases of the strain.

The Maryland case involves an adult living in the Baltimore area who has not traveled internationally, "making community transmission likely," a news release from Gov. Larry Hogan's office said Saturday.

"Comprehensive contact tracing efforts are underway to ensure that potential contacts are quickly identified, quarantined, and tested," the release said.

Health experts have increasingly warned that highly contagious coronavirus variants like this one, labeled B.1.351 by researchers, could soon worsen the spread in the United States.

Although current vaccines are believed to be protective against known variants, some research has suggested they may be less effective against the B.1.351 strain in particular.

More transmissible variants that scientists are tracking include strains first identified in the UK (B.1.1.7) and Brazil (P.1).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the B.1.1.7 in particular could become dominant in the US by March. More than 400 cases of this strain have been reported across the US, but experts have said surveillance has not been robust, and many more cases could be in the country.

January already is the country's deadliest month of the pandemic, with more than 90,800 Covid-19 deaths so far.

But more-transmissible variants are likely to add to the death toll, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington forecast Thursday.

The US Covid-19 death toll stands at more than 438,200. The model forecasts more than 594,600 total deaths by May 1 as its most likely projection -- 25,000 more deaths than its previous projection.

Rapid variant spread could take that number up to 620,000 by May 1, the IHME said. In a worst-case scenario, nearly 654,000 Americans could be dead of Covid-19 by May 1, the IHME warned.

Meanwhile, the US topped 26 million reported coronavirus cases Saturday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

It took 311 days for the US to reach 13 million cases, from the first reported case in January 2020 until November 27. It took just 64 days for US to tally the second 13 million cases.

CDC says travelers must wear masks on all forms of public transportation

As the country watches for more-transmissible strains, it is about to require masks on public transportation.

The CDC announced an order late Friday that will require people to wear a face mask while using any form of public transportation, including buses, trains, taxis, airplanes, boats, subways or ride-share vehicles while traveling into, within and out of the US.

The order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

Masks must be worn while waiting, boarding, traveling and disembarking, it said. The coverings need to be at least two or more layers of breathable fabric secured to the head with ties, ear loops or elastic bands -- and scarves and bandanas do not count, the order says.

People can remove their masks briefly to eat, drink or take medication; verify their identity to law enforcement or transportation officials; communicate with hearing impaired people; don an oxygen mask on an aircraft; or during a medical emergency, the CDC website says.

The CDC said it reserves the right to enforce the order through criminal penalties, but it "strongly encourages and anticipates widespread voluntary compliance" and expects support from other federal agencies to implement the order.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order last week requiring interstate travelers to wear a mask, and he challenged Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days of his term.

Outdoor dining returns to Los Angeles

Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles has been serving as a vaccination super site, but operations there were interrupted briefly on Saturday after protesters showed up outside the stadium.

Video from CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS showed the protesters carrying signs, including one saying "LA Better Dodge The Vaxxx" and another that said "Covid=Scam."

In-person dining returned to Los Angeles County this weekend with strict restrictions in place.

Outdoor dining areas must stay at 50% capacity and tables must be at least 8 feet apart and are limited to six people, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said. Indoor dining is prohibited.

Restaurants are required to inform customers that everyone sharing a table must be from the same household, though it is unclear how it will be enforced.

Restaurant employees who interact with customers are required to wear a mask and face shield, according to the health department's protocols.

But a rule requiring TVs and other screens be turned off at all times worries restaurant owners who were hoping to host diners for the upcoming Super Bowl.

"If you put people out of safe spaces for the Super Bowl, you are putting them literally in danger and putting them into homes and house parties," Angela Marsden, owner of the Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill in Sherman Oaks, told CNN's Paul Vercammen on Saturday.

Letting people watch the Super Bowl in a controlled outdoor dining environment is a safer alternative, she said.

"Give us the chance to keep people safe and give them a little bit of community because that's what people need right now," Marsden said.

Marsden was forced to shutter her restaurant in November due to shutdown orders from Los Angeles County.

She drew national attention in December when she posted a video to Facebook after spotting an outdoor dining area set up for a movie set next to her restaurant's parking lot. Under Los Angeles County guidelines, the film industry is labeled essential and television and film production has continued to operate.

California officials ended the state's stay-at-home order Monday, saying the latest projections for intensive care unit capacity allowed the restrictions to be lifted.

The state surpassed 40,000 coronavirus deaths Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

While deaths hover near record level, another vaccine option could be near

For now, levels of daily new cases and Covid-19 hospitalizations are dipping in the US after holiday-related surges. Current hospitalizations dipped below 100,000 on Saturday for the first time in almost two months, but the number of deaths reported daily is near a record level.

 Cases: The US averaged more than 155,100 new cases a day over the last week as of Friday -- 38% lower than the peak of around 249,800 recorded on January 8, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

 Hospitalizations: The number of Covid-19 patients in US hospitals on Friday was at the lowest level since December 3, at 101,003, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

 Deaths: The country has averaged more than 3,200 deaths a day across the last week -- not far from the nation's pandemic peak average of 3,357 reached on January 13, Johns Hopkins says.

Health experts have long said that high numbers of deaths can lag behind surges in cases and hospitalizations, as illnesses can last for weeks.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson is preparing to seek authorization from the Food and Drug Administration next week to distribute its single-shot vaccine candidate in the US. If authorized, it would bring the number of vaccines in the US market to three.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial and 85% effective against severe disease, the company announced Friday. It was 72% effective against moderate and severe disease in the US, the company said.

The vaccines already on the market in the US -- two-dose products from Pfizer and Moderna -- were found to be about 95% effective overall against symptomatic Covid-19, with perhaps even higher efficacy against severe cases.

While it would appear the Johnson & Johnson candidate has lower efficacy rates, it "can't be compared head to head" against the other two, said Mathai Mammen, head of research and development at Janssen, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine division.

That's in part because Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was tested later, when cases were surging even higher in many parts of the world and new variants were already circulating. And part of the Johnson & Johnson trial happened in South Africa while the B.1.351 strain was dominant there.

Health experts have told CNN that they generally think Johnson & Johnson's vaccine would be a welcome addition in a country trying to ramp up its inoculations. Besides requiring only one shot, it also boasts potential logistical advantages: It does not have to be stored in freezers; and it can be stored for three months at refrigerator temperatures, unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

An authorization for the Johnson & Johnson candidate would be "good news, because we urgently need more vaccine," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School for Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, said Saturday.

Johnson & Johnson also is testing a two-dose regimen of the vaccine, and it could be that two doses would increase the efficacy, Fauci, the NIAID director, has said.
Two well-known media identities are among the candidates being considered for the ABCs board.

Media industry sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said former Foxtel boss Peter Tonagh and former broadcaster Anita Jacoby have been approached to take on non-executive director positions following the departure of Kristin Ferguson and Donny Walford last November.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Ita Buttrose as ABC chair in 2019. Its unclear whether the government will hand-pick the latest board members. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Ms Jacoby is a highly regarded broadcast executive and journalist who has held roles with at Nine Entertainment (owner of this masthead), Seven West Media, Network Ten, ABC, SBS and Foxtel. She made the shortlist for the SBS board role last year, before Warren Mundine was selected.

Mr Tonagh, who led the effort to save Australian Associated Press last year, spent a large part of his career at News Corp as both co-chief executive and later Foxtel boss. He has held several board roles including lead independent director of Village Roadshow and chairman of Quantium.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.

Just look at pizza as a canvas, Marc Schechter said as I eagerly took notes. Dont be afraid to experiment.

The only mistake you could really make is not proofing your dough, Danny Stoller added.

Its 11 a.m. and Im on the phone with the owners of Square Pie Guys to get guidance on how to make the best Detroit-style pizza at home.

Detroit-style pizza has been on my mind a lot lately, especially throughout the pandemic, as photos of four-sided crispy-edged pizzas infiltrate my Instagram feed. Unlike round pizza, Detroit-style has a thick, airy crust and is baked in a rectangular pan with high sides to give it that signature square slice. But I wasn't just spotting them on Instagram.

Detroit-style pizza is certainly having a moment around the Bay Area and beyond. Last year, Yelps data science team found that the popular Midwestern dish was trending as reviews mentioning Detroit-style pizza boosted by 52%. Pizza Hut also jumped on the bandwagon by adding the regional dish to its menu on Tuesday, Foodbeast reports.

Recently, more restaurants around the Bay Area have offered their unique spin to the popular Midwestern dish. Just last month, chef Dennis Lee opened Sunset Squares in San Francisco where Detroit-style pizzas come served with mapo tofu, among other toppings. Cellarmaker House of Pizza, Pizza Squared and Tony's Pizza Napoletana have also been serving Detroit-style pizza even longer.

The only problem is that I dont live close enough to any local pizzerias with the coveted square slices, so placing an order for pickup or delivery isnt a viable option. And since the pandemic is hell-bent on shaping us into an army of amateur cooks, I reached out to the pros at Square Pie Guys to get a better sense of just how to make Detroit-style pizza with minimum to no experience at all.

Before I grabbed the ingredients, I first wanted to learn more about the dudes behind Square Pie Guys and how they launched their successful restaurant that opened nearly two years ago in San Francisco. A second Square Pie Guys location is expected to open in Oakland sometime in February.

Maybe it was destiny but Schechters shift to Detroit-style pizza began when a couple approached him to cater their upcoming wedding. It was 2018, and Schechter was working at his former round pizza pop-up, Pizzaman, tucked inside San Franciscos Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar.

They came to eat my pizza and to see if they wanted to hire me, but I had sold out of my regular pizzas and only had these experimental Detroit pizzas, Schechter said. According to Schechter, the couple tried the experimental versions and loved them so much that they decided they'd serve square pizzas at their wedding instead.

Meanwhile, in another kitchen, Stoller found himself making Detroit-style pizza one night after having leftover pizza dough to work with. He had dug through various pizza cookbooks and was intrigued when he read about the regional dish. As the two men became better friends, a conversation about partnering up to start a business around Detroit-style pizza surfaced, and, as they say, the rest is history.

Stir, wait, knead, wait

Theres a slew of Detroit-style recipes available online with some that call for a 24-hour rest period to allow the pizza dough to rise. But rather than digging through the endless abyss, Stoller suggested I follow a recipe by Serious Eats, since the website offers easy-to-follow and reliable recipes. Say no more, I thought, Serious Eats hasnt failed me yet. (Find the Detroit style pizza recipe here.)

Last fall, Square Pie Guys put together an at-home pizza kit that included their recipe, a pan and a YouTube video link with helpful instructions by the owners. Visuals are key when making any dish, so I fashioned my Detroit-style pizza after the Serious Eats recipe with some helpful tips from the Square Pie Guys video tutorial. (You can see the full video here.)

First things first, dont make Detroit-style pizza on an empty stomach. From start to finish, the recipe takes about four hours to make because most of the time youre sitting around waiting for the dough to rise. That being said, please be patient: Its worth it.

The ingredients for Detroit-style pizza are incredibly simple but you want to make sure to use the correct flour and high-quality crushed tomatoes. When it comes to flour, both Schechter and Stoller recommended King Arthurs bread flour, which is available at most grocery stores.

King Arthur flour is the best thing for at home, one hundred percent, Stoller said. Some people make really good pizza with [all-purpose flour] but we prefer bread flour. Higher protein flour allows you to create more gluten, which means that you can theoretically get more gas in your dough.

I also opted for San Marzano crushed tomatoes and, in case youre curious, Square Pie Guys used Centos San Marzano tomato cans for their tutorial video. But more on the sauce later.

Since I love that crunchy cheese wall Square Pie Guys add to their pizza, I followed their video suggestion and bought a bag of Tillamook medium cheddar cheese. Also being a fan of crispy pepperoni cups, I made sure to scour my local grocery store and, with some luck, I found a bag of Hormel Pepperoni Cup N' Crisp. Fortunately, I had some of the ingredients at home, so I wound up spending less than $40 on the items missing to complete the recipe.

The first step to making Detroit-style pizza is mixing all the dry ingredients together (bread flour, salt, yeast) and adding water to form a sticky mound of dough. Serious Eats shows you how to prep the dough either by way of a standing mixer, food processor or by hand, which makes things incredibly easy for those without fancy gadgets at home.

Pro tip: Make sure to test your active dry yeast for freshness in a separate cup before its used. The first time I attempted making Detroit-style pizza months ago, I didnt test the old yeast I found tucked into the scary, dark corner of my fridge. Much to my horror, hours after my pizza dough was supposed to be ready to bake I realized the dough never expanded. I ended up tossing it into the trash and had my pizza dreams crushed. It was a very sad day.

Susana Guerrero/ SFGATE

It was a hard lesson learned, so after I checked the yeast this time around, I let the pizza dough rest for 10 minutes and then kneaded it. It was time to place the mound into a bowl, cover it up with plastic wrap and let it rest for two hours.

While the dough did its thing, I started working on the sauce that consisted of crushed tomatoes, fresh garlic, dried oregano, dried red pepper flakes, granulated garlic and onion powder, sugar and salt. The sauce came together very quickly and simply required a 30-minute simmer. The last thing on my plate was to cut the low-moisture mozzarella into half-inch cubes and set them aside for the assembly part. Heres where the challenging waiting game began as I impatiently peeked at the status of the dough.

'The pan is forgiving'

Last April, as I adapted to the limitations of the pandemic, I bought a Detroit-style pizza pan with the intention to have pizza parties at home  but you know, the kind of parties without any friends.

Its a special 10-by-14-inch hard-anodized aluminum pan, which not only helps give Detroit-style pizza its iconic rectangular shape but also helps cook the pizza fast thanks to its durable material. If you dont have one lying around, no problem. Serious Eats suggests using two square 8-by-8-inch cake pans.

Schechter shared that Detroit-style pizza pans can vary in size but what matters most is to find a recipe that has the right dough portion for your pan.

The pan is forgiving in a lot of ways, Stoller added. It really makes for a pretty enjoyable experience because its more accessible.

Another added benefit to making Detroit-style pizza is that conventional home ovens work well and dont require extremely high temperatures like you would to make Napolitano or Buffalo-style pizzas. Even though the Serious Eats recipe I followed suggested preheating the oven to 550 degrees, which was 50 degrees higher than my oven limit, baking this pizza in 500 degree heat was more than enough.

After the two-hour mark, I checked on the dough that started off as a sticky heap and found that it transformed into a delicate, fluffy pillow. I grabbed my pan, oiled it up and plopped the dough inside and gently stretched it as far as I could without tearing it. The dough had to rest for an additional 30 minutes to allow the dough to relax, Serious Eats instructed.

After a final rest, the dough was evenly stretched to the far corners of the pan and I was finally ready to assemble my toppings.

'Less is more, treat it like Coco Chanel'

Traditional Detroit-style pizza has layers and often follows a reverse order in toppings from classic round pizza. Here, pepperonis get placed onto raw dough, followed by cheese and lastly topped with rows of sauce.

Schechter told me that at Square Pie Guys, they take the opposite approach and first start with that golden cheddar wall around the pan. The key here is to form a tight collar around the frame of the pan, Square Pie Guys explain in their video tutorial, and keep the cheese up against the pan to form that crunchy exterior.

We start at the very edge of the dough and build our way inside towards the middle, Schechter said. He also forewarned not to oversaturate the pizza with toppings because it could affect the rise.

Susana Guerrero/ SFGATE

That's definitely a mistake that I had made as a home pizza maker, Schechter said. It's not going to rise, its going to be wet, and it's going to be soggy. You don't want that.

Stoller put things into perspective.

"Less is more, treat it like Coco Chanel," he said. "The Coco Chanel [saying] is, 'Put your whole outfit together, look in the mirror and take one article of clothing off.'"

With that in mind, I grabbed my toppings and got right to work. I designed my pizza after Square Pie Guys by adding the cheddar frame and layered sauce, cheese cubes, and pepperoni before I placed the pan in the oven for 15 minutes.

The results are in  and I may need more practice

The pizza was a success, albeit with some minor slipups on my end. Once the pizza came out of the oven I was instructed to scrape and scoop it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. Well, I may have been too stingy when I oiled the pan because the pizza wouldnt dislodge. Suddenly, I was overcome by sheer panic. Did I just waste four hours of my life? Should I have ordered Pizza Hut?

In an effort to scrape an especially stubborn area, I accidentally tore the midsection of the pizza but fortunately kept the rest intact. I also realized my cheddar wall skills needed more work, especially in the looks department, since it dangerously flirted with becoming a burned crust, rather than nice, crispy edges. Once I grabbed my pizza cutter, it was game on. The pizza had a beautiful balance between crunchy crust to soft, bubbly interior. I wasnt heavy-handed with the sauce or cheese either (thanks Marc!). And wow, did those pepperonis cup to perfection.

I think I still need more practice to perfect this dish at home, but I certainly feel less sad about living far away from San Franciscos bustling pizza scene. OK, no, that part still sucks, but at least I can count on tastier pizza parties at home, at least for now.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 22:47:17|Editor: huaxia

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Customers visit Global Premium Duty Free Plaza in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 31, 2021. Two new offshore duty-free shops opened on Sunday in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, raising the number of duty-free shops in the province to nine. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Two new offshore duty-free shops opened on Sunday in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, raising the number of duty-free shops in the province to nine.

The nine shops, run by five entities, bring a pattern of differentiated competition to the duty-free market, which will be a great boost to the building of Hainan into an international tourism and consumption destination.

The Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, run by a local company, is located in a large shopping center in downtown Haikou. The products on sale include electronic products, perfumes, cosmetics, sunglasses and imported wine, among others.

The plaza launched its first phase on Sunday, with its second and third phases due by the end of June and September this year, respectively.

The other duty-free shop, run by a company based in the southern city of Shenzhen, offers nearly 500 international brands in a shopping area of 20,000 square meters.

Yang Jun, vice general manager of Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd., which runs the Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, said Hainan's offshore duty-free shopping has entered a new era of development with a growing number of shops.

"We will join hands with other shop operators to expand Hainan's offshore duty-free market, attract more Chinese to spend in Hainan rather than in the overseas markets, and promote the consumption upgrading of the Hainan free trade port," Yang said.

Among the nine duty-free shops, three opened in the tropical resort city of Sanya on Dec. 30, 2020, one in Sanya Phoenix International Airport and the other two in downtown Sanya, adding to the previous one at Haitang Bay.

For Zhu Mengxia, the two newly-opened shops in downtown Sanya are better located and more convenient. "We now have more choices and better opportunities to hunt for bargains," she said.

Wang Jiansheng, chairman of the Hainan Tourism Development Research Association, said, "competition impels duty-free companies to enrich products and improve services. Their competitive advantages will help build Hainan into a globally influential tourism and consumption destination, and further attract back home more overseas spending by Chinese consumers."

The China Duty Free Group (CDF), which used to dominate Hainan's duty-free shopping market, has taken steps to face the competition.

Gao Xujiang, executive director of Sanya Downtown Duty Free Store Co., Ltd., affiliated to the CDF, said the company is expanding and upgrading its duty-free shop to create a more spacious business area and offer better services.

Gao said it has also taken a slew of measures to better serve consumers, including increasing staff to handle complaints and after-sales services, and enhancing the efficiency of delivery.

Liu Feng, director of the Research Center for Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics of Hainan Normal University, said that the CDF has obvious advantages in the supply chain, marketing and operations due to having engaged in the duty-free market in Hainan for many years.

"Even if a competition pattern has been formed, the CDF's dominant position in Hainan's tax-free market will not change in the short term," said Liu.

Starting July 1, 2020,Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan per person. The categories of duty-free goods have been expanded from 38 to 45, with electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list.

The previous tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product has been lifted, and the number of categories with a single-purchase quantity limit has been significantly reduced. The duty-free purchase limit for cosmetics has also been raised from 12 items to 30.

Official data shows sales of offshore duty-free shops in the province exceeded 32 billion yuan (about 4.98 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020.

Following the policy upgrade, the average daily duty-free sales had hit 120 million yuan by the end of 2020, an increase of more than twofold year on year.

The potential of Hainan's duty-free shopping is far from being fully tapped. The duty-free shopping industry on the island is likely to become a 100-billion-yuan industry in the next few years after duty-free sales doubled in 2020, insiders said.

"Hainan's duty-free market has huge potential," said Xie Zhiyong, general manager of Hainan Tourism Investment Duty-free Co., Ltd.

Xie said that competition will definitely benefit consumers, and duty-free shopping will become an important attraction for tourists, which will lead to the development of Hainan's tourism industry and exponential growth for duty-free shopping sales. Enditem
Sankashti Chaturthi 2021: A Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Sankashti Chaturti, is celebrated on the fourth day after a full moon (Krishna Paksha) according to the Hindu lunar calendar. This year it will be celebrated on January 31, Sunday.

Sankashti is a Sanskrit word which means to 'save us from tough times' while Chaturthi means the fourth day of the month. As per beliefs, if a Chaturthi falls on a Tuesday, it is called Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi and considered more auspicious than other Sankashti Chaturti days.

Significance of the day

According to religious beliefs, celebration of this day began as an obstacle removal ritual and dates back to as far as 700 BC! Hindus pray to the beloved deity to give them the strength to face challenges in life as Ganesha is commonly known as the god of wisdom and good fortune.

When is Lambodara Sankashti Chaturthi?



Sakat Chauth or Fasting Date - January 31, 2021 (Sunday)

What are the auspicious timings (muhurat) for Lambodara Sankashti Chaturti?

Sakat Chauth Day Moonrise Time - 20:40

Muhurat Starts - January 31, 2021 at 20:24

Muhurat ends - February 01, 2021 at 18:24

What is the Puja Vidhi of Sankashti Chaturthi?

Devotees of Lord Ganesha begin the day by waking up early, practicing meditation and then praying to the Ganesh idol. They also light oil lamps in front of the idol and chant shlokas such as: Vakratunda Mahakaya, Surya Koti Samaprabaha Nirvighnam Kurumedeva Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada.

Om Ekadantaya Viddhmahe, Vakratundaya Dheemahi Tanno Danti Prachodayat. Om Gan Ganpataye Namah! Worshippers of the deity observe a strict fast on this day which is broken at night after an auspicious sight of the moon and prayers to the Hindu god. Apart from waking up early and bathing timely, devotees also need to maintain celibacy during the festival and stay away from tobacco and alcohol.
Burst of creative energy View(s):

While the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a lot of misery, uncertainty and a troubled future for the worlds population with increasing signs that the deadly disease will remain in our midst for another year or two, some positives have emerged with a burst of creative energy being part of it.

For example, from face masks to ventilators to robots, Sri Lankas inventors have been on a roll developing prototypes for new products to help the authorities tackle the pandemic. According to the Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC) Prof. Rangika Halwatura, there are 80 COVID-19-related products which have sought support from the SLIC.

My interest in these developments came during a conversation with Kalabala Silva, the often agitated academic, when he called on Thursday morning. At that time, the trio  Kussi Amma Sera, Serapina and Mabel Rasthiyadu  was seated under the margosa tree in earnest conversation, sipping tea.

I say I heard there are many products that have been developed by Sri Lankans towards managing the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kalabala.

Oh yes, I heard this too. I think many are coming from the universities and research institutions, I said, adding that the pandemic has spawned a new ecosystem of COVID-19-related products.

I hope these products can be transformed into commercial products so that they are available to the public, he said and after a long conversation on this topic and the crisis at the Colombo Ports ECT terminal, we said our goodbyes.

According to Prof. Halwatura, whom I spoke to subsequently, the SLIC has funded some of the inventions, helped develop prototypes from the design stage and has been involved in investing, like venture capitalists, for some products.

Among the many product designs presented to the SLIC for consideration are a face mask made with natural herbal medicine; a microorganism killing and filtering air-conditioner; remote controlled robots to disinfect public spaces; an open source ventilator; a hand wearable sanitising liquid container; a machine to avoid the spread of viruses by ATM machines, key pads, touch pads; a foot-operated door handle; an isolation pod; a patient inspection chamber with remote monitoring; a self-quarantine people monitoring system; a remote control sanitiser machine; a sensor tap; a video-assisted ward communication system to minimise exposure of doctors; soap petals; a PCR machine; and a jerk-free trolley.

Prof. Halwatura said that since 2019, the SLIC has been helping develop prototypes of the designs presented and where necessary connected the designer to the relevant industry.

Meanwhile according to Prof. Ruwan Gopura from the University of Moratuwa who has been driving the invention of robots for day-to-day use and in the medical field, three robots were developed by his university for COVID-19 related use to help in COVID management. There were also robots developed by the Ruhunu University, the Kotelawala Defence University and the University of Vocational Technology. Most of them are for transporting medicines and other stuff to wards. One robot was also built by Atlas, the stationery products company.

His department also received 10 designs which included spraying hospital wards, sanitising currency notes and coins, delivering food and disposal of COVID- related waste.

As I dwelled on these developments, my attention was drawn by the conversation under the margosa tree. Muhunu awarana andina eka hari amarui. Kochchara kal meya karanna weida danne ne (It is difficult to keep wearing this face mask. I dont know for how long we have to do this), I heard Kussi Amma Sera saying, adjusting her face mask to sip tea from her mug.

Mama hithanawa me thathvaya thava maasa keepayak-ma thiyevi kiyala. Apita ekata purudu wenna one, kochchara amaru wunath (I think this situation will continue for many more months. We have to get used to it even though it is a problem), noted Serapina, adding: Pravesham vena eka hondai-ne (Its better to be safe).

Ow, Colomba godak asaneepa kattiya innawa. Ennatha kochchara durata apiwa aaraksha karaida danne-ne (Yes, there are many cases in Colombo and I dont know whether the vaccines will protect us enough), said Mabel Rasthiyadu.

According to a notice posted on the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) website, a team from the institute has developed a transparent anti-microbial coating that can be applied to several types of surfaces without tarnishing their aesthetic appearance. Most importantly, this technology eradicates pathogens on the coating-applied surface as well as in the surrounding air. The SLINTEC proprietary technology is now available to be licensed at IPI Singapore  a global tech-transfer platform. Disinfectant coatings are rapidly emerging as a primary component of the global mitigation strategy of pathogens. Most importantly, this technology eradicates pathogens on the coating-applied surface as well as in the surrounding air, it said.

The pandemic has also spawned a new generation of investors across the world. In a recent article, Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), says that from a foot-operated hand-washing machine invented by a nine-year-old boy in Kenya, to a new sky park opened in Bangkok on a disused railway line that could serve as a model for greening abandoned spaces, to the roll-out of robots in health centres in Rwanda, the pandemic has launched an unprecedented wave of home-grown innovation. Communities are adapting, improvising and looking beyond this unparalleled challenge. The question now is how we can support this momentum to foster the conditions to create much-needed jobs and new opportunities as the recovery begins, he wrote.

He says, in Uganda, the UNDP teamed up with the online shopping business Jumia Food to launch a new e-commerce platform to keep SMEs in the informal trade sector afloat as the country went into lockdown. In Bangladesh, the UNDP supported the rapid roll-out of an online marketplace to allow over 1,000 SMEs to sell their products online, free of charge.

These developments came as the country received its first round of vaccines from India on Thursday which is essentially for frontline workers like medical staff and others like military and police personnel.

As I prepared to end my column, Kussi Amma Sera walked into the office room with my second mug of tea, motioning me to keep my face mask on which had been tucked below the chin. Yes, like the trio says, we would have to live with face masks, sanitisers and social distancing for many more months.
An anti-vaccine mob managed to shut down one of the largest vaccination sites in the country for almost an hour Saturday afternoon. A maskless horde of some 50 people gathered at the entrance to Dodger Stadium and the Los Angeles Fire Department closed the entrance for about an hour. That, of course, angered and frustrated people who had been waiting in line for hours for their turn to get a shot. Although several police officers went to the scene, no arrests were made. Despite the delay, everyone who was in line eventually got vaccinated.

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Were at the mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium to get my mom the vaccine. The antivax protestors have approached the entrance to the site. The LAPD have now closed the gate. We have been sitting here for about half an hour. Nobody is moving. pic.twitter.com/GrJPA5wrqx  Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) January 30, 2021

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The mob was made up of people who were part of both anti-vaccine and far-right groups. They carried signs against the vaccine and questioned the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. TAKE OFF YOUR MASK, read one of the signs. COVID=SCAM, another said. One person wore a grim reaper costume and some even went up to people who were waiting in line to criticize and mock them for getting vaccinated. You are becoming a lab rat, one person said in a video posted on Twitter. Im doing this for you, not for me. Another person told a driver who was waiting in line: Have fun being a byproduct of Bill Gates.

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Some anti-vax protesters shut down Covid vaccination site at #DodgerStadium for about an hour. Firefighter tells me they were blocking cars and screaming at people in line to get vaccinated, most of whom are elderly. LAPD made them get on sidewalk. No arrests. @KNX1070 pic.twitter.com/xmyQOIx9Rs  Emily Valdez, KNX 1070 (@EmilyValdezKNX) January 31, 2021

At Dodgers Stadium this afternoon, police temporarily stopped vaccinations in response to around 40 anti-vaccine protesters at the entrance. pic.twitter.com/gyt0jut3ys  Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 30, 2021

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You are becoming a lab rat, one protester said as they began heading back down the hill. Im doing this for you, not for me. pic.twitter.com/ApPeVSD8g2  Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) January 30, 2021

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A post on social media that called for people to join described it as the Scamdemic Protest/March and described it as a sharing information protest and march against everything COVID, Vaccine, PCR Tests, Lockdowns, Masks, Fauci, Gates, Newsom, China, digital tracking, etc. Organizers asked supporters to refrain from wearing Trump/MAGA attire as we want our statement to resonate with the sheeple, according to the Los Angeles Times. Video posted on social media shows the anti-vaccine horde thanking police officers as they leave.

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The apparent organizer of the event repeatedly brought up Bill Gates, describing him as a satanic pedophile eugenicist. pic.twitter.com/lqzbZmBgrc  Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 30, 2021

A couple of the protestors spoke to drivers waiting in line after the gates have been closed. Have fun being a byproduct of Bill Gates, she said. pic.twitter.com/1FTpXQLucc  Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) January 30, 2021

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LAPD eventually opened the gates back up and the protesters left. Unclear if LAPD requested they do so. The organizer thanks LAPD, who wave back to him. pic.twitter.com/a06S5b7LBx  Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) January 31, 2021

Some public officials appeared flabbergasted at what took place. Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Jeff Gorell, for example, tweeted a face palm emoji. Unbelievable, Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez tweeted. If you dont want the vaccine fine, but there are millions of Angelenos that do. 16,000 of your neighbors have died, so get out of the way. More than 1.1 million cases of COVID-19 and 16,647 deaths have been reported in Los Angeles County. One in every 1,000 Californians have died from COVID-19, which has spread to more than 3.2 million people in the state. The city of Los Angeles has one of the highest vaccination rates in the county as almost 83 percent of the doses the city has received have been administered, according to the New York Times.

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Its back open, but ..  https://t.co/SQKEe93W6O  eff orell (@JeffGorell) January 30, 2021
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HONG KONG, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- In response to the British government's announcement of the so-called British National Overseas (BNO) passport and visa policy, various sectors in Hong Kong said it was a breach of trust and justice, and that it was natural for China to oppose it and take countermeasures.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that China will no longer recognize the so-called BNO passport as a travel document and ID document from Sunday (Jan. 31), and reserves the right to take further actions. The HKSAR government later announced that it will follow up on the national countermeasures in dealing with BNO.

The decision was made after the British government announced that it will begin accepting citizenship applications for BNO-eligible Hong Kong residents starting from Sunday.

Leung Chun-ying, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said on social media that Britain's act was bringing disgrace on its own head.

Leung criticized the British government for its wishful thinking that China would accept the BNO immigration plan and the Chinese government would react in a sluggish way.

Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said that Britain has breached trust and justice and violated the Sino-British agreement on Hong Kong, and it was natural for the Chinese side to take countermeasures.

Teresa Cheng, Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR government, said in her blog that there is no single clause in the Sino-British Joint Declaration which provides for British rights or obligations to Hong Kong after Hong Kong's reunification with the motherland.

China and Britain signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong in 1984. Cheng said that after Hong Kong's return to China, Britain is not entitled to claim any new rights over or obligations to Hong Kong by citing the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Britain has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of "supervision" over Hong Kong, said Cheng.

Cheng said that at the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, there was also an immediate exchange of memoranda between the two sides dealing with the issue of nationality. The British Memorandum stated that the British government will not confer the right of abode in Britain on holders of the BN(O) passport who are Chinese nationals in Hong Kong.

Cheng quoted former British officials as saying that Britain considered the provisions contained in the British Memorandum to be of binding effect. If BNO passport holders were given full British citizenship automatically, it would be a breach of the commitments made between China and Britain in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Lau Siu-kai, vice chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said Britain's latest policy violated the agreement between China and Britain.

Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po said in an editorial on Saturday that the British side uses the status of Hong Kong people who still hold BNO passports as political hype. It aims to mess up Hong Kong on the pretext of providing a new path for Hong Kong people to stay and naturalize in Britain.

The editorial said that Britain unilaterally changed the consensus between the two countries on BNO, betrayed trust and grossly interfered in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

Ming Pao's editorial on Sunday also pointed out that Britain described the "BNO Immigration Plan" as helping Hong Kong people. Regardless of the selfishness and political calculations behind it, the plan itself alone will inevitably have a divisive effect on Hong Kong.

The British side's move obviously violated its promise. China no longer recognizing BNO as a travel document is believed to be only the first step in the counteraction, the editorial said.

Sing Tao Daily published an editorial saying that Britain's act not only betrayed international integrity, but also took this opportunity to attack China and seize profits. China's countermeasures are entirely in line with legal principles and reason.

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If Lucys forecast is correct, winter in Nova Scotia will continue for another six weeks. The sun is shining yet the air is chilly and the ground is dusted with snow. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer checking my phones weather app to relying on the forecasting skills of a lobster.

Like Punxsutawney Phil, the rodent in the film Groundhog Day, Lucy the Lobster participates in a prognosticating ceremony each February 2. Onlookers gather by the causeway leading to Cape Sable Island, the Canadian provinces most southerly tip, to discover whether shell see her own shadow on emerging from the Atlantic Ocean. According to the Groundhog Day tradition, an animal seeing its shadow means a prolonged winter.

In Barrington, 150 miles south-west of the provincial capital Halifax, the event is regarded as a bit of fun. It was first held just two years ago, coinciding with the establishment of the South Shore Lobster Crawl, a month-long celebration of the importance of lobster fishing to this part of Canada. Continuing throughout February, the Lobster Crawl is a festival featuring a mixture of food and musical and sporting events.

Fishermen's friend: The Peggys Cove lighthouse, which visitors can see on the Lighthouse Route, a 211-mile scenic drive between Halifax and Yarmouth

Barrington is known as the Lobster Capital of Canada, a title the town acquired in 1998. About two-fifths of the countrys annual catch is hauled on to South Shores boats. During the 2018-19 lobster fishing season, which runs from late November until the end of May, they landed 28,334 tons of lobster.

At a wharf in West Berlin, a few miles up the coast, Brad Crouse welcomes me on to his boat, the JKC. As part of two-night Great Canadian Lobster Fishing Feast packages offered by the White Point Beach Resort, guests can head out to the Atlantic during a half-day lobster fishing excursion.

Fortunately, were blessed with a flat sea and Ive got on multiple layers of clothing to keep me warm as the JKC chugs towards buoys a couple of miles offshore. Crew members haul up cage-like traps, pull out freshly caught crustaceans, then set new bait and drop them back into the sea.

Barrington is known as the Lobster Capital of Canada, a title the town acquired in 1998

Brewers have worked lobster into beer at the Saltbox Brewing Company, based in Mahone Bay

Here in Nova Scotia, lobster was once regarded as poor peoples food and served in prisons. I discover how air freight has changed that at Fisher Direct, a lobster processing facility at Shag Harbour.

Forklift trucks load cardboard boxes packed with live lobsters bound for the Far East into an articulated lorry. Wesley Nickerson, the son of the plants owner, shows me huge seawater-filled tanks capable of holding up to 650,000 lb of lobster.

During a cookery demonstration by Alain Bosse, a Canadian TV personality better known as the Kilted Chef, I learn that most restaurants serve lobsters weighing 1 lb, and that females should be boiled in seawater for 13 minutes while males need just 12 minutes in the pot.

Next stop is Captain Kats Lobster Shack, the Barrington restaurant with a reputation for serving the regions best lobster roll. But the tender meat is worked into dishes in a variety of innovative ways at different places, including on a pizza at the Port Grocer in Port Medway. In the provinces oldest pub, the Focsle Tavern in Chester, it enhances the mac and cheese, while its the star component of lobster dinners served at the Five Fishermen, a chic Halifax restaurant that was once a funeral home  bodies were taken there following the sinking of the Titanic.

Brewers have even worked lobster into beer at the Saltbox Brewing Company, based in Mahone Bay. Over a glass of Crustacean Elation ale in the brewerys taproom, its easy to enter conversation with locals and on toasting others at my table, Im informed that Nova Scotians say sociable rather than cheers.

The provinces Lighthouse Route, a 211-mile scenic drive between Halifax and Yarmouth, is a joy to follow outside of the peak summer season. Just a handful of people are at the rustic fishing village of Peggys Cove, a regular spot for cruise ship excursions, when I pause to photograph the octagonal lighthouse on a bright morning.

Lunenburg is a colourful fishing village in Nova Scotia and a designated Unesco World Heritage Site

In Lunenburg, guide Ashlee Feener leads walking tours (14.50, lunenburgwalkingtours.com) of the well-maintained example of a British colonial settlement and a Unesco World Heritage Site.

With an extra week, you could explore the Bay of Fundy shoreline and follow the Good Cheer Trail. It takes in wineries and craft breweries on its way towards Sydney on Cape Breton Island.

As I sit down for dinner on my final night in the province, I do hope that Lucy will forgive me for what Im about to order.
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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

A couple and their two young children were found dead in an Oklahoma home Saturday in what police said appears to be a triple murder-suicide.

Police Capt. Todd Enzbrenner said the mother of the adult male victim arrived at the home in a mobile home park in Tulsa about 2:30 p.m. and found her son, her grandchildren and the children's mother dead.

She had been expecting to babysit the children but had been unable to reach anyone on the phone to confirm the plan, he told Tulsa World.

Enzbrenner said he did not know if a weapon was found in the residence and the causes of death have not been released. He said the victims' bodies were not found in one room but were 'all over the house'.

It is not clear who was responsible for the killing their family members.

A couple and their two young children were found dead in an Oklahoma home Saturday in what police said appears to be a triple murder-suicide

The names of those killed have not been released but the children's mother was 41; their father was 31, police said.

Enzenbrenner said witnesses told police that they had heard a commotion at the victims' home between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, which he described as loud banging 'like furniture being thrown around'.

Police do not believe that there is any threat to the public.

The mother of the adult male victim arrived at the home in a mobile home park in Tulsa about 2:30pm Saturday and found the entire family dead, police said

Enzebrenner, who said he has been on the police force for 30 years, said he does not recall ever having a quadruple homicide in Sand Springs, a suburb of Tulsa.

He added: 'This is quite a tragedy for the community. Its hard for the family. Its hard for my officers. Its hard for the medical staff.'

A murder occurred at the same mobile home park about 16 years ago, he told the newspaper.
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Massachusetts health officials have announced another 3,957 cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of active cases to 72,965 statewide.

Additionally, 87 more residents have died from illness related to the virus. So far through the pandemic, at least 495,599 Massachusetts residents have tested positive for the coronavirus and 14,241 have died, according to data from the Department of Public Health.

Cases reported Saturday follow 143,342 new molecular tests. The seven-day average of positive tests stands at 3.89%. That figure has been trending downward, though is still much higher than a low of 0.8% reached in September. The seven-day average of confirmed cases is 2,414, another metric that has been decreasing.

Not counting COVID tests at colleges and universities, where frequent testing has kept case counts low, the states seven-day average is 5.9%, according to the data.

As of Saturday, 1,739 people are hospitalized with the virus, including 393 in the intensive care unit and 239 patients who are intubated. The seven-day average of hospitalizations has been dropping this month and is currently 1,905, according to DPH.

There are 192 cities and towns currently labeled by DPH as at high risk for COVID spread.

The state is getting ready to start Phase 2 of its COVID vaccination plan, which includes inoculations for people 75 and older, people with two health conditions that put them at risk for complications of COVID, K-12 employees and other workers.

Residents 75 and older are up first and were able to start booking appointments this week. But many had trouble booking an appointment online. Gov. Charlie Baker has said officials will be setting up a vaccine hotline to help residents navigate the states online portal.

Total COVID cases by county:

Barnstable County: 8,650

Berkshire County: 4,486

Bristol County: 49,986

Dukes County: 773

Essex County: 77,085

Franklin County: 1,769

Hampden County: 36,953

Hampshire County: 5,607

Middlesex County: 101,488

Nantucket County: 1,081

Norfolk County: 40,104

Plymouth County: 35,779

Suffolk County: 71,259

Worcester County: 59,126

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Srinagar, Jan 31 : The Jammu & Kashmir Police have arrested three terrorist associates in central Kashmir's Budgam district linked to proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and have recovered incriminating materials from their possession, officials said on Sunday.

"Acting on specific input Budgam Police along with 53RR and CRPF have arrested three terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit LeT. They have been identified as Mohd Yousuf Dar alias Janbaz Kashmiri, Abdul Majeed Mir alias Majid, both residents of Chewdara Beerwah (both ex-terrorists) and Reyaz Ahmad Basmati, resident of Safakadal, Srinagar. These terrorist associates were also working for other proscribed terror outfit Tehreek-ul Mujahideen," police said.

Police said preliminary investigation revealed that these terrorist associates were operating in Budgam and Srinagar districts with an aim to target newly-elected DDC members and to disrupt recent DDC elections.

"They were in touch with handlers in Pakistan viz Sheikh, Usman, Tariq, Haftullah and others. These terror associates under the garb of securing admissions in Pakistani educational institutions, were managing contacts with Pakistan-based terror handlers to recruit terrorists and revive terrorism in Budgam," police said.

Police said they were also involved in several grenade attacks in Srinagar district.

"These terror associates also disclosed that their motive was to recycle the ex-militants and target DDC members, security forces and political workers. This group has also been active in issuing threat letters to political workers in the recent past, the same have also been recovered from their possession," police said.

Police said their nefarious designs of disrupting the democratic process and harming peaceful citizens on behalf of Pakistan-based handlers has been thwarted due to timely action by Budgam police and security forces.

Two hand grenades, 25 AK-rounds, four detonators, mobile phones used to contact Pakistani handlers, and threat posters have been recovered from their possession. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.

Police have registered an FIR and further investigation is in progress.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed this year's first Mann Ki Baat. Addressing the 73rd episode of the monthly radio programme, PM Modi said that the nation was shocked to witness the insult of the Tricolour on Republic Day. Prime Minister's comments came in the aftermath of the violence on January 26 when farmers protesting against agriculture laws entered the Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts.

Here are the highlights from PM Modi's 73rd episode of Mann Ki Baat:

-A few days back four Indian women pilots commanded a direct flight from San Fransisco in the US to Bengaluru. The flight, covering a distance of over 10,000 km, brought over 225 people to India. Be it any field, the participation of the nation's women is continuously increasing.

-I call upon all the countrymen & especially our young friends, to write about our freedom fighters, events associated with it & write books about tales of valour during freedom struggle from their areas.

-Now that India is going to celebrate 75 years of its independence, your writings will be an ideal tribute to the heroes of freedom movement.

-We are not only running the world's biggest vaccination drive but we are also the fastest in vaccinating our citizens.

-India's self-reliance in medicines is helping the world.

-You must have noticed about the vaccination programme that India is able to help others because India today is self-reliant in the field of medicines and vaccines: PM Narendra Modi

-India is proud of our freedom fighters, who hail from all parts of India.

-The nation was shocked to witness the insult of the Tricolour on January 26.

-PM Modi urges citizens to learn about the Padma Puruskar awardees

-Today is the last day of January 2021. Arent you also thinking that the month had just started?

-PM Modi begins his address.

-PM Modi Mann Ki Baat address to begin at 11 am.

In the last episode of Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister had said that demand for India made products was increasing across the country, with people supporting the cause of 'vocal for local'. He had urged the industry leaders to ensure that Indian products are world-class.

Mann ki Baat is the Prime Minister's monthly radio programme to the nation, which is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month.

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Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin.

The authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands of people rallied across the country the previous weekend in the largest and most widespread show of discontent the country has seen in years.

Police have detained more than 1,000 people in protests held in many cities across Russias 11 time zones, according to the OVD-Info, a group that monitors arrests.

In the far eastern port of Vladivostok alone, more than 100 people were detained after protesters danced on the ice and rallied in the city centre.

Expand Close Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok (Aleksander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok (Aleksander Khitrov/AP)

The city of Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia saw one of the biggest rallies, with thousands marching across the city chanting Putin, thief!

About 90 protesters were detained.

The chants referred to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for Russian President Vladimir Putin that Mr Navalnys team have released a popular video about.

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing several subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and shops to stay closed.

Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is the best-known critic of Mr Putin, was arrested on January 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.

Mr Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held in Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which the 44-year-old claims was responsible for his poisoning.

After police cordoned off the area around the square, protest organisers urged demonstrators to gather at another central square a mile away.

Expand Close Police detain a woman during a protest in Ulan-Ude, the regional capital of Buryatia, a region near the Russia-Mongolia border, Russia (Anna Ogorodnik/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police detain a woman during a protest in Ulan-Ude, the regional capital of Buryatia, a region near the Russia-Mongolia border, Russia (Anna Ogorodnik/AP)

Police showed up in force at that location too, detaining some protesters and putting them into buses. At least 100 were detained.

As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Mr Navalnys associates and activists across the country.

His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under two-month house arrest on Friday on charges of alleged violations of coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

Prosecutors also demanded that social platforms block the calls for joining the protests on the internet.

The Interior Ministry has issued stern warnings to the public not to join the protests, saying participants could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.

Those engaging in violence against police could face up to 15 years.

Nearly 4,000 people were reportedly detained at demonstrations on January 23 calling for Mr Navalnys release which took place in more than 100 Russian cities, and some were given fines and jail terms.

Expand Close A woman is detained in Vladivostok (Aleksander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A woman is detained in Vladivostok (Aleksander Khitrov/AP)

About 20 were accused of assaulting police and faced criminal charges.

Just after Mr Navalnys arrest, his team released a two-hour video on his YouTube channel about an opulent Black Sea residence purportedly built for Mr Putin.

The video has been viewed more than 100 million times, helping fuel discontent and inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet.

Mr Putin has said that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property, and on Saturday construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed he owned the property.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Mr Putins time in office even as many ordinary citizens struggle financially.

Mr Navalny fell into a coma on August 20 while on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow.

He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later.

Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent.

Expand Close Alexei Navalny appears on a TV screen during a hearing of his appeal at a court in Moscow, Russia (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Alexei Navalny appears on a TV screen during a hearing of his appeal at a court in Moscow, Russia (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Russian authorities have refused to open a fully fledged criminal inquiry, citing a lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

When he returned to Russia in January, Mr Navalny was jailed for 30 days after Russias prison service alleged he had violated the probation terms of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected his appeal to be released, and another hearing next week could turn his three-and-a-half year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
STILLWATER  Police said a man accused of crashing through a U.S.-Canadian border checkpoint earlier was found in Saratoga County Friday after crashing a car and attempting to steal another one.

The man's arrest followed a 911 call reporting a man speeding recklessly on Route 4 from Schuylerville toward Stillwater, according to the police report. The car was later seen speeding on Hudson Avenue in the town of Stillwater, but police were unable to stop it. It was later found in a ditch on Route 67 in Malta by State Police. The driver ran and was trying to steal a another car when he as taken into custody, police said Saturday.
The Lunar New Year holiday will begin a week earlier for over 2 million Hanoi students, from kindergartens to high schools, as a Covid-19 precaution.

The Hanoi People's Committee Sunday agreed with the municipal education department's proposal that the Tet school holiday will run from February 1 to 16, instead of starting on February 8, as originally planned.

Local residents and parents had expressed their worries following the detection of nine Covid-19 community transmission cases in the capital city since last Thursday.

Around 500 teachers and students of Nguyen Trai High School in Hanoi's Ba Dinh District test for the novel coronavirus after having a trip to Hai Duong's Chi Linh Town, Vietnam's biggest Covid-19 hotspot, January 30, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Hai.

Hanoi has more than 25,000 teachers and students who have stayed at home as they are related to Covid-19 cases or came back from Quang Ninh or Hai Duong provinces, the country's two biggest Covid-19 hotspots. At least 11 schools have required their students and teachers to stay at home and adopt remote teaching and learning.

Hanoi authorities announced two new Covid-19 cases Saturday morning, both colleagues of "Patient 1694" in Dong Anh District, which are yet to be officially confirmed by the Health Ministry. These two cases take the citys total to 11.

In all, nine localities have told their children not to attend school since community transmissions resurfaced in Vietnam last Thursday.

The northern province of Hoa Binh, where two Covid-19 patients were confirmed Sunday morning, has decided to keep students at home starting February 1.

Students in places like Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong and Thai Binh had already been told to stay at home soon after the new Covid-19 outbreak was confirmed. Local authorities in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang as well as the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai have asked children not to attend schools in areas where many people had come into close contact with Covid-19 patients.

The Ministry of Education and Training on Saturday asked all schools to prepare for remote learning in order to finish the school year as scheduled and keep students safe from the spreading novel coronavirus.

After nearly two months without any community transmission, Vietnam was shaken by a new wave of Covid-19 infections in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh, which has now spread to at least eight localities.

The sources of transmissions of the outbreak have not been identified, with the first patients confirmed being a man working at Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh and a woman working at Vietnam Poyun Electronics Co. Ltd in Chi Linh Town of Hai Duong.

Sunday morning also saw Vietnam's first imported case of the South African novel coronavirus variant in a foreign expert who had been quarantined upon arrival in Hanoi in December 2020.

The country has registered 1,781 Covid-19 cases and 35 deaths so far.
On a recent Sunday, Paola Laverde logged onto her computer from her Berkeley apartment and joined dozens of fellow Latino residents on Zoom in an hourlong conversation about coronavirus vaccines with a UCSF physician.

Dr. Maria Garcia explained in Spanish how the vaccines work, what the benefits are and why its important to receive one.

Laverde, 57, was happy to see faces like hers. She is eager to get a vaccine when her turn comes, and was curious about which workers would be prioritized. Others asked about whether they should still wear masks and practice social distancing once they get a shot, and how to respond to dubious family members who believe false rumors about problems with vaccines.

We know that knowledge is power, said Laverde, a member of the group Latinos Unidos de Berkeley that co-hosted the session. Learning about vaccines is especially important in the Latino community, which accounts for 39% of Californias population. However, Latinos disproportionately account for 55% of the states COVID infections and 46% of the deaths.

As vaccine distribution ramps up locally and across California, health officials and advocates hope to reach more residents like Laverde.

They are pushing to ensure communities of color and other groups  such as those with limited internet access  arent left behind. Its particularly vital that they be reached, because many are essential workers who face risks on the job every day, and others may live in multigenerational households or more crowded conditions.

Theres a big problem, however: It is difficult to know whether people of color are being vaccinated on par with the incidence of COVID-19 in those communities because the state and most counties have not released information on the racial and ethnic demographics of vaccine recipients.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

This lack of transparency is widespread. As of Jan. 22, only 20 states were reporting some information on the race or ethnicity of people who received vaccines, though often it was incomplete, according to a Washington Post analysis. California was not on the list. White House officials called on states last week to release more consistent demographic data.

California officials say it is vital that vaccines be distributed equitably, and they also want metrics to measure their work. On Wednesday, state officials announced that Blue Shield of California, the Oakland health insurance company, will take over vaccine distribution on the states behalf. This is expected to incorporate a better way to measure vaccine equity, though details have yet to be announced. Similar problems arose with coronavirus testing early in the pandemic, but the state and counties fixed the issue and provided demographic data  which reflected that in some areas, testing was reaching more white residents than communities of color hard-hit by the virus, prompting the use of mobile, neighborhood-based testing sites.

Racial and ethnic data on vaccinations may also be more difficult to interpret, at least at first, because vaccines are mostly available right now to certain groups such as seniors and health care workers, who may have different demographic characteristics than the general population.

Within the nine-county Bay Area, only Contra Costa and San Mateo counties have provided a breakdown of vaccine recipients by race and ethnicity. However, it is difficult to draw conclusions from the local data, which largely reflect who is eligible for the vaccine, because not all providers report the race or ethnicity of vaccine recipients.

In Contra Costa County, the largest proportions of vaccine doses have gone to white people (37%), people of multiple races (16%), people who identify as other (16%), and Asians (14%), according to county data. The county is 43% white (not including Hispanics or Latinos), 5.4% multiple race, and 18% Asian, according to Census data.

Some of that reflects the demographic makeup of health care workers and the elderly. Those groups are disproportionately white, disproportionately Asian, and disproportionately wealthy, said Contra Costa deputy health officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli.

The largest disparity right now is Black residents, who are getting vaccinated at lower rates, Tzvieli said. Some disparity also exists among Latinos, but it is not as stark, he said.

We look at equity in everything we do and obviously inequities have been a huge marker of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tzvieli said. Weve seen inequities in case numbers, inequities in testing. And now, although the data is incomplete, we are seeing inequities in vaccines as well, and the causes are many.

In San Mateo County, most people who have been vaccinated are white (32%) and Asian (24%), according to county data; 12% has gone to multi-race people. The county is 39% white (not including Hispanic and Latino) and 31% Asian, according to Census figures, with 4.5% identifying themselves as multi-race.

The lack of state data is concerning, experts say.

Im very disturbed, said Garcia, an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF and co-director of the Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center. We already know that there are inequities in COVID infection in and of itself. In order to address those inequities we need to make sure that we specifically target those very same communities for some of the therapeutics and for the vaccine and for prevention efforts. I find it really hard to believe that that information truly isnt available.

Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, said that while more data is needed, the state has an enormous task on its hands.

I think that the state is trying to do the best it can given the limitations in the supply of vaccine allocations, Aguilar-Gaxiola said.

Aguilar-Gaxiola is a member of the states COVID-19 vaccine drafting guidelines committee, and its been a very intense process in trying to be as fair and as thoughtful as possible, and to try to have our decision-making be guided by science and by data, he said, emphasizing that he was speaking from his own experience and not on behalf of the committee.

Doctors said they also worry about people with language barriers and those who dont have access to computers or who have little computer literacy  such as seniors and some low-income people  and may miss out on signing up to receive a vaccine.

Vivian Lem, a 69-year-old Japanese American San Franciscan, said she reached a representative on the Sutter Health phone line through sheer persistence.

She didnt have any luck in scheduling a vaccination yet, since Sutter is currently prioritizing patients older than 75 for appointments.

Lem said success can be an issue of haves or have-nots, with being able to get on the internet and stay on hold, sometimes for hours, really a luxury.

Its terrible. Its so sad. Everyone is so desperate, she said. Its a life or death thing.

The nonprofit On Lok runs a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly, and is the primary medical provider for 1,600 seniors in San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara counties.

More than 90% of On Lok participants in federal housing for low-income seniors have given consent to take a vaccine  the result of relationships, trust over time and culturally competent care, said Dr. Ben Lui, chief medical informatics officer for the organization.

The average age of participants is 81, and half have dementia, Liu said. Many are people of color and some non-native English speakers. The consent process involved translating documents into multiple languages and communicating with families  including in some cases getting consent from those family members  before vaccines were available.

With seniors, depending on their support from their families, depending on some of their own abilities, meaning that some seniors are not very tech savvy or who have cognitive impairment, they often need assistance in terms of obtaining that information, Lui said. It favors those who have resources and family members who can spend the time and get the information for them.

Outreach will also be critical for the Black community. Black people in California account for 4% of coronavirus cases and 7% of COVID-19 deaths, while representing 6% of the population.

Many doctors told The Chronicle that mobile vaccine sites are an important way of addressing language barriers, digital divides and other challenges.

In Contra Costa, for example, officials are planning to grow the number of pop-up vaccination sites in underserved areas. Theyre also planning several mobile vaccination clinics at businesses that employ large numbers of food distribution and service workers.

UCSF doctors who helped set up community testing in Fruitvale last year are now turning to doing culturally sensitive and bilingual outreach to people of color.

The UCSF doctors, including Dr. Alicia Fernandez, are working with groups that have ties to Black seniors and Spanish-speaking residents locally and nationally to answer their questions about vaccines. The COVID-19 Vaccine Speakers Bureau started spontaneously and many Q&A sessions are done on Zoom from doctors homes.

Many experts expect to see more people of color get vaccinated once more essential workers can get access to shots.

Earlier this month, state officials said theyre considering allotting 20% of the states vaccine distribution to counties based on an equity metric that factors in ZIP codes that have been hardest hit by the virus.

A big hurdle remains vaccine hesitancy  the result, in part, of a deep distrust among some people of color in the nations health care system.

People are sensitive to history, Aguilar-Gaxiola said. They know about abuses that have happened and there is a deep-rooted distrust in some communities about government agencies or other groups. Not only about recommendations like vaccines, but also in giving any (personal) information that can be identifiable.

Dr. Adrian James, chief medical officer of West Oakland Health, knows this well. Lately he starts every conversation with a patient by asking them, Do you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine?

About 70% of his patients say they prefer to wait until others get a COVID-19 vaccine first. For the patients who do agree to get immunized, James moves fast, and hopes they spread the word to their friends and family.

I had a 65-year-old lady today who said shed take the vaccine, he said. My question to her was, OK, we have one with your name on it, when do you want to come in?

Tatiana Sanchez, Catherine Ho and Mallory Moench are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com, cho@sfchronicle.com, mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez, @cat_ho, @mallorymoench
Californias K-12 public school enrollment has precipitously declined during the pandemic, dropping by a record 155,000 students from a starting point of about 6.2 million, according to new state projections.

That drop-off is about five times greater than Californias annual rate of enrollment decline in recent years. The state, with the largest student enrollment in the country, had seen a steady decline of between 20,000 and 30,000 students in its public schools in the two years prior, partly due to declining birth rates, and the state had predicted a similar rate of decline to continue.

Without more detailed data, it is difficult to determine which grade levels, student groups and school districts have been most affected by the enrollment declines, and what the long-term impacts could be. The California Department of Education plans to publish more detailed enrollment data this spring.

But the large drop in students nonetheless illustrates how the pandemic has upended Californias public school system of more than 1,000 school districts and its 6 million students.

Education advocates say the enrollment drop is likely due to various factors, from families withholding enrolling their children in kindergarten to more dropouts than usual.

Several school districts have indicated they see steeper enrollment declines this year. In August, Austin Beutner, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified, the states largest school district, said the district had seen an enrollment drop of about 6,000 kindergarten students, a 14% decline over the previous year. Los Angeles and several of Californias large urban districts have seen gradual enrollment declines over the past decade.

The states enrollment forecast has also found that the numbers of some higher-need students who bring additional money to a school through the states funding formula are declining ... at a higher rate than their peers, statewide. Advocates said that might be due to less reliable data collection during the pandemic, so some of those students werent being identified for the extra funding.

In a handout ahead of Tuesdays education budget subcommittee hearing, state analysts said the long-term financial impact to schools is unknown. Gov. Gavin Newsoms most recent budget included provisions through the end of this academic term so schools dont lose funding when enrollment drops. Advocates have called on state legislators to extend those protections to funds that provide extra money to schools for low-income students, English learners and foster youth.

Were worried that if they dont do that, then youre going to see less ... money go out to districts that actually have the same or higher need than they did, said John Affeldt, managing attorney of the Public Advocates nonprofit law firm in San Francisco.

Many parents across the state have opted for private schools or homeschooling this year, potentially influencing the public enrollment decline. Last fall, as most public schools in large cities remained closed, many private schools reopened for in-person classes through the use of elementary waivers.

But early data shows private schools have also seen enrollment decline. Ron Reynolds, executive director of the California Association of Private School Organizations, said the states private schools have so far reported a cumulative enrollment decline of 6%, from 470,422 students to 441,678.

Its all over the place, Reynolds said. There are private schools that have seen a diminution in enrollment, some on a fairly substantial order of magnitude. Some private schools have seen increases in enrollment.

A February 2020 study from the Public Policy Institute of California projected an enrollment decrease of 7% over the next 10 years for California public schools.

Megan Stanton-Trehan, director of the Youth Justice Clinic at Loyola Law School, said, What the data is showing is in line with our experiences.

The students in the foster care and juvenile justice systems Stanton-Trehan works with have faced steep barriers in accessing remote learning, and many have become disengaged. More of her clients have dropped out than in previous years.

In Los Angeles and across California, many students lack access to computers or adequate internet, shutting them out of opportunities to connect with their teachers and schools. In Los Angeles Unified, the rate of Ds and Fs has risen, and the district extended its grading period for fall semester in hopes that students could catch up.

Weve had a number of clients drop out, just tell us they cant do online learning  they cant do Zoom school, as they call it  and its really too hard for them or theyve got other priorities, Stanton-Trehan said. Overall, its just really putting those students who are far behind farther behind.

Though Affeldt cautioned against drawing firm conclusions on the limited data released, he said the steep statewide decline does put urgency to trying to figure out those two pieces  how do we get as many students back as quickly as possible and safely?

And when we do bring students back, Affeldt said, how do we make sure were addressing the lost instructional time that they suffered in really interesting and engaging ways for the students, and addressing their social and emotional mental health needs?

Ricardo Cano writes for CalMatters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

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Hilarious footage has emerged of a tradesman facing off with a large brolga.

The short clip shows the man coming face to face with the large brolga bird outside a residential construction site in Griffin, Queensland.

The bird, known to locals as Bruce, can be seen stretching its wings out and bobbing up and down as the man comically follows on with his fists up as both try to taunt each other.

A tradie (pictured) has faced a brolga in the front yard of a construction site in Griffin, Queensland

'Bruce squaring up to a tradie in Griffin,' the video was captioned.

In the end, the man is sent running away from the large bird.

'Bruce the brolga needs to find a friend,' commented one viewer.

The video, which was originally posted to Tik Tok, has been shared to multiple platforms and left many in stitches.

'This is the funniest thing I have seen for a long while,' commented one viewer.

'The scream got me wheezing,' another agreed.

'Bruce the Brolga' can be seen stretching its wings and jumping up and down as the man imitates him (pictured)

Some social media users cheered on Bruce.

'Sic him Bruce, you show him who is boss,' wrote one person.

'Australia, where instead of guns we have killer birds and wildlife that will F you up,' another joked.

Locals have since reassured everyone that Bruce is a harmless bird.

'He's never been pushy, demanding or angry. If you're in a garage he'll walk in, say hello, pretty loud sometimes and walk off,' one local commented.

Brolgas are one of Australia's largest birds and are commonly found all over Queensland.

They are known for their unique dance which includes jumping into the air, head bobbing, wing flapping, bowing and strutting.
The chief executives of ExxonMobil Corp and Chevron Corp held preliminary talks in early 2020 to explore combining the two largest U.S. oil producers in what would have been the biggest merger of all time, according to people familiar with the matter.

The discussions, which are no longer ongoing, are indicative of the pressure the energy sectors most dominant companies faced as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and crude prices plunged.

The talks between Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth were serious enough for legal documents involving certain aspects of the merger discussions to be drafted, one of the sources said. The reason the talks ended could not be learned.

The sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. Exxon and Chevron, which have market capitalizations of $190 billion and $164 billion, respectively, declined to comment.

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
In the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may announce measures to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI). The government may announce steps to liberalise FDI norms in key sectors like education, insurance, pharma, manufacturing, electronics and automobile.

In the backdrop of slowing economy, there is high hope from the government to remove FDI caps in different sectors to attract substantial foreign investment. The increase in FDI limit could pave the way for foreign players who are expected to bring in new technologies, new products and ensure better market penetration. This will also ensure long-term funds stay invested in India.

Recently, the government relaxed foreign investment norms in sectors such as brand retail trading, coal mining and contract manufacturing. The government allowed 100 per cent FDI in coal mining and approved 26 per cent foreign investment in digital media.

The year 2020 saw a steady rise in FDI in India, in contrast to decline in global economies, despite uncertainties looming over economic growth in wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Data with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) shows that FDI inflows in the first half of the current fiscal (April-September) stood at $30 billion, registering a 15 per cent growth over the previous year. Sectors which attracted maximum foreign inflows during April-September 2020-21 included computer software and hardware ($17.55 billion), services ($ 2.25 billion), trading ($ 949 billion), chemicals ($ 437 million) and automobile ($ 417 million).

Country-wise, Singapore emerged as the largest source of FDI in India during the period with $8.3 billion investments. It was followed by the US ($7.12 billion), Cayman Islands ($2.1 billion), Mauritius ($2 billion), the Netherlands ($1.5 billion), UK ($1.35 billion), France ($1.13 billion) and Japan ($653 million).

As per DPIIT, total FDI (including reinvested earnings) stood at about $40 billion during the first half of FY21. FDI is a major driver of economic growth and an important source of non-debt finance for the economic development of the country.

Also Read: Budget 2021: Will COVID-hit aviation sector get a revival package?

Also Read: Budget 2021: Debt-laden telecom sector expects tax reliefs, lower licence fee
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A major bird park in northern Senegal has been closed to the public after the mysterious deaths of least 750 pelicans, with initial analysis ruling out bird flu.

A patrol in the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary found "740 juvenile and 10 adult" pelicans dead on January 23, the environment ministry said.

The ministry added that it had ordered "on-the-spot autopsies" and that samples had been sent for analysis.

Meanwhile the pelican bodies and their waste have been destroyed and public access, including canoe tours through the park's waterways, has been suspended.

The bird sanctuary has been listed as a heritage site by UNESCO since 1981, and is a major green tourism draw for Senegal.

A mixture of wetlands, savannah, canals, marshes and lakes nestled in the Senegal river delta, Djoudj harbours more than three million individual birds from almost 400 species.

Authorities have already ruled out bird flu as a potential cause of the unusual pelican deaths, with a recent outbreak at a farm in western Senegal judged to have been contained.

"Avian flu only affects birds that eat grains. But pelicans eat fish. We can't say that this disease is at work," national parks director Bocar Thiam told AFP.

"We'll have to wait for the results of the analysis that will be available in four days," he added.
EAST ALTON  Plans have changed for demolition work planned Monday at the Wood River Power Station on Illinois 143 in East Alton.

Initially Spirtas Wrecking Company had planned to implode three smoke stacks and a building at the site. On Saturday East Alton Fire Chief Timothy Quigley announced only the building will be razed Monday; removing the smoke stacks will wait for at least a month.
The South African variant of the coronavirus was detected at a school in Arlon this week. An expert gives the three main pieces of information to know about this variant.

A few days ago, the variant was detected in Ostend. What do we know about this covid-19 mutation?

According to the interfederal spokesperson for the fight against the coronavirus, Yves Van Laethem, there are three main points to remember about the South African variant for the moment.

Thursdays reshuffle of his frontbench has not quieted the more restive elements of the caucus, who fear that the deck is simply stacked against Labor, which could be facing a fourth straight election defeat by the Coalition.

There is chatter in the caucus about his leadership, though no clear alternative has yet emerged - depending on who you talk to, Tanya Plibersek, Jim Chalmers, Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten are all mentioned, though not seriously.

The leader of the opposition is behind in the two-party-preferred vote in published opinion polls, though not by much and well behind Scott Morrison as preferred prime minister.

COVID-19 has, mostly, benefited incumbent leaders across the country and around the world (Donald Trump being an obvious exception).

But over dinner in Canberra on Wednesday night and then, in a subsequent interview in his office, Albanese betrayed few of the signs of a leader under pressure - though the veteran pollie is alive to the ill winds blowing his way.

Instead, the opposition leader wants to talk about the car crash in early January that nearly ended his life. Albanese has done a series of radio interviews in the wake of the crash, which saw his Toyota Camry hybrid crunched by a much larger Range Rover.

He pulls out his phone, which is still pinging with texts from colleagues with reviews of his just-broadcast interview on the ABCs 7.30, and starts flicking through photos of the damage before looking me straight in the eye.

A foot or so either way, he says, and it could have been all over - or at the very least, a life-changing injury. Its not something that, perhaps, his critics in caucus have yet grasped.
Brett Kepley is a lawyer with Land of Lincoln Legal Aid Inc. Send questions to The Law Q&A, 302 N. First St., Champaign, IL 61820.

Mamata Banerjee working towards serving her nephew in West Bengal: Shah

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Dumrjula (WB), Jan 31: In a stinging attack on West Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday alleged that she is working towards serving her nephew in the state, and will have no one by her side by the time assembly elections are held.

Noting that the TMC that boasts of the slogan ''Maa Mati Mansuh'' (Mother, Land and people) actually indulges in extortion, corruption and appeasement, Shah exuded confidence of forming the next government in the state and take it to the path of development.

HM Amit Shah briefed by Delhi Police on blast near Israeli Embassy

"I want to make it clear that the BJP would come to power in the state after the elections. While the Modi government is working towards ''jan kalyan'' (serving people), the Mamata Banerjee government is working towards ''bhatija kalyan'' (serving her nephew) in Bengal," Shah said addressing a rally through video-conferencing here.

"Mamata Banerjee should think why so many TMC leaders are joining the BJP. It is because she has failed the people of the state. By the time elections arrive, she will be left alone," he said, hinting at more exodus from the ruling party.

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Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 15:04 [IST]
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Posted Sunday, January 31, 2021 8:26 am

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, joined a growing, bipartisan chorus of lawmakers calling for an investigation into restrictions on trading GameStop stock last week.

In an open letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairwoman Allison Herren Lee on Friday, Herrera Beutler called the temporary ban on buying GameStop stock among retail investors an example of unfair stock market manipulation.

"Americans deserve integrity in our financial markets, but it appears some brokerage platforms may have broken the law by putting their thumb on the scale to protect privileged Wall Street investors over small individual investors," Herrera Beutler said. "This is not just unfair to these individual investors, it's an attack on our nation's free market principles."

Last week, a few apps designed to make trading on the stock market easier for the average person  including Robinhood, which has 13 million downloads  temporarily blocked its users from buying certain stocks, such as GameStop, citing "market volatility."

GameStop stock had been heavily shorted by multiple hedge funds. Some lost billions when the cost of the stock skyrocketed due to a Reddit forum for retail traders. Robinhood's decision to freeze that stock  along with a few others targeted by the Reddit forum, such as the movie theater chain AMC  sparked widespread outrage among the app's users and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

"Is it appropriate for financial services institutions to restrict the purchase but not the sale of a particular stock in response to market changes spurred by honest and freely available information?" Herrera Beutler asked in her letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission chairwoman. "More specifically, does a broker preventing a retail investor from purchasing a stock such as GME constitute market manipulation given possible conflicts of interest, and should these sorts of actions be permitted?"

___
New Delhi, Jan 31 : Major General Ayman Bilal of the Pakistan Army has confessed to China's role and support in his deployment in Balochistan, Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Sun has reported.

"China has deployed me here to crush the Baloch movement and has given me a six-month task," Maj Gen Bilal said.

"If the threat of FATF is averted, we will go inside Iran and take action. Iran is the biggest enemy of Pakistan which has a direct hand in the instability of Balochistan," said new IG FC South Balochistan, Major General Bilal at a special 'jirga' (meeting) at FC headquarters in Turbat with few notables including local agents of FC and intelligence agencies.

As per the report, Major General Bilal stationed in Ketch District has openly admitted to China's role in his deployment and assistance and other important matters.

In this special 'jirga' session of FC, Raheema Jalal, sister of Federal Minister for Defence Production Zubeida Jalal, Sardar Aziz, head of state formed death squad from Pedarak, Yasir Bahram, head of state death squad Nagor Dasht, Hasil Kolwahi and heads of armed groups who are working on state parole from Tump, Mand, Buleda, Zamuran, Dasht and Hoshap were also present.

Maj Gen Bilal, while admitting in the 'jirga', said with concern that he had been posted by China in Balochistan based on his 30 years of service experience at a hefty salary and had only six months on the task to "crush" the Baloch national struggle.

He said that he has extensive experience of working in Balochistan for the last 30 years and has worked in Quetta, Sibi, Kolwah, Dera Bugti and Awaran.

"China has paid me a salary and a large sum of money and officially posted me here for their regional interests and to thwart Iran's conspiracies against CPEC, as it is a kind of investment in regional interests," he said, as per the report.

Bilal said that the end of the Baloch movement and the success of CPEC is very important for Pakistan and China. "We have a good amount of money for this task, so let us know how much you need because we can't wait any longer for Iran to create unrest in Balochistan, conspire against CPEC and stab us in the stomach in the name of friendship," he is reported to have said.

Bilal further said that Iran is the biggest enemy of Pakistan now. "The threat of FATF is averted today, tomorrow we will go inside Iran and teach the Baloch separatists a lesson that their future generations will remember. At the moment we have the option to take action within 25 kilometres of the Iranian border and we will use this option on time," he said.
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An Intro to RoFx

A group of software developers and professional traders designed and created the profitable forex robot RoFx in 2009. The automated trading system holds a record of producing consistent profits in trading since 2010, with an average monthly return of 10%. It offers the traders a passive income resulting from the investment made by traders. The company is completely transparent as it shows the robot's trading results to the users. RoFx is a fully computerized and AI-driven EA that offers a low drawdown. Not only this, but the company also compensates for the losses of the traders by its reserve funds. Today, we will discuss if RoFx truly is as good as people claim it to be on financial forums.

The Basics of Automated Forex Trading

Automated trading involves expert advisors or trading robots to trade on an asset. The robot can either act as an indicator to point out the buy and sell points or it can execute the trades on its own. However, not all robots can bring you profits, regardless of what their sellers claim. Only a few can do this in the frequently changing market. Overall, it is rare for an EA to deliver good performance under all market conditions.

An EA is typically installed within MetaTrader software's experts' directory. The robot makes decisions of opening or closing trades based on the set algorithm. They can work fully automatically on the set inputs. With the backtesting feature on a demo account, you can know for sure if the EA really generates profitable trades or not.

Forex Robot Scams

Since the early days of trading, traders have had to deal with scams in every sector of financial markets. Novice traders are naive and inexperienced in trading. Thus, they are easily fooled by tempting schemes and packages offered by scammers. There are many trading robots in the market that guarantee 100% or more monthly returns while they cannot even produce 10%. These automated trading systems are not programmed properly. Therefore, the inconsistency in the market and its conditions are ignored by them.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Automated Forex Trading

Advantages

Disadvantages A wonderful source of passive income with smart algorithmic trading Many robots neglect market conditions like political and economic news Superior risk management with stop loss and take profit orders EAs working without a stop loss cause a huge risk for your trading account Trading void of any emotion leaves no room for mistake

A lot of fee time for the trader as everything is taken care of by the robot

No need to be a trading expert to use an EA which makes trading easy for beginners

Quick backtesting results offered by the robot within minutes or seconds

Loss or failure of internet connection is not an issue



Is RoFx a Genuine Company?

RoFx is a fintech company with offices in the US, UK, and Hong Kong, while the head office is in the UK. You can make an appointment before if you want to visit the head office. The company also hosts a conference every year for the VIP clients, although an average client can also attend it by requesting the RoFx support team.

The company does not need to be regulated because it is just a software company that develops AI. However, RoFx has links with major brokerage firms in Asia, America, and Europe. It is enough proof that the company is genuine.

What Makes RoFx Better than Other Trading Robots

RoFx offers fully automated trading that most robots in the market cannot provide. Users do not need to do anything else other than depositing their money, and the EA takes care of the rest. You can deposit the money in US dollars, Euros, or Bitcoin. RoFx does not even any hassle of installing and customizing the setting yourself like other trading software. Features that make RoFx better than other robots are -

Brilliant algorithmic trading: For the past ten years, RoFx has continued to offer profitable trades consistently. The robot is provided with a self-learning neural network that helps it learn how to be more profitable from the markets by scanning the charts and information continuously. This fully automated process only needs a computer and money to deposit.

A proud trading history: The trading results of the past ten years is enough to prove that the automated trading system is profitable. You can see the daily profit and monthly gains made by the robot on the official site of RoFx. The trading results are genuine and reliable as they are verified via Myfxbook, the renowned forex site that displays all trading accounts' history.

Risk-free investment and trade: RoFx users never have to worry about losing the money that they put into trades. On the Myfxbook page, you can see a monthly analytics chart that shows the EA's performance over the past years. There is no month showing negative trading results, which is huge proof that the system works. Even when a loss takes place, it is compensated by the company's reserve fund. So, you never have to lose any money. It is different from most trading robots in the market who use risky strategies and work without stop loss. RoFx uses stop loss and utilizes no leverage, which makes trading safer.

Easy to use service: You can access the service via its website. The company offers different packages for low-performance fees. The base package offers a minimum of 50% of the daily profit. You can increase it up to 95% by increasing your investment. Anyone with little to no knowledge or experience in forex can trade efficiently with this EA.

Customer support 24/7: A responsive customer support line is very important so users can enquire about their issues anytime. However, this vital point is often forgotten by famous trading robots like GPS, Hamster Scalping, and Odin. RoFx, on the contrary, offers 24/7 customer support via email and live chat.

More Info about RoFx

You do not need to download RoFx to access its service. All you need to do is sign up for the service with a trading account on the website and deposit the minimum amount in the account, which is $1000. After you deposit your money, the robot can take care of the rest on its own. You can monitor the robot's work by logging into your account and also decide the amount of gain with its profit calculator.

RoFx provides easy withdrawal services allowing minimum cash out of $1000. If you want to withdraw a lower amount than this, you can use Bitcoin from the exchange option in your account menu. The company does not charge a withdrawal fee on its own. A commission is charged by the bank if the user draws out the money after the package is expired, but it is paid by the company.

You can use straightforward deposit options like bank transfer, credit card, and Bitcoin. US customers can use Domestic ACH as well.

Conclusion

Most tested robots in the market offer brilliant results for a certain period but cannot keep it up for a longer period. The ridiculous claims made by the robots like the 200% monthly gain are meaningless when they cannot back their claims up with backtesting history. RoFx, however, offers a transparent and straightforward concept through an easy-to-use interface. Verified records on Myfxbook, daily, and monthly gains made by the robot, and 24/7 customer support show the credibility of the EA. It offers a minimum growth of 8%-10% per month, which can make any professional trader happy.
JERUSALEM (AP)  An Israeli soldier on Sunday shot dead a Palestinian suspected of attempting an attack on troops in the West Bank, the Israeli army said.

The army said in a statement that an armed assailant with three knives connected to a stick attempted to attack soldiers at a West Bank junction south of Bethlehem. No soldiers were hurt. The military confirmed the suspected attacker was killed.

Video shared on social media shows a man in a grey sweatshirt walking along the side of a highway. He appears to pull something out of his clothes and begins to run toward a soldier. The soldier appears to fire his weapon, and the man collapses.

The military shared a photo of the alleged weapon, which appears to be a cluster of knives taped to a broom handle.

Israel has seen a series of shootings, stabbings and car-ramming attacks in recent years, mostly carried out by lone Palestinian attackers in the West Bank with no apparent links to armed groups.

Last week, a soldier shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian who allegedly attacked troops with a knife in the northern West Bank.

Palestinian and Israeli rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force in some instances, and of killing some suspected attackers who could have been apprehended.
(BPT) - When COVID-19 reached the U.S. a year ago, physician anesthesiologists rose to the challenge, providing critical frontline care to seriously ill patients, while at the same time developing guidelines for safe care based on ever-evolving knowledge about the deadly virus. Now, as vaccine distribution ramps up and the virus surges again, physician anesthesiologists continue to lead the way to ensure patients receive vital health care such as elective and essential surgery safely  even if patients have tested positive for COVID-19.

Physician Anesthesiologists Week provides an opportunity to reflect back on a year like no other, said Beverly Philip, M.D., FACA, FASA, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Nationwide, we have put our lives on hold to care for critically ill patients, while renewing our commitment to transforming health care for the better.

Providing expert guidance to improve care

Since March, the ASA has released more than 20 COVID-19-related statements or recommendations, from guidance on wearing facemasks in public and the most efficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE), to minimizing medication waste and COVID-19 testing before surgery. For example, ASA has joined with other organizations to strongly encourage the public to wear masks  which is vital as we fight the latest surge  as well as continually revised guidelines to ensure elective and essential surgeries are safe.

Inevitably, people who have tested positive for COVID-19 will need elective surgery and ASAs latest guidance recommends how to proceed safely. The ASA and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) note that elective and essential surgeries can safely proceed in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infection when the physician anesthesiologist and surgeon or proceduralist agree jointly to proceed, using the following wait times:

Four weeks if a patient had no symptoms or has recovered from only mild, non-breathing-related symptoms.

Six weeks for a patient who had symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, but who was not hospitalized.

Eight to 10 weeks for a patient who had symptoms and has diabetes or is immunocompromised, or hospitalized.

Twelve weeks for a patient who was admitted to an intensive care unit for COVID-19 infection.

Delivering life-saving care during a challenging year

Highly skilled to provide safe anesthesia care during surgery and make critical decisions in emergency situations, physician anesthesiologists are made for moments like when the pandemic hit, stepping up to provide critical care for the sickest patients, from performing intubations to directing ventilation strategies.

Physician anesthesiologists, from hospitals that werent experiencing a surge, volunteered as critical care physicians in areas hardest hit last spring, such as New York City and New Orleans. Thousands stepped up, such as Scott Roethle, M.D., FASA, who took three weeks vacation from his Missouri hospital to volunteer in New York City and Dennis Gray, M.D., who took a leave from his Atlanta hospital to work nights on a COVID-19 unit in Brooklyn, recalling the nightly cheers of encouragement from city dwellers that would get him through his exhaustion as he walked home in the morning.

Now, as the pandemic surges again throughout the country, physician anesthesiologists continue to lead their health care centers and institutions in developing best practices and collaborate with one another across the country to find solutions to help patients win the battle against the virus. As leaders in the operating room, and partners in leading critical care, the actions of physician anesthesiologists in U.S. health care have helped save hundreds of thousands of lives.

This sponsored article is presented by Brandpoint.
We have passed the one-month mark for vaccine distribution, yet the rollout is getting more confusing and frustrating as the coronavirus continues its rampage across New Jersey.

Whereas some states have an effective, centralized sign-up system for appointments  not to mention lines filled with people who know theyre going to get jabbed before they return home  our state is overpopulated by desperate shut-ins chained to their laptops, wasting hours poking at a refresh button, and overwhelmed by futility when another days toil produces the same message:

There are no appointments available.

But this fraught moment shouldnt pass without noting that some Jersey places have handled vaccine distribution well, such as Joe DiVincenzos Essex County, where organization, resources, political clout, and volunteerism have turned the states hardest-hit county into a model for rollout.

The county executive says he is getting calls from everywhere to pick his brain, but he always starts with some variation of that John Wooden adage: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

We started organizing in October, when we knew vaccines were going to be priorities 1, 2, and 3, said DiVincenzo, who has five distribution sites, including an empty Sears and a vacant K-Mart. So we worked hard on the website portal. We do mailings and robocalls. We wanted people to be engaged before they show up  even if they wanted to get the vaccine or not, they had to have the info to make the right choice.

Today we gave first doses of the COVID vaccine to 1,536 people and second doses to 913 people at our 5 vaccination centers. That brings our 23 day total to 29,980 first doses and 3,056 second doses. #EssexCounty #PuttingEssexCountyFirst pic.twitter.com/noGRnhlgG2  Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. (@Joe_D_EssexExec) January 28, 2021

It was more than providence. It helps to have influence: Essex receives more doses than any other county  11,000 last week. But you still have to get it into arms, and Essex has the infrastructure to distribute 25,000 per week if it had the supply. It also helps that DiVincenzo has thousands of volunteers available to work beside paid staff.

The Essex model has been so effective, Assembly minority leader Jon Bramnick, a Republican from Union County, suggests that Joe D should go to Trenton and run the state distribution program  and Im serious.

But Essex is the outlier, as everyone else is waiting for ramp-ups on production.

It is a difficult calibration, but New Jersey could do a better job of allocating resources to places like Jersey City, which last week received its allotment of 500 doses on Monday at 9 AM and ran out by Wednesday afternoon.

City health director Stacey Flanagan says they manage to squeeze 12 doses out of vials that usually contain 10, but thats untenable: They havent even finished the first round of jabs for all the citys cops and health care workers yet. The 700 doses that Jerseys second-largest city will receive tomorrow are already accounted for  by seniors on a waiting list.

Mayor Steve Fulop asks for 1,000 doses per week, but the state tells him its Hudson Countys call  and the county only gets 3,500, which is why its distribution rate is third-lowest (4.3 percent) in the state. His consternation peaked when the state refused to let him use the Jersey City Armory as a main distribution point because the activity would damage the floor.

You cant blame any mayor pointing fingers and screaming from the rooftops. Consider Andre Sayegh of Paterson: His city exhausted its meager supply (700 doses) very quickly because unlike most places, it had welcomed interlopers: Were not turning people away  the virus doesnt stop at the Clifton border, the mayor said Thursday, a day before Paterson switched to an appointment platform.

But the Essex model shows what can be done once the supply ramps up, and that is cause for hope. New Jerseyans have gotten pretty good at staying patient after a year of this ordeal. Lets do it a little while longer.

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If Robinhood got one thing spot on, it's that free sells.

Prior to setting off a stock market firestorm last week, investors in Robinhood, the Menlo Park, California-based trading platform, were only too happy to keep fueling its growth. Now they have no choice.

Robinhood faced crippling cash demands brought on by a Reddit subgroup named WallStreetBets, which was driving up the stock price of companies, including GameStop and AMC, that had been targeted by well-known short sellers. The stated goal: squeeze the shorts. The ensuing volume of orders pushed Robinhood into tricky territory with its cash position, when the clearinghouse that helps the firm process and settle trades asked the company to put up more capital to meet margin requirements. Robinhood responded by restricting trading on 13 stocks on Thursday, infuriating the WallStreetBets investors and sending prices on those stocks down.

To stabilize itself, Robinhood, which was founded in 2013 by Vlad Tenev and Baiju Bhatt with a mission to "democratize finance," then turned to early investors to raise more than $1 billion, in a matter of hours. The New York Times reported on Friday that the rescue funds came from prior venture investors including Sequoia Capital and Ribbit Capital. Meanwhile, after the platform reopened to full trading on Friday, amid criticism and a class-action lawsuit alleging it prioritized its high-end clients over retail investors, the prices for those stocks resumed their climb. At Friday's close, GameStop and AMC shares were up 400 percent and 278 percent to $325 and $13.26, respectively for the week.

The greater stock market, though, took a beating, with the S&P losing nearly 2 percent in part because the hedge funds that shorted those companies then had to sell other stocks to cover their losses.

Prior to last week's $1 billion infusion, Robinhood had taken in $1.7 billion from top Silicon Valley shops including New Enterprise Associates, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Andreessen Horowitz, as well as from celebrity investors like Ashton Kutcher, Jared Leto, Snoop Dogg, and John Legend. With additional funding rounds, its valuation had spiked to $11.2 billion in August 2020, from $8.3 billion in May. The firm had about $60 million in revenue in March, triple that of a year earlier, reported Bloomberg in April. Robinhood did not respond to Inc.'s request for an interview.

Even so, investors have limits, says David Yermack, a finance professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. He notes that when the price of GameStop drops--and it almost certainly will--some customers will face margin calls and won't be able to repay Robinhood because they bought too aggressively. "There's a risk that Robinhood itself could go broke because they've concentrated too much exposure on this one high-flying stock," he says. "That's why they went out and raised a $1 billion, from big-time investors." He adds that those existing investors will be supportive--but maybe not forever.

The price of 'free'

The experience may also drive yet another nail into the coffin of the "freemium" business model. As a commission-free brokerage, Robinhood foregoes what used to be the industry standard, a $6 to $10 fee for each trade. Yermack notes that it earns money indirectly, by potentially charging higher prices relative to other brokers. It also charges for order flow. Robinhood's trades, which may include stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrency, and options, are sold to large firms such as Citadel Securities and Virtu Financial, known in industry parlance as "market makers." Those market makers execute Robinhood's trades, sometimes at reduced rates, and provide a small payment to Robinhood. The process is controversial, but so far not illegal.

The company also makes money from its premium services. It launched Robinhood Gold in 2016 to provide features such as the ability to do pre- and after-hours trading in exchange for a monthly fee.

The freemium model has been a fixture in the digital marketplace for years. After building a customer base by giving away a basic product or service, there's a presumption that a certain percentage of those users will buy premium or upgraded versions. Still other companies never count on consumers to pay. Like Facebook, Robinhood makes the bulk of its revenue from clients willing to pay for access to its users. And therein lies the problem, says Jason Nazar, a tech entrepreneur and investor in Facebook and other companies. "Inherently, I think there's room for conflict whenever you have a business that serves two masters. You have your end users that power you with data and information, and then you have your clients that pay your bills. What side do you fall down on?" he asks. "I think what you'll find is more companies will probably err on the side of their end users instead of their data partners."

Indeed, if Robinhood is guilty of anything, it's of not being perfectly transparent about its revenue model, says Ethan Kurzweil, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners in San Francisco, where he focuses on developer platforms and digital consumer tech. "I don't know to what extent it was even understood about how Robinhood makes money until this recent round of press about them." This opacity became clear when users themselves pointed out, over social media, the irony of Robinhood restricting their access on Thursday, while hedge funds could continue to trade freely. The restricted investors allege that Robinhood moved to curtail trading, after getting pressured from other financial institutions. The company denies this allegation and, in a blog post, defended its action, as a risk-management decision.

Either way, Robinhood will clearly need to repair its image. And Kurzweil suggests that other startups entering the freemium space will be held to a higher standard of messaging and disclosures as a result of this calamity. To be clear, he says, freemium isn't going away. "People like free ... but maybe there are just some companies where there's a disconnect in terms of what people believe is the cost that they're paying, and maybe Robinhood is an extreme example," he says. "I think people are definitely going to apply more skepticism when the monetization is not clear and well understood."

Entrepreneurs themselves will likely also be more careful in the future, says Nazar. "What you'll see is companies that have business models like that will have to be much more thoughtful and diligent about when those conflicts can arise, and how they want to handle them," he says. "My guess is that Robinhood is already kicking themselves for how they communicated."

This won't be the end of Robinhood, however. If anything, Kurzweil says, the company could end up on even stronger footing, as it will be much better capitalized, and it can more readily handle potentially serious cash demands going forward. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that there was excess investor demand in Robinhood's latest round and the company could raise hundreds of millions more over the coming days or weeks. "My guess is they're writing up the value of their investment," says Kurzweil. "All of this attention in the end may bring more users to Robinhood."
More signs are emerging that NASAs Artemis program might not bring people to the Moon on time. The Verge has learned that NASA quietly pushed back the award timeframe for two lunar lander contracts from late February to April 30th, including the lunar landing system contract involving Blue Origin, SpaceX and Dynetics. The space agency said it needed more time to evaluate proposals and maintain a seamless transition from the development phase, although it said there was a chance it would award contracts sooner than late April.

Blue Origin is working on its Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing its Starship rocket. Dynetics is building a lander in a team-up with Sierra Nevada.

The setback doesnt come as a shock. Congress only gave NASAs Human Landing System project $850 million in its latest spending bill versus the $3.2 billion it said was necessary for the planned 2024 Moon touchdown. it doesnt help that NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine left as President Biden took office, leaving his deputy Steve Jurczyk in his place. The organization just doesnt have the resources or direction it was expecting.

As such, the chances of NASA making its 2024 Artemis goal are that much slimmer. Thats also discounting any possible changes in priorities at NASA under the Biden administration. The new White House has focused much of its energy on dealing on immediate crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. It may be reluctant to devote much (if any) attention to a Moon landing until the country is in better shape.

New Delhi:

A group of 50 men from the dalit community in Gujarat were deboarded from a train in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi by the police on Sunday evening. The men were on their way to Lucknow with a 125 kg soap that they wanted to gift Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.



The act was a symbolic protest against a reported incident in which people belonging to a Scheduled Caste in Kushinagar district wee given soap and shampoo by the local administration ahead of a visit by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in May this year. Members of the Mushahar community - one of the poorest in the state -- said they were asked to take bath and clean up properly before attending a function in Kushinagar, the report said.



After the incident, a newly formed dalit outfit in Gujarat decided to prepare a soap bar and personally gift it to UP CM so that he could bathe with it before meeting dalits.



The police have given no reason for their action but sources say the people were offloaded from the train to prevent disorder. According to reports, the group of protestors have been taken to a local govt guest house for now. Its not clear what the police will do next.

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Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 9:00AM

7 random things that happened on this day, January 31st, in showbiz history

1941 Alfred Hitchcock's comedy Mr & Mrs Smith, no not the Brangelina one, opened in theaters starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery. Yes, Hitchcock once made a screwball comedy without thriller elements.

1961 The Misfits, the elegaic last film for both Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable and one of Montgomery Clift's last pictures, has its world premiere in Reno, Nevada. It will open in movie theaters the next day...

Mary Tyler Moore won Best Actress, Drama for "Ordinary People"

1981 The 38th annual Golden Globes are held with Ordinary People (drama) and Coal Miner's Daughter (musical or comedy) winning Best Picture. The Globes used to classify music-centric biopics as musicals though in the past decade they've stopped doing that. If their recent habits had been in place Fame would have surely won Best Comedy or Musical, though like Coal Miner's Daughter, it's also a drama. But can we stop to marvel and shake our heads in confusion that comedy classic 9 to 5 wasn't even nominated for Best Comedy?!? It received three nominations, ALL of which went to Dolly Parton (Best Actress, Best Song, Best New Star) but she didn't win any of them!

Meanwhile Shogun (drama) and Taxi (comedy) win for TV; the Globes used to group miniseries in with regular drama series in their awards.

1986 The comedy Down & Out in Beverly Hills opens in theaters becoming a huge hit and making Bette Midler a true movie star again after four years off from the big screen post her bomb Jinxed (1982). But then her movie career was always spot since she was often concentrating on her music career instead.

1987 The 44th annual Golden Globes are held. Platoon (drama) and Hannah and Her Sisters (comedy) win the Best Picture prizes. Only one of the acting winners, Marlee Martin (Children of a Lesser God) continued on to an Oscar win. The other acting winners were Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa), Sissy Spacek (Crimes of the Heart), Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee), Maggie Smith (A Room with a View), Tom Berenger (Platoon). Wouldn't it be so exciting to have a year with some awards-speech variety again? It's been so long since this wasn't exceedingly rare.

2010 Winter's Bone wins the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, proving the breakthrough for young Jennifer Lawrence who will very quickly become a superstar and Oscar favourite.

2020 Kitty Green's The Assistant opens in limited release, generating more discussion about the #metoo movement and unintentionally heralding the fact that 2020 was going to be a great movie year for female directors. Though it hasnt fared particularly well in the awards race, two key Spirit nominations aside, for a good stretch people were calling it one of 2020's best. Have you seen it?

Today's Birthday Suit

Today would have been the 79th birthday of avant garde queer legend Derek Jarman who died too young at 52 of AIDS-related causes. He gave our current cinema two genius talents and Oscar winners: Tilda Swinton AND costume designer Sandy Powell. The world should be eternally grateful and Jarman's name should be honoured more frequently. His films are still thought provoking and bold today. They are also filled with lots of male nudity. If you've never seen any Edward II (1991) is perhaps the most accessible (though it's hardly less confrontational), Sebastiane (1976) is the most naked, and The Last of England (1988) is the most Tilda-specific (though she's in several of his pictures).

Bonus Birthday suit: Glynn TurmanOther showbiz birthdays today: Current Oscar hopeful Glynn Turman (pictured left with his Emmy win for In Treatment) of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom fame turns 74 today!

Other birthdays or anniversaries you can celebrate today include the iconic Carol Channing who would have turned 100 today (more on her a bit later), operatic Mario Lanza (also would've been 100 today, the legendary Tallulah Bankhead (Lifeboat) who is played by Natasha Lyonne in a very small role in next month's biopic United States vs Billie Holliday, Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained), Oscar nominated composer Philip Glass (The Hours, Kundun), Oscar nominee Jean Simmons (Hamlet, The Happy Ending), Kelly Lynch (Drugstore Cowboy), Oscar nominated producer Megan Ellison (American Hustle, Zero Dark Thirty), Oscar nominee Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Beyond the Lights), Mrs Degeneres Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development), Jonathan Banks (Mudbound, Breaking Bad) Justin Timberlake (Palmer, The Social Network) director Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman, Eddie the Eagle), Suzanne Pleshette (The Birds, The Bob Newhart Show), Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Joel Courtney (Super 8, The Kissing Booth), Australia's Rahat Adams (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Liar Liar Vampire), Anthony LaPaglia (Lantana, Empire Records), 70s star James Franciscus (Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Hunter), Paul Scheer (Veep, Wet Hot American Summer), South Korea's Lee Yeong-ae (Joint Security Area, Bring Me Home) Joanne Dru (Red River, All the King's Men) and musician Marcus Mumford (aka Mr Carey Mulligan).
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Students are launching a nationwide project to champion free speech in universities over fears that debate is being stifled in favour of woke culture.

It aims to address a free-speech crisis on campuses and encourage the young to embrace wide-ranging opinions without the fear of saying the 'wrong' thing.

The news comes after a survey found more than a quarter of students censored their own views on politics or ethical matters, and 40 per cent believed their careers would be harmed if they expressed their true thoughts.

Students are launching a nationwide project to champion free speech in universities over fears that debate is being stifled in favour of woke culture. The new students' Free Speech Champions project was founded by Leeds University graduate Inaya Folarin Iman (above), 24, after she said a debate she organised was censored and subjected to 'bureaucratic obstacles'

There have also been concerns over speakers at universities being boycotted  or 'no-platformed'  because of views the student body finds unpalatable.

The Mail on Sunday has set up its own Fighting For Free Speech campaign to tackle the issue.

Oxford historian Selina Todd has been no-platformed for alleged anti-transgender views, and teacher Will Knowland was sacked from Eton last year for refusing to remove an online lecture on 'toxic masculinity'.

The new students' Free Speech Champions project is backed by the Free Speech Union set up by commentator Toby Young and the Battle Of Ideas charity.

Oxford historian Selina Todd (left) has been no-platformed for alleged anti-transgender views, and teacher Will Knowland (right) was sacked from Eton last year for refusing to remove an online lecture on 'toxic masculinity'

It was founded by Leeds University graduate Inaya Folarin Iman, 24, after she said a debate she organised was censored and subjected to 'bureaucratic obstacles'.

After writing an article on the subject, many students told her they felt gagged because their ideas on Brexit or identity politics, for example, clashed with trendy modern beliefs.

Ms Folarin Iman said: 'The places where free speech should be valued most highly  universities and online spaces  are where it is in most jeopardy.'

Mr Young said: 'If free speech is going to endure, it's essential that young people understand why it... needs to be defended.'

M

uch of the Arab world erupted in jubilant revolt 10 years ago against the dictatorial regimes whose corruption, cruelty and mismanagement had mired the Middle East in poverty and backwardness for decades.

Now, the hopes awakened by the protests have vanished but the underlying conditions that drove the unrest are as acute as ever.

Autocrats rule with an even tighter grip. Wars unleashed by leaders whose control was threatened have killed hundreds of thousands of people. The rise of the Islamic State amid the resulting wreckage ravaged large parts of Syria and Iraq and drew the United States into another costly Middle East war.

Millions of people were driven from their homes to become refugees, many converging on the shores of Europe and beyond. The influx fuelled a tide of nativism and anti-immigrant sentiment that brought populist leaders to power in Europe and the US as fears of terrorism eclipsed concerns for human rights as a Western priority.

Even in those countries that did not descend into war, more Arabs are now living in poverty, more are unemployed and more are imprisoned for their political beliefs than a decade ago.

Only in Tunisia, where the protests began, did anything resembling a democracy emerge from the upheaval. The fall of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the Tunisian President, after a month of street protests in Tunis inspired demonstrations across the Middle East, including the mass protest on 25 January 2011 in Cairos Tahrir Square that fixated world attention on what was prematurely labelled the Arab Spring.

On its face, the Arab Spring failed, and spectacularly so  not only by failing to deliver political freedom but by further entrenching the rule of corrupt leaders more intent on their own survival than delivering help.

It's been a lost decade, said Tarik Yousef, director of the Brookings Doha Centre in Qatar, recalling the euphoria he initially felt when the fall of Libyas Moammar Gaddafi in August 2011 enabled him to return home for the first time in years. Now we have the return of fear and intimidation. The region has experienced setbacks at every turn.

For many of those who participated in the uprisings, the costs have been immeasurable. Esraa Eltaweel, 28, was partially paralysed after a bullet fired by security forces sliced through her abdomen and chipped her spine during a protest in Cairo in 2014. Some of her friends were killed. Others were imprisoned, including her husband, who is still incarcerated. Ms Eltaweel, who spent seven months in detention, has struggled to find work because of the stigma attached to political prisoners.

We didn't achieve anything we aimed for. Things got worse, she said. We believed we could change the system. But it is so rotten that it can't be changed.

Yet as long as the conditions that provoked the original uprisings persist, the possibility of more unrest cannot be ruled out, analysts say.

A protester takes part in the occupation of a key intersection in Beirut during unrest in April last year (For The Washington Post)

For many in the region, the Arab Spring is seen less as a failure than a continuing process. Demonstrations that toppled the longstanding presidents of Algeria and Sudan in 2019 and subsequent protest movements in Iraq and Lebanon have been hailed as a second Arab Spring, a reminder that the momentum that drove the revolts of a decade ago has not gone away. Even in Tunisia, frustration over unemployment and a stagnant economy has prompted violent demonstrations in recent days, with young protesters and security forces clashing in cities across the country.

Dictators have prevailed, mainly through coercion, said Lina Khatib, who heads the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House in London. However, coercion seeds further grievances that will ultimately force citizens to seek political change.

Others fear worse instability and violence as the collapse of oil prices  the mainstay of economies across the region for decades  and the fallout from coronavirus shutdowns take a toll.

We have failing states across the entire region, said Bachar el-Halabi, a Lebanese political analyst and activist who relocated to Turkey last year because of anonymous threats to his safety. We have a huge economic challenge coupled with a young generation rising and asking for a role. This puts us on the path to an explosion. The region is in a worse situation than ever before.

Across the Arab world, countries are facing the same perilous dynamic: Their populations are rapidly expanding but their leadership is stifling economic growth.

Millions of young people are being propelled into the job market each year with little hope of finding work.

Even in Tunisia, where political changes have brought new freedoms, jobs are scarce, a source of continued frustration for the young

The Middle East has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, as it has for decades. The population of the region has grown by 70 million since the Arab Spring, and it is expected to increase by an additional 120 million by 2030, before stabilising, according to World Bank figures and United Nations forecasts.

High population growth does not necessarily lead to growing impoverishment, economists note. In Southeast Asia at the end of the past century and in Europe a century before, rapid population growth fuelled unprecedented economic expansion.

But in the Middle East, jobs have not kept pace with the rising numbers of people. Youth unemployment has grown over the past 10 years from 32.9 per cent in 2012 to 36.5 per cent in 2020, according to the International Labour Organisation.

The private sector remains small, constrained by layers of bureaucracy, corruption and a lack of government incentives, said Mr Yousef at the Brookings Doha Centre. Foreign and domestic investors also are deterred by the political risks, according to surveys by the International Monetary Fund, trapping the region in a vicious cycle of decline and instability.

Jobs in the regions bloated public sector  the worlds largest as a portion of total employment  have traditionally served as the main source of employment, particularly for educated people. But the public sector has not kept pace with the rising population and expanded access to higher education.

In the Seventies, a male Egyptian graduate had a 70 per cent chance of securing a government job. By 2016, that had fallen to less than 25 per cent, according to calculations by Ragui Assaad, a professor at the University of Minnesota and research fellow at the Economic Research Forum, Cairo.

Even in Tunisia, where political changes have brought new freedoms, jobs are scarce, a source of continued frustration for young Tunisians. We gained democracy  thats a very important thing. We can do anything we want now, without limitations, said Mohammed Aissa, 25, who graduated with a degree in financial engineering two years ago but has since been unable to find work. Democracy is a great gain for us. But unfortunately, the economic situation is very grave.

Poverty has also increased over the past decade, making the Middle East the only region in the world where people have become poorer, both in terms of total numbers and as a proportion of the population.

In 2018, for the first time, the Middle East surpassed Latin America in terms of the number of people classified as poor, according to the World Bank.

King Abdullah Financial District, a development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (For The Washington Post)

In 1960, the economies of Egypt and South Korea were roughly the same size, said Mr Yousef. Today, South Korea's economy is more than four times as large, and its population is half the size of that of Egypt.

In the monarchies of the Persian Gulf, immense oil wealth has funded the rise of glittering cities dotted with skyscrapers, shopping malls and art galleries. But these countries have been confronted with falling incomes, investment and employment since the price of oil began to decline in 2015.

The double whammy of the coronavirus pandemic and lower oil prices will accelerate the economic regression across a region where many Arab governments have relied on Gulf aid and many citizens on work in Gulf countries, economists say.

While the IMF projected an overall 4.1 per cent decline in 2020 for economies in the Middle East and Central Asia, in line with the rest of the world, the figures mask far deeper hits to some countries. These include Iraq, where falling oil revenue was expected to lead to a 9.5 per cent contraction of the economy, and Lebanon, where the setback due to coronavirus restrictions pales in comparison with that due to the collapse of the country's financial system. The Lebanese economy was projected by the IMF to shrink by at least 19.2 per cent in 2020, compounding the impact of a 9 per cent contraction in 2019.

In Lebanon, economic collapse and the trauma from last summers huge explosion at Beiruts port have muted the enthusiasm of those who initially took to the streets

Both countries have experienced unrest over the past year, linked to the deteriorating conditions. In an echo of the first wave of Arab Spring protests almost a decade earlier, huge crowds took to the streets in Baghdad and Beirut in October 2019 to demand change to political systems that are ostensibly democratic but have entrenched the power of ruling elites.

Those protests have fizzled, in part because of the impact of coronavirus restrictions and the brutal tactics deployed by security forces, particularly in Iraq, where more than 500 protesters were shot dead and dozens of activists have been assassinated in recent months by shadowy militias.

Frustrations remain high in Iraq and the economy continues to deteriorate after a sharp depreciation of the currency in November. Yet there is little appetite for further action because fear is so high, said a Baghdad restaurant owner who joined in the protests and who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety. He said: What the security forces and militias did was horrific. We lost a lot of young people and nothing changed.

In Lebanon, economic collapse and the trauma from last summers huge explosion at Beiruts port have muted the enthusiasm of those who initially took to the streets. Theyre too broken to face what happened, said Lama Jamaleddine, a student organiser, as she surveyed the several people at a recent protest in memory of victims of the explosion.

But she said she believes that younger Lebanese have become aware of the damage wrought upon their country by the ageing warlords who make up the ruling elite. In the fall, student union elections at Beiruts major universities were swept by independents and activists, dealing a blow to the traditional sectarian political parties.

The younger generation is breaking away, Ms Jamaleddine said. Its quite difficult to break away from it but after the explosion they have seen for themselves how damaging the system is.

If there is one overriding lesson from the Arab Spring, it is that tyranny can quell dissent as long as leaders exert enough force or offer enough incentives.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has survived the popular uprising against his rule with Russian and Iranian support and by bombarding towns and cities into submission.

Nations of the Arab Spring (For The Washington Post)

But his strategy has left a devastated, depopulated and impoverished country where conditions have continued to deteriorate even after it was clear that his forces had won militarily, according to Tamara Cofman Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institutions Centre for Middle East Policy, Washington, who as a deputy assistant secretary at the State Department helped coordinate the Obama administrations response to the Arab Spring uprisings.

In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi  whose military coup in 2013 ousted the elected government that had emerged out of the Arab Spring  rules with a far tighter grip than longstanding autocrat Hosni Mubarak, whose rule ended with that uprising. Today, an estimated 60,000 people are imprisoned for their political views, compared with 5,000 to 10,000 in the last years of Mubaraks tenure, according to human rights groups.

Egypt still suffers from high levels of unemployment and poverty but people are cowed into silence, said a 26-year-old photographer, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear. He said: I lost many friends. I got injured many times. I became disillusioned and defeated.

He predicted that an Arab Spring uprising would never happen again: The first time was a kind of miracle. People were fearless, and the regime was weak. But now everyone has lost hope. Everyone sees the revolution as a failure that caused more economic problems and more oppression.

Throughout the Middle East, authoritarianism is ascendant, noted Mr El-Halabi, the exiled Lebanese activist. The rise of Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as de facto ruler has brought a campaign of repression against dissenters, ranging from women who campaigned for the right to drive to rival princes in the royal family. The United Arab Emirates has championed authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere.

And the chaos unleashed in Syria, Yemen and Libya has dampened the appetite for unrest in many parts of the region, while the short-lived success in Egypt of the Muslim Brotherhood, seen as a threat to established elites, has prompted many Arab countries to curtail the space for political activity.

The Arab Spring also shattered a long-held myth that authoritarianism equals stability, said Ms Cofman Wittes. She recalled the scramble inside the Obama administration to adjust to the 2011 toppling of Mubarak, who had been seen as a bulwark of US policy aimed at securing stability in a volatile region.

Beiruts port in October following the chemical explosion in a silo in August which caused severe damage across the Lebanese capital (AFP via Getty)

No one saw the Arab Spring coming, she said. Repressive states always look stable, but when a government relies on coercion as a primary means of survival, its inherently unstable.

A similar fate might await the oil-rich countries of the Arabian Peninsula, where hereditary monarchs quelled the stirrings of unrest in 2011 by distributing generous payoffs to citizens, said Prof Assaad at the University of Minnesota. Over the decades, the Gulf countries oil wealth has allowed these autocrats to offer their citizens generous services and government employment in return for political quiet.

A crucial question is what happens in the oil-rich countries, he said. They really are powder kegs in terms of the potential instability if oil prices are unable to grow and to drive the population to acquiescence, as they did in the Arab Spring.

The ripple effect of falling oil prices is already being felt well beyond the Gulf. Countries such as Egypt and Jordan are seeing less aid from their richer allies, which had in the past helped shore up their governments, as well as a reduction in remittances from citizens who work in gulf economies but are now being sent home as a recession bites.

Further instability seems inevitable, said Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics. He says the upheaval of the past 10 years represents the start of a long process of change that will eventually lead to a transformation of the Middle East.

I dont think we're going to see any stability as long as dictators and military intelligence agencies continue to suffocate society, he said.

He also fears that the unrest could be more violent than it was a decade ago.

The status quo is untenable, and the next explosion will be catastrophic, he predicts. Were talking about starvation, were talking about state collapse, were talking about civil strife.

The Washington Posts Claire Parker in Tunis contributed to this report

 The Washington Post


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More than 100million people across the Midwest and Northeast face snowy conditions and freezing temperatures through Tuesday as Winter Storm Orlena blasts across the country.

Winter storm watches and weather advisories are now in effect across 20 states, ranging from parts of the Northern Plains and southern Great Lakes to the southern Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic states and New England, according to the National Weather Prediction Center.

The Nor'easter could could leave cities buried under up to 18 inches of snow and create hazardous travel conditions by the time it is done early next week, CBS News reported Saturday.

The winter storm is the same system responsible for dumping 15 inches or rain and more than 100 inches of snow over parts of California earlier this week.

Meteorologists expect the worst of the winter conditions to be seen during the next 24 hours, but could extend to the next 36 hours where the winter storm watches are in effect, weather.com reported Saturday.

Winter weather alerts are expected to impact 100million Americans through Tuesday

Up to 12 inches of snow is expected to fall on Midwest cities including Chicago by Monday

Between 12 to 18 inches of snow is predicted in states including New Jersey and Pennsylvania by the time the storm is expected to end Tuesday

A child is seen making snow angels on the ground in Chicago, where snow has already started to fall. Up to 12 inches are expected to accumulate in the city

From six to 12 inches of snow are predicted to hit portions of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio between Saturday night and Monday morning, impacting major cities including Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus.

Poor travel conditions are expected Sunday from the Chicago and Milwaukee metro areas to northern Indiana and Ohio, as those areas are likely to see eight or more inches of accumulated snow through Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile heavy snow - between six to 10 inches - could fall on the Tri-State area's New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, Sunday night into Monday night.

Snowfall forecasts maps released Saturday night indicated that between 12 to 18 inches of snow could accumulate in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania by Tuesday night.

Gusty winds are expected to accompany the snow as it falls heavily in eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois into northern Indiana and Ohio on Saturday.

The snow could be mixed with sleet or freezing rain while spreading into the Appalachians and northern and western North Carolina.

The icy wintry mix expected to drop on parts of Virginia and North Carolina Piedmont and foothills could lead to ice building up as high as a quarter of an inch on Sunday.

The NWS predicts that travel conditions in this area will be treacherous Sunday afternoon.

The snow will continue to fall Sunday, in the southern Great Lakes.

Up to 12 inches of snow is expected to accumulate in Chicago. A Chicago resident posted picture of snowy conditions in the city Saturday

he National Weather Service said the storm is expected to begin Saturday night, hitting the Midwest and southern Appalachians first

Various levels of winter weather warnings, advisories and watches are shown in the Midwest and East Coast as they were issued on Saturday

Snow transforming into sleet is expected to lead to ice build ups in parts of Virginia and North Carolina between Saturday and Tuesday

High winds are expected to come along with the Nor'easter. Gusts of up to 40mph are expected in New York City Monday

A Ventusky weather map shows the advancing Nor'easter snowstorm as Saturday

Snowfall will intensify in the Mid-Atlantic states, but the upper Midwest will see snow beginning to wind down in the upper Midwest region.

It's possible that areas from northern Virginia to the DelMarVa Peninsula may see snow transition into rain throughout Sunday.

However, a new coastal low strengthening off the DelMarVa Peninsula coast on Monday could lead to bands of heavy snow forming from the central Appalachians to the Northeast's immediate I-95 corridor. In that area, significant snowfall and travel disruptions are anticipated as over a foot of snow is likely in the hardest hit Northeast areas on Monday.

On Sunday night, the snow could start moving north from the Mid-Atlantic states toward the Tri-state area, while also expanding into the Ohio Valley, going as far south as Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Smoky Mountains, but ending in the Upper Midwest.

Members of the 'Submergents' group play as they take the plunge into a 37.4 degree F pool carved out of the ice in Minnesota's Lake Harriet Saturday

People flying in snowkites are seen enjoying the snow on Saturday in Wayzata, Minnesota

The Midwest and New England were hit with snow and frigid conditions earlier this week, too. Icicles are shown on Lake Michigan (left), while a person clears snow off their car (right) in Auburn, Maine, Wednesday

It's expected that Monday will be the height of the winter storm activity in the Northeast.

Heavy snow is predicted for Monday from southern New England to the Mid-Atlantic states, while parts of the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians should expect some lingering snowfall.

On Monday night, the heavier snow is likely to spread into New England and parts of upstate and central New York, with the possibility of continuing to fall in parts of Mid-Atlantic states.

In the Tri-State region, weather.gov warned that up to 10 inches of snow could hit the area, with a snowfall rate of one to two inches per hour, Monday into Monday night.

Winds of 20 to 35mph, with gusts of up to 50mph are also expected along the Northeast coast during that same period.

Minor to locally moderate coastal flooding is also expected during high tides on Monday and Tuesday, according to NWS Eastern Region.

Snowfall is likely to continue over the Northeast Monday night and into the day on Tuesday, with gusty winds potentially leading to near whiteout conditions and battering waves along the Northeast coast.

As the Nor'easter descends, travelers can expect to see significant flight delays and cancelations, while drivers should expect numerous road closures and are encouraged to stay off the roads.

The winter storm is expected to end Tuesday night.
LOS ANGELES  Clayton Foster was living out of his car when he contracted COVID-19. The 67-year-old knew he faced higher risks of death or severe outcomes during the pandemic because of his chronic heart and bladder conditions, but for Foster and thousands of other homeless people across the Southwest, its been hard to protect against the virus.

I try to keep my stuff clean and neat, but it is very hard to do, Foster said.

Foster survived the illness with the aid of health services provided by Phoenix-based nonprofit Circle the City and became the first patient in the organizations care to receive the COVID-19 vaccine back on Jan. 21.

Foster is part of a small segment of the homeless population in the Southwest who have begun getting the vaccine, but organizations serving the homeless elsewhere are facing challenges in inoculating the at-risk populations they serve.

In Los Angeles, providers are eagerly awaiting news of when vaccines will be available  and they face a steep challenge.

Recent data suggests there are more than 66,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County, and there were more than 7,400 homeless people in Maricopa County in a count from last January. Many of these individuals are at high risk of catching COVID-19 because of unsanitary living conditions.

With that many individuals to account for, it poses a major logistical question as to how to most effectively and efficiently vaccinate such a large, high-risk population.

In the past two weeks, Circle the City has received 400 doses of the Moderna vaccine to distribute among its four locations in Maricopa County, according to community liaison Marty Hames.

Its been going very smoothly, Hames said. At this point, weve distributed about 250 total vaccines to employees and patients.

In accordance with the state of Arizonas phase 1B of the rollout guidelines, the organization has begun to vaccinate some of the patients in its care after initially vaccinating its health care workers first.

The organization has increased its daily output after receiving another shipment of 200 doses in the past week.

Weve just been expanding the number of people that weve been able to provide the vaccine to, as weve received it, Hames said.

Hames said the organization was very diligent in planning the logistics of a rollout, well ahead of when it received its first 200 doses of the vaccine Jan. 14.

Because doses go bad if theyre not used within a brief window of time, back-up patients are lined up to ensure no doses are wasted. For a second dose, patients must return on the date theyre given on their vaccine verification card.

In Los Angeles, homeless service providers dont know when first doses will arrive. At the Union Rescue Mission, one of the largest homeless shelters in the United States, president Andrew J. Bales told Cronkite News the organization has not received any doses of the vaccine and has been unable to vaccinate any of its patients.

We were supposed to be getting the vaccine for those above the age of 65, but that hasnt come about as soon as I was hopeful for, Bales said. So Im hoping it will be available within the next week or two.

Part of the difference between Los Angeles and Phoenix is the sheer number of people who need vaccines. LA County has more than 10 million residents, more people than the entire state of Arizona. As of Friday, health officials reported LA County has had more than 1 million cases of COVID-19, compared to Arizona, which has had more than 748,000 cases across the state.

As cases of COVID-19 in the United States began to skyrocket during December, so did cases in Los Angeless homeless population.

From November 30 to December 30, cases among people devastated by homelessness in our area increased by 66%, Bales said. Los Angeles news radio station KNX1070 reports total confirmed cases in the homeless population jumped to 4,578 cases and 86 deaths in December, from 2,439 cases and 54 deaths in November.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made a change in the rollout of the vaccine to prioritize individuals above the age of 65 and health care workers. Under the original plan, homeless people would have been prioritized in the current tier, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Bales hopes this change will quickly bring vaccines to the organizations older population, but knows it will still be a complicated process.

It will not be any simple rollout, Bales said. There will be a tremendous need if we address everyone whos either in a shelter or on the streets.

For now, Bales and the rest of Union Rescue Mission is forced to play the waiting game, which will likely cause even more safety concerns in Los Angeless homeless community.

I expect many more outbreaks to come, unfortunately, and thats why we have such a need of getting the vaccine, Bales said. Its been the battle of our lives in the fight to save our lives.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
Police have tracked down Khe Sanh Cox, a criminal named after one of Australia's most popular songs, a week after issuing a public alert when she went on the run.

The 28-year-old was found inside a home in Greenwith in South Australia on Saturday, days after cutting off her home detention bracelet and fleeing her house.

Her unusual first name references the Aussie pub anthem Khe Sanh by rock band Cold Chisel - the title itself being a reference to the US Marines base during the Vietnam War.

Police allege Cox was travelling in a stolen blue Honda Civic on January 30.

Later that night, she was spotted again in the same car after the car's registration was flagged for not paying for petrol.

A police helicopter began following the car as it travelled through Elizabeth, Elizabeth North and Devoren Park.

Cox then allegedly dumped the car and, along with a 37-year-old male passenger, ran across a nearby park before allegedly breaking into a home where they were eventually arrested.

Police have tracked down Khe Sanh Cox, a criminal named after one of Australia's most popular songs, a week after issuing a public alert when she went on the run

Several people questioned whether Cox would end up with 'four walls, wash basin, prison bed', in reference to a Cold Chisel song.

Others suggested she fled the car in the car park because they 'make her jumpy'.

Cox has not yet been charged, while the passenger in her car was charged with illegal use of a motor vehicle and hindering police.

He was bailed to face court again in March over the alleged offences.

After issuing an 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'.

Police released a wanted poster for Khe Sanh Cox (pictured) who removed her detention bracelet and skipped bail

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.
Iran's foreign ministry on January 29 rejected offers of any new negotiation with the world powers with respect to the nuclear deal. "The nuclear accord is a multilateral international agreement ratified by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which is non-negotiable and parties to it are clear and unchangeable," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a state televised conference. Irans reluctance to hold talks about adding new participants to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was followed by French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks that any new talks with Iran must involve Saudi Arabia.

Speaking in a live-streamed address with the Iranian reporters, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Khatibzadeh stated that the treaty was non-negotiable, stressing that the members partisan to the agreement were unchangeable. In 2018, former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal over Irans violation of terms on uranium enrichment stockpiling. Trump slapped economic sanctions and trade embargo on Iran.

Read: Iran Executes Baluch Militant For Killing Two Revolutionary Guards Five Years Ago

Read: Israel Envoy Discusses Possible Role Of Iran In Delhi Blast; Thanks India For Cooperation

Prospects of 'new dialogue'

Biden administration, during campaign rallies, expressed willingness to re-enter the treaty if the Islamic republic resumed the full compliance with JCPOAs terms. In wake of prospects of a new dialogue with Iran about the nuclear deal, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) allies stated that the Kingdom and Arab states shall be included in the talks, so as to address Iran's ballistic missile programs and its militia and proxies installed in Middle East region. UAE, during the Trump administration, supported the US maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

Al Arabiya television, Saturday, cited French President Macrons statement as he said, that the new talks on the nuclear deal with Iran shall not only be stringent, but many nations including Saudi Arabia must join in the dialogue. Responding to Macrons remarks, Irans Foreign Ministry in an official statement asserted that the French leader must show self-restraint, adding that France was vouching for its vested interest in arms sale in Persian Gulf Arab states.

Read: Former Obama Aide Robert Malley To Be Appointed As US Envoy For Iranian Affairs: Report

Read: Former Obama Aide To Be Tapped As Iran Envoy, Angering Hawks
The father of a young girl with special needs has told of his dismay at watching a disconcerting regression in her educational development over the past month.

Sophie-Mai Pierse, who has Down syndrome, had been starting to catch up on her educational development at St Itas & St Josephs Special School in Tralee in the wake of the first lockdown when classes were shut down again at the start of the year.

The 17-year-old, who is non-verbal and has had other issues which have required various medical interventions and other supports, hasnt been able to engage meaningfully with online classes despite the best efforts of her teachers.

She has gone backwards significantly. She has gone back more than a year, said her father Risteard Pierse.

She had regressed in the first lockdown and wonderfully, she qualified for the July provision and had retrieved some of the lost ground, but through January its gone."

Her school is great because they have vast experience in figuring out each child with special needs to bring the child forward.

"Over the past month, despite efforts at online tuition and our parental engagement with homework, Sophie has regressed educationally to an extent that is most disconcerting," said Risteard.

Last week we could see she had gone so far back she wasnt recognising shapes like triangles and rectangles which she had no problem with a year ago  and certain words.

The Kerry solicitor, who wrote an open letter to teachers' unions last week, said he has been surprised at the stance in relation to the return of special needs students to schools.

It is just dismaying knowing that the government and the ministers want the schools to reopen, the parents want the schools to reopen, many of the teachers and the SNAs want them to open as well but the unions are not embracing the situation," said Risteard.

There is a moral imperative at this stage. The needs of these vulnerable children are so great that the government should push on."

This must happen now. They must set a date that it is opening next week.

I had always found the unions good, not only at representation, but also having a wider vision of what would be in the best interests of a school situation," said Risteard.

I find it most disconcerting that they seem to have lost that focus.

The vision should be recognising the fact that there have been such setbacks for children with special needs.

He said he has been speaking to parents of children of special need who are struggling to cope.

Risteard Pierse homeschooling his daughter Sophie-Mai during the lockdown in Tralee.

Sophie is in an OK place because she has a supportive family environment, and we take her for walks.

I am aware of other families where challenging behaviours have returned and there are genuine stresses within families.

Talking to other parents and hearing these stories, Ive just decided to come out and implore the unions to disengage from their destructive stance and recognise the moral rightness of the need to go back.

Other kids who dont have special needs can embrace technology and the online classes, but my daughter and many other children are just not engaging. Teachers are doing their best but it is ineffective."

Parents just need hope, families are struggling with this week-by-week mentally.

He noted that the Minister for State at the Department of Health, Anne Rabbitte, has written to Education Minister Norma Foley offering to help solve the issue.

The Kerry solicitor said he has been taken aback by the continued closure of special needs schools as his daughter has always received support throughout her life.

Sophie was born in early July 2003, just the week after the Special Olympics had concluded. That had been a transformative occasion for Irish society and how they viewed people with special needs as people with ability and potential," said Risteard.

"Along the way, this generation of persons with special needs have been well served by various governments in the last 17 years. It's been very positive.

Its fiercely disappointing the schools didnt reopen but if the unions continue to frustrate the Government's wish to reopen schools, the Government should go ahead and the Norma Foley should give the direction they can reopen where principals and boards are willing to go ahead in cooperation with teachers and SNAs.
India plans to introduce a law to ban private cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and put in place a framework for an official digital currency to be issued by the central bank, according to a legislative agenda listed by the government.

The law will "create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)," said the agenda, published on the lower house website on Friday.

The legislation, listed for debate in the current parliamentary session, seeks "to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India, however, it allows for certain exceptions to promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses," the agenda said.

In mid-2019, an Indian government panel recommended banning all private cryptocurrencies, with a jail term of up to 10 years and heavy fines for anyone dealing in digital currencies.

The panel has, however, asked the government to consider the launch of an official government-backed digital currency in India, to function like bank notes, through the Reserve Bank of India.

The RBI had in April 2018 ordered financial institutions to break off all ties with individuals or businesses dealing in virtual currency such as bitcoin within three months.

However, in March 2020, India's Supreme Court allowed banks to handle cryptocurrency transactions from exchanges and traders, overturning a central bank ban that dealt the thriving industry a major blow.

Governments around the world have been looking into ways to regulate cryptocurrencies but no major economy has taken the drastic step of placing a blanket ban on owning them, even though concern has been raised about the misuse of consumer data and its possible impact on the financial system.

Also read: Animal spirits to return next fiscal with V-shaped 11% growth: CEA
Most evidence shows returning to school with precautions is safe: CDC

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After months of school shutdowns, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that its safe for children to attend school with some precautions.

To provide a safe in-person classroom environment, federal health officials have advised that students wear masks and social distance. However, they also cautioned against playing indoor sports.

The latest data suggest school settings do not result in rapid spread of COVID-19 when mitigation measures including wearing masks, socially distancing, cohorting students, and good hand hygiene are followed, a CDC official told The Christian Post.

Empirical studies show that keeping children and adolescents less physically active and disrupting their routine negatively impacts their mental health. Most mental health disorders begin in childhood.

"[R]esearch shows that most childrens mental health disorders begin in childhood and, if not identified and treated early, will impact that childs development, potentially leading to poor health and social outcomes," Psychology Today reported.

The children most affected by school closure include those from abusive homes and those who rely on schools to provide them with food, according to UNESCO. Social isolation and interrupted learning can have negative impacts on children for years to come.

There is little evidence that schools create the outbreaks seen in nursing homes and meatpacking plants, or contribute to increased transmission, CDC COVID-19 emergency response team member Margaret Honein told The New York Times.

In-person schooling is critical. Kids need to be and should be in school provided schools can strictly adhere to recommended guidelines to prevent transmission in school settings, a CDC spokesman told The Christian Post. Online school should continue to be an option, particularly in areas with high rates of COVID transmission.

Earlier CDC guidelines recommended long-term school dismissal to stop COVID-19 from spreading. In March, the CDC recommended closing schools for eight weeks or more. The CDC gave these guidelines despite knowing that short-term and medium-term closures didnt impact the spread of COVID-19.

Available modeling data indicate that early, short to medium closures do not impact the epi curve of COVID-19 or available health care measures (e.g., hospitalizations). There may be some impact of much longer closures (8 weeks, 20 weeks) further into community spread, but that modelling also shows that other mitigation efforts (e.g., handwashing, home isolation) have more impact on both spread of disease and health care measures. In other countries, those places who closed school (e.g., Hong Kong) have not had more success in reducing spread than those that did not (e.g., Singapore).

Teachers in Chicago have fought the reopening of schools, pleading fear of death as a reason to not return to their classrooms. Chicago teachers unions cast ballots 71% in favor of keeping in-person schools closed.

Union Deputy General Counsel Thad Goodchild also claimed it was too dangerous for schools to reopen.

The pandemic is temporary; death is permanent, Goodchild said to the Chicago Tribune.

One Chicago teachers union leader was caught posting photos of herself vacationing in Puerto Rico unmasked while at the same time rallying teachers to oppose returning to their classrooms for in-person instruction.

In other parts of the country, parents have criticized teachers who are unwilling to teach in-person because of COVID-19. Former Marine Aliscia Andrews posted a video of a Virginia father lecturing a school board which kept schools closed.

"You think youre some sort of martyrs because of the decisions youre making when the statistics do not lie, that the vast majority of the population is not at risk from this virus, he said. The garbage workers who pick up my freakin trash risk their lives every day more than anyone in this school system!

Almost all people who died from COVID-19 were over 50 years old. The average age of a teacher in the U.S. is 42.
Motorists in line at one of the countrys largest vaccination sites were briefly halted on Saturday afternoon as demonstrators descended on Dodger Stadium, the authorities said.

At about 1:50 p.m. Pacific time, officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department closed the stadiums entrance, said David Ortiz, a spokesman for the department. The closure lasted for about an hour before the entrance reopened, while vaccinations continued inside the stadium, Mr. Ortiz said. Cars were temporarily not let inside the entrance as protesters were trying to walk through the gates. About 50 protesters were present at the entrance.

All scheduled vaccines would be delivered, the police said on Twitter on Saturday evening. A spokeswoman with the Los Angeles Police Department said no arrests were made.

The protest did not shut down the vaccination site, Chief Michel Moore said in a statement on Twitter. All appointments are being met.
The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RPAN) has appealed to the federal government to criminalise the sale of foreign rice in the country.

The Director General of the association, Andy Ekwelem, stated this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday over the influx of smuggled rice into the country.

Mr Ekwelem said that if the government did not take decisive action on smuggled rice, all the mills in the country would collapse and lead to many jobs losses.

He stated that the rice value chain sub-sector had engaged about 13 million Nigerians on direct employment.

He added that the number of people that would lose their jobs to the activities of smugglers would be much especially in this trying period.

He said that the government tackled the menace of rice smuggling but with the reopening of borders by the federal government, the markets were flooded with foreign rice again.

We have said it many times on the need for government to criminalise sales of foreign rice in the markets and supermarkets. Rice is number one on the list of prohibited products in which CBN placed forex restriction.

It is assumed that any rice you see in this country now, in the markets, shops and even in your homes that is not Nigeria made rice, it is smuggled into the country.

The country is losing revenue because these smugglers are not paying the right duties to bring the rice into the country and this ugly development is killing our economy.

We want a law that will empower law enforcement agencies to go to markets and shops to arrest anyone found with foreign rice because their action amounts to economic sabotage.

When that is done, people will be discouraged from buying from these people that smuggled rice into the country. We need to take drastic measures against smugglers as well as those selling the products, Ekwelem said.

The director general lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his giant stride in the rice production, adding that there were only six Integrated Rice Mills in the country before 2015 and had risen to about 60.

According to him, about N3.4 trillion has been invested in the entire rice value chain production across the country.

He added that the gains made in the sub sector in the last few years were possible through the support and interventions of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He said addressing this challenge of smuggling was paramount so that all these efforts, commitments and resources put in the rice value chain sub sector would not be a waste.

He noted that most of the mills in the country were now working at half capacity because there were no offtakers for the products they produced for Nigerian markets.

Mr Ekwelem however appealed to Nigeria Customs Service to step up in manning borders to curb the activities of smugglers.

The director general said the association was committed to standard in rice production, adding that all members are committed to maintaining it.

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Olivia Newton-John has said that she will not be getting the coronavirus vaccine during a bizarre interview with her daughter.

In the interview alongside Chloe Lattanzi, 35, the Grease star, when asked if shed take the injection, told The Herald Sun: Not at this point, no.

While Newton-John, 72, failed to elaborate upon her reasoning, Lattanzi went on to share her outlandish views on vaccinations, stating that shes against putting mercury and pesticides in [her] body.

Lattanzi, who said she believes real medicine is what comes from the earth, runs a medicine cannabis farm with her husband, James Driskill, and has no scientific or medical qualifications.

Despite claiming shes not an anti-vaxxer, Newton-Johns daughter added that she believes people only trust vaccines because the doctor says its safe.

Since the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine, many people opposing injections have taken to the streets in protest. On Saturday (30 January), one of the largest vaccination sites in America was forced to shut down when maskless, anti-vaxxer protesters blocked the entrance of Los Angeles Dodger Stadium.

The UK government plans to offer 13.9 million people (21 per cent of the population) a first dose of the vaccine by the middle of February.

Those spreading conspiracy theories surrounding vaccinations are being widely criticised. Earlier this month, actor Miriam Margolyes was praised for tearing into anti-vaxxers during a typically entertaining interview on Good Morning Britain.

In 2019, it was revealed that Newton-John was using marijuana for medical purposes having been diagnosed with breast cancer for a third time in 2017.

Doctors said that, while her condition is incurable, it can be managed through treatment.

Chloe Lattanzi and her mother, Olivia Newton-John, in 2010 (Getty Images)

At the time, Newton-John said she had decided to use "everything she can" to get stronger and, in an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, stated that she had no plans to find out her life expectancy.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 31, 2021 - 11:40 | Feature, All, Japan, Coronavirus

An online meat seller in rural Japan has caught the eye of consumers spending more time at home amid the coronavirus pandemic with her range of domestic-branded beef she sells by the block.

Junko Katane opened "Oniku Japan" (meaning "Meat Japan") in Niigata in 2016 and the shop's sales jumped tenfold in 2020 from the previous year as more people became stay-at-home cooks under the pandemic.

"I hope people feel the excitement of holding a big chunk of meat in their hands and experience joy when they think about how to prepare it," said Katane, 45.

Online orders, which are mostly for beef, are placed via the shop's Facebook page.

In mid-January, for example, Katane uploaded a photo of a slab of meat accompanied by the following post: "Whoever wants this Niigata wagyu beef, please post your comment here." Within two minutes, someone placed an order.

Since the launch of the Facebook page in June 2020, meat aficionados across Japan have visited and exchanged ideas, such as "What are the best cuts for roast beef?" and "Which meat slicers do you recommend?" The account now has over 20,000 followers.

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Unlike people in countries such as the United States and Australia known for consuming large quantities of meat, Japanese consumers usually buy meat in small amounts of no more than a few hundred grams at a time.

However, on the Facebook page of Oniku Japan, Katane advertises her shop's wares by the kilogram. She includes information about brand and cut -- such as sirloin or ribeye -- and posts photographs she hopes will allow customers to appreciate the raw beauty of what she is selling as well as the economies of scale.

For example, a block of Murakami beef chuck eye, sourced from Japanese wagyu cattle raised on straw from high-grade Japanese rice in northern Niigata Prefecture, is priced at about 8,500 yen ($82) per kg, effectively cheaper than buying it in smaller amounts at supermarkets.

Shoppers at the Oniku Japan can also buy lesser-known cuts of brand meats that are not available at regular stores.

After ordering, customers receive their purchases in 2-3 kg blocks.

Katane is passionate about selling meat in bulk because cooking big blocks of meat helped her through a difficult time in her life and inspired Oniku Japan, she said.

Six months after she quit her job to take care of her sick mother, her mother died. A grieving Katane became socially withdrawn and isolated at home.

But in 2015, she accidentally purchased a 2-kg block of meat that she had mistaken for a smaller cut of steak. She stored it in her refrigerator, not knowing what to do with it.

While thinking of ways to cook it, she found her spirits lifting, eventually leading her to open Oniku Japan the following year.

"The power and beauty of a block of meat shook my heart," Katane said.

She hopes many people in Japan will see the advantage of purchasing meat in bulk and slicing and cooking it to their liking, as they spend more time at home amid the pandemic.

"I hope people will rediscover the joy of eating beef in this year -- the year of the ox," she said.
Ed Bolian is the founder of VINWiki and, as per his own words, he considers the infamous El Chapo McLaren F1 the most beautiful car ever made. Hed always dreamed of owning one of the 106 McLaren F1s built, but knows he couldnt afford it. El Chapos, on the other hand, could be something hed find money for, because it would sell for considerably less because of its connection to the Sinaloa drug cartel  and the implicit risk it could be confiscated the moment he brought it into the U.S.This McLaren F1, chassis #39, is considered to be one of the ugliest F1s made, as it presents quite an unexpected combination of Brazilian Metallic Brown paint over a red leather interior and gold wheels. It was completed in late 1995 and bought by McLaren CEO Ron Dennis. His wife thought it was so ugly that she wouldnt allow him to keep it, so he ordered himself another one and got rid of it.In 1997, chassis #39, made its way to Mexico, after spending a few years in the UK. It was bought by Joaquin Guzman El Chapo s number one lieutenant, Umberto Ojeda, aka Ricardo Beltran, also referred to as El Robachivas. Sometime in 2000, Ojeda was gunned down in his armored car and killed, and it was then that his family decided to hide the F1 from everyone else, the cartel, the Mexican government, the enemies, mostly because Ojeda never got to tell them where the keys for it were.There are countless theories regarding the F1s whereabouts, which we detailed when covering Bolians previous video  and attempt at tracking down and buying the car. It is believed it was kept under a tarp in rural Culiacan for a number of years, but that it was eventually driven. In the latest video (see below), Bolian says hes been in contact with several parties claiming to know for a fact that the F1 is not only still running but that it has actually been made road-legal in Mexico.For his part, he still believed he could find someone with actual proof of the cars existence. Imagine his surprise when he was contacted by someone claiming to be Ojedas father, saying Ojedas daughter had access to the car. The man also said the F1 was for sale, asking $5 million for it. Bolian offered him $2 and they eventually agreed on $2.5 million.Bolian is a known car collector, but he obviously doesnt have $2.5 million. Still, he explains, he was willing to sell his entire fleet and borrow from whoever would lend him cash, just so he could get his dream car . He even considered shipping it to Europe and driving it there, so that it wouldnt fall in the hands of the U.S. government once he bought it.In the end, as you must have guessed, it turned out that the offer for chassis #39 was a scam. The person at the other end of the line soon refused to send him any more photos (though those he did send were blurry and irrelevant), and threatened to cut off all communication if he didnt get a deposit ASAP. Then, Bolian was invited to Sinaloa to inspect the car himself  as long as he brought the rest of the cash with him.Bolian caught on the scam attempt early on, but he still had fun with the dudes attempt, even mocking him for trying to trick him with photos of an F1 kit car and Google pics. Or, to paraphrase one commenter: this is a story of how Bolian didnt get the car, but his telling of it is more interesting than that of any other guy who gets the car at the end.The quest for the El Chapo McLaren continues, even after all this. Bolian thinks Ojedas son, who is now living in NYC, could offer him a clue as to the whereabouts of the vehicle  if only hed get back to him. In other words, this treasure hunt doesnt end here.
New Delhi:

The woman police officer of Syana circle in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahar district, Shrestha Thakur who fined BJP leader has been transferred to Bahraich on Saturday.

The development comes days after Shrestha Thakur- famously known as Lady Singham had fined a BJP supported Zilla Panchayat member Pramod Lodhi for not wearing a helmet and seized his bike.

Thakur has also sent five local BJP leaders to jail for creating obstacles in performing government duties.

Earlier last week, a delegation of 11 MLAs and MP met with UP CM Yogi Adityanath over the issue. And within days she was transferred.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in past advised MPs of the Uttar Pradesh not to put unnecessary pressure on the police department of the state.

The PM had said they must keep themselves away from the process of transfer and posting as good governance is BJP's main motive.

However, it seems PM's advice has fallen on deaf ears.

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AstraZeneca will deliver 30 percent more coronavirus vaccine doses to the EU than it pledged last week, European Commission chief Ursular von der Leyen said Sunday.

The company will send 9 million additional doses and "will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled", Von der Leyen said in a tweet after days of tensions over production delays.

The new doses represent an increase of 30 percent on the previous order, Von der Leyen said in an interview with the German ZDF broadcaster.

Short link:


Update: As of 4 p.m. today, New York had started to reschedule some Downstate vaccine appointments. See the list below.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- A major snowstorm is headed into much of New York, starting Sunday, just as thousands of people will be headed out to get their Covid-19 vaccinations.

So what happens if the snow cancels vaccinations in parts of New York?

For now, assume your appointment will go ahead as scheduled, Melissa DeRosa, Gov. Andrew Cuomos top aide, said at noon today.

But if the conditions become too dangerous in your area, theres a possibility vaccinations could be canceled, she said. That has started to happen with appointments at five centers: Stony Brook, Jones Beach, Aqueduct, Javits Center and Westchester Center.

UPDATE: Due to expected weather, NYS is rescheduling vaccine appointments at the following locations for tomorrow:



Stony Brook

Jones Beach

Aqueduct

Javits

Westchester Center



Those w appointments will get emails/text messages w new times/days to reschedule for this week  Melissa DeRosa (@melissadderosa) January 31, 2021

Dont panic: If that happens, the state will text or email you, DeRosa said. That will provide you with information about your rescheduled appointment -- which will be later this week, she said.

The storm is expected to hit beginning tonight and stretching into Wednesday, according to forecasts this morning from the National Weather Service. Predictions include heavy snow in the southeastern corner of the state and at least a dusting all the way to Buffalo.

Already, state officials are scheduling bans for certain vehicles on New Yorks highways.

Starting at 5 a.m. Monday, short and long tandems will be banned on I-87 from New York City to Albany. And all empty trailers will be banned on I-87 between Exit 8 and Exit 21A, according to Cuomos office.

The forecast shows the hardest hit areas could stretch from the mid-Hudson down to New York City and Long Island.

Winter storm alerts are in place for much of Upstate NY. Syracuse could see 4 to 8 inches, and Albany might get a foot.The Catskills and Hudson Valley could get hit worse. There, the weather service said, travel could be very difficult to impossible.

As the storm gets closer, the projected track could shift toward the north and west, Those could be expanded as the storm gets closer. Check our weather page for updates.

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share with a Syracuse-area reporter? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
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For a honeypot riverside town, especially one with its own Royal rowing regatta, there have long been glaring gaps in Henley-on-Thamess tourist offerings. Until now.

Following the success of the first Crockers in Tring, Hertfordshire, owner Luke Garnsworthy has now opened a second venue in Henleys Market Place. He has done his research: while nearby Marlow, he contended, was over-saturated, similarly affluent Henley lacked really top-end dining options.

It also lacked quality top- end hotels, which Crockers delivers, too. This Grade II, converted Georgian townhouse has restaurants on the ground floor while a trio of floors above host seven large bedrooms, known as The Quarters. Three have minimal four-poster beds, while all boast bold lighting, white walls, weathered wood, exposed brick and contemporary paintings from a local gallery.

Rustic: Crockers is a Grade II converted Georgian townhouse with seven large bedrooms, known as The Quarters

Pictured is one of the bathrooms, which has a rain shower. There are also freestanding roll-top baths, in the bedrooms

Equally pleasant are the complimentary glass of Gusbourne sparkling wine and raspberry eclair on arrival which underline Crockers epicurean credo. In advance, guests choose which of Crockers three restaurants to visit for dinner. In the Thames Table, Dean Westcar concocts modern British fare, while Iain Dixons Gardiner Table has a pan-Asian focus. Then theres the pavement-spilling Grill, in which Tom Westerland serves a la carte chateaubriands and burgers.

Garnsworthy, who once worked under Heston Blumenthal, has recruited youthful cooks with impressive CVs: Westerland was 2018s National Chef of Wales.

Garnsworthy has also triumphed location-wise: Crockers is but a short stroll from the Thames.

Away from regatta weekend, Henley is only mildly busy despite being just an hour from London. A saunter along its idyllic towpath, passing pubs and meadows, takes me to the River & Rowing Museum. A gallery here explains that it was Pangbourne, not far upstream, which inspired Kenneth Grahames The Wind In The Willows. Rattys philosophy that there is nothing  absolutely nothing  half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats is shared by locals: launches line the river as rental firm Hobbs busily hires out rowing or self-drive vessels.

Top end: Dine with a view of the kitchen at Iain Dixons Gardiner Table, which has a pan-Asian focus

The Thames Table is pricey, but the quality merits such extravagance, writes Richard Mellor. Pictured is one of the elegant dishes

Pictured is the Grill where Tom Westerland serves a la carte chateaubriands and burgers. Breakfast is also served here

The rooms: Superking beds, roll-top baths and espresso machines. Go for the split-level Nettlebed  as well as facing the rear (which is much quieter at weekends), its cosily romantic. Hurley is the lone accessible room.

The USP: Food and rooms to finally befit Henleys class.

The food: The Thames Table is pricey (165 a head with matching wines), but the quality merits such extravagance. From monkfish with mushroom and celeriac to venison with red cabbage, parsnip and chestnut, watching each plate being put together is fascinating, as is quizzing Westcar on his inspirations. Breakfast is served in the Grill.
Officials in California say criminals stole over $11 billion in unemployment benefits last year. But that amount could grow far larger as billions more in payments are investigated.

California Labor Secretary Julie Su told reporters recently that the state paid about $114 billion in unemployment claims in 2020. Of that amount, about 10 percent  or $11.4 billion  was confirmed to have been fraud.

Fraud is the crime of using dishonest methods, such as using a false identity, to take something valuable. Su said nearly $20 billion more  another 17 percent  is considered suspicious. A large part of that money could also have been fraud.

Su said California did not have the correct security measures in place to prevent this level of fraud, and criminals took advantage of the situation.

Nearly all of the fraudulent claims were made through the federally supported Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. The program, approved by Congress, provides unemployment benefits to people who are usually not able to receive them, such as independent contractors.

But, officials say, the programs wide eligibility requirements make it an easy target of criminals, including individuals from Nigeria and Russia.

Su admitted that the state was unprepared for such criminal activity. She also blamed the Trump administration for failing to give the state the support needed to stop experienced fraud groups. She said a series of measures put in place last year had blocked billions of dollars in possible fraud plans.

The state also has been trying to clear a large number of unemployment claims  more than 940,000 as of January 20.

Officials noted that similar fraud problems were widespread in other parts of the U.S. as well. Washington state was among the first hit with fraudulent unemployment claims believed to be tied to a West African fraud group. The group uses identities stolen in past data attacks, such as the 2017 Equifax incident.

In Washington, more than $600 million dollars were lost from around 122,000 false claims. The state was able to get back around $357 million of that money by cooperating with federal law enforcement and financial companies across the country.

Investigators across California have been targeting unemployment fraud in recent months.

On Monday, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced charges against two business owners who opened up a store in order to file false unemployment claims. Spitzer also announced the prosecution of eight people, including six state prisoners, in two other unemployment fraud operations.

This week, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla urged President Joe Biden to create a federal group to help states stop organized criminal fraud in unemployment claims.

California and many other states are experiencing fraud at a much greater rate than previously understood, they wrote.

Im John Russell.

Michael R. Blood reported on this story from the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. _____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

take advantage of  expression to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from (someone) : to treat (someone who is generous or helpful) unfairly

benefit  n. money the government gives to people who are sick, poor, unemployed, etc.

suspicious  adj. suggesting that something is wrong or that something bad or illegal is happening

eligible  adj. having the right to do or receive something

prosecute  v. officially accuse someone of a crime in a court of law

previously  adv. happening before the present time
London, Jan 31 : Another 23,275 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 3,796,088, according to official figures released.

Meanwhile, Britain also reported another 1,200 coronavirus-related deaths, taking the country's death toll to 105,571. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

The latest data come as Britain is stepping up its efforts to speed up the vaccine rollout, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

More than 8.3 million people in the country have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures. Britain aims to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to all adults by autumn.

Earlier Saturday, a British expert warned that some restrictions will remain in place in the country until the coronavirus pandemic is over globally.

"We're still going to be living in some form of restrictions -- travel restrictions, border controls -- even when we're vaccinated, until it's over round the world," Clare Wenham, assistant professor of global health policy at London School of Economics, told Sky News.

"There's a real imperative to make sure that everybody round the world has at least minimum levels of vaccines at the same time," Wenham said.

"If we want to return to global systems of trade and travel, we need to make sure that the vulnerable globally are vaccinated," she said.

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.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
(Natural News) Between 2014 and 2019, the communist Chinese military, along with other communist Chinese institutions, funneled at least $315 million to colleges and universities all throughout the United States, new reports indicate.

A Washington Free Beacon review of federal records shows that some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in our nation have been on the dole of communist China for quite some time  meaning the curriculum they are forcing on the next generation of American youth is skewed in favor of communism and all the horrors that go along with it.

Northwestern University and the University of California, Irvine, for instance, both received about $4 million in research funding from the communist Chinese regime via the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, a Chinese defense contractor that was caught using the stolen designs of American F-35 fighter jets to build knockoff planes for the communist Chinese military.

Duke University in Durham, N.C., is another institution that is so intertwined with communist China that it actually runs a joint campus there with none other than Wuhan University, which is located near the Wuhan Institute of Virology where the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) originated.

All in all, institutions controlled by the Chinese government, including state-owned enterprises, state-controlled public universities, government-controlled nonprofits, and other sources forked over nearly half a billion dollars to American colleges and universities between 2014 and 2019, demonstrating the extent to which communist China holds sway over American education.

It is imperative that the U.S. government dams up the torrent of CCP-linked money currently flowing into our education system, says Ian Easton, senior director of the Project 2049 Institute think tank group. For U.S. national security, the implications of a continuation of the current arrangement are grave.

American universities failed to disclose more than $6.5 billion in foreign funding from China and other countries

After combing through nearly 1,000 Chinese donations to U.S. universities as logged into the Department of Education (DoE) database, Free Beacon found that 198 separate Chinese government entities funneled money to more than a dozen American universities.

The biggest regime-backed donors were Chinese universities, which collectively donated more than $192 million to U.S. colleges, Free Beacon reports.

These donations funded a wide variety of projects, but more than 40 percent of the money came from institutions that have been identified as close research partners of the Chinese military by the Australian Strategic Policy Institutes China Defense Universities Tracker.

Amazingly, there is actually far more money than the aforementioned $315 million that has flowed out of communist China and other nations into American universities. A DoE audit found that U.S. universities failed to disclose more than $6.5 billion in foreign funding from communist China and other countries in recent years.

All of this questionable funding has been used to push various agendas as outlined by the foreign actors that donated it. This requires a full-scale investigation to get to the bottom of why the money was sent, what it was used for, and most importantly, how it can be stopped.

According to Easton, the communist Chinese military, thanks to its boatloads of cash, can easily exploit state-owned institutions in particular for the purpose of acquiring valuable American research knowledge.

The CCPs armed-wing, the Peoples Liberation Army, has access to any and all information collected by Chinese entities at American universities, he says. Xi Jinpings military-civil fusion strategy has removed even the thin cloak of plausible deniability Chinese companies and other civilian organizations previously could hide behind.

The good news is that U.S. policymakers have at least begun to tackle the problem of communist Chinese influence on American universities.

To keep up with the latest news on this front, be sure to check out Corruption.news.

Sources for this article include:

FreeBeacon.com

NaturalNews.com
One of the first people in Alabama to test positive for a new, more contagious variant of COVID-19 is fighting for his life in a Birmingham hospital, according to his wife.

Ashley Jackson said her husband, 35-year-old Alfonzia A.J. Jackson Jr., had mild symptoms of COVID-19, including some loss of taste and smell, around Christmas. He then became very ill at work almost two weeks ago.

He came home because he told me he was feeling tired, Jackson said. I told him to sleep it off. Later heard from a coworker that he fell to his knees at work because he was so tired.

On Wednesday, Alabama health officials announced three cases of COVID-19 caused by a new variant that originated in the United Kingdom, including one in Jefferson County. Jackson, her husband and two daughters live near Birmingham.

Her husbands symptoms steadily got worse that week until he began struggling for breath on Friday. Jackson said he couldnt sleep in bed and began sleeping propped up in a chair. A friend convinced A.J. to go to the hospital, where he learned his heart had begun to fail, Jackson said.

A.J. Jackson tested negative for COVID several times before he was admitted to UAB Hospital on Jan. 22, his wife said. Last week, she learned that he tested positive for a new variant of COVID-19 thats believed to transmit more easily from person to person.

Jackson said health officials asked her to quarantine for 20 days instead of the usual 10 days. That means she cannot work and support her children while her husband is sick. She and A.J. have two daughters together, one in first grade and another in prekindergarten.

Jackson said her husbands health has declined rapidly during the last week. He was placed on a ventilator and doctors began discussing the protocol for end-of-life visits. Still, she and her family continue to pray his health will improve.

My husband, we were talking about everything getting better, and to see him go from that to being on a breathing machine is hard, Jackson said. I have to keep strong for my girls, so when I get overly emotional I have to go to the garage to cry and scream.

Jackson said she just started a new job and doesnt yet qualify for health insurance or family leave. Her employer has been flexible since her husband became ill, but the family is struggling financially from the loss of income.

Jackson has set up a Gofundme page to raise money for healthcare costs and living expenses. And she urges people with lingering symptoms who have tested negative for COVID to stay vigilant and quarantine until they recover.
About 7,000 Hong Kongers have fled to the U.K. since China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong and the British government expects more than 300,000 to obtain extended residency rights over the next five years, per AP.

Why it matters: The announcement comes as the U.K. opened the new visa scheme Sunday  a day after China said it would no longer recognize Hong Kongers' British National Overseas (BNO) passports as valid travel documents or proof of identity.

Driving the news: The U.K. government announced last July when the security law passed the new path to British citizenship for Hong Kongers who qualify for the BNO status, which was granted to those living in the city before the British government handed its former colony back to China in 1997.

Under the offer, these Hong Kongers and their dependents have the right to remain in the United Kingdom for five years, during which time they can work or study.

They would then be allowed to apply for "settled status" and, after an additional year, citizenship, Axios Dave Lawler notes.

The big picture: Some Hong Kongers told AP they're leaving because they're worried they'll be punished for backing the pro-democracy protest movement  which has seen several prominent figures arrested or imprisoned in recent months.

Adani to run the RPCs? View(s):

Indian investor Adani Group, in the hot spot over the ECT at the Colombo Port, has now become the centre of discussion among plantation companies as there is speculation the government has invited them to take over some Regional Plantation companies (RPCs).

There was no independent confirmation of these reports. Some of the underperforming RPCs are said to have come under the scanner of the government and it is believed that these would be taken over by the government and be allowed to be run by the Adani Group.

However the RPC sources said if this is true then the companies would have to be taken over by following the right process.

Meanwhile, at the last Collective Agreement meeting between the plantation companies on Friday between the trade unions, RPCs and the Labour Minister, the RPCs had reached agreement with the minister to pay estate workers Rs. 725 including Price Share Supplement of Rs.50 and another Rs.225 as Attendance Incentive and Productivity Incentive that amounted to Rs.1000 according to the current model they were working on.

However, the trade unions had not agreed to this and as a result the minister pointed out that he would continue the meeting with them and concluded the meeting with the RPCs.

(SD)
NUA Healthcare has announced plans to recruit up to 150 healthcare workers in the Munster 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 situated in counties Waterford, Tipperary and Cork.

Michelle Kirwan, Nuas Recruitment Manager says; the 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.
A Pike County man charged with burglarizing a trailer near Promised Land State Park had an extradition warrant from Florida regarding a vehicular homicide there, state police in Blooming Grove said.

John Bartlett, 54, of Greentown, was charged Jan. 23 with burglarizing a trailer on Springbrook Lane around 1 p.m., police said. A victim approached a man trying to break into the trailer and he fled. An investigation led to Bartlett being identified, apprehended and charged, police said.

Bartlett had an extradition warrant out of the Walton County sheriff's office in Florida for an unspecified homicide-by-vehicle incident there, police said. He was taken to the Pike County Correctional Facility and arraigned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Image: Twitter/BJP)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens, especially youngsters, to write about freedom fighters and events associated with the Independence movement in their area.

In his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat on January 31, Modi said an initiative was being been launched under the India 75 programme to encourage young writers and those who have studied Indian heritage and culture in-depth to write on these subjects.

The Prime Minister urged citizens, especially youngsters, to write books about the saga of valour during the freedom struggle in their area as a tribute to the heroes of the independence movement.

As India will celebrate 75 years of her freedom, your writings will be the best tribute to those heroes of our freedom, Modi said.

The freedom struggle was fought with full might in every part, every city, every town and village of India. In every corner of this land, Bharatbhoomi, great sons and brave daughters were born who gave up their lives for the nation. Hence, it is very important that we preserve the saga of their struggles for our sake and their memories and for this we can write about them to keep their memories alive for generations to come, Modi said.

We have to fully help such emerging talents. This will also prepare a category of thought leaders that will decide the course of the future. I invite my young friends to be a part of this initiative and to use their literary skills more and more, Modi said during the address.

He added that more information about the initiative would be available on the education ministrys website.
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The Nepal government has decided to award the contract for construction of 679 MW lower Arun Hydro Project to India's Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN).

A meeting of Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) on Friday made the decision to award the contract to an Indian company under BOOT model (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer), according to IBN release.

"The meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Oli chose the developer company based on an assessment of listed companies selected through an international bidding process," a release stated.

Proposed project has a projected capacity of 679 MW of electricity and will be situated in Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts of Province 1.

The newly awarded project is located downstream of ongoing Arun-3 SHEP and upstream of the proposed Sapta Koshi High Dam project. The dam site of the project will be located at about 34 km upstream whereas the powerhouse site is 7 km upstream from Tumlingtar Airport.

Earlier, a Chinese state-owned company, Power China, had expressed interest to construct hydropower project. The Chinese company had even signed a memorandum of understanding with IBN to develop the project.

However, it retracted from the project construction expressing its dissatisfaction that the government showcased the project at the Investment Summit held in March 2019.

In the meantime, India also raised its interest in the project when the then Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barshaman Pun visited India in February 2019.

India has put forth the proposal to build Lower Arun as per all conditions set in Arun III.

As per the agreement on Arun III, apart from shares being allocated to the locals and free energy to the affected areas, the government will get 330 billion as royalty over a period of 20 years and the project will also provide 21.9 per cent of the generated energy free of cost to Nepal.

The project cost for Lower Arun is estimated at over 100 billion. As per an initial study, the installed capacity of the project can be enhanced to around 1,000 MW if it is developed as a storage-type project. (ANI)

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In late 2020 the U.S. Marine Corps was able to begin receiving production versions of its new ACV 1.1 (Amphibious Combat Vehicle) because the vehicle was declared to have achieved IOC (Initial Operational Capability). This ends more than two decades of effort and over three billion dollars spent to come up with a suitable replacement for the AAV7 amphibious armored vehicle. The AAV7 entered service in 1972 with an initial order for 942 and that was completed by 1974. Eventually over 3,000 were built with most being exported to eleven countries.

When the search for a AAV7 replacement began in the late 1990s, the U.S. Marine Corps had over 1,100 in service and many of these had already been refurbished and upgraded in the 1980s and would need further refurbishment to keep them in service when the marines failed to develop a suitable replacement. In 2011 the $3 billion EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle) project was declared a failure. Proposals for a new AAV7 were requested and by 2015 there were five proposals for the new ACV. The marines spent $240 million so the two finalists could each build sixteen of their vehicles for competitive testing that began in 2016. Selection of the winning design, by European defense firm BAE, was made in 2018. BAE offered a variant of an existing vehicle; the SuperAV 6x6 already used by the Brazilian Army as the VBTP-MR Guarani. This was important because the marines, and their budget, could not afford another vehicle design that looked good on paper but impossible to make work in reality. The ACV version is an 8x8 vehicle weighing 31.5 tons and carrying 13 marines plus 3 crew. Among the modifications required included amphibious capability, the use of lighter modular composite armor including ceramics, and design features that make ACV equal, if not better at resisting mine and IED explosions than MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles using steel armor. ACV has an improved V shaped hull design with additional blast protection features for the floors as well as blast resistant seats attached to the troop compartments ceiling instead of the bottom of the vehicles hull. All these features had already been found, by trial and error in Iraq and Afghanistan, to greatly reduce casualties for vehicles attacked by landmines or roadside bombs. Such features had been successfully added to existing armored vehicles like the Stryker and this reassured the marines.

The initial production contract was for 30 ACV 1.1 vehicles that were delivered by late 2019 for testing and an effort to achieve IOC and allow full production of the remaining 184 vehicles. Each ACV 1.1 costs about $5.9 million. Prolonged use of ACV 1.1 is expected to produce a number of proposals for modifications and upgrades that will result in ACV 1.2. When that happens all ACVs will be upgraded to the 1.2 standard to produce a more reliable and capable ACV. How far these upgrades go depends on how much the marines can afford to spend on the project. Some of the items on the 1.2 to-do list have priority because they have to do with survivability and reliability. For example, the ACV is cramped inside, more so than the AAV7 and it takes longer for passengers to get out in an emergency. This is crucial if the ACV sinks while swimming ashore or finds itself still aboard an amphibious ship and ready for deployment when the amphibious ship itself takes a hit and starts to sink. Thats an extreme situation but individual vehicles sinking does happen during peacetime training. Another urgent fix is the reliability of some of the electronic devices on the vehicle. Many of these are being fixed or replaced even as production is underway and then existing ACVs are upgraded. Eventually the marines want over 500 ACVs to replace over a thousand AAV7s.

As good as the ACV sounds, this was not how it was supposed to be. Before 2014 marine doctrine mandated an improved amphibious vehicle to replace the AAV7s. In 2014 the marines revised their view of the future. Gone were the prospects of large amphibious operations, requiring hundreds or thousands of landing craft, that occurred frequently during World War II. The last operation of this type occurred in 1950, at Inchon, Korea. In 2014 the marines decided that the future was more likely to include the need to conduct raids, from ships up to 200 kilometers off shore. No amphibious armored vehicles could handle that, so landing tactics have to be changed. This resulted in major revisions to the specs for the new marine ACV amphibious armored vehicle.

The 2015 reality turned out to be different, and better. Given the prototypes offered and growing budget reductions it looked like the ACV 1.1 finalist would have the capability of moving from 20 kilometers off shore under its own power. To accomplish this the marines had to accept a vehicle that carried fewer marines and was somewhat less capable in the water. The AAV7 has 30 percent reserve buoyancy enabling it to cross 36 kilometers of water in sea state 5 at speeds of up to 12 kilometers an hour. The ACV 1.1 has 21 percent reserve buoyancy enabling it to cross 36 kilometers of water in sea state 3 at speeds of up to 11 kilometers an hour. On the plus side the ACV has wheels, not a track laying system, and can do 105 kilometers an hour on roads versus 72 for the AAV7. In addition, wheeled armored vehicles require far less maintenance that tracked ones (which need their tracks replaced far more frequently than wheels wear out.)

Meanwhile the marines refurbished the existing 1970s era AAV7 amphibious armored vehicles to prolong service life until ACV can replace them. In addition to better protection, the elderly AAV7s will be refurbished so they can remain in use until the mid-2020s. At that point there should be enough ACVs to replace them. The marines never expected the AAV7s to last this long but several attempts to develop a replacement came up short and that meant it was essential to extend the life of their thousand AAV7 amphibious armored vehicles. Many of these had entered service in the 1970s and 80s and were falling apart. Moreover, some two thirds of the AAV7s saw service in Iraq, where they got as much use in two months as they normally did in two years of peacetime operations. In 2018 400 AAV7s began a refurbishment program that took several years. The refurbished AAV7s could be used into the 2030s, or whenever the ACV are available in large enough numbers to replace them. With the recent ACV IOC and full production of ACV 1.1 it looks like the AAV7s will be needed until about 2025. Thats over fifty years for an amphibious vehicle that did a lot more than it was expected to.

The 29-ton AAV7s has a crew of four (driver, commander, gunner and rear crewman) and carries 25 combat ready marines as passengers. The vehicle is armed with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher and a 12.7mm machine-gun. When new their top land speed was 72 kilometers an hour on roads, 32 off road and 13 in water.

Back in 2011 the marines gave up on high-speed (sea skimming) amphibious assault vehicles and turned to a new ACV design to replace the AAV7s. DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was called in to help design the new vehicle. This may sound either very innovative or very desperate, and in reality, it was both. The marines had spent three billion dollars in an unsuccessful attempt to design and develop the EFV, a high-speed amphibious vehicle, and its failure made it clear that some original thinking was required. In the end the ACV was the EFV without most of the expensive stuff that didn't work. In effect, the ACV was be a 21st century version of the AAV7, optimized to pass all its development tests and go into service as quickly as possible. DARPA quickly did its job but the resulting ACV was still more expensive ($12 million) than the shrinking marine budget could handle. The ACV design was tweaked until an affordable price was achieved.

In retrospect, the marines could have just built the EFV without the high-speed capability but that was eventually considered technically and politically impractical. The problem remains that the technology simply does not yet exist yet to make the high-speed capability workable. The budget situation was grim, leaving the usually unstoppable Marine Corps running into an immovable object and improvising as best they could. For example, the marines asked the navy to develop a high-speed amphibious craft (or connector) to get ACVs to shore quickly but the navy budget is also shrinking and proved unable to handle the cost of developing and building the connector. Some marine analysts point out that the need for moving amphibious vehicles 200 kilometers from ship to shore is probably unrealistic for any likely future marine operations. For that sort of thing the marines have nearly 300 tilt-wing V-22 aircraft. These entered service in 2007 and proved very useful for getting marines somewhere faster than any other option.

Victorias public transport users will be able to see in real time how busy metropolitan trains and stations will be before they get on board.

The RideSpace website is designed to help passengers make informed decisions on when to use the train to avoid crowds and maintain social distancing.

Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll unveiled the new website on Sunday. Credit:Penny Stephens

The site is not yet available for regional train services or the states bus and tram networks, but Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said RideSpace would be rolled out more widely within 12 months.

So you can have an informed choice, not only what train or platform, but then what mode of transport you want to go to as well, he said at Southern Cross train station on Sunday.

Tehran: Iran said that Western weapons are not only the cause of death of many Yemenis but also the main cause for instability in the Gulf.

Spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh warned that Western weapons are the main cause for instability in the Gulf. Xinhua news agency quoted Khatibzadeh as saying, "Western weapons are not only the cause of death of many Yemenis but also the main cause for instability in the Gulf. He further said that stability and calm cannot be expected in the Gulf region Without stopping the "flood" of arms exports.

Talking about the chances of renegotiating the Iranian nuclear deal and including more participants, Spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry stated that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is a non-renegotiable international multilateral agreement with defined and "unchangeable" participants and was ratified by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

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Video by Cho You-bin, Oh Jung-meen



The hashtag #SorryJungin trended on social media over the past week, referring to a 16-month-old baby girl named Jungin who was beaten by her adoptive parents resulting in her death last Oct. 13. She was adopted in January last year.



Before her death, the family even appeared on a television show named One Average Family posing as a happy family, saying "adoption is something to be celebrated."



No one knew that it would become the prelude to the tragic death of an innocent young girl.



As a result of severe physical abuse, her pancreas ruptured and her abdomen swelled from internal bleeding. She also suffered broken bones.



The 16-month-old's fragile body had bruises all over and numerous fractures.



Investigative reporting program 'Unanswered Questions' quoted experts saying that the force needed to damage a child's pancreas to the degree discovered in her body is tantamount to the force of a severe car accident, or an adult female leaping off the couch and landing hard right on the baby's abdomen.



Her adoptive parents have been arrested and will go to trial on Wednesday. They are known to have stated to the police that they had no intention to kill the child.



The Yangcheon Police are also under fire as reports said her daycare teachers had noticed signs of abuse from the bruise marks on her body and reported to the police three times all of which were ignored.



It was only her death that prompted the police to start looking into the case.



After the episode, viewers and celebrities took to social media to express anger and frustration over the little girl's death, using the hashtag #SorryJungin. Those who joined the online campaign include BTS member Jimin and actresses Han Chae-ah, Seo Hyo-rim and Hwang In-young.



A public petition was also filed on the Cheong Wa Dae website, urging authorities to disclose the abusive parent's identities and charge them with murder.



South Korean President Moon Jae-in has since ordered agencies to make all efforts to better protect young adoptees, while experts are saying preventive measures against child abuse such as stricter adoption screening procedures and follow-up care need to be strengthened in order to prevent such tragedies in the future.




When Ann first started working as a housekeeper at a Hudson Valley nursing home three years ago, each of the facilitys three wings had two housekeepers in charge of cleaning and disinfecting.

It was hard with just two people cleaning up after 40 residents on each wing every day, but was manageable, she said. Soon after, however, the facility began to get by with just one housekeeper per wing.

Its extremely hard, Ann said. Sometimes I go to my supervisor and say, 'This cannot be done in the allotted time,' and she says, Well, sometimes things have to get skipped. Thats no way to run a nursing home.

When COVID-19 hit, Anns disinfecting duties expanded considerably. She could no longer keep up with her regular sweeping and mopping routine, and ran out of time to disinfect every high-touch surface on her shifts. She watched as the nursing and care staff, whose ranks had also winnowed over the years, grew increasingly stressed.

When coronavirus finally made its way into the facility this month  before everyone had a chance to be vaccinated  enough staff fell ill that the home had to transfer residents to another facility so they could receive adequate care. Ann herself fell ill, and passed the virus to her two children.

Now that COVID has come in, people are taking notice that we dont have the proper staffing, she said. But we always had these issues. People are just shocked because now its come to light.

A bombshell report released this week by New York Attorney General Letitia James drew attention for its finding that the state Department of Health had publicly undercounted nursing home COVID-19 deaths by as much as 50 percent. But those familiar with long-term care grew outraged at another conclusion in the report: that staffing levels at nursing homes directly correlated with COVID-19 deaths, and that the long-held industry practice of insufficient staffing had simply snapped under the stress of the pandemic.

Earlier: Was short staffing to blame for Capital Region nursing home outbreaks?

The report found that homes that entered the pandemic with low staffing ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  the federal agency in charge of nursing home oversight  had more deaths per resident than homes with the highest CMS staffing rates. For-profit facilities were the worst offenders, with over half of all COVID-19 deaths as of Nov. 16 occurring in 280 of the states 401 for-profit facilities.

The report also found that the staffing-to-deaths correlation persisted even after analysts took into account geographic variance among nursing facilities  refuting a common industry argument that community transmission rates were to blame for deadly outbreaks, not staffing levels.

While working in an environment in which they knew COVID-19 was present and posed health risks to themselves and their families, many direct care staff worked multiple double shifts, repeatedly and over extended periods of time, doing incredible and compassionate work in an attempt to care for the needs of many isolated, vulnerable and ill residents, the report said.

The attorney general's office "heard many reports of direct care workers pushing themselves under extremely challenging circumstances of insufficient staffing  to the point of exhaustion, serious illness, and in some cases, the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives, it continued.

Low staffing, worse care

The report was unsurprising but still validating for those who have been shouting for years about inadequate staffing levels in the states nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Weve always known  and not just known intuitively, as residents and families do  but known because theres plenty of research showing that the higher the staffing levels, the better the care, said Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for better nursing home care. "And conversely, when you have too-low staffing levels residents are at serious risk."

Federal regulations dating back to 1987 require nursing homes to provide residents with the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental and psychosocial well-being. But many state health agencies have failed to take the steps needed to actually enforce this, Mollot said.

So the message that the industry got and continues to get is that insufficient staffing is OK  well continue to pay you even though you dont provide enough staff to meet residents clinical needs or even basic hygiene needs, he said.

The attorney generals report provided examples of staffings impact on care:

A certified nursing assistant (CNA) at a nursing home upstate told the AGs office that residents were lucky to get toileted and cleaned up once a shift.  There is not enough time in the day to do it more than that.

A nursing supervisor in New York City said that in April she had been working for 21 days straight, 14 hours a day, and described a facility stretched to the absolute limit to care for its residents.

An employee at a Western New York home said staffing levels were so low that CNAs were dispensing medication to residents, rather than nurses licensed to do so. Other staff at the same facility who were not licensed clinicians said they were given an eight-hour temporary CNA course so they could cover unstaffed CNA shifts.

A New York City facility was short of caregivers, and most of management were out ill or quarantined, for a multi-week period last spring. Two to three weeks later, residents started dying; by April 5 nearly three dozen had died.

Preliminary investigations indicate that when there were insufficient staff to care for residents, some nursing homes pressured, knowingly permitted, or incentivized existing employees who were ill (with COVID-19) or met quarantine criteria to report to work and even work multiple consecutive shifts, in violation of infection control protocols, the report said.

Even prior to the pandemic, infection control violations were common at nursing homes, and inspection reports have shown that things as basic as washing hands after caring for a patient are skipped when staffing is strained.

'Wake up'

The attorney general's report contains several recommendations for improving nursing home care and preventing COVID-19 deaths. Chief among them is a recommendation that New York institute staffing ratios outlining the maximum number of residents each direct care provider can be asked to care for at a given time.

So-called minimum or safe staffing ratios have been proposed for years and have been met with fierce opposition from nursing home operators who say they would cost too much and are a one size fits all approach to an industry with a wide range of patient types and care needs. The attorney general recommends that ratio requirements include a calculation of sufficiency, however, that includes adjustments for average resident needs.

New Yorks own Department of Health recommended against a proposed minimum staffing law in an overdue report that was finally issued last summer. The report argued it would cost facilities up to $4.7 billion to implement and would generate need for nearly 70,000 more nurses and staff. Unions blasted the report, claiming it used exaggerated cost projections and failed to incorporate any key lessons from the first wave of COVID-19.

The same Department of Health was widely criticized for another report last summer that used an incomplete tally of nursing home deaths to clear itself of any wrongdoing for a policy some believe may have fueled COVID deaths in nursing homes. The AGs report this week concluded the policy may have put residents at increased risk of harm.

Aileen Gunther, a state Assemblywoman who worked as a nurse and sponsors a bill that would establish minimum staffing ratios in nursing homes and hospitals, said she wasnt surprised by the attorney generals findings establishing a correlation between staffing and deaths.

Im not a scientist, but my brain works pretty well," Gunther said. "And its so obvious that (staffing levels) did make a difference with the number of coronavirus deaths. I mean, god, when are they going to wake up and see if you have more staff you decrease these kinds of risks? If they dont see that now, when will they?

Gunther, a Democrat, said she believes the report will spur renewed interest in her bill. Indeed, on Friday, a number of state lawmakers issued statements expressing their support for the legislation in light of the reports findings. An initial vote by the Assemblys health committee is scheduled for Tuesday.

I think it will be very motivational for many of us and for people on both sides of the aisle, she said.

Mollot said there are other mechanisms that can help to boost staffing, such as increased pay to help with retention. Turnover is extremely high at nursing homes due to the low salary and hazardous working conditions, especially for CNAs whose work involves lifting and turning residents.

The union 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East  which represents Ann, the housekeeper from the Hudson Valley home, and thousands of other nursing home workers  plans to launch a campaign this week that calls for private nursing homes to spend a majority of the public funds they receive on resident care, which would include staffing.

Self-dealing

Mollot said hes in the process of crafting recommendations for the Biden administration and Congress that would do something similar. He believes homes, which receive the bulk of their funds from public sources, should be spending 90 percent of their public money on resident care.

Right now, they can do pretty much what they want with (those dollars), he said. They can allocate it to administrative costs, self-deal services. There are a lot of facilities where the owner has sold underlying property to him- or herself and then rents it back at rates that have nothing to do with fair market value. So theres a lot of manipulation of finances going on.

The self-dealing practices he refers to are called related party transactions  a tactic that involves contracting services out to parties that have some family or business relation to the operator. The practice has grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years as the for-profit industry has expanded, and the attorney generals office has investigated cases where public funds are diverted away from staffing and resident care and hidden in shell corporations.

The new report blasted the practice and called for additional, enforceable transparency in the financial transactions of for-profit nursing homes. To properly investigate these transactions now, the James' office would need to increase its funding for that work by more than 300 percent, the report said.

Such a budget increase is not one of this reports recommendations, the report says in a footnote. It would be far more efficient to address the identified problem by implementing the recommendations of requiring mandatory, sufficient, defined staffing and supervision levels, and more transparency in transactions between nursing homes, related parties and investors.

Gunther said she believes the report makes it clear that the cost concerns operators have raised in response to her bill are overstated, and a distraction from the less-than-reputable ways in which they spend the money they already get.

They give every excuse in the world, she said. But at this point, its inexcusable to do nothing.

bbump@timesunion.com


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Liz Truss didn't rule out offering any excess supply to other countries, she did say that can only happen once the UK had vaccinated the most vulnerable in the country. Photo: Gaston Brito/Getty Images

The UK government has said that it is confident its inoculation programme is secure after receiving guarantees from the European Union.

International trade secretary Liz Truss said that the bloc guaranteed there will be no disruption to Pfizer (PFE) vaccines being supplied to Britain despite the continents threat of export controls on jabs produced within EU member states.

Speaking on whether she could assure that there would be no disturbance to the Belgium-made Pfizer jab, Truss said: "Yes, I can. The prime minister has spoken to the president of the European Commission, she has assured him that there will be no disruption of contracts that we have with any producer in the EU."

In an effort to smooth over a row over vaccine supplies, Truss said she was pleased the EU had admitted its mistake and it was time for the pair to work together.

While she didnt rule out giving any excess supply to other countries, she did say that can only happen once the UK had vaccinated the most vulnerable in the country.

READ MORE: What you need to know about the EU vaccine row

It comes as ties with Brussels were severely tested on Friday when the EUs plan for export controls on vaccines saw them trigger emergency Brexit powers.

But, the EU quickly reversed its move to control the export of COVID-19 jabs into Northern Ireland (NI) following widespread condemnation from the UK, NI and Ireland.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson spoke to European Commission (EC) chief Ursula von der Leyen after the clause was triggered, a spokesman said. "He expressed his grave concerns about the potential impact which the steps the EU has taken today on vaccine exports could have."

Following the call with the PM, the EC chief tweeted that the pair had "agreed on the principle that there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities.

The Brexit agreement between the bloc and the UK ensures an open border, with no controls on exported products between the EU and Northern Ireland.

Story continues

But, Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol part of the deal permits the EU and UK to choose to suspend any aspects they consider are causing "economic, societal or environmental difficulties.

The controversy also came amid a row between the EU and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (AZN.L) over delays in deliveries of vaccine doses to the 27 member nations.

AstraZeneca agreed to publish its COVID-19 contract with the EU, following pressure from von der Leyen.

While the EC welcomed the companys transparency key issues remain over the best reasonable effort clause in the contract, which was published with large redacted sections.

AstraZeneca says the clause is not binding on the numbers of vaccines, but rather on best efforts. However the EU says its binding.

As a result, the bloc has asked the pharmaceutical firm to send some doses manufactured in Britain to the continent to make up the shortfall, but AstraZeneca says this would breach its contract with the UK.

WATCH: What UK government COVID-19 support is available?
TMC looted rations provided by Centre during lockdown: Irani

India

pti-Deepika S

Dumurjala, Jan 31: Accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of indulging in corruption, Union Minister Smriti Irani said on Sunday that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided foodgrains for 80 crore people of the country for eight months during the pandemic, the rations were looted by the party in the state.

Maintaining that over 50 crore mandays were created under 'Garib Rojgar Yojana' for migrant workers returning home, Irani claimed that "it did not happen in Bengal".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in June last year launched the employment scheme for migrant workers who had returned to villages from cities, during the coronavirus lockdown, to help them get jobs near their home and help in development of villages.

Rahul declared war on Indians: Irani on his remarks on farmers' protest

"The Prime Minister provided five kg rice and one kg dal for 80 crore people of the country for eight months through 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana', but in Bengal, TMC looted it during the lockdown," she said addressing a BJP rally here.

Claiming that Shramik Special Trains arranged by the Centre were termed 'Corona Express' by Mamata Banerjee, Irani said, "I want to ask her whether sons and daughters from Bengal working in different parts of the country are considered viruses by her".
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A Texas representative is demanding that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez apologize and retract comments made to Sen. Ted Cruz over Twitter in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Rep. Chip Roy, who represents parts of Austin, San Antonio and Central Texas, asks Pelosi to implore Ocasio-Cortez to retract her comments, or he (and presumably other Republicans) "will be forced to find alternative means to condemn this regrettable statement."

"It has come to my attention that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet a few hours ago in which she accused Senator Ted Cruz, in essence, of attempted murder," Roy wrote. "As a member of this body who disagreed with 'objections' to the electors and who has expressed publicly my concerns about the events leading to January 6th, it is completely unacceptable behavior for a Member of Congress to make this kind of scurrilous charge against another member in the House or Senate for simply engaging in speech and debate regarding electors as they interpreted the Constitution."

IMPEACHMENT: Don't expect Sens. Cornyn or Cruz to vote to convict Trump during impeachment trial

Ocasio-Cortez had harsh words for Cruz when he expressed agreement with Ocasio-Cortez's call to look into stock trading app Robinhood for blocking people from purchasing stock in GameStop and other companies as Wall Street reels from a sudden increase in share prices for shorted stocks, Chron's Jay R. Jordan reported.

"I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where theres common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in response to Cruz, referencing the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Cruz has faced widespread criticism for his vocal objection to certifying the 2020 presidential election results and parroting former President Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud.

Ocasio-Cortez called on Cruz to resign and reiterated that she's willing to work with other Republicans in Congress on the issue.

Roy is in his second term as representative. He previously served as Cruz's chief of staff during Cruz's first term as senator.
Coronavirus has altered our lives in many ways. Monthly distributed ration under the Annapurna and Antyodaya scheme used to make use of Biometrics, this will change in the wake of the pandemic. The Biometric user identification increases the risk of spread and therefore it is being replaced with IRIS Authentication and OTP at registered mobile number. Telangana is the first state to implement this rule and it will be enacted from Monday (February 1).

Hyderabad and Rangareddy district to provide ration on Mobile OTP:

The IRIS Authentication system is unavailable at Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts. Thus, the ration will be distributed with the help of Mobile One time Password (OTP).

The Chief Rationing Officer of Hyderabad said that ration material will be distributed on Monday (February 1) from 670 fair shops only after Mobile OTP authentication. There are 87,44,251 ration cardholders in the state of Telangana.

The number of cardholders in Hyderabad district is 5,80,680, while in Rangareddy the number is 5,24,656. There are 4,94,881 in Medchal Malkajgiri, 2,34,940 in Vikarabad.

All the cardholders are suggested to link their phone number with Aadhar card in order to get the ration.

Ration card is an important document

Ration card not only helps poor to avail ration at a discounted price but it is extremely useful in availing many other government schemes. Ration cards are issued by the state governments and act as an identity card. Under the Central government's One Nation-One Ration Card scheme, a person can obtain a ration card from any other state besides the parent state.

Online procedure for generating a ration card

The government has issued many schemes which can be availed with a ration card. There are many schemes for individuals Below Poverty Level (BPL). Now you don't need to visit any government office to generate a ration card as the process is now online. The ration card is issued in two categories, one for the people living Below Poverty Line (BPL) and for non-BPL.

These people can apply

An individual who has completed 18 years of age is eligible to apply for a ration card. You can avail the ration card with only one state. The ration card consists of the head of the family and other members. Generation of ration card used to be a tedious process in the past, but with the evolution of technology, you get a ration card sitting home.

How to apply

To apply for a new ration card, you will have to submit an online application on the food portal of the respective state. For example, if you live in Uttar Pradesh, you need to visit the website https://fcs.up.gov.in/FoodPortal.aspx. You will need to download a PDF form from this website. You will need documents including Aadhar card, driving license or any other photo ID card to generate a ration card. You will have to pay online fees ranging from Rs. 5-45. Once the payment is done, the form is sent for verification. The field verification is done in 30 days. If the verification does not match with the given data, the form will get cancel.

Documents for online Ration card registration

- Aadhar Card

- PAN Card

- Passport-size photo of the Family head

- Income Certificate

- Gas connection details

- Caste Certificate

- Bank Passbook

- Mobile Number

Live TV
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BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Restaurant workers were among hundreds of people protesting against coronavirus lockdown measures on Sunday in Budapest, and at least 100 restaurants planned to re-open even as the government threatened them with heavy fines.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has said it could only start easing the measures if the number of coronavirus cases falls sharply, or if large numbers of Hungarians are inoculated.

Hungary became first in the EU this week to sign a deal for Russia's Sputnik V COVID vaccine and Chinese Sinopharm's vaccine. nL1N2K40FS

Current lockdown measures include a night curfew and closing secondary schools, and all restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway meals.

"We have had enough of the mass destruction of businesses," the organisers of the rally said on Facebook.

Hungary, with a population of around 10 million, had reported a total of 367,586 cases as of Sunday and 12,524 deaths. New infections have been dropping but over 3,500 people are still in hospital.

The protesters wore masks but defied rules that ban public gathering, so police started asking for documents on the scene.

Organisers said that well over 100 restaurants across Hungary had joined a campaign to reopen on Monday, even as the government sharply raised fines by decree on Saturday. Restaurants that receive guests now face fines of between 1 million forints to 5 million forints ($16,990), and could be forced to close for 6 months.

Orban said on state radio on Friday that "people could die if we do not bear with the restrictions for a few more weeks ... It is not a solution if people go out and violate the rules."

($1 = 294.2800 forints)

(Reporting by Krisztina Fenyo and Krisztina Than)


Freezer failures and snowstorms this week in the Pacific Northwest led to some strange, but inspiring, events.

A freezer failure on Friday at Seattles University of Washington Medical Center  Northwest put hundreds of vaccines at risk of expiring by early Saturday morning, according to the Seattle Times. The staff at area hospitals scrambled to administer 1,600 doses of the hard-to-come-by Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in a matter of hours, and lines stretched for blocks in the area late into the night after word spread via social media and text messages about the unexpected availability.

Id really love to see those texts.

President of the Washington State Hospital Association Cassie Sauer told the Seattle Times that there were three priorities: That hospitals try to get eligible people through first; that those soon to be eligible, such as teachers and grocery workers, go next; and that no dose go to waste. According to Sauer, no dose went unused before their expiration date.

Cue the inspiring music and montage of relieved but exhausted smiling faces.

The story comes just after another strange event in Oregon, also reported by the Seattle Times, in which a group of health care workers administered soon-to-expire doses of the Moderna vaccine on the side of the road.

According to the story, the group was traveling from a rural vaccination site when they and their precious supply of vaccines were stranded behind a jack-kniffed trailer in the middle of a snowstorm.

The teamwho Im imagining in the movie version would feature actors like Sandra Oh, George Clooney, and Michael B Jordanknew they would be stranded for hours and that six doses of their vaccine supply would expire. Though less impressive in numbers, but perhaps stranger in nature than the story coming out of Seattle, the team began to go from car to car administering all of their doses under the supervision of a doctor.

Many travelers turned down the offer, but one (Im thinking Bert Kreischer) was so happy, he took his shirt off and jumped out of the car a worker told the Seattle Times.
IT has been well established that the countrys most effective mobilisation system is the election machinery based on political affiliation.

With this in mind, the current crisis in the country regarding the frightening spread of the coronavirus calls for a different kind of intervention. It is past time for the declaration of a political truce. We call on the countrys two major political machines, PNM and UNC, and all other existing political parties and groups, to come together in the national interest.

Queen Elizabeth will host new U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders at Buckingham Palace before a summit of the G7 big economies in June, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

Describing it as a "soft power" reception, the Sunday Times said the Queen would be joined by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The palace declined to comment on the report.

Britain has announced plans to hold the first in-person summit of the G7 for nearly two years in June in Cornwall, southwest England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes the meeting will forge a consensus that the global economy must recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in a pro-free trade and sustainable way.

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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Del Endres drove for hours along a crumbling road in the massive Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in Taos County. Her goal: to find one house to gather information for the 2020 Census.

Eventually, she happened upon a woman and her granddaughter, and asked where she could find the house. The woman laughed.

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Thats a hunters cabin, the woman said. No one lives out there.

Endres heart sank as she turned around to make the long drive home. It was just so inefficient, she told the Journal.

The U.S. Census Bureaus on-the-ground operations were finally completed on Oct. 15 after various changes in deadlines instituted by former President Donald Trumps administration.

As with nearly every state, the bureau reported that 99.9% of New Mexicans were enumerated in the census, meaning nearly every household was reached in some manner.

However, former census workers and local officials told the Journal that doesnt mean every person in the state was counted. In fact, given the various struggles workers and organizers faced, they said theres a risk many New Mexicans were not counted at all.

Many pointed to the incredibly low self-response rates of some New Mexico counties, which are mostly rural.

For example, only 32% of residents of Rio Arriba County responded to the census themselves in 2020, compared to 42% in 2010; Taos Countys self-response rate decreased by 5%. On average, more urban counties saw their rates increase.

I dont think theres any doubt that we were undercounted, said Cristina Caltagirone, who led census efforts for Rio Arriba County. Its just a question of how greatly we were undercounted.

The reasons supporting this fear are many  a lack of communication, a shortage of census workers, a failure to visit residences enough times and misplaced census packets, among others.

Local organizers had voiced these concerns publicly months before the deadline but, in many cases, the problems continued or worsened with time, they said.

Those concerns came to a head during the Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) process, when census workers traditionally go to residents who havent responded to get their information.

Rural areas often rely heavily on NRFU, because they sometimes lack stable internet connection. The lack of traditional street addresses can also be confusing, as officials in these areas reported many residents received either no packet or, sometimes, as many as five.

It was a (expletive)show, frankly, said Gillian Joyce, who contracted with Taos County to promote the census. My brain just wants to block this stuff out. It was so stressful.

Organizers report the dissemination of information was often confusing and contradictory, with the federal government repeatedly changing deadlines for the census and instructions for how people should respond.

In many cases, enumerators went to the residences where people had already filled out the census. Endres said she would go to houses where people had already filled the form out three times  sometimes, they would refuse to do it again.

As a result, New Mexico stood far behind other states in total enumeration. One month before the Oct. 15 deadline, as many states had nearly completed their census efforts, New Mexicos enumeration was only 87% finished.

Eventually, the bureau flew in hundreds of enumerators from Texas to complete the count in places across New Mexico, workers and organizers said. Many suspected it was due to the lack of local workers hired by the census.

Thats extremely problematic, because nobody knows the community like somebody from that community, State Demographer Robert Rhatigan said.

Caltagirone said one enumerator from Texas even called her after she had trouble finding a house in rural Rio Arriba County. Plenty of locals applied, she said, but few were hired.

Nichole Rogers, an enumerator in Albuquerque, said those from Texas were often sent to work in the field ahead of local New Mexicans. Even at the bureaus busiest time, there were days she received no addresses to enumerate.

All this, some workers said, was part of an effort to rapidly increase the census response rate after the federal government shortened the deadline. Rhatigan noted the NRFU completion rate increased rapidly statewide within the last couple weeks of the census, which is concerning.

Because New Mexico was well behind most states, it rose very rapidly in those last two weeks, he said. That really leaves me wanting to see the NRFU data.

He said he worried the bureau relied too heavily on proxy responses, in which census workers interview neighbors or landlords about a resident they cant get hold of. The City University of New York noted that 22% of respondents to the 2010 Census were by proxy, a quarter of which didnt gather enough useful information.

Rogers said she did not find the proxy responses useful, especially for information regarding race and ethnicity.

I thought that was extremely problematic, because I dont want my neighbor deciding who I am, she said, adding many neighbors declined to answer that question, anyway.

She said her supervisors told her to not worry about gathering racial information and focus on getting the number of people in a household.

When the Journal requested an interview with the bureau, a representative provided a written statement explaining that, while there were struggles related to COVID-19, they were pleased with the outcome.

We felt our operations ran very well, and are proud of the work our staff and the state of New Mexico did to make this historic 2020 Census go off without a hitch, the statement read.

But exactly how successful the census was will remain unknown until the bureau releases complete state population data. The bureau recently announced thats now expected to happen by April 30, four months after the original deadline.

Even when the data is released, there has been some concern over just how accurate it will be. Rogers said, based on her experience in the bureau, she doubts it will be.

I think we did the best we could, but with a short amount of time  it was an impossible task, she said.
Chartered Accountants have been charged to contribute towards the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.



Speaking on the role of Chartered Accountants in the successful execution of the Agreement, Mr Mickson Opoku, Team Leader, Multilateral, Regional & Bilateral Trade and Chief Trade Negotiator for the AfCFTA, Ministry of Trade and Industry, said it was important for chartered accountants to educate and sensitise people and stakeholders to understand the Framework Agreement, protocols, Annexes, and the Appendices of the Treaty establishing the AfCFTA.



He made the call at a virtual seminar organised by the Accra West District Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana.



The seminar attended by 70 professionals was chaired by Mr Francis Bus-Moses, a member of the World Bank Group.



Mr Opoku asked the professionals to enable people to understand the financial implications of the agreement to the private sector, contribute to the services negotiations particularly on the business and financial services sectors.



They were also charged to support structural reforms in the financial sector to make Ghana the financial hub of Africa.



The benefits of the AfCFTA, he said, would not come automatically, hence to harness the benefits of the Agreement by AU Member States, a Programme of Action to Boost intra-African Trade (BIAT) had been endorsed by AU Member Heads of State.



The BIAT will address seven priority clusters - Trade Policy, Trade Facilitation, Productive Capacity (Industrialisation), Trade-related infrastructure (such as Transportation and Communication), Trade Finance, Trade Information, and Factor Market Integration.



Each country was required to identify specific areas of comparative advantage and strategic focus for diversification and develop value chains for both goods and services.



The Team Leader mentioned a boost in intra-African trade from 12 per cent, which was the lowest as compared to intra-EU trade, intra-Asian Trade and intra-North American trade which stands at 68 per cent, 53 per cent and 46 per cent respectively as some of the benefits of the AfCFTA.



He said a successful implementation of the AfCFTA would also increase intra-African Trade by as much as $35 billion per year, or 52 per cent above the baseline by 2022.



Consequently, imports from outside the continent could decrease by $10 billion per year, whereas Agricultural and Industrial exports would increase by $4 billion (7 per cent) and $21billion (5 per cent) above the baseline respectively (UNECA, 2014).



Other strategic objectives and benefits of the AfCFTA, Mr Opoku said were to develop regional value chains and facilitate cross border investments; and to enhance access to an expanded market for SMEs in Africa on preferential trade terms.



Others are to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into Africa with strong regional and local content, and facilitate the integration of Africa economies into global markets.



Currently, 54 out of 55 Member States have so far signed the AfCFTA which was adopted at the AU Extra-Ordinary Summit in Kigali, Rwanda on March 21, 2018.



Thirty-five (35) Member States have ratified and deposited their Instruments of Ratification with the AU Commission.

Implementation commenced on May 30, 2019 (30 days) after 22 Members States had ratified the AfCFTA and deposited their instrument of ratifications with the AU Commission, Mr Opoku said.

Source: GNA









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Saudi Arabia is looking to strengthen its ties with the Bulgaria, especially in the tourism field, with the recent visit of the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Demographic Policy and Minister of Tourism to the kingdom, said a report.

A meeting was held and was attended by Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism, Ahmed bin Aqil Al-Khateeb and Mariyana Nikolova, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Demographic Policy and Minister of Tourism, said a report in Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

During the meeting, Al-Khateeb welcomed the Bulgarian official and discussed means to further reinforce bilateral relations; creating strong ties between both countries.

During the two-day visit, the Bulgarian minister toured a number of tourist destinations across the kingdom, including Salwa Palace in Al-Dir'iyah and Mada'in Saleh in Al-Ula, the report said.
By Mark Peterson





Rootstech 2021 is an international conference on genealogical records. Originally, it was called "A World Conference on Records"; now it's called "rootstech" meaning technological studies of our "roots"  genealogical and family history. The conference this year will be held online  Feb. 25-27. I've been asked to make one of the "prime-time" presentations on Korean genealogy.



In the past, the conference has been held in Salt Lake City. Why Salt Lake? It's the center of the largest family history library in the world. Sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the conference claims to be the largest of its kind in the world  there were 18,000 that attended last year. This year, with the conference completely online, they already have 200,000 attendees registered. It's free of charge and anyone can participate.



Korea has a big stake in the conference. The Family History Library in Salt Lake has acquired photocopies of many of the jokbo (Korean genealogies) from all over the world. They have cooperative arrangements with major Korean genealogy holdings in Korea and outside of Korea, for example, with the large holdings of Harvard University.



I reported earlier in this column that I've been approached for my opinion about Korea applying to UNESCO for recognition of Korea's multiple jokbo collections. I think they have a point  that Korean jokbo may be unique in the world. Korea may have the largest collection, per capita, of genealogical materials of any country in the world.



Unfortunately, there is an inaccurate appraisal of jokbo as unreliable and plagued with forgeries. The reality is that jokbo are mostly accurate, and prior to the 20th century, historical jokbo are almost 100 percent accurate. The attempts to buy one's way into a jokbo by someone of a commoner or slave background did not come into play until the 20th century.



My presentation, since the conference will be online, has already been recorded. This past week I prepared and recorded the video that will be shown during the conference in late February, and will be available online afterward as well. My presentation is in Korean and aimed at assisting the Korean-speaking audience to know how to read a jokbo. My presentation has two parts  in the future I might need to cover several other parts of reading a jokbo.



In this presentation I cover (1) the basics, and (2) how to find female ancestors in their own jokbo. This deals with the two biggest problems in reading a jokbo  how to get started and how to move beyond one's own jokbo into the jokbo of the mother's and grandmother's lines.



As for the basics, one only needs to know five characters to figure out the basic data in a jokbo  the characters for name, birth, death, marriage and burial. The data connected to each of these key points can be looked up online quite easily. I have proof that it is easy  on my YouTube channel I have videos showing Korean Americans with zero or limited Korean ability reading their own jokbo. One young woman started in high school, and one young man taught himself how to read and look up Chinese characters. I have videos in English of each of them, three videos each, on my channel showing how they have been able to read the basics in a jokbo. If Korean Americans with no Korean ability, or limited Korean ability, can read a jokbo, anyone in Korea can do it. That's point number one: it's easy to read a jokbo.



Point number two is to fight the popular concept that women are absent from the jokbo. Women are very important in jokbo as mothers, as wives and as daughters.



The process in conducting family history research is to find ALL of one's ancestors, not just the men. The process will yield a "family tree" with female and male branches, looking up grandfathers AND grandmothers. To create such a family tree is what Korea did before the Confucianization phenomenon that led Korea, after the late 17th century, to create the "bu-gye" (patrilineal) family system that ignores the female lines. That kind of Korean family tree was called "Palgojodo"  a chart of the eight great grandfathers.



But female lines can be traced upward. Grandmothers, wives of grandfathers, can be found not only in the grandfather's jokbo, but they can be found in their own family jokbo. You are a Jeonju Yi, and you have a great grandmother who is a Deoksu Yi  she can be found in the Deoksu Yi genealogy. And I explained how one can do that. There are several processes but the best is to use a multi-family genealogy abstract (the best of which is the Manseong Daedongbo), as a guide to finding one's way through the grandmother's jokbo.



Searching one's family history, father's and mother's lines, is a great hobby found all over the world. Their yearly conference RootsTech2021 is online this year and anyone can participate.





Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah.


Venezuela Hired Democratic Party Donor for $6 Million

MIAMIVenezuelas socialist government previously hired a longtime Democratic Party donor for $6 million at the same time it was lobbying to discourage the U.S. from imposing sanctions on the oil-rich nation, newly filed lobbying records (pdf) show.

The documents, which were disclosed on Jan. 28, indicate that a U.S. subsidiary of Venezuelas state oil giant PDVSA agreed to hire Marcia Wisss Washington law firm in March 2017. Thats the same month it signed a consulting deal for $50 million with scandal-tainted former Rep. David Rivera.

Wiss, an international trade lawyer with a history of donations to the Democratic Party, including a $1,500 contribution to Joe Biden last year, denies that she did any lobbying work.

Her former clientnow under new managementsaid it was unaware of the full extent of her work toward determining if it constituted political activities benefiting Nicolas Maduros government. The PDVSA subsidiary also took the unusual step of registering retroactively as a foreign agent, disclosing the contracts with Rivera, Wiss, and a third vendor.

The contracts have come to light as allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido work with the U.S. Justice Department to uncover any corrupt dealings at another wholly-owned PDVSA subsidiary, Houston-based Citgo, which for years operated as a cash cow for Venezuelas ruling party. A Guaido-appointed board wrested control of Citgo, the sixth-largest independent U.S. refiner, after the Trump administration recognized him as Venezuelas rightful leader in 2019.

The same Guaido-appointed officials behind the new foreign lobby filings last year sued Rivera for allegedly breaking his consulting contract. Federal prosecutors in Miami are also investigating whether the Republican broke foreign lobbying rules.

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro speaks during a ceremony marking the start of the judicial year at the Supreme Court in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 22, 2021. (Matias Delacroix/AP Photo)

Wiss collected about half of the $6 million in monthly installments of $250,000 before being instructed, like Rivera, to bill PDVSA back in Caracas in April 2018, according to the filings. On one occasion, she traveled to Caracas to meet with then Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, who was a PDVSA board member in charge of international relations, according to two of the three people familiar with the deal. Rodriguez is now Venezuelas vice president.

Wiss says her law firm doesnt and never has provided lobbying services. She added that the firm never invoiced or ever received payment from PDVSA or any non-U.S. related partysuggesting that half of the contract went unpaid.

Wiss was engaged to provide PDV USA and its affiliates with legal services only, she wrote in an e-mailed response to questions.

But the Guaido-appointed board of PDV USA deemed that the hiring of Wiss, Rivera, and a third company, Caribbean Style Inc., required it to register under foreign lobbying rules. The Texas-based Caribbean Style was paid $625,000 to place four full-page advertisements in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido speaks to the media during a news conference the day after the parliamentary election in Caracas, Venezuela, on Dec. 7, 2020. (Manaure Quintero/Reuters)

The pro-Venezuelan and anti-U.S. sanctions content of these advertisements suggests they were intended to influence the U.S. government or the U.S. publics perspective of the U.S. sanctions regime rating to Venezuela, PDV USA said in its filing, which is dated Dec. 31.

In total, PDVSA sent $89 million to PDV USA between 2015 and March 2017 to pay U.S.-based vendors, according to the filing, which was first reported by Foreign Lobby Report, an online news service that tracks the influence industry.

PDV USA said Wiss provided updates on disputes involving PDVSA and advice on immigration, insurance, and cryptocurrency.

But it added that PDV USA is unaware of the full extent of the legal work that Wiss may have been performing under the retainer, suggesting that what Guaido-appointed officials consider a high fee may have covered additional services for which it has no record. The AP could find no record of Wiss appearing on behalf of PDV USA or PDVSA in federal court or in the large number of commercial claims against Venezuela before a World Bank arbitration panel.

Wiss wouldnt say what legal services she performed, or whether she had traveled to Caracas as part of her work, citing lawyer-client privilege.

Your information is false and you are being again misled, she added.

The logo of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA is seen next to a mural depicting Venezuelas late President Hugo Chavez at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 2, 2017. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Wiss never registered as a foreign agent and theres no indication that she herself is under investigation.

Wiss was a longtime lawyer at Hogan Lovells, where PDVSA was a client, before starting her own boutique firm, Wiss & Partners, in 2016.

By Joshua Goodman

TALENT study supports NLCST and NELSON trial results

(Singapore--January 30, 2021 11:00 p.m. SPT/January 30, 2021 10:00 a.m. EST)-- A study presented today by researchers with the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan confirmed the effectiveness of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening in a pre-defined, never-smoker, high-risk population. The research was presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

In Taiwan, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality, and 53% of those have died of lung cancer were never-smokers. The National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLCST) and NELSON Trials demonstrated that the use of low-dose CT is effective for lung cancer screening; however, most of the lung cancer screenings focused on heavy smokers, which may not be suitable for an East Asian population as this population tend to have higher incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers.

The researchers, led by Dr. Pan Chyr Yang, of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei/Taiwan, developed by the Taiwan Lung Cancer Screening for Never Smoker Trial (TALENT), a nationwide lung cancer LDCT screening study focused on never-smokers. TALENT's goal is also to develop an effective strategy for screening of lung cancer in never-smoker and establish a risk prediction model to identify high-risk population that may benefit from LDCT screening.

The TALENT study enrolled and followed 12,011 individuals between February 2015 and July 2019. To be enrolled in the trial, participants must have been between 55 and 75 years of age and never-smokers. In addition, participants must have had one of the following risk factors for lung cancer: family history of lung cancer within the third-degree of relations, passive smoking exposure, tuberculosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cooking index of 110 or greater, and absence of ventilation during cooking.

Of the 12,011 individuals, 6,009 (50 %) had family history of lung cancer, and 2,094 (17.4%) were considered positive on screening. Of these, 395 participants (3.3%) underwent lung biopsies or surgeries. Lung cancer (2.6%) was diagnosed in 313 patients, with 255 (2.1%) diagnosed with invasive lung cancer--all but one was adenocarcinoma and 96.5% were diagnosed with stage I disease. The remaining 81 patients had benign lung disease or a malignancy other than cancer.

The prevalence of lung cancer was 3.2% and 2.0% (p

"Most importantly, 96.5% patients were stage 0 or 1, [and] were potentially curable by surgery," said Dr. Yang. "Our study also revealed the high risk of family history, especially those [participants] with a first-degree family history of lung cancer."

"The study revealed that LDCT screening for lung cancer in never-smoker with high risk may be feasible, which is very important to all who are fighting against lung cancer, [considering] the increasing global threat for lung cancer in never-smoker. Most importantly, the study showed that family history of lung cancer may increase the risk of lung cancer," he added.

Dr. Yang said his team plans to develop a risk score predictor that includes the family history, and genetic and environmental factors for identification of high-risk population who can benefit from LDCT screening for lung cancer in never-smokers. A standard screening protocol will be established, and Dr. Yang and his team will advise the authority to formally implement the LDCT for lung cancer screening in Taiwan.

"We hope the screening program can benefit patients suffering from lung cancer especially in those countries with high incidence of lung cancer in never smoker," he said.

"This study paves the way to additional studies in this unique group of high-risk individuals," Dr. Scagliotti, IASLC interim CSO said, "in order to maximize the benefits of early detection of lung cancer."

###

About the IASLC:

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes nearly 7,500 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit http://www. iaslc. org for more information.

About the WCLC:

The WCLC is the world's largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, attracting more than 7,000 researchers, physicians and specialists from more than 100 countries. The goal is to increase awareness, collaboration and understanding of lung cancer, and to help participants implement the latest developments across the globe. The conference will cover a wide range of disciplines and unveil several research studies and clinical trial results. For more information, visit wclc2020.iaslc.org.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

Gujarat began the vaccination of frontline workers against COVID-19 on Sunday, with district collectors, police and civic commissioners being among those who took the jabs in the initial hours of the drive.

Talking to reporters after taking the vaccine shot, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Sanjay Srivastava said everyone needs to get inoculated to win the war against COVID-19.

"I am feeling absolutely fine after getting vaccinated...policemen are highly exposed, so the vaccination will protect them from the infection," he added.

Ahmedabad Collector Sandip Sagale, who was vaccinated at the civil hospital here, said he and other senior state officials joined the drive "to express our appreciation for the work done by the frontline warriors during the pandemic".

He also appealed to all frontline workers to get themselves vaccinated against the viral disease, saying the vaccines are "completely safe and effective".

Collectors, senior police and civic officials across all districts of the state took part in the drive and were inoculated in the early hours.

The Gujarat health department on Saturday said it had covered around 50 per cent of the healthcare workers in the state in the first round of the vaccination drive and will add around 3.3 lakh frontline workers to the list in the second round starting Sunday.

The government has made preparations to inoculate over one lakh beneficiaries on Sunday, it said.

A total of 2,45,930 or around 50 per cent healthcare workers in the state have so far been covered in the first phase of the vaccination drive that was launched on January 16, with 33,193 beneficiaries vaccinated across 579 centres on Saturday, the health department said.

Not a single person has experienced any serious side-effects due to the vaccination so far, it claimed.

(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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ORANGE, Ohio

Weapons offense: Orange Place

Detectives and Ohio Bureau of Investigation (BCI) agents continued to work the case of a Jan. 23 shooting that left one man still in the hospital with serious injuries six days later.

The victim, 24, was taken initially to Ahuja Medical Center by friends after the suspect showed up at the Extended Stay North around 1:40 a.m., reportedly broke or shot his way through the main front doors, then started firing on the third floor of the hotel.

The victim was quickly transferred from Ahuja to the main campus of University Hospitals in Cleveland, where he remained in the surgical intensive care unit on Jan. 29, with no condition report being released.

One unfired bullet was found in his clothing at Ahuja and turned over to police.

A handgun was later recovered in Moreland Hills, although it may have been used in retaliation to the initial shots fired, based on different calibers of bullets found at the scene.

The suspect was described as a Black man with dreadlocks, possibly driving a gray or silver 2005 Nissan Murano. Police checked a driver and vehicle with similar descriptions stopped outside the Beachwood Inn (formerly Super 8) about an hour after the shooting.

Police were also checking vehicles for possible matches as far away as North Canton, Lorain, North Olmsted and Westlake in the aftermath of the shooting.

Seat belt law, improper or fictitious license plates, obstructing official business: Orange Place, Harvard Road, Interstate 271

A patrol officer noticed a man and woman directly in front of him who were not wearing seat belts in an older-model, dark-green Honda CRV around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 24 near the former Bahama Breeze restaurant.

A check of the temporary tag in the window returned to Carvana LLC, with an expiration date of Jan. 1, 2001.

As the officer made a traffic stop along the Harvard Road on-ramp to southbound I-271, then got out of his cruiser and approached the car, the driver sped off.

The officer did not pursue and later checked with Carvana staff, who did not believe that the dealership had actually issued the tag. An investigator with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles was also contacted.

Speeding, improper or fictitious plates, driving under suspension, warrant (declined): Park Avenue

A man, 22, with addresses in Cleveland and Columbus, was stopped driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone near Bibibop Asian grill at Pinecrest around 10 p.m. Jan. 21. Police then learned that the license plate on the red 2006 Pontiac G-6 returned to a 2008 gray Saturn.

Police later found a full-extradition warrant out of Ashland for the driver and were making plans to transfer custody in Medina.

At this point, the drivers mother -- to whom one of the cars in question was registered -- called police to say that the warrant was fabricated and that the son had the same name as his father, who is known to give his sons personal information out to police in a pinch.

This left both agencies perplexed, and Ashland police asked for some dash-cam video of the current suspect that they could review later.

The man was cited on the new charges and given a courtesy ride to his Cleveland home.

Disorderly conduct (drunkenness), warrant (declined): Orange Place

A southbound patrol officer noticed a Cleveland woman, 23, walking in the same direction but in the middle of the northbound lane while speaking on her phone near Slymans restaurant around 7:20 p.m. Jan. 20.

The woman was so incensed that she threw a bottle at the cruiser as it approached her, although she apologized when the passing sergeant checked on her well-being. Appearing intoxicated, she said she had been drinking at a hotel and was now walking home to Cleveland.

Police also found an outstanding felony warrant through the Cuyahoga County Sheriffs Office. After being searched for weapons by a woman police officer from Bentleyville but prior to being transported downtown, the suspect informed officers that she had COVID-19.

The prisoner transfer was canceled and she was issued a citation by the village, then given a courtesy ride to her home in Clevelands Hough neighborhood.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.
Way back in 2016, a man named Mike decided to take in a show. His presence in the theater made for an odd mix. It brought a political figure who had just run on the most xenophobic, race-baiting presidential ticket in decades nose to nose with a show that raises questions about immigration, cultural diversity, and who gets to own our national story.

The revulsion many musicians, artists, actors, and writers were feeling toward the incoming administration was already acute, and it went on full display at that evenings performance of Hamilton when then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence got schooled from the stage.

We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir, said Brandon Victor Dixon, who had recently succeeded Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr in the hit musical, in a prepared speech. But we truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us. All of us.

Relations between Trump and the arts world didnt improve after that, and the little scene on Broadway that night helped to make the arts a wedge issue in the Trump years. Throughout the administration, arts leaders had to fight to preserve even the meager budget of the National Endowment of the Arts.

Curiously, though, the arts in the past four years have evolved in ways that are as broad and powerful as they are now commonplace. Many artists and arts groups seem determined to do nothing less than change the world. As one example, theres probably not a single major museum, orchestra, or arts center that isnt thinking about inclusion in everything it does  the shows it develops, the artists it hires, the board and management it recruits, and the audience it serves.

Once change started, it came quickly during the Trump years. Yes, the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements existed before Trump took office, and they developed independent of his influence. But his resistance to social justice gave oxygen to both movements, which flowed into the arts and profoundly changed the direction of orchestras, museums, presenters, and individual artists.

I think Trump was a big part of it, through actions and words fueling and surfacing many horrible, long-simmering truths about historic racism in our country, says Jenny Bilfield, president and CEO of Washington Performing Arts, the D.C. arts presenter. The other factor feeding attention to social justice was the pandemic, she notes, and the way it highlighted differences in access to basics like health care and technology.

All of these inequities were laid bare, and the enormity with which inequity played out and was focused on was catalyzing, Bilfield says.

Of course, social justice and championing underrepresented voices has long been the work of many smaller and community-based arts groups. Whats really changed is that these goals are now embraced by the establishment. It hasnt been explicitly noted, but most Philadelphia Orchestra programs these days contain work by a female composer or performer, or a Black artist, or both. The orchestra recently named a woman, Nathalie Stutzmann, its new principal guest conductor.

This from an institution that just three years ago managed to announce a new season without a single female composer.

In the arts, as in politics, elections have consequences. Theyre just not always the ones you anticipated.

Ive seen many artists much less interested in arguing about aesthetics now and much more interested in addressing issues of social justice and issues that are important to them, says Philadelphia composer David Serkin Ludwig, chair of composition studies at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Ludwig  who has long woven contemporary issues into his work  says he perceives the current compositional mind-set like this:

Its how can I be an agent of change as a composer? How can I advocate for the music that I love while thinking about my own role in society or my own role in the culture? How can I advocate for others who are not me, who are different than I am? These are all things I think about every time I sit down to write music.

Individual artists have become adept at seizing the moment, using their art outside of any institutional structure to argue for justice.

This past summer, musicians took to the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps and Malcolm X Park in West Philadelphia to perform vigils for Elijah McClain, the young massage therapist and violinist who died after being stopped by police and placed in a carotid hold. The music played at these vigils was some of the most meaningful Ive experienced.

Music has always found a way to bring peace and bring a calm to people when there is so much tragedy in their lives, violinist Alberta Douglas, one of the vigil planners, told me in July. It has a way of conveying emotion that words cant always do. "

Boston-based classical pianist Miki Sawada left behind the concert hall for cafes, bars, libraries, and other nontraditional spaces across the United States in search of new classical listeners. She came up with the idea a few days after the 2016 election. It was a really big shock to me that so many people could vote for Trump, and it made me realize how little I actually knew about the people and places in this country.

And so she loaded a Yamaha electronic/acoustic hybrid piano into a U-Haul and drove. So far, as part of her Gather Hear Tour, she has played 23 concerts in Alaska and 12 in West Virginia, with plans to continue on later this year in Massachusetts and Utah.

She doesnt talk politics with the people she meets, but seeks to make a human connection.

A friend said to me that he thought Trump supporters didnt deserve my music, Sawada says, but thats not the line of thinking Im interested in. Sure, some people have disgusting, ugly beliefs and are violent, but thats true regardless of political affiliation, and isnt it too simplistic to assume that half the country is made up of bad people? Humans are more complicated than that. In this day and age when reality and facts are constantly under attack, I think the beauty of experiencing music together is one of the very few truths we can agree upon and reminds us of our common humanity.

If theres one thing the last four years have done, its been to make dehumanizing others more acceptable in the public realm. Are the arts really capable of turning things around?

There are limits, of course, and the arts must move in tandem with other forces to have real impact. But music, dance, art, and literature can bring perspective. They are an effective balm to the anger addiction so many of us have developed in the past four years and which stands in the way of finding solutions. The arts can be a bridge to other ways of thinking  something thats sometimes been hard to locate in the dank isolation of a pandemic.

And one day, when we can all once again be together in the presence of Ntozake Shange and Gustav Mahler, or Broadways next breakout ensemble, it might be that much harder to do anything other than think the very best of the person on the other side of the footlights.
Republicans blew their chance at a respectful approach to governance that doesnt cave to the clenched fist.

With the electoral eviction of Donald Trump from the Oval Office, Republicans had a shot at redemption and resurrection.

They missed and failed  and deserve to spend the next several years in political purgatory. The chaos now enveloping whats left of the Grand Old Party after four years of catering to an unstable president is theirs to own. Where conservatism once served as a moderating force  gently braking liberalisms boundless enthusiasm  the former home of ordered liberty has become a halfway house for ruffians, insurrectionists and renegade warriors.

What does Trump have on these people? The continuing loyalty of so many to a man so demonstrably dangerous cant be explained by the base, a word never more aptly applied. What secrets were shared by Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who, after blaming Trump for the Jan. 6 mob attack, visited Trump at Mar a Lago to make amends. It seems that the Don, yet another appropriate nickname, need only purse his button lips and whistle to summon his lapdogs to Palm Beach, there to conspire for the next Big Lie.

The partys end was inevitable, foreshadowed in 2008 when little-boy Republican males, dazzled by the pretty, born-again, pro-life Alaska governor, thought Sarah Palin should be a heartbeat away from the presidency. The dumbing down of conservatism, in other words, began its terminal-velocity plunge, with a wink and a pair of shiny red shoes. Palin cast a spell as potent as the poppy fields of Oz, but turned the United States into her own moose-poppin, gum-smackin reality show.

Forget Kansas. Were not in America anymore.

Eight years of Barack Obama added insult to injury and paved the way for Donald Trump  a gaudier, cinematic version of the thrillah from Wasilla. Seizing upon our every worst instinct, he turned Palins lipsticked pig into a herd of seething, primitive barbarians. Now the Department of Homeland Security is warning of yet more violence by domestic extremists, presumably from the ranks of the mob and QAnon conspiracists who stormed the Capitol with blood on their minds.

For Trump, you went down this road? Either he has a stockpile of incriminating videos  his people have people, you know  or todays Republicans are the weakest, wimpiest, most pathetic crop of needy nincompoops in American history.

Suddenly, the good ones worry about their newest member, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a QAnon-promoting female version of Trump  only without the charm. You begin to see how this monster mutates like a certain virus into ever-more-dangerous versions of itself. Among other things, Greene embraces the conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and the slaughter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, were staged. One struggles for words, but Ill settle for creep.

Recently unearthed video shows Greene chasing David Hogg, the Parkland student who rose to public prominence as a gun control activist after the shooting, goading him to respond to her insinuation that his ability to get appointments with U.S. senators when she couldnt obviously meant he was a public relations spawn and not a survivor of a terrorist attack.

I confess to early uncertainty about Hogg, who was preternaturally adept at media management and public speaking, suddenly materializing from the fog of horror. But the notion that he was somehow complicit in a manufactured act of mass murder is beyond the pale even for the farthest right.

Good work, GOP. You got yourself a live one. Naturally, Greene has been assigned to the Education and Labor Committee.

Going forward, not only will House Republicans be associated with a colleague who liked a Twitter post calling for Nancy Pelosis murder. Theyll be attached to QAnon, which promotes the extraordinary fiction that Trump was leading a war against Satan-worshiping pedophiles and cannibals, whose leadership includes Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and, oh, by the way, yours truly, as well as U2s Bono.

To those Republicans who can read: You own all of this. The party isnt doomed; its dead. The chance to move away from Trumpism toward a more-respectful, civilized approach to governance that acknowledges the realities of a diverse nation and that doesnt surrender to the clenched fist, has slipped away. What comes next is anybodys guess. But anyone who doesnt speak out against the myths and lies of fringe groups, domestic terrorists and demagogues like Trump, deserves only defeat  and a lengthy exile in infamy. Good riddance.

KATHLEEN PARKER writes for The Washington Post. kathleenparker@washpost.com
San Francisco, Jan 31 : Apple is reportedly planning to launch iPhone 13 lineup next year and now a new report has claimed that the upcoming series may come with an optical in-display fingerprint sensor as the secondary biometric option alongside Face ID.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple may incorporate some of the features of the Samsung Galaxy S21 in its next-generation iPhones.

As per the reports, a former employee said the company was working with optical sensors for in-screen fingerprint reading, which "can be more reliable" than an ultrasonic solution.

Previously, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had also revealed that Apple is working on the optical in-display fingerprint and might introduce it with the iPhone 13 series.

The iPhone 13 lineup may mirror the iPhone 12 family of phones, with a 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini, 6.1-inch iPhone 13, 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max.

In addition, the Ultra-Wide cameras on the two high-end models will be significantly upgraded to f/1.8, 6P (six-element lens) with autofocus.

All the current iPhone 12 models are equipped with f/2.4, 5P (five-element lens) Ultra-Wide cameras with fixed focus.

According to Barclays analysts, the iPhone 13/Pro models may feature Wi-Fi 6E. The Wi-Fi 6E provides Wi-Fi 6 features and capabilities, including higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates.
GB News, which claims to be the biggest TV news channel to launch in the UK since Sky News in 1989, has selected Arqiva to deliver its content.

Arqiva will distribute GB News to all major UK DTT, satellite and cable platforms including Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, YouView and Freesat, reaching more than 96% of British television households.

GB News, whose investors include Discovery Inc and investment firm Legatum, is scheduled to launch later this year, and will be chaired by veteran former BBC broadcaster Andrew Neil.

Arqiva will execute the launch and manage the programme delivery for GB News, allowing the channel to capitalise on flexible content distribution solutions through a seamless combination of traditional fibre and Arqivas fully managed Virtual Connect cloud-based products.

Chris Alner, director of commercial broadcast at Arqiva, said: Weve been at the centre of UK broadcasting for decades, and have the knowledge and experience to help our customers launch seamlessly across all major TV platforms in the UK. Our end-to-end proposition provides GB News with a one-stop service that will underpin a smooth arrival into the UK media landscape. As viewer expectations around instant news, reporting and analysis coverage heighten, were pleased to be able to support GB News on their journey.

Added Angelos Frangopoulos, chief executive officer at GB News: Arqivas heritage in broadcasting, and their track record in service delivery gives us confidence that our audience will have the best possible chance to see our content. Were looking forward to working with them to deliver our channel seamlessly to peoples homes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Two students have been arrested in Turkey on charges of inciting hatred and insulting religious values for a poster depicting Islams most sacred site with LGBT flags.

The arrests came after top Turkish officials condemned the poster, displayed at an exhibition in Turkeys prestigious Bogazici University.

For weeks, students and faculty have been protesting over the Turkish presidents appointment of a new rector with links to his ruling party and clashes have broken out with police.

Interior minister Suleyman Soylu tweeted that LGBT perverts had been detained for disrespecting the Great Kaaba.

Top government officials from Turkeys conservative, Islamic-based ruling party condemned the poster.

The Kaaba in Mecca is the holiest site in Islam, with believers across the world praying in its direction.

The poster placed a mythical creature of half-woman and half-snake found in Middle Eastern folklore on the site of worship along with the flags of LGBT, lesbian, trans and asexual people.

The text below said the artwork was a critique of traditional gender roles.

Istanbuls governors office said five people were initially detained and police were seeking two more suspects.

One person was released, two put under house arrest and two were jailed pending trial.
People hold a campaign in Pyongyang, North Korea, to uphold the decisions made at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, Jan. 20. / Yonhap



By Do Je-hae





The arrival in South Korea of a former acting ambassador at the North Korean Embassy in Kuwait just over a year ago has renewed attention to a series of defections to the South by high-level diplomats under Kim Jong-un's rule.



Some South Korean media reports said that Ryu Hyun-woo, who led the North Korean mission in Kuwait since the 2017 expulsion of former Ambassador So Chang-sik, arrived in the South in September 2019 and has settled here. The authorities have yet to confirm these reports, although Ryu's arrival was relayed to the media by other former North Korean diplomats who defected, such as Rep. Tae Yong-ho, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in the U.K. and now representative of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).



Ryu's case is the most recent in a series of high-profile defections, following Jo Song-gil, a former acting North Korean ambassador to Italy, who entered South Korea in July 2019 after vanishing from the embassy. Tae said there were other cases that have not been reported by the media. Ryu told a local media outlet that he decided to defect because as a parent, he wanted to give his children a better future.



The motives behind North Korean diplomats' decisions to defect have raised curiosity, because they are thought to enjoy privileges that come with their job status, unlike regular North Koreans. Experts say there are multiple reasons why they give up such privileges and decide to move to South Korea.





North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the North Korean Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 27, 2019 during his visit to the country for the second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Yonhap



First is the prospect of living in South Korea, which is far better than what they could expect after returning to North Korea following their diplomatic assignments abroad, according to Kang Mi-jin, a North Korean defector who until recently worked as a reporter for the Daily NK, an internet news outlet specializing in North Korea.



"The defections of high-level diplomats should be perceived differently from the defections of regular North Koreans who have no overseas experience or exposure to capitalism. Unless they are mentally armed with a devotion to North Korea and wish to return there, many of them are bound to want to enjoy capitalist culture," Kang told The Korea Times.



She has lived here for the last 10 years and now serves as CEO of NKID, a research and consulting firm on the North Korean economy. "North Korean foreign affairs officials are well aware of the cases of diplomats who have settled in South Korea and they know South Korea very well. What they are most interested in is how people like them end up in South Korea and as they can use the internet freely when they work overseas, they will most certainly look up cases of Tae and others. When they return to North Korea, they will just be part of their organization and serve as the head of some department. But from previous cases, they have seen that people in their position who have defected to South Korea are treated like heroes. So they seem to believe that they will have more opportunities in South Korea rather than in North Korea," Kang said.



Another reason is the financial problems faced by diplomats due to international sanctions. "Without a doubt there are financial considerations. North Korean embassies are often involved in illegal means of making money for the regime back home, and it may be difficult for high-level diplomats to carry out the demands of their superiors in Pyongyang while under the scrutiny of the nations where they are working," Donald Kirk, a columnist on Korean Peninsula affairs, told The Korea Times. "In fact, they also may have trouble just getting enough funds to support their embassies, including themselves, their families and their staff. They may have a certain amount that somehow they must collect, whether through currency or drug or just cigarette smuggling, etc., and the sanctions imposed against North Korea may make these illicit activities all the more difficult."





A guard inspects the North Korean Embassy in Hanoi ahead of the Kim-Trump summit in Singapore in February 2019. Some North Korean diplomats have been defecting to South Korea despite the privileges of their job. AFP-Yonhap

Registered Pharmacist Ken Ramey with CVS, prepares to give a COVID-19 vaccine, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, at the Isles of Vero Beach assisted and independent senior living community in Vero Beach, Fla. A federal government study last fall found that an average of one death occurred among every five assisted living facility residents with COVID-19 in states that offered data. That compares with one death among every 40 people with the virus in the general population. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

A little more than a third of nursing home workers have been getting COVID-19 vaccines when the shots are first offered, U.S. health officials said Monday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave a national accounting of a problem that's been reported anecdotallymany nursing home workers are not getting the shots.

The CDC looked at more than 11,000 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between the middle of December and the middle of January. The researchers found that while 78% of residents got at least one shot, only 37.5% of staff members did.

Data previously showed that people who work in nursing homes and long-term care facilities get flu vaccines at lower rates than other health-care workers. Surveys suggest that long-term care workers are skeptical the shots work and don't think viruses spread easily from them to the people they care for.

The problem was discussed last week during a meeting of an expert panel that advises the CDC on vaccine policy. At the meeting, the CDC's Dr. Amanda Cohn said more staffers get vaccinated when a second or third clinic is held at a home.

"Continuing to capture those staff who did not accept vaccine early will be really important as we try eliminate outbreaks and protect both staff and residents in long-term care facilities," Cohn said.

The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care homes in nearly every state. Each vaccine requires two shots a few weeks apart, and CVS and Walgreens say they have wrapped up first-dose clinics in nursing homes. The chains plan three visits to each location.

The CDC released a second report Monday that offered a larger national look at who has been getting the vaccine.

The CDC study found that of the people who got at least one shot between mid-December and mid-January, 63% were women, and 55% were age 50 or older. It also found 60% were White, 11.5% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 5% Black, 2% American Indian/Alaska Native, and most of the others multiracial.

The report echoed previously released data from states.

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.
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

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Imbaimadai Airport, Imbaimadai, Guyana [ IMB / SYIB ]

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Imbaimadai Airport IATA Code: IMB Imbaimadai Airport ICAO Code: SYIB Latitude : 5.70811 Longitude : -60.2942 City : Imbaimadai Country : Guyana World Area Code : 350 Airport Type : Small Timezone : America/Guyana Imbaimadai Airport Timezone : GMT -04:00 hours Current time and date at Imbaimadai Airport is 09:20:29 AM (-04) on Saturday, May 29, 2021

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Imbaimadai Airport Map - Location of Imbaimadai Airport Load Map Guyana - General Information Country Formal Name Co-operative Republic of Guyana Country Code GY Capital Georgetown Currency Dollar (GYD)

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WABASH VALLEY (WTHI-TV) - President Biden signed an agreement on his first day in office to get the United States back in the Paris Agreement. But what exactly is the Paris Agreement? And how will it impact us locally?

The problem, greenhouse gas emissions. It is scientific fact that greenhouse gases warm our planet.

Storm Team 10's David Siple spoke with Dr. Winter, a professor of the earth and environmental systems at Indiana State University, to see what these accords could mean for us here in the Wabash Valley. He showed Siple the graph below that shows the amount of greenhouse gas emissions for each economic sector in the U.S.

Winter says

Thats what all the whole Paris Accord is about. The globe getting together to decide how we are going to tackle the problems. We have to decrease our emissions by 7.3%.

So, the Paris Agreement makes each of these sectors accountable for their own emissions. Those sectors involve companies and cooperations here in the Wabash Valley.

And Winter says the answer to how the Wabash Valley may be impacted, may not be fully known yet since climate talks are now back on the table.

Industry, electrical, heat production, agriculture, forestry, building, each one has to lower. Everyone has to contribute. We just cant have one sector and not the other one doing it. So if each one contributes, its doable.

There are 189 countries in the Paris Agreement around the globe. The main goal that the Paris Agreement sets is to limit the increase of global temperatures to no more than roughly 3.6 degrees. Those talks officially begin on February 19th, 2021. Thats when the United States will officially be entered back into the Paris Agreement.
The much anticipated Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is on the path to becoming law as it is currently at the committee stage at the National Assembly  one of the final stages of a bill before it is considered and passed.

The Senate joint committee on Petroleum Upstream, Downstream and Gas concluded its public hearing on the bill on Tuesday, after which its counterpart at the House of Representatives organised a separate hearing for the bill.

The bill was read for the first time at the Senate on September 30 and for the second time three weeks later on October 20 last year.

The bill, among other things, seeks to scrap the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

It also proposes the creation of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited  after all the asset and liabilities of the NNPC have been identified by the ministers of petroleum resources and finance.

It also seeks to establish the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

Parts of the bill read, The Minister (of Petroleum) and the Minister of Finance shall determine the assets, interests and liabilities of NNPC to be transferred to NNPC Limited or its subsidiaries and upon the identification, the minister shall cause such assets, interests and liabilities to be transferred to NNPC Limited, the newspaper quoted parts of the bill.

Assets, interests and liabilities of NNPC not transferred to NNPC Limited or its subsidiary under subsection 1 of this section shall remain the assets, interests and liabilities of NNPC until they become extinguished or transferred to the government.

NNPC shall cease to exist after its remaining assets, interests and liabilities other than its interests, assets, and liabilities transferred to NNPC Limited or its subsidiaries under subsection 1 of this section shall have been extinguished or transferred to the government.

The legislation also proposes a 2.5 per cent equity shareholding for host communities.

The bill had suffered setbacks in past sessions of the National Assembly for several reasons.

It was passed by the Eighth Assembly in 2018, but President Buhari rejected it on grounds of lack of fiscal content in the bill. He also complained that the bill as passed would limit the powers of the petroleum minister.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported some details of the bill.

Here are some observations and recommendations from the just concluded public hearing.

10% equity share

The demand for 10 per cent equity shareholding was almost like an anthem sung by every person or group that represented the oil-producing communities at the hearing.

The residents of these communities complained that previous assemblies had pegged the equity shareholding for host communities at 10 per cent Operating Expenditure but the percentage declined every time the bill was considered again. They, therefore, urged lawmakers to settle for 10 per cent.

While they made this demand, the Minister of Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, said he believes the proposed 2.5 per cent is fair.

The communities also proposed that the host communities should be the beneficiaries of gas flare penalty funds. This, they said, is because these communities are the direct victims of gas flaring.

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The groups also asked that all appointments to the proposed National Petroleum Company should have representatives of the six geopolitical zones and that the Company be provided with benchmarks and targets to attain.

Gender representation

Women were not left out as they took turns to make their recommendations to the panel  most of which bordered on lack of gender representation in the bill.

Women in Energy Oil and Gas asked that all the pronouns depicting masculinity like he, him and his be changed to they, them and their.

They also asked that the name of the bill be changed from PIB to Energy Industrial Bill because the world is transiting from gas to energy.

The group also asked that more women be appointed into boards of major oil companies like the NNPC.

The combat

While it was a calm and peaceful hearing at the Senate, it was not the case at the House of Representatives after representatives of some host communities turned the committee room into a wrestling ring, over some disagreement.

The tussle began when the chairman of the committee, Mohammed Monguno, invited the host communities of Nigeria producing oil and gas (HOSTCOM) to make their presentation at the public hearing. The committee had earlier announced that only a harmonised presentation from the host communities would be aired.

And when leaders of the host communities could not agree and choose a representative from among themselves, the fight broke out disrupting the session.

Security agents, including police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officers, had to break up the fight, prompting the panel to allow each host community to speak.

For the leaders

Even though the leaders of the National Assembly had promised a speedy passage of the PIB, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said it will be thoroughly scrutinised.

The National Assemblys determination to pass the bill, he said, is driven by the need to overhaul a system that has refused to operate optimally in line with global standards, resulting in loss of continental competitiveness, transparency, accountability, good governance and economic loss for the petroleum industry and the country.

He also promised that the bill will be passed by April or May.

On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, assured that the lawmakers will protect Nigerias interest and ensure quick passage.

Although the PIB has been in the National Assembly for decades without much success, the ninth Assembly would ensure that it passes it into law, he said.
Germany has imposed a travel ban on passengers from Portugal and Ireland citing the new COVID-19 variants, which scientists say are highly contagious. Portugal and Ireland join the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil, citizens of which were already banned from entering Germany after detection of new variants in these countries. The ban is expected to be in effect until February 17 following which the German government will review the prohibition based on scientific evidence.

Read: Germany Mulling Cutting Down Air Travel To Zero To Curb COVID, Interior Minister Says

The German government has said that exceptions will be made for citizens and permanent residents of Germany. People who have connecting flights from Germany will also be allowed to enter the country but will have to stay in the transit zone until they board their next plane. On January 31, Germany also designated African countries Eswatini and Lesotho as areas with a particularly high risk of infection due to the widespread occurrence of certain SARS-CoV-2 virus variants. Only residents of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea have unrestricted entry into Germany.

Read: US: Germany Is 'highly Valued' Station For American Troops

Last week, the European Commission had called on EU member states to introduce travel restrictions for international passengers because of the new emerging COVID-19 strains. The Commission had also recommended imposing restrictions on non-essential travel within the bloc in order to block the virus from spreading, which is raging havoc in the region for the past several months as the infection and mortality rates have significantly gone up.

Read: Pushed By Pandemic, Germany Seeks To Boost Technology Use

COVID-19 in Germany

Germany has recorded more than 2.2 million COVID-19 cases so far, of which 56,286 people have lost their lives. The country began inoculating its people last month after the European Union gave a go-ahead to member states to start vaccinations. Germany has vaccinated more than 2 million of its 80 million people to date, 2.8 vaccinations per 100, according to Our World in Data.

Read: Germany Compensates Heirs For Nazi-looted Liszt Scores

(Image Credit: AP)


Astonishing footage has emerged of a shark hunting down a seal near a popular swimming spot off Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

A group of mates enjoying a day on a boat filmed the encounter with a bronze whaler that was violently thrashing around just metres away from them off Portsea on the weekend.

'Oh my God! Dad, stop, stop!' a man is heard exclaiming in the footage. 'It's chasing a seal! Oh my God! Holy moly, this is crazy!'

A group of men enjoying a day on Port Phillip Bay filmed their encounter with a shark as it aggressively chased its prey

The men get a better look at just how big the predator is as the shark swims closer to the boat while chasing its prey.

'What is this! Oh my God, that's massive!' the man excitedly says. 'It's right there!'

Another mate suggested the shark may be chasing fish rather than a seal.

'Well, whatever it is, it's chasing it,' the first man replies.

Another video shows the men's horror as the shark closes in on the boat.

The men are heard exclaiming that they'd never seen a bronze whaler so big

'Oh s**t, I've never seen one that f**king big,' another man says.

'That's enough for me! As long as he stays down there.'

Despite their size and aggressive behavior, bronze whalers - also known as copper sharks - aren't usually a threat to humans.

The species is responsible for just one fatal attack in Australia, at Bunker Bay off Western Australia's coast in 2011.


The big shareholder groups in Coca-Cola HBC AG (LON:CCH) have power over the company. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. Companies that have been privatized tend to have low insider ownership.

Coca-Cola HBC has a market capitalization of UK7.9b, so it's too big to fly under the radar. We'd expect to see both institutions and retail investors owning a portion of the company. In the chart below, we can see that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Coca-Cola HBC.

Check out our latest analysis for Coca-Cola HBC

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Coca-Cola HBC?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Coca-Cola HBC already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Coca-Cola HBC's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Coca-Cola HBC. Boval S.A. is currently the largest shareholder, with 23% of shares outstanding. The Coca-Cola Company is the second largest shareholder owning 23% of common stock, and Norges Bank Investment Management holds about 2.1% of the company stock.

Story continues

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 4 shareholders control more than half of the company which implies that this group has considerable sway over the company's decision-making.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Coca-Cola HBC

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Coca-Cola HBC AG. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. It is a very large company, so it would be surprising to see insiders own a large proportion of the company. Though their holding amounts to less than 1%, we can see that board members collectively own UK69m worth of shares (at current prices). It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 32% ownership, the general public have some degree of sway over Coca-Cola HBC. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Company Ownership

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 24%, of the company's shares. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

Public Company Ownership

We can see that public companies hold 23% of the Coca-Cola HBC shares on issue. It's hard to say for sure but this suggests they have entwined business interests. This might be a strategic stake, so it's worth watching this space for changes in ownership.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Coca-Cola HBC that you should be aware of.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
Start the New Year with an easy observing challenge. Take out your binoculars or small telescope and observe the moon over a two-week window d
WASHINGTON (AP)  The government's top infectious disease expert said Friday he hopes to see some kids starting to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in the next few months. It's a needed step to securing widespread immunity to the virus.

Vaccines are not yet approved for children, but testing already is underway for those as young as 12.

If those trials are successful, Dr. Anthony Fauci said they would be followed by another round of testing down to those 9 years old.

Hopefully by the time we get to the late spring and early summer we will have children being able to be vaccinated, Fauci said at a White House coronavirus briefing.

Fauci was looking ahead to a time vaccines will be plentiful. Even older adults are having difficulty getting shots at the moment. As of Thursday, only about 1.3% of Americans had been fully vaccinated with the required two doses of the currently available vaccines.

Children represent about one-fourth of the population, and for the U.S. to reach herd immunity," or widespread resistance, about 70% to 85% of the population must be vaccinated.

Children tend to not become as severely ill as adults but they can still become ill and some have tragically died, said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert and emergency room physician, who supports Fauci's goal. Children can also be vectors of transmission, and getting children vaccinated is important as we strive for herd immunity.

Related: Dr. Anthony Fauci in 2020































































Virus Outbreak Trump Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens as President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has emergency approval for use in people 16 and older. Moderna's vaccine is for those 18 and older.

Pfizer's clinical trial for children 12 to 15 is fully enrolled, and the drugmaker could seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for children 12 and up sometime in the first half of this year. Modernas trial for ages 12-17 is still recruiting.

Since the initial tests to validate the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines involved tens of thousands of people, the age-related testing on children can be done using smaller groups.

Story continues

You dont want to have to ... go through an efficacy trial, where youre involving tens of thousands of children," Fauci explained. What you can do, is in a much smaller trial, measured in hundreds to a couple of thousands ... what we call safety and ... immunogenicity. That's a term for whether the vaccine successfully triggers an immune system response.

After a frustratingly slow start, the U.S. is now administering about 1 million shots a day to adults, although that pace is still seen as insufficient. President Joe Biden has talked about 1.5 million shots a day, if it can be done. His administration has set a goal of 100 million shots in its first 100 days.

Two more vaccines from American companies are nearing the stage where the FDA can evaluate them for approval. One from Johnson & Johnson requires only a single shot.

Biden has also set a goal of reopening most schools by the summer, and directed government agencies to work with communities to advance it.

His American Rescue Plan legislation in Congress calls for $50 billion to finance a major expansion of testing, which is seen as necessary for the safe reopening of schools and businesses. That's because robust testing can detect early outbreaks before they spread through a community and trigger shutdowns. Testing in the U.S. had a chaotic start, and experts say in many parts of the country it's still subpar.

N. Oregon Coast Group Seeks Donations to Aid Distressed Manzanita Businesses

Published 01/29/21 at 5:32 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Manzanita, Oregon)  COVID restrictions and the quarantine in the spring took a heavy toll on north Oregon coast businesses, and all thats far from over. Manzanita is especially hit hard, which has caused two organizations there to go full-bore on helping out with the North County Business Relief campaign.

The Manzanita Visitors Center and Fulcrum Community Resources have teamed up on various fundraising efforts, but the center said the area is not out of the woods yet.

We just distributed $6100 to 9 local businesses, the center said in a press release. This brings us to a grand total of $102,230 that we have been able to distribute to 65 local businesses. This also depletes our funds again.

Manzanita is hoping to get a little help from outside of the north Oregon coast.

Generous contributions have come from 132 individuals in the community, ranging from $20 to $10,000  as well as a $30,000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation. Some individuals have donated several times.





This effort is not over, the center said. Some of our local businesses are still struggling in these uncommon times. The funds we have been able to disburse, while not completely meeting needs, have been a welcome shot in the arm that allowed businesses to pay their most pressing bills. Receiving community support has also been very heartening and encouraging, and has helped our local businesses to hang in there.

There remain numerous ongoing needs to help Manzanita / Nehalem-area businesses recover. The center is hoping to get more help from outside the area as well as within.

Any amount that you can afford to help our businesses stay open will be welcome, the center said.

There are three ways to donate:

1) By check: Please make your check out to Fulcrum Community Resources with North County Business Relief in the memo line. Please send it to Fulcrum Community Resources, PO Box 136, Nehalem, OR 97131. OR

2) Go to the Manzanita branch of Columbia Bank and make a deposit to Fulcrum Community Resources account.

3) Online: visit the website of the Manzanita Visitors Center at this link.

Hotels in Manzanita, Wheeler - Where to eat - Manzanita, Wheeler Maps and Virtual Tours





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Controversial Liberal MP Craig Kelly is facing twin challenges to hold on to his southern Sydney seat of Hughes, with moderate Liberals and a local campaign hoping to blast him out of federal Parliament.

But a defiant Mr Kelly  who increased his margin by 0.5 per cent to 9.9 per cent at the last poll  has declared he is confident of again having the support of both the Liberal Party and the local constituents at the next election.

Craig Kelly is unapologetic about sharing misinformation. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Kelly, a climate change sceptic, frequently promotes the use of drugs hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19 on his widely shared Facebook page. This is despite local and global health authorities stating they do not help treat the disease.

The MPs outspoken advocacy for the medically unproven treatments are a growing headache for Scott Morrison, particularly as Australia prepares to begin vaccinating the population, with Labor demanding the Prime Minister rebuke Mr Kelly.
Press Release

January 30, 2021 Efforts to cleanse PhilHealth will continue until all funds are accounted for, says Bong Go as he urged government to boost public confidence in public health system Senator and chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher "Bong" Go welcomed the recent announcement of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation chief Dante Gierran that 92% of the P15 billion fund allegedly misappropriated by agency officials had been liquidated. Go, however, noted that the government's anti-corruption efforts in the agency will continue until all funds are accounted for in order to ensure efficient and transparent delivery of public health services. "Welcome development po 'yan na na-liquidate na po ang ninety percent. Pero hindi pa po natatapos ang kampanya laban sa korapsyon. Dapat one hundred percent liquidated dahil pera ito ng taumbayan," he stressed during an ambush interview after personally leading the distribution of assistance to typhoon victims in Barobo, Surigao del Sur on Friday, January 29. Go strongly reaffirmed his and President Rodrigo Duterte's shared campaign against corruption. He vowed that any public official who is found guilty of corruption will be fully held accountable for his or her actions. "Ni piso dapat walang masayang. Kami ni Pangulong Duterte, tuloy-tuloy ang kampanya namin laban sa korapsyon, kaya nga nagtatag siya ng task force na mag-iimbestiga sa lahat ng government agencies," continued Go. The said task force is mandated to investigate all issues of corruption in agencies, prosecute and file charges, conduct lifestyle checks, audit funds, recommend suspensions and put in jail those found guilty of corrupt practices. "Wala tayong pipiliin, wala tayong sasantuhin. Kasuhan na ang mga dapat makasuhan. Tuluyan ang mga dapat tuluyan... Hindi kami titigil hanggang sa huling araw po ng aming termino... basta may maamoy kami na nagnanakaw ng pera ng taumbayan, lalo na sa PhilHealth," he added. On this note, Go reiterated his call for government authorities to ensure that public funds are accounted for and used to benefit those who need government attention the most. He said that building public trust and confidence is crucial especially while efforts are ongoing to secure sufficient, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the country. "Naglaan na po ang ating mahal na Pangulo ng pondo sa [Department of Science and Technology] na 384 million pesos para sa clinical trial. Importante po dito na mapatunayan natin ang vaccine ay safe at effective," explained Go. "Dapat pagkatiwalaan at makuha ang kumpiyansa ng taumbayan. Mga taumbayan ngayon papayag 'yan na magpa-vaccinate pero magtuturuan 'yan dapat mauna muna kayo. Kaming opisyales, ipakita natin na dapat pagkatiwalaan ang vaccine," he added. To complement these efforts, the Senator also encouraged concerned agencies to properly communicate and implement the vaccine program to assure the public that the government is doing its best to restore normalcy amid the ongoing pandemic. "Pag na-attain natin ang safety ay uunahin natin ang frontliners at mahihirap lalo na sa mga malalayong lugar na 'di nila alam ang vaccine. Dapat i-educate sila sa vaccine [para] makabalik na tayo sa normal na pamumuhay. Ang vaccine ang pag-asa," he said.

JTG Holdings Ltd, headquartered in Dubai and the majority owner of the Jones the Grocer brand has acquired the significant minority stake held by L Catterton Asia (a subsidiary of LVMH) making JTG Holdings Ltd the sole owner of Jones the Grocers IP across the world.

Established in 1996 in Australia, the popular food emporium, known for its casual dining style, cheese room and gourmet retail, will utilise a tranche of new funding to accelerate the brands growth and identify strong franchise partners to grow worldwide.

The brand currently has 23 trading stores, a pipeline of 23 new sites scheduled to open across the region and has set an ambitious target of 200 new stores in five years.

JTG Holdings Ltd & Jones the Grocers CEO and shareholder, Yunib Siddiqui said: We are incredibly proud of the regional success of Jones the Grocer, particularly the tremendous resilience our diversified revenue streams have shown last year. The times right to expand into new and existing international markets. Our success is a testament to the universal appeal of a well-executed Australian foodie ethos, of a high quality, innovative offer.

The acquisition and the acceleration strategy announcement marks 25 years since Jones the Grocer opened its first store in Sydney and 12 years since the first UAE store in Abu Dhabi set new standards for casual dining and food retail in the UAE.

Our brand has been tested over the years and there is no doubt about its longevity, versatility and scalability; were ripe for global growth in Europe, Asia Pacific and the GCC region. There has been a staggering decline of over 50% of seated diners worldwide and were fortunate to be continuing our expansion. As we navigate these new waters, our role in reconnecting communities as people return to celebrate everyday life over meals whether its breakfast, lunch, dinner, cheese or gourmet food shopping, we want to be the venue they choose to do that in, across the globe. -- Tradearabia News Service
London, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jan, 2021 ) :Britain expects its contractual arrangements on coronavirus vaccines to be honoured following disagreements with the EU over supplies of the shot, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on Saturday.

Following a u-turn by the European Commission over threats on Friday to stop the free-flow of vaccines over the Irish border, Gove said Britain was "confident" its supplies of vaccines would be delivered.

"We've entered into contractual arrangements with AstraZeneca and Pfizer, we expect those arrangements to be honoured," the minister said.

He added that after exchanges with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was "clear that she understood exactly the UK government's position".

Gove said the European Union made a mistake when it threatened to invoke Article 16 of the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol to monitor and in some cases block exports of vaccines produced in EU plants.

"They recognise that they have made a mistake," he said. "We want to work with our friends and neighbours in the European Union. We recognise some of the difficulties and the pressures that they face," Gove added.

Johnson held conversations late on Friday with Von der Leyen as the row over shortages of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by the British-Swedish drugs group AstraZeneca threatened to boil over.

British foreign minister Dominic Raab wrote on Twitter on Saturday that during conversations with EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovkis he had been "reassured the EU has no desire to block suppliers fulfilling contracts for vaccine distribution to the UK".

"The world is watching and it is only through international collaboration that we will beat this pandemic," he added.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Forster on Saturday urged Britain to remove a post-Brexit protocol with the European Union after it became the focus of a diplomatic row over Covid vaccines.

"The protocol is unworkable, let's be very clear about that, and we need to see it replaced because otherwise there is going to be real difficulties here in Northern Ireland," Foster told BBC radio.

The leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party has long been critical of the protocol which allows Northern Ireland to follow EU customs rules and avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

"It's absolutely disgraceful, and I have to say the Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) now needs to act very quickly to deal with the real trade flows that are being disrupted between Great Britain and Northern Ireland," she added.

"The Commission will ensure that the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol is unaffected," the EU Commissioner said in a statement.

Johnson had told EU chief Ursula von der Leyen of his "grave concerns about the potential impact" the European bloc's decision might have.

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, told The Times newspaper Brussels needed to step back from the escalating row over vaccines.

"We are facing an extraordinarily serious crisis, which is creating a lot of suffering, which is causing a lot of deaths in the UK, in France, in Germany, everywhere," he said.

"I believe that we must face this crisis with responsibility, certainly not with the spirit of one upmanship or unhealthy competition," Barnier added.

The EU still has plans to go ahead with a broader vaccine export ban which could impact on supplies of the Pfizer-Biontech jab in Britain.
Donald Trump has been put up against Greta Thunberg and the WHO as nominations close for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny has also been nominated for this year's prize, backed by Norwegian lawmakers who have a track record of picking the winner.

Thousands of people, from members of parliaments worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates.

Trump was nominated in 2018 and again this year, both times by far-Right Norwegian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde.

Donald Trump (pictured) has been put up against Greta Thunberg and the WHO as nominations close for the Nobel Peace Prize

He said President Trump has 'done more trying to create peace between nations than most other peace prize nominees'.

Nominations, which close today, do not imply an endorsement from the Nobel committee.

Norwegian lawmakers have nominated the eventual laureate every year since 2014, with the exception of 2019, said Henrik Urdal, Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

He said: 'The pattern from recent years is quite stunning.'

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which decides who wins the award, does not comment on nominations, keeping secret for 50 years the names of nominators and unsuccessful nominees.

Nominees include Greta Thunberg (pictured), Alexei Navalny, the WHO and its COVAX programme to secure fair access to Covid-19 vaccines for poor countries

But nominators can choose to reveal their picks.

According to a survey of Norwegian lawmakers, nominees include Thunberg, Navalny, the WHO and its COVAX programme to secure fair access to Covid-19 vaccines for poor countries.

Thunberg was named as one of 'the foremost spokespeople in the fight against the climate crisis', with the campaigning group she co-founded, Fridays for Future, also receiving a nod.

Navalny, nominated by Russian academics, was named for his 'efforts for a peaceful democratisation of Russia' by Norwegian former minister Ola Elvestuen.

The battle against Covid-19 is front and centre, including a nomination for the GAVI vaccine alliance.

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny has also been nominated for this year's prize, backed by Norwegian lawmakers who have a track record of picking the winner

Other names are Belarusian activists Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kolesnikova and Veronika Tsepkalo for their 'fight for a fair election and inspiration for peaceful resistance', one nominator, Geir Sigbjoern Toskedal, said.

Another, Jette Christensen, also named the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights group, and IUSTITIA, a group of Polish judges defending civil rights.

'My nomination this year is ... for the fight to preserve democracy as a form of government in Europe,' Christensen said.

Freedom of information is a recurring theme with nominees including the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists; former Charlie Hebdo journalist Zineb el Rhazoui; news website Hong Kong Free Press, the US-based International Fact-Checking Network and Paris-based Reporters without Borders (RSF).

Other nominees include former NATO and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

The Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize

Also on the list is Aminatou Haidar, for her peaceful campaigning towards an independent Western Sahara, the International Space Station and the International Scout Movement.

The award's most famous recipients include Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, but the broad criteria for nominations means that past nominees have included some controversial selections.

Adolf Hitler was nominated for the peace prize in 1939 by a member of the Swedish parliament. Reportedly submitted in satire, the nomination was withdrawn soon after.

A few years later, the Soviet leader Josef Stalin was nominated for the same award, twice: once in 1945, for his efforts ending World War Two, and again in 1948.

After nominations are submitted, the recipient is selected by a five-person Nobel Committee, which is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.

The 2021 laureate will be announced in October.

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Ramanna is also planning to provide free meals to 200 poor people from Adilabad town at the MLA camp office every day from Vasantha Panchami.  DC Image

ADILABAD: TRS Adilabad legislator Jogu Ramanna is likely to launch a health insurance scheme with Rs 5 lakh cover on behalf of Jogu Ramanna Charitable Trust for the landless poor in his Assembly constituency.

The unique aspect is that he will pay an annual premium of up to Rs 1,000 per policy to one landless member from each family. Death due to ill-health or accidents will be covered under this scheme.

Presently, farmers who own land get Rs 5 lakh insurance money in case of death under Rythu Beema scheme being implemented by the state government. Ramanna told Deccan Chronicle that landless poor are not eligible for Rythu Beema and hence deprived of insurance cover.

I want to fill this gap between the landless poor and land owners. Many poor landless families suffer when the sole bread earner dies. There is no financial security to such, he said.

The MLA said, We are identifying family members of the landless poor for the scheme and also the insurance company for the purpose. We are finalising the yearly premium and insurance cover by consulting various insurance companies.

In many cases, landless poor families are unable to arrange for funerals and generally approach local political leaders for some financial help to complete the ritual.

However, political leaders cannot extend financial help to the bereaved families for a long time. It is said that such families can survive if they get Rs 5 lakh as insurance following the bread-earners death.

Ramanna is also planning to provide free meals to 200 poor people from Adilabad town at the MLA camp office every day from Vasantha Panchami. Many poor people from villages visit the district headquarters and some of them may not afford a meal. The free lunch will be helpful to such people.

It is said that TRS MLAs are questioned by landless and tenant farmers whenever they go to villages as they were getting nothing from Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Beema schemes.

Party leaders say that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao may consider the demand to also extend Rythu Bandhu benefits to tenant farmers.
SCRANTON  The zoning board will hear two unrelated proposals for transitional living facilities for people in recovery from addictions.

The hearing will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m. remotely via Zoom and simulcast on Electric City Televisions channel on YouTube, according to a recent public notice in The Times-Tribune of the boards meeting agenda.

Representatives behind both proposals say their facilities would provide transitional living and various support services to give people who completed inpatient treatment elsewhere a better chance of long-term success.

The proposals include:

Fellowship House Foundation seeks a special exception to convert a vacant, former nursing home at 1554 Sanderson Ave. in Green Ridge into transitional living for up to 25 residents.

The building is in an R-2 residential zone, and the special exception would convert one nonconforming use to another, city Planner Don King said in a phone interview.

Fellowship House Foundation principal Joe Van Wie, who has been in long-term recovery himself, said that people who already completed inpatient treatment have a much better chance against relapse if they can transition to being back on their own.

Their chances of recovery go up 90% if theyre in transitional living, Van Wie said in a phone interview.

He aims to market the facility to young professionals and college students, where addiction has just taken them out of their lives.

People need to be out in the open about their recovery to get better, Van Wie said.

Become Empowered seeks a variance to convert a vacant building at 531 Wyoming Ave. into a transitional living facility for up to eight women.

This application is a continuation from November, when the board heard lengthy testimony from Become Empowered representatives.

This would be perfect (as a spot) for transitional living for women, Angela Gilgallon of Become Empowered said in a phone interview. Its located right downtown, its easily accessible, and residents would be readily able to use other nearby services.

Become Empowered would help recovering women in various ways, including finding housing and employment and furthering their education or careers.

It bridges a gap, Gilgallon said of transitional living.

The Wyoming Avenue building is a former auto-glass shop and is in a light industrial zone. Become Empowered needs a variance to convert the structure into a transitional living facility, King said.

This building previously was the subject of a variance in 2019. At that time, the zoning board approved a variance for Keystone Mission to convert the Wyoming Avenue building into a 50-bed homeless shelter. But neighboring businesses that opposed that plan appealed to Lackawanna County Court, and a judge last year overturned the zoning approval.

Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Another major blow for the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government as Pakistan has ranked 124 out of 180 countries -- dropping four spots in comparison to last year -- in the recently released Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International.

The report is an annual index that ranks countries based on perceptions of public sector corruption.

The 2020 edition of the CPI ranked 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, drawing on 13 expert assessments and surveys of business executives.

Denmark and New Zealand topped the index this year, with 88 points each.

Dawn reported that last year (2019), Pakistan had ranked 120. On a scale of 0-100, with zero being 'Highly Corrupt' and 100 being 'Very Clean', the country's corruption score stands at 31 -- a point lower than last year's 32 -- indicating that the perception of corruption in the public sector has worsened.

A reason behind the drop in Pakistan's score on the CPI list was its points in the 'Rule of Law Index' and 'Varieties of Democracy' (VDem) categories were lower than last year.

Sohail Muzaffar, the chairman of Pakistan's chapter of Transparency International said that the questions asked by World Justice Programme (WJP) regarding 'Rule of Law Index' and 'Varieties of Democracy' are about the corruption of government officials viz legislatures, executives, judiciary, police, and military.

The government has to improve its performance in these four sectors, he emphasised.

The increase in corruption perception comes despite the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which claims to have recovered Rs363 billion in the last two years and the Public Accounts Committee, which claims to have recovered Rs300 billion over the same period, noted Muzaffar.

Meanwhile, corruption perceptions in other countries in the region including Iran (25 points) and Bangladesh (26 points) improved, even if by small margins. Afghanistan's score (19) has also improved by three points and so did Turkey (40), according to CPI's statistics.

Commenting on the findings, chair of Transparency International, Delia Ferreira Rubio, in a statement quoted by Dawn said: "The past year has tested governments like no other in memory, and those with higher levels of corruption have been less able to meet the challenge. But even those at the top of the CPI must urgently address their role in perpetuating corruption at home and abroad."

(ANI)

Also Read: Pakistan Opposition alliance united despite differences: PDM chief Rehman
(Natural News) When Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, Democrat activists in blue states like California threatened to secede but never really did much more than that  make threats.

But now that the most left-wing regime in the history of the country has stolen its way into power, one Texas lawmaker is doing a lot more than just making idle threats.

Rep. Kyle Biedermann (R) is acting.

The state representative has filed legislation offering voters the choice of whether they want to remain part of the United States or do what Great Britain did when its citizens decided last decade to leave the European Union.

Biedermanns bill changes Brexit to Texit.

Today, I filed HB 1359, the Texas Independence Referendum Act. For decades, the promises of America & our individual liberties have been eroding. Now is the time for the People of Texas to have the right to decide their own future, the Republican lawmaker wrote on Twitter.

Today, I filed HB 1359, the Texas Independence Referendum Act. For decades, the promises of America & our individual liberties have been eroding. Now is the time for the People of Texas to have the right to decide their own future. #LetTexansVote #Texit https://t.co/VTKosQKGBl pic.twitter.com/X2gDIDjYrv  Kyle Biedermann (@KyleBiedermann) January 26, 2021

The Epoch Times has more details:

If voters say yes, then a committee would be formed to study the matter and make recommendations regarding the best way to break away from the rest of the country, including advice for how to amend the state Constitution to accommodate the proposed nation and recommendations for issues that would have to be negotiated with the U.S. government such as a common travel agreement.

This Act simply Lets Texans Vote. This decision is too big to be monopolized solely by the power brokers in our Capitol. We need to let Texans voices be heard! Biedermann said in a statement.

Voters of all political persuasions in Texas can agree on one thing: Washington D.C. is and has been broken. Our federal government continuously fails our working families, seniors, taxpayers, veterans and small business owners. For decades, the promises of America and our individual liberties have been eroding. It is now time that the People of Texas are allowed the right to decide their own future. This is not a left or right political issue. Let Texans Vote! he added.

Okay, but could this actually work? Didnt the U.S. Supreme Court decide in 1869  a post-Civil War case involving Texas, ironically  that the Constitution does not provide for states to secede from the union of states once they are admitted?

Yes, the court did make that ruling. But Biedermann says his bill is not secession. It establishes an orderly process by which Texans could simply withdraw and begin their own nation.

This is not about war, this is not about actually seceding from the United States, he told Newsmax TV earlier this month. This is about the beginning of a process, an act, just like Brexit.

Brexit was a vote of the people and then five years of a process to gradually separate, he added. (Related: The future of government repression in the United States  what every American needs to know.)

His legislation is the beginning of the process, he said. Do we want to have the right to be an independent state? After that question is answered yes, then that process begins.

For another thing, Texas was its own country before joining the U.S., and the states own constitution gives its citizens a choice.

All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. The faith of the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation of a republican form of government, and, subject to this limitation only, they have at all times the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient, Article 1, Section 2 says.

Moreover, its likely that Texit will appeal to other states, Biedermann said.

Weve been getting so many positive responses from other states, so other states will want to join what were doing, he told Newsmax TV. The majority of states are not happy with the federal government.

See more reporting like this at Secession.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

BizPacReview.com

Revolt.news
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday discussed over phone the ongoing efforts to secure the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire, the Kremlin said.

The two sides welcomed the launch of the joint Russian-Turkish center "for monitoring the ceasefire and any military activities in the conflict zone," it said in a statement.

The presidents expressed hope that the center's efforts will contribute to the further stabilization of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and the proper observance of the agreement reached by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia and the prime minister of Armenia in November 2020.

"The two leaders also discussed some issues of Russian-Azerbaijani bilateral cooperation," it added.
PARADISE - I took a trip to Paradise last week and ended up meeting the devil.

I exaggerate, of course. Paradise is an unassuming, little town in Wise County, 35 miles northwest of Fort Worth. An early settler named the town, rhapsodizing that wildflowers sprinkled across the rolling prairie resembled paradise on earth. With a population these days of less than 600, its still an agricultural community, although during normal times a number of residents commute to Denton or Fort Worth.

The devil I discovered in Paradise is the notorious gangster from the 1930s, George Machine Gun Kelly, an unlikely resident who had ties to the community but cant be called a native son.

Hes all we have, though, Gay Read, curator of the Paradise Historical Society, told me, laughing. Read and her history-minded neighbors have been known to feel a twinge of envy for nearby Aurora, site of a well-known UFO incident in 1897.

The man whose memorable nickname ranks with Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson was born George Frances Barnes, Jr., in Chicago in 1900. He grew up in Memphis, Tenn. Paradise historian Donna Weeden suggests that his life of crime began when his insurance-agent father handed him the keys to the family car. The elder Barnes had reason to be generous: The teenager had discovered that his father was cheating on his sickly mother with a one-legged woman. Young George was threatening to tell.

With access to a car, George found a job  not throwing newspapers or delivering groceries but running bootleg whiskey. Soon he was making so much money that it only made sense to quit school, particularly since he already was a married man. He and 15-year-old Geneva Ramsey, whose Memphis family ran a successful construction business, had eloped across the state line to Mississippi.

George seemed to respect his in-laws, but when his father-in-law was killed in an accidental dynamite explosion in 1922, he left his wife and their two young sons and resumed his life running whiskey. He soon found himself serving a three-year sentence in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary for selling bootleg whiskey on an Oklahoma Indian reservation. Leavenworth turned out to be his university, his professors being convicted bank robbers with time on their hands.

Released early, the model prisoner eagerly plunged into the banking business. Between September 1930 and May 1933, he and a gang of fellow Leavenworth alumni robbed at least 11 banks from Minnesota southward. The last bank they hit was in San Marcos on May 22, 1933.

A tall, attractive young woman also walked into his life during his banking period, whether for better or worse is debatable. A Mississippian, she was born Cleo Lera Mae Brooks but decided as a teenager that Kathryn was more glamorous. A man who dated Kathryn before she met George remembered her this way to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover: She took me to more speakeasies, more bootleg dives, more holes in the wall than I thought were in all of Texas. She knows more bums than the police department. She can drink liquor like water. (The anecdote comes from Stanley Hamiltons book, Machine Gun Kellys Last Stand, as quoted by Mike Finger in a 2017 issue of Memphis Magazine.)

Kathryn was married four times between the ages of 14 and 26, the third time to a fellow whose bullet-riddled body was found sprawled near a suicide note, despite the fact that he was illiterate. After her husbands demise, Kathryn and her young daughter Pauline moved in with her mother Ora and new stepfather, Robert Boss Shannon, who lived on a farm near Paradise. She and George married in 1930.

Like poetry-writing Bonnie Parker burnishing the image of Clyde Barrow, Kathryn transformed George Frances Barnes, Jr., into Machine Gun Kelly. She bought him his first Thompson submachine gun from a Fort Worth pawn shop and taught him to shoot well enough that, legend has it, he could spell out his name on the side of a barn with a blast from his tommy gun (in cursive, I presume).

Since Depression-desperate banks were running low on cash, Kathryn also encouraged her husband to break into a more lucrative line of work: kidnapping. On July 22, 1933, George and an accomplice kidnapped a wealthy Oklahoma City oilman named Charles Urschel, brother-in-law to legendary oilman Tom Slick. The kidnappers held the tycoon for eight days, blindfolded, on the Shannon familys Paradise-area farm. They demanded $200,000, equivalent to several million today.

The Urschel family delivered the ransom money, and Kelly released the oilman, who, though blindfolded, was able to remember important details that led lawmen to the Shannon farm. A plane that Urschel recalled flying over the farm twice daily helped agents trace flight paths. His description of a rainstorm one evening also helped the G-men. Even though Urschel was chained to a bed most of the time, he said that his captors served him some of the best fried chicken he had ever tasted.

George and his accomplice, and Kathryn, were arrested in Memphis soon after Urschel was released. Although the oilman was unhurt, his kidnapping was the first after the high-profile Lindbergh kidnapping case, in which the 20-month-old son of the famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife was found dead. Kidnapping was now a federal offense, with the FBI in charge. Tried in Oklahoma City, both Kellys were sentenced to life in prison, as was Kathryns mother and stepfather.

Boss Shannon was released after 11 years, his sentence commuted by President Franklin Roosevelt. Kathryn was released in 1958 and lived a quiet life in Oklahoma City under the name Cleo Kelly. She died in 1984. Her mother also was released.

Machine Gun Kelly, who, despite the fearsome nickname, never used his tommy gun on a human being, spent most of the rest of his life in Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, on an island in the San Francisco Bay, before being transferred back to Leavenworth. An oft-told FBI account that Kelly pleaded to arresting agents, Dont shoot, G-men! has been largely debunked, according to Bryan Burroughs 2004 book Public Enemies. Fellow inmates knew him as a mild-mannered gent who told stories, some of them perhaps true. They called him Pop Gun Kelly.

Read, who has lived her whole life in Paradise except for a year in Fort Worth, knew the Shannon family. They were good church-going people, she recalled. Ora Shannon played the piano at church.

Locals, concerned about offending family members still living in the area, rarely talked about the kidnapping. Planning their museum back in the 1990s, they were pleased to discover that the Shannons were happy to tell the story, in part because they didnt know all the details themselves.

They appear to be very proud of Boss, Donna Weeden told me, not about the part he played in the kidnapping, but the way he conducted himself during the trial and his humbleness in serving his time for a despicable crime. Weeden, author of a play about the incident called Eight Days in Paradise, pointed out that Boss was nobodys boss; his mother had bestowed the nickname when he was a toddler.

When George died in 1954, no one from his family claimed the body, so Boss Shannon had it shipped to Wise County. The notorious Machine Gun Kelly is buried near the Shannon family plot in the Cottondale Cemetery, not far from Boss himself, who lies between his first two wives, Icye and Maude. A small, flat stone, inscription barely legible, marks the Kelly site. A scattering of coins atop the stone gleams in the winter sun.

djholley10@gmail.com

Twitter: holleynews
A team of Forensic Science Laboratory on Sunday reached Delhi's ITO area, where the farmers' tractor parade turned violent on January 26, leaving 394 security personnel injured and one protestor dead, officials said, adding that the team is collecting forensic evidences from the ITO and nearby areas.

"A team from National Forensic Sciences University is analysing videos of January 26 violence in Delhi. They visited various spots in Delhi today. Delhi Police's Crime Branch received more than 5,000 video footages and photos from the public," ANI quotes Additional CP Crime BK Singh as saying.

He also said that more than 50 notices have been issued to the protestors and more will be sent in coming days after tracking the addresses of tractors owners.

"Videos of wrong route the mob took on Republic Day are being collected. More than 50 notices have been issued. The tractors' registration numbers have been sent to licensing authority to track addresses of owners of tractors. Notices being sent to them as well," said Additional CP Crime.

A protestor died near ITO during the violence on Republic Day. An FSL team had visited the Red Fort on Saturday and Ghazipur protest site on Friday. The tractor parade on Tuesday that was to highlight the demands of the farmer unions to repeal the three new agriculture laws turned violent as protesters deviated from routes, attacked police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag on the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. Police on Thursday issued lookout notices against farmer leaders and announced a probe into the "conspiracy" behind the Republic Day violence.

Delhi border points at Tikri and Singhu remained under heavy police deployment on Friday. The Delhi Police along with the paramilitary force has been deployed at the borders.

(with inputs from PTI)
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Members of the WHO mission team in China investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visited a market on Sunday known to be the distribution centre for food to the entire city of Wuhan during the 76-day lockdown last year.

The experts were seen surrounded by a large entourage of Chinese officials and representatives as they walked through sections of the Baishazhou market.

The team, with expertise in veterinarian, virology, food safety and epidemiology, have already visited two hospitals that were centres of the early outbreak: Jinyintan Hospital and the Hubei Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital.

On Saturday they also visited a museum exhibition dedicated to the early history of COVID-19.

WHO, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, said on Twitter that its team plans to visit hospitals, markets like the Huanan Seafood Market linked to many of the first cases, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and laboratories at facilities like the Wuhan Center for Disease Control.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Fridges, washing machines and televisions will be guaranteed to last longer for British consumers under Government plans, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The proposals are designed to tackle planned obsolescence for products, which means they have a shorter lifespan and have to be replaced more regularly.

Ministers plan to bring in laws requiring spare parts to be available for a minimum of seven years, to let white goods and electrical products last longer.

Labels could also be required on new machines that spell out their expected lifespan.

Electrical goods around the home can be expected to live longer under the proposals

In the spring, the Government will launch a policy framework for energy products, expected to go further than current EU rules.

A source said: We will push for products to use less energy, resources, and materials, saving carbon and helping households and businesses to reduce their energy bills with minimum effort.

It comes amid concern over the environmental damage being caused by goods that need replacing sooner.

Here's one that worked perfectly well for 56 years A Buckinghamshire man has been crowned the owner of Britains oldest fridge. Edmund Garrod, from High Wycombe, has owned the 1954 General Electric Company DE30 model for 56 years. Apart from needing a new thermostat a few weeks after his parents bought it, the fridge has worked perfectly. I suppose things were built better then, said Mr Garrod, left, who won a competition run by AMDEA, the UK trade association for appliance manufacturers. Advertisement

Typical washing machines last about eight years before breaking, and manufacturers do not keep the relevant parts for long  which means they then cannot repair them.

By contrast, some fridges installed in the 1950s still work more than 50 years later.

Under the plans, being drawn up by the Department for Business and Energy, new models will also have to be built with parts that can be replaced with the use of commonly available tools, tackling premature obsolescence.

Business Minister Paul Scully said he plans to bring in the measures after publishing the results of two public consultations later this year. He said the measures aim to improve the resource efficiency of energy related products.

He was responding to a ministerial question by SNP MP Angela Crawley, who asked what the Government was doing to counter the practice of intentionally shortening the lifespan of consumer products through planned obsolescence.

Ms Crawley told The Mail on Sunday: Planned obsolescence is a cynical marketing strategy and has a damaging impact on the environment as well as consumers.

James Daley, managing director of consumer group Fairer Finance, said the plans were sensible, adding: Its good that the onus is on companies to produce goods that are better quality and can be easily fixed.

He said that even if the move drives up the price of household goods, they will last longer, so it should save people money over the long run.

Mr Daley called on the Government to also tackle safety standards of consumer goods being sold online.

He said: You might order something and it comes from China  they are not going through the same safety checks.

Paul Hide, chief executive of AMDEA, the trade association for appliance manufacturers, said: It would be unfair to households on a budget to only place on to the market appliances of the most premium-build durability.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it is considering the responses to two consultations and will publish the results in due course.
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MIAMI  Writer Carl Hiaasen is retiring from the Miami Herald after composing newspaper columns for the past 35 years, the newspaper says.

The Herald published a story this week saying that Hiaasen would be done after his last column on March 14. The 67-year-old Hiaasen said he no longer wants the pressure of a weekly deadline.

Ive been thinking about easing off as the years went by, Hiaasen told the Herald. I was 23 when I started working there. I feel like I almost grew up in the newsroom. I also feel at this stage its a good time to step away.

Thats not to say that Hiaasen will stop writing. He said he plans to continue his book projects, which have ranged from comic novels such as Tourist Season and Double Whammy to childrens titles such as Hoot.

His latest book is Squeeze Me, about the era of former President Donald Trump.

Hiaasens friend and also longtime Herald columnist, Dave Barry, said it might not be easy for him to adjust.

The hardest thing for Carl is going to be when the people of Florida, especially the elected officials, continue to do idiotic things and he cant talk about it. Hell have to deal with that, Barry said. And its going to be hard on his fans, who love him to death despite the fact that no one has ever been able to learn to spell his name correctly.

Hiaasen has seen his share of tragedy. His brother, Rob Hiaasen, was among the five people killed in the 2018 mass shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. Rob Hiaasen was an editor at the paper.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 10:42:36|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesian man tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival to Cambodia from the Philippines, said a Cambodian Ministry of Health (MoH) statement on Sunday.

The 29-year-old man landed in capital Phnom Penh on Friday from the Philippines via a connecting flight in South Korea, the statement said.

"The result of his samples' test showed that the man was positive for the COVID-19, and he is currently undergoing treatment at the National Center for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control," MoH secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine said in the statement.

The remaining 119 passengers on the same flight have been placed under a 14-day mandatory quarantine at various designated quarantine facilities in the capital, she added.

The Southeast Asian country has so far recorded a total of 465 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with zero deaths and 443 recoveries, Vandine said. Enditem
As the three high speed rail corridors are expected to start from Delhi for Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Varanasi, the capital is likely to get two high speed rail stations in different areas, officials related to development said on Sunday.

Speaking to IANS, High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) spokesperson Sushma Gaur said, "NHSRCL is exploring all the possibilities to plan two high speed rail stations in Delhi."

She said that one of the stations is in close proximity of Sarai Kale Khan and Nizamuddin railway station for Delhi-Varanasi high speed rail corridor, which may provide road connectivity to the high speed rail users through outer ring road, metro connectivity through pink line metro, interstate bus connectivity through Sarai Kale Khan ISBT and regional rail connectivity through RRTS system.

The NHSRCL has started the aerial LiDAR survey for the 800km Delhi-Varanasi high speed rail corridor earlier this month.

She said that the tenders related to data collection and various other activities including LiDAR survey, required for the preparation of Detail Project Reports for Delhi-Varanasi, for which the first draft of the DPR has already been submitted.

The NHSRCL on January 10 this year launched the LiDAR survey for the Delhi-Varanasi route from Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida, wherein a helicopter fitted with state-of-the-art aerial LiDAR and imagery sensors will capture data related to the ground survey along the proposed route.

Another official related to the development told IANS that there will be two high speed rail stations in the Gautam Budha Nagar.

Another official related to the development said that one of the high-speed rail station will come up near the proposed Jewar International Airport while the another one near Sector 148 in Noida.

Talking about another station of the High Speed rail in Delhi, she said, "Locations are being explored for the other station for Delhi-Ahmedabad and Delhi-Amritsar high speed rail corridor, in close proximity of Sector-21, Dwarka Metro station and Bijwasan Railway station."

She said that this may provide connectivity to Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport and central Delhi through Airport Express Metro Line and West Delhi, Central Delhi, East Delhi and Noida through Blue line Metro Line, upcoming International Convention Centre at Sector-25 and Gurugram.

The Delhi-Amritsar-Chandigarh is 459 km long high speed rail corridor while the Delhi-Ahmedabad is 886 km long High speed rail corridor.

The official said that the high speed rail stations in the capital will be finalised only after the DPRs are submitted.

Besides these three corridors, the Ministry of Railways has entrusted the work to the NHSRCL to carry out the detailed project report (DPR) for the 711-km-long Mumbai-Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor, which will pass through Pune; 753-km-long Mumbai-Nagpur and as well as the 711-km-long Mumbai-Hyderabad bullet train corridor.

The NHSRCL has also invited tenders for preparing the DPR for the 435-km-long Chennai-Mysuru and 760-km-long Varanasi-Howrah high speed rail corridors'.

The NHSRCL is collecting data on these new proposed corridors for the preparation of the DPRs.

LiDAR survey alignment or ground survey is a crucial activity for any linear infrastructure project as it provides accurate details of areas around the alignment.

This technique uses a combination of laser data, GPS data, flight parameters and actual photographs to give accurate survey data.

"Based on the findings of the survey, designing of the vertical and horizontal alignment, structures, location of the stations and depots, land requirement for the corridor, identification of project affected plots/structures, right of way etc are decided," Gaur said.

The work on the 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project is also in full swing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had laid the foundation stone for the MAHSR corridor on September 14, 2017.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)

--IANS

aks/sdr/

(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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Union Budget 2021 will go fully paperless for the first time with a dedicated Union Budget app for Android and iOS smartphones. The dedicated apps are available to download for free via Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and the latest documents will be available to access after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget presentation on February 1. The government had announced the launch of the Union Budget mobile app during the symbolic 'Halwa Ceremony' that marks the beginning of compilation of budget documents, earlier this month. The mobile app is compatible with smartphones running Android v5 and above or iOS v10 and above.

The Union Budget app appears to be an extension of the Union Budget website that allows users to access previous and latest budget-related documents along with the Finance Minister's speech. Additionally, MPs will too be provided with a digital version of the Budget documents to align with COVID-19 protocols, the government announced during the 'Halwa' ceremony. The central government had added that the Union Budget 2021 would go fully paperless for the first time since the presentation of independent India's first budget on November 26, 1947. As expected, the app will include documents containing income and expenditure statements along with the finance bill, tax information, among many more. The Union Budget app for Android and iOS is developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The Union Budget app consists of 14 Budget-related documents, including the constitutionally prescribed Annual Financial Statement (AFS) alongside Demands for Grants (DG), Financial Bill, Receipts, and more. The central government says that the documents will be available in Hindi and English - all in an "eco-friendly" manner. "This initiative is aimed at providing Union Budget information to various stakeholders including general public at the click of a button," the official app description reads. User can also download the app from the Union Budget website that will essentially redirect them to its dedicated Google Play Store or Apple App Store page. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had last month promised a unique Union Budget to the people of India. The ministry is expected to reduce taxes on routers, modems and other internet accessories to enable work-from-home.
New Delhi: Rakesh Tikait, National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) , demanded on Sunday (January 31) that the Centre should release his people and asserted that there will be no agreement under pressure.

There won't be any agreement under pressure. We will hold discussions on the issue, Prime Minister is ours also, we are thankful for his initiative, we will respect it. We want our people to be released, Rakesh Tikait was quoted as saying by ANI.

Meanwhile, speaking at the Ghazipur border between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, Naresh Tikait, brother of Rakesh, asserted that the government should "release our men and prepare an environment conducive for talks". "A respectful solution should be reached. We will never agree to anything under pressure," he told news agency PTI.

BKU leader Naresh Tikait further stated that the farmers will honour the dignity of the Prime Minister but also ensure that the self-respect of farmers is protected.

"We will honour and respect the dignity of prime minister. Farmers don't want that the government or Parliament bows down to them," Tikait said.

"We will also ensure that the self-respect of farmers is protected. A middle way should be found. Talks should be held," he added.

Addressing the violence that occured at the Red Fort on the Republic Day, Tikait alleged that it was a conspiracy. "The violence on January 26 was part of a conspiracy. The Tricolor is over and above everything. We will never let anyone disrespect it. It will not be tolerated."

During the tractor rally on the Republic Day, some protesting farmers entered the premises of the Red Fort, planted a religious flag on an empty mast and clashed with the Police.

Earlier on Sunday, referring to the events at the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor rally on January 26 (Republic Day), Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2021s first Mann ki Baat said, India was saddened by insult to tricolour on Republic Day.

On Saturday, at an all-party meeting, the Prime Minister had assured that the governments offer to suspend the new farm laws for up to 18 months still stands and that the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is just a phone call away to discuss issues with the farmer unions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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I was born, raised and live in this beautiful state, but I have grave concerns regarding SB 10. That bill would allow late-term abortion and infanticide in New Mexico.

As a woman, I believe a womans right not to conceive happens prior to conception. With the help of current science, the after-sex pill prevents conception 72 hours after intercourse. Women know when they have had sexual intercourse.

But what about children who get pregnant? The question should be: Why is a child sexually active? Where are the guardians of these children? Why are the children not protected? What is (is not) happening in their life that they arent protected from predators?

SB 10 would allow sex traffickers and child abusers to take a pregnant minor in for an abortion without any reporting criteria (yet reporting is required when they skip school often). What are the lifelong effects of a minor child having an abortion? How does this bill protect her? Do we ignore this childs rights because she isnt old enough to have womens rights yet? A child cannot protect herself.

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

It is our responsibility to protect our children.

This legislation would also flatly strip out lifesaving state statutes that protect women, children and health care professionals. Lets put aside a childs right to be protected (which should be the primary objective, born or unborn) and think about our health care workers. Havent we New Mexicans lost enough health care workers? With no protections, why should they stay in New Mexico? Dont we harm everyone when we lose health care professionals?

An essential part of the current law this bill destroys is the protection of our health care workers who are conscientious objectors to performing abortions. Without these protections, our health care heroes will be at risk.

SB 10 puts doctors at risk of losing their medical licenses and facing criminal prosecution. How many more medical professionals would we lose in New Mexico?

Lets talk about the mother.

This bill is NOT about the mothers medical condition that threatens her life. With this bill, a mother could elect to have an abortion at any stage of pregnancy as a method of birth control. It is a medical fact that the risk of death or serious injury to women increases up to 76% from abortions after five months, according to information from the National Library of Medicine. This bill leaves gaping holes in state law for women to be maimed or potentially killed as a result of an abortion.

Dont believe in these numbers?

You can use adjusted numbers for this health risk, but what about other risks to the mother?

What about mental health?

We have a serious lack of mental health care. Do abortions add to that increasing number? The mother has the lifelong knowledge that they killed their child. That agony never goes away. You might be able to coerce that mother to believe she is doing what is best at that moment  but eventually reality sets in. Whats in place to address that regret, the anguish and the guilt?

Then, consider the fathers parental rights. Where do those begin? Do his rights begin when he can feel the child move in the mothers womb, or at conception? Do his rights to his child begin when the child has started the terrible twos? Or when the child can live outside of the mothers womb prior to birth?

This bill violates the fathers rights.

Please vote against SB 10 sponsored by Sens. Linda Lopez and Peter Wirth.

We must protect children, mothers (all ages), fathers and health care heroes, and preserve health care in NM.

Anastacia Golden Morper lives in Angel Fire and is a former Republican candidate for the U.S. House seat from the 3rd Congressional District.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has instructed that the price of Covid-19 test at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) be reduced.



Health officials and the company administering the antigen test at KIA will be expected to charge $50 instead of the previous $150.



However, the Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu who disclosed this on the Floor of Parliament on Friday did not state when the reduction will take effect.



This comes on the back of an agreement by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to cap the cost of testing within the sub-region.



He said this while contributing to a statement made on the floor by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; Pusiga MP, Laadi Ayii Ayamba and Ayawaso West Wuogon MP, Lydia Seyram Alhassan.



The three MPs raised concerns about the havoc caused by Covid-19 in the country and the cost associated with testing.



In response, Mr Agyemang-Manu said the president has instructed that the cost of testing is reduced to $50 from $150 announced when international borders were opened.



The Minister also reiterated that public laboratories have been directed to undertake free testing except for travellers.



On vaccines, he said the president and stakeholders were in a meeting on how Ghana could get Covid-19 vaccines.

Source: Myjoyonline.com









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If youre a fan of polygamy-focused TLC shows like Sister Wives or Seeking Sister Wife or Lifetimes Escaping Polygamy, youve likely heard about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). The Brown family of Sister Wives have repeatedly denounced the FLDS and its leaders  they are members of the Apostolic United Brethren, another fundamentalist Mormon sect.

The FLDS, a fringe sect that embraces the practice of plural marriage, broke off from the mainstream Mormon church after its leaders were excommunicated in the early 1900s. Its members settled in an area on the Utah/Arizona border known as Short Creek.

The FLDS  often named a cult by groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center  was led by Warren Jeffs for many years. After convictions for child sexual assault, Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison.

Unfinished: Short Creek, a 10-episode documentary podcast from Witness Docs and Critical Frequency (available on Stitcher), explores the aftermath of Jeffs conviction and how FLDS members are navigating the trauma.

Hildale, Utah | George Frey/Getty Images

RELATED: Sister Wives: Janelle Brown Answers a Question About Brother Husbands

Unfinished: Short Creek is hosted by journalists Sarah Ventre and Ash Sanders

Sarah Ventre and Ash Sanders co-hosted Unfinished: Short Creek, which was released in 2020 and quickly named one of the best podcasts of the year by The New Yorker and The Atlantic.

The two journalists investigated the stories of the church members Jeffs left behind for nearly four years. According to the Arizona-based publication Jewish News, Ventre started out as a music reporter for Phoenix New Times and NPR before she began reporting on the 2016 U.S. Department of Justice trials for religious discrimination in Short Creek (which now comprises the two towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona).

Meanwhile, Sanders, a freelance journalist who covered the religion beat in her home state of Utah, was raised in the LDS church  the mainstream Mormon church  and developed an interest in fundamentalist Mormon sects over time. The podcast co-hosts began to interview former FLDS members to dig into everything they loved, hated, and feared about Jeffs and the Short Creek region.

Colorado City, Arizona | George Frey/Getty Images

RELATED: Sister Wives: Why Doesnt Meri Browns Church Recognize Her Divorce From Kody?

The podcast episodes explore the history of Short Creek  both good and bad

The 10 episodes of Unfinished: Short Creek take listeners on a journey from the original settlement of Short Creek in the 1930s and 1940s to the rise of Jeffs as a leader. Ventres and Sanders extensive reporting and in-depth understanding of FLDS beliefs and practices (especially polygamy), informed by numerous interviews with members of the sect, color the podcast with an immense, absorbing amount of detail.

According to Religion News, many listeners were surprised to learn about some members ambivalence toward their small hometown on the Utah/Arizona border. In fact, at first, many fundamentalist Mormons adored the setup of the church. Members of the polygamous group pooled their resources, from food and clothing to housing and money, and had an almost idyllic rural lifestyle for many years.

The episodes cover many little-known aspects of life in the FLDS, from the churchs early years to its many divisions and fractures after Jeffs rise to power. Ventre and Sanders also describe ex-believers efforts to make major changes in Short Creek, such as the areas first free and fair election.

Warren Jeffs | Trent Nelson-Pool/Getty Images

Warren Jeffs rise and fall is documented in the critically acclaimed podcast

Short Creek might have been a safe haven for fundamentalist Mormons at first, but Jeffs installment as the leader led to widespread abuse and manipulation. He hastily kicked out any members who disagreed with him, as well as any rivals who threatened his near-absolute power over the polygamy-promoting church.

Once Jeffs took hold of the FLDS, he began to divide members in as many ways as he could. He broke up marriages and families, ranked the church congregants according to his arbitrary labels of righteousness, and pitted relatives and friends against one another. Later, when former members returned to the community after Jeffs conviction, they faced discrimination from those who still believed that Jeffs was a living prophet.

Unfinished: Short Creek gives podcast lovers a rare, in-depth glimpse at life within a fringe religious sect. Ventre and Sanders were praised by many for their excellent investigative reporting, as well as their sensitivity in handling taboo subjects with care.


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The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that 152 new cases of coronavirus were discovered yesterday.

1 death from COVID-19 was reported today, increasing the total death toll in the Grand Duchy to 580.

6,138 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate was 2.48%.

There are 55 patients in standard hospital care, down 3 from yesterday, and the number in intensive care remained 11.

As a reminder, on weekends the government only releases data on the number of tests, cases, deaths and hospitalisations.

According to Friday's update, there were 2,196 active infections in Luxembourg, while 47,615 patients have recovered from the virus.

The R rate stood at 1.08, up from 1.05

9,890 people had received the first vaccine dose in Luxembourg by Thursday, and 1,483 had received a second dose.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus both in Luxembourg and abroad, see our live ticker.

Kafeel Khan's brother Adeel Khan, however, told PTI that the history-sheet against the doctor was opened on 18 June, 2020, but the information was given to the media on Friday

Gorakhpur: Dr Kafeel Khan and 80 others have been included in the list of history-sheeters in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh and they will be on the radar of police, officials said on Saturday.

History-sheets have been opened against the 81 people on the instruction of Senior Superintendent of Police Jogendra Kumar, they said, adding that the district now has a total of 1,543 history-sheeters, or persons with a criminal record.

Kafeel Khan's brother Adeel Khan, however, told PTI that the history-sheet against the doctor was opened on 18 June, 2020, but the information was given to the media on Friday.

In a video message released on Saturday, Kafeel Khan said, "The UP government has opened my history-sheet. They say that they will monitor me for life. Good, give two security guards who will keep an eye on me for 24 hours. At least, I will be able to save myself from fake cases."

"In Uttar Pradesh, the situation is such that the criminals are not monitored, but the history-sheet of innocent persons are opened," he added.

Khan was arrested in January 2020 after a speech he had delivered at the Aligarh Muslim University on 10 December, 2019 during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests. He was subsequently booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

On 1 September, 2020, the Allahabad High Court had quashed Khan's detention under the NSA and ordered his immediate release, saying his speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) didn't promote hatred or violence.

In his video message, Khan also said he had written to the state government requesting it to reinstate him at his post in Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College.

Khan hit the headlines after the 2017 tragedy at the BRD Medical College, in which several kids died due to lack of oxygen cylinders. Initially, he was hailed as a saviour for the children for arranging emergency oxygen cylinders but later, faced action, along with nine other doctors and staff members of the hospital, all of whom were released on bail later.

Addressing a rally in West Bengal's Howrah via video-conferencing, Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the state was in a worse situation under the rule of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee than it had been under the Left regime.

In another salvo at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, Shah said she was working only for the benefit of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. "I want to make it clear that the BJP would come to power in the state after the elections. While the Modi government is working towards 'jan kalyan' (serving people), the Mamata Banerjee government is working towards 'bhatija kalyan' (serving her nephew) in Bengal," Shah said.

Confident that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the next government in the state, he said in its first cabinet meeting the government will implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme which was blocked by the CM. Mamata Banerjee is not implementing the central schemes, including Ayushman Bharat in Bengal. Crores of people across India have availed free surgeries under Ayushman Bharat. But I am sorry to say that she has not implemented the scheme in Bengal. Mamata-ji, dont you think people of Bengal have the right to avail this free and quality treatment? Why are you not implementing it? We are not doing politics.. its you who is doing politics," he said.

"Mamata Banerjee should think why so many TMC leaders are joining the BJP. It is because she has failed the people of the state. elections arrive, she will be left alone," he said, hinting at more exodus from the ruling party. "By the time the elections will be held in Bengal, Mamata Didi will turn back and see no one in the party. There will no one left except for her," he continued.

Shah also stated that although the TMC slogan is 'Maa Mati Manush' (Mother Land People), the party in reality indulges in extortion, corruption and appeasement.

Shah was scheduled to travel to West Bengal but cancelled his visit due to the explosion near the Israel embassy on January 29. Union Minister Smriti Irani addressed the rally at Howrah instead.

TMC looted rations provided by Centre: Irani

Accusing the TMC of corruption, Irani said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided foodgrains for 80 crore people of the country for eight months during the pandemic, the rations were looted by the TMC. Maintaining that the PM had said that each migrant worker returning home during the coronavirus lockdown be given at least 100 days of employment under Garib Rojgar Yojana, Irani said, though countrywide more than 50 crore mandays were created, "it did not happen in Bengal".

Mentioning that Shramik Special Trains arranged by the Centre were termed 'Corona Express' by Mamata Banerjee, Irani said, "I want to ask her whether sons and daughters from Bengal working in different parts of the country are considered viruses by her".

Maintaining that more than 130 BJP workers died in Bengal, she said that their sacrifice will be remembered by people who will silently vote for the saffron party with the slogan "chup chap, padma chap, padma chap (silently cast your vote by pressing the lotus button -BJP's poll symbol).

RJD may contest with TMC

Bihars main opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is in talks with the TMC to fight the upcoming West Bengal elections together, senior RJD leader Shyam Rajak said. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said over the phone from Patna that the party is exploring the possibility of contesting some seats on the Bengal-Bihar border.

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary told PTI that the party is exploring the possibility of contesting some seats on the Bengal-Bihar border. Banerjee has a cordial relation with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and the party wishes to strengthen her hands in the Bengal polls, Tiwary said.

The primary objective of the RJD is to stop the communal BJP from increasing its influence in West Bengal and strengthen the secular forces under the leadership of the TMC chief, he added.

RJD principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui and national general secretary Shyam Rajak are in Kolkata to hammer a tie-up with the TMC for the Bengal polls, RJD leaders claimed.

"We will be meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday to fight Bengal elections together," Rajak told PTI. Siddiqui and Rajak met RJD leaders in the state ahead of the discussions with Banerjee.

Mamata will be next CM: TMC

The TMC said that Mamata Banerjee will be the chief minister of West Bengal for a third time when the party is voted to power, asserting that those suggesting her nephew Abhishek will be appointed to the top post are trying to create confusion.

"Everyone knows that Mamata Banerjee will be our chief minister for the third time. How can Amit Shah make such a claim? There has been no talk in the party to appoint Abhishek as the future CM. Such claims are only aimed to create confusion," senior leader Saugata Roy said.

PM to visit Bengal on Feb 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal on February 7, making it his second visit to the poll-bound state in a fortnight. "PM Modi will visit West Bengal on February 7. He will be here to dedicate three projects and lay the foundation stone for one project at the invitation of GoI's petroleum department and the road transport department, Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, according to news agency ANI.

Modi visited Bengal on January 23 to participate in the Parakram Diwas celebrations held to commemorate Subhas Chandra Bose's 125th birth anniversary.

Abhishek Banerjee calls out BJP's 'anti-national act'

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee took a dig at BJP leaders for "not being able to sing the national anthem properly" at a rally in Kolkata's adjoining Howrah Dumurjala stadium. "Those preaching patriotism and nationalism can't even sing our national anthem correctly. This is the party which claims to uphold India's honour and pride. Shameful," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew said, sharing a video clip on his Twitter handle.

Those preaching about Patriotism & Nationalism cant even sing our National Anthem correctly.This is the party which claims to uphold Indias honour and pride! SHAMEFUL!Will @narendramodi @AmitShah @BJP4India apologise for this Anti-National Act?#BJPInsultsNationalAnthem pic.twitter.com/fgdCEMPisk Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) January 31, 2021

Calling this "anti-national" act, the leader of West Bengal's ruling party also demanded an "apology" from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP. "Will Modi, Shah and the BJP apologise for this anti-national act?" he asked.

Bengal govt's health scheme a hoax: Rajib Banerjee

A day after joining the BJP, former West Bengal minister Rajib Banerjee claimed that the TMC government's much-publicised "Swasthya Sathi" scheme is a hoax as funds are insufficient. Attacking the TMC government for launching public outreach programmes just months before the assembly elections, he said that the BJP, after coming to power, will ensure that services reach the doorstep of people throughout the year.

This is an indication of the beginning of the end for the TMC, he said. There is no need for the TMC to remain in power as the party claimed long back that 99 per cent of development work had already been undertaken by it, Banerjee said in his first public meeting after being inducted into the saffron party in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Saturday.

(With agency inputs)
US President urged his fellow members of the Democratic Party in the Senate to keep former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the upper chamber short and not to let it "derail the agenda".

According to The Hill, Biden has never embraced Trump's second impeachment though he hasn't sought to stand in its way either amid outrage in his party over the former president's involvement in the January 6 riots at the Capitol.

Biden administration officials and allies close to the White House say the president will distance himself from Trump's trial as it begins in the second week of February.

"He's going to let the Senate do what it needs to do," said one Biden ally close to the White House as quoted by The Hill and added, "We always knew this was going to happen. We always knew this would be the position we're in now with Republicans. And now he's going to respect the process and let it play out."

It is reported that the impeachment trial poses some risks to Biden, and some Democrats had warned it could ruin his early agenda.

"He's come to the White House with a strong unity message and the last thing he wants is for the impeachment trial to define the early days of his presidency," one ally said.

Citing sources, it was reported that Biden and his advisers have been in frequent touch with Democratic leaders in Congress, and some members of Biden's inner circle threw their support behind impeachment.

After the January 6 attack on the Capitol, Cedric Richmond, who resigned from Congress to become a senior Biden adviser, expressed immediate support for impeachment, according to a source familiar with the internal conversations on Biden's team.

But several prominent Democrats in both chambers voiced concern early in the process about a Senate impeachment trial delaying Biden's agenda. "We already know the outcome before it starts and that's frustrating to everybody," said a Senate Democratic aide after this week's vote on the motion sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (Republican-Kentucky.).

The Hill further reported that House Majority Whip James Clyburn advocated for waiting after Biden's first 100 days in office before sending an article of impeachment to the Senate.

Across the Capitol, in the upper chamber, Senators Tim Kaine and Chris Murphy privately expressed concerns that confirming Biden's Cabinet nominees and moving a COVID-19 relief package should be the top priorities.

Murphy said, "my point privately was not necessarily that we shouldn't hold a trial but we needed a couple of weeks to get the Cabinet in place and to get COVID [relief] moving."

Kaine said Friday he raised early concerns about "the likely outcome" of a trial.

"I just felt as outrageous as the behavior was and as much as accountability is needed, I just didn't see a way that Republicans would get to 17 votes to convict," he said.

In fact, earlier this week he told CNN he thought "it (the impeachment trial) has to happen."

Immediately after the riot, Biden signaled the decision was for lawmakers.

The US Senate signalled on Tuesday that there are not nearly enough votes to convict ex-President in an impeachment trial when five Republican senators rejected an effort by Senator Rand Paul to declare the looming trial as unconstitutional.

The US Senate formally opened the second impeachment trial for former President on Tuesday with the swearing-in of Senate President Pro-Tempore Patrick Leahy to preside over the process and the swearing-in of the senators to serve as jurors.

On Monday, the House of Representatives delivered the article of impeachment against Trump, accusing him of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol building on January 6 to stop Congress from verifying President Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election.

The impeachment trial arguments will begin on February 9.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As countries race to vaccinate their people against covid-19 amid reports of global vaccine makers struggling to meet demand, India is working on plans to scale up vaccine manufacture to supply to as many as 60 nations in the coming months.

A list drawn up by the government and seen by Mint has two dozen nations to which New Delhi is either supplying vaccines or plans to commence supplies in the coming days. These include Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Barbados, besides the Marshall Islands and Samoa that are located out of Indias traditional spheres of influence. Requests, both formal and informal, for vaccines have been received from 60 countries so far.

An initial 5.5 million doses were supplied to countries in New Delhis neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood such as Seychelles and Mauritius as either grants in aid" or gifts". An additional 27 million shots are set to be shipped on a commercial basis, Mint has learnt. Some are being supplied to nations like Nepal at concessional terms.

Decisions on exports are made by a two-tier system, a ministerial level followed by an empowered group of officials comprising those from health, pharmaceuticals, finance and foreign ministries.

They monitor domestic requirements and requests from abroad. After a careful study of domestic supplies such as manufacturing capacities and internal needs, decisions on exports are taken.

The empowered group of secretaries periodically update cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba and principal secretary to the PM Pramod Kumar Mishra on the situation. Regulator interactions are held with the two Indian vaccine makers, Pune-based Serum Institute of India and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, with New Delhi assisting them procure regulatory clearances in countries.

Indias strategy for exports and for inoculating its people comes against the backdrop of news reports of global vaccine companies falling short on promised deliveries. The US, UK and Israel are seen as countries that have had a head start on vaccinations with news reports saying that the EU has fallen far behind the US, UK in the race to vaccinate people.

In his first Mann ki Baat address of 2021 on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India was running the worlds biggest vaccination programme and New Delhi had in 15 days inoculated 3 million healthcare workers and others on the frontlines of covid-19 management. The Made in India vaccine that New Delhi was supplying to the world was an example of self-reliant" India, Modi said. It was a reflection of the uniqueness" of Indias culture that New Delhi was simultaneously supplying vaccines to the world as it was meeting its own requirements, he said.

At a time of crisis, India had been able to help the world because India has achieved capabilities in the areas of medicine and vaccine development. This is the thought that underlies the self-reliant India campaign," Modi said. The more India becomes self-reliant, the more the world will be able to profit from it."

Modis remarks on vaccination came a day after he told the ruling National Democratic Alliance that a new world order is about to take shape" after the pandemic and India has a big role to play in it".

Indias role as the pharmacy to the world", which will be reinforced by its supply of vaccines, will win it goodwill that will stand New Delhi in good stead as it looks to carve out a bigger role for itself in world affairs, analysts said.

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MOSCOW -- Russian police used batons and tasers on peaceful protesters after tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets for a second straight weekend to demand the release of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny and voice their discontent with the government.



Riot police left some protesters bloody and badly beaten on January 31 as they detained more than 5,000 participants in unsanctioned rallies across the country organized by Navalny and his team.

The United States, the European Union, and human rights organizations condemned the violence by Russian police against their own citizens as well as the detention of reporters.



By late evening in Moscow, the number of people detained across Russia had reached 5,135, surpassing the total of the previous weekend, according to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info.



The detentions were the largest since the group began keeping tallies a decade ago.

The Kremlin is trying to increase the price tag for participating in unsanctioned oppositional rallies and scare potential protesters off by beatings, fines, and short jail prison sentences, Aleksandr Gabuyev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said in a post following the demonstrations.

Amnesty International said so many people were arrested in Moscow that detention centers in the capital had "run out of space" and people were being held in deportation facilities.



"Trying to lock up every critic in the country is a losing game -- the Russian authorities should instead recognize how much the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression mean to a growing number of Russians, and allow people to express their opinions without fear of retaliation," the rights watchdog said in a statement following the protest.

Similar to last weekend, tens of thousands of citizens braved freezing weather and possible arrest to defend Navalny and voice their discontent with the Russian president and his government over a host of issues ranging from corruption to falling living standards.

As the number of detentions rose, Navalny's team warned supporters on Telegram not to touch police and avoid getting "fooled by provocations."

The protests took place in more than 100 cities in what some are calling the largest anti-government rallies by geography since Russian President Vladimir Putin took power at the end of 1999.



This is the biggest protest phenomenon in the entire time of Putin's presidency, in all 20 years. It will be difficult to estimate its size, but its geography -- the number of cities -- is unprecedented. We see a different generation of protesters who are not afraid, Kirill Rogov, a political analyst, told the Ekho Moskvy radio station.



Large-scale protests took place in Moscow over several months following parliamentary elections in December 2011 that were deemed fraudulent. Additional mass demonstrations took place in the capital in 2015 following the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and again in 2019 following Moscow parliamentary elections.



While the number of people protesting in Moscow over the past two weekends may have been smaller than those earlier protests, participation in Russias regions was greater.

Analysts say the spread of rallies around the country underscores the growing dissatisfaction with the government ahead of key parliamentary elections later this year.

Protesters in the Far East and Siberia braved subfreezing temperatures and a heavy riot-police presence to start the day's demonstrations.

Video clips from Vladivostok, where hundreds of demonstrators were denied access to the city center, showed participants linking hands and chanting "Putin is a thief!" and "My Russia is in prison!" on the ice of Amur Bay. The demonstrations there ended after about two hours.

In Irkutsk, where 24 people were reportedly arrested, protesters were filmed being detained after police moved in to break up a rally in the city center.

Live footage from Current Time showed a heavy police presence in the Urals city of Perm before the demonstration there ended.

Protesters in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, were shown on social media clashing with riot police. Video later showed several detainees in Kazan lying cuffed in the snow.

In Moscow, hundreds of people, including Navalnys wife Yulia Navalnaya, were arrested. Some were detained as they made their way to the detention center where the activist is being held



One protester in Moscow told Current Time that he attended the rally despite the threat of arrest and beatings because he wanted to see an improvement of life inside Russia.



Protesting "is like work for each citizen who wants his country to become better. I dont want to attend, but I will because it is necessary," he said.

The police crackdown did not leave reporters unscathed.



Video posted on social media showed police beating a journalist wearing a press vest in the northern city. The journalist, Georgy Markov, reportedly claimed he was tased by police.



An accredited freelance correspondent working for RFE/RL's Russian Service, Andrei Afanasyev, was detained in the Far East city of Blagoveshchensk as he was heading to cover protests there.

Overall, dozens of journalists were detained nationwide, with eight in St. Petersburg, according to the Center For Monitoring Violations Of The Rights Of Russian Journalists And Media.

Carnegies Gabuyev said the arrests of journalists covering the protests is part of the Kremlins plan to destroy the infrastructure that Navalny and his team utilize to get their message across the country.



If there are many detainees, this infrastructure will be stretched thin and [become] dysfunctional, he said, adding there are very high chances it will work in deflating the movement.

In a tweet, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that he deplored the "widespread detentions and disproportionate use of force" against protesters and journalists in Russia and that the country "needs to comply with its international commitments."



U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, said that the United States "condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for the second week straight. We renew our call for Russia to release those detained for exercising their human rights, including Aleksei Navalny."



In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the United States of "gross interference" in Russia's affairs and accused Washington of promoting calls for what Moscow considers illegal rallies by unspecified "online platforms controlled by Washington."

The severity of the Russian police tactics -- which also included leaving some detainees lying in the snow -- drew parallels for many analysts to the actions over the past six months by law enforcement in Belarus, where protesters against the continued rule of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka have been harshly beaten.

Russian authorities had braced for large protests after Navalny and his team called on supporters to repeat action taken on January 23, when tens of thousands of people in more than 110 cities heeded the activists call to demonstrate against his arrest. Police detained almost 4,000 people that day.

Ahead of the January 31 protest, police issued warnings that participants at "illegal" rallies would face criminal charges for violating coronavirus-related health restrictions.



Authorities then moved swiftly against Navalnys closest allies, the media, and common supporters in a bid to quell an outpouring of dissent through a wave of detentions and acts of intimidation.

Police also partially shut down transport in the nation's two largest cities in an attempt to dampen the number of participants and foil their plans.



Protesters in the capital had been called upon to gather in Lubyanka Square outside the headquarters of the FSB security agency and Staraya Square, where the presidential administration has its offices.



However, after police cordoned off the area the protest was moved further from the center.



Current Time correspondent Yevgenia Kotlyar reported live that she had never seen such a large number of police in the center of the capital, and that they were "even blocking entrances to courtyards."



Outside Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina detention center, where Navalny is being held, large numbers of police stood guard as buses delivering demonstrators arrived.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption crusader and Kremlin critic was detained on January 17 upon his returned from Germany, where he had been recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he and supporters say was carried out by the FSB on the orders of President Vladimir Putin.



The Kremlin has dismissed extensive evidence that FSB agents poisoned Navalny and rejected calls for his release.



A day after his return to Russia a makeshift court at a police station ordered Navalny to remain in jail for 30 days pending trial, set to start on February 2.



Prosecutors claim he broke the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence in an embezzlement case the European Court for Human Rights ruled was "arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable."



The February 2 court hearing will consider converting the suspended sentence into a 3 1/2 year prison term because of the alleged parole violation while Navalny was recovering in Germany.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time, AP, AFP, Reuters

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  The national government should join forces with other Southeast Asian nations in protesting against China's new Coast Guard Law, a maritime law expert said.

University of the Philippines professor Jay Batongbacal said the Philippines, other claimant states of the disputed South China Sea, and allies should come up with a unified position to push back against the controversial measure which permits the China Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels entering contested waters.

"This law basically authorizes the China Coast Guard to use force in its attempt to exercise jurisdiction over these claimed waters, Batongbacal told CNN Philippines over a phone interview on Sunday. "All of us who are affected, plus our allies and friends, should come together and express a common position against this law in order to keep China from implementing it."

The new measure, which takes effect February 1, also allows the Coast Guard to demolish foreign structures built on Chinese-claimed reefs and islands, as well as to set up exclusion zones to keep foreign vessels out.

Batongbacal said this law poses a huge problem, noting that it is a likely indication of Chinas increased pace in asserting its sweeping claims over the South China Sea.

It is possible to consider the use of force by the China Coast Guard actually as an act of aggression, contrary to the UN (United Nations) charter and tantamount to an act of war if they try to use it on the waters of another country in order to enforce their claim, he added.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting the 2016 arbitral ruling which recognized Manila's sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone that Beijing contests. Batongbacal pointed out that despite the arbitration win, China continued to carry out law enforcement patrols in the West Philippine Sea, citing recent reports of Filipino fishermen being blocked by the China Coast Guard.

READ: Filipino fisherman recalls being blocked by China Coast Guard ship

He said this shows the East Asian giant is just continuing with its plans "to take over the South China Sea," regardless of its ongoing negotiations with other states, including its discussion with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for a Code of Conduct. This code would supposedly determine the only allowable actions parties can take in the disputed waters.

"Definitely, that will cause the ASEAN nations, especially the claimant ASEAN countries, to step back and pause and seek a solution to this specific problem before they continue with discussion on other aspects of the Code of Conduct," Batongbacal said of the Coast Guard Law.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. earlier filed a diplomatic protest with China over the new measure, saying it is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies it. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also reminded China to refrain from any use of force that could spark tension, and instead adhere to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

READ: PH protests China law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels

CNN Philippines Correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
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Right at Home: Alden's, Alexia and Anna's

Right at Home is a column that spotlights local food makers in the Pacific Northwest. These companies are welcome alternatives to corporate products that often must be trucked from faraway places, putting a burden on the environment. And often, they are also better tasting products with a flair for freshness and flavor, using higher grade ingredients. We hope you enjoy this column and seek out these products to enjoy with your next meal. The brands featured here are commonly found at better grocers throughout the Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest. Use the store locators on each site to help you find your way.

Alden's Organic Ice Cream, Eugene OR

If you're looking for a healthier and superior tasting alternative to the corporate brands like Haagen-Dazs, Ben and Jerry's and Breyer's, you need not look much further than Eugene Oregon, the home of Alden's Organic Ice Cream. What began in 2004 has blossomed into a successful marquee that boasts multiple wins in the ice cream, ice cream sandwich and novelties categories. The milk used is sourced from local family farms and every one of those farms is USDA certified organic. And because it's all organic, you won't find artificial flavors in, say, the strawberry ice cream - just real organic strawberries. The company formerly produced the Julie's Organic imprint whose items were re-branded under the Alden's name in 2019.

A favorite here at Seattle DINING! is to pour a tablespoon of infused balsamic vinegar over a scoop of Vanilla Bean. We've used Cara Cara, Strawberry, Chocolate, Coconut and others. So far, they've all been a home run!

https://www.aldensicecream.com/

Alexia Foods, Kennewick WA

Before we depart the frozen isle, turn the corner and discover the offerings of this Kennewick sleeper. Alexia Foods produces a line of frozen vegetables with a focus primarily on potatoes. They got the location right, since Washington is the second largest potato producer in the US, beat out by just a few pounds by nearby Idaho. They also dabble in Brussel sprouts, onion rings, cauliflower and squash options.

What's nice about a lot of the products here is that they can work as a base for making your own creation. For instance, before baking up their organic sweet potato fries, toss them in a little olive oil with salt, pepper, cayenne and brown sugar to really crank up the flavor to 11. Can't come up with your own ideas? There website has a number of recipes to get you started.

https://www.alexiafoods.com/

Anna's Honey

When local bees ingest the same pollen we breathe, there's some science that says if we eat their honey, we can reduce the symptoms of allergies caused by local pollen. If that's the case, then make sure you're using local honey, rather than some produced by a factory in, say, Naples Florida. The honey here is never pasteurized, which means it's not been heated to high temperatures and thus gets a Grade A rating. Anna's has several flavors, a.k.a. varietals. However, those flavors are not infused into the honey, rather it comes from the pollens the bees are provided to feast on. Clover, Fireweed and Blackberry are all part of the offerings. You can access Anna's honey in bottle, various sized jars as well as individual sticks.

https://www.annashoney.com/

SD! January 2020
Kolkata, Jan 31 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the way Trinamool Congress leaders are joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal there will be no one left except Mamata Banerjee in the party at the end of assembly elections.

"By the time the elections will be held in Bengal, Mamata Didi will turn back and see no one in the party. There will no one left except for her," Shah said while virtually addressing the BJP's mega joining rally at Howrah Dumurjala stadium.

Former West Bengal forest minister Rajib Banerjee, legislator from Howrah's Bally constituency Baishali Dalmiya, Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal, ex-Howrah mayor Rathin Chakraborti and Bengali actor Rudranil Ghosh, who had joined BJP on Saturday, were present on the stage with Union minister Smriti Irani, BJP state unit president Dilip Ghosh and party's national vice-president Mukul Roy, general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya at the rally.

"I have told Rajib Banerjee that the BJP will form a majority government in Bengal. I promise to eradicate Trinamool Congress government in Bengal. There is no agenda in the Mamata Banerjee-led government but to make her nephew the next chief minister," Shah said.

The senior BJP leader also that Banerjee should introspect why her party leaders are leaving TMC.

"The Maa-Maati-Manush slogan has faded into the background. Mamata Didi, Bengal won't forgive you," he said via video conferencing.

Smriti Irani, who was there at the rally with all the Trinamool turncoats, said: "Nobody can stay in a party that insults the slogan of 'Jai Shree Ram'. Didi may have abandoned the 'Jai Shree Ram' slogan, but under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Ram Temple is being made in Ayodhya and Ram Rajya is also knocking on Bengal's doors." BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari once again hit out at the Trinamool Congress dubbing it a private limited company. He said that by February 28, there will be no one left in the Trinamool Congress private limited company.

Rebel Trinamool Congress leader from Howrah, who joined BJP, Rajib Banerjee said: "We want a double-engine government for the development of Bengal. We need BJP government at both the Centre and state to transform our state into Sonar Bangla."
Israel has said it would send 5,000 coronavirus vaccine shots to the Palestinian Authority to inoculate medical personnel, following global pressure to ensure Palestinians are vaccinated.

Israeli authorities have launched an aggressive campaign to vaccinate its own citizens, but the shots have not been made available to Palestinians in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six Day War.

In recent weeks, the United Nations and rights groups have piled pressure on Israel to help some 4.8 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Israeli-blockaded Gaza to access vaccines, citing the Jewish state's obligations as an occupying power.

More than three million of Israel's nine million people have received the first of two required jabs of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, a pace widely regarded as the world's fastest per capita.

Palestinians in the West Bank have yet to gain access to vaccines against Covid-19

'I confirm we are going to send 5,000 vaccines to medical teams in the Palestinian Authority,' a spokesperson for Defence Minister Benny Gantz told AFP on Sunday.

She said they were from Israeli supplies, but declined to say whether they were Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna.

A Palestinian official, who requested anonymity, dismissed the shipment as 'a symbolic move'.

It 'will not help us,' the official said.

The PA, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, has announced procurement agreements with four vaccine providers, including the makers of Russia's Sputnik V shot.

The PA did not publicly asked for Israel's help with a mass public vaccination campaign.

But earlier this month, the Palestine Liberation Organization called on the international community to 'hold Israel to account' and ensure that it provides vaccines to all Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.

The UN's new Middle East envoy, Tor Wennesland, said last week that Israel should support the Palestinian vaccination effort to help stem the pandemic and meet 'Israel's obligations under international law.'

That echoed similar calls from Human Rights Watch, which cited Israel's responsibilities as an occupying power.

The United Nations and rights groups have piled pressure on Israel to help some 4.8 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Israeli-blockaded Gaza to access vaccines. Above, medical staffers attend a Covid-19 patient in Ramallah

HRW highlighted unequal access to vaccines in the West Bank, where Jewish settlers are being inoculated by Israel but their Palestinians neighbours are not.

'Nothing can justify today's reality in parts of the West Bank, where people on one side of the street are receiving vaccines, while those on the other do not, based on whether they're Jewish or Palestinian,' said the group's Israel and Palestine director Omar Shakir.

Former senior Israeli foreign ministry official Alan Baker, who helped negotiate the Oslo Accords, said claims that Israel is obliged to vaccinate Palestinians were 'false and misleading'.

He insisted the PA was responsible 'for health and medical issues' for Palestinians, citing the Oslo Accords.

The PA said it expects to have sufficient doses to vaccinate 70 percent of the Palestinian population, in both the West Bank and Gaza, starting from mid-March.

Hamas is seen as unlikely to publicly collaborate with Israel on any vaccination effort.

They've been going from strength to strength as they continue to enjoy their 'work' trip in popular Mexican resort Tulum.

And Demi Sims has admitted marriage could be on the cards with girlfriend Francesca Farago as they took part in an Instagram Q&A on Saturday.

The TOWIE star, 24, who confirmed her romance with the Too Hot To Handle personality, 27, earlier this month, enthused: 'I'm waiting for the ring!' as the couple kissed and cuddled in their hotel room.

Moving fast: Demi Sims has admitted marriage could be on the cards with girlfriend Francesca Farago as they took part in an Instagram Q&A on Saturday during their 'work' trip in Mexico

Reading a question asked by a fan, Canadian beauty Francesca said: 'Do you see yourself marrying the person that you're with?', to which she replied: 'Yes.'

Make-up artist Demi also gushed: 'I'm waiting for the ring babe' as she was smothered in smooches by her lover.

Francesca fake cried with happiness as she added: 'I would totally live in LA with you,' before her girlfriend erupted into laughter.

The reality stars also declared that their followers 'said they were in love with' the stunning couple.

'I'm waiting for the ring!' The TOWIE star, 24, confirmed her romance with the Too Hot To Handle personality, 27, earlier this month

Loved-up: Reading a question asked by a fan, Canadian beauty Francesca said: 'Do you see yourself marrying the person that you're with?', to which she replied: 'Yes.'

Romance is alive: Make-up artist Demi also gushed: 'I'm waiting for the ring babe' as she was smothered in smooches by her lover

Last week, they shocked social media as they got their names tattooed on each other's bottom and wrist, just days after going public with their relationship.

The pair are among a host of reality stars who have switched their 'work' trips from Dubai to Mexico amid a ban on UAE flights.

They could well be spending an extended amount of time 'labouring' away in the sunshine, as Francesca excitedly welcomed the arrival of her dog earlier in the day.

Wow! They could well be spending an extended amount of time 'labouring' away in the sunshine, as Francesca excitedly welcomed the arrival of her dog earlier in the day

The duo made their 'working' environment all the more pleasant with the addition of the influencer's fluffy white pooch.

'He's finally here,' she wrote as she posted footage of the dog meandering around a glistening swimming pool. This was soon followed by video of her nuzzling her pooch and calling him 'cute'.

Francesca first received attention for her role in the Netflix original series Too Hot to Handle last April, when she briefly dated her co-star Harry Jowsey.

In their element: The dynamic duo have been flaunting their loved-up status on social media during their sun-soaked 'work' trip

Wild tributes: Last week, the Essex native showed off her dainty 'F' piece on her wrist (L), while the influencer debuted her 'Demi' inking, which was placed on her bottom (R)

Cute: Days earlier, Chloe Sims' younger sister shared the moment the PrettyLittleThing model asked her to be her girlfriend as she held a surprise date on the beach

Demi has previously dated Leonie McSorley, with them last being seen out together in October, and having confirmed their romance in July.

The pair are currently in the country with Demi's sister Chloe, 38, and cousin Frankie, 33.

Celebrities and influencers have been flocking to Mexico's bars and beaches as it establishes itself as the latest COVID getaway destination.

Ex files: Demi has previously dated Leonie McSorley, with them last being seen out together in October, and having confirmed their romance in July (pictured)

The country, which is not yet on the UK's travel red-list, appears to be the new destination of choice for global jet-setters and could rocket in popularity after travel from influencer magnet Dubai was banned on Friday.

Popstar Dua Lipa, and model Lottie Moss are among those that have been pictured in the Central American country in recent weeks.

Travel abroad is now banned from the UK without a legally permitted reason, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on Wednesday, as she criticised influencers for 'showing off in sunny parts of the world'.

Tony Blair today criticised the EU's short-lived move to override the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland under its vaccine export controls as a 'very foolish' move that jeopardised the peace process.

The former prime minister, a vocal supporter of the UK remaining in the bloc, said Brussels' action in triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to control the movement of coronavirus jabs was 'unacceptable'.

The EU backtracked on the move, imposed unilaterally as it faces shortfalls on vaccine supplies, after facing universal criticism from London, Dublin and Belfast.

Asked if the move was irresponsible, the Labour grandee told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'Yes, it was a very foolish thing to do and fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.

'I was somebody who negotiated the Good Friday Agreement, it's brought peace to the island of Ireland and it is absolutely vital that we protect it and that's why what the European Commission did was unacceptable but, as you say, fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.'

Mr Blair also said there is a 'very strong case' for teachers to be vaccinated before schools are reopened to all students in England, which the Government has earmarked for March 8.

Tony Blair has criticised the EU's short-lived move to override the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland under its vaccine export controls as a 'very foolish' move that jeopardised the peace

The EU backtracked on the move, imposed unilaterally as it faces shortfalls on vaccine supplies, after facing universal criticism from London, Dublin and Belfast. Pictured, EU Commission President Ursula von de Leyen at a press conference

The move would require a delay for some older people to receive the jabs, but it is not suggested it starts before the top four priority groups are vaccinated, which is aimed for mid-February.

'Well, I am suggesting I would push back,' Mr Blair, 67, said. 'If it's 500,000 people it is two days of vaccination.

'I think that is a reasonable thing to do in these circumstances if it helps allow you to get the schools back sooner.'

The extraordinary intervention comes as Boris Johnson handed the EU a stark warning that a vaccines blockade of Northern Ireland could kill British pensioners to force Brussels to reverse its extraordinary attempt to isolate the UK amid a jabs war.

In other coronavirus developments:

Figures showed daily positive Covid tests have fallen by 31 per cent in the past week to 23,275, with hospital admissions down by 16 per cent over the same period, and deaths down six per cent to 1,200;

German claims that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective in over-65s were rubbished by senior government adviser Professor Andrew Harnden, who said: 'We are absolutely confident the vaccine is safe and effective';

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer writes in today's Mail on Sunday in support of the Jabs For Teachers campaign for all school staff to be vaccinated during half-term so pupils can return more quickly - although a major teaching union repeated its opposition to classes reopening;

Mr Johnson signalled that he wanted to relax lockdown rules on exercise, but was urged to move quickly by allowing cooped-up children to enjoy half-term sports;

Some of the UK's biggest firms, including John Lewis and Tata, told this newspaper that rapid workplace tests have prevented thousands of sick days and the closure of sites;

A major US study found proof that Covid-19 originated in China, undermining Beijing's claims it may have come from elsewhere.

Germany's government on Sunday threatened legal action against laboratories failing to deliver coronavirus vaccines to the EU on schedule, amid tension over delays to deliveries from AstraZeneca.

The UK has streaked ahead of Europe in terms of the number of vaccines administered (pie chart shows the number of vaccines given by January 26)

The extraordinary intervention comes as Boris Johnson forced the EU into a double climbdown during a dramatic late-night intervention to protect the UK's record-breaking vaccine rollout

What is Article 16 and why has the EU invoked it? Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol allows either the EU or the UK to override part of the Brexit trade agreement in relation to border controls in Northern Ireland. The protocol itself was designed to avoid a re-emergence of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. But in the deal, both parties agreed to a get-out clause, which could be used if the protocol was thought to be causing 'serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties'. However the EU has now invoked the clause, to put measures on vaccines coming from the EU to Northern Ireland. The move is being introduced amid a huge row between the UK and EU over vaccines supplies, with Brussels accusing the UK of 'hijacking doses'. The row started after Oxford vaccine maker AstraZeneca announced it would not be able to supply as many vaccines as it had first hoped to the EU by Spring. The EU has since unveiled plans for an export ban which could stop 3.5million Pfizer vaccines - made in Belgium - from being exported to the UK. The aim of this move will be to prevent the possibility of the UK bringing vaccines into Northern Ireland 'through the backdoor', by using the controls-free border to bring in vaccines from the EU. Advertisement

Mr Blair was joined in his criticisms by former Tory Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said it was a 'huge wrong step' for the EU to have triggered a provision in the Brexit deal to control jab exports.

He told Sky News: 'It (the EU) got it completely wrong and I think the Government is being very wise to lower the temperature in a situation like this.

'Because this year the big threat, which is not something many people predicted, is around these new variants, particularly from South Africa and also Brazil.

'If we are going to tackle these new variants, and they could happen to be South Africa and Brazil this time, could be anywhere else next time, we are going to need to have high levels of close co-operation and collaboration across the world.

'We all know the problems that happened because we didn't find out about the virus in China as quickly as we might have, so we really do need to be working closely with everyone and we have the capacity to do that in this country with our world-beating genomics capacity.

'That's why I think this was a huge wrong step for the EU to take, but I think it's very welcome that it's been resolved.'

However, Ireland's premier Micheal Martin has disagreed with the assessment of Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster that the EU displayed an 'act of hostility'.

'My observation is that the terrible row is an acrimonious row between AstraZeneca and the (EU) Commission over the contractual obligations of the company in respect of supplying vaccines to European member states took centre stage here, and people were blindsided by the decision that was taken and the implications for the Protocol,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

The Taoiseach stressed it took four years to negotiate the Protocol to facilitate access for Northern Ireland's economy to the single market as well as to the UK market and to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

'It's a good thing, the Protocol, overall. There are issues there that we have to fine-tune and work out, but essentially I think there are positives there medium term for Northern Ireland in terms of its economic development which we should not underestimate.

'We are only four weeks into the operation of the Protocol, there are bound to be teething problems but I do acknowledge the need for engagement here on all sides, between the European Union, the United Kingdom and the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive.'

Cabinet minister Liz Truss hints the UK WILL export Covid jabs before everyone in the UK is covered saying new drugs 'won't benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island' with disease rife elsewhere A senior Cabinet minister refused to rule out sending doses of Covid jabs earmarked for British citizens abroad today as she blasted 'vaccine nationalism and protectionism'. Trade Secretary Liz Truss said that Britain becoming a 'vaccinated island' while the disease remained rampant elsewhere would be bad for the UK. Ministers and officials have not ruled out the possibility that vaccines could be sent abroad after the most vulnerable domestic recipients have been covered if it does not slow its plans for all adults to be jabbed by the autumn. Ms Truss told Sky this morning: 'It's a bit too early to say how we would deploy excess vaccines. But we certainly want to work with friends and neighbours, we want to work with developing countries, because we are only going to solve this issue once everybody in the world is vaccinated. 'Some of these supplies there have been supply issues so we need to make sure the new drugs that are coming online are delivered, the population is vaccinated. But of course as we are developing that, we are also working with other countries about how we can help. 'Because it won't benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island and many other countries don't have the vaccine, because the virus will continue to spread, so we need to tackle this on a global basis.' Advertisement

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the PM made European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ditch plans to stop 3.5 million doses of the Pfizer jab from reaching the UK from a factory in Belgium and abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent them reaching the UK.

Following his diplomatic victory, Britain yesterday recorded a daily record for first-dose jabs - 487,756 - to bring the total to almost 8.4 million.

In his phone calls, Mr Johnson warned Ms von der Leyen that her actions risked denying millions of British pensioners their second Pfizer injections. She immediately capitulated in a tweet sent out shortly before midnight on Friday.

As part of an implicit 'peace deal' with the EU, No 10 yesterday adopted a conciliatory tone. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the EU recognised that it had 'made a mistake' and both sides agreed on the need for a 'reset'.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster was less diplomatic, branding the EU's move an 'incredible act of hostility'.

Meanwhile Tory MPs were jubilant, with one describing the EU's surrender as Mr Johnson's 'Falklands moment'.

The Mail on Sunday understands that before Brussels was forced to blink twice, the Government had drawn up contingency plans to break any EU blockade.

Under a 'vaccine security exercise' adapted from plans for a No-Deal Brexit, supplies of the Pfizer jab could have been airlifted out of the continent.

The EU - and Ms von der Leyen in particular - were savaged by the European media for their handling of the row as governments across the bloc faced a backlash from their voters.

And with the EU having only vaccinated 2.5 per cent of its population - compared to 12 per cent in the UK - Ms Foster suggested that Northern Ireland could help to provide vaccine supplies to Dublin.

The simmering row over vaccines exploded on Friday evening when Brussels said it would trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement - thereby creating a hard border on the island of Ireland - and take other measures to stop supplies of the Pfizer vaccine from reaching Britain.

Mr Johnson called an emergency meeting at No 10 to decide the UK's response, then spoke to the Commission President just before 10pm to set out his demands and warn Ms von der Leyen her actions could threaten the Irish peace process.

They spoke again at 10.30pm when Ms von der Leyen agreed to issue a climbdown message that 'there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities'.

The fiasco has put Ms von der Leyen's position in doubt, with one senior EU source saying 'the disquiet is growing'.

Tory MPs on both sides of the Brexit divide heralded Mr Johnson's efforts. One Remainer said: 'If this had happened in 2016, I would have voted to Leave without blinking.'

The UK's Covid cases plunged yet again after 23,275 people tested positive yesterday - down 30.6 per cent on last Saturday. Yesterday's daily death toll has plummeted as well, as official figures showed 1,200 have died after testing positive - an 11 per cent drop on last Saturday

Elsewhere the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the EU's U-turn was 'welcome' but added 'lessons should be learned'.

In a statement on Twitter, he said: 'Welcome news, but lessons should be learned; the Protocol is not something to be tampered with lightly, it's an essential, hard won compromise, protecting peace & trade for many.'

Brussels had triggered the controversial Article 16 just 29 days after the UK and EU struck the post-Brexit trade deal when Britain left the transition period.

The EU's chief negotiator in that agreement, Mr Barnier, today called for 'co-operation' between Brussels and the UK over the supply of vaccines across Europe.

Mr Barnier told the Times: 'We are facing an extraordinarily serious crisis, which is creating a lot of suffering, which is causing a lot of deaths in the UK, in France, in Germany, everywhere.

'And I believe we must face this crisis with responsibility, certainly not with the spirit of oneupmanship or unhealthy competition. I recommend preserving the spirit of co-operation between us.'

Last night, Lord Ricketts, a former UK ambassador to France, accused Brussels of 'escalating recklessly in an attempt to get more doses [of the vaccine] from the UK'. He added: 'The EU is all at sea on this.'

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted: 'The European Union was originally inspired by Christian social teaching - at the heart of which is solidarity.

'Seeking to control the export of vaccines undercuts the EU's basic ethics. They need to work together with others.'

The World Health Organisation also said the export ban was a 'very worrying trend'.

Vaccines expert shoots down Macron's claim that AstraZeneca jab is ineffective in over-65s A top scientist with Oxford's vaccine team has accused Emmanuel Macron of demand management' after casting doubt on the AstraZeneca jab's efficacy. Professor Sir John Bell today slapped down the French President's baseless claims that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 'quasi-ineffective' for the over-65s. He said: 'I suspect this is a bit of demand management from Mr Macron... if he didn't have any vaccine the best thing you could do is reduce demand.' Macron stoked tensions yesterday by questioning the efficacy of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab in older patients, despite it being approved by the EU regulator. Sir John today told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I'm not sure where he got that from.' He acknowledged its original study only had small numbers of elderly people, with many shielding themselves from the pandemic, but added: 'The numbers still pointed toward a very highly effective vaccine but the numbers were small, in fairness, we always accepted that.' He said other studies proved 'elderly people responded just as well in other age groups' and that 'there's really persuasive evidence that this is a protective vaccine in those populations'. Advertisement

MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: The lumbering EU monster panicked and showed its true nature. A better vindication of Brexit could not be found

As the ancient proverb says, when the gods wish to destroy a man, they first make him mad. The contortions and swerves of the European Union over vaccines in the past few days certainly suggest that it is losing its reason.

Perhaps in time these events will weaken its strange power over much of Europe and compel its peoples and leaders to reconsider the wisdom of building a vast multinational state in defiance of human nature.

What is the reason for all this flailing, for the sudden threat to create a border across Ireland in defiance of everything that the EU and its leaders have claimed, for years, to stand for?

This proposal, now abandoned amid fury and derision, is in fact the key to understanding the significance of the moment.

How many times have we had to listen to supporters of the European project, and of Britain's continued membership of it, lecturing and preaching to us about this very issue, and about how Brexit would lead to a renewed hard frontier along the 300 winding miles from Carlingford Lough to the Foyle Estuary? It was never true. The physical border which once existed was created largely by the Troubles, and vanished when they ended, becoming virtually invisible in recent years.

As the ancient proverb says, when the gods wish to destroy a man, they first make him mad. The contortions and swerves of the European Union over vaccines in the past few days certainly suggest that it is losing its reason. Pictured: Boris Johnson on Wednesday

Britain and Northern Ireland had no desire to create any such thing, and no reason to do so, and Boris Johnson bent over backwards in his negotiations with Brussels to ensure that no demarcation line would ensue when we left the EU.

In fact, a unique internal division now exists between Britain and Northern Ireland, a powerful sign of just how much London wished to keep the island of Ireland physically undivided.

Not so Brussels, as we now find out. When the European Commission thought its interests were threatened, out went all the pious rhetoric of the past and in came total power-hungry cynicism.

In Dublin, in Belfast and London alike, politicians and people who have long been divided came together in a coalition of amazed shock and dismay.

It must be a unique achievement to have combined Boris Johnson, the Democratic Unionist leader, Arlene Foster, the fervent anti-British Republicans of Sinn Fein, the Irish Government itself, the Labour Party and even the Archbishop of Canterbury in unanimous fury.

Initially speechless with anger, this unexpected alliance of disparate opponents made their feelings known in the foggy, insulated corridors and committee rooms of Brussels. And the EU, suddenly remembering that it was supposed to be Dublin's most reliable ally and friend, grabbed hold of the handbrake and swivelled round to face in the opposite direction.

It must be a unique achievement to have combined Boris Johnson, the Democratic Unionist leader, Arlene Foster (pictured), the fervent anti-British Republicans of Sinn Fein, the Irish Government itself, the Labour Party and even the Archbishop of Canterbury in unanimous fury

Well and good. It is far better to admit and correct a mistake than to persist pigheadedly with the original error. But as in so many such events, the lasting outcome is that we now know what the EU's directing spirits are really like when they panic and pursue their own interests with honest ruthlessness.

It would be hard to find a clearer way of showing that those who campaigned to take this country out of the EU were right when they said it was a sclerotic, centralised scheme which was bound by its nature to trample on the rights and freedoms of independent nation states, even those it claims to favour and nurture.

Its guiding idea was that traditional nations were unable to govern themselves or make their own decisions, that major actions were better done in unison, that together they were stronger.

But contrast the EU's performance over Covid vaccinations with that of the independent UK. The results say it all.

While millions of UK citizens have been vaccinated and the programme speeds ahead, many EU countries have barely begun, and are still squabbling among themselves.

The Irish crisis resulted from those squabbles, and a selfish desire to grab as big a share as possible of Pfizer vaccines, which Britain had already secured by forethought and good planning. Even a German newspaper has described Britain's nimble, alert performance as 'the best advert for Brexit'.

Early decisions to develop a vaccine, to ensure swift experimentation and tough but decisive approval mechanisms, to prepare the necessary logistics, and to sign vital contracts, all paid off.

Compare the glacial performance of the EU's cumbersome bureaucracy, as usual moving at the pace of the slowest.

In fact, several EU nations did try to launch out on their own, with France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands forming a 'Vaccine Alliance'. But, in a highly significant demonstration of the realities of living in a centralised superstate, this was abruptly cancelled.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel realised that it was defying EU dogma. And dogma won. So, far from together being stronger, the opposite is true.

The nation state, with its lasting common interests, its short lines of communication, its existing structures of experience and co-ordination, its single language and law, actually works better in a crisis than a vast multi-lingual collection of wholly disparate nations which can and does spend years standardising the most basic widget, notorious for delay, indecision and tardy outcomes.

Sister Joanna Sloan (left) becomes the first person in Northern Ireland to receive the first of two Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine jabs at the Royal Victoria Hospital on December 8

Certainly in this case, Britain has demonstrated beyond doubt that it is far more supple, quick, inventive and ready to take necessary risks than its giant neighbour. How fitting it would now be if Britain, which has always hoped to remain on the best of terms with its former EU partners, were able to offer help with vaccines to our valued friends in the Irish Republic.

Many people deserve credit for this outcome. Health Secretary Matt Hancock realised from the start we would need to boost our manufacturing capacity to ensure that others would not capitalise on the likely success of our science. The 'vaccine tsar' Kate Bingham, devoted extraordinary energy and commitment to her task, single-mindedly obeying Boris Johnson's mandate to 'stop people from dying' with an intense purpose comparable to a wartime scramble to develop vital new weapons.

Where expertise was needed, it was found and devoted to the task. Where money was needed, it was allocated.

But there was also planning. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, showed extraordinary and crucial foresight, spotting in time that without vials to put the vaccine doses in, and without freezers to store them, all other efforts would fail.

So here the United Kingdom is, responding with speed, skill and efficiency to the challenge, vaccinating multitudes hour by hour and driving back the danger of the virus, jab by jab and day by day.

And there is the EU, fumbling, held back by internal jealousies and meaningless rivalries between national governments and central power.

And on Friday night it all came to a head in an astonishing demonstration of the abiding truth.

We were, and are, and will be better off outside this lumbering, inefficient monster. And it may well be that the peoples of the EU will now seek reforms to restore to their own nations at least some of the freedom which we have won back.
 Close Trump: Biden is lying or 'mentally gone on vaccines

Joe Biden said the world can't return to a Cold War with Russia and China and must seek ways to cooperate on global challenges like the Covid pandemic even as the two countries pose security risks to the western alliance.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization while apologizing to European leaders for the last four years under Donald Trump.

That apology came with the Biden administration returning the US to the Paris climate accord, another reversal of Trump-era policies of the past four years.

The focus on foreign policy came as the Biden administration continued to face domestic crises in its first weeks, including unprecedented winter weather that delayed 6 million doses of Covid vaccine.

While Biden toured the Pfizer vaccine manufacturing plant in Michigan, Republican senator Ted Cruz stayed out of the spotlight after coming under intense scrutiny for fleeing Texas for the warmer climes of Cancun.

Congress continued going through its motions, with Democrat Joe Manchin announcing his opposition to the nomination of Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management & Budget, Neera Tanden.

The White House has refused to withdraw her nomination, hoping instead to convince Republicans to confirm her post.

Trump himself, meanwhile, did things that were terrible when contradicted on the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Anthony Fauci has said in an interview.

Fauci said Trump entirely lost interest in tackling Covid-19 as it became clear he had lost Novembers presidential election.
Future Group promoter Kishore Biyani has alleged that Amazon is "playing the dog in the manger" and trying to create confusion about the group's 24,713-crore deal with Reliance Industries.

"After all, they (Amazon) are inspired to name their product as Alexa... History tells us that Alexander conquered large parts of the world but failed in India. With you on our side and our relentless service to the Indian consumers, we will serve the best interests of our country and will continue to protect our fundamental right to survive, and to serve the Indian consumer," Biyani said.

Seeking to assuage concerns of employees amid the ongoing tussle with e-commerce giant Amazon, Biyani said the organisation is on a firm legal footing and that has been vindicated by the regulatory approvals received for the deal from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), market regulator SEBI and the bourses.

The development comes days after Amazon petitioned the Delhi High Court to block the Future Group from selling retail assets to Reliance Industries and sought detention of Biyani and family members.

In a letter addressed to the Future Group employees, Biyani alleged that Amazon is running a concerted and coordinated media campaign and leaking misleading information.

Biyani said the Future Group was the target of a new form of attack and that a "corporate battle" is being fought for supremacy over Indian customers 70 years after India became a republic and also alleged that immense resources are being deployed on influencing Indian societys mindset and belief systems.

"...Amazon is playing the dog in the manger, going all out to create a ruckus...For reasons we never believed earlier but quite evident today, this battle is about ownership of the Indian customer at any cost," he said in his letter written on Friday.

Meanwhile, Amazon did not respond to an emailed query on the matter.

Biyani said he has received numerous letters, phone calls and messages from employees expressing their support, anxiety and queries on the various legal steps being taken by Amazon.

He justified the decision to sell retail, wholesale and some other businesses of Future Group to billionaire Mukesh Ambani's RIL, saying he was left with no other option but to enter in a constructive deal with Reliance Group in the wake of the financial crisis in the retail sector on account of the pandemic.

Biyani said Amazon's policy of vexatious litigation and harassment was akin to Greek conquerer Alexander's ruthless ambition to scorch the earth.

He further said that Amazon had relentlessly attacked Future Retail, the board of directors, lenders, promoters, and that those efforts had been unsparing of his close family members, including his father, uncle and children.

The Future Group founder noted that the deal between Future Coupons and Amazon in August 2019 was to build coupons and gifting business, create an e-commerce distribution for brands and whenever FDI in retail is permitted, they could participate.

"FDI is not permitted in multi-brand retail, and as is the global policy trend, the government would like home-grown retailers to scale up," he added.

In August 2019, Amazon had agreed to purchase 49 per cent of one of Future's unlisted firms, Future Coupons Ltd (which owns 7.3 per cent equity in BSE-listed Future Retail Ltd through convertible warrants), with the right to buy into the flagship Future Retail after a period of three to 10 years.

Amazon had dragged the Future Group to arbitration at Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), arguing that Future violated the contract by entering into the deal with rival Reliance.

On October 25, 2020, an interim award was passed in favour of Amazon with a single-judge bench of V K Rajah barring Future Retail from taking any step to dispose of or encumber its assets or issuing any securities to secure any funding from a restricted party.

After this, the Future Group filed a plea with the Delhi High Court. On December 21, a single-member bench rejected the plea to restrain Amazon from writing to regulatory authorities about the SIAC arbitral order but gave a go-ahead to the regulators to decide over the deal.

The court had also made several observations indicating that Amazon's attempt to control Future Retail through a conflation of agreements Amazon has with an unlisted unit of the Indian company will be violative of the FEMA FDI rules.

Since then, Amazon has also filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking detention of Future Group founders, including CEO Kishore Biyani, and seizure of their assets as it sought to block the Future-Reliance deal.
(Newser)  Two young hunters were killed in a Tennessee duck hunting mecca, allegedly by a 70-year-old fellow hunter who confronted them on a lake reportedly known for heated altercations over prime hunting spots. Now that suspect is dead, too, and while cops investigate three deaths at Reelfoot Lake State Park, at least one hunter is raising alarms over a 'cutthroat culture' in duck hunting that makes these tragedies all too unsurprising to some. Martin, Tenn., businessman David Vowell became a wanted man last week after cops say he shot Chance Black, 26, and Zachary Grooms, 25, after an argument Monday morning, per WPSD. Vowell fled the scene and was considered armed and dangerous. On Saturday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's manhunt ended after Vowell's body was found in a swamp not far from the scene of the murders, per ABC News.

story continues below

While the cause of Vowell's death was not immediately released, contributor Will Brantley writes in Field & Stream that with the deaths of Black and Grooms comes "an assumption that it was an argument over duck hunting that became heated enough for someone to start shooting." While the lake is public land, most of the best hunting blinds are privately owned, having been grandfathered in via old deals that predate the formation of the lake itself. Combine that with the popularity of the lake for hunters, a yearly lottery that allots hunters what few public spots exist, and a rule stating hunters must remain 200 yards apart, and conditions are ripe for tempers to flare. "The bottom line is this," writes Brantley. "Two duck hunters were shot dead by another duck hunter on Monday morning. That were not surprised means we have a problem." (Read more weird crimes stories.)
New Zealanders are free to restart travel to Australia without quarantining after a six-day suspension was ended by the Morrison government.

The decision not to extend the suspension beyond Sunday was based on advice from acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd after a meeting of the Australian health protection principal committee.

Professor Michael Kidd made the announcement on Sunday afternoon. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

There had been no further confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases in the New Zealand community since the initial three cases of the South African variant were detected.

The travel arrangements allowing people to travel from New Zealand to Australia without quarantining were suspended until 2pm Sunday after two new cases with the highly contagious strain of COVID-19 were detected in Auckland last week.
(CNN)  To Senate Minority Whip John Thune, former President Donald Trump's actions ahead of the deadly Capitol riot are totally indefensible.

"No -- not at all," the No. 2 Republican said when asked if he can defend what Trump did. "The way he handled the post-election, both in terms of his public statements and things that he tried to do to change the outcome, no."

But like other Republicans, Thune has no clear answer to this key question: What should they do to Trump after he lied to his supporters about the election being stolen, promoted the January 6 rally in DC and urged demonstrators to go to the Capitol, which they later rampaged in a deadly riot?

"Well, that's a good question," said Thune, who faces reelection in South Dakota next year. "One way, obviously, would be in a court of law."

With the impeachment trial for Trump set to begin February 9, Senate Republicans are criticizing him without doing anything about his actions, hoping to put distance between themselves and the former President without casting any votes that could cause a backlash from Trump and his fervent supporters. Many say something should be done about what Trump did -- but just not by them.

When asked about Trump's actions in relation to the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of GOP leadership, said: "I'm not going to defend them."

"I think he's been held accountable in the court of public opinion already," Cornyn said when asked if the Senate should take any actions, arguing it would set a "dangerous precedent" to convict a former President.

The rhetoric showcases the split between House and Senate Republicans as the party struggles to find its voice after the tumultuous Trump era. Many House Republicans remain staunch Trump defenders, saying he did nothing wrong and shouldn't be blamed for the violence that occurred at the Capitol.

"President Trump did not cause the attack on the Capitol on January 6," freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial Georgia Republican, told her supporters this week.

A majority of House Republicans backed the efforts to throw out President Joe Biden's electoral victories in two key states, while just a handful did in the Senate. After House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California walked back his criticism of Trump and made a jaunt to South Florida on Thursday to meet with the former President, he went out of his way to proclaim they were united in their fight to take back the House next year. Back in Washington, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, made clear he hasn't spoken to Trump since December 15, and it's unclear if he ever will again.

Yet with the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection facing a sharp backlash from the right, Senate Republicans are well aware that they would face the same fate if they voted to convict next month. And McConnell, who has privately told associates he thinks Trump committed an impeachable offense, refused to say so publicly when CNN asked him on Tuesday -- and he later voted with fellow Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul on a procedural motion this week aimed at dismissing the trial on the grounds that it's unconstitutional.

Just five Republicans voted to kill Paul's procedural motion. Paul told CNN that he informed the Republican cloakroom the night before the vote about his plans, a move that allowed most Republicans to quickly align themselves behind their message that the Senate has no role in holding a trial once a president has left office.

The five who voted against Paul's effort included one who is retiring (Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania), three who either haven't said if they voted for Trump in November or voted for someone else (Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska) and another who voted to convict Trump in his first impeachment trial (Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah). Several of them argued that there is a precedent for the Senate trying former federal office holders, a key point that Democratic impeachment managers plan to make during the trial.

But with that vote earlier this week, both sides agree there's virtually no path to the 67 votes needed to convict Trump, and also bar him from office, given that Democrats hold just 50 seats in the chamber.

"I've already condemned them," GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said when asked if he could defend Trump's actions.

Asked what Republicans should do about it, Cassidy said: "There is something in our nation called due process and there are things called kangaroo courts. We don't need a kangaroo court."

Sen. Mike Braun initially signed on to objecting to Arizona's Electoral College results but then dropped that effort after rioters broke into the Capitol. Yet he also is doing the Senate GOP dance: criticizing Trump while indicating he won't convict.

"I think most would have a lot of trouble saying there was no connection" between Trump's actions and the deadly violence, Braun said. But the Indiana Republican contended he was worried about convicting someone who's no longer in office. "To me, it's a terrible precedent to set. He's not here, he's a private citizen."

Asked how they should hold Trump accountable now, Braun said: "I think he's going to be held accountable in the way that people sort him out with whatever he intends to do in the future."

This story was first published on CNN.com "Senate Republicans say Trump should be held accountable for riot -- but not by them"

Foreign reporters have spotlighted the great role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in the countrys development as well as achievements Vietnam achieved during 35 years of its Doi Moi (renewal) process.







Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the ongoing 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi, Hantao from Asia-Pacific Daily (APD) said the process, along with the market economy and open-door policies, has helped lift Vietnam from being isolated to an economy opening to and widely interacting with outside.

Vietnam's achievements are thanks to the leadership of the CPV, and the Partys right decision to open the country to the world, he stressed.

Sharing this opinion, Stefan Kuhner from the German Communist Partys Unsere Zeit newspaper said what Vietnam has achieved under the leadership of the CPV over the last 35 years have amazed him, especially those in poverty reduction and improvement of the lives of people.

Referring to Vietnam's position in the world, Kuhner said Vietnam is actively participating in activities of the UN Security Council to seek peaceful solutions to international issues, and it has demonstrated how important the cohesion of ASEAN member nations is.

Vietnam's increasing prestige and position is closely related to its economic development thanks to the renewal process, he said, adding that the country needs to continue its reform policy and open its door wider in order to reap more success.

According to Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury from the Economic Times of India, Vietnam not only is a growing economy in Indo-Pacific region, but also plays an important role in Southeast Asia.

The Congress once again demonstrates the extremely crucial role of the CPV in maintaining stability of the country, he said, affirming that a strong Vietnam is important for stability in both the Mekong region and the East Sea.

The success in the fight against COVID-19 is one of the greatest achievements of the CPV in 2020, he said.

Meanwhile, Hussain Janjua, an Indian media expert, highlighted Vietnams economic development achievement, saying that thanks to tireless efforts, the country lifted its GDP and per capita income to 343 billion USD and 3,521 USD, respectively, in 2020 from 14 billion USD and 250 USD in the first years of its renewal process.

In addition, Vietnam has signed 15 free trade agreements (FTAs) with partners, and has strategic partnership with 16 countries and comprehensive strategic partnership with 11 others, he said, adding the country has also joined more than 500 bilateral and multilateral agreements in many fields.

The country successfully performed its role as the ASEAN Chair 2020, Chairman of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41) and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, thus improving its global reputation and position, said the Indian expert.

VNA
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Myanmar's military has staged a coup against the government - arresting de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the president, and other MPs in dawn raids.

Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were arrested early Monday, just hours before their newly-elected government was due to be sworn in, as tanks, soldiers and helicopters were deployed around the capital Naypyitaw.

The generals struck amid fears that Suu Kyi would use her new mandate - which saw her humiliate military-backed parties by getting 83 per cent of votes in an election held last year - to reform the constitution and remove their strangle-hold on power.

Military leaders, who claim the vote was fraudulent, have now declared a year-long state of emergency, transferred all power to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, appointed Vice President Myint Swe - a former general - as acting president, and closed all banks until further notice.

General Hlaing was facing forced retirement from the military this year at age 65 and was thought to be eyeing a life in politics as a way to retain power. 'He's probably calculated now that... there is no electoral means by which he could stay in power,' Myanmar expert Herve Lemahieu at Australia's Lowy Institute said.

The military has claimed that fresh elections will be held within a year and that power will be transferred to whoever is the winner.

The NLD released a statement they said had been written by Suu Kyi before her arrest, which called for people 'to protest against the coup' while warning that generals want to 'put the country back under a dictatorship'.

The US, UK, Japan and Australia were among those condemning the coup early Monday, as White House press secretary Jen Psaki pledged to 'take action against those responsible' while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: 'The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released.'

China - which has been a long-term supporter of the military - urged all sides to 'resolve their differences... to protect political and social stability'.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de-facto ruler, has been arrested in a military coup along with the country's president Win Myint and other influential MPs just hours before her newly-elected government was sworn into office

An armoured personnel carrier sits on the streets of Naypyitaw, outside the congress compound of Myanmar's parliament, following the coup

Soldiers stand guard on a street in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, early Monday after staging a coup against the government which saw elected officials arrested

Myanmar MP Pa Pa Han (left) was live-streamed on Facebook by her husband as the military turned up to arrest her on Monday (right), threatening to use 'any means' to detain her if she resisted

Myanmar Acting President Myint Swe (right), a former general, reads out a statement on national TV as General Min Aung Hlaing (left), Myanmar's new ruler, waits before reading out a statement of his own

General Min Aung Hlaing (left) speaks as he takes control of the entire government under a clause in the constitution which the military drew up, saying that generals can seize power if security is under threat

Military leaders in Myanmar hold a press conference announcing the start of a year-long state of emergency and the closure of all banks after launching a coup

Policemen sit inside trucks parked on a road in the downtown area of Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, following a military coup on Monday

A military helicopter hovers in the skies over Naypyitawm, the capital of Myanmar, after the government was overthrown in a coup by generals who accused Suu Kyi of 'voter fraud'

A policeman walks behind a sealed gate at Yangon international airport in Myanmar, after all transport hubs were closed amid a coup against the government

The military junta wasted no time in removing 24 elected ministers and naming 11 replacements to oversee ministries including finance, defence, foreign affairs and interior.

Myanmar - a former British colony also known as Burma - gained independence in 1948, initially as a democracy though with heavy influence from the military which had been instrumental in the fight for self-governance.

But amid rampant infighting, corruption and ethnic persecution, the government lost control and in 1962 the military seized power and decided to rule under a socialist one-party system.

The military junta then held control over Myanmar for the next five decades until partial elections held in 2010 ushered in a new age of civilian rule from 2011.

Full elections held in 2015 handed power to Suu Kyi's party, though with a guaranteed share of power for the military under the terms of a constitution that generals had helped draw up in 2008.

Why has the military staged a coup? Myanmar's military is central to the country's political life - it led the fight for independence in 1948, formed the country's first government, and then ruled as a junta for five decades after abandoning democracy in 1962. That all appeared to change in 2010 with a return to democracy that saw an elected government sworn in - though in reality the military was guaranteed control of key ministries and 25 per cent of seats in parliament. Free elections held in 2015 saw Aung San Suu Kyi's party win a large majority with the military hammered, amid the belief that she would reform the constitution and remove the military from power altogether. More elections held last year handed an even larger share of power to Suu Kyi, prompting fears among military top-brass that their powers were about to be removed. On Monday, just hours before the new government was due to be sworn in, the military struck - arresting Suu Kyi, president Win Myint, and many of the country's most-influential MPs - officially for 'voter fraud'. With border closures already in place and international governments distracted by domestic issues and the coronavirus pandemic, they have faced few obstacles. A year-long state of emergency has now been declared, Vice President Myint Swe - a former general - declared leader, and banks shut until further notice. 'Free' elections will take place after the state of emergency ends, the military has claimed. Advertisement

Elections held last year handed yet-more power to Suu Kyi's party, and - amid fears of constitutional reforms which would strip the military of much of its influence - generals alleged voter fraud and threatened to step in.

With the new government due to be sworn in on Monday, the coup took place in the early hours.

As well as seizing political figures, the military blocked roads in the capital Naypyitaw, closed all airports, disrupted civilian communications and online services, and took down state TV networks.

All banks were also closed, sparking fears of hyper-inflation and economic breakdown.

Myo Nyunt, the spokesman for the NLD, said Suu Kyi, a state counselor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, along with President Win Myint, had been 'detained' in the capital Naypyidaw.

'We heard they were taken by the military,' he told AFP, adding that he was extremely worried about the pair. With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup.'

The White House said President Biden had been briefed about the situation and called upon the Myanmar military to release the leaders.

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

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on Myanmar's military to immediately release the country's civilian political leaders, dubbing reports of a roundup 'horrifying' and calling for a strong response from the Biden administration.

'The Biden Administration must take a strong stand and our partners and all democracies around the world should follow suit in condemning this authoritarian assault on democracy. We need to support the people of Burma in their journey toward democracy and impose costs on those who stand in their way,' said

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added: 'The democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar must be respected, and the National Assembly peacefully re-convened.'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres 'strongly' condemned the military's detention of Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders.

'These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar,' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The United Nations Security Council aims to discuss Myanmar on Tuesday, diplomats added.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said: 'I remind the military leadership that Myanmar is bound by international human rights law, including to respect the right to peaceful assembly, and to refrain from using unnecessary or excessive force.'

'We request the release of stakeholders including state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi who was detained today,' Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement urging 'the national army to quickly restore the democratic political system in Myanmar.'

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

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed 'grave concern about the latest situation in Myanmar,' adding hopes that all parties would 'exercise restraint.'

Indonesia's foreign minister likewise expressed 'concern' while also urging 'self-restraint.'

But Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the situation is an 'internal matter.'

'Our primary concern is the safety of our people, he said. 'Our armed forces are on standby in case we need to airlift them as well as navy ships to repatriate them if necessary.'

Bangladesh, which is sheltering around one million Rohingya who fled violence in Myanmar, called for 'peace and stability' and said it hoped a process to repatriate the refugees could move forward.

The Association of South East Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, called for 'dialogue, reconciliation and the return to normalcy' while in Bangkok, police clashed with a group of pro-democracy demonstrators outside Myanmar's embassy.

'It's their internal affair,' a Thai government official said of events in Myanmar

In its statement declaring the emergency, the military cited the failure of the commission to address complaints over voter lists, its refusal to postpone new parliamentary sessions, and protests by groups unhappy with the vote.

'Unless this problem is resolved, it will obstruct the path to democracy and it must therefore be resolved according to the law,' the military said, citing an emergency provision in the constitution in the event sovereignty is threatened.

An NLD lawmaker, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said another of those detained was Han Thar Myint, a member of the party's central executive committee.

Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, according to party sources, on the very day when the new parliament was to hold its first session.

Myo Nyunt said it was not clear what would happen to the newly elected MPs.

General's daughter-turned freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi was born under British rule in what was then Burma to General Aung San, one of the heroes of the country's fight for independence. General San was assassinated in 1948, while Ms Suu Kyi was just two years old and shortly before the country gained independence. In 1960 - two years before the country entered full dictatorship - she left her home country for India, where her mother had been appointed ambassador in Delhi. Four years later Ms Suu Kyi went to study philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University where she met her future husband, British academic Michael Aris. Suu Kyi and her British husband Michael Aris are pictured with son Alexander in London in 1973 An historian who lectured on Bhutanese, Tibetan and Himalayan culture and history, Ms Suu Kyi married Aris in a Buddhist ceremony in 1972. Ms Suu Kyi spent some time after the wedding living and working in Japan and Bhutan, where Aris was private tutor to the monarch's children, before the couple settled in the UK to raise their own children - Alexander and Kim. In 1988, Ms Suu Kyi returned to her home country - at first to tend to her critically-ill mother, but soon became embroiled in pro-democracy protests after the country's military ruler General Ne Win stepped down. Placed under house arrest in 1989, the military held elections the following year which Ms Suu Kyi won - though they decided to ignore the result. She was kept under house arrest for the next six years, during which time she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, before being freed in 1995 - though kept under strict travel restrictions and bans on speaking to media. Ms Suu Kyi last saw her husband that same year, before he died from prostate cancer in Oxford in 1999. Over the next decade she continued to press for democratic reform of Myanmar while spending time in and out of house arrest - and was locked up during the country's first elections in 2010. In 2012 she won a seat as an MP and was sworn in as leader of the opposition. Her party won power in 2015, and while she became defacto leader of the country she was banned from the official role because her children are British. Advertisement

Myanmar's commander-in-chief and new leader, General Min Aung Hlaing General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Myanmar's military, is now the country's leader after being handed control of the government using powers embedded in the constitution. Born in 1956 in then-Burma as the son of a civil engineer, Hlaing studied law at the Rangoon Arts and Science University - where classmates remembered him as a reserved student with little interest in politics. While fellow students joined demonstrations, Hlaing made annual applications to join the premier military university, the Defence Services Academy (DSA), succeeding on his third attempt in 1974. General Min Aung Hlaing, who is now the country's ruler after a coup against the government According to a member of his DSA class he was an average cadet. 'He was promoted regularly and slowly,' said the classmate, adding that he had been surprised to see Hlaing rise beyond the officer corps' middle ranks. In fact, Hlaing took over the running of the military in 2011 as Myanmar's transition to democracy began. By the onset of Suu Kyi's first term in 2016, he had transformed himself from a soldier into a politician - using a popular Facebook page to promote his activities and meetings with dignitaries. Hlaing studied other political transitions, diplomats and observers said, and has made much of the need to avoid the chaos seen in Libya and other Middle Eastern countries after regime change in 2011. Hlaing extended his term at the helm of the military for another five years in February 2016, a step that surprised observers who expected him to step aside that year during a regular army leadership reshuffle. He has been opposed to reforming the country's constitution which handed the military a 25 per cent share of seats and bars Suu Kyi from holding power directly. He was also one of the military leaders sanctioned in 2019 for a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that was widely condemned as genocide. Hlaing was facing forced retirement from the military this year and had been eyeing up a career in politics as a way to remain in power, analysts said, and may have now concluded that a coup is his only chance to hang on. Advertisement

Myanmar's military Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has been handed control of the government, while Vice President Vice President Myint Swe - also former general - has been promoted to acting president

A soldier stands guard at a military road-block in Myanmar's capital of Naypyidaw following a coup which took place early in the morning

Soldiers block a road in the Myanmarese capital of Naypyitaw following a coup against the government, which saw generals seize power after an election in which they were humiliated at the polls

Soldiers stand guard on a blockaded road to Myanmar's parliament in Naypyidaw

Police armed with riot gear are seen on the streets of Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, hours after the military seized control in a coupe and declared a year-long state of emergency

Police cars are parked on the side of the street in Yangon following a coup in the early hours of Monday

Myanmarese police dressed in riot gear sit inside a truck in Yangon following a coup early on Monday morning

Soldiers deploy on the road in Naypyitaw following the early-morning coup, which saw Aung San Suu Kyi and other influential members of her party rounded up and arrested

Soldiers sit inside trucks parked on a road in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, after seizing power in a coup against the government

Soldiers stand guard at the checkpoint of a military compound in Yangon following the coup

Soldiers keep watch inside the City Hall compound in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, following the coup

The developments triggered a quick response from Australia, which warned the military is 'once again seeking to seize control' of the country.

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

In the hours after the arrests, communications networks in Myanmar were restricted, with several mobile phone networks down.

NetBlocks, a non-governmental organisation that tracks internet shutdowns, reported severe disruptions to web connections in Myanmar.

Phone numbers in the capital Naypyidaw were also seemingly unreachable.

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

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

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

It has demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking - which the commission has not done.

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

Min Aung Hlaing's remarks, which came with rumours of a coup already rife, raised tensions further within the country and drew a warning from more than a dozen foreign embassies and the UN.

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

Suu Kyi - a former democracy icon and Nobel peace prize winner whose image internationally has been in tatters over her handling of the Muslim Rohingya crisis - remains a deeply popular figure.

She spent 20 years off and on under house arrest for her role as an opposition leader, before she was released by the military in 2010.

The new parliament is due to meet on Monday for the first time since the November election, which was won in a landslide by Suu Kyi's party, but which the military says was marred by fraud.

A group of Western powers including the United States issued a joint statement on Friday warning against 'any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition'.

In a statement on Sunday, the military accused the foreign diplomats of making 'unwarranted assumptions'.

A Myanmar national in Japan holds up a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest held in front of the United Nations University in Tokyo

Myanmarese residents in Japan demonstrate against the military coup that took place in their home country earlier today

A Myanmar migrant holds up a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi while taking part in a demonstration outside the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, Thailand

People hold a portrait of Aung San, left, a Burmese revolutionary figure who was also the father of Aung San Suu Kyi, at a protest in Bangkok, Thailand

People hold up images of Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi while shouting at a protest outside Maynmar's embassy in Bangkok, Thailand

Myanmar migrants hold up portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi as they take part in a demonstration outside the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok

Buddhist monks hold banners during a protest to demand an inquiry to investigate the Union Election Commission (UEC) as fears swirl about a possible coup by the military over electoral fraud concerns

The military 'will do everything possible to adhere to the democratic norms of free and fair elections, as set out by the 2008 Constitution, lasting peace, and inclusive well-being and prosperity for the people of Myanmar,' it said in the statement, posted on Facebook.

Tanks were deployed in some streets last week and pro-military demonstrations have taken place in some cities ahead of the first gathering of parliament.

The army said on Tuesday it would 'take action' against the election result, and when asked if it was planning a coup, a spokesman declined to rule it out.

The statement on Sunday did not directly address the issue of such action or of a coup.

However, the ruling party later said in a statement that Suu Kyi and other leaders had been detained.

Under the 2008 constitution, the military has gradually relinquished power to democratic institutions. But it retains privileges including control of the security forces and some ministries.

Legal complaints over the election are pending at the Supreme Court.

The election commission has rejected the military's allegations of vote fraud, saying there were no errors big enough to affect the credibility of the vote.
Hydrogen industry hubs are being set up across the country by National Energy Resources Australia to capitalise on an emerging business opportunity in what is being touted as a global clean fuel boom.

Many advanced nations have committed to net-zero emissions by mid-century and hydrogen is considered a growth industry due to its ability to store clean energy from renewable sources.

Early stage businesses in Australias nascent hydrogen industry will share in Commonwealth seed funding. Credit:AFR

Federal Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said the industrys potential cannot be ignored and argued that Australia can attract $70 billion of investments over the next decade.

NERA is federally-funded and pools together with private business for industry growth.
BTS is one of the biggest musical acts in the world at the moment. This means that, aside from selling albums and concert tickets, the members of BTS can also make money from lucrative sponsorship deals. However, while BTS has worked with several different types of companies, there is one type they often refuse to make deals with.

BTS | Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage

BTS has worked with many famous companies

BTSs sponsorship history includes a variety of brands.

For example, the group has been the face of Hyundai, one of South Koreas most famous car manufacturers. Last fall, BTS even recorded a song called IONIQ: Im On It, which was released in honor of the launch of the Hyundai Ioniq.

Additionally, BTS has had deals with technology companies, too. They are just some of the celebrity faces sponsoring Korean phone brand Samsung. BTS also has deals with the Indonesian e-commerce company Tokopedia along with games like Maple Story and Rhythm Live.

In terms of food and beverages, BTS has worked with ChupaChups, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks Korea, Dunkin Donuts, and Coca Cola.

Finally, BTS fans can also buy BTS-inspired apparels from brands like Fila, Skechers, and LeSportsac.

Jimins Hoodie Cost More Than All Of BTSs ON MAMA Dance Practice Outfits Combinedhttps://t.co/Zk3fg7EbAr  Koreaboo (@Koreaboo) December 17, 2020

RELATED: BTS Might Have Had a Different Lineup If It Wasnt for 1 Member

While BTS has occasionally worked with clothing companies, it seems the group has never signed sponsorship deals with luxury fashion brands before.

According to a 2019 article from Korean news outlet Chosun Biz, BTS reportedly does not accept sponsorship deals from luxury fashion brands. The members do wear many brand name items, but they simply choose them based on their preferences and concepts. Companies that want to promote their clothes often just have to hope that they somehow make it into BTSs wardrobe.

For brands that have gotten noticed by BTS members, their sales often increase significantly. In a lot of cases, items that BTS wears even get sold out.

BTS recently brought fans to a Louis Vuitton fashion show

.@bts_bighit for #LVMenF21. BTS receives their invitations to watch @virgilabloh 's upcoming #LouisVuitton presentation. Watch live on Thursday, January 21st at 2:30 pm (GMT + 1) on Twitter or https://t.co/0R3WHtzajH pic.twitter.com/NGLG8ZhYHp  Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) January 21, 2021

RELATED: BTS Revealed How Their Celebrity Selves Are Different Than Their Normal Selves

Nevertheless, BTS recently brought some attention to the French fashion house Louis Vuitton.

Last week, Louis Vuitton unveiled their mens fashion show for the Fall/Winter 2021 season. BTS also promoted it by sharing a video teaser they filmed. According to WWD, this led numerous BTS fans to check out the show as well.

The top platform was Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, which garnered close to 35 million views, WWD wrote. On Western platforms, Twitter was the leader with 17 million views, closely followed by YouTube, which saw interest soar thanks to the advance posts by BTS on Instagram and Twitter.

WWD also shared that videos of the show continued to gather views within the next few days. Additionally, WWD noted, Louis Vuittons YouTube page recruited 200,000 followers in a day.

Louis Vuitton even acknowledged BTSs help in creating visibility for its fashion show. The brand said, BTS fans spotted the looks worn by the band and posted them online, creating a huge increase in traffic and demand on our website.
NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Boston Scientific Corporation ("Boston Scientific" or the "Company") (NYSE: BSX) from April 24, 2019 through November 16, 2020 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



If you purchased Boston Scientific securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Boston Scientific Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll free at (877) 779-1414 or MGuarnero@bernlieb.com

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve Systems product delivery system was dysfunctional and threatened the continued viability of the entire product line; (2) as a result, the Company had materially overstated the continued commercial viability and profitability of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System; and (3) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On November 17, 2020, pre-market, Boston Scientific announced a global recall of all unused inventory of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System due to complexities associated with the product delivery system. Boston Scientific also announced that [g]iven the additional time and investment required to develop and reintroduce an enhanced delivery system, the company has chosen to retire the entire LOTUS product platform immediately.

On this news, Boston Scientifics stock price fell $3.00 per share, or 7.89%, to close at $35.03 per share on November 17, 2020.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 2, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

If you purchased Boston Scientific securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/bostonscientificcorporation-bsx-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-fraud-stock-341/apply/ or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll free at (877) 779-1414 or MGuarnero@bernlieb.com

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 Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2020 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

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Matthew E. Guarnero

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

https://www.bernlieb.com

(877) 779-1414

MGuarnero@bernlieb.com
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 : Bhagyashree Sahu of Odisha's Rourkela, who was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her artwork on Sunday, said it was an honour to be mentioned by the Prime Minister.

Sahu, an engineering student, was found a mention in Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' address on Sunday for her artwork to promote cloth-based scroll paintings 'Pattachitra'.

"It is a proud moment for me, my family and the entire Odisha that the Prime Minister has mentioned my artwork in his Mann Ki Baat. I had never expected that my artwork of Pattachitra will give me a national identity. I thank the Prime Minister," said Bhagyashree.

"I started all these last year when I joined M.Tech first year. During the lockdown, I focused on my passion for Pattachitra painting. I have decided that I will follow my passion in future," she added.

During his monthly radio programme, Modi praised her for popularising the traditional art form.

"Look at Bhagyashree Sahu of Rourkela. Although she is a student of Engineering, in the past few months, she started learning the art of Pattachitra and has mastered it. On her way to college, Bhagyashree found soft stones, and collected and cleaned them. Later, she painted these stones in Pattachitra style for two hours every day," said Modi.

"After painting these stones, she started gifting them to her friends. During the lockdown, she started painting on bottles too. And now, she even conducts workshops on this art form. A few days ago, on the birth anniversary of Subhash Babu (Subhash Chandra Bose), Bhagyashree paid him a unique tribute done on stone," said Modi.

Meanwhile, congratulatory messages poured in for Bhagyashree Sahu.

Union ministers from Odisha, Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi congratulated for her endeavour.

"Spoke to Bhagyashree Sahu. Congratulated her for efforts to promote #Pattachitra art and also encouraged her to continue her inspiring work in making our art and culture more popular. She was excited and expressed happiness on her work getting noticed by PM @narendramodiji," tweeted Pradhan.

"It was a moment of pride to know from the #ManakiBaat of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji about Bhagyashree Sahu from Rourkela who mastered the art of traditional Patta Chitra paintings in a few months of practice despite she being a student of Engineering," tweeted Sarangi.
The year is 1944, and a Tampax advertisement is banned in Ireland after causing outrage due to its offensive, crude tone. Wait - apologies, I'm getting my anecdotes mixed up. It was a chemist who, when intending to stock Tampax after them being banned for more than a year-and -a-half, had to be warned of the 'moral dangers' of tampons back in 1944, and thus was dissuaded from going ahead.

The case of the banned Tampax ad was just last summer, in the year of 2020 - but there you go, seven or eight decades are neither here nor there when it comes to morals and women's liberation, right? After all, the last remaining mother and baby home only closed in 1998.

You'd be forgiven for thinking life feels a little archaic in Ireland at times, especially if you're a woman. Some might point out that at least we stopped sending women to England when we voted to repeal the Eighth, but that's sadly not the case. Women are still travelling, and not only to end the often-traumatic pregnancies that fall outside of the parameters of the current law, but for diagnosis and treatment of common conditions causing everything from chronic pain and infertility to psychological anguish.

Granted, Ireland is not a big country; people need to travel for all sorts of treatments for which there simply aren't any qualified surgeons or consultants in a nation as small as ours. But these conditions aren't rare. Around 10pc of women suffer from endometriosis - it just takes them on average nine years to get a diagnosis. An estimated 5pc live with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), but many GPs barely even know what it is, let alone how to treat it.

When I realised that I had pelvic organ prolapse, it was a lightbulb moment. I'd written off increasingly painful periods as part and parcel of being a woman. I'd thought that having lower back and pelvic pain after running probably wasn't particularly strange - after all, for someone who'd given birth vaginally twice and had reconstructive surgery afterwards. I'd heard that needing to rush into a cafe to use the toilet five minutes into each run was just what women did, so why would I complain?

However, when I spent hours on the loo one night, unable to go, despite a desperately increasing need to, and my bladder growing fuller and more sore by the minute, I suddenly remembered reading an interview with a very angry, very frustrated woman years before I ever even thought about giving birth, and all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

When symptoms you've been brushing off for months suddenly all make sense, it's easy to feel as if you should have known better. Then again, I couldn't help but think that someone should have checked - that perhaps it wasn't me but in fact a medical professional who should've   known better. Around half of all mothers go on to develop pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which weakened or injured pelvic floor muscles cause one or more of the pelvic organs to drop, and I ticked a number of boxes on the high-risk list. Why had no one told me? Why had no one checked? I went to the GP, got an official diagnosis, and was sent home to wait 18 months to see a gynaecologist.

My story is somewhat of a textbook example of what it's like to be a woman today, whether you are unfortunate enough to develop one of the many common conditions such as endometriosis, vulvodynia, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and PMDD, or you're one of those for whom childbirth causes injury or lasting pain or both. It's not that doctors don't want to help, of course; it's just that pain associated with lady bits has long been thought of as either natural or imagined, and research has a lot of catching up to do. Studies on erectile dysfunction, a problem experienced by 19pc of men, outnumber those on PMS, which affects nine out of 10 women, by five to one. Meanwhile, endometriosis gets a tiny sliver of funding compared to what goes into diabetes, despite affecting the same amount of women.

The resulting knowledge gap, according to Gabrielle Jackson, author of Pain And Prejudice: A Call To Arms For Women And Their Bodies, leads some doctors to conclude, when they've exhausted all treatment options known to them, that the problem must lie with the woman herself. Either it's her lifestyle choices that are causing the pain, or she is mentally unwell and simply imagining it.

Enter the trope of the hysterical woman, reinforced by the fact that the unpredictability of hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle has meant that pain is almost exclusively researched on male rodents and humans.

The fact that male and female brains process chronic pain differently has fallen by the wayside, leaving room for the hysteria narrative to flourish.

But the knowledge gap extends far beyond the walls of GP surgeries and hospitals. A UK study found that almost half of all women were unable to point out the vagina on a diagram of the female reproductive system, with six out of 10 unable to identify the vulva.

"This combination of ignorance and embarrassment could be costing lives," commented the Eve Appeal, the gynaecological cancer research charity that commissioned the study. It's not, in other words, that no one knows about all these symptoms, nor that we're hysterical and imagining them. It's just that we don't seem to know quite how to talk about it. Many of us don't even have the words.

According to Dr Caroline West, lecturer in sexuality studies and host of the Glow West podcast, much of the shame surrounding women's bodies has its roots in religion, and not just Catholicism.

"In Hindu communities, you still have to go and sit in isolation when you have your period, and menstruating women aren't allowed to participate in fasting during Ramadan as they're seen as unclean," she says.

"There's a lack of education as well here in Ireland. We're not teaching people to say 'vulva' and 'testes' but instead teach them to say 'privates' and 'front bum' and so on, and when we're not naming something, it adds mystery and intrigue. If you can't even mention a part of your body, of course that leads to shame and stigma."

The sex-education curriculum in Ireland, which is currently under review, leaves a lot to be desired, says Dr West. "It'll talk about periods but fail to go into the four different phases of a period, the variety of periods that can be experienced, what's 'normal' and when you should start to worry," she explains.

"Good sex education helps people to protect themselves. If you know what a heavy period is and know that it's not normal to have to take five days off work every month, you can go to your GP to start that process of trying to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't - a lot of people just accept that that's what it means to have your period."

For me, as the months went by with no sign of a gynaecologist appointment, the number of secret Facebook support groups I was in grew, as did my frustration with the injustice of the situation I and many thousands of other women found ourselves in.

Women talked about wanting to lift and dance with their children without pain and described feeling completely lost, realising how common their condition is yet feeling totally clueless about it. They spoke of crying in secret, feeling utterly alone in their experience. And that's when I decided to start a podcast.

Perhaps a strict lockdown, with schools closed and my two sons at home in a small house in urban north Dublin, wasn't the ideal time to start a venture that relies on intimate conversations. But then again, women's health issues don't take a hiatus to allow a pandemic to pass; if anything, they're exacerbated by lockdowns and an overstretched health service.

While I, a complete audio novice, set out to learn how to record, edit and publish conversations, one of the podcast guests was busy trying to navigate strict travel restrictions while desperate to get to Zurich for treatment she couldn't get here in Ireland. Another had her entire IVF process paused, and a third found herself in lockdown with a newborn and a severe birth injury.

The first episode of Bits of Me went out on July 1 last year. Its first season covered everything from urinary incontinence and third-degree tears to endometriosis, infertility, vaginismus and PMDD. Many of the themes have been universal. The experience of miscarriage bridges cultural differences and geographical borders, and the limited understanding of endometriosis and PMDD has left women all around the world living in pain and distress for years.

Some maternity systems may be safer than others, but birth injuries are prevalent everywhere, and research on both prevention and treatment is lagging.

Other aspects of the stories shared have been more specific to Ireland. The fate of walking around carrying a dying baby, just waiting for the bleeding to start, for instance, was one forced on countless miscarrying, grieving women as a direct result of the Eighth amendment.

One woman spoke of being shamed when suffering from recurring bladder pain and yet to be diagnosed interstitial cystitis, and told to "stop having so much sex". The lack of understanding of women's health may be a global phenomenon - but we've been particularly slow here in Ireland to foster the kind of culture where we can find the ways and words to talk about it.

Perhaps a society tainted by the kinds of institutions that locked up women and their 'illegitimate children' is bound to be kicking and screaming as we drag it into a conversation about women's bodies and refuse to leave autonomy out of it.

All the women I've spoken to have one thing in common: they're tired of the culture of shame and silence. Some admit to being very private people while others refer to themselves as over-sharers, but all think if sharing their story means that one other woman feels less lonely, it's worth it.

Seeing a tampon ad banned for informing users to "get 'em up there, girls!", it's hard not to agree. For a long time, pads couldn't even be advertised without the period-blood substitute being a clinical blue.

Violent, 'masculine' blood is fine - just try any crime drama on RTE and you'll see. It's the blood that comes out of a vagina that must be censored. As girls, we're socialised to panic when a tampon falls out of our handbag; to carefully cover up any sign of our fertility all the way up until the moment we are heavily pregnant.

We're warned of the high risk of miscarriage in the first trimester, reminded of that unwritten rule of silence while failure is still likely, as though the discomfort of a grieving mother, a woman no longer pregnant, is so impossible for us to deal with that we'd rather she lies and pretends she's fine.

What if we started to share the truth about our bodies? What if we shrugged at falling tampons and spoke of our bodily grief when we're ready, rather than when others are comfortable enough to validate it? What if we learnt the difference between common and normal, if we felt supported in the knowing that we're not alone, but at the same time justified in demanding treatment because we know we're not hysterical?

I'm not naive enough to think that a podcast will be the solution, but I'm hopeful that it might be a start. l

'Bits of Me' is available on all major podcast platforms

Portrait by Fran Veale
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Congress in Delhi on Sunday passed a resolution to make Rahul Gandhi the president of the party with immediate effect.

"Rahul ji is the only one who can inspire Congress workers. All his predictions are coming true, from farmers issue to ills of GST. He has shown his leadership ability. So, we passed the resolution to make him Congress president again," said Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Anil Chaudhary.

Congress needs Gandhi to lead the party forcefully, to counter the communal, authoritarian and undemocratic forces, trying to take the country on the path of destruction, the resolution stated.

The grand old party had said earlier this month that Congress will have an elected president by June 2021. The Congress Working Committee had approved holding the internal election after the assembly polls.

The Central Election Authority had proposed the holding of polls for electing the party president and AICC session on May 29 and the working committee discussed the dates, but authorised Sonia Gandhi to schedule them after the assembly polls.

The CWC had in its earlier meeting decided to hold organisational elections, following a storm in the party in August last year over a letter to Sonia Gandhi by a group of 23 leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Mukul Wasnik raising these issues.

Sonia Gandhi had last month met some of these 'letter-writers' and discussed the issues raised by them.

There have been demands from a section of the Congress leaders for having a full-time and active party president and an organisational overhaul.

Sonia had taken over as the interim Congress president in August 2019 after Rahul Gandhi resigned in the wake of the party's Lok Sabha debacle in May 2019.

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Kabul, Jan 31 : A Taliban militant group's acting provincial governor for Kabul province has been arrested, the Afghan National Directorate for Security (NDS), the country's national intelligence agency, confirmed on Sunday.

"Taliban's acting provincial shadow governor Mohammad alias Hajji Lala has been arrested by NDS Special Forces," Xinhua news agency quoted the NDS as saying in an announcement.

The arrested Taliban leader was also a military chief for several Afghan central provinces, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, rejected the report as a baseless claim.

Taliban militants, who ruled the country before being ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, killing government troops as well as civilians.

Their so-called leadership council has appointed governors as well as judges for nearly all 34 Afghan provinces.
The Victorian Institute of Technology in Melbourne has promoted scholarships that offer onshore international students fee discounts of 15 per cent to 25 per cent for information technology and systems bachelors and masters degrees. The discounts offered to offshore students are up to 50 per cent. Fee discounts for a masters of business administration range from 40 to 50 per cent. Loading Swinburne University of Technology has offered international students fee discounts of between 30 per cent and 75 per cent through scholarships. A spokesman for Swinburne said its website needed to be updated, but the university offered a range of scholarships to support students financially during these challenging times. The Australian Institute of Higher Education in Sydney offers a Women in Stem scholarship worth $6000 per trimester for students in the bachelor of business information systems. It also offers a 20 per cent bursary on standard fees for all courses and flexible payment plans to onshore international students. The Australian National University last year offered up to $13,000 towards on-campus accommodation costs in the first year of study, and a 25 per cent fee waiver for international students in the second year of study, valued at up to $12,000. The scholarship is not available this year and has been replaced with a merit-based scholarship worth $25,000 a year including a once-off per annum fee waiver ranging between $15,000 and $25,000 for high calibre students.

Universities Admissions Centre data also shows ATARs for courses including the bachelor of commerce at the UNSW dropped from 96 last year to 93 this year. The ATAR for a bachelor of business fell from 90.1 last year to 85.05 this year. Deputy vice-chancellor Merlin Crossley said UNSW reduced ATARs for a number of courses including engineering and science. New enrolments of international students are at about 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Domestic student enrolments were up on last year but limited by federal government caps. We are not suddenly trying to poach students from other places. We are all hurting, Professor Crossley said. We are a smaller university now, next year and the year after.

Loading Some industries will bounce back quite quickly if borders open, but we are going to struggle to bounce back. UNSW has cut 500 staff to manage its budget and is among major universities heavily reliant on international student fee revenue to fund research, which the federal government has propped up for one year with a $1 billion. We are holding on, but we cant hold on forever. We wont be able to keep up with research, Professor Crossley said. Figures published in 2019 annual reports for universities show UTS generated $472 million in revenue from international students and had $163.8 million in cash reserves which could potentially be depleted by a 35 per cent drop in international fee income. A 33 per cent drop in international fee revenue could similarly deplete Southern Crosss estimated $31.2 million in cash or near cash assets. UNSW would need to experience a 60 per cent drop in fee revenue to deplete cash reserves according to the analysis, but last years restructure was used to manage its budget.

A UTS spokesman said it was using a variety of measures in conjunction with cash reserves. Mechanisms such as deferral of capital expenditure on buildings or other infrastructure, restructuring of borrowings and reduced expenditure through efficiency measures are just some of the levers that are available, the spokesman said. A University of Sydney spokeswoman said demand from local students has been higher than ever without any reductions in fees or entry requirements for international students. The university confirmed its international student fee income for 2019 was $1.062 billion and the reported value of its cash, cash equivalents and other financial assets was $2264.2 million, but said this could not be easily liquidated and turned into cash. While our annual report data might suggest we have significant resources, the majority of our income is quarantined for specific purposes and is not available to support day-to-day operations, the spokeswoman said.

Data from the Universities Admissions Centre shows there has been a 5.5 per cent increase in the number of new applications from students who had partly completed a bachelor degree, which suggests they are transferring to another course. This was part of a 9 per cent increase overall in the number of applications from people other than those who completed year 12 last year. Loading Professor Scott Harrison, acting deputy vice-chancellor at Griffith University said it was getting national interest in its courses this year. He said there has been a 20 per cent increase in demand for music and performing arts courses and people are prepared to travel. Charles Sturt University interim vice-chancellor professor John Germov said wealthier universities had previously targeted students with high ATARs with scholarships, but were now using more aggressive advertising, alternative entry and early offer programs.

Ben Roche, who is vice president for engagement at Southern Cross University said it was feeling relatively comfortable with its cash levels. He said across the sector there had been increased competition for students and fierce demand to try and dangle incentives in front of current students who are onshore. We havent changed our fees, but the bit we do ratchet occasionally, which I have to say I dont think is a very prudent long-term strategy, is the volume of fee-waiver scholarships, which is effectively fee discounting, he said. I think universities are becoming more concerned around discounting price in an absolute sense, so they are using other levers and incentives. Peter Hurley, education policy fellow at Victoria Universitys Mitchell Institute said competition for onshore international students would be unsurprising because with borders closed they are the main source of new enrolments. In November, enrolments were about 14 per cent below the same time the previous year, but another 21 per cent of students were due to finish their courses by January.
Almighty and everlasting God,

you govern all things both in heaven and on earth:

Mercifully hear the supplications of your people,

and in our time grant us your peace;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God,

For ever and ever.

Amen.


Ariel Nelson wanted to honor his late mother Eva, a woman who escaped Nazi Germany, came to the United States, and became a teacher who introduced many of her students to the horrors of the Holocaust. After she died last June, he found a scrapbook filled with letters from previous students thanking her for the impact she had in educating them about anti-Semitism.

Couple this with racial tension galvanizing the U.S. for much of the past year, and he had an idea.

I have a kid whos in a school in an upper middle class neighborhood, and (its) mostly white kids. And we live only 10 miles away from Newark, where there are schools with kids that are mostly Black kids or kids of color. Wouldnt it be great if we actually built bridges between these two sets of kids? Nelson told NJ Advance Media.

So the Livingston resident set up a meeting with his sons principal, Rabbi Eliezer Rubi, at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, with hopes of creating a voluntary, discussion-driven history curriculum that would explore the histories of marginalized communities.

The result is a months-long course that compares the experiences of those who lived through the Holocaust and the experiences of Black and brown people facing racism in America, while highlighting the differences between systemic racism and anti-Semitism. Its a collaboration between Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston and St. Benedicts Preparatory School in Newark, launched in September with 27 student participants.

In the weekly virtual seminar, students dive into historical texts and firsthand accounts of oppression  touching on events from the past like the Tuskegee syphilis experiments and the Nuremberg Code, to current events like the deadly Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017 and the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre of 2018.

Students also share their own personal experiences with discrimination and prejudice. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., has even sat in on a lesson.

Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston and St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark have teamed up for a groundbreaking course on antisemitism and racism. U.S. Senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker, has sat in on a discussion.

These kids are going to go off to college campuses, theyre going to be able to be in a situation where theyre going to see something or hear something or experience something, and theyre going to pause and not all of a sudden just think with their blinders on, but actually be open-minded, Nelson said.

For many students, its their first time discussing such sensitive topics with teens who didnt grow up in the same neighborhoods  a diverse consortium of young people who werent raised with similar traditions and cultural norms. Some say the seminar has been enlightening.

I didnt know there are still some anti-Semitic groups in New Jersey until I was in the class. And I feel like the Kushner students also learned a different perspective from the Black students actually having to go through...racial insensitivity firsthand. But we all really gained a lot of different perspectives from the class, said Kayla Soto, a Black 11th grader at St. Benedicts.

Suddenly the issues they may hear about on the news hit home in new ways.

The one thing that Ive learned the most from the seminar is really having an opportunity to hear personal experiences from the students at St. Benedicts who have experienced firsthand racism and discrimination by law enforcement officials, said Maurice Korish, a senior at Kushner Yeshiva High School, whose heritage is Jewish and Hispanic.

We see a lot of it on the television, on the news and worldwide. But a lot of people dont often actually get to hear a personal experience.

And unlike how these conversations often play out on social media, the discussions are far from antagonistic, the students said.

The classroom environment is not hostile at all. Its very informative and Im able to comfortably talk about issues and things that Im passionate about, Soto said.

Both Soto and Korish said they believe Generation Z is generally receptive to having raw and honest conversations about differences.

When I talk with my peers, we have a very positive outlook on the future and we really believe that our generation, the youth has a lot of power to make change, Korish said. And this is how its beginning, by engaging in conversations with one another.

The goal by the end of the school year is for students to come away with real-world solutions to combatting anti-Semitism and systemic racism, said Kushner Yeshiva instructor, Deborah Orens.

Orens, whos also a lawyer, came up with the programs curriculum, in which much of the discussion is student-led.

I think we need to know our history, our real history. Enough of this, weve been perfect, and everything is excellent and (there are) no problems here, we are the best and the brightest, Orens said. I do believe that we can be the best. I think weve got a great system of government. But the kids have to know. And theyre hungry for it.

The coronavirus has limited how students interact with kids from the other school. So far they have yet to meet in person, but there are plans to have both groups get together in Washington, D.C. for trips to the Holocaust Museum and the Museum for African-American History and Culture, if the pandemic takes a turn for the better, Orens said.

Both students and organizers hope to be an example other New Jersey schools can follow.

I never thought that it would be as successful as its been, and all I can do is learn from it and tweak it and make improvements so that next year its even better, Nelson said.

The seminar is funded by the Eva Nelson Memorial Fund.

Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston and St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark have teamed up for a groundbreaking course on antisemitism and racism.

Tennyson Donyea may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com.

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Egypt seeks to produce covid-19 vaccines locally via the Egyptian pharmaceutical companies, presidential adviser for health affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din has said, amid the high pressure on vaccines manufacturing companies.

Egypt has reserved 100 million doses of the approved vaccines through agreements, only a 50,000 dose batch from Sinopharm vaccines has been delivered while another 50,000 does batch from AstraZeneca on its way to the country.

The country still seeks to diversify the sources of vaccines as manufacturing companies are unable to meet the required amounts as scheduled, the Presidential Adviser told the media late Saturday.

"Vaccine manufacturers cant fulfill the required amounts of doses on schedule  neither for us nor for others  as large quantities have been reserved by countries of origin," Tag El-Din added.

He noted that the country is proceeding its vaccination campaign according to its priority list that starts with the frontline healthcare workers at coronavirus isolation and triage hospitals, followed by kidney failure and cancer patients, then the elderly.

Egypt has vaccinated hundreds of medical staffers nationwide as a first step in the country's vaccination campaign, which kicked off last Sunday.

It is currently awaiting new deliveries of coronavirus vaccines to expand the vaccinations' access to more categories, especially to top priority groups.

A total of 165,418 coronavirus infections have been registered in Egypt, including 9,263 fatalities, 129,293 recoveries.



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Mr Joshua Makubu, Oti Regional Minister-designate, has urged stakeholders including; the government and the private sector players to elevate the discourse at building inclusive, equitable and a prosperous society for all including persons with disability (PWDs).



Mr Makubu who said this during the Expanded Executive Committee meeting of the New Patriotic Party in Dambai said the educational system must guarantee equal access and build inclusive learning environments that would provide the needed assistance for PWDs to advance.



He said promoting inclusive economic growth depended on giving equal opportunities to all irrespective of stature or physique.



On the government's agenda 111, he said Ghana government would use local firms to build 88 district hospitals, which would equip and retool to improve on health infrastructure for the remaining districts of the region, bringing healthcare closer to the people.



Touching on road infrastructure, he said most of the access roads in the Region were in deplorable conditions and hoped the extension of the government's policy on road would bring the needed comfort to commuters, drivers and residents.



He promised if approved by the vetting Committee to use his lobbying skills to improve on the sector in the region to reactivate businesses on the slow dip.



He promised to work hard to justify the mandate to be given to him as Minister and poised to end the prevailing water crisis during his tenure in office.

Source: GNA









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He was an arm-draping pol as a senator. He hung out in the Senate cloakroom chatting up legislators as vice president. He pitched himself during the presidential campaign as someone who could get people working together" and lower the temperature in a Washington overheated by Donald Trump .

Now, after his first full week as president, Joe Biden is coming face to face with the potential limitations of his ability to work across the aisle as he pushes for a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that is the first big test of his tenure.

Republicans are balking at the price tag and Democrats are sending signals that theyre willing to push the bill through without GOP help as Bidens campaign pitch to be a deal-maker appears to be giving way to the reality of a Senate that does not resemble the one he once inhabited.

In a nod to reality, Biden told reporters on Friday: I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But the COVID relief has to pass -- no ifs, ands or buts."

The White House has not given up hope of landing some GOP support for the package, and Bidens call list bears that out. But some of Bidens courtship is also directed at members of his own party to make sure a deal gets done.

He has called Sen. Susan Collins of Maine several times since his inauguration, and the moderate Republican says she has a closer relationship" with Biden than she did with Trump.

Biden has made repeated calls to senators in his own party, including two centrists -- Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona -- who have expressed some concerns about the package, according to three people familiar with the calls who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the private conversations.

A retail politician who never misses a chance for small talk or schmooze, Biden has been penned in somewhat by the pandemic, which limits the face-to-face interactions on which he thrives. But theres still his peerless phone book, built over four decades of dealing with senators on both sides of the political divide.

When he decides to make one of those calls, he doesnt really require a call sheet, a sheet that tells him exactly what to say to a member of Congress and how to outline the bill," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in an interview on MSNBC. He knows. Hes known a lot of these people for decades."

Claire McCaskill, a former Democratic senator from Missouri, says Biden is workman-like in terms of his outreach and it was not unusual for me to run into Joe Biden in the Senate cloakroom when he was vice president" to Barack Obama.

He burned up the phone lines," McCaskill said. Obama was terrible at that part of the job, while Biden was good at it, to both parties."

Having spent 36 years in the Senate and eight as vice president, Biden made bipartisan outreach a central promise, even when many in his party argued that Republicans no longer were interested in working across the aisle.

Bidens most notable deal-making success came in the Obama-era fiscal showdowns during the rise of the tea party Republicans. The landmark agreements locked in tax and spending cuts for a decade -- and soured some progressive Democrats on Bidens brand of compromise.

As vice president, Biden was a trusted emissary to Capitol Hill for Obama, who had served just four years in the Senate.

Biden arrived as a presence in the halls of Congress at several critical junctures. He helped cut a 2010 deal to prevent the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts, then negotiated on the landmark Budget Control Act of 2011 that slashed spending and walked the country back from the 2012 fiscal cliff" of looming tax increases and budget reductions.

Bidens chief virtue as a negotiator is the understanding that Look, you have politics on your side, I have politics on my side, we both have to live within our political constraints," said Rohit Kumar, former deputy chief of staff to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. His pitch: I know there are certain things you cant do and I am not going to make them deal breakers. We have to get a deal I can sell, a deal you can sell."

As senator, Biden also prized his relationships with colleagues, even though his nightly commute home to Delaware cut into his ability to socialize with other lawmakers.

Well, I dont want to ruin him, but he did work with us on occasion," said former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.

Lott said Biden was not someone he recalls as often being in the room when Senate leadership was trying to work out a deal on major bills. But Lott pointed to two major instances when he was: the 1994 crime bill and the 2002 Iraq War resolution, a pair of measures for which Biden has since expressed regret.

Still, Lott said Bidens relationship with McConnell was real and could pay dividends again.

They worked out an agreement that basically is what theyve been working off ever since," Lott said. Somebody in the media referred to Biden then as the McConnell whisperer."

Still, the Senate has changed markedly since Biden first joined decades ago, with different skills now in currency as senators gain status on social media, raise money beyond their home states and spend less time socializing with one another in Washington.

Bidens style of old-school, one-on-one cajoling may be less persuasive for senators from either party who cultivate their own brands and dont necessarily rely on proximity to presidential power to raise their profiles.

And, of course, policy matters. The parties are more split than ever over the legislative remedies for the nation, a partisan divide that political scientists see as on par with the rifts of the Civil War era.

Biden aides worry that Republicans will continue to balk no matter how many personal phone calls they get from the president or post-pandemic invitations they receive to high-profile events at the White House.

Their boss may be the last one to buy in to that.

Theres people who say you cant work with the other side," Biden said a year ago. And if thats the case, prepare your children for a totally different U.S., a totally different world. I dont believe it."

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

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Beleaguered Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., boasted of a GREAT conversation Saturday with ex-President Donald Trump amid rising calls for her expulsion from Congress.

The newly minted, far right-wing lawmaker, who is facing a growing scandal over her support for extremist violence, said she would never get off the Trump train.

I had a GREAT call with my all time favorite POTUS, President Trump, Greene tweeted. The people of this country are absolutely 100% loyal to him because he is 100% loyal to the people and America First.

Greene was a prime instigator of the false claim that Trump really won the 2020 presidential election, a lie that led to the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by violent #MAGA supporters.

But she suggested liberal Democrats are the true haters.

I will never back down and will stand up against the never ending blood thirsty mob who has addicted their followers to hate, the GOP lawmaker wrote.

Greene, who supports QAnon conspiracy theories, has come under increasing fire in recent days over her past calls for the execution of top Democrats and her support for right-wing political violence.

Shes backed claims that the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school massacre was a hoax and supported so-called 9/11 truthers who say the terror attack did not really happen.

Greene rejected the criticism by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who said that the enemy is within the House of Representatives, referring to the rhetoric and behavior of Greene and other Trump supporters in laying the groundwork for the attack on Congress.

Yes there is an enemy within, Greene wrote. And that enemy is a poisonous rot of socialist policies and America last sell outs.

Democratic lawmakers are pushing for Greenes expulsion from Congress and even some moderate Republicans have joined in the chorus of attacks on her outrageous behavior.

Sen. Mitt Romney tweeted that she and Trump are lies of a feather.

Marjorie Taylor Greenes nonsense and the big lie of a stolen election, the former GOP presidential standard bearer tweeted.

She hit back by urging Romney to grow a pair or a spine.

House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has said he would talk to Greene about her incendiary remarks.

But there is little sign of any daylight between them when it comes to Trump, who is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate for his role in inciting the Capitol Hill riot.

Despite the ex-presidents election loss and refusal to accept to defeat, McCarthy journeyed to Trumps Florida estate to kiss his ring and discuss GOP hopes to retake Congress in 2022.
The state Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld a Newark mans death sentence for fatally shooting a San Leandro police officer in 2005 to keep the officer from arresting him for possessing drugs and guns.

Irving Ramirez, now 38, was convicted by an Alameda County jury in 2007 of first-degree murder in the death of Officer Nels Dan Niemi, 42. Niemi, who had left his job in the computer industry to join the police force less than three years earlier, was the first San Leandro officer killed in the line of duty in nearly 40 years.

Ramirez, who turned 23 on the day of the shooting in July 2005, had been arrested for possession of drugs seven months earlier and spent 45 days in jail. He was drinking liquor with friends in a driveway when a neighbor called police and Niemi drove up. Ramirez gave the officer his identification and, while Niemi was examining it, pulled out a handgun and shot him in the head, the court said. He then shot the officer five more times as he lay on the ground.

A friend at the scene said Ramirez told him he had fired the shots because I was gone, meaning that he would have been arrested for the drugs and guns in his car. Ramirezs girlfriend testified that he arrived at her house soon afterward, showered and showed her a marsh where he had tossed the murder weapon. She called police the next day, and they found the gun and arrested Ramirez.

His lawyers presented testimony from a toxicologist about Ramirezs drunken mental state and argued that he had been too intoxicated to have deliberated the killing, a requirement for first-degree murder. His mother said Ramirez, brought to the United States from El Salvador as a child, had started drinking as an adolescent and was gentle and sweet when sober, but bad-tempered when drunk.

But prosecutors said Ramirez was walking steadily an hour after the shooting and acted coherently in disposing of the evidence. The court said that jurors were entitled to find that he had known what he was doing.

The defense also argued that the jury could have been unduly influenced by the presence of 17 or 18 uniformed San Leandro officers in the court gallery on the final day of trial. Superior Court Judge Jon Rolefson denied a defense request to order the officers to wear civilian clothes, but kept them out of the front row, which he reserved for Ramirezs family.

Rolefson made a reasoned judgment that the officers had done nothing to intimidate the jury, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said in Thursdays 7-0 ruling. She said jurors could have interpreted their presence as simply a show of support for Niemi and his family, rather than an attempt to influence the verdict.

Based on our own experience and common sense, we cannot say that the risk of undue influence here was unacceptably high, Cantil-Sakauye said.

Deputy State Public Defender Maria Morga, Ramirezs appellate lawyer, said she was very disappointed by the ruling, and declined further comment.

The case is People vs. Ramirez, S155160.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The idea for Brandon Hobsons poignant new novel The Removed grew out of his reading about Native teens being shot by police and how gun violence affects their families for years.

Early in the novel, Ray-Ray, a Cherokee youth from Quah, Oklahoma, is shot and killed by a white police officer in a mall.

The story examines how Ray-Rays family grieves and seeks resilience and hope years after his death. It studies the lives of the parents, Maria and Ernest Echota, and their two adult children, Sonja and Edgar, each with their own struggles.

Sonja is sexually attracted to Vin, whose father is linked to Ray-Rays fatal shooting, and she is maternally drawn to Vins young son.

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Edgar, living in Albuquerque, is trying to pull himself out of a meth addiction. He boards a train to a town called the Darkening Land where he confronts racism and exploitation, and finds environmental degradation.

Ultimately he puts behind that misery, walking on a road that seems to lead to a new world with a brilliant sunlight that appeared from behind a cloud.

His parents are desperate to reach him to invite him to a family bonfire on the upcoming anniversary of Ray-Rays death.

Meanwhile, the parents get an emotional boost when they take in Wyatt, a teenage Cherokee boy, for a six-day emergency foster-home placement. Wyatt is sociable, smart and shares his knowledge of Cherokee history and lore, which are elements in the novel. Wyatt reminds Maria and Ernest of Ray-Ray  his facial expressions, his mannerisms, his smile, his impersonations.

They also see Wyatt as a gift. His personality is a fount of goodness, radiating out to those he encounters. Wyatts power has a positive influence on Ernest, whos been slowly sinking into an Alzheimers fog. Through Wyatts presence, Ernests Alzheimers seems to be miraculously reversing. He wants to tell his doctor, Im feeling damn great.

Instead, Maria leaves a phone message for the doctor:  something remarkable is happening with his memory. We think his Alzheimers is gone. He can suddenly remember things.  I think hes been healed. Maria wants to learn to heal herself in dealing with her long-simmering anger toward the cop who mistakenly killed Ray-Ray.

The books title can refer to multiple removals. The historical one, referenced in the novel, is the federal governments infamous mid-19th century forcible removal of thousands of Cherokees (and Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Seminoles) from their ancestral homelands in the Southeast to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi. The removal is known as the Trail of Tears.

Hobson, the author, said readers can also think of removal in others terms  of Edgar leaving behind Albuquerque and then the Darkening Land, of Wyatts brief move to the care of Maria and Ernest, and his departure from them.

There is a tender separation scene after a judge places Wyatt in the custody of his grandparents. Wyatt says good-bye to his foster parents, using the same Latin phrase, Maria recalled, that Ray-Ray used the night before he died  Ave atque vale, hail and farewell.

Hobson, an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is an assistant professor of creative writing at New Mexico State University and a faculty mentor in the low residency masters program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

At NMSU, Hobson said in a phone interview, he does not teach his own books, rather those by Native and non-Native authors he loves. Two Native writers hes recently taught are Kelli Jo Ford (Cherokee) and David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Sicangu Lakota).

Both of them are exceptional prose writers who write about serious subjects and do it in very brilliant ways, Hobson said. I hope The Removed opens up awareness not only to the history but to bring more light to Native American books and writing in the overall discussion of literature.

Hobsons 2018 novel Where the Dead Sit Talking was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction.
In a bid to speed up the process of vaccination against the novel coronavirus, the Centre has directed all the states and union territories to start inoculation of frontline workers along with health professionals from the first week of February.

The government estimates that around 3 crore health and frontline workers will be administered the Covid-19 vaccine in the first round of the drive that is likely to be completed by the month of April.

As per government data, more than 33.7 lakh health workers have already received the first dose of the vaccine in the last two weeks since the launch of the drive on January 16.

India has also been lauded for sending consignments of domestically-produced coronavirus vaccines under a grant assistance to Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mauritius, and Seychelles in the last few days. It is also undertaking commercial supplies of the doses to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, and Morocco.

States across the country have also geared up in the fight against Covid-19 during the second vaccination drive. Here's all you need to know.

Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government will begin vaccination of frontline workers from February 1. The state government has instructed civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to take special care to restrict potential spurt in Covid-19 cases after Mumbai locals resume services from Monday.

Covid Care Centers have been instructed to be operational for the coming few months.

So far, in Maharashtra, 580,000 frontline workers are said to have registered on the Cowin app so far. The enrolment of the frontline workers is incomplete and is expected to add up to 200,000 more in the coming days.

The Pune district authorities also plan to increase targeted recipients at each centre to 120-130% once frontline staff joins the vaccination program. As per reports, the state is equipped with vaccines to the count of 18.2 lakh Covishield and 1.75 lakh Covaxin doses.

Delhi

Over 91% of scheduled beneficiaries of the Covid-19 vaccine were inoculated in one day for the first time in Delhi last Monday

At Delhis 81 vaccination centres, 7,408 health care workers of the targeted 8,100 received a jab of either the Covaxin or Covishield vaccines.

According to administration data, 41 hospitals, including private and government facilities, either vaccinated 100% of their targeted beneficiaries or exceeded that number on Monday.

In Delhi, Covid-19 vaccination takes place four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Uttar Pradesh

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced that the state is targeting the completion of vaccination of all the health workers by February 5 and also wishes to launch the drive for vaccination of frontline workers on the same day.

The state also plans to wind up vaccination including the first and second doses of the health and frontline workers by March 25.

Tamil Nadu

In a special request, the state of Tamil Nadu has asked the Centre for the elderly to be allowed vaccination along with frontline workers and healthcare providers. Experts are of the view that instead of vaccinating the elderly in the third phase, they can be inoculated simultaneously now as they are more prone to developing serial symptoms.

Confirming that the vaccination of the frontline workers will commence on February 1, the authorities also said that they have already covered one lakh person and have the bandwidth to vaccinate more than 6 lakh person with the rate of 16,000 persons per day.

Bihar

The Bihar state government has enrolled 1.94 lakh frontline workers for vaccination against coronavirus disease as it stepped up efforts to complete the exercise of inoculating 4.64 lakh healthcare workers by asking medical colleges to vaccinate on all days, except holidays.

To speed up vaccination, 12 new government session sites have been identified for vaccination in Patna. Besides, 22 private healthcare facilities have also been shortlisted where smaller private health facilities will be tagged for vaccination of its healthcare workers,

Karnataka

As per reports, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has already begun data entry of the frontline workers, who will be vaccinated in the second phase.

In addition, the state government has urged the Centre to treat teachers and other education department staff as frontline workers who were involved in door-to-door collection of data and other services, for the purpose of Covid-19 vaccination.

Gujarat

Following a communication from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on January 29 to commence the second phase of Covid-19 vaccination, Gujarat will begin the inoculation drive for its frontline workers, including policemen, from Sunday, targeting to cover 75,000 beneficiaries in a single day.

State immunization officer Nayan Jani Saturday said no healthcare worker will be vaccinated on Sunday, instead frontline workers, including officials from the revenue department, home department, and urban development department, will get the first jab.

More than three lakh frontline workers have been registered as beneficiaries across Gujarat. On Sunday, the state immunization officer said, the focus will remain on oral polio drive as well as frontline workers.

Punjab

The state Health Department is all geared up to vaccinate frontline workers of other departments from February 1. In this second phase of vaccination, workers from the police, local bodies, disaster management, rural development, and panchayats and revenue departments will be given Covid shots.

So far, only 30 percent of the targeted frontline workers of the Health Department have been vaccinated. However, the authorities also made it clear that health workers still might get a chance to get vaccinated until February 12.

A few days back Indian catapulted to reach the milestone of completing 3 million vaccination of people, one of the fastest in the world.
Police have arrested four Bangladeshi nationals from Agartala airport for illegally crossing the Indo-Bangla international border. The accused on Saturday produced before the court. Police remanded them to seven days in police custody.

The four individuals had reportedly crossed the Indo-Bangla international border in Tripura illegally and were on their way to Mumbai when the police intercepted them.The accused are identified as Kawsar Hossain (40), Dilwar Basir Uddin (65), Mohammad Mizanur Rahman (48) and Mizanur Rahman Milon (19).

The accused were using someone elses Aadhaar card, PAN card to enter the airport. while checking in the officials at the Agartala airport grew suspicious and checked their names and addresses. The officials found that they had entered India from Bangladesh without any valid documents.Airport authorities handed them over to the police.

Earlier, on Jan 5, A total of twelve Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Tripura on Monday. The twelve Bangladeshi nationals allegedly entered India illegally. They were arrested at the Agartala Airport when they were about to fly to Chennai on an IndiGo flight with fake Aadhaar card.

Also Read:

Chief Minister Yogi will start polio campaign 2021 from today

India reaches16th position in case of active case, 37 lakh people vaccinated so far

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal announces one time financial assistance to 1300 families of Laika-Dodhia villages
Still, the average reported daily death rate over the past seven days was above 3,000, and we are by no means out of the woods yet.

Variants threaten to send case rates to a new high if they take hold, as health officials have warned may be the case by March.

Maryland and South Carolina identified their first cases of the variant from South Africa. A variant from Brazil was detected in Minnesota this week, and one from Britain has been detected in at least 30 states.

It is a pivotal moment, one virologist said. It is a race with the new variants to get a large number of people vaccinated before those variants spread.

In recent days, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax have each announced that their vaccines provided strong protection against Covid-19 but that their efficacy rate dropped against the South African variant.
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If history is a guide, the recent rough ride for Indian stocks will continue after Mondays budget.

The S&P BSE index has climbed in the month after budget day on only two of the past seven years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, while falling or staying rangebound on other occasions. Risks are compounded in 2021 given stretched valuations.

There are expectations that the government will keep aside fiscal prudence and open its pockets to spend more, said Ajit Mishra, vice president of research at Mumbai-based Religare Broking Ltd. Investors and businesses are pinning high hopes on the budget and any disappointment could lead to profit-taking.





The had a blistering advance last quarter -- even as data showed that the economy had plunged into recession -- led by record inflows from foreign investors. But there are signs the rally is petering out: the index clocked its biggest weekly decline since early May from its peak on Jan. 20.

Valuations are correcting from all time high levels for most sectors, said Dhiraj Relli, chief executive officer of Mumbai-based HDFC Securities Ltd. We dont expect significant upside.
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The Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, on Sunday paid his first operational visit to the Theatre Command in Maiduguri.

He was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Air Staff, Isiaka Amao and the Chief of Naval Staff, Awwal Gambo.

Mr Irabor, a major-general, along with his team, was received by Farouq Yahaya, Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole; Abdul Khalifa, the General Officer Commanding, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army and other principal staff officers of the Military Command and Control Centre at the Headquarters of the Air Task Force.

Mr Khalifa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in an interview, that the CDS would be meeting with the other Service Chiefs, Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Chiefs of Training and Operations from the Defence Headquarters, Army, Navy, Air Force and other field commanders, where they would be briefed on recent operations in the theatre.

Mr Khalifa said that the service chiefs would also pay courtesy visits to the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn-Garbai and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno.

(NAN)
State-owned oil refiner Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has received its board's approval for setting up a new refinery in Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu at an estimated cost of Rs 29,361 crore. The plant will be established by IOC's subsidiary, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), to meet the demand of petroleum products in southern India. The new refinery will have an annual refining capacity of 9 million metric tonnes.

The board has also given permission for formation of a joint venture between IOC and CPCL, where each will hold 25 per cent stake in the new plant while the balance will be owned by other investors, subject to regulatory approval.

"The board of Indian Oil at its meeting held on January 29, 2021, has accorded approval for implementation of 9 MMTPA refinery at Cauvery Basin, Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu by Indian Oil's subsidiary company, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) at an estimated cost of Rs 29,361 crore, to meet the demand of petroleum products in southern India," the state-owned oil marketing company said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Friday.

"The board has also accorded in-principle approval for formation of a joint venture between IOC and CPCL with equity holding of 50 per cent (i.e. 25 per cent each in the Joint Venture) and balance to be held by financial / strategic / public investors to be identified later, for implementation of the project, subject to approval of NITI Aayog and other statutory approvals," it added.

According to IOC Chairman and Managing Director SM Vaidya, the plant will be completed within 48 months from the dates of investment approval and statutory clearances. The refinery is expected to source 80 per cent of materials and services indigenously, he said, adding that it will produce diesel and petrol meeting Bharat Stage VI standards.

The board of directors, in its meeting on Friday, also approved an interim dividend of Rs 7.50 per equity share, while approving financial results for the December quarter of 2020. For October-December quarter, IOC reported 62.41 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 4,359.11 crore, from Rs 2,683.87 crore reported in the corresponding period a year ago. Its revenue from operations rose marginally by 0.57 per cent to Rs 1,47,810.23 crore, compared with Rs 1,46,967.12 crore in the same period last year.

Also Read: India may offer Cairn oilfield against $1.4 billion arbitration award
The European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for the Covid19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, the third Covid-19 vaccine authorised in the EU.



This authorisation follows a positive scientific recommendation based on a thorough assessment of the safety, effectiveness and quality of the vaccine by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is endorsed by the Member States.



The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: Securing safe vaccines for Europeans is our utmost priority. With the AstraZeneca vaccine now authorized, 400 million additional doses will be available in Europe. I expect the company to deliver these doses as agreed, so that Europeans can be vaccinated as soon as possible. We will continue doing all we can to secure more vaccines for Europeans, our neighbours and our partners worldwide.



Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: With this newly authorised vaccine, our portfolio continues to take shape. Our EU Vaccines Strategy has always aimed to have a vaccine portfolio that is broad and diverse, with different technologies used, to maximise our chances of providing safe and effective vaccines to citizens as soon as possible. The European Medicines Agency's authorisation today is another step towards delivering on this promise. The Commission continues to work around the clock to secure more vaccines for Europe and our international partners. We are leaving no stone unturned in our fight against this pandemic.



The AstraZeneca vaccine will be given to adults aged 18 years and older for preventing Covid-19. The vaccine causes the immune system (the body's natural defences) to produce antibodies and specialised white blood cells that work against the virus, so giving protection against Covid-19. People vaccinated will receive two injections of the AstraZeneca vaccine.



According to EMA, most of the participants in the studies were between 18 and 55 years old. There are not yet enough results in older participants (over 55 years old) to provide a figure for how well the vaccine will work in this group. However, protection is expected, given that an immune response is seen in this age group and based on experience with other vaccines; as there is reliable information on safety in this population, EMA's scientific experts considered that the vaccine can be used in older adults.



The AstraZeneca vaccine is based on an adenovirus, a harmless virus which delivers the instructions' from the virus that causes Covid-19.This allows the body's own cells to make the protein unique to the Covid-19 virus. The person's immune system recognises that this unique protein should not be in the body and responds by producing natural defences against infection by Covid-19.



According to the contract signed with the European Commission on 27 August 2020, AstraZeneca will deliver the total amount of 400 million doses throughout 2021. These will add to the 600 million doses of the vaccine by BioNTech-Pfizer and the 160 million doses of the vaccine by Moderna.  TradeArabia News Service

Reversing previous guidance, the World Health Organization on Friday said that pregnant women can be vaccinated against COVID-19.

While pregnancy puts women at higher risk of severe COVID-19, very little data are available to assess vaccine safety in pregnancy, the agency said.

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Nevertheless, based on what we know about this kind of vaccine, we dont have any specific reason to believe there will be specific risks that would outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women, the international body said.

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For this reason, those pregnant women at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (e.g. health workers) or who have comorbidities which add to their risk of severe disease, may be vaccinated in consultation with their health care provider, the statement read.

Experts from the agency had previously said the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations were not recommended for pregnant women, unless they were at risk of high exposure.

Israels Health Ministry has advised pregnant women to get the coronavirus vaccine after a number of women expecting a baby fell seriously ill, with several babies delivered prematurely via Caesarean section due to life-threatening risks to the mothers and the children.

The ministry said this week that women in their second or third trimesters should be inoculated, but that women in their first trimester should wait unless there were other risk factors.

The ministry said that the recommendation not to vaccinate in the early weeks of pregnancy was not due to any concerns over increased risk, but rather worries that any bleeding or miscarriage, of which there is a higher risk in the first trimester, could be mistakenly linked to the vaccine.

The United States Centers for Disease Control also said this week that pregnant women should be permitted to receive the vaccine, noting that they are at increased risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19.

People who are pregnant and part of a group recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine may choose to be vaccinated, the agency said in a statement.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A winter storm is approaching New York City early next week, and forecasters are predicting anywhere from six to 12 inches of snow blanketing the five boroughs.

The Advance/SILive.com closely analyzed three different forecasts to learn just how much snow we could see across Staten Island, and what the temperatures will be like when the storm rolls in Sunday evening before it tapers off late Monday night or early Tuesday.

A major snow storm is heading to New York City Monday. (AccuWeather)

ACCUWEATHER

According to AccuWeather.com, Sunday will have a high temperature of 28 degrees, but will really feel like 24 degrees. Snow is expected to begin in the late afternoon, with one to three inches of accumulation throughout the night.

On Monday, temperatures will reach a high of 33 degrees, but gusting winds approaching 40 miles per hour will make it feel like 12 degrees. Blowing snow throughout the day is expected to add three to six inches of accumulation from Sundays total.

On Tuesday, temperatures will reach a high of 36 degrees, with a real feel of 25 degrees. Winds will gradually subside and snow will taper off early in the day, though it could add another one to three inches of accumulation before its all said and done.

Updated snow forecast for northeastern New Jersey, New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, as of early Saturday, Jan. 30.National Weather Service

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

The National Weather Service predicts that Staten Island could get as much as 12 inches of accumulation by the end of the storm.

Snow is expected to start falling late Sunday night, picking up significantly on Monday morning and continuing throughout the day and night, with expected snowfall between six to 12 inches.

While the storm will be starting to subside, the National Weather Service expects some additional snow early Tuesday morning, though new accumulation is not expected to surpass a half-inch.

The expected temperatures are similar to the Accuweather forecast, with temperatures hovering around freezing, but gusting winds bringing the real feel down into the low 20s and teens.

THE WEATHER CHANNEL

The Weather Channel is also predicting between six to 12 inches of snow for the borough, starting late Sunday night into early Tuesday.

The snow is expected to begin Sunday around 7 p.m., picking up throughout the night, with accumulation reaching one to three inches by Monday morning.

On Monday, heavy snow and gusting winds are forecasted to persist throughout the day, with total accumulation reaching up to a foot.

The snow could persist into Tuesday morning, but the storm will likely be dying down by that point, with only an additional inch of accumulation expected.

As others have predicted, temperatures will range from about 25 to 35 degrees throughout the storm, but wind chills will make it feel significantly colder.
A young woman is fighting for her life in hospital after an apparent assault in Co Clare last night.

The incident is understood to have occurred shortly after 6.00pm in the Market area of Ennis town centre.

Passers-by are believed to have raised the alarm by contacting Gardai.

Gardai and ambulance paramedics responded to the call and soon established that there was a person inside a public toilet. Unable to gain access to the toilet, the fire service was requested to assist.

Two units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station attended the scene and gained entry to the toilet.

Ambulance paramedics and an advanced paramedic, specially trained in advance life support skills, assessed and treated the woman.

Gardai confirmed that the woman in her 20s has been taken to University Hospital Limerick where her condition has been described as critical.

Gardai sealed off an area of Upper Market Street and Garraunakilla.

An indoor carpark and the public toilet where the woman was found were also preserved as part of the investigation.

A crime scene technician photographed the area while a more detailed technical examination will also be carried out.

Gardai added that a man in his mid-30s, was arrested by Gardai and is currently detained in Shannon Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

Gardai are also appealing for anybody who may have witnessed this incident or were in the Market area of Ennis between 5.30pm and 6.30pm to contact them.

They are also appealing to any road users, particularly those with camera footage, to contact the Incident Room at Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111.

They said that investigations are ongoing.
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The Head of State explained that this first batch is part of an agreement signed with said Chinese laboratory to supply a total of 38 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Peru.

Additionally, he reported that arrangements have been made so that COVAX Facility can deliver a batch of doses, probably of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, in the first quarter of this year.

In this sense, Mr. Sagasti affirmed that vaccines are the most effective way to prevent all diseases and that, thanks to medical science, there is a vaccine to tackle COVID-19.

Remarks were made in a televised Address to the Nation on Sunday morning.

Durante su Mensaje a la Nacion, el presidente @FSagasti reitero que el 9 de febrero llegara al Peru el primer lote de un millon de vacunas de Sinopharm, provenientes de China, que permitira vacunar al personal de salud que lucha en la primera linea contra la COVID-19.
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I called Broadway in Chicagos indefatigable vice president, Eileen LaCario. She confirmed the show was going ahead and that she had snagged herself a hotel room so she could be there: after all, the cast was in accommodations just down the street and there were quite a few people stuck in the Loop hotels looking for something to do. In 2011, the show must go on mentality was alive and well as a moral dictum, which I took as fully applicable to critics.
The coronavirus crisis in hospitals across the UK has 'stabilised' and staff are no longer having to plan for extra capacity, an intensive care doctor has said.

But Professor Rupert Pearse from the Intensive Care Society said 2021 is going to be 'another very hard year' and warned of the mental health impact on NHS staff.

There are currently nearly 35,000 people in hospitals in the UK and 3,832 patients on ventilators, according to the latest official figures.

The second wave has seen bigger numbers of coronavirus patients in hospitals, with 21,684 patients during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic last April.

The consultant in intensive care medicine at a London hospital told BBC Breakfast the situation had 'stabilised in most areas' as a result of the national coronavirus lockdown - calling it a 'big step forward'.

He added he was worried about the long-term impact on health workers, saying: 'We're so busy trying to look after the patients that we have in hospital - we don't have time to pause and think about ourselves just yet.'

Professor Rupert Pearse from the Intensive Care Society said 2021 is going to be 'another very hard year' and warned of the mental health impact on NHS staff

Medics transport a patient from the ambulance to the emergency department at the the Royal London Hospital, on January 22, 2021 amid the second wave of the pandemic

The UK's Covid cases plunged yet again after 23,275 people tested positive yesterday - down 30.6 per cent on last Saturday. Yesterday's daily death toll has plummeted as well, as official figures showed 1,200 have died after testing positive - an 11 per cent drop on last Saturday

Prof Pearse also said the second wave of Covid-19 cases has gone on 'for more than three months now' compared to the eight-week long first wave - and hinted it could be a further three months before admissions 'settle'.

He added it had been an 'endless struggle' to maintain high standards of care for hospitals patients as the NHS came under pressure from the Covid winter outbreak.

'I've never been in the Army but I imagine it's a little bit like a second tour of duty,' Prof Pearse, speaking on behalf of the Intensive Care Society, said.

It comes after a study show that many hospital staff treating the sickest patients during the first wave were left traumatised by the experience.

In other coronavirus news:

Figures showed daily positive Covid tests have fallen by 31 per cent in the past week to 23,275, with hospital admissions down by 16 per cent over the same period, and deaths down six per cent to 1,200;

German claims that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective in over-65s were rubbished by senior government adviser Professor Andrew Harnden, who said: 'We are absolutely confident the vaccine is safe and effective';

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer writes in today's Mail on Sunday in support of the Jabs For Teachers campaign for all school staff to be vaccinated during half-term so pupils can return more quickly - although a major teaching union repeated its opposition to classes reopening;

Mr Johnson signalled that he wanted to relax lockdown rules on exercise, but was urged to move quickly by allowing cooped-up children to enjoy half-term sports;

Some of the UK's biggest firms, including John Lewis and Tata, told this newspaper that rapid workplace tests have prevented thousands of sick days and the closure of sites;

A major US study found proof that Covid-19 originated in China, undermining Beijing's claims it may have come from elsewhere.

Germany's government on Sunday threatened legal action against laboratories failing to deliver coronavirus vaccines to the EU on schedule, amid tension over delays to deliveries from AstraZeneca.

Medics transport a patient from the ambulance to the emergency department at the the Royal London Hospital, on January 22, 2021 amid the second wave of the pandemic

Prof Pearse told the BBC: 'We are no longer having to plan to build extra capacity - extra ICU beds, extra ward beds, and we can focus all that mass of energy on building extra capacity on improving the standards of care for the patients that we've already got.

'And as time gradually progresses, new hospital beds, new ICU beds, become available as patients get better and go home, so the system gets less strained as we move forwards and as you can imagine it's always easier walking downhill.'

Senior medics are also warning that a refusal to go on ventilators is putting critically ill Covid patients at unnecessary risk as the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine has reported an increase in the number of patients and their families who are confronting doctors over fears the machines will kill them.

The body has said this follows theories put forward that the widespread use of ventilators at the start of the pandemic was linked to the high death rate.

The survival rate for ICU patients then improved following the first spike, correlating with a decline in the use of ventilators.

But Dr Alison Pittard, the dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine in London, has said evidence shows the two trends are not related.

Dr Alison Pittard, dean of Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, (pictured) said ICU colleagues are watching patients die over a misguided fear they will die if they are put on a ventilator

Covid patients were frequently put on ventilators at the start of the pandemic last year and this coincided with a high death rate but Dr Pittard says evidence shows trends were not linked

Speaking to the Telegraph, she said: 'It's really difficult for doctors working in ICU when you see a patient deteriorate and you know that if you don't put them on a ventilator they are going to die, but they are refusing.

'They get sicker and sicker and sicker, then you have a situation when they become semi-conscious, so you can't have an informed conversation.

'We have to honour our patients' wishes.'

She told the newspaper that colleagues had watched patients die because they had refused to go on ventilators during the second wave of the pandemic.

In October, Dr Pittard said that the initial response for treating someone with Covid was to sedate and intubate them within 24 hours.

Matt Hancock tells Britons they can expect 'a happy and free great British summer' THIS YEAR thanks to Covid vaccine rollout - as a top medical expert warns lockdown restrictions will have to be lifted 'very slowly' to avoid a surge in cases Britons will be able to enjoy a 'great British summer' this year thanks to the coronavirus vaccination programme, Matt Hancock claimed today. The Health Secretary said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year. But he comments to BBC local news came as a senior government health expert warned against rushing to lift the lockdown. Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins warned that relaxing lockdown measures would have to be done 'very slowly, very cautiously' to avoid a surge in infections. Speaking on BBC Politics East this morning, Suffolk East MP Mr Hancock said: 'In six months we'll be in the middle, I hope, of a happy and free Great British summer. 'I have a high degree of confidence that by then the vast majority of adults will have been vaccinated.' Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate. In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday, travelling to Cornwall with his osteopath wife Martha and their three children. The success of the UK vaccines programme has fostered hopes that lockdown restrictions can be lifted sooner rather than later, with a review expected to take place late in February. Advertisement

She went on to say that since the first wave, doctors had discovered alternative treatments that meant Covid patients did not necessarily have to be put on ventilators.

Full mechanical ventilation requires a patient to be intubated and air is then pushed into the lungs, rather than being sucked in by the action of the diaphragm.

The process of sedating the patient, and in some cases even inducing short-term paralysis, to override their breathing reflex weakens the respiratory muscles.

This can make it hard for doctors to take the patient off the machine even if they manage to get the virus under control, limiting the availability of respirators and putting pressure on other resources.

But Dr Pittard says that the high death rate at the start of the pandemic was because patients were dying from the virus and not because they had been put on a ventilator.

She told the Telegraph that the use of ventilators had declined because medics had improved their understanding of the disease and because of the introduction of new treatments such as Dexamethasone - the steroid which was found to dramatically improve Covid patient outcomes.

Dr Pittard added that doctors realised patients were coping with low oxygen saturation levels much better than expected but that once it drops below a certain point, ventilation offers the only chance for survival.

She added: 'If you get to that point where you are being offered a ventilator, if you refuse there is a 100 per cent chance you are going to die.

'But if you say yes it's a 40 to 50 per cent chance. It's the Covid that's killing you.'

Yesterday, it was revealed the UK's Covid cases have plunged yet again after 23,275 people tested positive - down 30.6 per cent on last Saturday.

In a positive sign that England's third national lockdown is working, 10,000 fewer people tested positive yesterday compared to the 33,552 cases recorded on the same day last week.

Saturday's week-on-week drop in figures is larger than last Saturdays, which saw an 18 per cent dip in daily cases compared to one week prior.

The daily death toll plummeted as well, as official figures showed 1,200 people died after testing positive - an 11 per cent drop on last Saturday's 1,348 fatalities.

Data has shown the UK's ambitious vaccination plan is helping to reduce cases as well as protecting recipients from symptoms.

And, following a week of promising figures, Boris Johnson is considering relaxing lockdown exercise rules to ease the pressure on Britons' physical and mental health.

Potential rule changes could see Britons allowed to exercise more than once a day, or socially-distanced in groups of three or four.

However, grim new graphs lay bare the dilemma facing Boris Johnson's government as officials try to work out how to reopen the country without causing a third wave of coronavirus infections, as SAGE recommends keeping social distancing measures in place until 2022.

Modelling passed on to No10 suggests that restrictions including the dreaded Rule of Six may have to remain in place until the end of the year, while coronavirus vaccines would need to be 85 per cent effective to prevent a surge in deaths if curbs were totally eased.

A downbeat paper commissioned by SAGE subgroup SPI-M and produced by the University of Warwick showed that the UK could experience a large spike in deaths if inoculation fails to significantly cut transmission of Covid-19 while draconian shutdown measures are relaxed.

It warns that a 'high uptake' of vaccinations is also vital to getting the country back to normal without risking a dreaded third wave of the disease, which has now claimed more than 100,000 lives according to official figures.

The paper also claims that even with Britain's breakneck jab roll-out well underway, the decline in deaths would be crushingly slow - and that even in a best-case scenario lockdown would have to be kept in place until June to prevent another significant spike in deaths.

'Only vaccines that offer high infection-blocking efficacy with high uptake in the general population allow relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions without a huge surge in deaths,' the paper recommends.

The modelling, which helps to explain why Boris Johnson is so reticent to end the third national coronavirus lockdown, comes amid renewed pressure from Tory backbenchers for a 'roadmap' out of lockdown.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is again under fire for strangling the state's tourism industry with snap border closures.

Ms Palaszczuk on Thursday pleaded for the Federal Government to extend JobKeeper beyond the March end date to assist in the recovery of the industry.

She called it a 'matter of urgency' as 10,000 businesses in Far North Queensland relied on JobKeeper while international borders remain shut.

But federal Tourism minister Dan Tehan laid blame at her feet, saying she must 'play her part' in reviving the industry.

Tourism minister Dan Tehan has told the Queensland premier to 'play her part' in reviving the state's tourism industry after she asked the federal government for extra support

Annastacia Palaszczuk pleaded for the Federal Government to extend JobKeeper beyond the March end date to assist in the recovery of the industry on Thursday

The state repeatedly closed to other parts of the country during the pandemic when Covid-19 cases were identified, while other states remained open.

Mr Tehan said the inconsistency badly damaged the tourism industry and Ms Palaszczuk needed to work with other states to create 'consistency around hotspot definitions and border closures'.

'If the Queensland Premier could play her part in that, that would be wonderful for the Queensland tourism industry,' he said.

'If we could get that consistency, that would provide certainty to the sector.'

Mr Tehan reminded Ms Palaszczuk that JobKeeper would be ending in March and that support would have to be found in other ways.

'I've been in discussions over Christmas and the New Year with the tourism industry about whether there could be support that we could provide them,' he said.

Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton pointed out that Ms Palaszczuk's hard border approach contributed to the struggle faced by Queensland's tourism industry.

'It is made harder where these snap decisions are made to close borders, bookings are cancelled, restaurants have ordered food, they've employed staff, they've got bookings but they need to close that night with no warning at all,' he said.

'So we just need to get that balance right.'

Ms Palaszczuk called it a 'matter of urgency' saying 10,000 businesses in far North Queensland relied on JobKeeper while international borders remain shut

Queensland repeatedly closed to other parts of the country during the pandemic when Covid-19 cases were identified, while other states remained open

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said Ms Palazczuk's closure to Sydney over Christmas and January cost the state more than $200million.

Mr Dutton said the premier's call for federal support was politically motivated but did not rule out handing over more cash.

'If we need to provide further assistance we'll look at that,' he said.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg urged Ms Palaszczuk to provide more state support to the tourism sector.

He said the Commonwealth pumped $27.9billion into Queensland in coronavirus support measures but the state government only spent $8.8billion.

Ms Palaszczuk said tourism operators, particularly those in the far north, told her their main problem was a lack of international visitors rather than a domestic downturn.

The picturesque Gold Coast (pictured) has been crippled by the lockdown in Queensland - with interstate travellers banned for months and thousands of holidays cancelled

'We will of course continue to support our tourism industry, but the tourism industries in some parts of Queensland are being impacted more than others because they were heavily reliant on international tourism... there is no international tourism.'

She also indicated there would not be blanket border closures in future, with Queensland fully open to NSW residents from Monday.

Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said domestic visitors alone, though greatly appreciated, weren't enough to replace the contribution international tourists made to the local economies of Cairns and other regions that were reliant on them.

'Tourism businesses are struggling and until vaccines have been rolled out and it is safe to reopen the international border, the federal government should continue its support and not just simply pull the plug on JobKeeper.'

A controversial plan by Facebook to make billions of online messages secret could prevent police from uncovering deadly terror plots in Britain, a top counter-terrorism officer has warned.

Facebook's boss Mark Zuckerberg says end-to-end encryption across his company's messaging services will boost privacy, but Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Southworth, head of Britain's squad of anti-terrorist cyber police, said the move would 'unequivocally put lives at risk'.

The Metropolitan Police officer told The Mail on Sunday: 'For such a strong form of encryption to be placed around so much private communication worldwide automatically makes the police and other law enforcement agencies' jobs more difficult.

Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Southworth, head of Britain's squad of anti-terrorist cyber police, said the move would put lives at risk

'I don't think it's overstating it to say that a move such as this would make life extremely difficult for law enforcement everywhere to be able to identify and mitigate the threats we face as a society.'

Under Mr Zuckerberg's plans, only the sender and receiver of messages on Facebook Messenger and Instagram will be able to read their content.

Access for the police, intelligence agencies and even Facebook itself will be blocked.

Mr Southworth's Scotland Yard-based unit scours the internet in conjunction with government spy agencies to uncover terror plots and propaganda.

There are about 800 live counter-terrorism investigations and almost all of them involve the use of end-to-end encryption by alleged terrorists.

Extremists often use specialist apps such as Telegram or Signal to communicate but have increasingly turned to Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which introduced end-to-end encryption in 2016 and now boasts two billion users.

Four years ago, terrorist Khalid Masood sent encrypted messages via WhatsApp minutes before he killed four people, including PC Keith Palmer, in a terrorist attack at Westminster.

The Met fears an extension of end-to-end encryption to huge platforms such as Messenger and Instagram, which have 2.4 billion users between them, will make it easier for terror groups to plot attacks and groom converts.

'This move to end-to-end encryption should not be underestimated in that it really could be a game-changer for us,' Mr Southworth said. 'The challenge is because it is in such volume. Unlike some of the more niche platforms if half the world is using Facebook's platforms and all of that is dark  not just to us but to Facebook themselves  then you could argue that there is almost an element of hiding a needle in a haystack full of needles.'

Critically, it is feared the move will reduce Facebook's own ability to detect and flag up extremist content and child-abuse images. Between March and October last year, Facebook took down 9.8 million pieces of terrorist content.

Under Mark Zuckerberg's plans, only the sender and receiver of messages on Facebook Messenger and Instagram will be able to read

In 2018, Facebook's reporting of child-abuse images and paedophile activity resulted in more than 2,500 UK arrests, but it is estimated that reporting will plummet by 70 per cent if encryption is extended.

Mr Southworth revealed that officers were already locked in an 'arms race' with terrorists who are constantly finding new online platforms to avoid detection.

Researchers say extremists are using a variety of tactics to avoid the algorithms that Facebook and other tech giants employ to flag up extremist content.

They include the blurring of extremist logos or hijacking the branding of mainstream media organisations and using it to push IS-linked content.

'The platforms have done a lot to get the majority of this content off but there are obvious gaps,' said Moustafa Ayad, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue think-tank.

He pointed to one Facebook page, entitled Glad Tidings Of The Caliphate, which has provided news updates on IS attacks.

His group has also identified Instagram accounts that openly publish IS and Al Qaeda content and Facebook accounts that include invitations for supporters to join encrypted WhatsApp groups.

Mr Southworth said police shared Facebook's concerns about privacy and were not demanding so-called 'backdoor access' to apps such as Messenger, which would allow them to carry out mass eavesdropping.

'This is not about us subverting people's privacy, this is about us being able to specifically target those who are doing serious crime in the closed space in social media,' he added.

Last night, Facebook said: 'Strong encryption is essential to keep everyone safe from hackers and criminals.

Governments rightly want to protect people from criminals and we believe weakening encryption would make everyone less safe, not more.'

After being alerted by The Mail on Sunday, the tech giant took down several accounts because of terror-related material, including the Glad Tidings page.
What hath God wrought? On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse sat amongst a gathering of Congressmen in the U.S. Capitol Building. He transmitted this simple and profound question from the Bibles Book of Numbers, to a railroad station in Baltimore. To the astonishment of the onlookers, moments later, Alfred Vail transmitted the message back to the Capitol, sending electric signals across the telegraph lines Morse had painstakingly developed (with some Congressional funding) over the previous twelve years. These four little words, transmitted in bursts of dots and dashes, marked the beginning of a new epoch. Morses invention, the telegraph, a revolutionary method of rapid, long-distance communication, transformed the world.

A scant 18 months later, on February 2, 1846, the enterprising leaders of Syracuse, a growing village of about 18,000 people located in the geographic center of the Erie Canal and an ever-expanding railroad network, passed a resolution to allow the Albany & Buffalo Telegraph Company to set its poststhe village leadership mandated that the company set good well finished posts painted white --alongside the railroad tracks. The A & B Telegraph Co. opened its first office in Syracuse on May 1, 1846, in the upstairs of the railroad station in Vanderbilt Square. It was operated by M.W. Partridge. In those early days, the telegraph lines ran east to Albany, west to Buffalo, and north to Oswego, along the nations first plank road. The service was incredibly expensive. Customers paid by the mile. According to contemporary sources, it cost two shillings for the first 150 miles for ten words or less.

As you can imagine, this was not yet a technology used by the average Syracusan, though they benefitted by way of their local newspapers. The two Syracuse newspapers, Syracuse Journal and the Daily Standard, were the first local entities to utilize the telegraph service. They paid a special reduced rate of $4.50 ($130 in 2020) a week, which only provided them with access for an hour a day! And you think your cell phone data plan is costly! Even the railroads didnt use the service locally until 1850 because of the cost. For most of that first decade, the brunt of the work was done by one operator, John Stone, and his messenger boy, Edward D. Fellows.

In the coming decade, the speed, reliability, and standardization of the telegraph connected a growing nation, as its people paradoxically expanded from ocean to ocean, while the bonds of union frayed and snapped. At the onset of the Civil War, President Lincoln recognized very early that the telegraph was instrumental to the Union war effort. The newly created U.S. Military Telegraph Corps laid more than 15,000 miles of wire during the war. The telegraph was the citys lifeline to the sanguinary struggle. The names of the dead, news of defeats, victories, Congressional passage of the 13th Amendment, Confederate surrender, and Lincolns assassination, were all transmitted back to Syracuse, and relayed to an anxious public via the newspapers, connecting the population to the war in an unprecedented fashion.

The hodgepodge of local providers was consolidated by Western Union (Ezra Cornell was one of the founders), which came to Syracuse in 1864. In 1866, the world was made even smaller, as the trans-Atlantic cable was successfully laid, connecting Europe and the United States. By 1871, Western Union employed eighteen men and seven messenger boys. During the Great Chicago Fire that year, Syracusans sent and received over 2,400 messages a day for nearly a week.

After the massive expansion following the war, several competitors to Western Union did arise in the 1880s, including the American District Telegraph Co. that operated out of the Gridley Building. The Baltimore and Ohio, owned by the very railroad in whose office Vail relayed Morses first message, kept an office in the Globe Hotel. This made the Globe Hotel a nerve center for economic and political news. By the 1890s, the local telegraph companies were coupling with the increasingly popular telephone service, a technology that required its own set of wires, and one based around Morses revolutionary technology. In fact, Alexander Graham Bell was researching methods for transmitting multiple telegraph messages on one wire, building on the work of Morse, Joseph Stearns, and Thomas Edison, the inventor of the quadraplex (this allowed companies to send four messages at the same time), when Bell developed the telephone, in 1876.

Bells invention ultimately displaced the telegraph. Amidst all of these technological changes, Syracuses geography and economic might made it the epicenter of communications in the region, and the citys streets had the poles and wires to prove it. This canopy of wiring was exacerbated by the expansion of electricity. Americans were becoming mired in wires. Luckily for all of us, God also wrought Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless communications. In 1901, Marconi sent the first trans-Atlantic wireless message in human history from England to Newfoundland, using, appropriately, Morse Code. It was three dots, the letter S, which, coincidently, looks great on an orange T-shirt.

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Meet Asa Ladd of Brewerton, who once fell through the ice and kept fishing and was shot in the foot and kept hunting

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An invention from Upstate NY soon became the preferred method of execution across the United States -- the electric chair. In The Condemned, we trace the history of the chair through the stories of five men who were sentenced to death for their crimes. Explore our series here.
New Delhi:

US President Donald Trumps latest tweet has created outrage, more than usual. His latest tweet of a modified video of himself, starring at a pro wrestling event, punching a man whose face was obscured by a CNN logo has created an uproar with several media persons accusing him of inciting violence.



The tweet, which said, #FraudNewsCNN #FNN, linked to a video which shows Trump attacking and punching a man whose face is obscured by a CNN logo.

The video escalates an ongoing war of words between Trump and the cable news outlet.The CNN in a statement said the president was encouraging violence against reporters and involved in juvenile behaviour far below the dignity of his office.





CNN statement responding to the president: "We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his." pic.twitter.com/Gn1YRA2DRG  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 2, 2017

In a live discussion on the network, Homeland Security head, who saw the clip during the live show, said that the video does not incident violence. Rather establishes the president as first ever peoples president who communicates directly with them. He said he hopes nobody takes it as an encouragement to commit violence against media.

The doctored video Trump tweeted is from WrestleMania 23 in 2007 when Trump competed versus WWE head Vince McMahon during a staged battle of the billionaires fight where each chose one wrestler to represent them.

Trump has railed against the CNN and other news outlets as fake news after the cable news network retracted a story that linked an associate of his with a Russian bank.



Three CNN employees also resigned over the article.



Trump was highly popular with the CNN during the primaries. He was widely interviewed by its news reporters and anchors and was given maximum airtime by the CNN as he contested against 16 Republican leaders in the presidential primaries.



However, CNN turned against him after Trump became the presidential nominee of the Republican Party. Trump and his supporters strongly believe that CNN supported the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Often Trump and his supporters labelled CNN as Clinton News Network.

(With PTI Inputs)

The dishonest media will NEVER keep us from accomplishing our objectives on behalf of our GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE! #AmericaFirst pic.twitter.com/jSciqzAs6G  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017

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The superintendent of the Riverside School District reaches out to health care providers daily, desperately seeking COVID-19 vaccinations to keep employees safe and in the classroom.

As he sees nearly 2,000 educators in Northeast Pennsylvania get the opportunity, he wonders when Riversides staff will receive the same.

Our teachers are in the trenches. We are fighting for their health and safety, Superintendent Paul Brennan said. And were also fighting for our society. The work we do helps make society run.

But in Northeast Pennsylvania, vaccine distributions to school districts are often based on local connections, and not a statewide plan. Superintendents are left to reach out to hospitals, pharmacies and other medical facilities daily, hoping to secure enough doses for employees. For some districts, such as Scranton, a vaccinated staff will mean the district is one step closer to reopening its doors for the first time since March.

At least 13 of the 22 school districts in Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties have offered vaccines to some of their employees. The districts have secured the vaccines while the state is still in phase 1A of the rollout, which includes health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, people age 65 and older and those ages 16 to 64 with high-risk conditions. School employees who do not fit within the 1A category should not receive the vaccine until phase 1B, according to the state. The state has not set a date for when phase 1B will begin.

There is no penalty for health care providers to distribute the vaccine to people outside of the current category, and those who have administered the vaccine say they are doing so because they have already vaccinated the groups within that category or have doses that need to be used before expiration.

Vaccine in arms is what were really going for, so weve set a prioritization to make sure that this is done in an ethical and equitable and efficient way, said April Hutcheson, Pennsylvania Department of Health spokeswoman. We are asking our providers to make sure to adhere to that, but at the end of the day, we want people to get vaccinated.

Thats the goal of school leaders, too.

Im contacting everybody and anybody who may have access or be in a position to deliver the vaccine on a larger scale, Lakeland Superintendent Marc Wyandt, Ed.D. said. Were glad other districts were able to get vaccinated, but we wish we were among them.

In Lackawanna County, Abington Heights and Mid Valley, operating on a hybrid schedule, and Carbondale Area and Valley View, operating fully virtual, have received vaccines through Superior Care Pharmacy in Olyphant, which had vials of vaccines near expiration, according to owner Eric Pusey.

He went way out of his way to do what he did to support getting kids back to school and to support public education in general, Valley View Superintendent Michael Boccella, Ed.D. said.

Valley View students will return to the classroom for the first time since March on Feb. 22. The staff members who received vaccinations will have both doses by then.

Boccella said the district was talking to everyone and anyone to find vaccines for the staff.

This situation, in general, has put school leaders in the position of handling matters of public health, Boccella said. I never in any of my previous experiences or training or quite frankly my wildest imagination thought that being part of a vaccination clinic would be something that I would do.

Carbondale Area School Board President Gary Smedley, a pharmacist, said before the state expanded category 1A to include people 65 and older and ages 16 to 64 with preexisting conditions, nearly all health care workers and those in long-term care facilities had received the vaccine locally.

We were anticipating the state moving into 1B following their own guidance, he said. The guidance has now changed multiple times.

Carbondale Area personnel stated on consent forms if they qualified under 1A, and employees who felt they did not fall into the category chose not to receive the shot, Smedley said. In total, 189 of 250 employees received their first dose.

Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers provided about 500 vaccines to staff from the Forest City Regional, Wayne Highlands, Western Wayne and Wallenpaupack Area school districts Jan. 23 and planned to vaccinate 160 Delaware Valley School District staff members Saturday.

All of the school employees fell into the 1A category, according to Lisa Champeau, hospital spokeswoman.

In Susquehanna County, Susquehanna Community, Blue Ridge and Mountain View school districts received vaccines from Barnes-Kasson County Hospital in Susquehanna Depot. The hospital provided the doses after vaccinating people within the states 1A category, including health care workers and residents of long-term care homes.

Superintendents statewide seek greater communication and better coordination of vaccine distribution, said Mark DiRocco, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, based in Harrisburg. But first, the state needs to receive more vaccines.

Our organization believes that school personnel should be in the front of the line right now, not before first responders or the elderly ... but if we need to reopen our economy, we need to get our schools open, he said.

It will take approximately 8 million doses of vaccine for the more than 4 million Pennsylvanians currently eligible to receive the vaccine in phase 1A, according to the state Health Department. So far, Pennsylvania has received about 1.8 million doses from the federal government.

We are asking Pennsylvanians to be patient while we are working to improve the resources available to connect eligible people with vaccine providers as more vaccines become available in the coming months, according to a statement from the department.

Timothy Casey, principal of the NativityMiguel School of Scranton, a tuition-free school for underserved children, sees the unorganized vaccine distribution as an issue of equity.

While the employees of other schools receive vaccines, educators who serve students with the greatest needs  including his own school or the Scranton School District  have been unable to receive vaccines.

Virtual (learning) has run its course. People are tired of it. Were losing kids, Casey said. We need to pivot, but we had hoped to be vaccinated.

The school plans to reopen in a hybrid model this week, without the vaccinations.

Scranton school directors said earlier this month they want to wait to open schools until staff has the opportunity to receive vaccines.

Joseph Hollander, chief executive officer of Scranton Primary Health Care Center, understands the frustrations. He receives many calls from school leaders, but he says there is little he can do to help now.

With all of these school districts that have gotten it, its literally taking thousands of doses that could have gone to the people who really need it and are entitled to it, he said.

The center has received as many as 30 calls a minute from people seeking the vaccine.

I understand the desire for everyone to want it. Im more hard pressed to understand the people who dont want it, Hollander said. We tried very hard to follow the guidance. We continue to follow it. We dont understand how people in the community arent following it.

For now, superintendents like Brennan will continue to make the calls.

He thinks about the staff at Riverside in contact with students daily, and then looks at the list of conditions, including smoking, that make certain people eligible to receive the vaccine now.

We are trying our hardest to make opportunities available, Brennan said. But you could be 18, live in your parents basement and smoke, and get it over a teacher working with students.
The critical infrastructures cyber defences are not keeping up with the sophisticated hackers tactics. There is a huge gap of what these critical infrastructures carry as a technology and defence systems versus the type of attacks we are facing today, says Thareja.

Protecting critical infrastructure forms a key plank of the governments cyber security strategy.

Along with allowing the government to step in, the strategy includes enhanced cyber security obligations for those entities most important to the nation and government support to increase their security. The government plans to work with critical infrastructure owners to identity and resolve immediate vulnerabilities, but says businesses must also take responsibility for their own cyber security.

The government defines critical infrastructure as sectors including banking and finance, communications, the defence industry, energy, food and grocery, transport and water, and is currently considering whether the definition should be broader.

Companies and organisations should start with a cyber risk assessment to understand where there are gaps in their cyber defences.

Thareja says that employees are often the weak link in cyber defence with the potential of causing security repercussions accidentally - clicking on phishing emails, for instance - and companies need to train their workforce and build a strong culture of cyber security awareness. If one employee makes a mistake the entire business can be at risk, he says.

But even with the best possible defences, breaches are still possible. Cyber attacks are inevitable, so a business needs to have a great detection mechanism in place that gives them the power of identifying a malicious actor in their business at the earliest, says Thareja.

It means that organisations need to have an effective crisis management plan, which ensures everyone knows what they have to do from the outset. The fundamentals of crisis management mean having clear roles and responsibilities so that when that chaotic situation arises in the business, and you have multiple locations, different teams, different systems, everybody should know where they need to run and what they are supposed to do, he says.

Staff need to be trained in their roles during an incident and be held accountable for carrying them out and the crisis management plan needs to have a clearly defined process which staff can adhere to.

These processes should not just be sitting in a corner of an organisation. These processes should be regularly practised. Once you practise them, then you know how to manage a crisis management. Just like fire drills, says Thareja.

The average cost of cybercrime to a business in Australia is around $276,000, according to the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network.

Businesses lose revenue as a result of the business disruption, but there is also the cost of the damage to the companys brand and reputation and they can also lose the confidence of their customers. They need to make sure they have adequate insurance protection, including business continuity insurance and insuring their data, which is a critical business asset.

For more information go to fmglobal.com.au
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Facebook is a giant social media company with over 2.7 billion monthly active users . Among these 2.7 users; some have always been complaining that the big social media companies pay less attention to prevent ads from being shown on their platforms which also includes hate speech, fake news, and harmful content.Facebook is no less than any other social media platform and makes its users believe that it is concerned about them and their data. The platform not only makes sure that the users stay aware; but also ensures that they are safe from any kind of offensive and hurtful content. A lot of efforts are done by Facebook while investing in system transparency. An example of this is when Facebook launched the content oversight board in 2018, upon the suggestion of Mark Zuckerberg. This is an organization that keeps a check on the data that is posted on the platform. Facebook then confirmed that since it has created the oversight board, it has received 20,000 reports.The company is still committed to providing content to its users that is free of hateful content or that which can hurt someones self-worth. The Inc of Facebook confirmed on Friday that the company is soon to introduce a new tool for advertisers through which they will have control over what type of content is appearing alongside their ads.Facebook was accused by giant firms like Starbucks and Coca-Cola boycotted Facebook after declaring it the cause for the death of George Floyd and accused the firm of not having a check and control over the hate speech on its platform. As a huge number of social media users complain that these social media platforms dont do enough for discouraging hate speech, companies like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter signed a deal with big advertisers for improving the content displayed in the ads on Facebook. On Friday , the company informed that it might take a year to complete the project - which will let the users decided what type of ads do they want to be displayed on their news feed. The new tool will first be tested on the accounts of a group of advertisers; before it is publicly made available to folks all over the globe.Facebook names its upcoming feature or tool as topic exclusion controls; which was announced by Mark Zuckerberg last year. A list of apps and websites that an individual will visit that use Facebooks business tools such as Facebook pixel, SDK, and API are to be affected by this upcoming feature, said Facebook. The company made sure that it consulted business agencies and industry bodies for knowing which factors should it keep in mind; while developing the tool.Photo: NurPhoto via Getty ImagesRead next: Facebook is working on a newsletter tool to promote independent writers and freelancers with a paid subscription so that they can make a profit
According to the bulletin, Sasikala completed 10 days of treatment on Saturday. "She has been asymptomatic and maintaining saturation without oxygen since three days. As per protocol, she can be discharged from the hospital," the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute said in its bulletin.

Bengaluru: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's close aide V.K. Sasikala Natarajan is likely to be discharged on Sunday from a hospital here, where she is undergoing treatment for Covid-19, an official bulletin said.

"The team of doctors attending to her has taken the decision that she is fit for discharge and will be released on Sunday morning with the advice of home quarantine," it stated.

Sasikala was set free on Wednesday by the state prison authorities after she completed four years imprisonment at a jail here 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 the Chief Minister from 1991-1996.

Sasikala was rushed to the government-run Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital on January 20 from the prison hospital, after falling ill there and had been transferred to the Victoria Hospital the following day, where she tested positive for Covid-19.
Medical workers check COVID-19 screening information at a residential area in Dongchang District of Tonghua, northeast China's Jilin Province, Jan. 25, 2021. Tonghua on Monday launched the third round of citywide nucleic acid testing. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

New local coronavirus infections in Chinese mainland could fall to zero over the next two week thanks to effective and timely epidemic prevention and control measures that includes encouraging people not to travel during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, said a Chinese researcher.

However, the researcher warned the country need to be alert for possible new sporadic cases due to the flow of people and materials especially from overseas.

The prediction comes after the current COVID-19-affected areas in China are seeing a downward trend in the number of new confirmed cases and asymptomatic patients.

Shijiazhuang, North Chinas Hebei Province on Friday restarted normal life accompanied by normalized anti-epidemic work as public transportation resumed and supermarkets reopened. Local media said the city was bustling again with street traffic and people shopping for Spring Festival.

The city confirmed one case on Friday, which was the only case recorded in the province on the day. The case, a close contact with a previously confirmed case, had tested negative three times before testing positive on Friday.

In Hebei, the number of the new infections has fallen to single digits for five consecutive days, and no asymptomatic carriers have been detected for four consecutive days.

According to the provincial health authority, two medium-risk areas in Shijiazhuang were declared low risk on Saturday.

China now has 10 high-risk areas and 63 medium-risk areas.

Changchun, Northeast Chinas Jilin Province has lowered its main urban area to low risk and all closed-off areas have been opened, the provincial government said on its WeChat on Friday.

Jilin reported five new cases and two silent carriers on Friday, which are found in the cities of Changchun and Tonghua.

Dalian, Northeast Chinas Liaoning Province said on Saturday it had removed its request that people leaving the city provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate taken no later than three days before departure. The city is still encouraging residents not to leave unless necessary.

The city on Saturday reopened all communities which had been closed for epidemic prevention and control.

The last confirmed patient in Dalian was discharged from hospital on Thursday, marking a phased victory in fighting the recent outbreak that included 51 confirmed cases and 32 silent carriers.

Among the current epidemic affected provinces, Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, had the largest number of new confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections. On Friday, there were 27 new local confirmed cases and six new asymptomatic infected people in the provinces cities of Suihua and Harbin.

With the withdrawing tide of new cases, some cities in Heilongjiang have adjusted their risk levels.

Harbins government elevated the risk level along Lanhe street in Hulan district to high-risk on Friday. The city also lowered several local areas to low risk on Friday.

Daqing city reopened theaters, inns and gyms on Friday but at no more than 50 percent occupancy.

Liang Manchun, an associate research fellow at the Institute for Public Safety Research of Tsinghua University, who has been closely following the pandemic, told the Global Times on Saturday that according to his team's research model, the number of new local cases in Heilongjiang could drop to zero in two weeks, after some 1,200 confirmed and asymptomatic cases were reported during this latest outbreak nationwide. The province has reported 499 confirmed cases and 538 asymptomatic patients during the outbreak on Friday.

Liang said local outbreaks across situation in the mainland had reached an inflection point seven to 10 days ago and will continue to ebb.

He predicts that new local cases in Chinese mainland are likely fall to zero in two weeks.

The strict and timely national anti-epidemic work, plus calls for people not to travel during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday will be very effective in fighting the epidemic, Liang noted.

He also warned of the possibility of sporadic cases could remerge in areas given the risk posed by imported materials and the millions of people who still choose to travel during the holiday.
In a series of tweets on Saturday, Pawar said the new agri laws will adversely impact the MSP procurement and weaken the 'mandi' system

New Delhi: Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday expressed dismay over NCP chief Sharad Pawar's tweets criticising the farm laws, saying they were a mix of "ignorance and misinformation" about the legislation, and hoped that the veteran leader will change his stand after knowing the "facts".

In a series of tweets, Pawar had on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the 'mandi' system.

Reform is a continuous process and no one would argue against the reforms in the APMCs or Mandi System, a positive argument on the same does not mean that it is done to weaken or demolish the system.  Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) January 30, 2021

The tweets from Pawar  who as the Union Agriculture Minister during the UPA's tenure had pitched for these reforms  came at a time when talks between the Centre and the 41 protesting farmers' unions have reached a deadlock.

Responding to the NCP leader's remarks, Tomar said Pawar, who is a veteran leader, is also considered well-versed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. "Pawar himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier."

"Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts," Tomar said on Twitter.

The minister countered Pawar's tweet which said that the amended Essential Commodities (EC) Act "may lead to apprehensions that corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stockpile and sell at higher prices to consumers."

"The apprehension has no basis. Under the EC Act, the central government can intervene in case of extraordinary circumstances including war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamities of grave nature," Tomar said.

He said the new laws encourage additional choice channels for farmers as they can sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with a hassle-free movement in and outside the state to realise a competitive and better net price for their produce.

"This doesn't affect the current MSP (minimum support price) system," he added.

Under the new ecosystem, the minister said, the mandis are not affected. Instead, they will be more competitive and cost-effective in terms of services and infrastructure; and both the systems will synergistically co-exist for the common interest of farmers.

Tomar said, "As he (Pawar)is such a veteran leader, I would like to believe that he was genuinely misinformed of the facts. Now that he has the right facts, I hope he will also change his stand and also explain the benefits to our farmers."

Pawar, in his tweets on 30 January, had expressed concern over the removal of stock limits on food commodities under the amended EC Act.

"Stock piling limits have been removed on food grain, pulses, onion, potato, oilseeds etc. It may lead to apprehensions that Corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stock pile and sell at higher prices to consumers," he had tweeted.

The NCP chief also said that reform is a continuous process and no one would argue against the reforms in the APMCs or Mandi System.

"...a positive argument on the same does not mean that it is done to weaken or demolish the system," he noted.

The government has offered some concessions including keeping the new farm laws on hold for 1-1.5 years and the Supreme Court has set up a panel to look into the matter keeping the contentious legislation in abeyance for two months.

However, the agitating farmers' unions have rejected both and intensified their over two-month-long agitation on the borders of the national capital.

It's an ordeal that many hundreds of Iranian mothers and fathers have had to endure for decades.



Many wander from cemetery to cemetery looking for the unmarked graves of their dead children.



If they're lucky enough to find the burial spots of a relative they crouch over it, hoping their loved ones might be resting in peace. They often decorate the tombs with flowers or pieces of stone.



But not long afterwards, even these modest markings are routinely destroyed.



For their part, the bereaved parents usually return and restore the graves. Flowers are replaced and broken tombstones are repaired, only for these burial plots to be desecrated once again by people hellbent on eradicating any trace of the deceased.



It's an endless challenge for many relatives grieving the loss of family members deemed to have been hostile to the Islamic republic.



Ever since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, a seemingly untold number of graves and tombs belonging to dissidents, religious minorities, and even those who died during crackdowns on peaceful protests have been desecrated or destroyed, as if the authorities want to erase their memory.



Many hundreds of these people have also "disappeared" or been reported dead, even though their remains have never been returned to their grieving families.



Culture Of Destruction



Although the practice of wreaking violence on corpses and graves had occurred previously in Iran, it took on a new dimension almost immediately after the downfall of the country's last shah and the establishment of an Islamic republic dominated by the clergy.



The man who spearheaded the initial assault on tombs and mausoleums was a cleric, Sadiq Khalkali, whom revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini selected to head newly created courts shortly after taking power in 1979.

He quickly became notorious as Iran's "hanging judge," ruthlessly ordering hundreds of summary executions often after trials that lasted just a few minutes.

Armed with dynamite, bulldozers, and sledgehammers, Khalkhali and his followers also began demolishing the mausoleum of the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, Reza Shah (1878-1944), the "father of secular Iran" who is still seen by many as having brought social progress and prosperity to the country.

After that, it wasn't long before the graves and tombstones of dissidents and religious minorities, such as Baha'is and Yarsanis, were also routinely targeted by supporters of the Islamic republic.



In the subsequent decades, Baha'i cemeteries have been frequently attacked and destroyed, while the bodies of many hundreds of dissidents have been left to rot in unknown graveyards and unmarked mass graves.



'Abandoned' Sections



Even in Iran's largest cemetery, Tehran's Behesht Zahra graveyard, which is the final resting place for some 1.6 million souls, there are many who have not been allowed to lie in peace.



This is particularly apparent in sections 33 and 41, which hold the remains of Marxist rebels and political prisoners, respectively, who were executed during the bloody early years of the Islamic republic in the 1980s.



Described by state media as being "abandoned," section 41 has been violently attacked by anonymous thugs several times over the years. Many of the graves' headstones have been shattered and left without any markings, which means the relatives have resorted to simply using pieces of stone, iron, or concrete to mark the final resting place of their loved ones.

There are no images of the deceased among the broken grave fragments and even unobtrusive plaques adorned with names are habitually smashed.



Across the city, in southeastern Tehran, lies another graveyard that stands as an infamous reminder of one of the worst atrocities committed by the Iranian regime.



The 'Place Of The Damned'



Known informally by many Iranians as Lanatabad, or "the place of the damned," the Khavaran cemetery was traditionally a burial ground for people from religious minorities who were interred there because they were "apostates" and should not "contaminate" the resting places of Muslims.



But today, Khavaran is believed to be the burial place for thousands of mostly young prisoners and dissidents who were summarily executed and disposed of in mass graves over the course of just a few weeks in the summer of 1988.



The plots in the cemetery are unmarked. Iranian authorities do not allow the families of the dead to mourn there and the identities of many of those who've been buried are still unknown to relatives.

Mansureh Behkish is a member of Mothers of Khavaran, a group that represents the relatives of many of those believed to have been interred in the graveyard. She says she lost six family members during the mass executions of prisoners and dissidents in the 1980s.

She believes at least some her relatives' remains are in Khavaran, but she cannot be sure as her families didn't receive their loved ones' bodies after they were executed.



"We presume that my sister, Zahra, and two of my brothers, Mahmud and Ali, are buried somewhere in Khavaran," she told RFE/RL, adding that the regime's attitude toward the deceased makes it impossible for them to know exactly where they've been laid to rest.



"They gave us neither a tombstone nor a sign," she said, outlining the difficulties people have in finding their family members. According to Behkish, if the relatives get any information from the authorities about their relatives, it is often little more than a handwritten number with a vague description of the location of the graves.



"Some families searched the place at night or clandestinely and found the buried bodies of their loved ones," she said. "But many have not [done this]."

Even if someone knows where their family member is buried, Behkish said they are often prevented from marking the space.



According to Behkish, the Iranian officials fear of these people's memory being honored is so strong that they have habitually strived to raze any trace of them to allow a place of commemoration.



"During all these years, Khavaran has been [completely] demolished many times," she said. "They have smashed the [remains of the victims] one after another."



Behkish added that the names of these people are also often removed from official databases of the deceased in graveyards. She said even the names of her brother and mother, who are buried in Behesht Zahra, "are not in the cemetery's computer anymore."



Other Victims



The practice of confiscating corpses and smashing tombstones continues to this day.



Many families whose children were executed by Iran or killed in street protests in recent years say they have been forced to bury them at night without a conventional funeral. There are also numerous people who say they are still looking for their relatives' burial places.



Ramin Hossein Panahi was executed in September 2018 along with fellow ethnic Kurds Zanyar and Loqman Moradi, for supposed acts of sabotage in a case described by Amnesty International as "a breathtaking miscarriage of justice from start to finish."

Ramin's brother, Amjad Hossein Panahi, says the young men's families are still waiting for their bodies to be returned.



"Two years later, we have no information about their burial place," he told RFE/RL. "My mother has been restless for two long years, and in these two years, she has visited all the cemeteries in Iran. This is the suffering that this regime has inflicted on parents and others."



Besides subjecting the families of the deceased to "a kind of psychological torture," Panahi suggests the standard desecration of these graves is rooted in the Iranian regime's fear that they may become shrines for those opposed to the government. "They do not want to establish a spot where families and activists may hold gatherings," he said.

But it seems it is not only perceived counterrevolutionaries and seditionists whom the Iranian regime continues to hound in their graves.



Even Persian literary giants, such as Houshang Golshiri and Ahmad Shamloo, whose outspoken activism often enraged hard-line elements in Iran, have had their tombs damaged and broken repeatedly.



The gravestones of ordinary people who died at the hands of the security forces while simply taking part in anti-government protests have also reportedly been targeted with systematic attacks and vandalism.



For instance, 24-year-old chemical-engineering student Kianoush Asa died shortly after being shot and wounded by Iranian Basij paramilitaries while attending a peaceful demonstration in Tehran in June 2009.



Upon being taken to the hospital, he and several other injured protesters were later taken away by security officers. It was not until more than a week later that authorities informed Asa's family that their son had died.



In the years since, the family say his grave has been repeatedly vandalized, with acid being sprayed on his tombstone and saplings they planted in his honor being chopped down.

More recently, the authorities were blamed for smashing the tombstone of Pouya Bakhtiari, a 27-year-old electrical engineer who was shot dead at a demonstration in November 2019 protesting a sharp hike in fuel prices.



It seems even some of the innocent people who died when a Ukrainian passenger plane was mistakenly downed by the Iranian military have not been spared unwanted attention in death.



Babak Ghafouri-Azar, a correspondent for RFE/RL's Radio Farda whose cousin, Siavash Ghafouri-Azar, and his wife, Sara Mamani, died in the tragic crash that caused huge international embarrassment for Tehran, said their headstones have been smashed and pictures of them removed from their graves.



'This Is Against Shari'a'



The longstanding desecration of graves belonging to people deemed hostile to the Islamic republic has repeatedly sparked international condemnation.



Amnesty International, for example, has denounced the "disrespectful treatment" of the remains of people who died in the "ruthless" slaughter" of 1988 as something that has "compounded the suffering of bereaved family members."



It's a practice that is also causing considerable disquiet in Iran itself.

"They should not cause suffering for the survivors; punishing the victims' relatives is not permissible," says Mohammad Taqi Fazel Meybodi, a prominent cleric and Islamic scholar based in the holy city of Qom. "What sin have these survivors committed? It is never permissible in Islam to inflict mental torture and punishment on a deceased person's survivors. This is against Shari'a."



But despite widespread criticism and repeated Iranian denials of responsibility, the practice of desecrating graves appears to be continuing unabated.



In September, Iran executed the popular champion wrestler Navid Afkari, who had been controversially convicted of killing a government employee during mass anti-government protests in 2018.



In a case described by Amnesty International as a "horrifying travesty of justice," Afkari maintained that his confession was obtained through torture and his death sparked an international outcry.



Just last month, it was reported that Iranian authorities had destroyed his grave.



A Galvanizing Effect?



Despite apparently trying to drive the families of the dead to despair, Mansureh Behkish maintains that these efforts to obliterate the memory of victims of the Iranian regime have been counterproductive.



"This is a sign of the establishment's fear," she said. "By destroying the graves, the regime wrongly thinks it would frighten the victims' families and silence their voices. All the pressures the regime has exerted has done nothing but intensify people's dissatisfaction with Iran's rulers. As they destroy the graves, people's voices get louder."

For some, the destruction of their loved ones' graves has even had a galvanizing effect.



Comparing the current regime to a "Zahak" -- a mythical figure who embodies evil in Persian folklore -- the mother of Neda Aqa Soltan, a demonstrator killed in the 2009 protests, proudly declared that she would be leaving her daughter's gravestone the way it was after it had been smashed and riddled with bullets.



"It will go down in history as a reminder that [today's] Zahak was terrified of even Neda's tomb and memory," she said.

The family of Mostafa Karimbeigi, another victim of the 2009 unrest, has also not replaced his shattered tombstone.



"I prefer my brother's broken grave to thousands upon thousands of tombs with their golden domes," his sister, Maryam Karimbeigi, tweeted.



"A mountain of honor and courage lies there, something that cannot be found in the living members of the Islamic establishment, let alone in their dead."


California spent $22.2 million to secure the Capitol and other sites in Sacramento and elsewhere against potential civil unrest in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol insurrection earlier this month.

+4 Napa business owner pleads not guilty to weapons charges; bail lowered to $1.5M Ian Rogers faces more than two dozen state and federal charges connected to pipe bombs and guns authorities say were found at his Napa home and business.

Most of the money went to the California Highway Patrol, which protected a fortified Capitol over the week leading up to President Joe Bidens inauguration.

The state spent $18.5 million to support the CHP deployment, $2.8 million for the California Military Department, $642,000 for the Department of General Services, $176,000 for the Office of Emergency Services and $36,000 for Cal Expo, according to the California Department of Finance.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 14 gave the order to activate the California National Guard to support the CHP in providing security. The order followed the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in which a a mob of President Donald Trumps supporters overwhelmed police and drove lawmakers from their chambers.

Ultimately, 1,000 members of Cal Guard were deployed on various missions from Jan. 15 through 21, 2021, according to a memo from the Department of Finance.
Britain will help the EU fix its jab supply issue, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi has revealed.

After Brussels backed down on its threat to block vaccine supplies at the border, Mr Zahawi said the focus has moved to 'collaboration' with the EU, reported The Sunday Telegraph.

The EU promised to allow supplies from Pfizer's Belgium factory to reach the UK and brought an end to escalating tensions on Saturday.

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the Prime Minister made European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent them reaching the UK.

A six-page document was allegedly prepared as the crisis developed, including options such as abandoning food checks and threats of legal action against the European Commission.

Britain yesterday recorded a daily record for first-dose jabs  487,756  to bring the total to almost 8.4 million.

After Brussels backed down on its threat to block vaccine supplies at the border, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said the focus has moved to 'collaboration' with the EU

Airlifts to protect Britain's vaccine supply in the event of a blockade were allegedly also on the table.

A government source told the paper: 'There were a variety of things set out that were not needed. Things moved very rapidly. There was a paper drawn up with actions to respond, but thankfully it all got stood down.'

The Prime Minister, his chief of staff Dan Rosenfeld, Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, Lord Frost, Mr Johnson's former Brexit adviser, and Oliver Lewis, a policy adviser, met for emergency talks in the Cabinet Room in Number 10 on Friday night.

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the Prime Minister made European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (pictured) abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent them reaching the UK

A senior source said: 'There was a conversation around "if we need to do something in response, what should it be?"'

Even the White House threatened to get involved, with the paper reporting a team spent Friday night looking for clarity on the EU's export controls. President Joe Biden's team were concerned about how restrictions could affect the US.

Bit it was made clear on Saturday that Number 10 now wants to move on from the fiasco, with a source saying: 'We have to now take it at face value that they are going to let the vaccine through, and we will work on that basis.'

Mr Zahawi said the UK had sent engineers to the Halix plant in the Netherlands to help with supply problems last month, and that there would be a continued tone of 'collaboration' with the bloc.

Yesterday, the EU agreed to reset its relations with Northern Ireland 'to put the people first' after it backed down from its decision to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to Michael Gove.

UK is ahead of all other European countries in giving doses of the coronavirus vaccine

The Cabinet Office minister said the union had 'recognised they made a mistake' in pursuing Article 16 - which allows the EU and UK to choose to suspend any aspects they consider to be causing 'economic, societal or environmental difficulties'.

The bloc faced condemnation for the action from London, Dublin and Belfast as it came amid a deepening dispute over delays to the production and distribution of the coronavirus vaccine across Europe.

Gove said: 'I think the European Union recognises that they made a mistake in triggering Article 16 which would've meant the reimposition of a border on the island of Ireland. But now the European Union has stepped back.

A vaccine postcode lottery means that while 84 per cent of over-80s have been immunised in the North East and Yorkshire, this is lower at 78 per cent in the South East and only 65 per cent in London. Pictured: People queue in the rain at a vaccination centre in Folkestone, Kent

'I've spoken to the European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic about this and we both agreed that we need a reset, that we need to put the people of Northern Ireland first.'

It comes after Brussels backed down from plans to impose export controls on vaccines that threatened the shipment of 3.5million Pfizer doses to Britain.

Ms von der Leyen made the assurance to Boris Johnson after announcing an extraordinary embargo on jabs leaving the bloc amid dwindling supplies on the Continent.

The row blew up spectacularly when Eurocrats overrode part of the Brexit deal to create a hard border on the island of Ireland to stop doses getting into the UK through Northern Ireland, which is still in the Customs Union.

The move blindsided the governments of London, Dublin and Belfast whose collective outrage forced a humbling climbdown and clarification from the EU it did not intent to trigger the incendiary Article 16.

And the EU has now rowed back yet further and scrapped its export ban for the UK entirely following a phone call between Ms von der Leyen and the Prime Minister.

Gove said the EU 'recognises they made a mistake' and 'stepped back' following the conversation between the two leaders.

He said: 'We're confident, we have assurances, that the supply that we have procured, the supply that we have paid for, is going to be delivered.'

Downing Street said it did not intend to dwell on the night of high drama but politicians in Britain are furious with the EU's behaviour.

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said the attempt to halt the free flow of goods on vaccine exports on the island of Ireland with scant awareness of the sensitivities was an 'almost Trumpian act'.

The Tory MP added: 'The EU cocked up big time last night, but we all need to work in the interest of preserving Northern Ireland. It is not just a backdoor for goods going to Britain, it is a very sensitive place and we have a duty between the EU and UK to ensure there is no hard border.'

Stormont's first minister Arlene Foster called the move an 'incredible act of hostility' and said the rift emanated from the 'EU's vaccine embarrassment and mismanagement'.

While Britain has already inoculated 11 per cent of its population, the rollout on the Continent has been blighted by supply issues and the EU has demanded UK doses are instead diverted to the bloc.

French President Emmanuel Macron poured petrol on the rift when he baselessly claimed there was no evidence the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot worked in over-65s, despite it gaining approval from the EU regulator.

So far the UK has placed orders for 367million doses of the seven most promising Covid vaccines  made by AstraZeneca , Pfizer , Moderna, Valneva, Janssen, GlaxoSmithKline and Novavax  at a cost of 2.9billion

Michel Barnier, who was the EU's chief Brexit negotiator in the trade deal struck only 29 days ago, tried to cool tensions and appealed for 'cooperation'.

Ms von der Leyen tweeted: 'Constructive talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson tonight.

'We agreed on the principle that there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities.'
Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson said Sunday he doesn't think Congress should call for Marjorie Taylor Greene to resign just because she 'believes something a little bit different' in subscribing to QAnon conspiracy theories.

'The people of her district elected her and that should mean a lot,' Hutchinson told ABC's 'This Week' host Martha Raddatz on Sunday morning, adding Greene's constituents would decide if she should serve another term or not.

'She's going to run for reelection and she'll be accountable for what she said and her actions,' he continued.

Greene, who represents rural Georgia's 14th congressional district, believes in several QAnon conspiracy theories. In the last week, her past social media posts have come up, revealing she pushed these theories more fervently than previously reported.

'Given her history is she fit to serve?' Raddatz pushed Hutchinson.

'I'm not going to answer that question as to whether she's fit to serve because she believes in something that everybody else does not accept,' the Arkansas governor dodged.

'I don't think we ought to punish people from a disciplinary standpoint  a Party standpoint  because they believe something a little bit different.'

Republican Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that the Party shouldn't punish Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene for pushing QAnon conspiracy theories

''I don't think we ought to punish people from a disciplinary standpoint  a Party standpoint  because they believe something a little bit different,' Hutchinson said when ABC's 'This Week' host Martha Raddatz (left) asked if Greene should be removed from the House Education and Labor Committee after it was revealed she thinks recent school shootings are a 'hoax'

Greene has faced a slew of backlash this week after past social media posts revealed her deep beliefs in some QAnon conspiracies. While Hutchinson defended her, he also said 'I would not vote for her'

Raddatz also asked Hutchinson if Greene's conspiracies related to school shootings being staged should motivate Republicans to remove her from the House Education and Labor Committee.

'I would not vote for her,' Hutchinson said, claiming when there are 'extreme elements' of a party that you have to 'reject.'

Greene has faced a slew of backlash in the past week and fired back at conservative anti-Trump PAC The Lincoln Project, accusing the group of being the 'real traitors' and 'Biden's little tool' after they turned against House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The embattled Georgia Republican, who is facing mounting calls to resign, launched yet another Twitter tirade on Saturday to defend the McCarthy after the group tweeted the hashtag: '#TraitorMcCarthy.'

'The Lincoln Project are the REAL traitors! You aren't Republicans. You are nothing but a bunch of America last losers,' Greene replied.

'You wallow in the same pit with the bloodthirsty media and the socialist democrats. [McCarthy] is fighting for America First. The LP is Biden's little tool.'

The Lincoln Project, which was formed in 2019 by a group of former and current Republicans, and staunchly opposes Donald Trump, has accused McCarthy of destroying the GOP.

McCarthy is also facing pressure from fellow lawmakers to take action against Greene, who has come under fire over her controversial posts and for openly supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Lawmakers have called for Greene to be removed after separate footage surfaced of her harassing a Parkland mass shooting survivor and she showed support on Facebook for executing top Democrats.

Earlier this week Democratic Rep. Cori Bush announced she was moving her office to get away from 'white supremacist' Greene after she 'berated' her in the Capitol.

Greene has refused to quit saying it was Bush who 'berated' her and that Democrats hate her only because she's 'a threat to their goal of Socialism', while she claims to have brought in $1.6 million in campaign donations.

Greene has repeatedly pushed unfounded conspiracy theories including that late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double, the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that left 58 dead was organized by Democrats and that there is no evidence a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11.

The Lincoln Project, which was formed in 2019 by a group of former and current Republicans, and staunchly opposes Donald Trump, has accused McCarthy of destroying the GOP

Earlier on Saturday Greene announced on Twitter that she had spoken to Donald Trump. They are pictured together above on January 4

Greene spoke about the call with her 'all time favorite POTUS' in a Twitter rant on Saturday

While some Republicans have condemned Greene's postings, they were hardly a surprise.

Greene has expressed support for QAnon conspiracy theories, which focus on the debunked belief that top Democrats are involved in child sex trafficking, Satan worship and cannibalism.

Facebook videos surfaced last year showing she'd expressed racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views.

Top Republicans denounced her at the time, hoping to block her from capturing the GOP nomination for her reliably red congressional district in northwest Georgia.

McCarthy called the posts 'deeply disturbing' and said he had 'plans to have a conversation' with Greene about them.' The House GOP leader flew to Florida on Thursday to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort

The opposition faded, however, when Greene won the primary and was essentially guaranteed a seat in Congress. By the time she was sworn into office, Greene had ridden with President Donald Trump on Air Force One during his final days in office.

Still, there's greater pressure on political leaders to address extremism after a pro-Trump mob staged a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez announced Wednesday night that he was readying a resolution to expel Greene from Congress because of her past social media activity.

In a statement to Axios, a spokesman for House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy called the posts 'deeply disturbing' and said McCarthy 'plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them.'

It's unclear when that conversation may happen. McCarthy flew to Florida on Thursday to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
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Missouri homicide suspect Justin Chase Stevens was found dead Saturday in a home in Cullman County, Ala., authorities said.

Stevens was wanted in a the death of a woman in Missouri, as well as felony theft. Cullman County authorities said they also had a first degree sexual abuse warrant for him.

Cullman County investigators, deputies and a Special Response Team went to a home in the West Point area looking for Stevens, the sheriffs office said. They tried repeatedly to communicate with him but got no response, the sheriff said.

Deputies found Stevens dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound when they entered the home, the sheriffs office said, and no foul play is suspected. No one else was injured.

Stevens was wanted in the death of a woman killed Jan. 13 in Sarcoxie, Missouri and also for felony theft, press reports in that state said. He was a native of Cullman County.
Two years after a bruising battle between San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and former City Councilman Greg Brockhouse, the two men will likely face each other once more for the mayors seat in a race defined by the human and economic toll wrought by COVID-19 and cries from activists for police reform.

Last time, Nirenberg eked out a slim victory after Brockhouse forced him to a runoff in an often bitterly personal campaign. Then, the mayor won re-election by a 2.2-point margin.

But the landscape has changed dramatically in the two years since. The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the city  killing more than 2,000 residents, hospitalizing thousands more and decimating thousands of jobs, particularly in the citys restaurant and hospitality industries.

On top of that, activists in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis have pressed San Antonio leaders to spend less on policing and more on social services such as housing, health care and helping the homeless.

Nirenberg, seeking a third term, is much better off than he was two years ago, his advisers and backers say  pointing to the mayors improved poll numbers and his nightly TV appearances alongside Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff to give residents the latest on the virus.

Bolstering their case was the landslide victory in November of Nirenbergs $154 million sales tax plan to pay for job training and college degrees. Nearly 77 percent of voters agreed to help San Antonians put out of work by the pandemic  the biggest electoral victory of Nirenbergs career and a sign, his allies say, that the mayor has broadened his support amid the pandemic.

I believe hes in a stronger position than before, said Gilberto Ocanas, Nirenbergs chief political consultant and chairman of his re-election campaign. He has handled himself  from what other people tell me  in a way that makes them feel comfortable that hes the mayor. They know that somebody serious is at the wheel.

Brockhouse has yet to file for the race  he has until Feb. 12  and his coffers seem low. His last campaign finance report, covering August through December, showed no income except a $17,000 loan.

But hes ready to take on Nirenberg.

Hes unimpressed with the mayors approach to managing the pandemic and its recovery. The former councilman has accused Nirenberg of using the bully pulpit to unduly spread fear about COVID-19  though he says the virus should be taken seriously  and lacking aggression in his economic recovery efforts.

Theres a palpable lack of hope in this city, Brockhouse said. You just sense it, and it comes from the lack of leadership out of City Hall. And the problem with it is its only on one person.

Theres potential room for Brockhouse to hammer the mayor on economic recovery and police reform, said Christian Archer, a veteran campaign operative who ran winning mayoral races for Phil Hardberger and Julian Castro.

But the former councilman will have to bring in his own economic recovery plan if he wants to unseat Nirenberg and avoid a second loss, the consultant said.

That is trying to put the thread through three needle holes, Archer said. Its a difficult task for Brockhouse, especially if he doesnt have the money.

Still hanging over Brockhouse are a pair of domestic violence allegations from a former spouse and his current wife, Annalisa, although the latter is something he and his wife have sought to put to rest.

For Nirenberg, his advantage over Brockhouse is simple.

We have 18 months of work to run on, Nirenberg said.

Pandemic recovery

Ronald Cortes/Contributor

Amid the economic damage caused by the virus, the two men will square off over whether Nirenberg and the city have done enough to stem the bleeding.

Nirenberg points to the $255 million in city, state and federal money that city leaders have allocated since the pandemic began for housing assistance, business aid, workforce development and efforts to bridge geographic gaps in internet access. Roughly half a billion dollars has gone toward the citys public health response as well as providing economic relief to those hard hit by the pandemic.

Workforce development in particular has been the mayors baby. Nirenberg sees those efforts as a crucial relief measure, meaning people who have lost work because of the pandemic get skills needed to work in higher-paying jobs that are available now. In the long term, with the aid of the sales tax program, that benefit would be expanded to tens of thousands of residents to put a dent in the citys endemic poverty.

Its a short-term response and a long-term recovery, Nirenberg said. We have to do both. Otherwise, were repeating the same mistakes.

Brockhouse accuses Nirenberg of being too focused on long-term recovery efforts instead of short-term help for small businesses  particularly in the restaurant and hospitality industries.

The city has spent roughly $27 million on emergency small-business grants, including $8.7 million to bars and restaurants  a sufficient sum to some, a paltry one to others.

He doesnt want to bring those industries back, Brockhouse said. His answer is retrain them into something else.

Brockhouse said hes drafting a policy platform that will focus on aggressive relief for San Antonio now. Thats it.

One idea is tap the citys $120 million in reserves to funnel to small businesses. City officials have cautioned against such a move, warning that doing so would damage the citys credit rating and borrowing power needed to take out debt to build roads and capital improvements.

Brockhouse doesnt buy that argument.

If we ever needed to break into a reserve fund, this is the time period to do it, he said.

Police reform

Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

Standing on the front steps of the Bexar County Courthouse in early June, Nirenberg made a pact with protesters demonstrating against police brutality: He would pursue police reforms, or those present should hold him accountable at the ballot box.

Im the mayor of this goddamn city, and were going to make change together, Nirenberg said.

Months later, Nirenberg now faces the task of convincing activists that hes made headway on a police reform agenda without alienating too many voters who consider themselves pro-police  or giving ammunition to Brockhouse, a longtime police union ally.

Many involved in the summer protests feel burned. Activists who wanted to see the Police Departments budget substantially cut this past September and money rerouted to social services including housing, health care and aid to the homeless were irate when the City Council instead increased the citys police spending by $8 million. That was largely the result of spending increases mandated by the citys contract with the police officers union.

The trust that we felt like we had built and created with the mayor and with local elected officials is really up in the air after months have gone by and Black Lives Matter activists still have to proclaim that our life matters to the city, said Kimiya Factory, a local community activist who heads the organization Black Freedom Factory.

The city has made progress on reforms, the mayor argued: speeding up the process of releasing body camera footage when officers shoot someone or use force, banning police use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and pinpointing ways to push for stricter accountability measures for officers accused of misconduct in the citys upcoming contract negotiations with the police union.

I feel that we are delivering, Nirenberg said. Its certainly a process, and its not at its conclusion. Thats what accountability looks like.

Complicating matters for the mayor: He may wind up sharing the ballot with a referendum on whether the police union will still be allowed to collectively bargain for wages and benefits.

The organization Fix SAPD turned in more than 20,000 signatures  still to be verified  to put the question before voters in the hopes of stripping the union of the ability to sway how officers are disciplined.

If the measure makes it onto the May ballot, the San Antonio Police Officers Association will wage an all-out war to defeat it, churning out ads and turning out conservative voters who arent likely to be kind to the mayor.

Nirenberg hasnt taken a position on the initiative. In the past, he has said the police union should agree to changes to provisions in the contract that give Police Chief William McManus more authority to punish bad officers.

If the Fix SAPD petitions end up on the ballot, it will be up to the voters to decide, and were going to have to operate within the guidelines set by the voters, Nirenberg said. But my focus and my mandate, on behalf of the people of this city, is to achieve their priorities at the bargaining table.

Count Brockhouse as a staunch opponent of stripping the union of its collective bargaining rights, though he thinks union leaders should at least be open to changing the contracts disciplinary provisions.

The sad part is, in the whole debate, that both sides want the same thing: They want bad officers gone, Brockhouse said. But it is a very small percentage. A tiny percentage of officers are bad. You do not upend entire contracts and throw them out the door or make threats when you root out the .1 percent.

Known allies

/Carlos Javier Sanchez / Contributor

To what degree either candidate can rely on key allies whose backing proved crucial in the last race remains to be seen.

For Nirenberg, that means progressive organizers who helped deliver the mayor a second term. A cadre of local progressives raised eyebrows at the mayors workforce proposal, blasting the plan as overly beneficial to employers, not workers, and claiming it was cooked up behind closed doors.

The grassroots group Texas Organizing Project, which withheld its endorsement of Nirenberg until Brockhouse forced the runoff, hasnt yet decided whether to wade into the race. TOP deployed its high-powered network of canvassers and organizers during the runoff  and Nirenberg won by about 2,200 votes.

For Brockhouse, that means again enlisting the help of the police and fire unions, which helped bridge a fundraising gap between him and the mayor with an advertising blitz and their own get-out-the-vote efforts.

Its likely that both unions will at least endorse Brockhouse again. But the police union may have its hands full fighting back against the changes sought by Fix SAPD should its proposed amendment make it onto the ballot.

That fight comes first because thats our livelihood, said John Danny Diaz, the incoming president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association.

Business view

Sitting out the race so far are the citys business leaders. Nirenberg and the business community have often butted heads during his tenure, while business groups were wary of Brockhouse in the last election.

For a brief moment last year, Nirenberg and business leaders seemed to reconcile.

San Antonios most prominent employers  including H-E-B, Valero Energy and USAA  lined up beside the mayor and gave heavily to the campaign to pass the workforce measure in November.

But so far, the business community hasnt come out in favor of the mayor or his opponent.

I think theres no doubt that Ron coming to the San Antonio business community and asking for thoughts, assistance helping shape it, that brings credibility, said Richard Perez, head of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and a former City Council member. When you reach out to the business community and say, Can you help us with this, we say, Heck yeah. But I dont know if its happening on a regular basis. Thats episodic, I think.

Still, behind-the-scenes efforts to recruit a mayoral challenger with business bona fides  rumored names often include philanthropist Gordon Hartman, now on the mayors team, or Eddie Aldrete, senior vice president of IBC Bank  appear to have fizzled.

I will say there is that feeling that Ron has done a good job of being the mayor of San Antonio in the pandemic, speaking truth and being confident in our recovery and what people should or shouldnt do, Perez said. Thats still separate from the issues that are still affecting business on a daily basis. Thats really where the line gets drawn.

Past allegations

Unclear is whether Brockhouse will continue to face questions over a pair of domestic violence accusations in which a former spouse reported he assaulted her in 2006 and his current wife called police to report that he had assaulted her in 2009. Brockhouse was not arrested or charged in either incident.

According to a police report, Annalisa Brockhouse called police just before midnight Dec. 23, 2009, and accused Brockhouse of grabbing her, throwing her to the ground and trying to hit her.

The former councilman initially claimed ignorance of a 2009 police report about the call she made to 911, dodged questions about it throughout the campaign and later insinuated it was fake.

After he lost, Brockhouse and his wife appeared on KSAT-TV and explained that she had indeed called police that night but that her husband never assaulted her. Annalisa Brockhouse said she was suffering from postpartum depression at the time and made a false police report after an argument.

Brockhouse said in a recent interview that he didnt admit the incident during the campaign because he was protecting his family, although he said his wife asked him daily to let her set the record straight.

The last thing I wanted to do was be a politician that wheeled his wife out there and said, Here, go save me, go get me a vote, Brockhouse said.

Brockhouse now says he should have been as open and transparent as possible and explained the incident earlier in the campaign.

But he doesnt regret not talking about it back then.

To me, defending my family and protecting my wife  to me, thats not the wrong decision, Brockhouse said. If protecting my family cost me the mayors job, OK. Im OK with that.

Whether the issue will dog him this campaign isnt yet known.

If you dont trust me on it, I appreciate that, Brockhouse said. Ive got a long way to go to repair that, if its even repairable. But Ill try.

Assembling a team

Both men are off to a slow fundraising start. At the end of last year, Nirenberg had a war chest of $61,000. Thats less than a quarter of what he had at the outset of his first matchup with Brockhouse in 2019.

Brockhouse had nothing in his bank account at the end of December except the $17,000 loan.

The former councilman put out an appeal on Facebook, seeking to raise at least $100,000 by the end of January. He kept a running tally on his page but took it off in mid-January when the count was at just $17,000. A campaign consultant said Brockhouse had brought in about $20,000 and had another $80,000 in pledges by the end of January.

Nirenberg has shaken up his campaign team since his last election. Last year, he parted ways with longtime campaign manager Kelton Morgan and brought on Ocanas, a former deputy executive director of the Democratic National Committee, as his chief political adviser.

Ryan Garcia, who advised Nirenberg during his 2019 runoff election and since has managed campaigns for County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez and Sheriff Javier Salazar, will be campaign director  a position Ocanas likened to a chief operating officer.

Nirenberg also has recruited businessman Hartman, founder of Morgans Wonderland, as his finance chair to oversee the campaigns fundraising efforts.

Brockhouse is still assembling his campaign team but veteran Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak has returned. Mackowiak, who advised Brockhouses 2019 run, is fresh off Republican Tony Gonzales win in Congressional District 23.
Amber Turner set pulses racing as she posed in racy black lingerie for a new photo posted to Instagram on Sunday.

The TOWIE star, 27, looked sensational as she modelled in the lacy Ann Summers one-piece, putting her ample assets on display.

With her blonde hair styled in glamorous waves, Amber completed her look with a slick of glossy make-up to enhance her features.

Hot: Amber Turner set pulses racing as she posed in racy black lingerie for a new photo posted to Instagram on Sunday

She displayed a sultry pose for the camera as she sat beside a white rose, captioning the post: Happy Sunday lovelies.'

On Thursday, Amber wore the same lingerie piece for another snap, showing off her incredible physique.

The reality star displayed her recently acquired Dubai tan in in the plunging bodysuit, which showcased plenty of skin with its high-leg style and cut-out detail.

Upping the romance factor, Amber held onto a white rose, as she wrote: Yours forever.

Turning heads: On Thursday, Amber wore the same lingerie piece for another snap, showing off her incredible physique

Opening up: Earlier this month, Amber took to Instagram Stories to reflect on her past cosmetic treatments, admitting she used to be addicted to lip filler

Throwback: Amber has revealed she has not had any filler since December 2019 (pictured that month)

Earlier this month, Amber took to Instagram Stories to reflect on her past cosmetic treatments, admitting she used to be addicted to lip filler.

She told her 826k followers that she has now gone more than a year without getting any fillers.

Sharing a close-up of her face, Amber wrote: Havent had my lips done since 19th Dec 2019! I swear I was addicted.

Anyone who knows me knows lip filler never lasted and I used to get like 1ml every 2/3 months lol! Feel like I prefer them like this tho!

Amber has recently returned to the UK after spending time away in Dubai on a work trip with boyfriend Dan Edgar.

The couple returned before a travel corridor to the United Arab Emirates closed on January 29th.

The Biden regime, faced with the fear of multiple populist uprisings, has issued an Orwellian "terrorism" alert suggesting pretty much everyone who is against the status quo is a potential terrorist.



From ABC News, "DHS uses federal alert system for 1st time in a year to warn of domestic terrorist threat":

Using a federal system designed to warn all Americans about terrorist threats to the U.S. homeland, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a warning that anger "fueled by false narratives," especially unfounded claims about the 2020 presidential election, could lead some inside the country to launch attacks in the coming weeks.



"Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence," according to a bulletin issued Wednesday through the DHS National Terrorist Advisory System -- or NTAS.



The system was last used to issue a public warning a year ago, when DHS issued a bulletin over potential retaliation by Iran for the U.S. assassination of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq days earlier. A year before that, DHS issued a bulletin through the same system to highlight the threat from foreign terrorist groups like ISIS or al-Qaida.



But over the past year, domestic terrorists "motivated by a range of issues, including anger over COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results, and police use of force have plotted and on occasion carried out attacks against government facilities," and "long-standing racial and ethnic tension -- including opposition to immigration -- has driven [domestic terrorist] attacks," the bulletin issued Wednesday said.

Note how they even included BLM protesters.



The message is clear: everyone is a potential terrorist -- so be very, very afraid and do whatever the regime demands of you.



Of course, the regime terrorizing the public to get them to submit to their tyranny is just fine!



The DHS also encouraged the public to rat on their neighbors and "report suspicious activity and threats of violence, including online activity, to local law enforcement, FBI Field Offices, or their local Fusion Center."



"If You See Something, Say Something," the alert said (the trademark was included).



ABC News released this propaganda piece on the alert bulletin which was so over the top it would make the editors of Pravda blush:



Our corrupt ruling class are openly labeling the American people as domestic terrorists while simultaneously walling themselves off from the general public.





Pelosi says more security needed for U.S. Congress against 'enemy within' https://t.co/WkFGFP4g2v pic.twitter.com/YaJeapRNz9  Reuters (@Reuters) January 28, 2021

PERMANENT SECURITY FENCING coming to US Capitol.



New statement from acting US Capitol Police chief: "Vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing" pic.twitter.com/6JMPfcn1E9  Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) January 28, 2021



The New York Times on Wednesday ran an article from "former" top CIA officer Robert Grenier labeling dissenters as part of a terrorist "insurgency" and calling for them to be "defeated" like an enemy army.







Grenier said -- without evidence -- that groups such as "the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters, the Oath Keepers, 'Christian' national chauvinists, white supremacists and QAnon fantasists" are "committed to violent extremism."



Of course, we now know the Proud Boys have been led for the past two years by a "prolific" FBI informant.



Former DHS head Michael Chertoff also called the Capitol protest "domestic terrorism" and threw his support behind using "sedition" and "hate speech" laws against the American people as part of the regime's new War on Terror.







As we saw on Wednesday, the feds just indicted a Twitter troll over a meme he shared in 2016 and are threatening to throw him in prison for ten years under a rarely-if-ever-used charge of "conspiracy to violate rights"!





WRITE UP: Feds Indict Pro-Trump Twitter Troll 'Ricky Vaughn' Over Memes Shared During 2016 Election

https://t.co/EnYPSlSDIw  Chris Menahan  (@infolibnews) January 27, 2021



Vindictive prosecutors have already hit multiple people with ridiculous "conspiracy" charges and the Washington Post is reporting that they've "opened case files on at least 400 potential suspects and expect to bring sedition charges against some 'very soon.'"



If the regime actually wanted to bring about "unity and healing" they would be showing leniency to these protesters, ratcheting down tensions and instituting populist reforms -- instead they're labeling everyone as "domestic terrorists" and criminalizing dissent!



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Australia is reopening its doors to New Zealand travellers after health authorities gave the go-ahead.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd made the recommendation that the pause in flights from New Zealand did not need to be extended.

'The Commonwealth has accepted this advice, meaning green zone flights will commence this afternoon,' Mr Hunt said in a statement on Sunday.

He said the acting CMO noted there have been no further confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the community in New Zealand since the initial three cases originated from transmission within hotel quarantine.

Australia is reopening its doors to New Zealand travellers after health authorities gave the go-ahead

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd made the recommendation that the pause in flights from New Zealand did not need to be extended

Professor Kidd also noted all close contacts of the three New Zealand cases have returned negative test results, and there have been no further cases found to date in the casual contacts, previous residents of the hotel or hotel staff.

Mr Hunt said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee will continue to monitor the situation in New Zealand very closely.

'(It) will receive daily reports from the New Zealand health authorities on the results of the continuing contact tracing related to this outbreak,' he said.

Prof Kidd later told reporters it was recommended pre- and post-flight screening be implemented for the next ten days, as there is still a small risk of further cases being detected.

'As well as being screened for possible symptoms of Covid-19, this screening will check that travellers have not been identified as close contacts of the infected cases who have not visited any of the contact tracing areas of interest in New Zealand,' he said.

'And if they have, that they have been tested and they have received negative test results and clearance as required by the New Zealand authorities.'

For people to travel from NZ to Australia, they must have been in NZ for 14 days and been in quarantine as necessary.

A year after the Coronavirus pandemic wrecked our collective lives, our society has been grappling with fear and insecurity. As a result, we have seen misinformation spread like wildfire, and many resorting to bizarre and incorrect methods of dealing with the virus. With this column, which will be published every Sunday, we aim to address any health or vaccine-related question our readers might have about the coronavirus pandemic.

In this week's column, the queries have been answered Dr NK Arora, who heads Operations Research Group, which is a part of the National Task Force set up by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in response to COVID-19. The queries are mostly related to eligibility of vaccination, and medications that can be consumed before and during the vaccination process.

What medications should be avoided before taking COVID-19 vaccine and for how long?

Currently, there is no such instruction. One can take ones regular medication uninterruptedly. Just inform the vaccinator about the medicines you consume.

The Health Ministry has advised caution in vaccinating persons with a history of bleeding or coagulation disorder. How does a person know if he/she has a coagulation disorder? What tests can be conducted?

There are a few bleeding disorders like 'haemophilia'. These persons should take the vaccine under the supervision of their treating physician. Patients who are admitted in hospital or ICU and have bleeding problems should delay the vaccination till they are discharged. However, several people with heart and brain disorders are on blood thinners like aspirin and anti-platelet drugs. They can continue with their medicines and have the vaccines. For them, vaccines are absolutely safe.

The health advisory also states that those with immunity issues should be cautious about taking the vaccine. What are the markers of 'Immunity issues'?

Immune issues are of two types: one, immunosuppression due to any disease such as AIDS, and people on immunosuppressant drugs such as anti-cancer drugs, steroids, etc. Second, immunodeficiency in people who suffers from some defect in the body's protective system such as congenital immunodeficiency.

Currently, available COVID vaccines do not have any live virus and therefore individuals with immune issues can have the vaccine safely. But the vaccine may not be as effective in them. One should inform the vaccinator about the medicines they consume and if they are suffering from any known immune issues. The vaccinator should have a record of ones medical condition.

Many are wary or cautious about taking the vaccine. What is the government/health officials doing to address their concerns?

Many senior doctors and other health personnel have taken the vaccine themselves. This proves that they, who have in-depth knowledge of medical science and drug development, have full faith in the vaccine and their gesture should give confidence to their junior colleagues and team members. Besides, all health personnel involved in the delivery of vaccines have been given scientific literature and communication training. Over 30 lac health personnel have accepted the vaccine in the first two weeks of vaccination drive, and the trend is improving by the day. It indicates that more and more people have confidence and readiness to accept the COVID vaccines.

What are intra-nasal vaccines? How effective is the BBV154, Bharat Biotechs single-dose intra-nasal vaccine?

The said vaccine is in an early stage of its development. We have to wait for some time to know more about its effectiveness.

Do you have questions about Coronavirus? Or the vaccines? Send us your questions: Tweet with #AskADoctor. Every week, we will have a public health expert to address your concerns through this column.
Former President Trump hasn't made a final decision on his legal team, days out from his impeachment trial starting, his adviser Jason Miller said Saturday after it emerged he'd lost two lead defense attorneys.

Why it matters: Trump's Senate trial is due to begin Feb. 8. It's unclear who'll take the lead now South Carolina lawyers Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier have left the team. Several other attorneys are also reportedly no longer with the Trump legal team.

Details: Former South Carolina federal prosecutors Greg Harris and Johnny Gasser, who were previously announced for Trump's impeachment defense, will no longer be a part of the legal team, per AP.

North Carolina attorney Josh Howard, "who had been reported as joining the effort but who was never confirmed by Trump advisers publicly, is also not on the team," notes the New York Times' Maggie Haberman.

"Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and it was stolen from him rather than focus on proposed arguments about constitutionality," tweeted CNN's Kaitlan Collins, who first reported the news on Bowers and Barbier and also reported on Howard.

What they're saying: The decision on Bowers and Barbier was mutual, a Trump adviser told news outlets.

Miller said in a statement Democrats' efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is "totally unconstitutional" and "so bad for our country."

"In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that is unconstitutional," he added. "We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly."

Of note: Trump was impeached before he left office earlier this month for "incitement of insurrection" over the U.S. Capitol riots, becoming the only president in history to have been impeached twice.

Go deeper: Most Senate Republicans join bid to dismiss Trump's 2nd impeachment trial

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Matt Damon and his family have spent their first day out of quarantine soaking up the sun with the Hemsworth clan in Lennox Head, near Byron Bay.

Matt, 50, his wife Luciana Barroso, 45, and their daughters Isabella, 14, Gia, 12, and Stella, 10, were officially released into the Byron Bay community on Sunday morning, after spending two weeks isolating inside a $7,000-a-night mansion.

Just hours later, the Hollywood family were spotted enjoying their new-found freedom with Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky, 44, and her two youngest children at a playground near Lennox Head beach.

Freedom at last! Matt Damon, 50, (left) and his family spent their first day out of quarantine soaking up the sun with their long-time friend Elsa Pataky, 44, (right) and her children, in Lennox Head, on Sunday

Matt and Luciana, who have been family friends with the Hemsworths for years, looked thrilled to be out of quarantine as they watched their daughters interact with Chris and Elsa's twin sons Tristan and Sasha, four.

Conspicuously absent from the outing was Elsa's famous husband Chris, who is currently filming scenes for the upcoming Marvel blockbuster Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney.

However, Matt won't have to wait long to catch up with the Australian star, as he too is set to star in the move in an unspecified role.

Better together: Matt and Luciana, who have been family friends with the Hemsworths for years, looked absolutely thrilled to be out of quarantine as they watched their young daughters interact with Chris and Elsa's children

Low-key celebrity: Matt was dressed for comfort in a white T-shirt and khaki cargo shorts

When in Byron! He shielded is famous visage behind a pair of black sunglasses, and completed his look with a pair of quintessentially Australian flip-flops

Va va voom! Matt's stunning wife showcased her slender physique in a purple tie-dye midi-dress

Matt was dressed for comfort in a white T-shirt and khaki cargo shorts.

He shielded is famous visage behind a pair of black sunglasses, and completed his look with a pair of quintessentially Australian flip-flops.

Meanwhile, his stunning wife showcased her slender physique in a purple tie-dye midi-dress.

Family fun day! Elsa and Luciana were joined by their army of youngsters en route to the local park

Girl time! Elsa and Luciana were spotted strolling around the grass barefoot as they enjoyed a lively conversation, while Matt spent time playing with both his and Elsa's children in the playground

Legging it! Meanwhile, Elsa displayed her shapely pins in a pair of high-waisted knitted shorts

Elsa meanwhile displayed her shapely pins in a pair of high-waisted knitted shorts.

She completed her trendy look with a lemon-coloured cropped singlet top and fedora hat.

Elsa and Luciana were spotted strolling around the park barefoot as they enjoyed a lively conversation, while Matt spent time playing with both his and Elsa's children in the playground.

Lovely in lemon! The bronzed blonde completed her trendy look with a lemon-coloured cropped singlet top

Uncle Matt! Proving himself every inch the family man, Matt was seen pushing one of Elsa's twin sons on the swings, before cuddling up to one of his daughters elsewhere

No-show: Absent from the outing was Elsa's famous husband Chris, who is currently filming scenes for the upcoming Marvel blockbuster Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney

Proving himself every inch the family man, Matt was seen pushing one of Elsa's twin sons on the swings, before cuddling up to one of his daughters elsewhere on the playground.

The Damon family arrived in Australia via private jet earlier this month and immediately moved into an Airbnb rented mansion, where they paid for their own private security, police monitoring, hospital-grade cleaning, staff, meals and regular medical checks.

At the time, Concierge Doctors CEO Dr Zac Turner told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'The family will be entirely segregated for the period of their quarantine and will participate in standardised testing and monitoring, in full compliance with current NSW Government requirements.'

Watchful eye! Matt, who has no sons of his own, kept a close eye on Chris and Elsa's twin sons as they made their way towards the park

Shopping: Barefoot duo Elsa and Luciana also enjoyed a quick visit to the local shops

Doting: At one stage, Matt was seen doting on one of his daughters as she took a break from playing with the other children

Arrival: The Damon family arrived in Australia via private jet earlier this month and immediately moved into the mansion, where they paid for their own private security, police monitoring, hospital-grade cleaning, staff, meals and regular medical checks

Dr Turner added that NSW Police would be present to ensure quarantine was enforced.

Meanwhile, Matt previously said that he was looking forward to 'call Australia home' ahead of his trip Down Under.

'I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home for the next few months,' Matt said.

'Australian film crews are world renowned for their professionalism and are a joy to work with so the 14 days of quarantine will be well worth it,' he added.

'I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home': Matt previously said that he was looking forward to 'call Australia home' ahead of his trip Down Under
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government was just a "phone call away" for talks with the farmers agitating against the farm laws, union leaders on Sunday said a "respectful solution" should be found but they will not agree to anything "under pressure". Farmer leaders Rakesh and Naresh Tikait demanded that the government release the protesters to create a conducive environment for talks, even as Prime Minister Modi, during his monthly radio address, said that the country was saddened by the "insult" to the Tricolour on the Republic Day, referring to the violence at Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade.

As hundreds of farmers continued to converge at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border following a tearful Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait's impassioned appeal on Thursday, the ripples spread deeper in western Uttar Pradesh where a mahapanchyat was held in Baghpat in support of the stir, the third in as many days in the key region. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal met Rakesh Tikait, joining several other leaders from the opposition parties who have visited the protest site to extend their support. The farmers will honour the dignity of the prime minister, but are also committed to protecting their self-respect, the Tikait brothers who are leading the agitation asserted, even as they warned that the farm laws issue could cost the BJP dear electorally. "They (Farmers) are free to vote anyone, we cannot ask them to vote for a particular partyif a party has hurt them, why would they bring it to power again?" Naresh Tikait said.

Both the leader said they were open to talks with the government to find a "middle path". Prime Minister Modi had on Saturday said his government's offer on agri laws made to protesting farmers "still stands" and the Centre was just a "phone call away" for talks, days after violence broke out in parts of the national capital on Republic Day. Rakesh said they will honour and respect the dignity of prime minister, and added the farmers don't want the government or Parliament to "bow down to them". But at the same time, he added, they will also ensure the self-respect of farmers is protected.

During their January 26 parade, scores of protesters had stormed the Red Fort, with some of them hoisting religious flags on its ramparts. The two leaders condemned Republic Day violence and said it was unacceptable, even though they alleged it was the result of a conspiracy. They said the Tricolour was above everything and they will never let anyone disrespect it. The Delhi Police has registered nearly 40 cases and made over 80 arrests in connection with the violence and vandalism. The government should release our men and prepare an environment conducive for talks. A respectful solution should be reached. We will never agree to anything under pressure, Rakesh Tikait asserted. Naresh, the elder of the two Tikait brothers and Bharatiya Kisan Union national president, (BKU) told PTI, "Talks are necessary. A solution should be found" "The middle path could be that the BJP government assures farmers it won't implement the three laws during its tenure. We will also try convincing the farmers. What else can be better than this?" he suggested. "We respect the prime minister's postfarmers should be respected too," he said.

Naresh and Rakesh are sons of Mahendra Singh Tikait, once counted among the tallest farmer leaders of the country. More tents came up at the UP gate protest site in Ghazipur on Sunday and many waited for hours to talk to Rakesh Tikait or click a selfie with him. The farmer leader remained busy meeting his supporters and talking to the media, halting only when his voice gave away. A Bharatiya Kisan Union member said Rakesh has not been able to sleep for more than three hours a day for the past three days.

Small groups of farmers took out marches, carrying the Tricolour and shouting slogans. Shiromani Akal Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, whose party pulled out of the NDA government over the three farm laws, met Tikait for around 10 minutes. Earlier, Congress' UP president Ajay Kumar Lallu, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary and Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala had visited the protest site to extend support.

In Baghpat, a 'sarv khap mahapanchayat' took place at the Tehsil ground with farmers pouring in from nearby districts as well in tractor-trollies. It was the third 'mahapanchayat' of farmers in the region after a massive congregation in Muzaffarnagar on Friday and in Mathura on Saturday, both resolving to support the ongoing BKU-led protest. BKU leader Rajendra Chaudhary told the crowd, the movement has to be continued with full strength.

The two-month-long protest against the farm laws appeared to be losing steam after widespread violence during a tractor parade by farmers on the Republic Day, but an emotional appeal by Rakesh Tikait gave it a fresh lease of life. Delhi's Singhu border also saw more farmers from Punjab and Haryana joining the protest, even as some complained of poor internet connectivity and difficulties in getting water and food supplies. The opposition parties are likely to raise the issue of farm laws vociferously in Parliament and have already stepped up attack on the government. Several parties, including the Congress and the SAD, and media bodies on Sunday condemned the police action against two journalists who were picked up during the farmers' protests at the Singhu border for allegedly misbehaving with police personnel. They said such crackdowns impinge on the media's right to report freely and interferes with its right to freedom of expression. Freelance journalist Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh (with Online News India) were detained by Delhi Police last evening for allegedly misbehaving with personnel on duty.

While Singh was later released, the police arrested Punia on Sunday. The Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India and the Press Association demanded Punia's immediate release and said no journalist should be disturbed while carrying out their duties at any place.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the farmers were deeply hurt by the the BJP's moves to "defame" them. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar expressed dismay over NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's tweets criticising the farm laws, saying they were a mix of "ignorance and misinformation" about the legislation, and hoped that the veteran leader will change his stand after knowing the "facts".

In a series of tweets, Pawar had on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the `Mandi' system. Tomar said Pawar, who is a veteran leader, is also considered well-versed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. "Pawar himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier." "Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts," Tomar said on Twitter and went on to stress that the "apprehensions" expressed by Pawar have no basis. Meanwhile, a fresh war of words also erupted between the AAP and the ruling Congress in Punjab, with the former demanding that the state police provide security to the protesting farmers at Delhi borders and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh terming it "arbitrary, absurd and irrational".

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of UP have been protesting at Delhi's borders for over two months now, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. The government has offered some concessions including keeping the new farm laws on hold for 1-1.5 years and the Supreme Court has set up a panel to look into the matter while keeping the contentious legislation in abeyance for two months.

However, the agitating farmer unions have rejected both and intensified their stir.

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Orlando police are investigating a homicide that took place in southwest Orlando apartment complex on Saturday morning, leaving one man dead.

Officers were dispatched to the block of 4900 Cason Cove Drive at 11:36 a.m. about a shooting inside the apartment complex, Orlando Police Department said.

OPD arrived on the scene and discovered an unidentified man was shot. He was later pronounced dead by the Orlando Fire Department.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact OPDs non-emergency line 321-235-5300 or call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

No suspect information and no additional details are available for release.

This is a developing story, check back here for details.

lcantos@orlandosentinel.com
The Holyoke Soldiers Home Coalition issues the following statement in response to the unanimous decision by the Board of Trustees of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke for the state to reconsider its current plan for a new Soldiers Home in Holyoke by adding in an additional floor of veteran long-term care rooms, boosting the census closer to 235 beds.

The Holyoke Soldiers Home Coalition was formed nearly a year ago in the wake of the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the Home to be a voice for veterans along with their families, friends, and supporters who have the most immediate and legitimate interest in the future of the Soldiers Home.

As advocates for our neighbors and loved ones, the Coalition has closely monitored and has participated, to the limited degree we have been allowed, in the planning for a revitalized Holyoke Soldiers Home.

Since our formation, we have never wavered from our opinion that veterans and their care providers deserve improved funding and staffing, the construction of a new and upgraded Home, an Adult Day Healthcare Program, and better governance and oversight.

We agree with the Trustees vote to call on the state to adjust its current plan for a new Soldiers Home in Holyoke by adding an additional floor of long-term care rooms, boosting the census closer to 235 beds. However, while the states plan has its virtues, and while the design proposed for a new home is aesthetically beautiful, the states current proposal for a 180- to 204-bed facility is grossly insufficient to the demonstrated needs of our local veterans.

The Trustees own counterproposal for 235 beds is an improvement, but a look at the historic demand for Holyoke Soldiers Home beds, and with our Armed Forces current involvement in conflicts around the world, proves to us that our call for the restoration of the full 280-bed capacity for the Soldiers Home is, if anything, conservative. To do less will result in suffering, financial devastation, and deprivation of long-term care for too many of our dear veterans. We owe them much better.

We had hoped that the process set up by the Baker administration, involving us as stakeholders in a redesign of the Soldiers Home, would have included follow-up discussions that allowed our veteran communitys input into the needs of our veterans at a new Soldiers Home. This would have allowed the community to honestly examine the years of state neglect and failure that led up to this past springs catastrophe.

The proceedings at the Jan. 27 Trustees meeting dashed our hopes. It was all too clear that the voices of veterans and their family members had not been heard; neither their concerns nor the Coalitions questions were answered; requests to meet with the States design team to discuss their analysis and advocate for sufficient capacity were denied. And at the end of the meeting, the community was given an impossible choice between a facility that does not meet their needs, or nothing at all.

This is no way for government to work. The mission of the state Department of Veterans Services is to advocate on behalf of all the Commonwealths veterans. We ask the secretary of DVS to please listen to our veteran community.

The Holyoke Soldiers Home is too important to the well-being of our veterans to push through an inadequate plan in the name of expediency.

If the Administration is unwilling to re-examine its proposal, we ask that the Trustees and the Great and General Court take whatever action is necessary to require it.

We understand that this could mean delaying the project for another year, but a years delay is far better than a lifetime of suffering for the veterans who will pay the price of ill-advised decisions by some in Boston, too many of whom have repeatedly displayed their lack of concern, and even commitment, for the veterans of Massachusetts.
Clare TD Cathal Crowe recounts the ill-fated last voyage of the SS Clonlara

These days Clonlara is known throughout Clare and beyond for being a stronghold of hurling. Others know the village for its proximity to the Shannon River and the Headrace Canal. Very few people will know of Clonlaras links to a ship wreck off the coast of Portugal.

The story of the wrecked ship  the SS Clonlara, began on Limericks OCurry Street where the Limerick Steamship Company had its headquarters. These days an orthodontist has his practice here.

The Limerick Steamship Company traded from 1893 to 1970. In its early years the company ran routes along the Shannon Estuary and one of its better known boats on this service was an iron paddler named Shannon. The Shannon made regular stops at Kildysart, Cappa and Tarbert. During this time the company also operated routes to Galway and by the turn of the 20th century it also had sailings to Liverpool.

The Limerick Steamship Company had a lovely tradition of naming their vessels after local villages and town-lands - The Cratloe, The Kilbaha, The Coonagh, The Kilfenora, The Cahercon, The Doonass, The Luimneach and The Rynanna to name but a few. In April 1926 the company launched Steamship Clonlara, better known as SS Clonlara. Constructed by the Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Dundee, Scotland, SS Clonlara weighed 1,203 tonnes. She had a sister ship called the Lanahrone. Lanahrone, interestingly, is the name of a small island in the middle of the Shannon River in close proximity to Parteen GAA Clubs pitch.

The hull of SS Clonlara was fitted out for carrying livestock and other general cargo. She could carry 53 cattle and 10 horses. At a push she could reach speeds of 12 knots but on a more economical burning of coal, her steam engines delivered a speed of 9 knots. Her maiden voyage from Emden in Germany to Limerick involved stops at both Hamburg and Waterford. At the helm on this maiden voyage was Captain McNamee.

The SS Clonlara spent much of her early years hauling livestock to England but by the mid 1930s this trade was in decline so the Limerick Steamship Company reassigned her to a fortnightly routing to Spain. On her outbound journey SS Clonlara would carry cargos of potatoes and cattle and on her home bound journey she would carry crates of fresh fruit. Throughout this period SS Clonlara worked alongside her sister-ship The Lanahrone.

The outbreak of World War II wreaked havoc on international shipping. Merchant vessels crossing the Atlantic and sailing the seas of Europe travelled in convoy with protection from naval ships.

In August of 1941 both the Clonlara and Lanahrone were sailing in the Bay of Biscay with Convoy OG71. This convoy was made up of 23 merchant ships and 13 heavily armed naval ships. 12 of these escort vessels were from the Royal Navy and the 13th vessel was a Norwegian Navy destroyer.

On August 19, as the convoy sailed through calm waters, a wolfpack of German u-boats attacked. The Alva, Aguila, Ciscar and the Norwegian naval destroyer were all torpedoed and sunken. The SS Clonlara crew pulled 13 survivors from the Alva from the waters.

Three nights later, on August 22, Convoy OG71 was once again under attack. U Boat 564, captained by Reinhard Suhren, 136 nautical miles west of the Portuguese city of Porto had the convoy in the sight of his periscope. The time was 29 minutes to midnight and the sky over the Atlantic Ocean was inky black.

Suhren ordered the launching of 4 torpedoes and moments later noted 3 columns of smoke rising into the sky. He believed that his submarine had sunken 2 ships and damaged 2 others but in fact they had only scored 2 direct hits. The direct hits were on Empire Oak and SS Clonlara.

SS Clonlara was on fire and rapidly taking in seawater. She sank to the bottom of the ocean floor taking the lives of 21 young men with her. 9 of these men were Irish born crew of Clonlara and the remainder of those killed were crew who had been rescued from the sinking Alva 3 days earlier.

The Clonlara crewmen who perished were William Carr (Aged 29, Fireman), Edward Greene (Aged 27, Fireman), Edward Kavanagh (Age unknown, Fireman), John Lambe (Aged 22, Able Seaman), Peter McGuigan (Aged 44, Second Officer), Samuel McKane (Aged 37, Fireman), Joseph Reynolds (Age 41, Master), Archie Robertson (Age 49, Able Seaman), William Smith (Aged 38, Steward), John Thomas Spanner (Aged 41, Chief Officer) and Robert Spence (Aged 62, Chief Engineer Officer). God rest their souls.

As World War II progress Captain Suhren gained notoriety for being a prolific hunter of ships. The Nazi hierarchy decorated him many times over and he was invited to spend time with Hitler at his infamous Berghoff and Eagles Nest. He remained staunchly loyal to the Nazi regime, survived the war and died in 1984 at the age of 68.

Suhrens U-564 - the U Boat submarine responsible for sinking the Clonlara didnt enjoy the same longevity as its captain. On June 14th 1943 she was spotted above water level by an RAF bomber. The captain was unable to dive the vessels underwater due to damage already sustained so ordered his crew to engage the bomber with anti-aircraft fire.

Eventually the booming depth-charge bombs dropped by the bomber sealed the fate of the U-boat. 18 crew members survived the attack and were taken onboard another U-boat and brought to safety. The bomber, heavily damaged in the skirmish, had to ditch into the sea. Its crew were rescued by a French trawler fishing nearby.

These days, the legacy of SS Clonlara is all but forgotten. There are only 2 monuments to the vessel and her doomed crew that I know of. One adjacent to Limericks Shannon Bridge and the other on the quays of Dublin.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 23:37:59|Editor: huaxia

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GABORONE, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Botswana Minister of Finance and Economic Development will on Monday present the country's 2021-22 financial budget to the Parliament, with analysts anticipating a huge deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.

Expectations are high that the minister will reveal plans to revive different sectors of the economy that suffered heavy losses due to the spread of COVID-19.

Naledi Madala, an economist with Absa Botswana told Xinhua that the upcoming budget is being prepared against the backdrop of an extremely challenging economic environment.

"Healthcare has emerged as a top priority in the wake of the pandemic. We expect to see higher budgetary support for the health sector for ensuring an efficient vaccine rollout and distribution," said Madala.

However, the question arises where the government will get the revenue to revive the economy as the budget already carried a huge deficit from the last financial year. It has been reported expensively that the government will cut on spending, increase taxes and reduce subsidies.

Already there has been an indication of conflicting ideas to balance saving lives and ensure the economy continues to run. The country is now 10 months into a State of Public Emergency to effectively deal with the effects of COVID-19.

On Friday, the government announced that an existing curfew that has been in place since December last year would continue until the end of February. A ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages that was implemented at the beginning of January will also continue. The alcohol industry has been hit hard by this with the local brewer Kgalagadi Breweries Limited announcing suspension of its operations last week, leaving many of its employees jobless.

The private sector has expressed concern about the negative impact the continued curfew will have on businesses especially retailers, distributors and manufacturers who have been struggling already. A statement from Business Botswana on Friday said consideration should have been made for the alcohol trade to continue in a restricted manner.

Meanwhile the Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) has appealed to the government to protect jobs through continuing to assist enterprises especially Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) with a loan guarantee scheme to prop up businesses.

Leader of opposition Dumelang Saleshando on Friday said Batswana should expect an honest assessment of the state of the economy from the budget speech. Speaking on a local radio station, Saleshando said that "many people are likely to lose their jobs because of restricted business opportunities and therefore the country needs to come up with a plan to stimulate the economy in the midst of the pandemic."

The minister is also expected to give assurance on the country's immediate plans to procure the COVID-19 vaccine for its population of 2.3 million following a large increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths since the start of the year. Enditem

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When Karla Semien went to a cemetery to pick out a plot where her late husband would be buried, it was as if she'd stepped back into the 1950's.

Her husband Darrell Semien, a sheriff's deputy for Allen Parish, Louisiana, died on January 24 after being diagnosed with cancer in December, CNN affiliate KPLC reported.

Semien went to Oaklin Springs Cemetery in Oberlin earlier this week to inquire about laying her husband to rest there. But a woman at the cemetery turned her away because her husband was African American.

"I met with the lady out there and she said she could NOT sell me a plot because the cemetery is a WHITES ONLY cemetery," Semien wrote on Facebook. "She even had paperwork on a clipboard showing me that only white human beings can be buried there. She stood in front of me and all my kids. Wow what a slap in the face."

CNN has reached out to Semien for comment.

Creig Vizena, president of the Oaklin Springs Cemetery Association, told CNN affiliate KATC that he was ashamed to learn about how the Semien family had been treated. The woman who turned them away was in her 80s and has since been "relieved of her duties," he told the Washington Post.

CNN was unable to reach Vizena for comment.

Vizena told KPLC that he hadn't been aware of the language contained in the cemetery's sales contracts, which date back to the 1950s and included the phrase "the right of burial of the remains of white human beings." The issue hadn't come up before, he said.

"I take full responsibility for that," Vizena told KPLC. "I've been the president of this board for several years now. I take full responsibility for not reading the by-laws."

Board members of the cemetery held an emergency meeting on Thursday to remove the clause from the contract, KPLC reported.

Vizena apologized and said he offered the family one of the plots that he owns so that Darrell Semien could be buried there. But the damage had been done, and they declined.

Segregated cemeteries have a long history in the US, and remnants from those dark chapters persist to this day.

In 2016, the city of Waco, Texas, ordered the removal of a chain-link fence from a public cemetery that was used to separate the White section from the Black section. A similar fence at a cemetery in Mineola, Texas, came down last year.

The ACLU of Louisiana urged the Oaklin Springs Cemetery Association to remove any "Whites only" references from its bylaws, citing the Supreme Court's 1948 decision in Shelley v. Kraemer that outlawed racial covenants in housing.

"It is unconscionable and unacceptable that the Semien familyor anyone elseshould face such blatant racial discrimination, especially during a time of mourning and grief," the organization wrote in a letter.
A 22-year-old Northampton County man was arrested late Friday afternoon in Wilson Borough and is being charged in a fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon in Allentown, authorities report.

Dondre Prince Simon-Jeremiah was taken into custody by Easton and Allentown police and U.S. marshals about 4:30 p.m. in the 1500 block Lehigh Street, just west of the border with Easton, authorities said.

Simon-Jeremiah, free on bail in an unrelated domestic violence aggravated assault case in Bethlehem, was taken back to Allentown on Friday evening. His address in that previous case was listed as being in the 4600 block of Concord Circle in Bethlehem Township.

Simon-Jeremiah is being charged with criminal homicide, robbery and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery in the killing of Dwayne Carter, 28, of Allentown, according to a news release Saturday from Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin and Allentown Police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. Bail is denied in homicide cases at a suspects preliminary arraignment.

Carter was shot multiple times while inside a vehicle about 4 p.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of North Jordan Street, city police said. He was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, the Lehigh County Coroners Office said.

An autopsy on Wednesday determined Carter died from the gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, the coroners office said.

Allentown police Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, investigate a shooting in the 200 block of North Jordan Street. A victim died during the evening at an area hospital, Lehigh County Coroner Eric Minnich said.MIke Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Allentown police, the coroners office, the Lehigh County District Attorneys Office, the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, Easton police and the marshals were involved in the investigation.

Wilson Borough police assisted at the scene on Friday.

Easton police and the U.S. Marshals Service assist Allentown police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office Homicide Task Force on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in taking Dondre P. Simon-Jeremiah into custody in the shooting death Jan. 26 of Dwayne Carter in Allentown.Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a subscription.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.


Before writing her most recent novel, Maaza Mengiste began researching the Ethiopian resistance in the 1935 invasion by Italian forces. She discovered photographs of women dressed in military clothing with weapons over their shoulders. She organized them by date and location. Mengiste soon began to gain an understanding of the conflict she never learned about in school.



These women decided to join in the front lines, she told VOA. I had never heard that story. And this is what really inspired me to continue this, because if I didnt know it, and if a lot of other Ethiopians werent speaking about it, this means maybe that nobody really had been paying attention to this.



Mengiste found photographs of Ethiopian girls taken by Italian soldiers. Some photos were used to persuade men to join the conflict. Others were much darker and showed the horror of war.

They were taken by soldiers for fun, and they were passed around as jokes and as postcards to send home. And that was the side of war also that I wanted to show, she said.

The research led to her 2020 book, The Shadow King. It tells the story of Hirut, a mistreated girl who becomes the personal guard for a person claiming to be the exiled Ethiopian ruler Haile Selassie. The novel has won worldwide praise and was a top competitor for the Man Booker Prize. However, the honor went to another book.

Mengistes book revisits part of forgotten history, said Lee Child. He is a writer of 24 novels and one of the judges for the 2020 Booker Prize.

The story is important, really, the opening shots of the Second World War, but rarely told before, Child said in a video discussing the novel. Its place on the shortlist merely confirms its status as one of the great novels of the year.

Mengiste was born in Ethiopia in 1971. Her family left the country when she was 4 years old. They lived in Nigeria and Kenya before moving permanently to the United States.

As a girl, she remembered moments of her first years in Ethiopia. But it was not until she was much older that she considered writing them down.

Im surprised I kept those memories, because I was very young, she said. But I think that the shock of what I experienced both in Ethiopia but also the migration was so intense and so deep that everything froze for me and stayed inside. And so, I would keep coming back.

Mengistes parents did not immediately welcome her decision to become a writer. But she felt she had stories to tell. She believes other Ethiopians feel the same but may not have a way to share their stories with the world.

Mengiste said that history and literature across East Africa is told through spoken word.

I think all of us remember those moments when we are sitting around at a dinner table or sitting having a meal and someone starts a story. And the entire room moves in that direction. Everyone is laughing, or people are crying. Thats a book inside a human being. And my inspirations came from my relatives. Some of them didnt go to school.

Now, Mengiste wants to help new authors. She has helped produce a collection of stories by 14 Ethiopian writers called Addis Ababa Noir. She believes there is a lot of talent that could be shared with more people with the help of translators and publishing companies.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Salem Solomon reported on this story for the Voice of America. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

frontlines  n. an area where soldiers are fighting

inspired  v. caused someone to want to do something

novel  n. a long written story usually about imaginary characters and events

postcards  n. cards on which a message may be sent by mail without an envelope and that often has a picture on one side

talent  n. a special ability that allows someone to do something well
One of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. This isnt legit, even though it was shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked out the facts:

CLAIM: A new order from the Biden administration directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to release all detained immigrants immediately.

THE FACTS: The Biden administration did not order all immigrants to be released from ICE custody. The false claim is based on an email issued by a local ICE officer in Houston to agents that was leaked to Fox News and taken out of context.

The email begins I am just the messenger... and instructs agents in that office to stop all removals. One line reads, Release them all, immediately. No sponsor available is not acceptable any longer.

The email signature shows the author of the email holds the rank of assistant officer in charge for the Houston ICE field office. Social media users and conservative websites cited the leaked email to spread the false claim that the Biden administrations various immigration reforms had included immediate, mass releases of detained immigrants.

Joe Biden Orders ICE Agents to Release All Illegal Aliens in Custody, read the headline of one article that was widely shared on Facebook.

Bidens Department of Homeland Security did issue a memo on Jan. 20 that established enforcement priorities and paused deportations of certain noncitizens who already had a final order of removal. But that directive, which was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Texas on Tuesday, did not include an order to release all immigrants from detention.

A statement issued by ICE that was shared with the AP on Tuesday confirms the agency is not under orders to free everyone in its custody.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to make custody determinations on a case by case basis, in accordance with U.S. law and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy, reads the statement. During the course of routine operations, individuals can be released from custody based on the facts and circumstances of their cases.

Furthermore, a review of the email thread from the Houston ICE office revealed that the email in question was retracted a day later, only applied to a certain cohort of detainees and was issued in response to a federal court order  not a directive from Bidens administration.

The emails became available to the public as part of a lawsuit the state of Texas filed against the Biden administration over its deportation moratorium. The email thread, which redacts email addresses and names, shows that after the first email was sent late Thursday morning, it was reversed Friday afternoon by an email that read, Retract this directive immediately.

That second email was signed FOD, which is likely a reference to the field office director, the highest ranking position in the Houston office.

Another email in the chain clarifies the initial email was not instructing agents to release all immigrants, but rather High risk detainees with health issues who had to be evaluated for release under an ongoing federal lawsuit. In that legal case, a federal judge in California had previously ordered ICE to individually review detainees and identify those who were at high risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 and prioritize their release.

ICE does have the obligation to affirmatively review anyone in their custody with risk factors, said Elizabeth Jordan, an attorney with Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center, which represents immigrant detainees in that lawsuit.
By Charlie Gerow

We are about to witness an historic first, the second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump. Its also the first ever for a president already out of office.

There are many harsh criticisms that can be leveled against Impeachment 2.0, but a Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin, summed things up well when he said This impeachment doesnt help anything . . it makes no sense whatsoever.

This column could probably end on that note, but a little historic context might be useful.

Senator Manchin had warned House Democrats not to proceed with the Insta-Impeachment saying he believed it was . . . so ill-advised. He cited several reasons for his warning, not the least of which was that he believed it would further divide the nation at a time when he was calling for unity.

He also believed it was a merely a symbolic gesture because he knew there were not enough votes in the Senate to convict then President Trump. Weve been trying to send that message over (to the House). They know the votes arent there (to convict in the Senate).

His Democrat colleagues in the House ignored his warnings and rushed an article of impeachment through, just days before the president left office. They did so without any hearings, witnesses or allowing the President of the United States to defend himself. They circumvented their own rules.

During the first impeachment of Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as part of her political game playing, delayed sending the articles to the Senate. This time James Clyburn, the third ranking member in the House, openly suggested they might do the same thing this time around. They finally got their single article to the Senate this week.

The first attempt to remove President Trump from office failed with no Republican votes on one article and only one, Mitt Romneys, on the other. There may be more Republican votes this time, but a procedural vote last week which mustered only five Republicans clearly signaled that any attempt to convict the former president will, once again, fail by a wide margin. Seventeen Republicans are necessary, assuming every Democrat votes for conviction which is hardly a given at this point.

While Congressional Democrats, who sought to impeach Trump numerous times, see an ah hah moment in their latest quest, given what occurred on January 6 which they claim the president incited, they have some serious challenges beyond proving their case in chief this time around.

First is the issue of whether or not the Senate has the institutional authority or jurisdiction over the case. While legal scholars disagree on this point, one thing is certain: you cant remove a president from office once hes gone. Thats the sanction the United States Constitution sets forth as the ultimate penalty.

Some Democrats point to a cabinet official, about a century and a half ago, who was tried in the Senate after hed already resigned. Its hardly analogous to trying a former president, but even that case, where there was admitted criminal activity, didnt result in a Senate conviction.

The Chief Justice of the United States wont preside over this trial. Instead Patrick Leahy will, further giving rise to the show trial aspects of the proceeding. For those who watched Sen. Leahy trample fair process while presiding over some recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearings he chaired, theres not much left to say about his claim of fairness and impartiality.

Some have suggested that its really about Democrats fear that Donald Trump may run again in four years, something many believe scares them. But there is the legal technicality that removal AND disqualification is prescribed, not removal OR disqualification.

There is also the very large issue of what all this will do to an already divided nation. With all the calls for national unity, who among them really believes that a trial for the removal of a president who has already left office is going to lower the temperature rather than raise already heated emotions?

Now several senators are looking for a way out. Included in them is Sen. Tim Kaine, famously Hillary Clintons running mate four years ago. Hes trying to get a censure resolution he believes will only require a majority vote, instead of an impeachment conviction which requires a two thirds.

Is this impeachment trial truly for the best of the nation or simply yet another attempt to score political points or get political retribution?

Ill let Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin answer first.

In the meantime, new articles of impeachment are being prepared in the House. The target this time is the new president, Joe Biden.

This really has to end.

Charlie Gerow is a Republican strategist and CEO of Quantum Communications. He and Democrat Mark Singel write opposite each other each week on PennLive. They can also be seen each Sunday morning at 8:30 on CBS-21s Face the State.
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Related Japan urges South Korea to drop wartime compensation demands

South Korea's energy ministry said on Sunday that documents about a potential plan to build a nuclear power plant in North Korea were meant to suggest an "idea" but this has never been pursued as an official project.

This raised questions over whether South Korea's President Moon Jae-in had sought any nuclear energy programme for North Korea as part of his drive to restart inter-Korean economic cooperation.

Many of the files were dated to May 2018, a month after Moon held his first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Shin Hee-dong, spokesman of South Korea's energy ministry, said the files were "internal documents" that were discussed only among ministry officials after the summit, as an idea to consider in the future when the two Koreas can potentially reopen economic exchanges.

'We've confirmed that those documents were considered internally within the ministry as an idea for inter-Korean energy cooperation,' Shin told a briefing.

'But the idea was never pursued as a government policy, and it is not true that we had sought to clandestinely build a nuclear plant.'

Shin said one of the documents stipulated that the idea entailed "high uncertainty" due to the need for nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States.

He declined to elaborate when asked about other details, citing an ongoing prosecution investigation, but expressed regret that the ministry had deleted the files.

The documents were among some 530 that the ministry had deleted to conceal that it had distorted feasibility studies to shut down a reactor in South Korea. Prosecutors last month indicted three officials on charges of violating the Criminal Act by damaging public records.

Some of the files were reportedly titled "A plan to build a nuclear plant in North Korea" and 'Tasks for phased cooperation to establish electricity infrastructure in North Korea.'

Short link:




Havana, Jan 31 : Cuba set a new Covid-19 daily case record of 910 infections as the government announced quarantine measures for international passengers starting on February 6.

Under the new regulations, Cubans with residency on the island will be quarantined for free in isolation centres set up by the local authorities across the country, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

Meanwhile, international travellers will be required to pay for their accommodation and logistics at hotels during the quarantine period.

Among the new rules, the country will also reduce flights from the United States, Mexico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Colombia.

In a similar vein, the suspension of flights from Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Guyana and Suriname continues in effect while arrivals from Haiti will be cancelled.

The island restarted scheduled commercial flights on November 15, when Havana's Jose Marti International Airport resumed operations after being closed for more than seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the ministry of public health, January has been the worst month in terms of the Covid-19 pandemic in Cuba, with 67 deaths and 13,618 infections registered so far.

Francisco Duran, national director of hygiene and epidemiology at the ministry, said this disease is highly contagious and urged people to step up safety guidelines to protect from the virus.

"We have no doubt that with the participation of people we will achieve the health indicators we had before the outbreak," he said during a Covid-19 daily briefing.

Cuba, home to 11 million inhabitants, has recorded 25,674 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with 213 deaths since the pandemic began.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The European Union, which has been far outpaced by the UK in its race to inoculate its population, threatened to invoke Northern Ireland Brexit emergency powers to control the flow of COVID-19 vaccines into Britain on Friday, but was forced to backtrack on part of the announcement after an immediate backlash from London, Dublin and Belfast.

Ireland officials possibly threatened to use their governments connection to US President Joe Biden to force the European Commission to backtrack on its threats to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol and impose export controls on COVID-19 vaccines, according to The Telegraph.

Amid the heated row between the UK and the European Union, which was under fire for lagging behind in its anti-COVID rollout, diplomats in Brussels reportedly speculated that Dublin could have 'picked up the Batphone to Biden' to sway the blocs stance.

Ireland had been blindsided by the European Unions threats, triggered by the dispute over vaccine producer AstraZenecas jab delivery commitments to the EU.

The unexpected developments forced a telephone call between Michael Martin, the prime minister and head of government of Ireland, and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president.

Brussels diplomats reportedly suggested Dublin could have reminded the EC head that Biden, who has Irish roots, has regularly warned the UK against installing a hard border in Ireland - one of the foundations of the final Brexit agreement.

EU officials were swift to reverse their decision on Friday night and acknowledge that invoking emergency powers to control trade across the Northern Irish border had been a mistake, as preventing controls at the border was the central issue in five years of Brexit negotiations.

"It's a lot better to realise early on that something might be a problem and to change it, than to stick to your guns and dig a hole for yourself," an EU official was cited as saying on Saturday.

Ireland officials reportedly believe that the EU had acted in haste, failing to fully understand the sensitivities of the protocol.

Time for Cool Heads and Solidarity

Political parties in the north and south of Ireland put aside differences to concur that the EU move would have been a disaster.

Arlene Foster, the first minister of Northern Ireland, described the threat by Brussels to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol as an incredible act of hostility.

"By triggering Article 16 in this manner, the European Union has once again shown it is prepared to use Northern Ireland when it suits their interests but in the most despicable manner - over the provision of a vaccine which is designed to save lives," said the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster.

Colum Eastwood, the leader of the SDLP, the moderate nationalist party, branded it a serious error of judgment.

Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign minister, tweeted that 'lessons should be learned from the situation.

Louise Haigh MP, Labour's Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, said the move by the EU was "deeply destabilising and undermines the huge efforts being made to make the Protocol work".

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald described the EU's use of Article 16 as a "grave error".

Northern Ireland Protocol

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a special deal aimed at preventing the re-emergence of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol is a safeguard that would allow the UK or EU to act unilaterally if measures imposed as a result of the protocol are deemed to be causing "serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties".

Of late, unionist politicians in Northern Ireland have been urging the UK government to trigger Article 16 to reduce checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, amid interrupted trade flows.

The difficulties arose as Great Britain is now outside the EU single market, while Northern Ireland is still following many single market rules. Northern Ireland gets its vaccine supplies through the UK procurement system.

However, Downing Street has been resisting the calls, insisting the new arrangements are workable.

Jab Supply Row

As politicians in the EU are under fire over shortcomings in vaccine rollout, the bloc was furious earlier to discover that British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca would delay delivery of promised jab doses to the EU by March over production problems in Belgium.

The shortfall is expected to be about 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2021. The EU has also received fewer than expected doses of its two other approved vaccines, by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

As Brussels insisted AstraZeneca honour its commitments, the drugmaker said its contract for UK supplies prohibit that, as it was on course to fulfil Britain's order.

The company's CEO Pascal Soriot said earlier this week that the contract obliged AstraZeneca to make its "best effort" to meet EU demand, without compelling it to a specific timetable.

(SPUTNIK)
The crisis-hit aviation sector is pinning its hopes on the Union Budget 2021 to get respite in the form of financial aid and reduction in levies and taxes.

According to ICRA, the Indian aviation industry is expecting financial support and reduction in levies and taxes in short term to revitalise operations and boost passenger traffic, which include among others, lowering taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and reducing other levies like airport charges, parking and landing and navigation charges.

Given that airlines have to currently follow a fare band as per the directives of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the carriers seek relaxations in terms of the fares they can charge. The fixed fare band has limited airlines' ability to charge higher fares.

ICRA expects Budget 2021 to reiterate focus on improving regional connectivity through "Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)" or UDAN. The Budget is also likely to focus on setting up new airports and expanding the existing airport capacities at some key airports to help address current infrastructure constraints faced by airlines, and to improve connectivity with underserved/unserved airports to boost tourism, it said.

Besides, the government is also expected to undertake other measures to boost tourism like developing more iconic tourist destinations and expanding the e-visa scheme to additional countries.

In line with the government's increasing thrust on Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Budget could focus on incentivising the maintenance repair overhaul (MRO) sector to retain the MRO activities in the country. It can also prioritise the privatisation of Air India Limited, which has been facing roadblocks over the last several months.

According to ICRA, Indian airlines is expected to post net losses of about Rs 21,000 crore during the fiscal year (FY) 2021, due to travel restrictions and impact on passenger traffic amid the coronavirus pandemic. The agency has said that airlines would require additional fundings to the tune of Rs 37,000 crore over FY2021 to FY2023 to recover from losses and debt, and has maintained a "negative credit outlook" on the industry.

In the last Budget, FM Nirmala Sitharaman had allocated Rs 3,797 crore to Ministry of Civil Aviation, 2.62 per cent higher than Rs 3,700 crore which was allocated in the 2019-20 fiscal year. The government had proposed to develop 100 more airports by 2025 to support the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.

Also Read: Budget 2021: What retailers want from Sitharaman's budget?

Also Read: Budget 2021: Debt-laden telecom sector expects tax reliefs, lower licence fee
Police in Belarus detained more than 160 people during demonstrations on January 31 calling for longtime strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka to step down.



Video showed police dressed in black grabbing protesters from the sidewalk and putting them in minibuses. Another video shows police chasing demonstrators across a courtyard.



Luzia Tschirky, a Swiss journalist, was among those arrested. She was released after several hours of detention when the Swiss Embassy intervened.



Belarusians have taken to the streets to protest against Lukahsenka since the nation held presidential elections on August 9 that they say were rigged in his favor.



As many as 100,000 people joined the weekly demonstrations last year in the biggest challenge to Lukashenkas rule in 26 years.



He has managed to cling to power by unleashing a brutal police crackdown on his own citizens, including detaining tens of thousands.

Based on reporting by dpa and AP
A legal fight for transparency, accountability and 1st Amendment Rights persists in the Golden Ghetto.



Here's the latest and a reminder that we often here from supporters of the po-po . . . "They shouldn't be scared if they don't have anything to hide."

Read more . . .



KSHB: Overland Park files motion to dismiss 41 Action News lawsuit petition

Deets . . .

The city of Overland Park denied a request by 41 Action News for the completed Johnson County Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team or OISIT report on the incident.



To date, now more than three years after the fatal shooting, the OISIT report has not been made public.



In a newly filed response to the 41 Action News lawsuit to obtain the report, Overland Parks attorney Brett Runyon asks the judge to dismiss the petition and to make us file a new one.



Runyon claims our petition violates Kansas state law because its too long.



Runyon writes the only plausible motive for what he calls 41 Action News grossly excessive petition is to create a media splash and generate news traffic on its website and other platforms, as well as creating an irresponsible and inflated claim for attorneys fees.



The motion, however, does not address the substance of the lawsuit.

You decide . . .



Sen. Joe Manchin has taken aim at fellow Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris over the administration's approach to pushing its Covid-19 relief plan.

The West Virginia moderate, a key swing vote in an evenly divided Senate, blasted Harris' appearance on a local TV station after she spoke about how the proposed relief is a "big issue" to his constituents.

I saw [the interview], I couldnt believe it. No one called me, Manchin said Friday to WSAZ, the West Virginia station where Harris gave an interview Thursday. Were going to try to find a bipartisan pathway forward, I think we need to do. But we need to work together. Thats not a way of working together.

Harris appeared on WSAZ to speak about the massive relief package, saying: To your point in West Virginia, one in seven families is describing their household as being hungry, one in six cant pay their rent, and one in four small businesses are closing permanently or have already closed, so its a big issue in West Virginia and across the country.

Manchin is part of a bipartisan group of senators that has pushed back against the administration's relief plan, urging that the proposed $1,400 direct payments be targeted toward those in greater need.

"We met with his economic team and they put out what they wanted," Manchin said in response to Harris. "We want to help everyone that needs help. But if a person's making $250K or $300K, I don't think they're in much needs as a person making $40K or 50K. That's all I said. We're going to target."

The Vice President's office declined to comment on Manchin's comments.

Manchin's bipartisan group held a call Sunday with Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, Jeff Zients, Bidens coronavirus coordinator, and Louisa Terrell, head of White House legislative affairs, telling the administration the relief plan provides too much money to wealthier Americans.

Story continues

Manchin called for targeted relief checks on CNN's "State of the Union" Jan 10.

"I am on board by helping people that need help, people that really can't make it, people who don't have a job, they can't put food on their table. I am in total support of helping them," Manchin said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Leading Democrats have signaled they will begin moving forward on a coronavirus package as soon as next week as part of a deal with Republicans or by employing the budget reconciliation process.

Eugene Daniels contributed to this report.
A Bexar County sheriffs deputy shot a 19-year-old man in the arm Saturday night after a high-speed chase during which the man pointed what turned out to be a pellet gun at deputies.

It was the second officer-involved shooting of the day and the fourth in five days in Bexar County.

Its been a bad week for law enforcement in the Bexar County area, County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a news conference Saturday.

On ExpressNews.com: Officials ID man shot, killed in San Antonio after leading police on car chase

Deputies first tried to stop the man for reckless driving when they saw him speeding  80 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone  on San Antonios West Side. The man did not stop until he reached the intersection of Westfield and West Military Drive, Salazar said.

The man got out of the vehicle and pointed what looked like a real gun at the deputies before getting back into the vehicle and driving off. The deputies followed him, and the man pointed the pellet gun at them from his window as he continued driving at speeds upward of 80 miles an hour, Salazar said.

The man stopped again in the 8500 block of Westfield and got out of the car, allegedly threatening the two deputies with the pellet gun. The deputy sitting in the passengers seat of the police car fired his gun several times, hitting the suspect in the arm at least once, Salazar said.

On ExpressNews.com: Police shoot and kill a man after he runs from traffic stop near the South Park Mall

The man was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. He has not been publicly identified. Salazar said he expected the man to be charged with aggravated assault and evading arrest.

Deputies did not know whether the suspects gun was real until after they shot him. Salazar said it was a very realistic pellet or BB gun.

It was a dangerous game that this young man was playing, and lucky for him, he didnt pay for that with his life, he said.

Salazar did not identify the deputies involved, but said one of them was a senior traffic safety deputy and the other was still in training. He did not say which one fired the shots.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar sheriff's deputies shoot armed man reported to be firing from the windows of his West Side home

The license plate on the sedan the man was driving did not match the vehicle, suggesting that the plate, the vehicle or both could have been stolen, Salazar said.

Of the four officer-involved shootings in Bexar County since Tuesday, three occurred after suspects tried to elude law enforcement.

The first happened Tuesday, when Felix Santos, 48, led police on a pursuit that started in Atascosa County and ended in front of a San Antonio elementary school. Santos fired at officers while driving and again after he got out of the car. He was shot multiple times in the torso by two Bexar County sheriffs deputies and died at a local hospital Wednesday morning.

About 1 p.m. Wednesday, San Antonio police shot and killed a man who had been driving an 18-wheeler truck that had been pulled over near Interstate 35 at Zarzamora. The driver, later identified as Erick Mejia, 26, ran from the truck and into South Park Mall, carrying a gun. After he exited the mall, he pointed the gun at officers, who shot him. He died in the parking lot.

And on Saturday morning, deputies shot a 38-year-old man who had fired from his West Side home and then got in a car and tried to get away. He pointed two guns at the deputies, and they fired. The man was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

None of the deputies or officers involved in the four shootings was injured.

Salazar said the recent spate of officer-involved shootings mirrors a worrying nationwide trend.

This is something that were not just seeing here in Bexar County, unfortunately, Salazar said. Its something that were seeing across this country all the time with more frequency and Im afraid its going to continue to happen. We had hoped that it was a short-lived uptick, but at this point it does seem like its trending upward.

It just seems like things are getting more and more violent, and so were always constantly reminding our deputies to be vigilant, he added.

andy.picon@hearst.com | Twitter: @andpicon
DEAR ABBY: I have been a nurse for 10 years and love taking care of my patients. I have worked at a midsize hospital for 21/2 years.

Since I started working here, we have been assigned six or seven patients at a time, although I was told when I was hired they were going to hire enough nurses to have a 4-to-1 ratio. It not only hasn't happened, but the administration keeps piling on paperwork for the nurses to complete.

I have anxiety, and this is about to cause me to break. I love my job, and I don't want to leave. I just wish they would be more considerate of their nurses instead of making them feel like I do right now, which is wanting to find something else.

Should I say something to my charge nurse about how I'm feeling? I'm afraid if I do, I'll be pushed out of this job. Adding to my anxiety is that my daughter now works at the same facility, and I'm afraid if I say anything they will punish her. Please offer me your advice. -- ANXIOUS R.N. IN ALABAMA

DEAR ANXIOUS R.N.: Because you feel the stress is becoming too much, I do think you should address it with your charge nurse. It's the truth. Because the pandemic has increased the workload on all medical caregivers, you are far from alone in feeling overwhelmed.

When you speak up, do not couch it in terms of the fact that your employers haven't followed through on their promises. Do it strictly in terms of the effect it is having on you. I doubt you will be fired, because experienced nurses are in such high demand right now. However, if you are let go and your daughter is questioned about it, all she should say is that the workload and the stress became too much for YOU. Speaking your truth should be no reflection on her.

DEAR ABBY: New neighbors moved into my apartment building about a month ago. I don't mind that sometimes I hear their kids. I don't mind that sometimes I hear the adults. BUT! Their alarm clock wakes me up every morning at 6 a.m. It's loud, and I'm guessing it's up against the adjoining wall.

Normally, I sleep until 8. I work from home, and I'm usually up until 1 a.m. or so. I'm a night owl, and I simply can't go to sleep any earlier.

It's impossible to sleep through their alarm. It has been weeks. I am afraid if I complain they will call me a racist since I am white, and they are black. But it's NOT a race thing; it's a SLEEP thing. What should I do? -- SLEEPLESS IN BALTIMORE

DEAR SLEEPLESS: Write a polite note to the new neighbors and introduce yourself. Explain the problem you are experiencing and ask if they can help you by either moving their alarm clock to a different part of their bedroom or adjusting the ring to make it softer. (It could be as simple as placing their clock on a soft surface like a towel.) If they are unwilling to cooperate, as a last resort try earplugs and talk to the building manager about the noise problem.

Parents are ready for chick to fly away from their nest

DEAR ABBY: Our 21-year-old daughter has been home since March when the pandemic began. She has always been a homebody. Our house is small, and my wife and I no longer can be alone or be physically intimate because our daughter prevents it.

If we hug for an extended period of time, she will make a comment. If we want to watch a movie, she wants to hang out, and we can't watch it without her. My wife and I need privacy, and we need our adult daughter to cut the cord.

Our marriage really evolved and we grew even closer when "the kid" moved out for college. Now we can't escape her. I miss my wife and our alone time. What should we do? -- FRUSTRATED IN THE EAST

DEAR FRUSTRATED: This is your home, and your daughter needs to accommodate you, rather than the other way around. What you must do is have an adult conversation with your homebody daughter and explain that you and her mother need time alone. Establish a date night so she knows when to disappear.

I'm assuming that she has a job and friends. If that's the case, she should be accumulating enough money to live apart from you. If you are not only sheltering her but also supporting her, you will need to create a plan so your daughter can become independent. It may mean contributing to her rent for an agreed-upon period of time, if necessary, so be prepared.

DEAR ABBY: I was wondering if you could give me some advice on tipping. I frequent coffee shops in my area as well as when I travel. The baristas usually are younger women. Usually, there will be a tip jar located next to the cash register.

A typical latte costs $4 to $5, and I leave a dollar in the tip jar. I realize that many servers may be distracted if they're waiting on other customers, but is it normal for them to never acknowledge someone who is giving them a tip? Is the tip just expected?

Again, I realize there could be distractions, and maybe the baristas don't notice me tipping them, but it seems like the rule rather than the exception. I think it comes across as lousy customer service. How hard is it to say "thank you"? Is this another example of a generation of poorly raised people? -- SIPPING & TIPPING IN CONNECTICUT

DEAR S & T: It's not only good manners but also GOOD BUSINESS to thank clients/patrons -- just as it's considered proper etiquette to thank the person who served you. I hesitate to paint an entire generation with the same brush, but the individuals you are dealing with could benefit from a refresher course in courtesy.

DEAR ABBY: I'm 56, disabled and live with my mom, who is 86. I'm really scared of what's going to happen to me when she passes. -- SCARED IN NEVADA

DEAR SCARED: You should not be in limbo regarding this question because your concern is valid. It's important that you talk to your mother about your fears and ask her that question. The answer may involve her estate and whether she has a will that provides for you in the event of her death. I am hoping that her answer will put your mind at ease.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Kolkata, Jan 31 : Former India captain and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was on Sunday discharged from the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital after undergoing a second round of angioplasty.

According to hospital sources, Ganguly is currently doing fine. The BCCI president has been advised to be on medication and follow a strict routine for the next few months.

Ganguly was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday after he complained of uneasiness and chest pain. He had complained of chest pain on Tuesday night and as he continued to feel unwell even on Wednesday morning, his family members decided to shift him to the hospital.

On Thursday, a statement, issued by the Apollo Hospital authorities, said that Aftab Khan and a team comprising Ashwin Mehta, Devi Shetty, Ajit Desai, Saroj Mandal and Saptarshi Basu, successfully performed the angioplasty on Ganguly and placed two stents.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited Ganguly at the hospital on Thursday, said, "The operation was successful. I spoke to Sourav and his wife Dona. He is awake and speaking." The 48-year-old had earlier this month suffered a blackout while working out at his personal gym and was admitted to the Woodlands Hospital on January 2.

Ganguly then underwent an angioplasty and other related tests then before being discharged from the hospital on January 7.
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According to the co-creator of "Friends," Julia Roberts didn't make it easy to snag her for a guest-starring role.

Kevin Bright joined others in talking to the Hollywood Reporter in honor of the 25th anniversary of the show's "The One After the Superbowl" episode.

"Do you know the story of how we got [Julia Roberts]? Matthew [Perry, one of the stars] asked her to be on the show," Bright said. "She wrote back to him, 'Write me a paper on quantum physics and I'll do it.' My understanding is that Matthew went away and wrote a paper and faxed it to her the next day."

Co-creator Marta Kauffman said "Getting Julia Roberts was incredibly exciting."

"We knew she would have the right touch for it," Kauffman said. "And when she said yes, it was pretty awesome."

That faxing went a bit further.

Alexa Junge, one of the writers on the show, said Roberts was interested in Perry "from afar because he's so charming."

"There was a lot of flirting over faxing," she said. "She was giving him these questionnaires like, 'Why should I go out with you?' And everyone in the writers room helped him explain to her why."

Roberts and Perry reportedly dated briefly after her appearance on the show.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
Do you feel a complete plonker this weekend? I do. Did you believe your eyes when you saw RTE's Conor McMorrow at Dublin airport on Monday's Prime Time? There he was, doing a simple job in the arrivals hall, asking incoming travellers what in the name of God they thought they were doing.

The flight from Lanzarote was full of holidaymakers, back from their homes in the sun, relaxed and posing a potential danger to the nation's health.

Perhaps you are a parent, working remotely, stressed by home schooling, longing to take your kids abroad for a break? Or even to grab a week away yourself? Or a third-level student, unable to meet friends, behaving impeccably but deprived of travel or other carefree joys of youth? Or even a 70-year-old who has been rigorously trudging around the 5km prison set by the Government?

Someone is making a monkey of you. The Government has been rumbled. Thousands of people have been jetting off to sunspots and returning home. I am aware of at least two offenders who contracted Covid. Supposedly, they quarantined at home. Supposedly.

Northern Ireland is not the only porous border on this island. A state-owned airport is providing a channel for the disease.

Meanwhile, the Government's blind eye to blatant breaches in Dublin airport is matched only by its refusal to take vigorous action along the Northern Ireland border region. Are you not sick of hearing ministers brushing off any suggestion of checks around the Border as being too "political"?

So those unfortunate souls who catch Covid because of the "political" consequences of taking life-saving measures in the Covid- ridden area are condemned to be just another statistic. Surely it is the duty of politicians to address "political" problems? Today, lives of innocent citizens are trumped by diehard political intransigence Your blood is boiling? Rightly so.

Who is shirking such necessary decisions? Is it the Government? A politburo? A group of civil servants?

It is difficult to discover. The process is deliberately hidden from public view. It is designed to shield politicians from responsibility for unpopular decisions.

Remember the background noise. When I was in government earlier last year, a silent war was already simmering between Nphet and the Government. Nphet's boss, Dr Tony Holohan, had become a national icon. The more his popularity rose with the public, the more it spooked jealous politicians.

Some of my fellow Cabinet ministers privately loathed Holohan. They rubbished his health warnings. Yet they feared openly defying Nphet's expertise in case they were seen to be cavalier with citizens' lives. They needed cover, so they came up with a solution to cut Nphet, and in particular their bete noire Dr Holohan, down to size. And that is when the rot set in.

Enter the Government's mysterious Covid-19 Oversight Group, last autumn's project to call a halt to Nphet's gallop. Chaired by the wiliest of all the mandarins, Secretary to the Taoiseach's Department Martin Fraser, its membership includes at least eight other super- powerful civil servants.

Alongside them sit the chiefs of staff (usually political hatchet men) of the three Coalition party leaders. Two public health officials in the group, Holohan and Paul Reid of the HSE, are heavily outnumbered by career civil servants. The Covid-19 Oversight Group sits weekly. Its purpose is to vet Nphet recommendations before they come to Cabinet and to filter them accordingly. More specifically, its unofficial mission is to convert Nphet's independent advice on how to save lives into politically acceptable action.

Martin Fraser is a fine public servant. His intellect is dazzling. He was a star performer when I was in Cabinet. He was unquestionably the Taoiseach's man, whether it be Enda or Leo. He has not survived three taoisigh without razor-sharp political antennae.

His posting, as the first hurdle for recommendations from Nphet, meant that a man who can instinctively anticipate the responses of both Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar is pivotal to the process. He will spot the political pitfalls (as opposed to the merits) of Nphet recommendations with his eyes closed.

Simultaneously, precisely when the Oversight Committee was flexing its muscles last November, the Department of the Taoiseach commissioned a confidential report on Covid-19 from consultants Ernst & Young. Its findings were less sensational than its provenance. It states in its summary that the report is, unusually, to be presented back to "government officials" to consider and that "we have worked solely on the instructions of the Department of the Taoiseach and for Department of Taoiseach purposes". Nor is it to be "provided to any third party" without EY's written consent. Tony Holohan, please note.

Next stop for Nphet's proposals is the relevant Cabinet sub-committee, on which Martin and many of the same mandarins - such as Robert Watt, the man eyeing up the Department of Health - sit alongside hand-picked Cabinet ministers. Finally, the matter goes to the full Cabinet, sanitised by a politically sensitive civil service. Fraser sits in pole position at all three fora.

Somewhere along the line, the proposals are regularly leaked to RTE, where they are presented as a fait accompli. Last Monday, it was difficult to credit RTE's Six One News. It had the full story about the confidential proposed changes to tighter travel restrictions, still being discussed behind the scenes. Presenter David McCullagh stated, without blinking, that "a full Cabinet meeting will agree the measures tomorrow morning".

No room for doubt there, the Cabinet was a rubber stamp. No possibility was countenanced that Ireland's Cabinet might have the temerity to contribute to government policy, now being made elsewhere.

Somewhere in the middle of this procedure, the three Coalition leaders meet to unite behind a common message. At their meetings, they are reported to practise cuddly slogans about schools, the greater public good and how they are running a society. Then Leo heads off to the airwaves and does his own thing.

Unfortunately, this process has failed abysmally. Even politicians, seeing it as a route for them to announce the good news of reopenings and to duck the lockdowns, have suffered. The decisions of committees established to give cover to reckless defiance of Nphet's advice have been tragically wrong on nearly every occasion. Re- openings have been too early, lockdowns too late. Christmas was a nat- ional calamity as the Government resolved to ignore Holohan's warnings. Instead, a thinly-coded licence to party was sent out to weary citizens desperately craving relief.

The Government, heeding utterly self-serving lobbyists such as publicans' associations and Ibec, was nodding and winking to the Irish people - behind Nphet's back - that they should enjoy themselves in December and pay an unknown price in January. As a policy, it beggared belief.

The price has been deaths on a scale that even Nphet's prescient warnings did not foretell. Our health services were nearly overwhelmed. Schools are closed. In the coming weeks, as the gruesome figures on deaths dip, politicians will spring out of the traps, advocating reopenings on a grand scale. Ibec and the publicans will begin to slink back into the picture.

Any plan we ever had is now in tatters. The passive stop-go, open-close lockdown policy has left us as spectators, at the mercy of the next wave. We are spectators too in the vaccination war, shamelessly promising the cavalry's arrival, just as it gallops away into the distance. We are in denial about the Border, frightened to discuss it among ourselves, let alone with the government in Stormont. Yet no one in the all-powerful Covid Oversight Group thought to instruct people with holiday homes abroad to stay in Ireland.

We should send them packing and gratefully return, cap in hand, to Tony Holohan.
Recently, the Andrews government announced a much-needed additional $2 million in funding to support Victorians with eating disorders.

Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, are not only distressing and sometimes disabling, but have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The risk of death due to physical causes of anorexia nervosa is about five times higher than the general population, while the risk of suicide is 32 times higher.

The risk of death due to physical causes of anorexia nervosa is about five times higher than the general population. Credit:Sylvia Liber

Eating disorders can arise in children as young as 10, with a spike occurring in adolescence, impacting on the psychological, social, educational and vocational development and attainment during the formative years in a young persons life. The impact on the young person, their family, friends and community can be immense and lifelong.

Unfortunately, estimates suggest that eating disorder presentations have increased by as much as 25-50 per cent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with calls to the Butterfly Foundations national eating disorder helpline increasing by 43 per cent when compared with the same timeframe in 2019.

Cremation of Muslim bodies: US urges Govt. to respect religious rites View(s):

The Government has come under international pressure to change its decision to cremate bodies of Muslims who die of COVID-19.

Just days ahead of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meeting, where the issue is expected to surface, the United States State Department tweeted: COVID-19 has taken too many lives. We urge Sri Lanka to respect & accommodate religious faiths & cultural traditions, in accordance w/international public health guidelines, so that people can say farewell to their loved ones in ways consistent w/their beliefs.

According to diplomatic sources in Colombo, the tweet is an indication that the US is weighing in on the resolution on Sri Lanka which the UNHRC is due to take up at its Geneva meeting in February. However, the US is not a member of the Council but the newly elected President Joe Biden has declared the US would rejoin the body.

Sanator Chris Van Hollen, a former co-chair of the Sri Lanka caucus in the Senate, has written to Ravinatha P. Ariyasinha, Sri Lankas Ambassador in Washington, expressing serious concerns over the mandatory cremations.

He has said, Although the Sri Lankan health authorities say buried bodies of Covid-19 victims will contaminate the groundwater, the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines permit both burials and cremations. Specifically, the WHO has stated that there is not sufficient evidence to prove that cremation in lieu of traditional burials would prevent the spread of Covid-19. Human rights experts from the United Nations (UN) warn that the imposition of cremation as the only option for handling the bodies confirmed or suspected of Covid-19 amounts to a human rights violation. The UN is strongly urging the Government of Sri Lanka to stop the forced cremation of Covid-19 bodies.

The issue also figured at the noon news brief at the United Nations in New York.
Jessica Biel shared a sweet wish for husband Justin Timberlake on his 40th birthday on Sunday, January 31.

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The Seventh Heaven alum, 38, posted a pic of the Sexy Back singer wearing a crown while looking at a giant stack of pancakes and fruit, along with a series of other photos.

Courtesy of Jessica Biel/Instagram

Theres no one I have more fun with, have more laughs with, feel more deeply for and have more history with. I honor you today, baby. And wish you the most creative and fulfilling year to date. Happy 40th, my love, she captioned the adorable social media snaps.

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Timberlakes year is already off to a creative start. The Grammy winner appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday, January 29, where he teased an upcoming album. Can we say? Is there a possibility that theres going to be a new Justin Timberlake album in the works? host Jimmy Fallon questioned.

The boy band alum replied, Yeah, we can say that. There is a possibility. Lets go with yes. Ive been in and out of the studio working on stuff.

Biels Instagram post comes two weeks after the Trolls actor officially confirmed that he and his wife welcomed a second child in 2020. He made the reveal during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on January 17, telling the shows host, Hes awesome and so cute. Nobodys sleeping. Timberlake also revealed his second sons name for the first time during the show: Phineas.

Silas is super excited. Right now, hes very much liking it, he told Ellen DeGeneres of his 5-year-old sons reaction to being a big brother. But, you know, Phin cant walk yet or chase him down, so, I dont know, well see what happens.

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Brian McKnight told Hollywood Life in July 2020 the former NSync member had a new baby. Timberlake and The Sinner star kept the pregnancy under wraps while quarantining in Big Sky, Montana, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Biel and the Tennessee native tied the knot in October 2012 after a 10-month engagement. Timberlake popped the question in December 2011 and Us Weekly broke the news the following month. The pair dated for nearly five years before getting engaged, splitting for three months in 2011. They welcomed their first child together in 2015.
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Thousands detained during a second weekend of Navalny protests

The police were out in large numbers in dozens of cities and towns across Russia on Sunday as tens of thousands took to the streets to show support for the jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. It was one of the most imposing shows of police force seen in the countrys recent history.

More than 4,000 people, including Navalnys wife, Yulia Navalnaya, were detained, but many have been released. Heres the latest.

In Vladivostok, demonstrators descended onto the ice of a frozen bay, with riot officers in pursuit. In Chelyabinsk, there was footage of riot police officers clubbing protesters with batons. There were reports of stun guns and tear gas being used in St. Petersburg.

The turnout in so many parts of the nation showed that the accumulated anger with President Vladimir Putin remains a potent force. Disappointment over slumping wages is also taking a toll on support for the Putin government.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at an event organised by the US Institute of Peace, a Congress-funded think-tank, on Friday that the US will build on and carry forward the four-nation Quad comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at an event organised by the US Institute of Peace, a Congress-funded think-tank, on Friday that the US will build on and carry forward the four-nation Quad. At the same time, US President Joe Biden called for Democrats to keep Trump impeachment trial short and not to let it derail the agenda. The new Biden administration sees the Quad grouping comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia.

Sullivan said that one very positive thing that Bidens administration will be building on will be Quad and the Indo-Pacific policy of the previous Trump administration besides the Abraham Accords, Sullivan said. Many believe that the strengthening of the Quad comes in light of Chinas increasing aggression and the US has been favouring making the Quad a security architecture to check Chinas growing assertiveness.

Tracing back to November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad as a means to develop counter-strategies to check and balance Chinas aggressive behaviour in the strategically-vital Indo-Pacific region. Amid Chinas border conflict with India, this Quad can become a major talking point in the Indo-Pacific region. Chineses muscle-flexing and territorial disputes will be kept on check hopefully with this Quad.

Also Read: Israel embassy explosion: Israeli ambassador suspects terror attack, Probe on

Earlier Biden in an article had indicated that he would support close relations with India. Quad and its expansion are likely to be supported by Joe Biden as the quad, the Malabar exercises, and defence dialogues are all aimed to protect Indias national and security interests.
You know school holidays are over when supermarkets are pushing lunchbox snacks. The Back to School Sorted signs beside packs of chocolate Tiny Teddies suggest that pleas to stop marketing so much sugar to kids are falling on deaf ears. Ditto to the displays of Kelloggs LCMs Unicorn Bars with the same big sugar content as Tiny Teddies: 32 per cent. These are lunchbox fillers that make a dentists eyes roll, and theyre not the only ones.

Any sticky or crunchy food, whether its dried fruit or a muesli bar can linger in the grooves of teeth for hours, explains paediatric dentist Dr Sarah Raphael from the Australian Dental Association NSW (ADA NSW). Rolls or strips made of dried fruit are in the same category. They might claim no added sugar but their naturally high sugar content makes them fodder for decay-causing bacteria, she says.

Dietician Karina Savage with kids Lachlan, 6, and Sophie, 8. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

In the time between lunch and when teeth meet a toothbrush at bedtime, bacteria can feed on the sugary traces left by these foods. The bacteria produce acid that breaks down tooth enamel.

About one-third of five to six-year-olds in NSW and Victoria have decay in their primary (or baby) teeth and about 25 per cent of children aged 6-14 have decay in their permanent teeth, according to the ADA NSW. Raphael says that rates of tooth decay that fell in the 1970s with the introduction of fluoride began climbing in the early 90s, coinciding with the growing availability of packaged snacks and soft drink.
Thousands of criminals will be released from Victorian prisons early because they have spent more hours locked down in their cells due to coronavirus.

Serious violent offenders including murderers and rapists are among 4,927 prisoners whose sentences were cut because of the emergency measures.

Each sentence was cut on average by just under a month, with a combined total of 355 years reduced from prison terms, the Herald Sun reported.

This means more than half of Victoria's prison population - about 7,100 inmates as of June last year - will be freed, and time behind bars for prisoners remanded in custody also shaved by 557 years.

The Victorian government is set to release 4927 prisoners early after they spent additional days locked down in their cells due to coronavirus. Pictured: Loddon Prison in Castlemaine, Victoria

An additional $2.48 million out of Victorian taxpayers' pockets was directly deposited into individual prisoner's accounts to make extra calls during the health crisis, even if they didn't use them.

Any money that was not used can be cashed in once they are freed.

Opposition corrections spokesman David Southwick said the concessions were ridiculous and prisoners were being rewarded because of a global health crisis.

'Prison isnt a holiday,' he said.

'Its clear Daniel Andrews' priorities are all wrong when ordinary Victorians were being locked out of their own state, yet prisoners are handed almost a month off their sentences.'

Prisoners are granted an emergency management day, a day deducted from their sentence, to compensate for disruptions in prisons, such as 24 hour-lockdowns.

While four days is the maximum amount of EMDs permitted for prisoners under the Corrections Act 1986, prisoners were given one for each day in lockdown during the pandemic, which included 14-days of mandatory quarantine for new inmates.

Prisoners were granted additional emergency management days than usual after being confined to their cells to curb the spread of Covid-19

Victorian government documents provided to the publication show prisoners were awarded 129,568 EMDs last year, while those on remand had 203,343 sliced off their jail time.

On average, prisoners were given 26.3 days trimmed off their original sentence due to time served in lockdown - all while millions of Victorians were also confined to their homes during the pandemic.

Visitations recommenced last week after being banded early last year to protect inmates from Covid-19.

Taxpayers also footed the almost $310,000 bill for more than 590 Samsung tablets given to prisoners to help them remain connected to the outside world.

A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokeswoman said it was important for prisoners to be able to contact loved ones during the health crisis.

'Maintaining family and community connections is important for prisoner rehabilitation, and helps reduce reoffending by providing critical support networks upon release,' she said.


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Zuckerberg Didnt Convince Me to Back Down: Australian Treasurer

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to discuss an impending new law that will force the tech giants to pay local media for displaying their news content.

The Facebook CEO, however, was unable to shift the Australian governments position on introducing the News Media Bargaining Code.

The treasurer revealed on ABC Insiders that last week Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and himself had a very constructive discussion with Zuckerberg about the Code and its impact on Facebook.

When pressed on whether Zuckerberg was able to change his mind, Frydenberg responded, Mark Zuckerberg didnt convince me to back down, if thats what you are asking.

Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg returns from a recess as he testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, on Oct. 23, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

The treasurer has stated repeatedly that the Media Code was being watched closely around the world. He revealed that rival tech giant Microsoft was watching the developments closely.

The Prime Minister has spoken to the CEO and president of Microsoft, as you know theyve got Microsoft Bing, he said.

Theyre watching this very closely and, no doubt, see opportunities in Australia to expand too, he added. This is world leading, what were doing.

The Australian government is currently implementing its News Media Bargaining Code that will set out a process whereby news media companies can negotiate a payment deal with Google and Facebook.

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.

The Media Code was created partly to address this issue and to level the playing field between the digital giants and local news companies.

Frydenberg previously stated, For every $100 spent by advertisers in Australia on online advertising  $47 goes to Google, $24 to Facebook and $29 to other participants.

Both Google and Facebook have stated that they were prepared to remove news content entirely from their platforms to avoid paying news media publishers.

The logos of mobile apps Facebook and Google on a smartphone in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 9, 2020 (The Epoch Times)

Last week, Google went a step further and told a Senate committee that as a last resort it would consider withdrawing the Google Search service entirely from Australia, opening a door for potential competitors Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo! to expand their market share.

Dr. Rob Nicholls, associate professor at the University of New South Wales and competition law expert, previously told The Epoch Times that the strong response from Silicon Valley was over fears the Australian Media Code could usher in a domino-effect of global regulation.

(The Media Code) will also embolden other jurisdictions to push for a similar outcome as in France, or as proposed in Australia, he said.

Google very recently agreed to pay 300 French news publishers to display their content.

The Australian law however has wider implications. It sets a national framework that gives all eligible news organisations a chance to enter into negotiations with the tech giants. The framework also contains a final arbitration model that guarantees a payment deal will be finalised.

In recent years, Australian regulators have opened up several fronts in their battle to regulate the digital giants including scrutiny of Googles acquisition of FitBit, and a pending court action against Facebook for secretly harvesting personal data through a subsidiary.

Last week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released a new report on Googles multi-billion dollar online advertising business.

Googles significant presence across the whole ad tech supply chain, combined with its significant data advantage, means Google is likely to have the ability and the incentive to preference its own ad tech businesses in ways that affect competition, ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.

The ACCC is exploring potential ways to break the tech giants dominance of this area.
The Telegraph

Police are conducting an investigation into the death of a woman who was allegedly given higher than recommended doses of a powerful anti-psychotic drug at a mental health unit. Margaret Molyneux, 69, a former lecturer, was undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder when she suffered a series of complications and died in hospital three days after choking in July 2017. A coroner ruled that she had died of natural causes, but Hertfordshire Police launched an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, after a review found that Ms Molyneux had been prescribed higher than recommended doses of the drug Olanzapine. Her daughter, Petria Foley (pictured below), believes the anti-psychotic medication caused dangerous side effects - including choking - which were not picked up by the psychiatrists treating her and eventually led to her death. The Telegraph can reveal that detectives have now appointed a forensic toxicologist to look into the case before deciding whether to bring any charges. Ms Molyneux, a mother of two, was admitted to the Kingfisher Court mental health unit in Radeltt, Hertfordshire in March 2017, after being sectioned following a relapse of the bipolar condition she suffered from. She was prescribed Olanzapine, a powerful anti-psychotic drug that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions including schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. But it has also been linked to a variety of side effects and in 2018 Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation into the death of teenager Oliver McGowan, who died after being prescribed the drug. In the weeks leading up to her death, Ms Molyneaux, had a series of falls and also suffered from sepsis, pneumonia. She also developed dysphagia - a condition where swallowing becomes difficult - and Ms Foley is convinced it was the medication that was causing the physical problems. She said despite her mothers deteriorating condition, the drugs continued to be prescribed and medics also stopped her mother from smoking which meant the medication had an even more powerful effect.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 05:44:59|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Moussa Faki Mahamat discussed on Sunday preparations for the upcoming AU Summit, dispute about Ethiopia's Nile dam and recent developments in the continent.

During a meeting in Cairo, Sisi and Mahamat exchanged views on a number of African issues, in light of the ongoing preparations for holding the annual AU Summit in February, spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, Bassam Rady, said in a statement.

Sisi explained that the path of development in Africa begins with establishing stability and integrated infrastructure that constitutes a basis for development.

He affirmed that Egypt will spare no effort to support other African countries, and will always extend its hand of cooperation, construction and development for all African nations.

For his part, Mahamat said Egypt is a strong pillar of joint African action, and expressed confidence in Egypt to continue to play its role in promoting development efforts in Africa.

Meanwhile, Rady explained that the meeting also touched on the developments of a number of issues and conflicts in Africa as well as the efforts exerted to solve them.

The disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), within the framework of the AU-sponsored tripartite negotiations, was also discussed.

The president reiterated Egypt's position which demands a binding and comprehensive legal agreement among all concerned parties, and rejected any actions or procedures that violate Egypt's rights in the Nile water, the spokesman said.

Mahamat expressed his appreciation for Egypt's efforts within the framework of negotiation aimed at reaching a solution to the GERD issue, stressing the importance of continued intensive coordination to reach a fair and balanced agreement.

Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia have been negotiating under the mediation of the AU over technical and legal issues related to the filling and operation of the GERD.

Ethiopia, which started building the GERD in 2011, expects to produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity from the project, while Egypt and Sudan, downstream Nile Basin countries that rely on the river for its fresh water, are concerned that the dam might affect their water resources. Enditem
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The French Minister of Finance will visit Egypt in February and is expected to hold a lineup of meetings with various Egyptian ministries and governmental institutions in order to finalise details of the bilateral projects that will be executed under Egypts sustainable development 2030 agenda and their financing conditions, said Egypts Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat.

Al-Mashat made her comments during a meeting, held on Sunday, with the Ambassador of France, Stephane Romatet, along with his Economic Advisor, Michel Aldenberg.

The meeting discussed the multi-sectoral development agreements made during Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Al-Mashats visit to France in December.

The two sides have also begun negotiating the development financing projects allocation and their execution via French companies.

During the meeting, Al-Mashat noted that the bilateral partnership achieves, in essence, the UNs sustainable development goals, serving consequently Egypts national agenda 2030 through development financing that has been capitalised by the latest visits agreements.

In December, Egypt and France inked three financing agreements worth 715.6 million.

Romatet emphasised the importance of the Egyptian-French partnership, expressing the success of the presidential visit to France, which took place in December, in deliberating the sustainable development agenda for both countries.

During the presidential visit to France, Egypts Ministry of International Cooperation signed with the Chief Executive of the Agence Francaise de Developpement a financing agreement worth 715.6 million, with the aim of supporting the health, transportation, education, and water sectors.

The history of cooperation between both countries dates back to 1974, with an economic cooperation portfolio worth 7.5 billion along with more than 42 signed protocols covering transportation, electricity, civil aviation, housing and utilities, health, agriculture and irrigation, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, environment, antiquities, and Education, according to the ministry.

The current cooperation portfolio between Egypt and France rounds up to 1 billion.

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Sunday, January 31, 2021

Donald Trump has left the White House and a new chapter in American politics begins. Some wonder if Ivanka Trump or any other of his children could run for office in the near future? Well, it depends on how the Trump brand will be seen in two respectively four years from now. Who knows what the political climate will be by that time, but at the moment, it seems unlikely to me that the brand can recover substantially. The events from the past monthly will likely leave a stain. In fact, I think that a scenario where we will learn more in the coming weeks and months about how chaotic and detached from reality the Trump White House has operated is more likely than a recovery of the brand.

I don't see a distancing strategy as possible for Ivanka or any of the other children. Their political capital is the Trump name. Nothing more and nothing less. A distancing strategy could work for people who worked with Trump but were less associated with him and had more of an independent personality. For example, Nikki Hailey or Mitch McConnell and his wife. For the Trump children, the easiest would probably be to run in a state or congressional district that is a Trump stronghold and where the Trump base (which exists) is enough to win.



This post has also been picked up by TALKERS, the Bible of U.S. Talk Radio.





Police are investigating a hate crime after sectarian graffiti was daubed on a Catholic church in Co Londonderry.

The graffiti was discovered at St Mary's Church in Limavady on Sunday morning. Police believe the incident took place overnight.

The walls of the church were painted on, while a crucifix in the church grounds was also defaced. The graffiti lists loyalist paramilitary organisations the UVF, UDA and UFF alongside sectarian slogans.

Police have confirmed they are treating the attack on the church, located on Irish Green Street in the town, as a hate crime.

Parish priest Monsignor Bryan McCanny described the attack as "disappointing". He said there was "a certain amount of distress that it should happen to a church building".

"We know it's not representative of any of the other church communities in Limavady," he told the BBC.

First Minister Arlene Foster said the incident was "another reprehensible attack on a place of worship".

"No cause is served by such actions and I hope those responsible can be identified and brought to justice," the DUP leader said.

It is not the first time the church has been targeted, with a similar attack occurring in 2018.

DUP MP Gregory Campbell said it was unacceptable a repeat attack had occurred.

Expand Close St Mary's Church, Limavady. Credit - Pacemaker Press / Facebook

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"Daubing sectarian graffiti on any Church property is not just insulting but contributes to creating problems in local communities," the East Londonderry MP said.

"While there is no apparent localised reason or recent precedent for this incident, I fear it may be linked to wider political tensions that police had alluded to last week.

"Whether that is the case or not all public representatives have a duty to condemn any such behaviour, irrespective of where it occurs and against whom. The Government also has a duty to take appropriate steps to help de - escalate rising tensions whether connected to this or not."

Local SDLP MLA Cara Hunter said the graffiti was a "disgrace".

There is no place for this behaviour in our society, I strongly condemn these actions," the East Londonderry MLA said.

I am calling on all leaders to step up and calm these tensions.

I have spoken to the PSNI this morning who are now treating this as a sectarian hate crime.

If you have any information, please contact the PSNI on 101.

A PSNI spokesperson said their enquiries into the incident were continuing.

"I would appeal to anyone with any information about this incident to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 31/01/21." the spokesperson said.

"A report can be made using the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org."


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Ghana's COVID-19 active cases have shot up to 5,358 as of Friday 29th January 2021, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



The last update by the Ghana Health Service on its website indicated that the death toll was 405 from a previous of 390.



However, in the President's 23rd address to the nation, he indicated that it has increased to 416 after the death of 11 more patients.



"Our hospitals have become full, and we have had to reactivate our isolation centres. Our average daily rates of infection now stand at seven hundred (700), compared to two hundred (200) two weeks ago...When I delivered Update No. 22, thirteen (13) out of the sixteen (16) regions had recorded active cases; today, all sixteen (16) regions have active cases. Indeed, Greater Accra, Central, Western, Ashanti, Eastern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, and Northern Regions are the hardest hit, accounting for ninety-four percent (94%) of the total number of active cases" President Akufo-Addo added.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Namibia and Botswana on Friday agreed to work closely in the procurement and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as well as cross-border trade.



The pact was reached on Friday by Namibian President Hage Geingob and his Botswanan Counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi during Masisi's one-day state visit to Namibia.



A communique signed between the two heads of state indicated that the two countries agreed on "a joint approach to vaccine procurement, delivery, regulatory approval and vaccination of citizens in either country."



The two countries also pledged to share their best practices and collaborate on COVID-19 testing and test result validity.



Meanwhile, the two sides also agreed to continue facilitating cross-border trade including maximizing export and import benefits at the dry port at Walvis Bay in Namibia.



The two sides, the communique said, also touched upon issues such as post-pandemic economic recoveries, and agreed to "leverage the Trans-Kalahari corridor to create value chains in agriculture, tourism and trade facilitation."

Source: GNA









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The chair of Kinsale's Chamber of Business and Tourism has defended her decision to travel to Lanzarote.

Owner of Kinari Boutique in Kinsale, Co Cork, Guny Patel and her partner, artist Philip Gray, travelled to Lanzarote earlier this month, after getting there on the "skin of their teeth", according to Mr Grey's social media posts, which also detailed "another perfect day in our private villa... isolating at its best."

Since the reimposition of strict level 5 restrictions, the Government has repeatedly reminded the public that they should not travel beyond 5km of their home, unless for essential reasons, due to the high rate of community transmission of Covid-19 and the danger posed by new and more transmissible variants of the virus.

There is also a Government Advisory in operation against all non-essential international travel

Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail in recent days: Very clearly, anyone who travels abroad like that (unnecessarily) is in breach of level 5 restrictions," as the Government brought in tougher restrictions for those returning from foreign countries.

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.

Travellers arriving without a negative test could also face a fine of 2,500 or a six-month prison sentence.

All passengers entering the country will be subject to mandatory quarantine, a change from the policy of voluntary self-isolation.

Artist Philip Gray has been working since 2019 on a project of underwater paintings in Museo Atlantico, Lanzarote. Picture: Denis Minihane.

When approached by the Irish Examiner, Ms Patel said she takes her role "very seriously" and the travel "was a fully compliant business trip" not associated with her position as chair of Kinsale Chamber of Business and Tourism and "in accordance with rules and guidelines".

"My fiancee Philip Gray is an internationally recognised adventure artist which is his livelihood," she said.

"Philip has been working since 2019 on a project of underwater paintings in Museo Atlantico, Lanzarote, to further advance the awareness of creativity underwater which in turn highlights the environmental and climate changes that are equally present during a pandemic and hopefully this will bring about a greater level of positivity in such a negative and challenging climate," and was "all done in a Covid compliant manner and strictly adhering to all travel guidelines".

Ms Patel said that both she and Mr Gray had both tested negative on departure and return and will self isolate at home as per public health guidelines.
New Delhi: The government may give Cairn Energy one of the surrendered oil fields such as Ratna R-Series in lieu of the USD 1.4 billion it has to pay to the British firm, helping prevent seizure of foreign assets in case of default as well as get an experienced operator in struggling E&P sector, sources said.

Cairn Energy gave India its biggest onland oil discovery but exited the country after it was slapped with a 10,247-crore tax demand using a legislation that gave the government the powers to tax companies retrospectively. The firm has now won an international arbitration against the tax demand and the government has been ordered to return the value of shares of Cairn it had sold, dividends it had seized and tax refund it had withheld to recover the tax demand.

For a government struggling to find revenue to boost a COVID-19 battered economy, options of appeal against the arbitration award are limited and it may not have the financial bandwidth for such a payout, two sources with knowledge of the development said.

"One option is to give Cairn one or more of the oil and gas fields that the government now owns after they are surrendered by operators for various reasons," one of them said. "The government could give the Ratna and R-Series oil and gas field in the Arabian Sea that taken away from Essar Oil-Premier Oil consortium in 2016 because contractual terms had changed."

The Barmer oilfield in Rajasthan, which was originally discovered by Cairn Energy, could be another option. Vedanta Ltd, which now operates the field after it bought out Cairn's Indian subsidiary a decade back, has so far not agreed to the government conditions for getting an extension of contract beyond its original end day of May 2020.

Under Vedanta, which continues to operate the field on monthly extensions till its legal challenge to government conditions is settled, Rajasthan oilfields have seen steady decline in output.

"It's a win-win - the government settles it liability without paying a single penny or upsetting investor sentiments by not honouring the arbitration award through endless legal challenges and at the same time getting back an established exploration and production (E&P) firm back," another source said.

No major oil and gas discovery has been made in the past seven years since the retrospective tax demand was raised.

In case the government chooses not to honour the arbitration award, it risks the prospect of its assets in foreign countries being seized just like US oil firm ConocoPhillips did with Venezuela to recoup muti-billion dollar of compensation awarded in arbitration.

Earlier this month, Cairn Energy's chief executive officer Simon Thomson wrote to the Indian government that the arbitration ruling is final and binding, and failure to comply would breach the international rules.

"As India is a signatory to the New York Convention, the award can be enforced against Indian assets in numerous jurisdictions around the world for which the necessary preparations have been put in place," according to the letter, referring to the 1959 Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.

Earlier this month, Malaysia's government had impounded a plane owned by state carrier Pakistan International Airlines on a court order due to a UK court dispute with aircraft lessors.

While Cairn didn't mention any Indian asset in its letter, sources said assets could include bank accounts of its diplomatic missions, non-diplomatic premises, planes of state carrier Air India and state-owned ships in the UK, Netherlands, France, Canada and the US.

Cairn Energy has asked the Indian government for an early indication of implementing the arbitration award, well before the announcement of its full-year earnings on March 9 for clarity of its shareholders, according to the letter.

The tax authorities had in January 2014 slapped with an initial assessment of unpaid taxes of 10,247 crore over a restructuring carried out in 2006 while preparing for an initial public offering of Cairn India. The tax authorities in 2015 seized Cairn Energy's residual shareholding of about 10 per cent of Cairn India, then valued at about USD 1 billion.

The Edinburgh-based company filed a dispute under the UK-India Investment Treaty and sought international arbitration that started later in 2015 for the losses over expropriation of its investments in India from the minority holding.

During the pendency of the arbitration, the government also seized dividends totalling 1,140 crore due from its minority holding in Cairn India (now merged with Vedanta Ltd) and set off a 1,590-crore tax refund against the demand.

The three-member tribunal, which comprised a judge appointed by India, last month unanimously overturned a 10,247 crore retrospective tax demand on Cairn and asked the Indian government to return value of the shares it sold, dividend it seized and tax refunds it stopped to enforce the tax.

The tribunal ruled the 2006 reorganisation of Cairn Energy's India business prior to listing on local bourses was not "unlawful tax avoidance" and ordered tax authorities to drop the tax demand which was levied following a 2012 amendment to the Income Tax Act that gave authorities powers to seek taxes on past deals.

It ordered the government to return the value of shares it had sold, dividends seized and tax refunds withheld to recover the tax demand along with interest. Also, it was asked to reimburse the cost of arbitration. All this totalled to USD 1.25 billion plus interest. Together with interest, the total due is USD 1.4 billion.

The government, in response to the arbitration award, had stated that it will study the order and "consider all options and take a decision on the further course of action, including legal remedies before appropriate fora".

Sources said the options before the Indian government were limited. An appeal against the award in a court in The Hague - the seat of the arbitration panel - may not yield positive results as the tribunal had given a very detailed 582-page order to make it "as bullet-proof" as possible.

An appeal in Supreme Court against the Cairn arbitration award too may be futile as it remains to be seen if the Indian top court has jurisdiction to stay an award of an international tribunal, they said.

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

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Activists prepare to send anti-Kim Jong-un regime propaganda leaflets to North Korea from the border city of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in this photo from April 2, 2016. Yonhap



By Jung Da-min



The international community's move against South Korea's ban on sending anti-Kim Jong-un regime propaganda leaflets to North Korea is intensifying. Since the National Assembly, which is dominated by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), passed a bill to implement the ban last December, criticism has continued to grow internationally that the law undermines freedom of speech, with members of the U.K. Parliament and the U.S. Congress raising the issue and planning to hold a debate and hearing session, respectively.



The DPK passed the law claiming it is needed to protect the lives of South Koreans living in the border region, although critics claim it is caving into North Korea's demands in the hope of keeping bilateral relations alive.



Rep. Tae Yong-ho and Rep. Ji Seong-ho, defectors-turned-lawmakers with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and members of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, are planning to attend an online seminar to discuss the situation with members of the U.K.'s All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, or APPG NK, scheduled for Feb. 3, according to Tae's office.






Amaravati, Jan 31 : Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday arrested the priest of a temple at Rajahmahendravaram for desecrating Subramanya Swamy's idol allegedly at the behest of two men with links to the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

M.Venkata Raju, husband of a former TDP corporator and Dantuluri Venkatapati Raju who is a former organising secretary of TNTUC, an affiliated body of TDP, were also arrested along with the priest Venkata Murali Krishna.

In the incident that took place on December 31 at Vinayaka temple, both hands of the idol were broken. On a complaint by the priest, the police on January 1 registered a case against unknown persons under section 448, 427, 295 and 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. Police had constituted eight teams to investigate the case.

The investigations revealed that it was none other than Venkata Murali Krishna, the temple's priest who desecrated the idol in return for money offered by two known members of the TDP, a police officer said.

Accused with known links to a particular political outfit actively participating in the desecration of Hindu idols and the consequential propaganda run against the government by using images of idols on social media expose the malafide and alarming intent of TDP's leadership, apart from proving what the government has been reiterating time and time again, an official statement said.

Chief Minister Y. S Jagan Mohan Reddy has already accused TDP being the core conspirators behind temples related incidents in the state. He pointed out that nine such incidents were strategically executed around launch of important government schemes , with an intention to sabotage the same.

One of the nine incidents listed by the CM was the desecration of a Subramanya Swamy idol in Rajahmahendravaram. The incident occurred on December 31 when government was in the process of distributing the 30 lakh house pattas to poor under its flagship housing scheme.
NEW DELHI: India on Sunday handed over two cranes to be used for handling cargo at the strategic Shahid Beheshti port at Chabahar in Iran that New Delhi is developing as a counter to the China-built Gwadar port in Pakistan.

The handover of the cranes took place during a visit to Iran by a senior Indian foreign ministry official J.P. Singh who is in charge of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk in New Delhi.

Mr. J.P. Singh, JS(PAI) @Meaindia handed over two 140 ton mobile harbor cranes, the first shipment of equipment being supplied by India for the development of phase-I of Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar," said a post by the Indian embassy in Tehran.

The move comes after the election and swearing-in of the new Biden administration in Washington. US president Joe Biden has favoured a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal that was struck between Tehran and the world community in 2015 for capping its nuclear programme.

Then US President Donald Trump walked out of the pact in 2018 and imposed stringent sanctions on Tehran mainly crippling its oil industry. While the port at Chabahar was exempt from sanctions  as it was seen as crucial for the economic uplift of Afghanistan  Indian industry was seen as hesitant to engage Tehran given Trumps strong views against the Shia majority country.

Located in the Sistan-Baluchistan Province on Irans south-eastern coast, Chabahar port gives India a sea and land access route into landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia through Iran. The project is considered strategic given that it rivals Pakistans Gwadar port that is a key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, one of the strands of Chinas ambitious multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

The two cranes are among four that New Delhi was looking to procure since 2017. Last year, India cancelled a contract with a Chinese firm -- Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries worth almost $30 million -- for four rail-mounted quay cranes, pointing to delays by the Chinese firm in supplying the equipment ordered in 2017.

According to a response given by the Indian foreign ministry to parliament last year, the Shahid Beheshti port has handled 12 lakh tons of cargo and 8200 containers since December 2018. India has used the port to send wheat consignments to Afghanistan. It was in 2018 that an Indian company -India Ports Global -- had taken over the operations of the port. India Ports Global is a fully owned by Sagarmala Development Company Ltd, a company controlled by the Shipping Ministry.

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Arrival from New Zealand at Sydney International Airport on Oct. 16, 2020, after Australias border rules were relaxed under a new one-way trans-Tasman travel agreement that allow travellers from New Zealand to visit New South Wales. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)

Flights From NZ to Australia Resume This Afternoon

Australia is reopening its doors to New Zealand travellers after health authorities gave the go-ahead.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd made the recommendation that the pause in flights from NZ did not need to be extended.

The Commonwealth has accepted this advice, meaning green zone flights will commence this afternoon, Hunt said in a statement on January 31.

He said the acting CMO noted there have been no further confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community in New Zealand since the initial three cases originated from transmission within hotel quarantine.

Kidd also noted all close contacts of the three New Zealand cases have returned negative test results, and there have been no further cases found to date in the casual contacts, previous residents of the hotel or hotel staff.

Hunt said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee will continue to monitor the situation in New Zealand very closely.

(It) will receive daily reports from the New Zealand health authorities on the results of the continuing contact tracing related to this outbreak, he said.

Colin Brinsden in Canberra
Simon Baker announced his split from wife-of-29-years Rebecca Rigg on Friday.

But The Mentalist actor, 51, will likely have no shortage of female admirers, after he showcased his sculpted physique at the beach last month.

Simon, who quietly split from Rebecca in April last year, sent hearts aflutter as he strutted his stuff in a pair of board shorts while visiting Sydney's Bronte Beach with an unknown female pal.

Life's a beach! Simon Baker, 51, was spotted with a female pal at Sydney's Bronte Beach last month, after splitting from his wife of 29 years Rebecca Rigg in April 2020

Simon spent the day splashing about in the water, and was later seen chatting with the brunette as they strolled down a beachside walkway.

The fair-haired heartthrob looked fitter than ever as he showed off his bronzed biceps and defined abdominals in the water.

He also offered a glimpse at his delicate forearm tattoo, which features the word: 'breathe'.

Watch out, ladies! Simon, who quietly split from Rebecca in April last year, sent hearts aflutter as he strutted his stuff in a pair of board shorts

Life's a beach! Simon spent the day splashing about in the water, and was later seen chatting with the brunette as they strolled down a beachside walkway

All smiles: Simon looked to be in good spirits as he chatted merrily with with the woman, who wore a grey kaftan and octagonal sunglasses

After his swim, Simon slipped on a long-sleeved grey top, and shielded his famous visage beneath a pair of sunglasses and a fedora hat.

Simon looked to be in good spirits as he chatted merrily with the woman, who wore a grey kaftan and octagonal sunglasses.

A month after his beach outing, Simon announced his split from Rebecca in a joint statement to People Magazine.

Handsome: The fair-haired heartthrob looked fitter than ever as he showed off his bronzed biceps and defined abdominals in the water

So hot, he needs to cool down! At one stage, Simon splashed water in his face and slicked his hair back

'We remain close friends and our three children will always be the most important focus of our lives,' the former couple told the publication on Saturday.

The couple met in the early '90s and share three children together: Stella, 27, Claude, 22, and Harry, 19.

Rebecca, also an actress, is best known for her roles in moves Fatty Finn and Ellie Parker, as well as having a minor role alongside Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire.

Don't forget! He also offered a glimpse at his delicate forearm tattoo, which features the word: 'breathe'

It's over: Simon and Rebecca announced their separation on Saturday, telling fans they 'remain close friends' for the sake of their three adult children

The pair tied the knot in 1998 after five years of living together.

The actor was just 24 when he and Rebecca had their first child, daughter Stella, who is now in her twenties.

Speaking to People Magazine in 2018, Simon revealed that he and Rebecca never celebrate their wedding anniversary.

'We've never really been big on it. Anniversaries, they're an odd thing, aren't they?' he said at the time.

'We've never really been big on it': Speaking to People Magazine in 2018, Simon revealed that he and Rebecca never celebrate their wedding anniversary

'I think we put too much pressure on it. It's not like that with us. We're a team. Most of the time, 99 percent of the time, we're really great friends. So I don't need to mark it with great things.'

He went on to explain that focussing on celebrating a relationship can cause unnecessary strain.

'When we put too much pressure on something, everything gets a little clipped and we don't feel like we're ourselves,' he explained.


Paris, Jan 31 : Amid an ongoing resurgence, France registered 24,392 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, which took the overall infection tally to 3,236,685, the sixth highest in the world, according to health authorities.

Meanwhile, the country also reported 242 new fatalities due to the disease in the same period, increasing the total death toll to 76,006, currently the seventh highest globally, reports Xinhua news agency.

As of Saturday, 27,282 patients remained hospitalised, out of which 3,113 were in intensive care units.

Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday ruled out a new lockdown, but announced a series of tougher restrictions.

Starting from Sunday, borders to non-European Union (EU) countries will be closed except for essential travel.

Meanwhile, all visitors from other EU nations will have to show a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test except for cross-border workers.

Non-food shopping malls with a surface area of more than 20,000 square metres will be shut down, police controls will be intensified against people breaking the curfew and testing will be reinforced.

As to France's vaccination roll-out, the Health Ministry said in a statement that a total of 1,447,155 people had been vaccinated so far, including 24,201 who have received their second jab.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
(Natural News) One of Joe Bidens first orders of business as Americas new play-pretend president was to sign an executive order opening up the nations borders to illegal aliens.

In addition to halting all further installments of President Donald Trumps border wall and gutting the 45th presidents foreign travel ban, Biden issued a 100-day pause on all deportation of illegal immigrants as part of a sweeping immigration reform agenda.

Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary David Pekoske has been ordered to stop the deportation of certain noncitizens, which the agency says will help to ensure that its resources are dedicated to responding to the most pressing challenges that the United States faces, including immediate operational challenges at the southwest border in the midst of the most serious global public health crisis in a century.

Keeping with his campaign promise, Bidens 100-day moratorium applies to any non-citizen with a final order of removal, and comes with very few exceptions, reports indicate.

While it is not entirely certain, the moratorium would seemingly exclude any illegal alien who has been caught engaging in terrorism or espionage, or who poses a danger to national security. Other exclusions may include those who were not present in the U.S. before Nov. 1, 2020, as well as those who agreed to waive the right to stay here and those whom the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director individually determines must be removed from the country by law.

Biden wants a new America with no more white people

Biden also signed a memorandum to protect Barack Hussein Obamas 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. This program protects aliens who were brought here illegally as children from ever having to be deported.

President Trump had reportedly tried to end this program, though his efforts were blockaded by a non-cooperative Supreme Court.

Further, Biden has ordered that President Trumps temporary travel ban on people from terror hotspots, also known as the Muslim Ban, be immediately terminated.

Other orders signed by Biden include one to revoke President Trumps plan to exclude all non-citizens from the census, which is used to determine congressional seats. Biden also extended the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) designation for Liberians living in the country until June 2022.

While these EOs alone are not enough to truly open the floodgates for mass illegal immigration into America, the Democrat-controlled three branches of government certainly are.

Bidens transition team unveiled a legislative proposal that would provide a path to citizenship for at least 11 million illegal aliens currently living in the U.S. This bill would boost visa quotas across all categories, including the diversity visa lottery quota.

It would also allow approved family visa beneficiaries to come to the U.S. and live here temporarily until a green card becomes available. This change would extend residency to nearly 3.5 million people who are currently backlogged in the system.

The three- and 10-year bans on immigrants reentering the U.S. legally if they were previously here illegally are both also on the chopping block.

These actions illustrate that todays Democratic Party puts people here illegally  or attempting to come here illegally  before American workers, warned Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). President [sic] Biden and his administration may not see a problem with illegal immigration, but millions of working men and women do.

At least six of the EOs that Biden has signed thus far deal with immigration. All of them aim to expand the number of foreigners that are allowed to come to or stay living on American soil, even if they are living here illegally.

To keep up with the latest news about Bidens efforts to destroy the U.S. through mass illegal immigration, be sure to check out Treason.news.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

TheNewAmerican.com

HeadlineUSA.com
New Delhi, Jan 31 : Celebrating the spirit of resilience and renewed hope for the revival of travel in 2021, Sri Lanka has reopened its borders for international travellers around the world. To mark this momentous occasion, Resplendent Ceylon welcomes discerning Indian guests back and has partnered with Jetpooling to launch bespoke, private jet experiential journeys.

Patrons can now experience the benchmark hospitality and unparalleled service once again at the three resorts by Resplendent Ceylon, part of the family owned Dilmah Tea Company, and the sole member of Relais & Chateaux in Sri Lanka.

As the pioneer in luxury experiential travel in Sri Lanka, the property has been curating a range of authentic experiences with distinctive hospitality over the years, while consistently contributing towards local communities and the environment. Ceylon Tea Trails, Cape Weligama and Wild Coast Tented Lodge, offer an enchanting circuit in the destination - from tea fields to clifftop beach and safari lodge. The brand's SafeStay initiative implemented across the three resorts ensures the health and safety of all guests, teams, their families, and local communities.

"We welcome this promising step taken by Sri Lanka Tourism authorities to reopen doors for international travellers in 2021. At Resplendent Ceylon, we recognise the constantly evolving travel expectations and continue on the path to inspire confidence in our guests. We are delighted to exclusively partner with Jetpooling to introduce seamless experiential luxury journeys across our collection for Indian guests," said Malik Fernando, Managing Director, Resplendent Ceylon.

To start with, the private jet experiential package curated for Ceylon Tea Trails invites guests to escape to the magical heart of the Ceylon tea region. Perched at an altitude of 1250 meters, this award-winning boutique resort consists of restored colonial era tea planters' bungalows. This one-of-a-kind experience includes a 7-night fully inclusive stay (all meals, non-alcoholic/ alcoholic beverages selection, laundry) and accommodation at one of the three bungalows -- Summerville Bungalow, Dunkeld Owner's Cottage and Castlereagh Bungalow -- each offering utmost privacy and safety. During the stay, guests can choose from a range of signature activities such as - indulgent dining experiences that include tea infused dinner or tea planter's picnic lunch, kayaking and hiking for adventure enthusiasts, heritage city excursions and a guided tour of the Dunkeld Tea Factory. Resplendent Ceylon's collaboration with Jetpooling further adds to the luxe quotient by providing specially crafted journeys via private jets to whisk the guests away for an ultimate vacation.

The Sri Lankan Tourism guidelines and 'Safety Protocols' approved by government authorities, are designed to ensure maximum safety for international travellers and the local communities. There is no quarantine restriction or minimum stay period, and guests visiting this island paradise will have access to all facilities at the officially listed - Certified 'Safe and Secure' Level 1 hotels. These steps establish a responsibly managed bio-bubble for international visitors.

All three properties in the Resplendent Ceylon collection are a part of the certified list and look forward to welcoming back international and Indian guests in 2021. Guests can choose to fly from Delhi or Mumbai to Colombo in a Dassault Falcon 2000 (12-seater) or an Embraer Legacy 650 (13-seater), respectively. Once in Colombo, their transfers to Ceylon Tea Trails will be via a helicopter ride. This package starts at Rs 22.5 lakh for a couple.

For further information, please visit the brand website: resplendentceylon.com or Instagram page: @resplendentceylon For bookings, please contact: reservations@resplendentceylon.com, +94 11 7745730 (IANSlife Features can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has temporarily banned entry of foreign nationals travelling from Canada, even if they hold valid Chinese residence permits for work, the Chinese consulate in Toronto said.

"All foreign nationals who hold valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and reunion are temporarily not allowed to enter China from Canada," the consulate said in a statement on its website on Saturday.

Entry with diplomatic and service visas will not be affected, it said.

The suspension comes as Canada clamps down on cross-border travel due to COVID-19 concerns. Canada reported 4,255 new cases on Saturday, with 19,942 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

All airline passengers arriving in Canada will be required to take a COVID-19 test at the airport and wait in a hotel for up to three days at their expense until the results arrive, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.

In coming weeks Canadian vacationers returning from the United States by land will have to show a negative COVID-19 test result before being allowed entry.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by William Mallard)
Elon Musk and his merry band of executive vice presidents had plenty of advice for the mining and metals industry at the companys Battery Day event in September, where the road map to a $25,000 Tesla was laid out. How easy it is to mine lithium (just add salt), just how much of it there is in Nevada (enough for 300 million EVs), how to be environmentally friendly (put the chunk of dirt back where it was) and, given these facts, why miners havent been trying harder.

Since lithium is just like widely available, according to Musk and Teslas scientists, they have eliminated other hard to come by metals like graphite (replace it with sand, obvs) and cobalt from batteries (at least in theory), Musks prime raw material worry is nickel.

Nickel and dimed

Ahead of Battery Day, in an investors conference call Musk had a big shout-out for all the nickel miners out there, wherever they may be in the world (hopefully near some nickel):

Well, Id just like to re-emphasise, any mining companies out there, please mine more nickel. Okay. Wherever you are in the world, please mine more nickel and dont wait for nickel to go back to some long  some high point that you experienced some five years ago, whatever. Go for efficiency, obviously environmentally friendly nickel mining at high volume. Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time, if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way. So hopefully this message goes out to all mining companies. Please get nickel.



Related: Why Saudi Arabia Wants To Sell More Of Its Oil Giant



Nickel was languishing below $10,000 a tonne five years ago, not exactly an incentive price, but whatever. Mine efficiently and at high volume? We should give that a try, fellas! Then we can make up in volume what we lose on price. At Battery Day Musk also ended the mining lesson with a plea for nickel. Perhaps the worlds miners did not get the previous shout out because this time Musk said he personally called all the CEOs of the biggest mining companies.

Musk did at least end that auspicious day in the Tesla parking lot on a cautiously optimistic note: It is very important. I think they are going to make more nickel.

They better  a couple of days after the event Musk confirmed in a tweet that Tesla will reach production of 20 million vehicles per year before 2030.

Devils copper is in the details

MINING.COM used data from Adamas Intelligence, which tracks demand for EV batteries by chemistry, cell supplier and capacity in over 90 countries, to calculate the deployment of raw materials in Tesla cars on a sales weighted basis in 2020.

By extrapolating those numbers, the companys use of raw materials, if it was producing 20 million cars a year instead of the 500,000 vehicles it made last year, was determined.

Teslas models use on average around 45 kilograms of nickel (NCA and NCM811). The numbers are based on the assumption that roughly 20% of Tesla newly sold cars would be equipped with LFP batteries through 2030.

And if, as expected, Tesla moves to NCMA chemistries in China, nickel use would go up slightly and cobalt would go down marginally.

When Tesla makes 20 million cars in a year it will need more than 30% of global mined nickel production in 2019 (2020 saw a 20%-plus reduction in output) for its batteries.

Related: Can Big Oil Surprise This Earnings Season?



Put another way, Tesla will have to buy the entire output of the top 6 producers  Norilsk, Vale, Jinchuan, Sumitomo, Glencore, BHP, and then some.

Or build the equivalent of 23 mines like Sumitomos Ambatovy mine in Madagascar  at $8.5 billion a pop. Obviously, money is no object for Musk, but still.

Get it to nameplate capacity and you only have to build 12, but youll have to torture that orebody until it gives you straight mineralogy and ore grades so that youre not constantly reconfiguring the plant. This is not just an Ambatovy problem  but a common feature of nickel mines, and no, thats not why its called the devils copper.

TSLA HPAL DSTP

If Tesla LFP does not prove popular  and early buyers are less than enthusiastic about the cheaper models  Tesla would have to sign exclusive off-takes for the top 10 nickel producers and take most of the 18.5 million wet tonnes of ore (theres your volume now) from Philippines no. 1 producer Asia Nickel, its annual exports.

But Chinas nickel pig iron and stainless steel makers wont give up that supply so easily.

And besides converting 0.9% nickel ore to battery grade material cheaply and efficiently at high volume may be beyond even the rocket scientists at Musks Space-X. (And if the cyberpunktruck makes up a big portion of the 20 million, Tesla is going to need lots of stainless steel too.)

That leaves Indonesia, where a number of high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) projects using deep-sea tailings placement (DSTP) are in development. HPAL operations will likely become a significant source of new supply for the battery supply chain.

But HPAL and DSTP are not exactly the type of acronym youd want the prospective TSLA buyer whos in it for green credentials to learn if you want to get to 20 million. If you think artisanal mining in the Congo is a bad ESG look, you wouldnt want images of the red shores of Basamuk Bay to enter the popular imagination.

Done and dusted

Since Tesla is replacing graphite anodes with silicon, its not necessary to dwell on the fact that if this elusive scientific breakthrough is not commercialized at the speed of a Tesla in Ridiculous Mode, the carmaker would need 94% of the worlds natural graphite production by the time it hits 20 million cars a year.

At least you can make more graphite.

Likewise, with cobalt  the metal that dare not speak its name at Tesla  the requirement of more than half the globes production before 2030, is irrelevant (at least in theory).

Similarly, its not worth mentioning that global lithium production was only 77,000 tonnes last year, and Tesla needs 127,000 tonnes annually to make 20 million vehicles. Because, Nevada.

Medium rare

Apart from nickel, a potential headache for Tesla20m is rare earths, 90% of which come from China.

Some three-quarters of Teslas motors use permanent magnets and should the ratio stay the same the company will need nearly 40% of magnet rare earth mined output (MagREO  NdPr, Dy, Tb) according to Adamas, which also publishes a rare earth handbook and tracks the metals in EV motors.

But, as every popular science article ever written about rare earths says in the first paragraph, despite being called rare earths, they are not.

In fact, the 17 elements are more abundant in the earths crust than lithium.

I guess you could say rare earths are just like widely available.

By Mining.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

With large numbers of people working from home, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the disruption, capitalising on the uncertainty to scam suspecting employees into handing over sensitive data and money.

Bogus callers, fake online stores and online and telephone frauds are just some of the scams that the general public should be wary of.

But what scams should each employee in your organisation be aware of?

We have pulled together information and resources to keep you up to speed on the types of scams out there during this uncertain period, examples of online scams (what has been in the news and what a scam looks like).

More importantly, we will provide you with tips on how to protect yourself and your employees.

Types of scams

1. Invoice Scams

A business may be contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be from a regular supplier.

They state that their bank account details have changed and will ask you to change the payment details. Fraudsters are taking advantage of the current uncertainty, which is why this type of fraud is popular now.

Tip: Always call an existing supplier on a confirmed telephone number to make sure any demand of this nature is genuine.

2. CEO impersonation scams

A sophisticated scam that plays on the authority of company directors and senior managers.

An employee receives a phone call or email from someone claiming to be a senior member of staff  they ask for an urgent payment to a new account and instil a sense of panic.

Scammers may even hack a staff email account or use spoofing software to appear genuine.

Tip: Be wary and alert for any unexpected urgent requests for payment and always check the request in person if its possible.

3. Tech support scams

With more people working remotely and IT systems under pressure, criminals may impersonate well-known companies and offer to repair devices. Criminals are trying to gain computer access or get hold of passwords and login details. Once they have access, criminals can search the hard drive for valuable information.

Tip: Always be apprehensive of cold callers. Genuine companies would never call out of the blue and ask for financial information up front.

4. Coronavirus advice/ Government grant/tax refund scams

Criminals are pursuing new approaches to profiting from a global pandemic.

The number of phishing and smishing attempts have been on the rise as expected recently, as cybercriminals target an already uncertain and vulnerable society.

A business is contacted by phone, email or post by imposters claiming to be from a government or medical organisation.

For example, the scammer will suggest the business might qualify for a special Covid-19 government grant or a tax refund. Variations on the scheme involve contacts through text messages, social media posts and messages.

They will in some cases request the receiver to click on a link or download an attachment. You may also be asked to provide bank account or login details.

Tip: Organisations should be vigilant about unexpected urgent communications offering financial assistance. Check that the information is genuine and from a trustful source by using official government websites.

5. Fake Invoices/Suppliers

Cyber security criminals are mindful of the massive demand for health products during the Covid-19 crisis. Many companies will search for new suppliers to meet the current demand.

Fake websites and social media accounts are being created by cyber criminals, promoting face masks, ventilators, hand sanitisers, home cleaning products and more.

Cyber criminals will capitalise on this and offer bulk buying of the product, at a very hefty cost. These scammers will take the money, your personal details and fail to deliver the products.

Tip: Only work with a reputable supplier and purchase based on previous experience with the supplier.

Investigate any new suppliers by carrying out as much research as possible. This can be online reviews for example. Call their numbers provided if necessary and use business registration sites for proof of legitimacy.

Examples of online scams

A recent RTE story reported that a European business seeking to buy alcohol gels and protection masks transferred 6.6m to a company in Singapore after being conned by a fraudulent email. The goods never arrived.

BBC reported in April 2020, about a multi-million-euro coronavirus mask scam.

The alleged scam began after a German company tried to buy 10m masks, valued at about 15m (13m), from online suppliers.

The German buyer placed an online order on a fake Dutch website. Fraudsters put the buyer in touch with an Irish "intermediary", police say.

The German firm then made a down payment of 1.5m into an Irish companys bank account, based in County Roscommon, for masks that were not delivered.

A story published by the Irish Examiner recently reported that recently a businessman was attending a medical appointment.

While he was there, his wife received an email from him requesting her to transfer 30,000 to a bank account in Germany.

His wife carried out the transfer believing this email from her husband was genuine. Later that evening she made her husband aware the transfer had been successful.

They then realised they had been scammed and defrauded of 30,000.

How to protect yourself and your employees against scams

Do

l Wherever you access your online information, keep your software updated, including your browser, antivirus and operating system.

l Beware of unsolicited requests, especially if they are requesting sensitive information such as your online banking account password or credit or debit card PIN number.

l If its a telephone request, take the callers number and advise them that you will call them back. Look up the organisations phone number and contact them directly.

l When in doubt, double-check the website or give the company a call.

l Look at emails closely: compare the address with previous real messages and check for bad spelling and grammar.

l If you think you might have responded to a fraudulent email, text or call and provided your bank details, contact your bank immediately.

Don't

l Do not use the number they give you.

l Dont share your credit or debit card PIN number or your online banking password. Your bank will never ask for such details.

l Fraudsters can find your basic information online (e.g. social media). Dont assume a caller is genuine just because they have such details.

l Dont transfer money to another account on their request.

l Dont reply to suspicious emails or texts.

l Dont click on their links or download their attachments.

l Dont be rushed. Take your time and make the appropriate checks before responding.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's military will send medical staff and equipment to Portugal, where space in hospital intensive care units is running out after a surge in coronavirus infections, the defence ministry in Berlin said on Sunday.

Portugal, which said on Saturday that only seven of 850 ICU beds set up for COVID-19 cases on its mainland were vacant, had asked the German government for help.

"We will support Portugal with medical staff and equipment," a defence ministry spokesman told Reuters, adding that details were expected to be announced early this week.

Portugal, which has reported 12,179 COVID-19 deaths and 711,018 cases, has the world's highest seven-day rolling average of cases and deaths per capita, according to data tracker http://www.ourworldindata.org

German magazine Der Spiegel said the military planned to send 27 doctors and paramedics to Portugal who were initially supposed to remain there for three weeks, as well as stationary and mobile ventilators and field beds for patients.

Responding to that report, the defence ministry spokesman said he could not immediately provide any details.

Austria will take in intensive-care patients from Portugal, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Twitter. A spokesman for Kurz added that the number was not yet clear and the two countries were liaising. Austria has previously taken in small numbers of intensive-care patients from France, Italy and Montenegro.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Catherine Evans and Raissa Kasolowsky)
Ding Yiteng always enjoys his time in Wuzhen.

Back in 2013, when the first Wuzhen Theater Festival was launched, the ancient water town of east China's Zhejiang province, Ding, a young actor, took part in the opening celebration. Since then, he not only performed during the annual festival but also brings his directional theatrical productions to it every October. He also celebrates his birthday there, which falls on Oct 27.

Wuzhen, with a history stretching back 1,300 years, transforms itself into a dreamland for theater lovers during the festival every year. Plays are staged at both indoor venues and outdoor public spaces. Forums, workshops and street performances also give the town a carnival atmosphere during the festival.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the eighth Wuzhen Theater Festival has been postponed.

However, Ding returned to the town to join a new reality show, titled Theater For Living, which is produced by iQiyi, a major online streaming media platform.

Premiered on Jan 16, the reality show, initiated by Chinese director-actor Huang Lei, who is also a co-founder of Wuzhen Theater Festival, has won plaudits from both critics and audiences.

Opening with a monologue by Huang, who asks the question: "Can you making a living from working in theater?", the reality show gathers seven Chinese actors and directors, who spend two months living together in Wuzhen and creating new works.

"Wuzhen is like a home to me, as I had so much fun with the theater festival. When Huang asked me to join in the reality show, I said yes though I had no experience with reality show," says the 29-year-old Ding.

Though it was pretty challenging to be a part of a reality show with cameras on 24 hours a day, Ding soon warms up.

The seven men have a rich and varied history. They include 42-year-old actor Liu Xiaoye, who has been collaborating with pioneering Chinese theater director Meng Jinghui for two decades and has performed in more than 6,000 plays. Actor-director Liu Xiaoyi, 35, is the puppetry director of the Chinese version of the stage production of War Horse and 29-year-old Liu Tianqi, whose directorial debut work, Rabbits and Chickens, won the Best Drama Award at the Emerging Theater Artists Competition of the 7th Wuzhen Theater Festival in 2019, soon show the audiences why theater charms.

The result is exciting and rewarding.

Their first mission was to make a play, titled The Story of Chicken Farm, within two days. Liu Tianqi and Ding worked on scripts and as directors. The other members also made contributions. For example, Liu Xiaoyi handmade all the stage props. Ding, who brings his guitar with him and often improvises, also composed and sang in the play. The play, which is about a little hen who doesn't want to lay eggs like other hens but yearns for the big ocean that she has never seen before, was well received.

"Theaters may be empty due to the coronavirus pandemic but the shows go on," commented a fan under the reality show's Sina Weibo platform. "I see the hard work behind the bright lights and I am really touched by their passion for theater," said another fan.

With over 40 million followers, Huang wrote about his intention of initiating the reality show on his Sina Weibo platform the day after Theater For Living premiered that he simply wants to let more people know these great theater actors and directors because theater still caters to a small group of audiences compared to pop music or movie in the country.

"I got used to spend time in Wuzhen every year because of the festival. I was disappointed when we had to announce the cancellation of the festival in 2020," he says. In 2020,Huang also had to cancel shows of the tour of the classic play, Secret Love In Peach Blossom Land, by the playwright and director Stan Lai.

"As a live art form, how do people working in theaters survive the coronavirus crisis? Why do they keep on pursuing their dreams in theater though they go through financial struggles? The idea of displaying the lives of those people in theater popped into my head, which becomes a reality show," says Huang.

For Ding, the 10-episode reality show allows him to test his ideas in theater with lots of. He put on shows in different venues in Wuzhen, such as a bar and outdoor space.

Born in Beijing he fell in love with theater during high school and joined the Beijing Normal University's Beiguo Theater after he enrolled for an education major.

In 2012, he stood out among his peers and won the opportunity to play a role in director Meng Jinghui's play, To Live, which featuring actor Huang Bo and actress Yuan Quan as leading roles. His acting talent was recognized by Meng, who later invited Ding to join his team as an actor.

"I have a lot of dreams for the theater. The first love is to become an actor because I enjoy the moment of standing on the stage when the audiences look at and the lights fall down on me, warm and bright," says Ding.

Besides being an actor, Ding made his directorial debut in 2015 with his play, Macbeth and Fleance, which was inspired by William Shakespeare's classic tragedy.

The same year, Ding was invited to the world-acclaimed Odin Teatret in Denmark to work with Eugenio Barba, one of Europe's leading directors.

In 2017, Barba, who is a fan of Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Bai, recommended Ding to make a show about the poet. The idea turned out to be a play, titled Dream of a Drunk Poet, in which Ding worked with an ensemble of traditional Chinese opera performers, Chinese classical dancers and young musicians.

The cross-cultural atmosphere of the theater enabled Ding to absorb different performing styles and learning to borrow different cultural elements into his own works.

With each works he brings out, Ding tries to experiment his ideas and to create a space for people to think.

While pursuing his master's degree in performance making at Goldsmiths, University of London, Ding read Injustice to Tou'O, or Snow in Midsummer, a tale by Guan Hanqing, a prominent playwright and poet of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and adapted into a play with the same title in 2016.

In the play, Ding not only directs but also plays the leading role, Dou E, a woman, who is wrongly convicted of murder by a corrupt court official. When the play was staged during the Wuzhen Theater Festival in 2017, tickets sold out within eight minutes.

Ding is a doctoral student of directing at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing.

In March, he will launch his 2021 national tour with his three directorial works: Injustice to Tou'O, The New Romance of West Chamber and Frankenstein: Paradise Lost In Darkness.
At the onset of the pandemic and again with the vaccine rollout, Texas officials have struggled to gather data critical to protecting Black and Hispanic Texans who are among those at higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

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

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

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

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

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

Jessica Phelps, Staff photographer / San Antonio Express-News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Calls to reboot a state agency

Jessica Phelps, Staff photographer / San Antonio Express-News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Counties struggle to keep up

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

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

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

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

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

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

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

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

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

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

Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

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

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

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

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

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

cayla.harris@express-news.net
Ellsworth: Did you get the message from your body?
Ukraine's state security service (SBU) is investigating a shareholder meeting of Motor Sich, the maker of jet engines for the defense industry, after the government imposed sanctions against Chinese investors seeking to purchase a stake in the company.



Law enforcement raided Motor Sich on January 31 in the southern industrial city of Zaporizhzhya, where the board meeting was scheduled and where the companys massive production plant is based.



Ukraine on January 29 slapped sanctions on four Chinese companies seeking to buy a controlling stake in Motor Sich after the United States added one of them -- Beijing Skyrizon Aviation -- to its own sanctions list two weeks earlier.



The United States has been pressuring Kyiv to block the sale of the defense company to companies in China, which Washington sees as its primary global competitor.

Vyacheslav Bohuslayev, the 82-year-old owner of Motor Sich has backed the Chinese investors saying his company desperately needs new capital to modernize and stay competitive.



However, some officials in Ukraine and the United States worry the investors will steal the companys technology, hurting the Ukrainian company in the long term.



Defense and aviation firms in the United States have looked at Motor Sich, but none have officially announced an interest in buying a stake in the company to counter the Chinese offer.

Based on reporting by Bloomberg and Reuters
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Paul A. Rusinko Sr. of Clarks Green passed away quietly on Jan. 27, 2021, after battling several medical problems. Paul is survived by his one and only son, Paul A. Rusinko II and his wife, Keri, and his three grandsons, Paul III, Chad, and Shane Aaron Rusinko of Ohio.

Paul is also survived by his four remaining siblings, Dolores Oliveira, Endicott, N.Y.; Audrey Orose, Scranton; Barbara Leiss, Deer Park, Wash.; one brother, Ronald (and Romaine) Rusinko of Scranton; two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Nancy McCarthy, Elmhurst, and Mrs. Paula Harte, Scranton; plus a total of 23 nieces and nephews.

Paul was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jane Rafter Rusinko, Oct. 1, 2019; his parents, John and Anna Rusinko; a sister, Mrs. Mary Ann Maro and her husband, Nicholas; brothers-in-law, Mr. Manuel Oliveira, Mr. John Sonny Orose, Capt. Hilary Leiss, Mr. Buddy McCarthy and Mr. Jack Harte.

Paul set his goals high, met them, and lived a fulfilling life that most people can only dream of. He did everything he ever wanted to accomplish. As a successful entrepreneur, inventor, artist and self-made man who traveled in top corporate executive circles, was offered positions in those circles, but preferred to start his own business and branch out on it. His career began at a very young age while in high school, working part-time pulling transmissions apart, finding the problems, and putting them back together again. He was born a natural for knowing and understanding vehicles. He was later hired by the largest Ford dealership where his expertise was immediately noticed and became the youngest service manager ever known. At that time, Ford vehicles were having major problems with their new vehicles. Paul came up with the redesign of a very intricate part that solved the problem and saved Ford a lot of money. He knew then he had potential for bigger things and got into his own business.

He had also helped to build, from the ground level on up, a precision metal company of the familys that is now a multi-million dollar business. But, he knew he also had to fulfill his military service, too, so he joined the Army, got caught up in the Cuban Missile Crisis, was confined to the base during it, and then later, served in the Pennsylvania National Guard for seven years. Somewhere in between, he managed to get his private pilot license and spent many a day with his pilot friend who owned a Cessna, taking short trips to NYC and around the local area. Paul excelled in his artistic ability while enjoying retrofitting classic antique cars, of which he had a few. He had a love of model trains as well, building his own platforms and cities/towns.

Above all, his greatest loves in life were his son, Paul II and his lifetime mate, Jane, who he is now with for eternity. He loved Jane and Paul II beyond words. There is happiness in death, and that is knowing Paul got his wish to be once again with Jane, the love of his life as they both watch over young Paul and his family from above.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 322 Chestnut St., Dunmore, PA 18512. Interment with military honors will follow at St. Michaels Byzantine Catholic Cemetery, Dunmore. Masks and social distancing are required. Live-streaming of the Mass will begin at 10 a.m. on the funeral home Facebook page.

Arrangements entrusted to the Edward J. Chomko Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 262 Railroad Ave., West Scranton.
A notice announcing a shop is closed because of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is posted in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, Sunday. The government decided to maintain the social distancing at the current Level 2.5 for the Seoul metropolitan area despite deepening difficulties facing small business owners, amid the continued spread of the coronavirus. / Yonhap



Pfizer vaccine doses for 60,000 people to arrive in February



By Jun Ji-hye



The government decided to extend the current Level 2.5 social distancing measures  the second-highest in its five-tier system  for the Seoul metropolitan area, and Level 2 for other parts of the country by two weeks until after the Lunar New Year holiday that falls on Feb. 11 to 14, according to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Sunday.



Antivirus measures including the rule banning gatherings of five or more people will also be maintained.



The prime minister said the government made the decision, despite deepening difficulties facing small business owners forced to suspend their business or reduce operations, because recent infections traced to religious facilities and hospitals, among others, have continued to threaten the safety of the people.



"We should ensure that the COVID-19 situation is stabilized until after the Lunar New Year holiday, so we can implement our COVID-19 vaccination plan in February and begin new school semesters in March without a hitch. This will eventually bring life back to normal," Chung said during a government meeting on COVID-19 response. "The government feels very sorry for small business owners, but everyone should cooperate with the government measures to overcome the public health crisis."



The prime minister also said the country will acquire Pfizer vaccine doses for 60,000 people in mid-February. In addition, Korea is expected to receive AstraZeneca vaccine doses for up to 2.19 million people in the first half of this year.



According to the The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country added 355 more COVID-19 cases, including 325 local infections, for Saturday, raising the total accumulated number of cases to 78,205.






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One Syrian was killed on Sunday and four injured after Kurdish security forces opened fire at pro-government demonstrators in a northeastern city, state media said.

The state news agency SANA said the Kurdish forces opened fire at demonstrators protesting the siege on their neighborhood in Hassakeh city. The area is known as the security square and is controlled by government forces.

Separately, two car bombs went off two hours apart in the northwestern town of Azaz and another village some 50 kilometers (30 miles) away. The explosions in the areas controlled by Syrian opposition fighters allied with Turkey killed six civilians, including one child in Azaz, and six fighters at a checkpoint in a village near the town of al-Bab, first responders known as Syrian Civil Defense and opposition media reported.

Turkey and allied Syrian fighters control large parts of northern Syria, and are at odds with government forces and Kurdish-led forces, who are considered terrorists by Ankara. The opposition-controlled areas are scene of recurrent attacks that are rarely claimed by any one side. The Syrian Civil Defense said it responded to 11 explosions in northwestern Syria since the start of January, before Sunday, where at least 11 people were killed.

A video of the rally in the northeastern city of Hassakeh showed dozens of men gathering in a street on a rainy day as fire rang out over their heads. The men began chanting: ``With our souls, our blood we sacrifice for you Bashar,'' in reference to the Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A Kurdish-run news agency, Hawar, said security forces at a checkpoint in the city had come under fire, prompting its members to respond to the source of fire. The clashes led to the death of a government security member, the agency said.

The different accounts could not be immediately reconciled or independently verified in the city where both security forces have presence.

The Kurds, Syria's largest ethnic minority, have carved out a semi-autonomous enclave in Syria's north since the start of the civil war in 2011. In the area, they run their own affairs and control most of the country's oil resources.

In both Hassakeh and Qamishli cities, they share control with government forces_ which have presence in security zones, near the airport and in some neighborhoods. Both cities have a sizeable Kurdish population.

Tension occasionally erupts between the two sides, but the Kurdish forces have more presence and control there. In recent weeks, Kurdish forces have imposed a siege on government neighborhoods in Hassakeh and to a lesser degree in Qamishli.

In Hassakeh, the Kurdish forces prevented flour from entering the government-controlled areas, forcing bakeries to shut down in the last week. Fuel and water have also been prevented from passing through checkpoints erected around the neighborhoods. Amid the tension, the two sides have conducted arrest campaigns against each other's supporters and security members.

There was no immediate comment from the Kurdish forces. But Kurdish officials have previously said they were reacting to government troops which have imposed a siege and are harassing Kurdish-dominated neighborhoods in the northwestern Aleppo province where government is in control.

The Kurdish forces are backed by the U.S-led coalition, with which they fought Islamic State militants in Syria and ended their territorial control of large parts of the country in a military campaign that ended in 2019.

The U.S-led coalition still has forces in Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria, citing continued joint efforts to weed out the militants' remnants. The presence of US troops is another reason for tension between the Kurdish and government forces.

Russia, which conducts patrols in northeastern Syria and is a main backer of the Syrian government, has offered to mediate between the Kurdish forces and the government.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces have besieged Kurdish areas in northwestern Aleppo for month_ preventing foods and medical supplies from entering. The Kurdish forces responded by imposing a siege in on government areas in the two cities for the last 21 days.

The Observatory said it is not clear if the person killed in the protest was a civilian or member of the government security forces.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 09:31:30|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- In areas ranging from trade and investment to people-to-people exchanges, the China-U.S. relationship is at a low point rarely seen since the two countries established their diplomatic ties.

Over the past few years, this most important bilateral relationship in the world has deviated from course due to disruptions by irresponsible policies, a Cold War mentality, and ideological biases triggered by a handful of U.S. politicians.

As a new administration has taken office in Washington, U.S. experts, in their recent conversations with Xinhua, have been calling for seizing the opportunity to bring bilateral ties back on track.

A FAILED POLICY

Some U.S. foreign affairs pundits said that the previous administration failed to develop a coherent strategy on China and did not solve any problems in the bilateral relationship.

"It's a very long story, there's a very open question about whether the approach of Donald Trump to China was even really a strategy," said Daniel Russel, vice president for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Russel, who served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Barack Obama administration, told Xinhua that the Trump administration's biggest failure was that they never worked to solve any problems in the U.S.-China relationship.

"The tariffs that Donald Trump put in place ... ultimately were paid by American consumers and retailers, and because he needed to give big subsidies to U.S. farmers, then that also came out of the pocket of the American taxpayers," he said.

"Donald Trump allowed his very aggressive and hawkish advisers to say things and to take actions that didn't perhaps reflect what he believed or what he was trying to accomplish other than to get reelected," he said.

Some Trump administration officials touted so-called "principled realism" in guiding its China policy, a notion that scholars disagreed with.

"The lack of principles ... in terms of being able to come up with a strategic integrated foreign policy is exactly what has been missing," said Arne Westad, Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University.

Westad also mentioned that the China report issued by the U.S. State Department Policy Planning Staff last November suggested the U.S. approach was not realistic. "The longer this administration has served in office, the more ideological it has become," he said.

A WRONG ANALOGY

Over the past years, the tensions between China and the United States prompted many observers to draw parallels with the Cold War, as the terms of "A New Cold War" and "Cold War 2.0" often appeared in headlines and policy debates.

Some U.S. lawmakers and former officials, either overtly or covertly, embraced the Cold War notion in their remarks and articles. Leading Cold War historians, however, stressed that the Cold War analogy conspicuously misinterprets China-U.S. relations.

Melvyn Leffler, Edward Stettinius Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Virginia, told Xinhua that the Cold War analogy grossly exaggerates the nature of the threat that lurks in the international environment.

The renowned historian on U.S. foreign policy said that the geopolitical and ideological contexts in the late 1940s were totally different from the current situation.

"I do not think that the two countries are involved in a zero-sum contest, and I do not think that China wants to overthrow the established international economic order, as did the Soviet Union," said Leffler.

"Moreover, given the nature of Chinese-American economic interdependence, both countries have much to gain from cooperation," he said. "Such economic ties did not exist at all during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union."

Westad, who co-edited "The Cambridge History of the Cold War" with Leffler, agrees with the distinction.

"It's very different because China operates globally within a market-driven international economic system, which has been the reason why China has been able to move out of the terrible poverty that the country was living under during most of the Cold War and establishing itself as an international great power," Westad told Xinhua.

Additionally, he indicated that given several powers are rising in today's world, the international order is becoming more multipolar than bipolar.

A NEW OPPORTUNITY

As Leffler and Westad rejected the Cold War analogy, they also pointed out that China and the United States could draw lessons from that era.

The Cold War teaches that even rivals could try to pursue mutual interests, said Leffler. "China and the United States face much more serious threats in the long run from climate change and disease spread. There are compelling reasons for both governments to pursue collaborative efforts that further their vital security and economic interests."

Westad said China and the United States need to be prepared for a world that is much less stable than that during the Cold War. "What they have to do is to try to find common ground where it's possible to find common ground, but at the same time, try to define what the differences between them are, in ways that would not lead to war."

When asked about his expectations regarding the Joe Biden administration's approach on China, Leffler said "it is important for both countries to step back, modulate their competitive instincts, and focus on areas of mutual interest, and there are plenty of areas for fruitful cooperation."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week said that U.S.-China relations contain competitive and cooperative aspects, and he put tackling climate change on the cooperation list.

"I don't expect that President Biden will have any trouble competing with China in some areas and cooperating with China in other areas," said Russel. "He's not going to be disrespectful of China, he's not going to deliberately antagonize China just for ideological reasons."

Russel highlighted Biden's assumption of office as "some kind of last-minute reprieve" for bilateral ties.

"We cannot afford to mishandle or waste this opportunity," the former assistant secretary warned. "The prospect of the U.S. and China putting our bilateral relationship back on a constructive track that can engage with the real challenges and the difficulties that we both face ... is by no means guaranteed."

Russel said that it is insufficient for Beijing and Washington to cooperate on public health issues, climate change, and counter-proliferation, calling on the two countries to find a way to deal with fundamental disagreements.

"Both sides are going to have to make tremendous efforts, exercise good judgment, caution, restraint, but also show courage in tackling some areas of real difference," he said. Enditem
Vietnams 13th National Party Congress has announced a list of 200 people elected to the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee, including 180 full and 20 alternate members.

The Congress held a working session in Hanoi on Saturday afternoon to unveil the results of the election that took place earlier the same day.

The 13th Party Central Committee includes 180 full and 20 alternate members. Nineteen of them are women.

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who were members of the 12th Party Central Committee and Politburo, were re-elected as members of the 13th Party Central Committee.

Four other members of the 12th Party Central Committee were also re-elected, namely Le Minh Tri  Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, Nguyen Chi Dung  Minister of Planning and Investment, Phan Van Giang  Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Vo Van Dung  Standing Deputy Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Home Affairs.

Delegates cast their ballots to vote for members of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee during the 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi, January 30, 2021. Photo: Minh Linh / Tuoi Tre

Four individuals are members of the Party Central Committee for the first time, namely Luong Tam Quang  Deputy Minister of Public Security, Nguyen Duy Ngoc  Deputy Minister of Public Security, Nguyen Tien Hai  Secretary of the Party Committee in Ca Mau Province, and Pham Gia Tuc  Deputy Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Internal Affairs.

Mua A Vang, 38, Secretary of the Party Committee of Dien Bien Dong District, Dien Bien Province, is the youngest member of the 13th Party Central Committee. Vang is among the 20 alternate members.

Delegates have also approved the adjusted working agenda of the Congress, according to which the 13th National Party Congress will close on February 1 instead of February 2 as originally scheduled.

The Congress takes a day off on Sunday, so that the 13th Party Central Committee can hold its first meeting to elect the Politburo, General Secretary, Secretariat, Central Inspection Committee, and Chairman of the Central Inspection Committee.

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Tehran has accused Washington of "hostage taking" after an Iranian political scientist was arrested in the United States and accused of being an agent of Iran's government.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh made the accusation on January 20, a day after U.S. authorities announced the arrest of Kaveh Afrasiabi, an Iranian citizen with U.S. permanent residency.

The Justice Department said Afrasiabi was arrested at his home in Watertown, Massachusetts, on January 18 on charges of "acting and conspiring to act as an unregistered agent" of Tehran.

If convicted on both charges, Afrasiabi faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

"For over a decade, Kaveh Afrasiabi pitched himself to Congress, journalists, and the American public as a neutral and objective expert on Iran," John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement on January 19.

Demers said that Afrasiabi "was actually a secret employee of the government of Iran and the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations...who was being paid to spread their propaganda."

Khatibzadeh dismissed the accusations against Afrasiabi as baseless and referred to him as a "well-known university lecturer."

The spokesman expressed hope the new U.S. administration, which took over on January 20 following the inauguration of President Joe Biden, would "distance itself" from President Donald Trump's "hostage-taking approach."

News of Afrasiabi's arrest followed reports that Iranian authorities had convicted an Iranian-American businessman on spying charges.

Iranian media reports identified the convict as Emad Sharqi and described him as the deputy head for international affairs at an Iranian venture-capital company called Sarava.

Washington and Tehran have exchanged several prisoners in recent years, during which Iran authorities have jailed several Americans on alleged spying charges dismissed by the United States as baseless.

With reporting by AFP and ISNA
On a recent Sunday, Paola Laverde logged onto her computer from her Berkeley apartment and joined dozens of fellow Latino residents on Zoom in an hourlong conversation about coronavirus vaccines with a UCSF physician.

Dr. Maria Garcia explained in Spanish how the vaccines work, what the benefits are and why its important to receive one.

Laverde, 57, was happy to see faces like hers. She is eager to get a vaccine when her turn comes, and was curious about which workers would be prioritized. Others asked about whether they should still wear masks and practice social distancing once they get a shot, and how to respond to dubious family members who believe false rumors about problems with vaccines.

We know that knowledge is power, said Laverde, a member of the group Latinos Unidos de Berkeley that co-hosted the session. Learning about vaccines is especially important in the Latino community, which accounts for 39% of Californias population. However, Latinos disproportionately account for 55% of the states COVID infections and 46% of the deaths.

As vaccine distribution ramps up locally and across California, health officials and advocates hope to reach more residents like Laverde.

They are pushing to ensure communities of color and other groups  such as those with limited internet access  arent left behind. Its particularly vital that they be reached, because many are essential workers who face risks on the job every day, and others may live in multigenerational households or more crowded conditions.

Theres a big problem, however: It is difficult to know whether people of color are being vaccinated on par with the incidence of COVID-19 in those communities because the state and most counties have not released information on the racial and ethnic demographics of vaccine recipients.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

This lack of transparency is widespread. As of Jan. 22, only 20 states were reporting some information on the race or ethnicity of people who received vaccines, though often it was incomplete, according to a Washington Post analysis. California was not on the list. White House officials called on states last week to release more consistent demographic data.

California officials say it is vital that vaccines be distributed equitably, and they also want metrics to measure their work. On Wednesday, state officials announced that Blue Shield of California, the Oakland health insurance company, will take over vaccine distribution on the states behalf. This is expected to incorporate a better way to measure vaccine equity, though details have yet to be announced. Similar problems arose with coronavirus testing early in the pandemic, but the state and counties fixed the issue and provided demographic data  which reflected that in some areas, testing was reaching more white residents than communities of color hard-hit by the virus, prompting the use of mobile, neighborhood-based testing sites.

Racial and ethnic data on vaccinations may also be more difficult to interpret, at least at first, because vaccines are mostly available right now to certain groups such as seniors and health care workers, who may have different demographic characteristics than the general population.

Within the nine-county Bay Area, only Contra Costa and San Mateo counties have provided a breakdown of vaccine recipients by race and ethnicity. However, it is difficult to draw conclusions from the local data, which largely reflect who is eligible for the vaccine, because not all providers report the race or ethnicity of vaccine recipients.

In Contra Costa County, the largest proportions of vaccine doses have gone to white people (37%), people of multiple races (16%), people who identify as other (16%), and Asians (14%), according to county data. The county is 43% white (not including Hispanics or Latinos), 5.4% multiple race, and 18% Asian, according to Census data.

Some of that reflects the demographic makeup of health care workers and the elderly. Those groups are disproportionately white, disproportionately Asian, and disproportionately wealthy, said Contra Costa deputy health officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli.

The largest disparity right now is Black residents, who are getting vaccinated at lower rates, Tzvieli said. Some disparity also exists among Latinos, but it is not as stark, he said.

We look at equity in everything we do and obviously inequities have been a huge marker of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tzvieli said. Weve seen inequities in case numbers, inequities in testing. And now, although the data is incomplete, we are seeing inequities in vaccines as well, and the causes are many.

In San Mateo County, most people who have been vaccinated are white (32%) and Asian (24%), according to county data; 12% has gone to multi-race people. The county is 39% white (not including Hispanic and Latino) and 31% Asian, according to Census figures, with 4.5% identifying themselves as multi-race.

The lack of state data is concerning, experts say.

Im very disturbed, said Garcia, an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF and co-director of the Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center. We already know that there are inequities in COVID infection in and of itself. In order to address those inequities we need to make sure that we specifically target those very same communities for some of the therapeutics and for the vaccine and for prevention efforts. I find it really hard to believe that that information truly isnt available.

Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, said that while more data is needed, the state has an enormous task on its hands.

I think that the state is trying to do the best it can given the limitations in the supply of vaccine allocations, Aguilar-Gaxiola said.

Aguilar-Gaxiola is a member of the states COVID-19 vaccine drafting guidelines committee, and its been a very intense process in trying to be as fair and as thoughtful as possible, and to try to have our decision-making be guided by science and by data, he said, emphasizing that he was speaking from his own experience and not on behalf of the committee.

Doctors said they also worry about people with language barriers and those who dont have access to computers or who have little computer literacy  such as seniors and some low-income people  and may miss out on signing up to receive a vaccine.

Vivian Lem, a 69-year-old Japanese American San Franciscan, said she reached a representative on the Sutter Health phone line through sheer persistence.

She didnt have any luck in scheduling a vaccination yet, since Sutter is currently prioritizing patients older than 75 for appointments.

Lem said success can be an issue of haves or have-nots, with being able to get on the internet and stay on hold, sometimes for hours, really a luxury.

Its terrible. Its so sad. Everyone is so desperate, she said. Its a life or death thing.

The nonprofit On Lok runs a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly, and is the primary medical provider for 1,600 seniors in San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara counties.

More than 90% of On Lok participants in federal housing for low-income seniors have given consent to take a vaccine  the result of relationships, trust over time and culturally competent care, said Dr. Ben Lui, chief medical informatics officer for the organization.

The average age of participants is 81, and half have dementia, Liu said. Many are people of color and some non-native English speakers. The consent process involved translating documents into multiple languages and communicating with families  including in some cases getting consent from those family members  before vaccines were available.

With seniors, depending on their support from their families, depending on some of their own abilities, meaning that some seniors are not very tech savvy or who have cognitive impairment, they often need assistance in terms of obtaining that information, Lui said. It favors those who have resources and family members who can spend the time and get the information for them.

Outreach will also be critical for the Black community. Black people in California account for 4% of coronavirus cases and 7% of COVID-19 deaths, while representing 6% of the population.

Many doctors told The Chronicle that mobile vaccine sites are an important way of addressing language barriers, digital divides and other challenges.

In Contra Costa, for example, officials are planning to grow the number of pop-up vaccination sites in underserved areas. Theyre also planning several mobile vaccination clinics at businesses that employ large numbers of food distribution and service workers.

UCSF doctors who helped set up community testing in Fruitvale last year are now turning to doing culturally sensitive and bilingual outreach to people of color.

The UCSF doctors, including Dr. Alicia Fernandez, are working with groups that have ties to Black seniors and Spanish-speaking residents locally and nationally to answer their questions about vaccines. The COVID-19 Vaccine Speakers Bureau started spontaneously and many Q&A sessions are done on Zoom from doctors homes.

Many experts expect to see more people of color get vaccinated once more essential workers can get access to shots.

Earlier this month, state officials said theyre considering allotting 20% of the states vaccine distribution to counties based on an equity metric that factors in ZIP codes that have been hardest hit by the virus.

A big hurdle remains vaccine hesitancy  the result, in part, of a deep distrust among some people of color in the nations health care system.

People are sensitive to history, Aguilar-Gaxiola said. They know about abuses that have happened and there is a deep-rooted distrust in some communities about government agencies or other groups. Not only about recommendations like vaccines, but also in giving any (personal) information that can be identifiable.

Dr. Adrian James, chief medical officer of West Oakland Health, knows this well. Lately he starts every conversation with a patient by asking them, Do you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine?

About 70% of his patients say they prefer to wait until others get a COVID-19 vaccine first. For the patients who do agree to get immunized, James moves fast, and hopes they spread the word to their friends and family.

I had a 65-year-old lady today who said shed take the vaccine, he said. My question to her was, OK, we have one with your name on it, when do you want to come in?

Tatiana Sanchez, Catherine Ho and Mallory Moench are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com, cho@sfchronicle.com, mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez, @cat_ho, @mallorymoench
San Francisco, Jan 31 : Chinese conglomerate Xiaomi on Sunday said that it has filed a lawsuit against the US Defense and Treasury departments, seeking reversal of a decision to block US investments.

The company filed the lawsuit in the US District Court of Columbia on January 29.

"With a view to protecting the interests of the global users, partners, employees and shareholders of the company, the company has pleaded to the courts to declare the decision illegal and that it be reversed," Xiaomi said in a statement.

The move comes after the US Department of Defense earlier this month blacklisted Xiaomi as a "Communist Chinese military company".

This designation qualifies Xiaomi to fall under former US President Donald Trump's Executive Order from November that bars American investors from buying securities from such companies.

"Xiaomi faces imminent, severe, and irreparable harm if the Designation remains in place and the restrictions take effect," the company said in the filing.

"Xiaomi is not owned or controlled or otherwise affiliated with the Chinese government or military, nor is it owned or controlled by any entity affiliated with the Chinese defense industrial base," it added.

The move to designation Xiaomi as a "Communist Chinese military company" came amid heightened trade tensions between China and the US under the Trump administration.
No word to criticise the way Bengal CM, chief secretary insulted PM: BJP''s Suvendu Adhikari on Friday''s cyclone review insulted PM: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari on Friday's cyclone review meeting.
Barely a full week into the new year and 2021 was already trying to compete with 2020. On January 6th the unthinkable happened. The US Capitol building was attacked by its own citizens.

I watched the news miles away in New Zealand, shocked at what I was seeing but not at all surprised.

It was the perfect storm of online conspiracy theories, right wing rhetoric and people just fed up with the government and after a few certain people of influence fanned the flames it all came to be. 5 people died that day. It was very sad.

But as I reflect on what happened, I couldn't shake the uneasy image of the Jesus saves sign I saw in the crowd of QANON, MAGA, Blue Lives Matter and Trump flags.

What was a Jesus saves sign doing there?

Decolonising Christianity

The uncomfortable truth is Christianity has been used as a tool throughout history to colonise indigenous people and force them to become more westernised. This in turn has made everything western culture the default normal and anything outside of this as other or bad.

It is not a huge leap for white supremacists to leech into these insecurities as the world and the church becomes more inclusive and pulls people towards their side, which is what they set out to do. They are also very good at it.

Many well meaning people including Christians have been deceived.

That is why you see Jesus saves signs at these types of protests. They are told everyone on the other side is out to take away their free speech and destroy the church.

If you are someone who has been carried away by Trump mania, have no fear. God is so much bigger than the world's politics and laws. He doesnt need our permission to speak and can speak for himself.

Forgiveness and prayer

It would be easy to stay angry at our friends and family that went down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and Trump rhetoric but do believe they need our love and prayer. Especially now that the rug has been pulled out from underneath them with Biden becoming the 46th President of the USA.

Deconstructing of one's beliefs is hard but necessary for us to grow as people.

Praying for people who are toxic does not mean you have to welcome them back into your life. You have permission to keep your boundaries.

Unite

I do pray that America will unite against covid much like how we did in New Zealand. I want to be able to visit our family again some day.

I hope 2021 will be a better year.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Where are the best wings on Staten Island? Its a common question, especially heading into Super Bowl Sunday. And with this frigid weather we could all use a little heat on the palate.

The obvious suspects in the Buffalo chicken shuffle are the three Planet Wings (PlanetWings.com) of the borough and Wing Stop (Wingstop.com) with 100-pack containers, coincidentally located next to GameStop in Graniteville. (My boys once asked me if the two businesses were related. They are not.)

Buffalo Wild Wings says it will give everyone six free wings on Feb. 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. if the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 goes into overtime.

Buffalo Wild Wings (Buffalowildwings.com) in Bulls Head offers signature wings in traditional and boneless varieties. This year the franchise said it would give everyone who wants them six free wings if the Super Bowl goes into overtime.

At the Wing Worlds of the Island (WingworldSI.com) in New Dorp and Castleton Corners we find over 25 sauces. Ahmed Abdelhaq and the Rubin family opened the latter location  conveniently brought into this world as an alliterative neighbor to Wonder Wash, although again, no relation  the day after the Super Bowl in 2016.

In this wondrous world o wings, the chicken gets a flash in the frialator, then shingled en masse in a bin. Then, one order at a time, the wings go back down into the rolling oil for further crisping of the skin and -- bamm -- tossed into a plastic bucket for a sauce drenching.

Other excellent considerations can be found at La Rosa Chicken and Grill (LaRosaGrill.com) and 494 Chicken in Travis, a business owned by brothers Tom and John Ryan, who have delivered their poultry-forward menu Island-wide since 1987.

The Kettle Black (KettleBlackBar.com) in West Brighton is a known wing-flight destination. With boneless and regular from which to choose in over a dozen styles, there are 69-cent Boneless Wings Mondays and Wild Wings Wednesdays. In the 100-wing pack a hungry patron can order up to four flavors. Co-owner Tommy Casatelli recommends the straight-up Buffalo flavor and the Fitz Dry Rub presented in three different flavors.

There are places that have stealth wings on the menu. Thats where theyre not likely specialties of the house, but they are to be taken seriously. Filipino restaurant Phil-Am Kusina in Rosebank (Kusina via Whereyoueat.com) flips deep-fried drummies in Adobo, a sauce of soy sauce and vinegar. Luncheonette Js on the Bay in Rosebank (JsontheBaySI.com) turns out Kung Pao wings, an item about which customers rave. Chef Joe Salimeni preps them in tempura batter, then gives them a whirl in house-made kung pao sauce, peanuts and bell pepper. Bayou in St. George offers a solid Bayou Country Chicken Wings with Louisiana Red Sauce.

Jeremy Pappalardo, chef/owner of Pier 76, St. George, features the appetizer in three flavors  Buffalo, sesame and BBQ. He also presents mini-rolls  eight to an order at $2 each  with a Buffalo chicken version. Dip that in bleu cheese dressing and then give me 50 laps around Silver Lake Park.

Caravan Bazaar  no website but at 1101 Hylan Blvd., Grasmere; 917-397-8435  features hot wings at the Eastern European and Korean deli-bakery-market. Nothing crazy but solid and in the midst of dozens of other interesting items. Consider the wings to be the gateway food to other goodies.

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 -- the street dedication of Peter Pellegrito Way at Walnut Street and Bard Avenue, the corner near where Pete lived in West Brighton. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Staff-Shot

Back in the days of American Grill when it was located at 420 Forest Avenue, West Brighton, our staff after work sometimes would venture over to Afternoones Restaurant across the street. They had great wings there and it was a hot spot for Super Bowl as well.

Those thoughts lead me to thinking of a wonderful young man who worked with us  the first hire at the American Grill and the employee who stayed to the bitter end in 2006 with new owners  the funny, thoughtful, smart, hard-working Peter Pellegrito, who started there as a bus boy. Peter suffered a brain aneurysm and died at 29 on Feb. 1, 2015 so this time of year is always bittersweet, to say the least, for his friends, family and American Grill family.

If the pandemic so far hasnt been a test of faith, then losing this amazing gentleman certainly was. But this Sacred Heart boy, Monsignor Farrell and Wagner College grad Peter forever lives in our hearts with memories of very sweet times. And I will take comfort in that.

Peter Pellegrito, 29, of West Brighton. (Staten Island Advance File Photo) Staff-Shot

Keep in touch.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 19:48:48|Editor: huaxia

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A number of demonstrations erupted in Lebanese cities such as Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon to protest against the total lockdown which contributed to increasing poverty. Protesters in Beirut cut traffic by burning trash bins in the streets to prevent cars from passing by in several areas of the city.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 23:28:25|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on July 14, 2020 shows the Golden Bauhinia Square in south China's Hong Kong, July 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese central government spokesperson on Sunday strongly condemned Britain for accepting citizenship applications from Hong Kong residents holding British National Overseas (BNO) passports, beginning Jan. 31.

The UK move, in an attempt to turn a large number of Hong Kong people into second-class British citizens, is a blatant offence to China's sovereignty, said the spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, expressing firm opposition to it.

In the memorandum exchanged with China before Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, Britain declared that it would not confer the right of abode in the United Kingdom on Chinese nationals in Hong Kong holding BNO passports, the spokesperson noted.

Since last year, the British side, in violation of basic norms governing international relations, has made every effort to obstruct the formulation and implementation of the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. After its attempt failed, the British side turned to the BNO issue.

The UK's actions have seriously violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the spokesperson said, describing them as a breach of agreements.

China reserves the right to take further action against Britain's BNO passport policy, the spokesperson said, warning the British side against underestimating China's resolution to firmly implement the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong as well as the "one country, two systems" principle. 
$1.75m to be invested in 13 clusters across all states & territories

to be invested in 13 clusters across all states & territories Clusters will foster a multi-billion dollar, globally competitive hydrogen industry

PERTH, Australia, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A network of regional hydrogen technology clusters has today been unveiled across Australia, as part of a drive to establish a nationwide hydrogen cluster.

Spearheaded by National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), the national cluster (which would operate as a virtual network) will establish a global identity and a recognised brand for Australian hydrogen technology and expertise. It will also aid the development of the hydrogen supply chain, reduce overlaps and identify gaps in the development, deployment, and commercialisation of new hydrogen focused technologies.

The establishment of the regional hydrogen technology clusters announced today - which cover all of Australia's states and territories  follows the conclusion of a seed funding selection program started by NERA in September. NERA has also been able to leverage a range of funding commitments from state and territory governments around the country, as well as industry financial support.

NERA CEO Miranda Taylor said today's announcement was a crucial step in building the skills, capacities and commercialisation opportunities necessary to unlock Australia's enormous potential to create a globally competitive hydrogen industry that, according to a 2019 Deloitte report, could increase Australia's GDP up to $26 billion.

"Today marks a great step forward in Australia's capability in developing hydrogen technologies. These regional clusters, all of which have the support of their state and territory governments, have been established around key, existing hydrogen projects and technology supply chains in strategic locations that have a demonstrated capacity to support them.

"This will ensure long-term local cohesion and sustainable capability across the emerging hydrogen value chain."

The development of a national hydrogen cluster was identified by the 2019 National Hydrogen Strategy as an important component to scale up Australia's domestic industry to become a global hydrogen competitor.

Today's announcement continues NERA's active role in coordinating collaborative opportunities to realise Australia's hydrogen potential across the hydrogen value chain and ensure that Australian companies are well placed to supply new technology, products and services to domestic and international markets.

Ends

State/

territory Cluster name Cluster leads/members Initial NERA, state

government and industry

investment ACT Canberra Region Hydrogen

Technology Cluster Evoenergy, ANU, Smart Energy

Council, ACT Renewables hub $100,000 NSW Hunter Hydrogen Technology

Cluster University of Newcastle and 14

partners $200,000 NT Territory Hydrogen Cluster Darwin Innovation Hub along with

NT Govt, Energy Club NT and CDU $200,000 Qld Queensland Hydrogen Industry

Cluster (H2Q) Regional Development Australia

Brisbane, on behalf of 38 orgs $100,000 SA South Australian Hub-to-Hub ("SA-

H2H") Hydrogen Technology Cluster EfficientSeePty Ltd and Mumford

Commercial $100,000 Tas Bell Bay Hydrogen Technology

Cluster Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing

Zone (BBAMZ) $100,000 Vic Gippsland Hydrogen Technology

Cluster Committee for Gippsland on

behalf of 64 supporting

organisations $250,000 Clayton Hydrogen Technology

Cluster GrapheneX, CSIRO, Swinburne,

Hydrogen 2.0, Cleantech Japan,

ARENA2036 $150,000 Greater Geelong Hydrogen

Technology Cluster Startupbootcamp $150,000 Mallee Hydrogen Technology

Cluster Mallee Regional Innovation

Centre $50,000 WA Western Australian Hydrogen

Technology Cluster Hydrogen Society of Australia on

behalf of consortium $200,000 Karratha Hydrogen Technology

Cluster City of Karratha with support from

Yara Pilbara Fertilisers $75,000 Peel and South-West Metro

Hydrogen Technology Cluster Murdoch University and six

partners $75,000

Interview requests with NERA CEO Miranda Taylor, state and territory ministers and cluster leaders are to be submitted to NERA's communications team:

For the purposes of Australian regional media, NERA has quotes available from the governments of all Australia's seven states and territories.

Contact:



Russell Yeo

NERA Communications Manager

[email protected]

+61 (0)421 637028

About NERA:

NERA is an Industry Growth Centre established under the Australian Government Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda with a focus on the energy resources sector.

NERA is working to maximise the value to the Australian economy by developing an energy resources sector that is globally competitive, sustainable, innovative and diverse.

NERA is engaged across the value chain to achieve significant industry efficiencies; identify and support digital, automation and other innovative technologies; develop future workforce skills; and ensure that there are regulatory frameworks that support future investment, innovation, productivity and global trade.

SOURCE National Energy Resources Australia (NERA)

Related Links

https://www.nera.org.au/


Sir,

We all know at least one couple in which the man, or as it turns out to be mostly women, live through abuse. Everyone may keep asking why they cant leave the abusive situation, and sometimes they do but within a short time theyd be back again. I know many people who are in such a situation, and despite that their friends and relatives advise them to escape the abuse, they keep going back to the abuser.

Abuse is not a onetime event, but it is a cycle that forces the abused to stay and endure the assault, or the insults because they know that after each fight, there will be the honeymoon phase. The cycle will keep repeating until the conflict is stopped, or until the abused completely abandons the relationships.

Stress

Stress and feelings of inadequacy stem from the pressures of daily life, like conflict over children, misunderstandings, or other family conflicts. They also stem as a result of illness, financial problems, unemployment or catastrophic events. During this period, the abuser feels ignored, threatened, annoyed or wronged. The feeling lasts on average several minutes to hours, it may last as much as several months. In a bid to prevent violence, the victim may try to reduce the tension by becoming compliant and nurturing.

Dominate

During this stage the abuser attempts to dominate the partner with the use of domestic violence. This is usually characterised by outbursts of violent, abusive incidents which may be preceded by verbal abuse and include psychological abuse. In intimate partner violence, children are negatively affected by having witnessed the violence and the partners relationship degrades as well. The release of energy reduces the tension, and the abuser may feel or express that the victim had it coming to them.

But at a certain point, the perpetrator may begin to feel remorse, guilty, or fear that their partner will leave or call the police. During this phase, the relationship is relatively calm and back to normal. This is the same stage in which anything that happens can trigger violence, anger and feelings of inadequacy that can lead to the beginning of the abuse all over again.

When an abused person has not seen this cycle yet, walking away from the relationship may be hard. There is no reason why any relationship should end up with one partner dying or badly injured. People who love each other always protect each other, even from each other. And when that love is gone, strength is in leaving and not holding on.

Nomsa






Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
HYDERABAD: Hyderabad-based urban infra specialist Futuristic Cities founder president Karuna Gopal on Saturday said in a press release that he has worked for more than two decades in the field of urban reforms and urban innovation. . She has been working for urban transformation in India for over a decade and a half. For this, Karuna Gopal was honored with this prestigious award in Delhi.

Karuna Gopal wrote on Twitter, 'I was surprised because I never applied for it or nominated me by anyone. The award says we found you.

The Scotch Challenger Award was founded by the Scotch Group in 2003. These awards are salute to people, projects and organizations working to make India a good country. There is a different approach to the selection of awards. This award is based not on nominations, but on search. People are looking for this award.

Karuna Gopal belongs to the family of freedom fighters and IAS officers. Karuna Gopal has been invited in many countries to give his opinion about smart government. These include the US, Sweden, South Korea, Britain, The Philippines, Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Israel. In 2018, Gopal was invited by the UAE Prime Minister to address his flagship program - the world government.

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Thousands of people poured on the streets of France on Saturday to protest against the draft legislation of the new security law that criminalizes filming police personnel on duty. Critics of the law argue that it would hinder people's ability to document police brutality cases. The law, if passed, would restrict people from filming police personnel and posting images and videos on social media.

Read: Vaccine Rollout Faces Challenges In France's Poorest Region

Protesters are also protesting against certain provisions of the bill that allows police to use drones and cameras to monitor people. The French government says that the measures will protect the police better, however, activists demand total withdrawal of the proposed legislation. Police used water cannon against protesters at Republique square in Paris after the demonstration turned violent.

Read: France Contemplates Stricter Measures As New Cases Continue To Overwhelm Hospitals

Similar protests rocked France last year after people in large numbers gathered to oppose the security bill. French President Emmanuel Macron's party later assured that it would rewrite the draft bill. According to the country's interior ministry, Saturday's protest saw over 32,000 people out protesting against the law, down from over 1,33,000 back in November. Paris police on Saturday said that people out without valid reason during curfew hours will be fined 135.

Protests against COVID restrictions

Meanwhile, some protesters also opposed the latest restrictions imposed in the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19. France introduced new preventive measures that ban members of the public from going out between 6 pm and 6 am. Protesters expressed their opposition against the shut down of cultural sites across the country. To them, closing almost all cultural sites because of the pandemic while shops and other places remain open, is irrational.

Read: France's Sanofi To Make Vaccines From Rival Pfizer-BioNTech

France has imposed travel on international passengers, exempting citizens of the European Union. The country is witnessing a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, which scientists are attributing to the new variants. Hospitals in the country are under immense pressure as intensive care beds are running out of capacity with over 60% occupied by COVID-19 patients. Authorities are mulling the transfer of patients between regions to provide some relief to hospitals. France has recorded more than 3.2 million cases so far, of which over 75,000 people have lost their lives.

Read: Biden, Macron Vow To Strengthen US-France Ties In First Phone Call

(Image Credit: AP)
All eyes are on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she gears up to present the Union Budget 2021 on Monday amid huge public expectations in the wake of Covid-induced economic crisis.

Indias first full-time female Finance Minister will be coming up with the annual economic document for the third time in three years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 had managed to assemble a newish-looking team for his second term. The top job in the finance ministry had opened up as Arun Jaitley, who held the position during Modis first five-year term, made himself unavailable for health reasons.

The Prime Minister had picked Sitharaman to become India's first full-time female Finance Minister. She had previously handled defense and commerce.

She became the second woman to hold the Finance portfolio after Indira Gandhi held the additional charge of Finance when she was Prime Minister in 1970 to 1971.

Sixty-year-old Sitharaman takes charge of what is perhaps the most important ministry at a time when the country is reeling from economic slowdown, a slump in consumption and rising unemployment. She had served as a junior Minister in Finance and Corporate Affairs earlier.

Born on August 18, 1959, in Madurai, Sitharaman has a masters degree in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University and has also worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, apart from also working as an assistant to Economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association, London. She has also briefly worked with the BBC World Service.

After returning to India, she also served as the Deputy Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies in Hyderabad.

Sitharaman became a member of the National Women for Commission in 2003 and joined the BJP in 2006. She went on to become the national spokesperson of the party.

She was first inducted in the Union Cabinet in 2014 as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.

Before becoming the Defence Minister in the previous Modi government, Sitharaman served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs.

As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman has driven several policy changes, which include the new defence manufacturing policy and defence industrial corridors in the states of Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

With the economy clocking the slowest pace growth ever due to the covid crisis, Sitharaman is faced with the massive challenge of kick-starting a slowing economy. Reforms that will address this slowdown, along with tax revenue shortfalls and stepping up public expenditures is what Sitharaman will have to look at.





They dug up broken bits of lamp, the foot of a porcelain doll, a piece of what was once a bowl, and brick fragments from the Baptist church where African Americans worshiped while they were still enslaved. They excavated down to the foundation. Carefully clearing away the earth, they exposed the cross-stacked bricks at the base, dusted them off, and called Connie Matthews Harshaw.

Harshaw stood at the edge of the dig. A member of the historic black First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, she had pushed for this project before anyone knew if they would find anything worthwhile. She had come a long way by faith. Now the archaeologists had something to show her.

I see it, she said. We were here and we were strong. Through it all, we kept the faith, and we were hopeful. Thats a story to tell.

Colonial Williamsburg, the living history museum that recreates the life of the 18th-century town that was then the capital of the colony of Virginia, is excavating a black Baptist church. The first phase was finished in November, and the second started this January, with the ultimate aim of reconstructing the building and recovering its history.

First Baptist was founded by free and enslaved African Americans in 1776, not long after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was illegal for black people to congregate and worship then, but they did anyway. At first they met secretly in a hidden brush structure. Then a Virginia woman decided to let the man she owned become a Baptist minister, and Gowan Pamphlet became the first ordained black man in America in 1772, a dozen years before the better-known Lemuel Haynes. Inspired by the Great Awakening, Pamphlet preached sin, salvation, and the equality of all before God.

A white family dedicated land to the worshipers, and First Baptist built a church. They prayed, heard the Word, and kept the faith through the Civil War, the failure of Reconstruction, the rise of black codes and Jim Crow, the Great Depression, and World War II.

Then the church was torn down in the 1950s to make way for the Colonial Williamsburg museum. The site was paved over for a parking lot. No one in charge thought the simple black church was worth preserving until more than a half century later, when Harshaw, representing the congregation that continues worshiping about a mile away, asked why not.

Theres this placard about this church that was organized in 1776, but wheres the rest of the story? Harshaw asked Cliff Fleet, the new president of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He asked her what she would like to have happen.

Uncoverliterally uncoverthe history of this church, she said.

Image: Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg

A lot of black Christian history has been buried in America, according to historian Paul Harvey, author of Christianity and Race in the American South and more than a half dozen other titles on African American Christianity.

Black institutions often havent had the resources to preserve their history. And white institutions just didnt care enough in most cases, Harvey said.

As many historians have pointed out, the documentary record is often a reflection of who had power at a given time, not the product of a careful evaluation of what will be important. Starting in the 1970s, historians inspired by the civil rights movement started arguing that black history, and especially black religious history, was essential to understanding America.

The neglect of black history...distorted both white and black American perception of who they were, said historian Albert J. Raboteau, who wrote Slave Religion: The Invisible Institution in the Antebellum South about 20 years after the First Baptist Church at Colonial Williamsburg was torn down. For a people to lose their history, to have their story denigrated as insignificant, is a devastating blow, an exclusion that in effect denies their full humanity. Conversely, to ignore the history of another people whose fate has been intimately bound up with your own is to forgo self-understanding.

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In the years since, historians have gone to great lengths to recover what was lost. Raboteau combed through slave narratives, looking for every reference to faith. Harvey searched through travel narratives and white church records, looking for commentary on black Christians. Much of what he found was explicitly racist and dismissed African American faith as ignorant, but nonetheless it offered him glimpses of the forgotten Christians faith and practice.

Other recovery efforts are even more creative. At Colonial Williamsburg, for example, several African American men have been performing Gowan Pamphlet for visitors to the living history museum. James Ingram, one of the reenactors, started in 1998 with a two-paragraph description of everything that was then known about the black Baptist minister.

What really stuck out to me was that those couple of paragraphs were kind of conjecture, Ingram said.

Image: Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg

For the past 22 years, Ingram has learned everything he could about the world Pamphlet lived in. And he has tried to imaginatively access Pamphlets history by using their shared experiences.

Ingram is also Baptist, also ordained, and also a black man who grew up in Virginia. He writes sermons as Pamphlet and thinks about what he would have preached in the years after the Declaration of Independance.

Hes hoping the excavation of the church will give him more information.

Jack Gary, the director of archaeology at Colonial Williamsburg, hopes so too. But its slow work. Six professional archaeologists and several graduate students pull back the soil by hand, running it through a screen and collecting and documenting everything they find. They take pictures and draw maps, noting even the stains in the dirt, which might tell them something. They record bits of glass, distinguishing which come from windows and which from wine bottles.

Later, they will wash it all, curate it, and work together to interpret the whole assemblage of things left behind and buried at the First Baptist Church.

They dig up an ink bottle, which means someone at this church could write. A vanilla extract bottle, which means someone was cooking. Animal bones, which might mean there was a barbecue. And they slowly uncover the foundation of the old church.

The building itself is probably not going to be an architectural wonder, Gary said. But our study of it provides the place where we can have these conversations about the early African American Baptists and what they went through. You can stand on that spot and its powerful.

Connie Matthews Harshaw felt that right away.

It is nobody but God, she said. He is all up in the mix.

Daniel Silliman is news editor for Christianity Today.

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
'With South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria at the forefront of the evolving digital economy, the data centre market in Africa is on the brink of a period of a huge acceleration in growth'

Irish construction and engineering firms have established a leadership position internationally in the delivery of complex data centre projects. Indeed, it has become increasingly difficult to find a major data centre project in the UK, western Europe, and the Nordic countries that doesn't feature strong Irish involvement.

The Irish industry's expertise in data centre construction has its roots in the growth of the sector in Ireland over the past two decades. Irish firms took the expertise gained through building facilities for global leaders at home and used it to win contracts in the international marketplace.

A growing market with vast potential is seeing increased activity from those firms in sub-Saharan Africa.

With South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria at the forefront of the evolving digital economy, the data centre market in Africa is on the brink of a period of a huge acceleration in growth. This is being driven by several factors including soaring demand for cloud services, pressure by regulators to bring African content back to Africa, a surge in media content markets and improved broadband around the continent.

Market size is expected to exceed $3bn (2.5bn) by 2025, with market intelligence platform Reportlinker estimating a compound annual growth rate of over 12pc. It is little surprise in this context that the African data centre sector has seen increasing interest from major global cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft, along with Huawei over the past five years.

"Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 1.2 billion people, half of whom will be under 25 years old by 2050," says Nicola Kelly, Senior Market Advisor Africa with Enterprise Ireland. "This youthful continent is already a keen innovator and adopter of technology, as well as an avid consumer of digital content. Across Africa, technology-driven solutions have been adopted far more broadly than in many other developed nations. Just look at the rise and rise of mobile wallet service M-Pesa in East Africa. During the pandemic, many African governments have deemed mobile wallets as 'essential services' and banned transfer fees for a period."

Mobile and internet penetration continues to grow across the continent which drives demand for data and networking, Kelly said.

"Having an African data centre presence allows providers to reduce latency, but there are also significant regulatory discussions under way around keeping African data on the African continent, and within national borders - the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019), for example."

South Africa continues to dominate the data centre construction market in Africa, with Kenya and Nigeria also seeing increased investment levels during 2019. The aggressive investments being made in data centre infrastructure in South Africa in anticipation of increased demand in cloud services will likely continue in 2021, with service providers expecting an increase in data traffic as a result of more submarine communications cables coming to Africa.

Mobile network operators and local companies have dominated the African data centre market to date. However, global hyperscale cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft Azure, Oracle and Google are challenging the status quo, as they require more Africa-based data centres to grow their offerings on the continent.

Microsoft Azure set up data centres in Cape Town and Johannesburg in 2019, giving South Africa faster access to Azure Cloud. These are Microsoft's first data centre investments in Africa. Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has also started offering its cloud services in South Africa and is leasing a data centre in Johannesburg from a partner pending the development of two data centres of its own. Oracle is also active in the market and in September 2020 announced plans to launch new data centres in South Africa later this year.

Amazon's cloud computing division, AWS, started data centre operations in Cape Town in early 2020. The company also plans to establish a facility in Nairobi. In March 2020, emerging markets investor Actis bought the Rack Centre in Lagos and has plans to invest $250m to buy and build African data centres.

The opportunity for Irish firms still exists despite the pandemic. Construction projects in African countries were not completely halted after the outbreak of Covid-19 and used a reduced workforce following government-imposed restrictions.

"The pandemic has severely constrained the ability of Irish exporters to visit the market, but the demand is still here," Kelly said.

"Until a semblance of normality has returned to business travel, Enterprise Ireland in sub-Saharan Africa will continue to profile the Irish capability in the data centre and high-tech construction segment, as well as use virtual tools to keep Irish companies connected to key stakeholders and opportunities on this vibrant continent."

Back in the late 1990s as the editor of The Australian Financial Review I took a trip to Silicon Valley to see what the fuss was all about.

My first visit was to three Indian guys in a small shopfront who showed how the internet could be used to search classified ads. It was starkly apparent the rivers of gold  the monopoly stream of jobs, homes and car ads that made my sister publications The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age so profitable  were going to one day dry up.

Googles business model put a sharp end to the rivers of gold that made newspapers so successful. Credit:Bloomberg

Later I visited a fledgling Google, then housed in a nondescript glass building in Palo Alto.

At the time there were plenty of search engines all competing with intent. Yahoo was the best known but also Lycos, Excite, Looksmart, Alta Vista. Googles claim to superiority was an algorithm that could cross-reference relevance between sites.
Protesters rallied across Russia on January 31 in support of jailed opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny. As people marched through the streets chanting "Freedom for Navalny!" in Yekaterinburg, demonstrators were blocked and detained in Novosibirsk. In Yakutsk, protesters braved temperatures as low as -43 degrees Celsius to hold a demonstration, while in Vladivostok the protest started with a dance on the frozen sea.

WASHINGTON  In a video posted on Facebook, Couy Griffin, the founder of a group called Cowboys for Trump, bragged that he had a first row seat to the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and considered returning for another rally in which he imagined blood running out of that building, the F.B.I. said. Later, he told the F.B.I. that he hoped the next demonstration would be nonviolent but there was no option thats off the table for the sake of freedom.

He was arrested before he could hold another rally on Inauguration Day as he planned. But first, he returned to his post as an Otero County commissioner in southern New Mexico, where an effort to oust him has now gained new steam.

Mr. Griffin leapt right into sedition, said Paul Sanchez, a Republican who is leading a committee that hopes to recall him. His focus is not at all on Otero County.
Whether out for a leisurely stroll or on a more challenging hike while on lockdown one thing we all have in common is that urge to reach for our camera when we stop at a beautiful scene. Were incredibly lucky to live in such a picturesque country, and theres so much evidence of that through the beautiful photos our followers share with us on our social channels.

When taking landscape photos, it doesnt have to be a complicated process to take your shots to the next level, so Ordnance Survey Ireland have put together some landscape photography tips for beginners to help you on your journey.



Before jumping into our tips on improving your photos, its been said that using the right equipment can be half the battle, so lets briefly touch on some equipment you might need.



Photography Equipment Basics

The Camera

If youd like to get into photography as a long-term hobby, investing in a good DSLR camera will set you on the right path. DSLR cameras give you full control over your camera settings which will allow you to take some beautiful high-quality photos. You can also change the lenses and filters on a DSLR camera which will allow you to experiment a lot more. It takes patience and a lot of practise to get the hang of a DSLR, but the results can be incredible.



However, if youre interested in some tips for taking better landscape photos with just the use of your phone, the tips we outline below can equally be applied to using your smartphone camera.



The Tripod



Do you really need one? Tripods really are a landscape photographer's best friend. The tripod will stabilise your camera so you can get the exact photo you want and will help you achieve a much crisper and sharper image making it worth the extra weight on your walk. Again, even with smartphones, you can invest in low cost gimbals or mini tripods to stabilise your phone for those much higher quality photos. Even the humble selfie stick can help stablise your hand and deliver a clear picture for the perfect finish.



Now lets get into taking the actual photos, what are the important elements for a beginner to watch out for?



Tips for Taking Great Landscape Photos



The Right Light



When shooting landscape, light is hugely important, and the best light of the day appears around one hour after sunrise and again one hour before sunset. This is known as The Golden Hour in the photography world. The colours are more vibrant and the soft lighting can create some beautiful shadows which give your shots great depth and texture.



Outside of The Golden Hour, side lighting (that is when the sun or light source is coming in from the side of your shot) will help give you the best result. Youll really have to move around and experiment with angles to capture this kind of lighting for your shot. A beautiful example of the Golden Hour lighting and shadows can be seen in the photo of the Giants Causeway below from Nataliya Hora.



















Image Copyright: Nataliya Hora



Composition

By composition we mean how you arrange or frame your shot. A good place for beginners to start is to build their photo around the horizon. A common trap that beginners can fall into is to always centre the horizon line, which, dont get us wrong, can work really well in some cases, such as capturing reflecting water. A great example of a centred horizon line can be seen in Rachel Kiernans image below.





Image used with kind permission by private user Rachel Kiernan



However, to capture aesthetically pleasing landscape photos in general, using the rule of thirds can really help you up your game.



The rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is created by crossing three horizontal lines with three vertical lines, effectively dividing your viewfinder or phone screen into a grid. Framing your shot so that your subject is positioned on one or more of the four intersecting points will make your photo composition so much more interesting. These days, almost all cameras, and even smartphone cameras have an option to turn this grid on. Stock User Rainbow6s photo of Killarney National Park, below, is a great example of using the grid. Instead of centering the boat, hes framed it off to the side so that it falls on one of the grid intersections, creating a beautiful composition.





Image Copyright: Stock User Rainbow6



Another tip on using the rule of thirds is to use the horizontal lines in your grid as your guide for where the horizon should be in your composition. An easy way to remember it is either  sky and  land or  land and  sky. Susan Nicholsons shot of Rossbeigh Beach in Kerry, below is a great example of the Rule of Thirds being used the right way.





Image used with kind permission by private user Susan Nicholson

Play around with filters

Filters, on a phone or camera, are simple yet highly effective ways to enhance your shot. There are many different kinds of filters out there but when it comes to landscape photography, there are two main types of filters you can use with your DSLR camera to enhance your photo.



Polarising filter



A polarising filter will help manage the reflections in your shot, hugely cutting down the glare on still water surfaces. It will also increase the contrast in the sky giving you a beautiful darker richer colour.



Neutral density filter



A neutral density filter helps control the amount of light entering the lens. Using a neutral density filter will allow you to extend shutter speeds in the daytime, creating beautiful results



In regards to filters on your phone, whether you have an Android or iPhone, there are a range of settings prebuilt into your camera as well as many available from your play store for free. Some of the better ones include:



Snapseed by Google on Android and iPhone

VSCO on Android and iPhone

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC on Android and iPhone



For more on phone filters, click here



Filters on phones are applied after youve taken the shot, so the positive side is that you have full control of the filter intensity, but the downside is that its too easy to over-process your photo. If you do love a filter, use them to only enhance your photo by applying a very low setting to tweak your colour intensity.



Below is a beautiful photo from Aengus OConner of Connemara Maths Academy. The deep blues and stillness of the water shows us how great a photo can look with the right camera settings.





Image used with kind permission by private user Aengus OConner

Change your perspective

Typically beginners will default to taking photos at eye level, which does work very well in many circumstances, for example, this gorgeous wandering shot from Michelle Ni Mhuineachain works really well because its taken at eye level  it gives us a strong sense of the endless winding road ahead.





Image used with kind permission by private user Michelle Ni Mhuineachain



We see another wonderful example of eye level composition in Theresa OTooles forest path photo, below, Theresas positioning gives us a great sense of scale of the trees around her, and it really makes for a great shot.







Practice, Practice, Practice!



Photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, famously said, your first 10,000 photos are your worst. So get snapping! You cannot take too many photos. Explore your 5km routes and try different shots and positions with your subject matter, youre all the more likely to get an amazing photo if youve taken heaps of shots. Delete the unwanted photos later to save on your memory space.



And thats it. Truth be told, there are hundreds more landscape photography tips and tricks out there for you to learn, but when youre just getting started, improving elements like your lighting and composition are such a great place to start. Try mastering each element one at a time, and once youve built up confidence on each one, you can begin to combine the tips all together in your photography, and youll drastically improve your photos.



The main thing is just have fun, take lots of photos and keep sharing them with us on our social media channels.
Residents and motorists in Offaly have expressed concern and anger over the condition of the R401, the main Edenderry to Clonbullogue road.

With the recent onset of severely cold weather, the road surface has disintegrated with large potholes opening up across the entire stretch of road, most notably at a number of sharp bends, causing huge danger to motorists, cyclists and motorcyclists.

One resident in the area told the Offaly Express: "It has gone beyond a joke at this stage. You avoid one pothole, and you head straight into another. It is an absolute death trap."

Another resident said: "Not only is it dangerous for people using the roads, but peoples' cars are getting destroyed. These potholes are bigger every day, all the way from the Power Station to the village [Clonbullogue]. Something needs to be done."

The road in question has been the scene of a number of serious crashes in recent months, including a fatal one on September 5, 2020. A young motorcyclist died in a collision near the Power Station.

A number of weeks later on September 29, on the same stretch, a man was hospitalised as a precaution after a three-car crash.

Councillors in the area echo the concerns of locals with Fianna Fail's Eddie Fitzpatrick saying: "The roads in our municipal district are certainly a concern for everyone and an issue that needs to be addressed.

"I am constantly receiving calls from the public about the state of the roads and this is coming from all areas. I presume the answer is extra funding but we seem to get the same reply; budgets are limited."

Cllr Fitzpatrick also pointed to specific concerns about roads around the Ballycommon area, describing them as "deplorable."

Fine Gael councillor Noel Cribbin added: "Due to the recent heavy frost and rain, the potholes have reappeared. I have noticed it myself in several areas and have reported them. I will do likewise for the Shaen area [Between Edenderry and Clonbullogue]."

Cllr Robert McDermott said: The state of the Edenderry to Clonbullogue road was raised by myself at a Municipal District meeting before Christmas. The Council were made aware of the concerns of the local residents. This road needs major work to be carried out as a priority.

"The presence of potholes that have appeared since the recent cold snap has also been reported to the Council and they have six men covering the North Offaly Area at present working daily to repair them in line with the current Covid 19 guidelines.

Offaly County Council has been contacted for comment on this story.

In the 15 years of practising as a psychotherapist, I have never known my work so ineffective. Sadly, I'm not alone - therapists from all over the world are reporting a growing sense of unease that all the reliable strategies we would normally use are currently impossible to carry out.

Working as a therapist has always been an incredibly satisfying career, but suddenly - especially since this most recent lockdown - I feel as if my work with clients is like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

Trying to communicate warmth and solidarity over a Zoom call is exhausting and sometimes futile. Not only that, but many of the reliable solutions that usually help those we wish to support maintain their mental health just aren't available right now.

Suzanne Harrington described last week on The Ray D'Arcy Show how she slipped into secret drinking during lockdown after almost 15 years of sobriety. The Alcoholics Anonymous meetings by Zoom just didn't give her the sense of connection that she needed and she suddenly started drinking again.

A recent UK poll of more than 52,000 people has shown that 39pc of addicts have relapsed since the arrival of Covid restrictions.

Read More

Sustained positive mental health requires a sense of purpose. It requires meaning, feelings of altruism, and efficacy; but more than anything else, we need to feel connected if we are to maintain our sense of well-being. This is why therapists currently feel hamstrung - we can no longer encourage clients to meet old friends in a bid to remind them of their former selves; nor can we support them as they attempt to make new friends; it is pointless to suggest to people who feel lonely that they might benefit from getting involved in community activities or joining a book club. Although these might seem like simplistic responses to emotional pain, these work and are reliable ways for people to begin to find a sense of meaning and purpose.

But now there is little point in therapists exploring whether an anxious person might benefit from taking up a new hobby to release some of their pent-up energy.

Random ideas such as leaving on the Christmas lights to cheer us up seem to highlight how lonely life has become for so many people these days. Even though we all understand the situation by now - this lockdown is apparently a necessary response to a serious threat to our physical health - sadly the cure is resulting in a serious threat to our mental health, and therapists have very little left to work with at this stage.

We can offer empathy; we can bear witness to clients' emotional pain; we can work on a personal development plan - but we have few practical strategies to offer. Some people are perfectly fine with this as they are busy healing other inner wounds, but others - and their numbers are growing - desperately need to engage in the community and further develop healthy relationships. But in lockdown there is nothing for them to do. Zoom calls among family and friends feel meaningless when there is nothing to say, no news to report.

I work mostly with adolescents and it is notable that they are suffering because they are stuck at home all day.

Adolescence is a well-established stage of psycho-social development for children, starting at the age of about 12, and is very focused on peer groups. Adolescents usually do this through their friendships, the school system and extra-curricular activities. Now they have nothing but their screens and they have grown bored and exhausted.

Despite the monumental efforts of many teachers, school-on-a-screen just does not work.

Home-school might be difficult for primary schoolchildren and their parents - a dark joke on social media predicted that in 20 years the world will be run by illiterate adults who were home-schooled by alcoholic parents - but Zoom-school seems to be even worse. As one teacher friend said: "The teachers are pretending to teach and the students are pretending to learn."

Teachers are performers in many ways. A good teacher revels in being at the top of the classroom, inspiring interest in laconic students, throwing out nuggets of information and moving smoothly into interesting anecdotes that buffer the learning. The class plan contains the necessary learning, the extra bits are where the magic occurs.

For many students, learning is a group experience; sitting at your kitchen table with headphones on listening to a teacher who is valiantly trying but failing to instigate some classroom discussion just doesn't cut it. The kids need to go back to school as soon as feasibly possible.

Third-level students are also struggling, many are dropping out of their courses and there is a wistful sadness among first-year college students who thought they were going to move to the city, leave their school pals behind and begin their exciting new life, only to find that they are stuck in their bedroom, in their pyjamas, trying to new make friends over Snapchat.

Of course, it is not only young people who are experiencing serious emotional distress - older clients are reporting issues with eating disorders, OCD, panic attacks and other dysfunctional behavioural patterns.

Singletons and the elderly feel isolated and forgotten, while families who have children with special needs desperately need respite and support.

The hard truth is that so many different groups are struggling to survive in these dark times that it has become evident that we need to give just as much attention to our mental health needs as we give to our physical health needs.

As a therapist, I'm very sensitive that it is dangerous to declare a mental health crisis - indeed, I explore this exact issue in my most recent book, Fragile - however, in desperate times it is more important to face the truth. Bad news is following bad news; we are now depleted of resources, our energies are low, our positivity has been dismantled.

There is no health without mental health and if the Government and National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) really wish to keep us safe and well, then it is critically important they place mental health front and centre of all Covid-19 strategies.

Never has mental health been so fragile, never have we therapists been so lacking in suggestions and solutions. In the time of greatest need, we have the least resources.

What to do if you're feeling low...

Be gentle with yourself; practise self-compassion and tenderness.

Be careful with your self-talk; now it's more important than ever to quieten a harsh inner voice or negative self-talk.

Make regular phone calls. It is vital to maintain a sense of connection during these lonely days. It doesn't matter if you've little to say, even discussing TV programmes will do.

Lower your standards. Sometimes you might need to let the dishes pile up and get a takeaway for dinner. This is hard, and we sometimes need to accommodate our overwhelming feelings.

Find a mantra that will help you through the coming months. Perhaps 'this too shall pass' or 'better days are coming'.
TORRINGTON  Paul-Robert Blackman is an arborist and an artist, felling trees for customers and then taking them home to create furniture and art.

Hes poised to open his gallery and studio, Artists Tree Inc., in the Still River Plaza on Winsted Road by the middle of March. The opening is a step forward in Blackmans quest to bring people together in any way possible, using art and music.

The son of Paul and Venice Blackman of Torrington, the artist is a graduate of The Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Conn. He attended University of Connecticut Torrington and Northwestern Connecticut Community College, taking classes while he worked a variety of jobs.

I got into tree work, which is all part and parcel about growing up in Litchfield County, Blackman said. After 20 years in the horticultural and arboring industry, I got my associates degree from Charter Oak College (in New Britain). I was also doing drumming with John Marshall.

After working for other companies over the years, I started my own business as an arborist, and that was the impetus that allowed me to start Artists Tree in Winsted in 2020, he said. Its been a full cycle, building my ideology of conservation and reclamation, making functional art.

That functional art includes custom furniture, spoons, ladles and other utensils; wooden feather earrings; bowls and serving trays; and other pieces for the home. Each piece is made from repurposed or reclaimed wood Blackman has harvested. It often is the individual tree that intrigues him  the stately oak in a persons front yard that has to be removed, for example.

Everything I do in the arborist world is how I build my furniture and make my art, he said. All the timber I use is in the art I do. These days, people give me wood all the time; pieces of wood, trees that have to come down. Or Ill say, If you get a piece of land, Ill do the trees.

Blackman said his craft makes him happy.

Its important to find harmony in yourself, and peace and soulful fulfillment, he said. That level of true happiness comes from busting my knuckles and running a chainsaw. Its a real living principle.

Artists Tree also is intended to help others, either by offering lessons or demonstrations on how Blackman makes his art, or providing support to people who need it.

I want to go forward with any type of outreach that helps other people and bolsters the understanding that every human being deserves the same dignity, he said. Music and the arts soothe peoples souls.

The location of Artists Tree is also significant, Blackman said. Hes sharing Still River Plaza with Still River Wellness and MedTech at 3568 Winsted Road. Theyre both multi-faceted, he said.

The Artists Tree only exists out of the goodness of Tom Macri and his father, the property owners, he said. They have the same cultural and ideological goals, and they understand that they need to help the community at large.

At this point, Blackman is going through the permit process to open Artists Tree at the plaza. He cant wait to welcome people in.

Well really have the capacity to bring this out as a full-fledged maker space, a community art gallery for Torrington, Litchfield County and Connecticut at large, he said.

The gallery will be open for classes, he said, and he will continue to create his custom furniture and commissions from a growing group of customers.

Owning your own business is grueling, but Im ready to shoulder the responsibility, he said. I can be virtuous, true, kind and sincere.

Marketing the studio and gallery will be by word of mouth as well as Facebook, a horticultural page, Instagram and most recently, TikTok. I started a TikTok page and Ive got like 15,000 followers, he said. Its all intended to bring people together who are looking for something in their lives.

On this particular day, Blackman was making serving bowls and trays, choosing from pieces of cherry, sugar maple, black walnut and ash.

One of the bowls and a shallow tray are made from a log for a woman in Torrington, he said. Things have always sold slowly, but consistently. Its been a painfully slow crawl up to now, but once I set my heart to do this, it hasnt stopped.

When someone says, Wow, you made this? I make 15 more, he said.

Learn more about Artists Tree at prblackman.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/blackmanhomestead2020.
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No word to criticise the way Bengal CM, chief secretary insulted PM: BJP''s Suvendu Adhikari on Friday''s cyclone review insulted PM: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari on Friday's cyclone review meeting.

I was invited to review meeting as leader of opposition in Bengal assembly and MLA of cyclone-hit Nandigram: BJP''s Bengal assembly and MLA of cyclone-hit Nandigram: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.
Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the Siberian city of Omsk, Russia on January 31, 2021. AP Photos

Protests against the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, continue.

Russian police have now detained over 500 people this weekend, according to the OVD-info monitoring group.

Navalny spoke from his detention center in Moscow, telling supporters: "The majority are on our side. Let's wake them up."

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Protests against the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, are continuing nationwide for a second weekend.

Russian police have now detained over 500 people, according to the OVD-info monitoring group, after more than 3,000 people were arrested across the country during the demonstrations last week.

Thousands chanting "Putin is a thief," reported the Guardian, rallied in Moscow. Authorities in the Russian capital said that centrally located shops, restaurants, and Metro stations would be shut down and overground transport diverted, according to the BBC.

Similarly, police in St. Petersburg closed Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main street, to deter people from gathering and protesting there, The Guardian added.

Read More: The sheer scale of the SolarWinds attack is sparking big changes to a $134.6 billion cybersecurity industry that already had to transform itself in 2020

Twitter users have been sharing videos of police officers using force against protesters. Moscow-based journalist Rosalba Castelletti tweeted a video and said: "A protester shot with a stun gun."

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Another video posted by Hanna Liubakova, a journalist from Belarus, showed a fellow journalist being detained using a Tazer in St. Petersburg. Liubakova added: "This is unacceptable."

During the protests, others arrested include the opposition leader's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, his brother, Oleg Navalny, and several aides, including Lyubov Sobol and his spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh.

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Many braved freezing temperatures to make their voices heard.

Story continues

Matthew Luxmoore, the Moscow correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, shared a video with the caption: "In Vladivostok in the Far East, protesters gather on the ice of the frozen Amur Bay after police blocked off the city center."

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According to Al-Jazeera, Navalny spoke from the Matrosskaya Tishina detention center in Moscow on Thursday and told his supporters: "The majority are on our side. Let's wake them up."

He was arrested on January 17 after flying back to Russia from Germany. He had spent the last five months recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in August, Insider previously reported.

He was jailed for 30 days for violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence that he received for fraud charges, which the 44-year-old maintains are politically motivated. Navalny is one of Putin's most outspoken critics and blamed the Kremlin attack, which has denied any involvement in the incident, Insider also noted.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Police in Belarus on Sunday arrested more than 160 participants in demonstrations calling for the ex-Soviet nation's authoritarian president to resign.

Protests have rocked the ex-Soviet nation for the sixth straight month following the Aug. 9 presidential vote, which was widely seen as rigged to give President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office.

The protests, which attracted 100,000 people or more at their peak, were the most serious challenge to Lukashenko, who has relentlessly suppressed the opposition during 26 years in office. According to human rights advocates, more than 30,000 people have been detained since the protests began, and thousands of them were brutally beaten.

The fierce crackdown drew international outrage, and the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials.

During Sunday's protests in Minsk and several other cities in Belarus, hundreds of people waving the opposition red-and-white flags gathered in their courtyards and marched in their neighborhoods. Police arrived quickly, chasing protesters and detaining scores.

We witness a tough reaction from the authorities, but large numbers of people continue to turn out to protest despite the repressions and frigid cold, Viasna human rights group leader Ales Bialitski said in a telephone interview.
TACKLING COVID

 Mount a national vaccination program, contain COVID-19, and safely reopen schools, including by setting up community vaccination sites nationwide, scaling up testing and tracing, eliminating supply shortage problems, investing in high-quality treatments, providing paid sick leave to contain spread of the virus, addressing health disparities, and making the necessary investments to meet the president-elect's goal of safely reopening a majority of K-8 schools in the first 100 days.

 Deliver immediate relief to working families bearing the brunt of this crisis by sending $1,400 per-person checks to households across America, providing direct housing and nutrition assistance, expanding access to safe and reliable childcare and affordable healthcare, increasing the minimum wage, extending unemployment insurance, and giving families with kids and childless workers an emergency boost this year.

 Support communities that are struggling in the wake of COVID-19 by providing support for the hardest-hit small businesses, especially small businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color, and protecting the jobs of the first responders, transit workers, and other essential workers we depend on.

In addition to addressing the public health and economic crises head on, the president-elect's plan will provide emergency funding to upgrade federal information technology infrastructure and address the recent breaches of federal government data systems. This is an urgent national security issue that cannot wait.

President-elect Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is ambitious, but achievable, and will rescue the American economy and start beating the virus. Congress should act expeditiously to help working families, communities, and small businesses persevere through the pandemic.

This legislative package is needed now to address the immediate crises. In the coming weeks, President-elect Biden will lay out his economic recovery plan to invest in America, create millions of additional good-paying jobs, combat the climate crisis, and build back better than before.

VACCINES, TESTING AND PUBLIC HEALTH

The pandemic is raging, with record high infection and death rates. A new strain of the virus that is even more contagious is appearing in communities across the country. Meanwhile, Americans are waiting to get their vaccines, even while doses are sitting on shelves. More than ten months into the pandemic, we still lack necessary testing capacity and are suffering from shortages of supplies like basic protective equipment for those on the front lines. Americans of color are being infected and are dying from COVID-19 at greater rates because of lasting systemic racism in our health care system. And, older Americans continue to suffer at disproportionate rates.

We can't wait to slow the spread of this virus. And, we can't fight this pandemic in fits and starts. President-elect Biden is putting forward a comprehensive plan to deal with this crisis and launch a whole-of-government COVID-19 response plan that will change the course of the pandemic by ensuring we have necessary supplies and protective gear, increasing testing to mitigate spread, vaccinating the US population, safely reopening schools, and addressing COVID-19 health disparities.

To support this plan, President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to provide the $160 billion in funding necessary to save American lives and execute on his plan to mount a national vaccination program, expand testing, mobilize a public health jobs program, and take other necessary steps to build capacity to fight the virus. He is also calling on Congress to ensure our schools have everything they need to safely reopen and to provide emergency paid leave so people can stay home when needed to help contain the spread of the virus. Altogether, this would put over $400 billion toward these critical measures for addressing COVID-19.

President-elect Biden's rescue proposal will:

Mount a national vaccination program. Current vaccination efforts are not sufficient to quickly and equitably vaccinate the vast majority of the U.S. population. We must ensure that those on the ground have what they need to get vaccinations into people's arms. The president-elect's proposal will invest $20 billion in a national vaccination program in partnership with states, localities, Tribes and territories. This will include launching community vaccination centers around the country and deploying mobile vaccination units to hard-to-reach areas. The Biden Administration will take action to ensure all people in the United States  regardless of their immigration status  can access the vaccine free-of-charge and without cost-sharing. To help states ensure that all Medicaid enrollees will be vaccinated, President-elect Biden will also work with Congress to expand the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to 100% for the administration of vaccines.

Scale up testing to stop the spread of COVID, safely reopen schools, and protect at-risk populations. While we are working to vaccinate the population, we need to focus on what we know works. Testing is a critical strategy for controlling the spread of COVID-19, yet the U.S. is still not using it effectively. Despite innovations to improve testing, tests are still not widely available. The president-elect's plan invests $50 billion in a massive expansion of testing, providing funds for the purchase of rapid tests, investments to expand lab capacity, and support to help schools and local governments implement regular testing protocols. Expanded testing will ensure that schools can implement regular testing to support safe reopening; that vulnerable settings like prisons and long-term care facilities can regularly test their populations; and that any American can get a test for free when they need one.

Mobilize a public health jobs program to support COVID-19 response. The president-elect's plan includes an historic investment in expanding the public health workforce. This proposal will fund 100,000 public health workers, nearly tripling the country's community health roles. These individuals will be hired to work in their local communities to perform vital tasks like vaccine outreach and contact tracing in the near term, and to transition into community health roles to build our long-term public health capacity that will help improve quality of care and reduce hospitalization for low-income and underserved communities.

Address health disparities and COVID-19. While COVID-19 has devastated the entire country, it has hit some groups and communities of color much harder than others. President-elect Biden is committed to addressing the disparities evident in the pandemic at every step, from ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines and supplies to expanding health care services for underserved communities. His proposal includes funding to provide health services for underserved populations, including expanding Community Health Centers and investing in health services on tribal lands. These funds will support the expansion of COVID treatment and care, as well as our ability to provide vaccination to underserved populations.

Protect vulnerable populations in congregate settings. Long-term care residents and workers account for almost 40% of all U.S. COVID-19 deaths. Further, African-American and Latina women, who have borne the brunt of the pandemic, are overrepresented among long-term care workers. The president-elect's proposal provides critical funding for states to deploy strike teams to long-term care facilities experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks  which may impede vaccination of residents and workers  and to conduct better infection control oversight.

1 in 5 state and federal prisoners in the U.S. has had COVID-19, and African Americans and Latinos are overrepresented among incarcerated individuals. The proposal also supports COVID-19 safety in federal, state, and local prisons, jails, and detention centers by providing funding for COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including supplies and physical distancing; safe re-entry for the formerly incarcerated; and the vaccination of both incarcerated people and staff.

Identify and address emerging strains of COVID-19. The identification of new strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom and South Africa highlight a key vulnerability in our nation's COVID response: we simply do not have the kind of robust surveillance capabilities that we need to track outbreaks and mutations. Tracking the way the virus is changing and moving through the population is essential to understanding outbreaks, generating treatments and vaccines, and controlling the pandemic. The president-elect's proposal includes funding to dramatically increase our country's sequencing, surveillance, and outbreak analytics capacity at the levels demanded by the crisis.

GET OUT THE GUARD AND DEAL WITH PPE SHORTAGES

Provide emergency relief and purchase critical supplies and deploy National Guard. Persistent supply shortages  from gloves and masks to glass vials and test reagents  are inhibiting our ability to provide testing and vaccination and putting frontline workers at risk. The president-elect's plan will invest $30 billion into the Disaster Relief Fund to ensure sufficient supplies and protective gear, and to provide 100% federal reimbursement for critical emergency response resources to states, local governments, and Tribes, including deployment of the National Guard. The president-elect will call for an additional $10 billion investment in expanding domestic manufacturing for pandemic supplies. These funds will support President-elect Biden in fulfilling his commitment to fully use the Defense Production Act and to safeguard the country by producing more pandemic supplies in the U.S.

Invest in treatments for COVID-19. Months into this pandemic, we still do not have reliable and accessible treatments. The federal government urgently needs to invest to support development, manufacturing, and purchase of therapies to ensure wide availability and affordability of effective treatments, as well as invest in studies of the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 and potential therapies to address them.

Protect workers against COVID-19. Millions of Americans, many of whom are people of color, immigrants, and low-wage workers, continue to put their lives on the line to keep the country functioning through the pandemic. They should not have to lie awake at night wondering if they'll make it home from work safely the next day, or if they'll bring home the virus to their loved ones and communities. The president-elect is calling on Congress to authorize the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a COVID-19 Protection Standard that covers a broad set of workers, so that workers not typically covered by OSHA, like many public workers on the frontlines, also receive protection from unsafe working conditions and retaliation. And, President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to provide additional funding for OSHA enforcement and grant funding, including for the Susan Harwood grant program, for organizations to help keep vulnerable workers healthy and safe from COVID-19. These steps will help keep more workers healthy, reopen more businesses safely, and beat the virus.

Restore U.S. leadership globally and build better preparedness. Protecting the United States from COVID-19 requires a global response, and the pandemic is a grave reminder that biological threats can pose catastrophic consequences to the United States and the world. The president-elect's plan will provide support to the international health and humanitarian response; mitigate the pandemic's devastating impact on global health, food security, and gender-based violence; support international efforts to develop and distribute medical countermeasures for COVID-19; and build the capacity required to fight COVID-19, its variants, and emerging biological threats.

HOW TO GET SCHOOLS OPEN

Provide schools the resources they need to reopen safely. A critical plank of President-elect Biden's COVID-19 plan is to safely reopen schools as soon as possible  so kids and educators can get back in class and parents can go back to work. This will require immediate, urgent action by Congress. The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, and the students and parents they serve. School closures have disproportionately impacted the learning of Black and Hispanic students, as well as students with disabilities and English language learners. While the December down payment for schools and higher education institutions was a start, it is not sufficient to address the crisis. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to provide $170 billion  supplemented by additional state and local relief resources  for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. These resources will help schools serve all students, no matter where they are learning, and help achieve President-elect Biden's goal to open the majority of K-8 schools within the first 100 days of his Administration.

 Provide $130 billion to help schools to safely reopen. Schools need flexible resources to safely reopen and operate and/or facilitate remote learning. The president-elect's plan will provide $130 billion to support schools in safely reopening. These funds can be used to reduce class sizes and modify spaces so students and teachers can socially distance; improve ventilation; hire more janitors and implement mitigation measures; provide personal protective equipment; ensure every school has access to a nurse; increase transportation capacity to facilitate social distancing on the bus; hire counselors to support students as they transition back to the classroom; close the digital divide that is exacerbating inequities during the pandemic; provide summer school or other support for students that will help make up lost learning time this year; create and expand community schools; and cover other costs needed to support safely reopening and support students. These funds will also include provisions to ensure states adequately fund education and protect students in low-income communities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. Districts must ensure that funds are used to not only reopen schools, but also to meet students' academic, mental health and social, and emotional needs in response to COVID-19, (e.g. through extended learning time, tutoring, and counselors), wherever they are learning. Funding can be used to prevent cuts to state pre-K programs. A portion of funding will be reserved for a COVID-19 Educational Equity Challenge Grant, which will support state, local and tribal governments in partnering with teachers, parents, and other stakeholders to advance equity- and evidence-based policies to respond to COVID-related educational challenges and give all students the support they need to succeed. In addition to this funding, schools will be able to access FEMA Disaster Relief Fund resources to get reimbursed for certain COVID-19 related expenses and will receive support to implement regular testing protocols.

 Expand the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. The president-elect's plan will ensure colleges have critical resources to implement public health protocols, execute distance learning plans, and provide emergency grants to students in need. This $35 billion in funding will be directed to public institutions, including community colleges, as well as, public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions. This funding will provide millions of students up to an additional $1,700 in financial assistance from their college.

 Hardest Hit Education Fund. Provide $5 billion in funds for governors to use to support educational programs and the learning needs of students significantly impacted by COVID-19, whether K-12, higher education, or early childhood education programs.

PAID SICK LEAVE AND FAMILY LEAVE

Provide emergency paid leave to 106 million more Americans to reduce the spread of the virus. No American should have to choose between putting food on the table and quarantining to prevent further spread of COVID-19. And yet, nearly 1 in 4 workers and close to half of low-income workers lack access to paid sick leave, disproportionately burdening Americans of color. Lack of paid leave is threatening the financial security of working families and increasing the risk of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Congress did the right thing last year when it created an emergency paid leave program through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. That action decreased daily infections by 400 cases per state per day in states that previously had no paid sick leave requirement. While the December down payment extended the Families First employer tax credits through March 2021, it did not renew the requirement that employers provide leave. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to:

 Put the requirement back in place and eliminate exemptions for employers with more than 500 and less than 50 employees. He will also make it clear that healthcare workers and first responders get these benefits, too. Closing these loopholes in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act will extend emergency paid leave to up to 106 million additional workers.

 Provide expanded paid sick and family and medical leave. The president-elect will provide over 14 weeks of paid sick and family and medical leave to help parents with additional caregiving responsibilities when a child or loved one's school or care center is closed; for people who have or are caring for people with COVID-19 symptoms, or who are quarantining due to exposure; and for people needing to take time to get the vaccine.

 Expand emergency paid leave to include federal workers. This measure will provide paid leave protections to approximately 2 million Americans who work for the federal government.

 Provide a maximum paid leave benefit of $1,400 per-week for eligible workers. This will provide full wage replacement to workers earning up to $73,000 annually, more than three-quarters of all workers.

 Reimburse employers with less than 500 employees for the cost of this leave. Extending the refundable tax credit will reimburse employers for 100 percent of the cost of this leave.

 Reimburse state and local government for the cost of this leave.

 Extend emergency paid leave measures until September 30, 2021. With so much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, extending paid leave until the end of September will help to limit the spread of COVID-19 and provide economic security to millions of working families.

$1,400 CHECKS TO TOP UP $600

Deliver Immediate, Direct Relief to Families Bearing the Brunt of the Crisis.

As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, millions of Americans are hurting through no fault of their own. More than 10 million Americans are unemployed, and 4 million have been out of work for half a year or longer. The jobs crisis is particularly severe in communities of color, where 1 in 10 Black workers and 1 in 11 Latino workers are unemployed. Large numbers of families are struggling to pay rent or their mortgages and put food on the table. And, last month, it only got worse: we lost 140,000 jobs in December, including 20,000 public educators, and nearly 400,000 jobs at restaurants and bars.

President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to take urgent action to deliver immediate, direct relief to Americans bearing the brunt of this crisis. Altogether, this would devote about $1 trillion towards building a bridge to economic recovery for working families and, according to researchers at Columbia University, cut child poverty in half.

President-elect Biden's plan will:

Give working families a $1,400 per-person check to help pay their bills, bringing their total relief payment from this and the December down payment to $2,000. More than 1 in 3 households  and half of Black and Latino households  are struggling to pay for usual household expenses like rent and groceries during the pandemic. In this crisis, working families need more than the $600 per person that Congress passed last year. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to increase that direct financial assistance to $2,000. An additional $1,400 per person in direct checks will help hard-hit households cover expenses, spend money at local businesses in their communities, and stimulate the economy. President-elect Biden's plan will also expand eligibility to adult dependents who have been left out of previous rounds of relief and all mixed status households. And, his plan will ensure that the Treasury Department has the flexibility and resources it needs to deliver stimulus checks to the families that need them most, including the millions of families that still haven't received the $1,200 checks they are entitled to under the CARES Act.

Extend and expand unemployment insurance benefits so American workers can pay their bills. Around 18 million Americans rely on the unemployment insurance program. Congress did the right thing by continuing expanded eligibility and extending the number of weeks unemployed workers can receive benefits. One study estimates that extending pandemic unemployment insurance programs through 2021 could create or save over five million jobs. But these benefits are set to expire in weeks  even as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens. Millions of Americans are receiving benefits through unemployment insurance programs that will no longer serve new beneficiaries starting in mid-March.

President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to extend these and other programs, providing millions of hard-hit workers with the financial security and peace of mind they need and deserve. And, he believes Congress should provide a $400 per-week unemployment insurance supplement to help hard-hit workers cover household expenses. The president-elect is committed to providing these emergency supports to families for as long as the COVID-19 crisis continues and employment opportunities remain limited. The president-elect is proposing to extend these emergency unemployment insurance programs through September 2021, and will work with Congress on ways to automatically adjust the length and amount of relief depending on health and economic conditions so future legislative delay doesn't undermine the recovery and families' access to benefits they need.

President-elect Biden's plan will:

 Extend financial assistance for workers who have exhausted their regular unemployment compensation benefits. Extending and increasing the additional weeks provided under the emergency unemployment insurance program will ensure that approximately 5 million Americans continue to receive assistance in the months ahead.

 Extend financial assistance for unemployed workers who do not typically qualify for unemployment compensation benefits. The president-elect believes Congress should extend unemployment support for self-employed workers, like ride-share drivers and many grocery delivery workers, who do not typically qualify for regular unemployment compensation. And, he supports increasing the number of weeks these workers can receive the benefit to provide long-term financial security to the program's approximately 8 million beneficiaries.

 Fully fund states' short-time compensation programs and additional weeks of benefits. Short-time compensation programs, also known as work sharing, help small businesses stay afloat and economically vulnerable workers make ends meet by enabling workers to stay on the job at reduced hours, while making up the difference in pay. These programs avoid layoffs and pave the way for rapid rehiring and an accelerated recovery.

Help struggling households keep a roof over their heads. The economic fallout of COVID-19 has made it more difficult for working families, especially families of color, to cover their housing expenses. Across the country, 1 in 5 renters and 1 in 10 homeowners with a mortgage are behind on payments. Congress took an important step in the right direction by securing $25 billion in rental assistance and extending the federal eviction moratorium until January 31. However, American families already owe $25 billion in back rent, and the threat of widespread evictions will still exist at the end of January. Further, more than 10 million homeowners have fallen behind on mortgage payments. Failing to take additional action will lead to a wave of evictions and foreclosures in the coming months, overwhelming emergency shelter capacity and increasing the likelihood of COVID-19 infections. And Americans of color, who have on average a fraction of the wealth available to white families, face higher risks of eviction and housing loss without critical assistance.

EVICTION AND FORECLOSURE BAN AND AID FOR SMALL LANDLORDS

President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to take immediate action to forestall a coming wave of COVID-related evictions and foreclosures.

 Ensure that families hit hard by the economic crisis won't face eviction or foreclosure. The president-elect is calling on Congress to extend the eviction and foreclosure moratoriums and continue applications for forbearance on federally-guaranteed mortgages until September 30, 2021. These measures will prevent untold economic hardship for homeowners, while limiting the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. The president-elect is also calling on Congress to provide funds for legal assistance for households facing eviction or foreclosure.

 Help renters and small landlords make ends meet by providing an additional $30 billion in rental and critical energy and water assistance for hard-hit individuals and families. While the $25 billion allocated by Congress was an important down payment on the back rent accrued during this crisis, it is insufficient to meet the scale of the need. That's why President-elect Biden is proposing an additional $25 billion in rental assistance to provide much-needed rental relief, especially for low- and moderate-income households who have lost jobs or are out of the labor market. The president-elect is also proposing $5 billion to cover home energy and water costs and arrears through programs like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, for struggling renters. These funds will ensure that the hardest-hit renters and small landlords, including those in disadvantaged communities that have suffered disproportionately in terms of pollution and other environmental harms, aren't put in the position where they can't cover their own housing expenses. This program includes a competitive set-aside of funding for states to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency projects that reduce electricity bills for families in disadvantaged communities.

 Deliver $5 billion in emergency assistance to help secure housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This funding will allow states and localities to help approximately 200,000 individuals and families obtain stable housing, while providing a downpayment on the president-elect's comprehensive approach to ending homelessness and making housing a right for all Americans. Specifically, these funds will provide flexibility for both congregate and non-congregate housing options, help jurisdictions purchase and convert hotels and motels into permanent housing, and give homeless services providers the resources they need to hire and retain staff, maintain outreach programs, and provide essential services.

EXTEND FOOD STAMPS BOOST

Address the growing hunger crisis in America. About 1 in 7 households nationwide, including more than 1 in 5 Black and Latino households and many Asian American and Pacific Islander households, are struggling to secure the food they need. While the December down payment provided $13 billion to strengthen and expand federal nutrition programs, it will not solve the hunger crisis in America. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to ensure all Americans, regardless of background, have access to healthy, affordable groceries. The president-elect's plan will:

 Extend the 15 percent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit increase. Maintaining the increase through the summer  when childhood hunger spikes due to a lack of school meals  is a critical backstop against rising food insecurity. This change will help keep hunger at bay for around 40 million Americans. The president-elect is calling for this to be extended through September 2021. He is also committed to providing this boost for as long as the COVID-19 crisis continues, and will work with Congress on ways to automatically adjust the length and amount of relief depending on health and economic conditions so future legislative delay doesn't undermine the recovery and families' access to benefits they need.

 Invest $3 billion to help women, infants and children get the food they need. This multi-year investment in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is needed to account for increased enrollment due to growing hunger and to increase outreach to ensure that low-income families have access to high-quality nutritious food and nutrition education.

 Partner with restaurants to feed American families and keep restaurant workers on the job at the same time. The FEMA Empowering Essential Deliveries (FEED) Act will leverage the resources and expertise of the restaurant industry to help get food to families who need it, and help get laid-off restaurant workers across the country back on the job.

 Support SNAP by temporarily cutting the state match. The president-elect is calling for a one time emergency infusion of administrative support for state anti-hunger and nutrition programs to ensure that benefits get to the kids and families that need it most.

 Provide U.S. Territories with $1 billion in additional nutrition assistance for their residents. Bolstering the Nutrition Assistance Program block grant will help thousands of working families in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands put food on the table for the duration of the pandemic.

$15 FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE AND END TO TIPPED MINIMUM WAGE

Raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Throughout the pandemic, millions of American workers have put their lives on the line to keep their communities and country functioning, including the 40 percent of frontline workers who are people of color. As President-elect Biden has said, let's not just praise them, let's pay them. Hard working Americans deserve sufficient wages to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, without having to keep multiple jobs. But millions of working families are struggling to get by. This is why the president-elect is calling on Congress to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and end the tipped minimum wage and sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities so that workers across the country can live a middle class life and provide opportunity for their families.

Call on employers to meet their obligations to frontline essential workers and provide back hazard pay. Essential workers  who are disproportionately Black, Latino, and Asian American and Pacific Islander  have risked their lives to stock shelves, harvest crops, and care for the sick during this crisis. They have kept the country running even during the darkest days of the pandemic. A number of large employers, especially in the retail and grocery sectors, have seen bumper profitability in 2020 and yet done little or nothing at all to compensate their workers for the risks they took. The president-elect believes these employers have a duty to do right by their frontline essential workers and acknowledge their sacrifices with generous back hazard pay for the risks they took across 2020 and up to today. He and the vice president-elect will call on CEOs and other business leaders to take action to meet these obligations.

Expand access to high-quality, affordable child care. We are facing an acute, immediate child care crisis in America, which is exacerbating our economic crisis. Due to increased costs and lower enrollment, a recent survey of child care providers showed that most child care providers expect that they will close within a few months without relief or are uncertain how long they can stay open. If left unaddressed, many child care providers will close  some permanently  and millions of children could go without necessary care, and millions of parents could be left to make devastating choices this winter between caring for their children and working to put food on the table. Early childcare providers are almost entirely women, among whom 40 percent are people of color, and so these closures could devastate engines of opportunity for minority- and women-owned businesses. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to take immediate actions to address this crisis by helping child care centers reopen and remain open safely, and by making that care affordable to families who need it.

CHILDCARE SHAKE-UP

In addition, too many families are unable to afford child care, while early educators earn wages so low that they can't support their own families. This challenge existed before COVID-19, and the pandemic has exacerbated it. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to ease the financial burden of care for families, expand financial support for child care providers so that this critical sector can stay afloat during the pandemic and beyond, and make critical investments to improve wages and benefits for the essential child care sector. President-elect Biden's plan will:

 Help hard-hit child care providers, including family child care homes, cover their costs and operate safely by creating a $25 billion emergency stabilization fund. This Emergency Stabilization Fund will help hard-hit child care providers that are in danger of closing and provide support to nearly half of all child care providers. It will also assist those that have had to shut down meet their financial obligations during the pandemic, so that they can reopen. It will help providers pay for rent, utilities, and payroll, as well as increased costs associated with the pandemic including personal protective equipment, ventilation supplies, smaller group sizes, and modifications to make the physical environment safer for children and workers.

 Expand child care assistance to help millions of families and help parents return to work. Millions of parents are risking their lives as essential workers, while at the same time struggling to obtain care for their children. Others have become 24/7 caregivers while simultaneously working remotely. Still more are unemployed, caring for their children full-time, and worrying about how they will make ends meet or afford child care when they do find a job. And, the limited access to child care during the pandemic has caused more women to leave the workforce. While the December down payment provides $10 billion in funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, the president-elect's proposal expands this investment with an additional $15 billion in funding, including for those who experienced a job interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to afford child care. This additional assistance with child care costs will help the disproportionate number of women who left the labor force to take on caregiving duties reenter the workforce. And, this expanded investment will also help rebuild the supply of child care providers, and encourage states to take meaningful steps towards increasing the pay and benefits of child care workers.

 Increase tax credits to help cover the cost of childcare. To help address the childcare affordability crisis, President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to expand child care tax credits on an emergency basis for one year to help working families cover the cost of childcare. Families will get back as a tax credit as much as half of their spending on child care for children under age 13, so that they can receive a total of up to $4,000 for one child or $8,000 for two or more children. The tax credit will be refundable, meaning that families who don't owe a lot in taxes will still benefit. The full 50 percent reimbursement will be available to families making less than $125,000 a year. And, all families making between $125,000 and $400,000 will receive a partial credit so they receive benefits at least as generous as those they can receive today.

Bolster financial security for families and essential workers in the midst of the pandemic. The lowest income families are particularly vulnerable in the midst of the pandemic, and President-elect Biden is calling for one year expansions of key supports for families on an emergency basis. The Child Tax Credit should be made fully refundable for the year. Currently, 27 million children live in families with household incomes low enough that they didn't qualify for the full value of the Child Tax Credit, and this measure would give these children and their families additional needed resources. The president-elect is also calling to increase the credit to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for a child under age 6) and make 17 year-olds qualifying children for the year.

He is also calling for an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit for the year to ensure that the lowest income workers get critical support including millions of essential workers. He is proposing to raise the maximum Earned Income Tax Credit for childless adults from roughly $530 to close to $1,500, raise the income limit for the credit from about $16,000 to about $21,000, and expand the age range that is eligible including by eliminating the age cap for older workers and expanding eligibility for younger workers so that they can claim the credit they deserve. Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless adults would give a needed boost to the earnings of several million workers, including cashiers, home health aides, delivery people, and other people working in essential occupations. The president-elect also is committed to making sure that Americans who see their earnings fall in 2021 due to the pandemic don't see the Earned Income Tax Credit reduced as a result.

Lastly, the president-elect is calling for an additional $1 billion for states to cover the additional cash assistance that Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients needed as a result of the pandemic crisis. The pandemic has led to increased TANF caseloads, generated higher costs for many TANF recipients  from higher utility costs to the need for internet access for remote schooling  and longer periods of joblessness given high unemployment. These funds will provide sorely needed relief.

Preserving and expanding health coverage. Roughly two to three million people lost employer sponsored health insurance between March and September, and even families who have maintained coverage may struggle to pay premiums and afford care. Further, going into this crisis, 30 million people were without coverage, limiting their access to the health care system in the middle of a pandemic. To ensure access to health coverage, President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to subsidize continuation health coverage (COBRA) through the end of September. He is also asking Congress to expand and increase the value of the Premium Tax Credit to lower or eliminate health insurance premiums and ensure enrollees  including those who never had coverage through their jobs  will not pay more than 8.5 percent of their income for coverage. Together, these policies would reduce premiums for more than ten million people and reduce the ranks of the uninsured by millions more.

Expanding access to behavioral health services. The pandemic has made access to mental health and substance use disorder services more essential than ever. The president-elect is calling on Congress to appropriate $4 billion to enable the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand access to these vital services.

Ensure adequate funding for veterans' health. COVID-19 has put enormous pressure on America's veterans and on the Veterans Health Administration that is charged with providing and facilitating top-notch care for them. The president-elect is committed to ensuring America delivers on its promise to the people who have served our country. To account for increased usage as many veterans have lost access to private health insurance, higher overall costs, and other pandemic-related impacts, the president-elect is immediately requesting an additional $20 billion to make sure that veterans' health care needs can be met through this crisis.

Combat increased risk of gender-based violence. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated domestic violence and sexual assault, creating a 'shadow pandemic' for many women and girls who are largely confined to their home with their abuser and facing economic insecurity that makes escape more difficult. President Biden is calling for at least $800 million in supplemental funding for key federal programs that protect survivors.

Provide Critical Support to Struggling Communities.

COVID-19 and the resulting economic crisis has devastated communities across the country. Schools remain closed, with students struggling with remote learning and parents  1.6 million mothers this fall  leaving the workforce. Small businesses, the backbones of their communities that employ nearly half of American workers, are unable to keep their doors open. And, some state and local essential workers are seeing their wages reduced or their jobs disappear. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to send a lifeline to small businesses; protect educators, public transit workers, and first responders from lay-offs; and keep critical services running at full strength. Altogether, his plan would provide approximately $440 billion in critical support to struggling communities. This is in addition to funds that President-elect Biden is requesting for safely reopening schools throughout the country.

President-elect Biden's plan will:

Provide small businesses with the funding they need to reopen and rebuild. Small businesses sustain half of the private sector jobs in America, and they have struggled in the wake of COVID-19. Black- and Brown-owned small businesses, and those in hard-hit industries like restaurants, hotels, and the arts, have suffered disproportionately. Nationally, small business revenue is down 32 percent, and at least 400,000 firms have permanently closed. To help hard-hit firms survive the pandemic and fully recover, President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to:

 Provide grants to more than 1 million of the hardest hit small businesses. This $15 billion in flexible, equitably distributed grants will help small businesses get back on their feet, put the current disaster behind them, and build back better.

 Leverage $35 billion in government funds into $175 billion in additional small business lending and investment. With a $35 billion investment in successful state, local, tribal, and non-profit small business financing programs, Congress can generate as much as $175 billion in low-interest loans and venture capital to help entrepreneurs  including those in the clean energy sector  innovate, create and maintain jobs, build wealth, and provide the essential goods and services that communities depend on.

In addition, the president-elect wants to work with Congress to make sure that restaurants, bars, and other businesses that have suffered disproportionately have sufficient support to bridge to the recovery, including through the Community Credit Corporation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Provide support for first responders and other essential workers. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, first responders, frontline public health workers, and countless other essential workers have risked their lives to keep our communities safe and functioning. Educators have worked tirelessly to keep our children learning and growing, coming up with new ways to reach and engage their students, often while balancing caring for their own children. Without these front line workers, we will not be able to effectively respond to the pandemic, administer the vaccine, or safely reopen our schools. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to provide $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, and territorial governments to ensure that they are in a position to keep front line public workers on the job and paid, while also effectively distributing the vaccine, scaling testing, reopening schools, and maintaining other vital services. The president-elect is also calling on Congress to allocate $3 billion of this funding to the Economic Development Administration (EDA). Grants from EDA provide resources directly to state and local government entities, tribal institutions, institutions of higher education, and non-profits to fund initiatives that support bottom's up economic development and enable good-paying jobs. This funding  double the amount provided by the CARES Act  will support communities nationwide with a broad range of financial needs as they respond to and recover from COVID-19.

Protect the future of public transit. Safe and dependable public transit systems are critical for a robust and equitable economy recovery. The president-elect is calling for $20 billion in relief for the hardest hit public transit agencies. This relief will keep agencies from laying off transit workers and cutting the routes that essential workers rely on every day while making these transit systems more resilient and ensuring that communities of color maintain the access to opportunity that public transportation provides.

Support Tribal governments' response to COVID-19. COVID-19 has exacted an especially high toll in Indian Country. People living on reservations are four times more likely to have COVID-19 and American Indian and Alaska Natives are nearly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than white Americans. While the December down payment had many beneficial provisions, it included little direct funding to help Tribal governments respond to COVID-19. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to give Tribes the resources they need to obtain sufficient personal protective equipment, increase access to clean water and electricity, and expand internet access so that children can learn remotely and more families can obtain basic health care through telemedicine. President-elect Biden's plan would invest $20 billion in Indian Country to support Tribal governments' response to the pandemic. These resources will help to reduce stark and persistent inequities in COVID-19 transmission, hospitalization, and death, while improving economic conditions and opportunity.

Modernize federal information technology to protect against future cyber attacks.

In addition to the COVID-19 crisis, we also face a crisis when it comes to the nation's cybersecurity. The recent cybersecurity breaches of federal government data systems underscore the importance and urgency of strengthening U.S. cybersecurity capabilities. President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to launch the most ambitious effort ever to modernize and secure federal IT and networks. To remediate the SolarWinds breach and boost U.S. defenses, including of the COVID-19 vaccine process, President-elect Biden is calling on Congress to:

 Expand and improve the Technology Modernization Fund. A $9 billion investment will help the U.S. launch major new IT and cybersecurity shared services at the Cyber Security and Information Security Agency (CISA) and the General Services Administration and complete modernization projects at federal agencies. In addition, the president-elect is calling on Congress to change the fund's reimbursement structure in order to fund more innovative and impactful projects.

 Surge cybersecurity technology and engineering expert hiring. Providing the Information Technology Oversight and Reform fund with $200 million will allow for the rapid hiring of hundreds of experts to support the federal Chief Information Security Officer and U.S. Digital Service.

 Build shared, secure services to drive transformational projects. Investing $300 million in no-year funding for Technology Transformation Services in the General Services Administration will drive secure IT projects forward without the need of reimbursement from agencies.

 Improving security monitoring and incident response activities. An additional $690M for CISA will bolster cybersecurity across federal civilian networks, and support the piloting of new shared security and cloud computing services.

(Natural News) Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said the remaining National Guard members in Washington, D.C. should leave as soon as possible unless they can justify their continued presence in the Capitol.

Law enforcement officials announced on Monday, Jan. 25, that several thousand National Guard troops will remain in D.C. until mid- to late-March to provide security for the nations capital during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, which is scheduled to start around Feb. 8.

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, head of the National Guard Bureau, said Monday, Jan. 25, that there are around 13,000 National Guard members left in Washington. These remaining guardsmen are in D.C. conducting security missions in support of our district and federal partners.

In compliance with federal agencies, that number will be trimmed down to around 7,000 service members by the end of the week. Their numbers will then continue to be whittled down until there are around 5,000 Guard troops left in the nations capital.

According to Acting Army Secretary John Whitley, the Guard is stationed there due to concerns that agitators might embed themselves in lawful, First Amendment-protected protests to create violent situations during the impeachment trial.

Cotton, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, argued that he has not heard of any specific or credible threats to Washington that justifies the continued presence of the Guard other than aspirational and uncoordinated ramblings from people on the internet.

The lesson of the Capitol riot is not that we should quarter a standing army at the Capitol just in case, but rather that our security measures should be calibrated to the actual threats, wrote Cotton in an opinion piece published in Fox News.

Despite the cold weather and uncomfortable conditions, these soldiers did their duty, in the finest traditions of the Guard. Their presence, coupled with tough federal charges against the Capitol rioters, deterred any further violence; the presidential inauguration occurred without incident. With the inauguration complete and threats receding, now its time, yes, to send home the troops.

Cottons position has been criticized due to the fact that he wrote an op-ed in the New York Times over the summer titled Send in the Troops. This opinion piece argued that Trump should deploy federal troops  including the National Guard  to restore order in cities where riots caused by Antifa and Black Lives Matter have gotten out of control.

My position was grounded in federal law, based on many historical precedents and supported by a majority of Americans, wrote Cotton in his latest op-ed, arguing that there are no contradictions between his previous and his current statements. But this argument outraged many on the left.

But when a different mob chanting different slogans threatened our Capitol, many of my critics sang a different tune, he added. Im ruefully gratified that so many of them have rallied to my side. Perhaps theyll show more gratitude for law enforcement the next time a mob threatens public safety and order, no matter what cause the perpetrators claim to support. (Related: War, riot expert: Anti-Trump agent provocateurs were in charge of destruction at Capitol building, including Antifa/BLM, using tactics as old as the Bible.)

Other GOP legislators question continued presence of National Guard

On the same day that Cottons opinion piece was published by Fox News, 11 House Republicans sent a letter to the acting army secretary requesting that the National Guard brief Congress regarding any supposedly ongoing threats to the Capitol and the reasoning behind keeping around 5,000 Guard troops stationed in Washington until March.

The Guard has endured unprecedented stress on the force in the last year given COVID-19, social unrest, natural disasters and ongoing overseas requirements, wrote the legislators. The National Guard should be used as an option of absolute last resort.

Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, one of the main proponents of the open letter, said that he supports keeping the Guard on Capitol Hill if it is absolutely necessary. However, he has not seen any solid justification for it.

If [the threat] is just online chatter, thats one thing, said Waltz during an interview with Military Times. But we should know exactly what is driving that number. And the guardsmen deserve to know that. The ones I have spoken with, they dont seem to know. To have them here just to stare at a fence doesnt make sense to me.

The 10 other congressmen who signed the letter are Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Reps. Lance Gooden and Chip Roy of Texas, Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, Rep. Gregory F. Murphy of North Carolina, Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota and Rep. Russ Fulcher of Idaho.

We are seeking clarification and justification on behalf of the National Guard men and women that have kept us safe over the past month and year, they wrote.

We are seeking this threat assessment briefing as soon as reasonably possible and greatly appreciate your time and attention.

Learn more about the actual threats to the United States national security by reading the latest articles at NationalSecurity.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

TheHill.com

NationalReview.com

FoxNews.com

WashingtonTimes.com

Though rapper DaBaby is a relative newcomer to the industry, having been only in the mainstream arena for a few years, a lot of people have been fans for years. Because he has only gained traction recently, many fans often wonder how old he is.

DaBaby | Johnny Nunez/WireImage

DaBabys music career so far

When DaBaby first gained prominence, he was one of the biggest artists of 2019. Before he made it big, he was releasing mixtapes for a while and had his breakthrough in 2019. He first gained mainstream attention with the release of his 2019 album, Baby on Baby. The album featured the hit single Suge as well as songs like Baby Sitter featuring Offset.

Following this, then came the rappers second 2019 album, Kirk. He also released huge singles such as Bop. In early 2020, he released his first album of the year in April with Blame it on Baby. The surprise single, Find My Way, led the album. This album has also had a hit single in Rockstar, which was his first chart-topping hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was aided by a challenge on TikTok. Blame it on Baby also debuted at No. 1 on Billboards top 200 albums chart. It became his second No. 1 on the chart and his third straight album to reach the top 10 of the chart.

RELATED: Lil Baby Says That People Wanted Him to Have Beef With DaBaby

Where does DaBaby live and what kind of house does he have

DaBaby primarily lives in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C. The rapper is based there most of the time and is a major figure in the city and community. Late last year, reports surfaced about his new Troutman, which is a small town near Charlotte. Its about 40 minutes away from Charlotte and is further north than other Charlotte suburbs like Mooresville and Concord.

The Charlotte Ledger (via QCityMetro) reported how the $2.3 mansion was getting a lot of attention for things including two-story guard towers and concrete walls, multiple Cadillac Escalades and stadium lighting in the backyard.

I understand hes a nice guy, one neighbor told the publication. I know he does a lot of public service stuff. Ive seen him on television, but Ive never met him. I dont think he does any walking around. Hes not social, he said. He bought it to say he had a place to go where nobodys gonna bother him. Whos gonna come out here? Theres no place to park, and its fenced all the way around.

DaBaby is almost 30 years old

DaBaby was born on December 22, 1991. He will be 30 years old in 2021. Right after high school, he went to college briefly at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro but ended up dropping out. DaBaby told Complex that he came into his own individuality while at the university.

I was just different, he said. I was definitely the only person like me up there, but it taught me a lot. And it was different, but you aint supposed to fit in. That means you special. I would work longer and harder than people who had nine-to-five jobs and Im just investing every single dollar I got into it, he added.

With many of years ahead of him, it is likely that DaBabys profile continues to rise as time goes on.
Panic buying has spread across Perth, forcing some stores to shut their doors to customers ahead of a five-day Covid lockdown.

Metropolitan Perth and two nearby regions will enter a five-day hard lockdown after a hotel quarantine security guard attended more than a dozen venues while infected.

From 6pm on Sunday, metropolitan Perth, the Peel region and the South West region will lock down until 6pm on Friday.

All residents must stay home unless shopping for essentials, attending to medical or healthcare needs, exercising within their neighbourhood or working if unable to do so remotely.

Even before Premier Mark McGowan's lockdown announcement was made, scenes reminiscent of Sydney's first Covid wave in March were captured across supermarkets in Perth.

Long queues are seen outside Coles in Maylands, one of the potential exposure sites, in Perth on Sunday

Even before Premier Mark McGowan's lockdown announcement was made, scenes reminiscent of Sydney's first Covid wave in March were captured across supermarkets in Perth (pictured: Coles Marylands)

scenes reminiscent of Sydney's first Covid wave in March were captured across supermarkets in Perth on Sunday (pictured: Coles at East Victoria Park)

Coles in Floreat, in Perth's west, was so busy there were no trolleys left and fruit and vegetable shelves were stripped bare by lunchtime

Terrified families started queuing outside stores to pack their trolleys with toilet paper.

Coles in Floreat, in Perth's west, was so busy there were no trolleys left and fruit and vegetable shelves were stripped bare by lunchtime.

Some northern suburbs stores were forced to close their doors to try and control the hoards of panic buyers.

No face masks were in sight at Coles stores in Hillarys, Marylands or Floreat, as shoppers seemingly ignored 1.5m rules to queue at the checkout.

Mr McGowan told residents they would still be allowed to go to supermarkets during lockdown and urged them to resist stock piling.

'You do not need to go to the shops,' he said.

He warned that the lockdown will last at least five days, and if there are no new cases, authorities will look to slowly ease restrictions from that point onwards.

The man in his 20s returned a positive test overnight after working at the Sheraton Four Points state quarantine facility in the Perth CBD.

He had worked two 12-hour shifts on January 26 and 27 on the same floor as a person infected with the highly contagious UK variant of the virus.

The man had previously returned three negative tests and authorities suspect he may have also contracted the UK variant.

Genomic testing results will be known on Tuesday morning.

Authorities are investigating how the man came to be infected with Covid, and are adamant he did not 'unnecessarily expose himself' by entering any hotel rooms.

But authorities have already compiled a long list of locations across Perth that have potentially been exposed to the virus.

Mr McGowan told residents they would still be allowed to go shopping during lockdown and urged them to resist stock piling

Premier Mark McGowan told residents they would still be allowed to go to supermarkets during lockdown and urged them to resist stock piling

Long queues are seen outside Coles in Maylands, one of the potential exposure sites, in Perth

The list will continue to grow in the coming days as contact tracers get further information, but already includes several businesses throughout the Maylands region.

The infected employee was registered on the SafeWA contact tracing app, which recorded his movements in the days prior to testing positive.

All pubs, clubs, playgrounds and gyms in Perth will close, while restaurants will be open for takeaway only and visits will be banned to care homes and hospitals.

Schools will remain closed - they were supposed to reopen on Monday for the first day of the year.

Face masks will also be mandatory outside of homes, and restrictions have also been reintroduced for funerals - limiting them to just 10 people for the duration of lockdown.

Pictured: People queuing to get into a supermarket in Perth after a five-day lockdown was announced (pictured at Coles in Hillarys)

The state had enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community

Perth residents will only be allowed to leave home to shop for essential goods like groceries and medicine, seek medical treatment, exercise for one hour per day and work if a person cannot work remotely

Anybody within the locked down regions were urged to stay put to avoid potentially spreading the virus to regional and vulnerable communities.

'We are strongly encouraging that everyone in this area who is from another WA region, stay here,' Mr McGowan said. 'Do not travel further outside of this area until the lockdown is over.

The state had enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders.

Due to the positive case, Perth residents will only be allowed to leave home to shop for essential goods like groceries and medicine, seek medical treatment, exercise for one hour per day and work if a person cannot work remotely.

All pubs, clubs, playgrounds and gyms in Perth will close, while restaurants will be open for takeaway only and visits will be banned to care homes and hospitals.

Schools will remain closed - after they were supposed to reopen on Monday.

Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) warned that the lockdown will last at least five days, and if there are no new cases, authorities will look to slowly ease restrictions from that point onwards

Pictured: People lining up with full supermarket trolleys in Perth supermarkets

WA had gone nearly ten months without a virus case in the WA community.

In March, Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned panic buyers for emptying shelves around the nation.

'On bulk purchasing of supplies: Stop hoarding, I can't be more blunt about it  stop it,' he said.

'It is not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.

'That is not who we are as a people, it is not necessary, it is not something that people should be doing.'
A headteacher at an exclusive private school is set to make history by coming out as gay and discussing his sexuality in a virtual school assembly on Monday.

Nicholas Hewlett, headteacher at the 18,000-a-year St Dunstan's College in Catford, plans to tell students and staff that he is happily married to a man tomorrow morning.

It is thought that the announcement to students by a headteacher will be the first of its kind in educational history.

Nicholas Hewlett (left), who is preparing to come out to his students on Monday, with his husband Alberic Elsom (right)

Headmaster Nicholas Hewlett (pictured) is set to announce that he is gay and happily married to students and staff at St Dunstan's College, Catford, in online assembly tomorrow morning

The 41-year-old has said he was inspired to do so after being impressed with a student's courage in discussing their own sexuality which left him feeling determined to be honest about his situation.

His announcement will mark the start of the school's LGBTQ week and the beginning of LGBTQ History Month.

Mr Hewlett told the Times: 'My only regret is not doing it earlier, because seven years of children will have gone through the school without the benefit of a role model.

'The message is simply have the courage to be true to yourself.

'There will be kids who are struggling with their own sexuality and who would benefit from knowing that you can be happy and gay, and I have a privileged position to show them that.

'I felt that I owed it to the pupils to be open and courageous too. I am inspired by them.'

The headteacher, who now leads St Dunstan's College in Catford (pictured), says he was inspired by his own students' courage and strength and his only regret is not doing it sooner

The headteacher said when he first became a teacher, he was warned that his sexuality would be a barrier to a successful career.

But he said society had come a long way since he was a student in the 1990s.

He added: '15 years ago, I was told by a senior colleague in the school I was then working in that, as an openly gay man, it would be virtually impossible for me to become a headmaster.'

He said he hopes the announcement will be met with a positive reaction by students at the school who he hopes may cheer or wave rainbow flags in support.

Addressing his decision to go public, the headmaster wrote on Twitter: 'If it can help just one young person feel more comfortable in their skin, it is surely an act worth doing.'

The Department for Education told the Times: 'We trust teachers and school leaders to make decisions about what's appropriate to discuss with pupils.

'By the end of secondary education, all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] relationships. Schools are free to determine how they do this.'


Last week, Sasikala completed four years imprisonment in a jail in Bengaluru in a case of disproportionate assets

Bengaluru: Expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala, undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in a hospital, would be discharged on Sunday, a bulletin said.

"Sasikala Natarajan completed 10 days of treatment today. She has been asymptomatic and maintaining saturation without oxygen for the past three days. As per protocol, she can be discharged from the hospital," Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute said in the bulletin.

"The team of doctors attending to her has taken the decision that she is fit for discharge and she will be discharged tomorrow, but has been advised home quarantine," it said.

Sasikala was released on Wednesday after she completed four years of imprisonment in a jail here in a case of disproportionate assets.

Being treated for COVID-19 , the 66-year-old close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister late J Jayalalithaa had remained in the hospital.

Sasikala's return to Tamil Nadu is of political significance as it comes at a time when the southern state is going for Assembly polls in April-May.

Her supporters expect their 'Chinnamma' as Sasikala is called by her supporters to gain control of the AIADMK, from which she was expelled as an interim general secretary.

The ruling AIADMK, led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam, had time and again asserted that there was no scope for Sasikala being inducted again in the party.

After Jayalalithaa's death in December 2016, Sasikala was set to become the chief minister in early 2017 with the party naming her interim general secretary and following her election as AIADMK legislature party leader.

However, with the Supreme Court restoring the trial court's judgement convicting her in the assets case, she facilitated the election of Palaniswami as the AIADMK legislature party leader and made him the chief minister.

Before going to prison in Bengaluru, she had visited the mausoleum of Jayalalithaa in Chennai and made a dramatic vow, though she did not openly declare what it was all about.

Along with her sister-in-law J Ilavarasi and late Jayalalithaa's disowned foster son V N Sudhakaran, she was convicted in the Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case which bars her from contesting elections for six years from the date of her release.

The 27 September, 2014 order of the Special Court awarding imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 crore each was upheld by the Supreme Court on 14 February, 2017.
Korea Fair Trade Commission Chairperson Joh Sung-wook speaks during a press briefing at the government complex building in Sejong City, on Dec. 28, 2020. / Korea Times file



By Kim Jae-heun



A new bill proposed by the Korea Fair Trade Commission's (KFTC) to regulate platform operators such as Google, Naver and Coupang has triggered controversy, with the Korea Communication Commission (KCC) saying the regulation is redundant, and the companies claiming it is excessive.



The so-called "Online Platform Fairness Act" targets up to 30 domestic and international firms here whose income generated by commission fees exceeds 10 billion won ($9.05 million).



The antitrust watchdog's punitive measure aims to curb unfair business activity by online platform operators against contractors or consumers.



If the bill is passed, the new law will require platform operators to draw up contracts on a physical document with its business partners. They will also be prevented from forcing contractors  usually small merchants  to provide economic benefits to them, or passing on responsibilities when an accident takes place. The IT firms can be punished for interfering in contractors' business management or taking retaliatory action against them.



According to the proposal, those who commit unfair business activities and do not follow a corrective order given by the antitrust watchdog can face a maximum fine of 1 billion won.



Woowa Brothers, which operates the No. 1 food delivery service Baedal Minjok, as well as Yanolja and Kakao are also subject to the new bill.



The platform operators argue that the scope of the regulation is too vast.



"In Europe and Japan, the law targets IT giants such as Google or Facebook. But the proposed domestic law also regulates startups that enjoyed rising sales over a short period of time," an industry source said. "Also, I am not sure if we will be able to write up all the contracts for each online trade that takes place every second."



The KCC voiced concerns over the KFTC's regulation on platform operators overlapping with its Telecommunications Business Act. Recently, Rep. Jun Hye-sook of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea also proposed a bill to protect customers of online platforms. This has only intensified conflict between them over regulating the sector.



KFTC Secretary General Shin Bong-sam said he was not worried that the bills will overlap with one another. However, a KCC official said the agency expects a reasonable level of legislation to eliminate overlapping regulatory issues that are of concern to the industry.



Meanwhile, the KFTC's bill has been passed by the Cabinet and will be submitted to the National Assembly this week. If lawmakers approve the proposal, the relevant law will come into effect from the first half of next year.



The need for the bill was prompted by the growing clout of platform operators amid a surge in online transactions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.



Small merchants and restaurant owners registered on platforms to operate business online became vulnerable to potential abuses of power.



The country's No.2 food delivery app Yogiyo was fined 470 million won for banning restaurant owners from selling food at lower prices on other food delivery platforms last year.



Naver was also hit for abusing its power in the online search market for unfair business practices in its online shopping platform. The IT giant allegedly prioritized its business members by putting their products at the top of search results when people search for certain items. The beneficiaries were sellers registered as members of Naver Pay or Smart Store, Naver's online shopping mall for small dealers.


This years Symposium promises to be every bit as exciting as any in the past, says Bonnie Harken, Managing Director at iaedp. There will be a lot to take in and a lot to experience for every participant.

The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp), recognized for its high-level education and training standards for eating disorders healthcare professionals, will end early registration for its 2021 Symposium  an opportunity to save $50 off full price -- on February 12.

The 2021 iaedp Symposium, which will be accessible virtually beginning March 18 to September 1, provides a significant value, given all the opportunities and offerings for participants:



Core Courses, needed to satisfy the requirements for Educational Designation, is included as part of this years registration, a significant value.

The virtual Exhibit Hall provides an unparalleled continuous experience, offering participants the chance to visit again and again and interact with exhibitors from around the globe, and including the 2021 Sponsors and Presidents Council members.

Keynote speakers, who have achieved great success in their respective disciplines in eating disorders treatment, offer their presentations to participants to view as many times as requested while the virtual 2021 Symposium is running. There is no limit to access.

More than 80 presentations and workshops in all, available virtually 24/7 from March 18 to September 1.

This years Symposium promises to be every bit as exciting as any in the past, says Bonnie Harken, Managing Director at iaedp. There will be a lot to take in and a lot to experience for every participant.

This years theme, As the World Turns: Unforeseen Challenges and Dynamic Solutions, sets the tone as a central focus for the more than 80 presentations and workshops, world-renowned keynote speakers, special networking events from all parts of the globe in the virtual Exhibit Hall  all available to registered participants 24/7 from March 18  September 1, 2021.

About the iaedp Foundation: Since 1985, the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals has provided education and training standards to an international and multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions. For more information on the 2020 iaedp Symposium, visit iaedp.com.

Now in its 36th year, the 2021 iaedp Symposium premieres on March 18, 2021. Because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, iaedp will conduct the 2021 Symposium virtually, which allows all participants complete access to all Symposium sessions from the first day on March 18, 2021 to the last day on September 1, 2021. Highlights of the over 80 total sessions include: family involvement in eating disorders, the use of body language to interpret the relationship between exercise and eating disorders and insights into the relationship of brain development and eating disorders, among many others. To register for the 2021 iaedp Symposium, visit iaedp.com.

The Presidents Council provides iaedp support and includes: Alsana; Center for Change; Center for Discovery; Eating Recovery Center; Laureate; The Meadows Ranch; The Renfrew Centers; Rogers Behavioral Health; Rosewood Center for Eating Disorders; Selah House; SunCloud Health; Timberline Knolls; Veritas Collaborative; Walden Behavioral Care; Willow Place.
If anxious humans have nightmares of being naked in public, an anxious ammonite may have dreamed about swimming around without its shell, its soft body exposed to the elements and the leering eyes of predators.

For one unfortunate ammonite in the Late Jurassic, this was no dream but a harsh reality. The animal died utterly unclad, outside its whorled shell, and was buried this way. According to a study published recently in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, the ammonites death made it an extraordinary fossil  one of very few records of soft tissue in a creature that is most often immortalized as a shell.

We know millions and millions of ammonites that have been preserved from their shell, so something exceptional had to happen here, said Thomas Clements, a paleobiologist at the University of Birmingham in England who was not involved with the research. Its like finding  Dr. Clements said, trailing off. Well, I dont even know what its like finding, its that bizarre.

Rene Hoffmann, an ammonitologist at the Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany who reviewed the study, called the fossil a paleontological jackpot you have only once in a lifetime.
Mind boggling. Maze of links. Vaccine chaos. Titanic shipwreck.

Need we say more?

These were some of the headlines from media organizations across the state about this weeks rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination registration plans.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Gov. Charlie Baker described the process for registration for those 75 or older to receive the coronavirus vaccine, suggesting it would be a convenient, online process with all the information anyone would need.

When a reporter asked about any plans to streamline the process, Bakers response was terse: How much more streamlined would you like it to be than that.

It took less than 24 hours for Baker to learn the plans set out by his administration were not helpful to large numbers of the population they were intended to serve. Health & Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders and her team apparently failed to consider that there are still many senior citizens who dont have computers and cellphones and who arent internet-savvy enough to negotiate what to them may be streamlined.

This is just the latest rough patch in for the Baker administrations vaccine rollout. Its triggered a justifiable outpouring of frustration from all segments of our states populace, not just senior citizens. A week ago, a delegation of Western Massachusetts legislators took the administration to task for failing to include Hampden County among 15 new sites for vaccine distribution. This week, state legislators had to press the Baker administration to ensure our region gets its fair share of vaccine supplies.

Three lawmakers, state Sens. Eric P. Lesser, D-Longmeadow, Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, and Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, filed emergency legislation Thursday for state health officials to set up a single portal and a telephone hotline for vaccine registration. The bill called for creation of a central online registration system, a 24/7 phone hotline in multiple languages and statewide text alerts and brings the state Legislature into an active role. Within 24 hours, a bipartisan group of 57 legislators had signed on.

Neither Lesser nor Gobi minced words. Said the senator from Spencer, This has been a total nightmare and is absolutely at the feet of the governor. He has the ability to make the change, and it should have been done yesterday.

Baker has said a hotline will begin this coming week. Better late than never, governor.

Baker may be correct when he says that given the eligibility of residents and the insufficient supplies of vaccines, the process is going to be rocky. It does not, however, excuse the ineptitude with which the registration system has been devised. There must be a registration system that works for all, equitably.

We concur with Senator Lesser when he says, For those with limited ability to navigate the internet, there is no access to appointment booking at all. As a national leader in healthcare, it is simply inexcusable that Massachusetts has fallen so far behind other states. We need to do better.

We applaud the leadership of Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and his director of health and human services, Helen Caulton Harris, who acted swiftly to have the citys Department of Elder Affairs and the citys libraries in place to help seniors who need assistance.

Likewise, state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, deserve kudos for helping ensure Western Massachusetts receives equitable amounts of vaccine. They called on Baker to commit to regional equity as well as a commitment to the resources necessary to address the overall pace of the rollout, the logistics around sign ups, and painstaking attention to reaching the most marginalized among us. On Thursday, they were advised the region will begin receiving 3,000 weekly doses of vaccine in addition to the amount the region was already expecting.

This isnt the first-time members of our regions legislative delegation have had to go to bat to underscore to Baker and his administration how this region of Massachusetts is often an afterthought. This time, though, its truly a matter of life and death.

We must get through this together, as one state, one people, from the hills of the Berkshires to the shores of Cape Cod and everywhere in between. We all deserve nothing less.

Related Content:
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 15:10:42|Editor: huaxia

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People wearing face masks walk on a street in Hung Hom, Hong Kong, south China, Jan. 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

-- Britain's tailored policy for Hong Kong residents reflects that the outdated mentality of colonialism still doggedly persists in the minds of some decision-makers in London.

-- A healthy and stable China-Britain relationship is vital for both. Creating tensions between the two countries will endanger their mutually beneficial cooperation and overshadow the prospect of bilateral ties in the post-pandemic and post-Brexit era.

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Sun has set on the British empire, but it seems that some in London have yet to wake up from their colonial dreams.

Beginning on Sunday, Hong Kong residents who hold the so-called British National Overseas (BNO) passports can apply for settlement and British citizenship. Such a political manipulation driven by a colonial thinking is a flagrant interference in China's internal affairs, which will take another toll on bilateral ties and further hurt Britain's own long-term interests.

As an immediate countermeasure, China said it will no longer recognize the BNO passport as a valid travel document or for identification from Sunday and reserves the right to take further actions.

Britain's tailored policy for Hong Kong residents reflects that the outdated mentality of colonialism still doggedly persists in the minds of some decision-makers in London. They are still pretending that they have some kind of a special responsibility for Hong Kong, which is handed back to China more than two decades ago.

The truth is that from the moment the handover of Hong Kong was done, all the rights and obligations regarding Britain in the Sino-British Joint Declaration were fulfilled.

It means that Britain has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of "supervision" over Hong Kong since then, and the "historical duty" it claimed it has to the Hong Kong people is as misleading as it is fictional.

Students talk at a school in south China's Hong Kong, Jan. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

Obviously, there are at least three calculations behind its new BNO policy: to cash in on those immigrants from Hong Kong, who could bring considerable economic benefits to Britain; to sow more seeds of chaos and divisions in Hong Kong; and to force Beijing to compromise on issues related to Hong Kong, particularly the national security law.

In the past two and half years, London has repeatedly tried to make waves in Hong Kong. The Chinese city, in its eyes, is no more than a geo-political leverage.

The birth of the law to safeguard national security in Hong Kong is the constitutional obligation of the Chinese government and a fundamental move to restore stability in one of the world's most robust financial hubs. Beijing will not give in for doing the right thing.

Those British politicians who are strategizing to profit from fueling instability in Hong Kong and challenging China's sovereignty, may feel "immensely proud" about their BNO tactic.

However, they are just penny-wise and pound-foolish. A healthy and stable China-Britain relationship is vital for both. Creating tensions between the two countries will endanger their mutually beneficial cooperation and overshadow the prospect of bilateral ties in the post-pandemic and post-Brexit era.

London should drop its obsession with colonialism and call off provocations against China's core interests. Holding onto an inglorious past will not help with Britain's present-day global relevance. 
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Do they work? How long should you take them for? Can they cause addiction? Jo Macfarlane asks the experts everything you need to know

Hours of tossing and turning. Lying awake, night after night. Insomnia is a killer  literally. It has been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

Yet one of the simplest remedies is also the most controversial. Sleeping pills, taken by 2.4 million people in the UK, have been linked to addiction, overdose, daytime grogginess and even a greater risk of death compared to those who dont use them. Many doctors believe theyre a last resort, and should be used only for limited periods.

But while they are not a cure for insomnia  because they dont address the underlying cause of sleeplessness  they can help you get some much-needed rest if lack of sleep is seriously affecting your life. We asked the experts to tell us more.

Use sleeping pills sparingly

Medication is a means to an end  not an end in itself, according to Dr Irshaad Ebrahim, consultant neuropsychiatrist and medical director of The London Sleep Centre. But if lack of sleep is impacting on your quality of life, sleeping pills can, in the short term, help you get the rest you need to deal with the underlying cause more effectively. For chronic insomnia, they should be taken alongside therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Dr Hugh Selsick, consultant in psychiatry and sleep medicine and spokesman for the British Association for Psychopharmacology, says: CBT has the best evidence base of any treatment and, unlike sleeping pills, it can cure insomnia.

If someone isnt sleeping because they have a big exam or theyre stressed or theres been a bereavement or they have depression, well be more inclined to give them sleeping pills as its likely to be short term and needs treating quickly. But for chronic insomnia, you also need CBT.

Dr Ebrahim adds: If someone is very distressed about their lack of sleep, its unlikely theyll engage in a therapy programme. So its better to give them a prescription first and get them to a stage where they can engage.

Not everyone can take them

Someone with a history of addiction may not be suitable, and they are only given as a last resort to pregnant women, in cases where not prescribing them might cause greater harm.

Doctors are also reluctant to recommend them to people in the sole care of young children, in case the drugs have such a sedative effect that they are unable to look after them.

If you also have sleep-related breathing problems such as sleep apnoea, a lung disease or severe kidney or liver problems, you may be advised not to take them.

Can you get addicted?

Its the nagging question which puts people off sleeping pills. Dr Selsick says data shows they arent particularly addictive. But you still need to be careful.

There are people who do become addicted to them, he says. But it doesnt mean theyre a highly addictive medication. The first sleeping pills, barbiturates, were extremely addictive, but are no longer used. The latest drugs, benzodiazepines or so-called z drugs such as zolpidem and zopiclone, increase the amount of a chemical messenger in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid. This gives a feeling of calm and drowsiness.

They were launched with this fanfare of being nonaddictive, says Dr Ebrahim. But you need to look at the individual to see whether they, personally, are likely to develop an addiction.

Some anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications, such as trazodone, also work without being addictive. But watch out: signs of addiction include constantly escalating the dose and taking the drugs outside normal sleep times.

The difficulty comes if you dont treat the underlying sleep problem, says Dr Selsick. Pills arent a cure. Insomnia will still be there when patients stop taking them, and then theyll want more.

You might feel groggy

Particularly when you first start taking them. It can feel like a hangover, with brain fog, dizziness and light-headedness. This usually passes quickly and wont last all day. Alcohol can make it worse, so dont drink. And never drive until you feel better.

Some drugs are shorter-acting and designed to get you to sleep, rather than stay asleep, so may be better for those who struggle with morning grogginess. Your GP can also adjust your dose if youre having problems.

They can help with a reset

After a rough week at work, or stress before a big exam, a short course  around three days  of sleeping pills is fine. Those working shifts can use them to switch between working days and nights. But for jetlag, while sleeping pills can help you catch up on your kip, youll still be tired once you wake because your whole body clock is out of whack. Dr Ebrahim recommends instead a short course of melatonin  a synthetic version of the bodys sleep hormone  to help reset normal rhythms.

Theyre only on prescription

Sleeping pills such as benzodiazepines and other drugs used as sleep aids  z drugs, melatonin, anti-anxiety medication  are only available in the UK on prescription. Other herbal-based remedies can be bought at health-food shops or over the counter at pharmacies.

Herbal remedies are an option

There is some evidence from good quality clinical trials that some herbal remedies can improve sleep. Saffron extract, passionflower and ashwagandha root have all been studied. The effects werent huge, but there were no increased adverse reactions, says Dr Selsick. So theyre worth trying. Also available in pharmacies and health-food shops are supplements such as valerian (aka natures Valium) and magnesium, which is an essential mineral for health. A magnesium deficiency is thought to cause restless sleep.

Another product called 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5 HTP, naturally occurs in the body and is thought to boost levels of serotonin, the happy hormone. By doing so, it may offer additional benefits as a sleep aid.

The trouble with herbal products, Dr Selsick explains, is that there is no quality control or standardisation in terms of their strength or ingredients. Getting the same effect demonstrated by a well-designed trial is difficult, he said. Herbal extracts by nature vary  even where theyre grown and the weather as they were growing can affect potency. This is an area being investigated, but the general feeling is that there isnt enough evidence to say whether they help, although they dont seem to harm.

Always talk to your GP if you are considering taking herbal supplements alongside sleeping tablets, as they can increase drowsiness.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption across all real estate sectors in 2020 with owners and occupiers having to make necessary adjustments to business operations in response to the statutory restrictions on capacity and mobility, according to Deloitte, a leading financial advisory firm.

It may not be until 2023, or possibly later that the market recovers to touch the 2019 levels, stated Deloitte in its seventh annual Middle East Real Estate Predictions 2021 report which examines the performance of Dubais real estate market in 2020 and forecasts the changes in the hospitality, residential, office, retail and logistics markets in 2021.

Demand for secondary market residential properties has outpaced transaction volumes for off-plan units, whilst cash transactions still dominate, said the expert.

Meanwhile developers are offering discounts, fee waivers and rent-to-own incentives in an attempt to attract buyers. Tenants remain in the driving seat as rent declines for residential properties continue into 2021, it added.

On the office sector, Deloitte said the office space usage has faced disruption as remote working models were necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Changes in spatial needs are likely to be promoted when leases expire or when companies may choose to downsize or even expand their facilities. The office of the future will blend the virtual and physical environments to enhance employee, contractor and key stakeholder engagement through collaboration tools and dynamic work locations, stated the expertt.

On the retail sector, Deloitte said multi-channel retail formats that incorporate online shopping preferences, alongside F&B concepts and experiential retail in bricks and mortar offerings are expected to drive consumer preferences in the medium term.

The reduction in international visitors due to Covid-19 travel restrictions has impacted footfall and spending at bricks and mortar stores.

Meanwhile mobility restrictions have forced residents to make more online purchases, including setting up online accounts across multiple platforms and familiarising themselves with the payment and return process, among others. This trend is expected to continue even when restrictions on movement ease, said Deloitte in its report.

Growth in the e-commerce segment has increased the requirement for storage and fulfilment centres, boosting the demand for warehouses. Further expansion in the e-commerce and cargo sectors is expected in the short to medium term, with more design and build for specific end users, as opposed to speculative build. Additionally, next-day or same-delivery options are expected to create a requirement for last-mile delivery hubs, close to the residential and business districts, it added.

Oliver Morgan, Director and Head of Development in Deloittes Real Estate team in the Middle East said: "In the short-term, cash management and financing/lender considerations are some of the main priorities across all real estate sectors."

"Macro-economic and demographic factors as well as related government initiatives are likely to define the shape and pace of recovery for the real estate sectors in 2021," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Australias former top diplomat says the government needs to approach China with more nuance and be wary of being drawn into a United States policy of confrontation with Beijing.

Philip Flood, secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade between 1996 and 1999, said the current low point in relations between Australia and its biggest trading partner had been caused by both parties.

Relations between China and Australia have reached new lows amid a bitter trade dispute. Credit:

The call for a shift in strategy comes after New Zealand Trade Minister Damien OConnor suggested Australia should speak with a little more diplomacy and respect towards China.

China last year imposed more than $20 billion of trade strikes on Australian exports and its senior government officials have refused to return the phone calls of Australian ministers after the Morrison government pushed for an independent inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah is in West Bengal once again, with a two-day trip commencing 30 January. After Shahs blockbuster rallies in Birbhum and Midnapore last month and BJP orchestrating large scale defections from the Trinamool Congress at the latter, this trip is about a new focus area  namely Howrah and Hooghly.

In his two-day trip, on 30 and 31 January, Shah will hold two rallies under the BJP banner. The first in Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas, and the other in Dumurjala in Howrah, the day after.

Politically, the Howrah rally is being seen as Shah and the BJPs next big salvo. Several Trinamool leaders in both Howrah and Hooghly have had a falling out with the party dispensation over the last several weeks. Most (if not all) of these leaders are expected to join the saffron party, in Shahs presence, on 31 January.

Also Read: Days After Quitting WB Cabinet, Rajib Banerjee Departs From TMC

Factional Fiasco

The districts of Howrah and Hooghly hold strategic importance in the 2021 West Bengal elections as they act as a gateway into South Bengal, a Trinamool stronghold. While the BJP won one out of the five Lok Sabha seats between the two districts, the party has, since 2019, shown increased presence in the area.

In the past month, a steady stream of Trinamool leaders from both these districts have dissented against the party. TMC MLA and former Minister Rajib Banerjee, from the Domjur constituency in Howrah, first resigned from ministership and then as MLA and TMC member.

After tendering his resignation to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly speaker on 29 January, Banerjee walked out of the Assembly holding a picture of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

I believe that politics cannot be done alone. I look forward to working with a larger organization, said Banerjee when asked if hed join the BJP at Shahs rally.

Banerjee had earlier wept outside the Governors house while resigning as minister saying that he didnt think such a day would ever come. His falling out with the Trinamool, however, has been a while in the making.

Story continues

At the centre of the all the other possible defections from the Howrah district- MLAs Baishali Dalmiya, Prabir Ghoshal and former mayor Rathin Chakraborty- is senior Trinamool leader, minister and MLA from Howrah Madhya, Arup Roy.

Banerjee has had a public falling out with Roy, and has over the past year and a half, made his problems clear to the party high command. Roys interference in all party matters in the district irked several, including Bally MLA Dalmia, who was expelled from the TMC on 22 January for anti-party statements.

In Howrah, there in one man, Mr Arup Roy, and he is the most important and prime person there, said Dalmia to The Quint.

All decisions are taken by him. He decides who does what work. All the councillors in our area think they have to go through him for a ticket, and they dont listen to anybody. They are hooligans and they dont bother about party protocols. He is not the party. He is not the Chief Minister. So why should he take all decisions?, he adds.

Dalmia had earlier said that elements in the party were eating the party from inside like termites. Referring to former TMC Minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla who recently quit all positions in the party and government to focus on sports, Dalmia said that he too was a victim of Roy.

Also Read: Not Joining Another Party: Laxmi Ratan Shukla After Resignation

Rajib Banerjee, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, and even Rathin Chakraborty, who was mayor of Howrah, quit because of him, said Dalmia, further pointing out that she had repeatedly brought this up with the senior leadership as well as TMCs poll strategist Prashant Kishor.

She also accepted that talks were on with the BJP and if they materialize, she will be seen at Shahs event on the 31st.

Speaking to The Quint, Trinamools former mayor of Howrah, Rathin Chakraborty, confirmed that he will be at the rally.

There are many problems that we face while working in our districts. These problems are coming from within the party an within the administration. We have apprised Mamata Banerjee and the party many times but nothing has come of it, he added.

Sources in the BJP say that Chakraborty is being considered as a face against Arup Roy from the Howrah Madhya seat.

The Quint reached to Arup Roy for a comment on this issue, but was told that hed be unable to speak due to ill-health.

The Importance of Howrah & Hooghly

Howrah and Hooghly and have total of 34 assembly seats between them. Both districts also have very interesting demographics.

Howrah has a sizeable Muslim population at about 26 percent, making it the hotbed of various polarization techniques for many elections. Hooghly, on the other hand, has a scheduled caste (SC) population of 23 percent. The predominant caste here is the Bagdi caste that holds massive electoral sway.

In his visit, Amit Shah, continuing his tradition of lunching with various social groups, will have lunch at a Bagdi household.

Both Howrah and Hooghly have also seen recent clashes between TMC and BJP workers.

Hooghly is also seeing a possible Trinamool defector in Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal, who was recently show-caused by the party for his statements, has also expressed interest in joining the BJP.

Sources say that Ghoshal has fallen prey to a factional feud with district heavyweight and TMC leader Dilip Yadav, who is also vying for the Uttarpara ticket.

Id asked the party high command to cleanse these elements. Instead, they are being rewarded, said Ghoshal to The Quint, adding that if talks turn positive, hed be seen with Shah at the rally.

In Howrah and Hooghly a great deal of influence is also wielded by the Furfura Sharif shrine and its cleric Abbas Sidiqui, who has now launched his own political front.

With the elections soon to be announced, the political climate in the twin districts is expected to heat up even more.

. Read more on Politics by The Quint.Budget 2021: How Can More Women Join Workforce? Economist AnswersAmit Shah Plans Howrah Hurricane In Bengal With More Defections . Read more on Politics by The Quint.

The show must go on, as they say, even when the planet is held hostage by invisible microbes. It is an attitude subscribed to by writer-director Sam Levinson and actors Zendaya and John David Washington. With can-do determination, the trio assembled a production crew and set about filming this fiery relationship drama in a brisk two-week shoot that had to adhere to strict protocols to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Fuelling the whole thing was an old-fashioned artistic itch that Levinson is said to have been in the grip of, and it is comforting to know that such things still propel Hollywood films into existence.

After forgetting to thank his wife during a speech at the premiere of his film Assassination Nation, he found himself pondering how such a molehill could erupt into a volcano given the right personalities.

Levinson thickened out the story during a six-day writing frenzy, and quickly had both his Euphoria foil Zendaya and Tenet star John David Washington not only on board to co-star but also with production credits too.

Read More

The titular couple arrive back to their lodgings after a gala premiere. Both look resplendent, dressed to the nines, and sashaying their way into a house that is itself a statement of design and prestige.

Malcolm (Washington) is floating on the back of critical acclaim for his new film, a drama about a young drug addict getting back on her feet.

While he pours himself a nightcap and dances off his triumph, his partner Marie (Zendaya) coolly prepares some food from the kitchen island. Her nose is out of joint but we're not immediately sure why, and nor is Malcolm. He goes on a humongous rant about film critics (it turns out we're a right shower of so-and-sos), while she smoulders over the hob.

The igniting spark comes when he shimmies up to her for a smooch and she withholds affection. And off they go.

What ensues are several rounds of verbal bish-bash-bosh between the couple played out in real time. Everything gets regurgitated up on to the war room table, as a small, but indelible, gripe on Zendaya's part, snowballs into something seismic. There is a stagey, two-hander rhythm to the walls of monologuing that each character builds, and at times there is a risk that the whole thing is about the collapse under the weight of its high-minded dramatic ideals.

Nobody speaks like this, you may say to yourself, especially in the throes of a relationship scrap, but Levinson's script teases out the poison at a pace that is hard to look away from.

As the particulars of the couple's disaffection drop like bombs, there are moments where a rather sizzling pitch is achieved, like a more claustrophobic Marriage Story or a kitchen-sink Glengarry Glen Ross. The spiralling, all-consuming nature of the domestic row, meanwhile, is somewhat akin to Ruben Ostlund's thumping 2014 black comedy Force Majeure.

The pair bark, snap, and simmer, with both actors convulsing into knots of bulging veins and muscular tension.

They make for a convincing couple, hectoring one another down hallways and each licking their respective wounds in full view of the other.

Washington is arguably given more of the heavy lifting to do, and delivers one or two monologues that tread a fine line of hammy excess.

Levinson's long-time photography collaborator Marcell Rev cuts the imagery in fine monochrome, which along with the stately and subdued opening credits and smooth jazz score contrive to give the whole project a classic look and feel.

Whether or not Malcolm & Marie stands up to that affectation we will only know via the test of time, but your gut instinct is that this is really a film for the here and now, a drama played out within the confines of four walls that might hit a nerve or two in these times of enforced confinement.

It is an elegant and compelling thing, and there are subjects - the expectations of art, the role of partners in that process, the ego of the creator - that are hacked open unflinchingly and with gusto.

These are all things to admire about the film, and that is before we even consider the restricted world in which the project had to be delivered.

If it takes itself a bit too seriously, then maybe that is understandable. Admiring something and loving it are different things. That is one thing that these two characters would surely agree on.

Malcolm & Marie



Cert 15, Netflix





Assassins

ifi@home, now



It is well known that truth can be stranger than fiction and Ryan White's wonderful documentary is a case in point. He manages the not inconsiderable feat of weaving together an almost unbelievable main thread about a political assassination with the stories of the people involved. It is deftly done and the effect is fascinating.

Expand Close The two women who killed Kim Jong-nam / Facebook

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On February 13, 2017, Kim Jong-nam was assassinated in the middle of Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Two young women ran up behind him, rubbed poison on his face, and then ran off. It was all captured on CCTV. Within an hour, Kim Jong-nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was dead. The two young women, 28-year-old Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong and 25-year-old Indonesian Siti Aisyah, were arrested days later and charged with murder, the automatic penalty for which in Malaysia is death.

Who were these women? Why did they commit the crime? Who stood to gain from the death of Kim Jong-nam? These are some of the many questions examined in this comprehensive film. Using interviews and footage, White tells both the assassination story and the stories that feed into it. Absolutely compelling.





The Exception (Undtagelsen)

VOD all major platforms, now



This Danish psycho thriller has been accused of being sexist, and those accusations are understandable. A team of men has made a film about a team of women, the central theme of which is competition and bitchiness. However, the context is workplace bullying which is in no way gender specific, this just deals in the generalisation that women and men bully in different ways.

Iben (Danica Curcic) and Malene (Amanda Collin) are best friends who work in an agency that reports on war crimes. It's grisly work anyway but Iben is also suffering from PTSD because she was kidnapped in Africa. When Malene and Iben both receive threatening emails, they start to wonder if perhaps the threat comes not from without, but from within and they suspect their new colleague Anne-Lise (Sidse Babett Knudsen).

In tone and colour, the design is so muted as to be borderline Nordic noir parody, but the palette suits the subtle horror of mind games. It is a specific taste, and although mostly a psychological drama, there are several gory scenes. Ambitious in terms of ideas and concept, the plot doesn't always knit together. Still, there was just something about this that worked for me.





Twist

Sky Cinema Now



Modern retellings of classic stories can work really well. Clueless, based on Emma, and Scrooged, based on A Christmas Carol, have become classics in their own right. So, a modern retelling of Oliver Twist could have gone well. Unfortunately in this instance, it doesn't.

Oliver (Rafferty Law) is now a young man and he hooks up with a gang of petty criminals. Dodge (Rita Ora), Batesy (Franz Drameh) and Red (Sophie Simnett) live and work with kindly art dealer turned crime boss Fagin (Michael Caine). Together with much less kindly crime boss Sikes (Lena Headey), they are planning to steal a painting from Crispin Losberne (David Walliams).

There are many issues with Martin Owen's film but the biggest is that it's difficult to know who it is aimed at. At first glance, it seems like a Guy Ritchie film for young audiences. However, although the main roles are teenager (ish - Ora is 30), their edgy styling isn't convincing and teenagers may not go for it. Pre-teens might but, there are elements that some parents might dislike, including two violent deaths. Basically it's a film that doesn't know who it is for, or even at times, what it is.

Aine O'Connor
Indonesia will receive as many as 23.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine in the first half, boosting the governments inoculation efforts as Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to rise by record numbers.

The Southeast Asian nation will get the shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the World Health Organization-backed Covax initiative, the Indonesian foreign affairs ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Covax aims to provide vaccines for developing countries.

The vaccines will arrive in stages, with 25%-35% by March and the remainder in the second quarter, the ministry said, citing a letter of confirmation from Covax. The shots can be used once the WHO approves the AstraZeneca inoculation for emergency use. The initial allocation for Indonesia is between 13.7 million and 23.1 million shots, the ministry said.

President Joko Widodo told officials on Sunday that distancing measures needed to be implemented more firmly and consistently to slow the virus spread, adding that military, police and religious leaders must pitch in.

Indonesia reported 12,001 new Covid-19 infections and 270 deaths on Sunday. It currently leads Southeast Asia, with 1,078,314 cases and 29,998 fatalities.

More than 493,000 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine as of Jan. 31, with over 22,500 of them completing their second shot, according to official data. The governments target was to inoculate 598,400 people in January.

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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Last week's report from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has been described as a silver lining to the dark cloud of Covid-19. However, their analysis of the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions in this country in 2020 better describes the scale of the environmental challenge than offers hope of progress.

Irelands 2020 greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be almost 6% lower overall due to the pandemic. There have been particular reductions from transport, estimated at over two million tonnes of Co2 equivalent than 2019, a decline of almost 17%.

The Government has committed to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030. In 2020, it looks like we achieved a 6% reduction but this wasnt part of a government strategy or plan.

It seems that the crippling misery of last years lockdowns only achieved the same scale of reduction in carbon emissions that the Government is planning for us to achieve each year. The 2020 reduction happened, as it were, by accident.

The Irish outcome on emissions for 2020 isnt even remarkable in world terms. According to a recent article from Carbon Brief, a climate science publication, the estimated global carbon reduction in 2020 thanks to the worldwide pandemic lockdown will only be 5.5% of 2019 totals.

This particular estimate might not be entirely agenda-free, as Carbon Brief is supported by a group called the European Climate Foundation which aims to promote policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Separately, however, the International Energy Agency's latest numbers project that global emissions will have dropped by 8% by the end of the year. This agency, originally established to secure oil supplies for some OECD member nations including Ireland, also points out that the lockdown effect is six times larger than that caused by the great recession in 2009.

It seems that profound crises have a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions, but the costs are unacceptable.

No one wants a repeat of the great recession, and the prospect of a repeat of a pandemic in the near future is too awful to contemplate. Instead, we have to work out how environmental sustainability can be made, well, sustainable.

The Programme for Government has plenty of ideas for what needs to be done. Investments in alternative technologies and modes of working will have to be made. It namechecks retrofitting of 500,000 homes by 2030, accelerating the electrification of the transport system, and developing a strategy for remote working and remote service delivery. This agenda doesn't come cheap and carbon taxes will only get us so far.

It may be necessary to have recourse to another government report published last week which deals with the national debt. Among its many findings is that while the national debt has spiralled due to the pandemic, the cost of borrowing has never been lower.

Pre-pandemic, the national debt was the equivalent of 41,500 for every person in the country. With further debt accumulation expected this year, the per capita figure is set to reach around 47,700.

Its a crude simplification, but we will have had to borrow 6,000 for every citizen to help protect them from Covid-19. That seems to me to be good value for money. How much should we be willing to borrow to protect our people from climate change?

Brian Keegan is director of public policy at Chartered Accountants Ireland


Another 23,275 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 3,796,088, according to official figures released.

Meanwhile, Britain also reported another 1,200 coronavirus-related deaths, taking the country's death toll to 105,571. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

The latest data come as Britain is stepping up its efforts to speed up the vaccine rollout, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

More than 8.3 million people in the country have received their first dose of a vaccine, according to the latest official figures. Britain aims to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to all adults by autumn.

Earlier Saturday, a British expert warned that some restrictions will remain in place in the country until the pandemic is over globally.

"We're still going to be living in some form of restrictions -- travel restrictions, border controls -- even when we're vaccinated, until it's over round the world," Clare Wenham, assistant professor of global health policy at London School of Economics, told Sky News.

"There's a real imperative to make sure that everybody round the world has at least minimum levels of vaccines at the same time," Wenham said.

"If we want to return to global systems of trade and travel, we need to make sure that the vulnerable globally are vaccinated," she said.

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.

--IANS

int/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 13:57:40|Editor: huaxia

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SUVA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Tropical cyclone Ana, the first one that hit Fiji this year, has caused extensive damages to the South Pacific island nation.

According to a statement by Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) on Sunday, around 10:00 p.m. local time on Saturday night, the center of tropical cyclone Ana moved past the northern part of the Yasawa islands and headed towards Fiji's main island of Viti Levu before strengthening into a category 2 system.

At 6:00 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, the cyclone made landfall near Rakiraki in the northern part of Viti Levu and continued to track south-southeast over the central part of Fiji towards the capital area of Suva.

By midday on Sunday, the center of Ana was located over the coast of Viti Levu between Suva and Navua, a town about 38 km west of Suva heading towards Kadavu in the southern part of Fiji.

The FMS said very strong winds have been reported over Kadavu on Sunday morning and tropical cyclone Ana is expected to pass Kadavu on Sunday night.

Close to the center of the cyclone, destructive storm force winds with average speeds of 100 km per hour and momentary gusts of up to 140 km per hour will continue to be felt over most parts of Fiji, including the main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, the second largest island in Fiji.

The FMS warned that winds of this strength and speed can cause significant damage to trees, weak structures and houses, heavy damage to crops and power failures.

According to local media reports, the tropical cyclone, which has brought heavy rain and strong winds, has caused extensive damages to the island nation while five people, including a 3-year-old boy, went missing.

The main rivers in the nation have surged, some villages in the low-lying areas have been flooded and some highways across the nation have been closed. Fallen trees, broken power lines and landslides were also reported in the nation.

In capital city of Suva, Xinhua correspondents found some big trees near Fiji's State House, the government building and the Port of Suva have fallen to the ground and rescue workers are busy removing them.

Currently, a total of 7,612 people are taking shelter in 204 evacuation center across the nation.

Fiji's Education Ministry has confirmed that all schools in Fiji will remain closed on Monday until further notice.

The FMS warned of more heavy rains and strong winds on Sunday and Monday. The Fijian authorities have urged people to continue to stay safe at home.

Last December, tropical cyclone Yasa hit Fiji, killing four people and causing extensive damage to houses and schools, especially in the northern part of the island nation.

The tropical cyclone season in the South Pacific region runs between November and April every year and Fiji was predicted to experience up to three tropical cyclones during the current season. Enditem


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Paul Orlousky hung up his trench coat and called it a career exactly one year ago, ending his remarkable 50-year run as a TV news reporter.

During his time at WEWS Channel 5, WKYC Channel 3 and WOIO Channel 19, his style of confrontational investigative reporting pissed off a lot of people, resulting in his share of on-air dustups. He became known, particularly during his Target 3 days, for sensational sweeps stories with clever titles like Rest in Pieces, The Skin Game and Cream Puff Cops.

But this is also true: Orlouskys reporting positively impacted the lives of many of the people he covered over the years and affected real change in Northeast Ohio, particularly within the Cleveland Police Department.

The day after he retired, Orlo, as most people know him, bought a computer, holed himself in the basement and began recalling the incredible stories he covered, the interesting cast of characters he met along the way and all those times people told him, You should write a book. He wrote about things you didnt see on camera: the time he was roughed up by Princes bodyguard, getting shot at during a stakeout (twice!), being threatened by an angry pimp after a sting went sideways and hiding under a desk to avoid the wrath of Dorothy Fuldheim.

The result, Punched, Kicked, Spat On and Sometimes Thanked: Memoirs of a Cleveland TV News Reporter, is available now from Gray & Company Publishers.

People tell me it is an easy read. I tell them that is because I didnt use many big words as I dont know too many, Orlousky quipped. I look at it this way: life can be a comedy or a tragedy, and I chose comedy.

Veteran Cleveland TV reporter Paul Orlousky shares backstories behind the news stories he covered over 50 years in "Punched, Kicked, Spat On and Sometimes Thanked: Memoirs of a Cleveland TV News Reporter," a new book from Gray & Company Publishers.

I caught up with Orlousky -- full disclosure, we worked together, though not closely, at WKYC from 1994-97 -- to talk about the book and his career. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

JM: Im sure you dont remember this, but one of my first assignments at Channel 3 was to tail somebody at City Hall for an investigation you were doing. Im pretty sure he caught on to me quickly. So, thank you for helping me realize early on I wouldve been a terrible investigative reporter.

PO: Gosh, thats funny. I wonder who that was?

JM: February sweeps are coming up. Do you miss it?

PO: No. My job really doesnt exist anymore. Its all changed and with COVID particularly contributing to that. You can do an investigative story using overtime records and stuff like that and its very effective. But I prefer to be out in the van, watching people goofing off. I thought it was more compelling television.

JM: This past year was the first time neither you, Carl Monday nor Tom Meyer were on television in more than 40 years. Did you three (the Mount Rushmore of Cleveland investigative TV reporters) have a rivalry?

PO: Absolutely, but were friends.

Orlousky recalled hiding behind a house once, watching a few guys rifling through an evicted neighbors stuff and stealing items. But just when he was about to confront the men, he noticed his Channel 8 counterpart Monday already there hiding behind a different house. The rival reporters made eye contact, signaling to each other they, along with their cameramen, would confront the bandits together.

Luckily there were four of us because the guys had been drinking and had beer cans in hand. As always we were competitors, but friends always and that day we had each others back.

JM: Regarding the title of the book, how many times do you think youve been punched, kicked and spat on?

PO: Spat on only once, thank goodness. My big mouth got me into a lot of trouble. Most of the time, its me keeping the person whos ticked off away from the camera because they always go for the camera first. People say, Dont you ever get afraid? I say, no, they always go after the cameraman first. Their right side is totally blind because of the camera, so you really have to watch out for them. Physical altercations? One or two a year on average. So, maybe 35 or 40, maybe a little more.

JM: How did you deal with confrontation? Did you find it thrilling or did you try to avoid it?

PO: It was my juice, its my adrenaline. We never got seriously hurt, though Princes bodyguard roughed us up pretty good one time. But I always couldnt wait to get back to the station and tell the story. I didnt go out seeking it, but when it happened, there was my fix for the day. I loved it.

JM: Tell me about the incident with Princes bodyguard

PO: It was the week that Prince was on the cover of Rolling Stone (in 1984) and I got a tip from a limo driver that he was coming to town to see his girlfriend Shelia E. at the Agora. We go down to Burke (Airport) and this big guy gets off the plane, probably 68, 325. He says to us, Sorry guys, no pictures. I say, Were just here to take pictures, I dont want any problems. Then he goes, You dont seem to understand, no f---- pictures. I said, Look, Im not looking for trouble. His hand went around my neck, he damn near lifted me off the ground, then he pulls me up to his face and says, Listen, smartmouth, Prince doesnt want any pictures. He threw me like a softball. I go roll off to the side and he goes after my cameraman Tommy Livingston and gave him a black eye.

Still determined to get what they came for, Orlo and Tommy got back in their car and trailed the limo to the Agora.

[At that point] Im ticked off because my knees are bloody and my palms of my hands are bloody. We get there and the big guy gets out of the limo. I start waving at him like Im Mr. Rogers. Hi neighbor. You know, just to be an a------. He was like a bull in a china shop and he comes at me swinging and kicking. That was the kick.

Tommy, by the way, did get that shot of Prince.

JM: Part of the title of your book is sometimes thanked. Youve investigated cops, politicians and shady business owners. But what was the most impactful story of your career?

PO: The one that got the most worldwide press when was I broke the story of the three girls (Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight) being rescued. I was on BBC and on TV in Finland, Australia, Japan, you name it. The most impactful story as far as cleaning up the Cleveland Police Department was the Car 224, Where Are You? story.

The report, which aired shortly after Orlousky arrived at WKYC in 1985, found officers wasting time at an off-site report room at Deaconess Hospital when they were supposed to be out on calls.

35 officers got suspended and thats when they put me on the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) computer as a fugitive from justice because they were ticked off at me.

Orlousky also recalled the story when he helped a little girl who lost a horse in a barn fire rescue adopt a horse that had been neglected and abused.

It was a great little story from 25 years ago. Less than a year ago, a lady stopped me in the supermarket and said to me, You wont remember this, but you found a horse for my daughter. She was having issues and it really set her straight and changed her life and I just want to say thank you. I said, Are you kidding me? I should be thanking you! Its stories like that -- a little, one-day story -- that 25 years later you realize impacted somebody. That really made me feel great.

JM: Do you have a favorite memory about your career?

Orlo recounted the story of how, as the producer of the 11 p.m. news at WEWS, he sometimes cut Dorothy Fuldheims commentary, which was taped, for time. He never really thought twice about it because Fuldheim, a local TV legend and intimidating woman who once interviewed Hitler but was in her 80s at this point, never stayed up to watch the late news. But one time, she found out that Orlo, who she didnt even know by name, cut her segment and there was hell to pay.

Lou Maglio sat next to me and he goes, Shes been down here five times and shes hunting for bear. Im like, Oh boy. So, Im watching the door constantly and at some point, Lou says, Orlo, shes here. I dont know why I did this, but I kicked my chair back and went down on all fours underneath my desk. But Lou had my back.

Wheres the producer? I must speak to him, she goes. Thats the Big O, Ms. Fuldheim, he says. Hes out on a story, Ms. Fuldheim.

Well, you tell the Big O to come see me when he gets back or hes fired, she says. Im looking at Lou (from under the desk), giving him the thumbs-up and saying thank you, thank you. I never went up to see her and she forgot.

JM: She didnt even know your name?

PO: No. (laughs) A real courageous investigative reporter hiding under a desk from an 85-year-old woman!

JM: Do you have any regrets about anything from your career?

PO: Im sorry about the way the Demjanjuk family feels about me. But I think I covered the trial fairly.

Orlo also said he regretted a story WKYCs GM insisted he do on about a group of cops that spent a lot of time at the Hough Bakery on E. 9th St.

It got the most publicity of all the police stories I did and I felt it watered down the other ones. It was titled Cream Puff Cops. Great title. The ad in the TV Guide and the newspaper was of a policeman with a bag of doughnuts with a bite out of one of them. It said, You cant take a bite out of crime when your mouth is full of doughnuts. So, that really stirred up the police department.

JM: So much has changed in the news business since you started. Do you think local TV news is still relevant?

PO: Were always going to need local TV news, but I dont necessarily think its always going to be delivered on TV. People have access to information in their breast pocket or their purse. People can just pick up (their phones) and see whats going on at any time. So, its definitely changing, which I think is why the way I practiced it doesnt exist anymore. But I think theres a need for local news. I always tried to approach my stories with the idea, Who cares what I think? It should be heres what these people think, heres what those people think and then make up your own mind. Thats the biggest change Ive noticed.

Orlousky can be heard regularly as the host of God Calling, a weekly radio show Sundays at 4:30 p.m. on The Rock, Cleveland Catholic Radio AM 1260. Punched, Kicked, Spat On and Sometimes Thanked: Memoirs of a Cleveland TV News Reporter is available now at local book stores, Amazon and grayco.com.
Branches of Subway, the sandwich chain, are facing shortages of fresh ingredients due to the 'impact of Brexit'.

Ingredients likely to be missing from sandwiches include carrots, eggs and cheese, with shops in Brentwood, Essex; St Helens, Merseyside; and Stoke-on-Trent all missing fillings, The Times reports.

A notice displayed on the doors of the shops listed above read: 'Due to the impact that Brexit is having on [the] supply of food, some of our fresh ingredients may not be available today.'

Branches of Subway, the sandwich chain, are facing shortages of fresh ingredients due to the 'impact of Brexit'

The sign was reportedly sent to all franchises by the chain's British headquarters ahead of the new year, in anticipation of delivery delays caused by Brexit bureaucracy.

One shop owner told The Times that they had been struggling to make sandwiches without carrots, eggs and cheese since Brexit at the start of the year, stating 'We cant do anything on the breakfast menu.'

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. Advertisement

Despite this Subway, which has a turnover of more than 7 billion and 43,000 outlets worldwide, said that the signs had been displayed in error and had asked staff to remove them, telling the publication they did not have any Brexit-related supply issues in the UK.

Subway uses IPC Europe, a company owned by Subway, to source ingredients from the continent.

As the Brexit transition ended on December 31 2020 McDonald's also warned of shortages on notices displayed in branches, before later claiming the signs were put up in error.

On the posters, distributed to restaurants as a contingency measure before the post-Brexit trade deal was agreed on Christmas Eve, McDonald's blamed 'supply challenges following Brexit' for lettuce and tomato that could be missing from its burgers.

The posters, spotted by Twitter users in various areas, said: 'Due to supply challenges following Brexit, some of our menu may be unavailable or have ingredients missing; eg lettuce, tomato. Please ask a member of staff for further details.'

McDonald's has since clarified with staff that the signs are not needed and sources say the chain is not anticipating any supply issues related to Brexit or otherwise.

The MailOnline has contacted Subway for comment.

Meanwhile smaller UK food companies have faced difficulties exporting to the EU, with one boss of a UK cheese producing company telling the BBC he was advised to set-up in Europe to avoid disruption to his EU exports.

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.

A notice displayed on the doors of some UK Subway shops read: 'Due to the impact that Brexit is having on [the] supply of food, some of our fresh ingredients may not be available today.'

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.


I think the developed nations of the world, for want of a better word, have a responsibility to help countries in need at the best of times. At the moment this country is suffering famine, war, uncertainty about its political future  the last thing they need in the world is another tragedy on top of everything else that has happened to them. Mr Box, who normally works as an operating nurse in Melbourne, was in Yemen for three months until September after being seconded by the International Committee of the Red Cross. He worked at a treatment centre in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, which is controlled by a group of secessionists known as the Southern Transitional Council. COVID-19 treatment centre in Yemini city of Aden. While Aden was mostly peaceful while he was there, Mr Box said presentations for COVID-19 testing and treatment were quite low.

Loading There had been a lot of deaths during the first wave, before Red Cross was there, the 42-year-old said. The problem was a lot of people didnt present to the medical centre until they were very sick and when they presented very little could be done for them, unfortunately many died. The locals started associating seeking medical care with fatality instead of presenting earlier. I did hear stories of families buying their own oxygen tanks and treating people at home. He said there were also issues with people being able to isolate at home once they had tested positive with large families living together in small apartments.

There were tensions a few times with people being tested  people were anxious. They already had enough to worry about with the political situation, Mr Box said. Its just another thing that has piled on top of all the other issues they have, and maybe thats one of the reasons the public is not really accepting of it. Theyve already got so much going on they just cant grasp the concept of something else going on. Loading Health professionals are growing increasingly concerned that an international initiative established to promote global access to coronavirus vaccines, known as COVAX, will not be enough to ensure vaccines are distributed equitably to developing nations. A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit found many rich countries will manage to inoculate their most vulnerable citizens by mid-March, while poorer countries may not be able to achieve widespread vaccination until 2023 or longer.

The World Health Organisation has described this widening gap as an unfolding catastrophic moral failure. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed on the weekend that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will this week launch a global campaign seeking 100 million Swiss francs ($147 million) from donors and countries - including Australia - to support the delivery of vaccines to vulnerable communities. Mr Box said aid groups such as the Red Cross will need more help in distributing vaccines in countries such as Yemen where the logistics of navigating an ongoing conflict will prove difficult. He said effective communication with the public will be vital. Particularly in Yemen where they cant guarantee food security for a good portion of the country  the idea of providing vaccine security will be a hugely difficult move, he said.
PANIPAT: The Haryana government on Saturday extended the internet shutdown in 17 districts of the state as a preventive measure amid the ongoing farmers protest. The mobile internet services except voice calls in these districts will remain suspended till 5 pm on Sunday, January 31. There are a total of 22 districts in the state.

The districts where the suspension of the mobile internet has been ordered are:

Ambala

Yamuna Nagar

Kurukshetra

Karnal

Kaithal

Panipat

Hisar

Jind

Rohtak

Bhiwani

Charkhi Dadri

Fatehabad

Rewari

Sonipat

Palwal

Jhajjar

Sirsa

On January 26, the Haryana government led by Manohar Lal Khattar ordered suspension of mobile internet services in Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal districts. Days later, on January 29, the state government suspended mobile internet services in 14 more districts of Haryana till 5 pm of Saturday, January 30.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress hit out at the government's decision to suspend mobile internet services. In a statement, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed the internet ban was ordered "with the intention to crush the farmers' agitation" and demanded its immediate resumption. He said the decision will affect professionals working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, students, traders and shopkeepers and cause inconvenience to the common people.

Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally in Delhi called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for the repeal of the Centres three farm laws.

Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument. Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

The Haryana government ordered suspension of telecom services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services, etc provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of districts of the 14 districts and extended suspension in the districts of Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar for next 24 hours till 5 pm on January 30, according to the order.

In order to stop the spread of disinformation and rumours and divisive propaganda through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities.., the order further said.

Live TV
Just after the sun set on Wednesday, Jan. 20, staff from the Auburn Rescue Mission bundled up and stepped into the frigid dark to conduct the annual Point in Time Count.

The 24-hour effort, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, tallies the number of homeless people nationwide. Counters search for unsheltered people and combine them with the people in emergency shelters and other facilities. In Cayuga County, the Auburn Rescue Mission led the count in coordination with the Housing & Homeless Coalition of Central New York.

Gary Mann, program manager of the Auburn Rescue Mission, told The Citizen that he and his staff found two unsheltered homeless people this year. One agreed to take shelter, while the other warned the counters to stay away. They found signs of more people, Mann said, and they might have found them if they weren't restricted from using volunteers this year due to COVID-19. Having fewer counters also made the staff more cautious than usual about venturing too far into the woods, underpasses and other areas where Cayuga County's unsheltered people are traditionally found.

"(The pandemic) makes things a little more on edge," Mann added. "How close we get, there's a lot of hands-on stuff. The one guy, his legs were frozen. So it was hard getting him into the van."
In cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of Environment, and the State Ministry of Information, the European Union (EU) Delegation to Egypt is launching the 13th edition of its photography competition. This years theme is A Journey to Egypts Past and Future, reveals the official press release of the EU Delegation.

According to the information, the competition aims to encourage Egyptian photography enthusiasts from all over the country to portray the beauty of Egypts historical monuments, the modern outstanding projects, and/or the connection between Egypts civilisation and modern sustainable development projects implemented in various fields.

The EU Delegation is offering awards to the first three winners, as well as holding an exhibition featuring the top 30 photos.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities will give a special award to two photographers who promote the countrys rich tourism sector.

The Ministry of Environment, represented by Eco Egypt, is offering another special award to the best photo taken at a nature reserve.

The deadline for submission is Monday 15 March 2021. Photographers wishing to participate can apply online through this website.

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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As regional pediatric leaders, we recently wrote that in-person school is essential. As our communities continue to struggle with COVID-19 infections, we note that additional data continue to support that children can return safely to the classroom, and that delaying this has significant long-term consequences.

Children are suffering

As clinical leaders of our regions only Childrens Hospital, we continue to see the negative physical and emotional impacts of social isolation on our childrens health. Injuries due to lack of supervision, suicide attempts and eating disorders continue to increase in our pediatric patients. Child abuse is going unrecognized because teachers are unable to see children. In addition, the wide gap between available mental health resources and the mental health needs of our children, compounds the risk and long-term impact of our societys choice to value other activities over school.

Children are literally failing

Data from the first semester of this school year show an 83% increase in middle and high school students receiving two or more Fs in classes, with English language learners and students with disabilities more than double the past year. Other school districts report 47% of their students have at least one failing grade. Students are less engaged, with even the most motivated students losing critical thinking skills. Dropout rates are increasing as children fail to see the value of remote learning, and these teens are unlikely to return to school. These effects will be long lasting for our children, and will disproportionately affect high-risk groups including students with special needs, English language learners, and those from families with limited resources.

Opening schools does not increase community COVID rates or hospitalizations

Recent reports from the CDC demonstrate COVID-19 incidence in counties where K12 schools offer in-person education (401.2 per 100,000) was similar to or lower than that in counties offering only virtual/online education (418.2 per 100,000), and a recent study found no increase in COVID-19 hospitalization rates associated with in-person education. Schools provide a structured environment with mitigation measures which may help prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19. (MMWR Jan 13, 2021).

Closed schools are not keeping children and staff safe

The highest rates of COVID transmission are within households, not in schools, by orders of magnitude. In Massachusetts, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, 19,931 clusters of COVID cases were related to household exposures, compared to 30 related to schools, including public, parochial and boarding schools. Staying away from school does not prevent transmission. In a large study of 397 students in Mississippi of whom 154 tested positive for SARS-CoV2, attending school in person did not increase the risk of testing positive for the virus compared to those who remote schooled.

Classroom surfaces are not contaminated

A report in the Lancet (Goldberg, Aug 2020) concludes that the risk of contracting the virus from contaminated surfaces is quite low, even in hospital rooms of patients with active COVID infection. The implication for schools is significant in that the classroom is not a dangerous place with virus lurking on every surface.

Our children are not OK

As we near the one year anniversary of shuttered schools, it is imperative for the well being of our children and families that students be brought back into the classroom. There is now overwhelming evidence that in-person education with simple measures such as masking, physical distancing, and frequent hand washing does not increase risk of COVID-19 infection for students, for teachers or for the community. Postponing return to school until community immunity is achieved, as some advocate, vastly undervalues the well-being of our children and families given the now substantial evidence of harm with remote-only learning. We ask parents and decision-makers to prioritize our childrens education, their mental and physical health, and their future.

_____________

Christine McKiernan, MD FAAP, is chief of Pediatric Intensive Care at Baystate Childrens Hospital. Joeli Hettler, MD, is chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Baystate Childrens Hospital. Mary-Alice Abbott, MD PhD, is vice-chair of Pediatric Specialties at Baystate Childrens Hospital
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned multibillion-dollar Beaches Link tunnel under Middle Harbour was an outdated transport solution. The pandemic has amply shown that we can successfully and productively decentralise where we work, unclog the roads and revitalise local communities. So the notion of yet another massive toll road to help get us back into the daily grind of long distance commutes in private vehicles seems, frankly, myopic.

An artist's impression of the Beaches Link entry and exit points at Artarmon.

I wasnt sure whether to laugh or cry at the irony when the latest round of online Transport for NSW information sessions proved exactly this point. There were no toll roads needed for the various talking heads to e-meet residents via teams from their own dispersed living rooms and offices (the corporate backdrops didnt quite work). Both private and government employers have already indicated a willingness to consider hybrid work patterns post-COVID. Ive been working happily for almost a year with people around Australia I have never met. Imagine what we could save if we paused to think, instead of rushing backwards towards more of the same?

First, theres at least $14 billion of taxpayer money. This will pay for a project that will be sold off to a private company that will reap the ongoing profits. Most of Sydneys existing user-pay toll road network is owned by the giant toll road operator Transurban, which is also expected to snap up the remaining public share of the contentious WestConnex project.

Any future bidders appetite for acquiring Beaches Link will depend, of course, on ensuring lots of private cars and trucks are using it. And in the Seaforth/Balgowlah construction area, a surprise new timetable slashed bus services just before Christmas, despite COVID-safe, masked protests in the normally genteel Seaforth streets. This hit to public transport coincided with the release of the Beaches Link environmental impact statement. Bus reductions are already forcing those who need or choose to go into CBD offices back into their cars, presumably boosting the traffic modelling used to justify the Beaches Link.
Adrian Dunbar has teased that the hotly anticipated new season of Line of Duty is 'coming soon', saying it should be released in 'the next couple of months'.

The Irish actor, 62, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings in the BBC police drama, also admitted it was 'tricky' shooting the 'very complicated' story out of sequence in a new interview on The Graham Norton Radio Show.

Filming for series six was suspended back in March 2020, before the cast resumed work in September after a five-month hiatus due to the Covid crisis.

Exciting: Adrian Dunbar has teased that Line of Duty series six is 'coming soon', saying it should be released in 'the next couple of months' (pictured in March 2020)

Chatting about Line of Duty with Graham, Adrian said: 'The story is this: first of all BBC One are repeating season two from next Saturday night.

'Beyond that then of course we have finished. We started, like everybody else we stopped in March because of lockdown, and then we picked it up again basically after I did the travel series [Adrian Dunbar's Coastal Ireland].

'It will go out, I suppose, within the next couple of months, I'd imagine.'

Adrian also reflected on making the latest series which also stars Vicky McClure as Kate Fleming and Martin Compston as Steve Arnott as other members of AC-12.

AC-12: The Irish actor, 62, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings in the BBC police drama alongside co-stars Vicky McClure as Kate Fleming and Martin Compston as Steve Arnott

He explained: 'We were shooting out of sequence all over the place, so it was kind of tricky getting your head around what all the time is a very complicated story.

'Is it going to be up to the same standards? We're on tenterhooks waiting for it to come out.'

'It's turned into an event of course because people do watch it in real time, because of the storyline, because of the twists and turns.

'We all tend to do that, sit back and go "here we go". So, fingers crossed. Kelly Macdonald is playing the lead this time, and yeah it's coming soon.'

Adrian was also positive about their being even more series of the show to come, crediting Line of Duty's creator with keeping the standards high.

Keep them coming! Adrian also seemed positive about the prospect of the show continuing beyond six seasons as the quality has remained so high (pictured in the BBC show)

He said: 'I think as long as there's an appetite from our audience for the show, we'll keep going. Why would we stop?

'We've managed to keep the standard, Jed (Mercurio, the show's creator) rather, has managed to keep the standard so high for so long, and people love the show. I hope it does go on.'

'But of course everything is finite, I see Peaky Blinders is coming off after six fabulous seasons. When it ends, it will end, and we'll have all had the most wonderful time.'

Adrian also admitted that he is 'nervous' about the upcoming series because of the stop-start nature of filming in another interview with RTE Radio One's Ryan Tubridy.

He said he is usually able to get an understanding for how shooting has gone, but said he can only hope this series will be 'the same standard' as the previous five.

Not long to go: The show is thought to be returning to screens in March, however no exact date has yet to be announced (pictured Martin Compson, Adrian Dunbar and Vicky McClure)

He explained: 'I'm a bit nervous. I haven't got a handle on it, you know what I mean?

'Usually, you've got a good feeling of overall of how it's all gone. But this time it's been a bit more difficult to kind of get a handle on it. I'm nervous about it. I'm hoping it's going to be of the same standard as usual, fingers crossed.'

Elsewhere in his radio interview with Graham on Sunday, the actor chatted about his upcoming new show Adrian Dunbar's Coastal Ireland.

The two-part show will air on Thursday 4 February on Channel 5, and will see Adrian reconnect with his roots as he travels the wild and rugged west and north coasts of Ireland.

Speaking about the perks of filming the show, Adrian told Graham: 'I'm just doing what everybody else really wants to do at the minute which is get out in the fresh air, meet some lovely people, eat some great food and see some incredible places.'

Adrian filmed much of the show in Graham's 'neck of the woods', visiting many places for the first time: 'I try to get out to The Skelligs, and people will know The Skelligs from Star Wars and so forth, but they really are the most incredible monastic settlement on this island off the south coast, the Kerry coast.

'I tried to get out a couple of times before with the family but never made it. They got us out onto it and it really is a big alpha destination. It's an incredible place, hugely spiritual. I think some of the visuals we have on The Skelligs are just incredible.'

Adrian filmed the series at the end of the first lockdown last March and told Graham that he 'got the place to myself, which is an absolutely extraordinary thing' as some repairs were being done and the location was closed.

Tune in to the Graham Norton Radio Show every Saturday and Sunday from 9.30am-12.30pm on Virgin Radio. You can listen to the show ad-free on DAB, online, via the free Virgin Radio app or on your smart speaker
There's no such thing as tone deaf, apparently, which is music to my ears as I stand in a corner of my bedroom on a January morning preparing to belt out a song. I've been told I have a nice singing voice, but I'm not sure my children count as reputable judges. It's my first singing lesson from the comfort of my own home with two of Ireland's leading teachers, former opera singers, Linsey Dempsey and Ross Scanlon.

The pair recently set up Sing at Work, a virtual business that allows you to take a break from the four walls of your home and enter a world akin to X Factor, if just for an hour. Having spent years performing and teaching, they realised the potential of using singing to help motivate and improve productivity and well-being in individuals and employees.

Music has always played a significant role in combatting fear and stress, as far back as the Black Death era when people sang hymns for spiritual healing, right through to modern-day Covid-19 lockdown balcony concerts. "There's nothing like music for your well-being, whether you're listening or performing," says Scanlon. Right now, it's become a source of soothing for those riddled with Covid-19 anxiety, along with a glut of online health and well-being services such as yoga, fitness, counselling and personal development courses, all designed to promote well-being and boost morale - and all being provided by employers.

This month, the Government published its National Remote Work Strategy to make working from home a permanent option for employees. Launching it, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said that the aim was to make remote, blended and flexible working a bigger part of life in Ireland going forward. The Government also intends to move 20pc of public sector workers to remote working this year.

Expand Close Linsey Dempsey, half of the duo behind the company Sing at Work / Facebook

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But as working from home becomes a permanent feature, what can employers do to ensure that team morale doesn't get left behind in the empty office?

Both Dempsey and Scanlon have worked with companies in the UK and Ireland and have seen first-hand how a musical 'gap' in the day can help not just the individual but the company. Rather than going out for a cigarette or a coffee, workers get an hour-long adrenaline boost and a chance to switch off their working brains and recharge.

In fact, studies have shown that regular breaks help to improve productivity and overall job satisfaction. A survey by Deloitte in the UK showed that 80pc of workers engaged in employee assistance programmes (EAP) felt more valued and, as a result, more positive about their employer.

"I remember one client, a CEO of a major corporation, would let loose on the piano for about 20 minutes," laughs Scanlon. "I could see the stress actually leaving his face as he played and sang."

Like the majority of the population, Covid-19 has meant having to pivot for Dempsey and Scanlon. With their performance calendars being "wiped out", the long-term friends decided to rely on their teaching abilities, moving to a digital platform to teach employees working from home.

Sing at Work offers team building and company events such as rehearsal and recording of group songs and 'Family Days', where employees and their kids sing together, as well as public-speaking packages. For now, however, the main focus is one-on-one singing lessons with workers via Zoom.

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They are just one of the services springing up for companies looking to maintain and improve well-being among their workforce. Where once EAP programmes comprised of counselling sessions and legal and financial advice, they now also include the likes of mindfulness resources, group fitness challenges, wine tastings, murder mysteries, virtual away days and escape rooms.

With personal and professional worlds merged for many people since the first lockdown last March, the impact on our mental health is palpable. Research by Laya Healthcare found a staggering 91pc of Irish workers are struggling with anxiety during Covid-19, yet only 10pc are seeking assistance from a mental-health professional - a red flag for future workforce issues such as absenteeism, burn-out and fatigue.

Another study carried out at the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick found that 51pc of employees feel less connected to their teams. "We're collaborative creatures by nature," says Martin Rogan, CEO of Mental Health Ireland (mentalhealthireland.ie). "We achieve more collectively and now we have to do that remotely or in parallel with others, using technology as the bridge."

Zoom has seen its corporate subscriber numbers grow 350pc since last March and while it's been a lifeline for many, signals required for good mental health fall through the gaps when we are not interacting physically, says Rogan. Working at home may mean greater flexibility and fewer interruptions but it is through those interactions with colleagues that connections are made.

"Some people enjoy good mental health because they architect their lives in a way that supports good habits, such as team sports, for example. But we're finding that these people are now suffering in lockdown because their coping mechanisms are no longer as accessible," Rogan explains, illuminating why services that help boost office morale are vitally important in the current crisis.

According to Rowena Hennigan, remote-work expert and lecturer at TU Dublin (rowenahennigan.com), home working is often unsustainable long-term. Add to that an external crisis, bad weather, travel limits and isolation and you have the potential for mental-health issues.

Some companies have been running successful EAP programmes for years, but there are many businesses who have yet to adapt to working-from-home conditions. Paranoid managers imagine employees sprawled out on their couches watching Judge Judy during working hours and, according to Hennigan, it is exactly this lack of trust that's fuelling a disengagement between employees and employers, with   workers feeling neglected, distrusted and thus, less productive. "Often it comes from the top, so if managers are picking up emails over the weekend, they might expect their staff to do the same. Instead, they could start by being more intentional and explicit about remote working. Tell your employee you trust they'll meet a deadline without you checking on them, or that they don't need to answer emails at the weekend."

But seeing the 'whole worker' is also key: building a community support, whether that's a virtual 'social' meeting to check how their weekend was or allowing for personal development time within a working day.

"Those four walls can really start closing in," says Linsey Demspey. For one of her clients, the singing lesson is the only break she really gets in her working day. "She no longer has the buzz of the workplace or those water-cooler moments. It's groundhog day where she's going from her living room to her kitchen to her bedroom." The lesson gives her that opportunity to escape and a boost of oxytocin, the happy hormone we all need for successful productivity.

For some, working from home has been a positive revelation. For others, perhaps parents juggling childcare and office hours, it's been a source of stress. But it has shone a light on the general dissatisfaction with the nine-to-five grind and proved that, post crisis - as the new National Remote Work Strategy confirms - there will not be a return to 'business as usual'.

"All the research shows that we want choice," says Hennigan, referring to a recent National Remote Working Survey by NUIG, which showed that 94pc of people wanted to work remotely some or all of the time, post-crisis. "Remote working doesn't have to mean 'home', it could be a shared office space, a cafe, a library or at home for two days of the week." That's one of the points also highlighted in the Government's report, which said it intended to invest in remote working hubs with high-speed broadband around the country.

From my own work station at home today, I can certainly identify with the 'groundhog day' feeling and the need to connect after long bouts of isolation. However, the thoughts of singing in front of two strangers is adding to my Covid-19 anxiety right now.

A critic once described Bob Dylan's voice as like a truck reversing out of a gravel pit, but it never held him back. I'm clinging to that as I navigate my way through Dylan's Make You Feel My Love.

"Room for improvement," I answer when asked if I can sing. There was a singing lesson once 12 years ago when my husband and I decided we were going to perform a little 'ditty' at our wedding.

Not hitting the high notes is my biggest challenge, something Dempsey and Scanlon put down to lack of confidence. "Everyone can sing," encourages Dempsey. "Singing is really an extension of speech and, like any muscle, your voice needs to be exercised regularly."

Early criticism of your vocal abilities is often the reason why people don't pursue singing or why they believe they're tone deaf, explains Scanlon. "It's the things people told us when we were young or that we tell ourselves that stop us singing," he goes on. "Singing is a very emotive thing; we hold a lot of emotions in our voice and it's not going to flourish if we tell it negative things. You have to trust it."

But it also starts with breathing and alignment. I instinctively tilt my head up and puff out my chest until they explain how we need to rely on our bodies more when singing; taking in the air deeply into my stomach and using it to support my voice while tilting my head down. I'm now standing in what Scanlon describes as the 'Superwoman' pose, hands on hips, sensing my ribs move as I breathe. Then we try singing a trio of notes, sounds and scales. They ease me in gently with Happy Birthday which comes out as a squawk until I correct my breathing and then startle myself with its power.

"Now slightly softer," says Dempsey, kindly. Apparently I have a "big voice" so I try it again, but sing less and find my pace, a more natural progression from my speaking tone. We finish with a few verses of Dylan's Make You Feel My Love. But before that, Dempsey reminds me: "Enjoy it, you're not working. Have fun." For the first time, I understand the mechanics of singing, but also let go and trust.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld recently expressed his dissatisfaction with remote working, claiming the energy, attitude and personality of a workplace cannot be "remoted" through even the best fibre optic lines.

He makes a valid point; it won't replace the energy of an office environment, but for now, while the busking may have to wait, I've returned to my desk with a hit of happy hormones, ready to take on my working day with renewed ardour, while not-so-quietly humming to myself. l

For more information, see singatwork.ie

Ex-China Huarong Chairman gets the death penalty after conviction. Chinese authorities are netting those guilty of corruption as mandated by Beijing.

The Chinese mainland government is serious about keeping tabs on graft and corruption. Communist countries are unlike democratic countries where CEOS can get away with almost anything.

China has zero-tolerance for erring executives, and the former head of a Chinese state-owned asset management company learned the hard way. Last Friday, his death penalty was executed for accepting bribes because of his position. For many, they consider the punishment too severe for a corruption case, reported CNN.

The executed Huarong Official

Killed via the death penalty, Lai Xiaomin of China Huarong Asset Management was caught by drive-by Beijing to curb any graft and corruption. This is especially true with all state-owned corporations where any form of corruption is dealt with.

Except for Lai Xiaomin's execution, President Xi Jinping's campaign has instead placed others convicted in prison sentences. One more prominent conviction is China's former insurance regulator was jailed for 11 years.

Court of conviction and other crimes

Sources say that Lai, aged 58, was sentenced to the death penalty in a Tianjin court in eastern Beijing and executed later, said a government spokesman. According to the Second Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin that deliberated and decided on the case brought against Lai, a January verdict considered his guilt with a death sentence.

Crimes he was charged with are getting huge bribes for investing, constructing contracts for selected individuals, peddling influence, and lastly, favors provided.

Also read: Sinopharm: China Gives Approval For Homegrown Vaccine with Alleged 79.3% Efficacy

Amassed wealth illegally over ten years

During the trial, sources found out that Lai got 1.8 billion yuan ($260 million) from his illegal activities for a longtime courtesy of his position. It gets worse with embezzlement of 25 million yuan ($4 million) and having a second family while still with his first spouse.

On state TV, it was mentioned that the executive jeopardized national financial security and financial stability from his highly illegal activities.

The state's commentary said he brought it on himself and it was deserved by the action taken.

Furthermore, many executions can be delayed for two years, and some are converted to life imprisonment. This one particular execution had no reprieve applied after the conviction of the chairman.

What is Huarong?

The China Huarong Asset Management Co. was formed in the 1990s tasked with buying nonperforming loans owned by government-owned banking institutions.

Lai and the Anti-Corruption watchdog

In 2018, he was a suspect for illegal activities and under watch by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and kicked out during the same period. He was called for public money misuse, organizing social banquets, sexual favors, and collecting bribe money, said the anti-corruption agency.

When his properties were entered to acquire evidence of large amounts of cash (millions of yuan), that is proof of his guilt, said Caixin reported in 2018.

Before execution

The condemned Lai Xiaomin, Huarong Chairman, had the last meeting with relatives before his execution ordered by Tianjin's court. He was not the only one caught but many more.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

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MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

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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

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Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

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US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

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Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

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California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

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Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

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Los Angeles: Actors Mandy Patinkin and Lena Dunham have come on board to play the lead roles in German filmmaker Julia von Heinzs next directorial venture Iron Box". The film revolves around a New York businesswoman who decides to take her aging father back to his native Poland, where she hopes to explore her Jewish roots.

According to Variety, Von Heinz expressed her desire to work with Patinkin and Dunham while promoting her latest film And Tomorrow the Entire World" last year and sent a copy of the movie to both the actors to convince them to board Iron Box". And Tomorrow the Entire World", which focuses on an idealistic student who joins an Antifa collective to fight the fascist menace of neo-Nazism spreading across Germany, has been selected to represent Germany in the Oscars best international feature film category. The movie is set to premiere on Netflix in April. First I watched her film And Tomorrow the Entire World and I knew instantly I was in the hands of a true filmmaker. She tells a riveting story in every frame and the performances are as truthful as I could ever wish for.

Then we had a FaceTime call; she was full of humility, she was kind two qualities that I long to be around. Then she sent me many books to read and an ancient language to begin learning. We were off to the races," Patinkin said in a statement to Variety. Iron Box" is an adaption of Australian writer Lily Bretts bestselling novel Too Many Men. The film is part of von Heinzs Aftermath Trilogy, which examines the legacy of Germanys Nazi past in three very different films.

Dunham said she is confident of having a great time working with Von Heinz is also looking forward to collaborate with Patinkin. Julias film struck a deep chord in me both because of its radicalism and its core value of empathy. I knew I wanted to go wherever she was taking me, and the fact that shes taking me further into an exploration of what it means to be Jewish and the stories we carry forward as daughters of trauma is deeply moving to me. Mandy Patinkin is, of course, the icing on the genius cake. Regional German funder Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the German-Polish Film Fund and Creative Europe supported the development of Iron Box".




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Gorakhpur : , Jan 31 (IANS) It has taken just three and a half years for this paediatrician to turn into a history-sheeter.

A suspended paediatrician, seeking his reinstatement at the BRD Medical College, Dr Kafeel Khan has now been declared a history-sheeter which will ensure that he remains under police surveillance.

In a video message on Saturday, Khan said, "The situation in UP is such that no surveillance is being done on criminals and a history sheet is being opened against those, including me, who are innocent." Khan alleged that this was "state-sponsored victimization." According to circle officer, Gorakhpur, Virendra Pratap Singh, Khan's history-sheet has been opened at Rajghat police station. As per Rajghat police station record, the history sheet number is 50-A with five cases against Khan, including three in Gorakhpur and one each in Delhi and Aligarh.

Khan said, "Give me two security guards who will keep surveillance on me round-the-clock so that I can be saved from getting framed in false cases. Since I have been freed from (jail under) the NSA (National Security Act), I am regularly writing to them (government) every month to return me my job so that I can serve children and the country as a doctor." Khan, it may be recalled, was arrested along with other doctors and staff members, after several children died due to lack of oxygen at the BRD Medical College and Hospital in August 2017. However, he was later cleared of all charges in a departmental inquiry.

But after getting bail in April 2018, Dr Khan was again arrested in September that year for allegedly creating nuisance at the district hospital in Bahraich.

His family claimed he had gone there after receiving information that children had died due to an unknown disease while hospital authorities alleged that he was questioning families of patients without permission.

Days after he received bail, he was again arrested, along with his brother Adeel, by the Gorakhpur police for allegedly opening a bank account using fake documents. The brothers later got bail.

In January 29 last year, Khan was arrested from the Mumbai airport for allegedly making a provocative speech at the Aligarh Muslim University in December 2019 during a students' protest against the citizenship law.

A case was filed on various charges, including promoting enmity between two groups, and Dr Khan was lodged in Mathura jail. The Aligarh district administration invoked the NSA against him on February 13.

Months later, the Allahabad High Court set him free in a verdict on September 1, 2020, calling his detention "not sustainable in the eye of law". The court said the invocation of NSA was based on a "selective reading and selective mention of few phrases from the speech ignoring its true intent".

However, the UP government moved a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the judgment but a bench led by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde refused to interfere, saying that "it seems to be a good order".

The doctor, along with his family, has shifted to Jaipur in Rajasthan soon after his release. His two brothers - Adeel Ahmed and Kashif Jameel - have also left Gorakhpur along with their families and shifted to Jaipur.

His brother, Adeel Ahmad, said, "We were forced to leave Gorakhpur because the scenario was getting worse day-by-day.

My brother Kashif Jameel was attacked and suffered bullet injuries. Police were framing false cases against me and younger brother Kafeel. When Kafeel came out of jail, we got information that police were planning to invoke another case against him. We all then decided to leave UP at the earliest. We are staying in a rented accommodation, while surviving on savings and selling our lands." Adeel further said, "There are four cases pending against Kafeel. Two other cases, one each in Gorakhpur and Delhi, have been disposed of because of false allegations."
Within days, she received an email from the head of Nissans audit committee, Motoo Nagai, removing her from investigations related to Mr. Nada. Her investigation was subsequently suspended, according to a briefing prepared for Nissan executives.

On Sept. 9, Ms. Murray resigned. Shortly after, Ravinder Passi, Nissans global legal counsel, was removed from matters involving the investigation, a decision that followed his repeated attempts to raise concerns about Mr. Nada with Nissans directors.

In a previous statement, Nissan said that Mr. Passi was removed because of unspecified conflicts of interest. Nissan lawyers, according to people familiar with their thinking, believed the decision was related to his concerns about Mr. Nadas role in the investigation. The change was announced in an email from Mr. Nada to the legal department.

The following week, news reports, including in The Times, detailed some of Mr. Nadas conflicts of interest. Nissan removed him from the head of the legal and security departments, giving him the title senior adviser overseeing special projects.

At the time, Nissan said it had found no evidence of inappropriate involvement by Nada in the internal investigation into executive misconduct.

Kathryn Carlile, who had spent years working as Mr. Nadas assistant, took over Mr. Passis responsibilities for the Ghosn investigation. She herself had worked, at Mr. Nadas direction, on some matters covered by the Kali-10 investigation, according to the documents.

Nissan declined to make Mr. Nagai or Ms. Carlile available for comment.

On Nov. 11, Nissan fired Mr. Passi. In a statement to The Times, Mr. Passi said that he was pursuing two legal actions against the company in Britain, where he now resides, for wrongful termination and retaliatory actions taken in response to his attempts to draw attention to problems at the company.
In the previous Flashback post we mentioned that Ericsson produced a special Coca-Cola edition phone. And this was years before the Pepsi phone, mind you. But we wont just focus on beverage-branded phones today, instead well go for general weirdness. Here are some more weird phones from unexpected brands.

The phone with a sweet tooth

Launched at the end of 2000, a year after the unflavored model became available, the Ericsson A1018s Coca-Cola special edition arrived in the UK. This wasnt available to just anyone, oh no, you had to earn it.

And by earn it we mean that you had to collect 60 ring pulls from Coke cans and/or phone tokens (paper tokens you could find attached to select bottles).



The Ericsson A1018s Coca-Cola special edition (image credit)

What you get in return was a promotional package with extensive Coca-Cola branding. This includes the phone itself, which had a branded front panel, the carrier logo on the screen was also swapped out. Even better the pre-loaded ringtone played the Coca-Cola theme, but that was about it.

There are a few of these phones  and their original packaging  on eBay if you want to add one to your collection.

The disposable phone

When you hear the Bic brand name, do you think pens or disposable razors? Whoever is responsible for this next item was thinking the latter  meet the Bic Phone, a disposable phone marketed in France and Spain by Orange.

It was really an alcatel OT-S210 with the Bic Boy painted on (Bic was barely involved in this, it just collected royalty payments for lending its name). Anyway, heres the idea behind this questionable gadget.



The (not quite) disposable Bic Phone

The Bic Phone would sell for 19 and come with a charged battery and 10 minutes of talk time. The battery would last up to 4 hours of calls (and you could listen to FM radio). The battery was easy to recharge over microUSB, but recharging the minutes was a much bigger hassle.

You had to mail a registration form to Orange, once accepted, this added 50 minutes of talk time. Afterwards, more minutes could be added with Mobicarte vouchers. So, this isnt really disposable, but also not something meant for long-time use. It was something you would buy at the airport, use up and stick in a drawer for the rest of time.

Considering that theres a growing support for reducing electronic waste, youd think that the Bic Phone was something from the 90s or even 80s. Nope, Orange concocted this idea in 2008.

The phone with 11 herbs and spices

Colonel Sanders has a secret recipe for fried chicken, but we never expected him to cook up a smartphone. And yet in 2017 thats just what he did  KFC was celebrating its 30 year anniversary since opening its first store in China and launched an Android-powered phone for super fans (based on the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus).



Hand-breaded, freshly-prepared, finger-lickin' good... Huawei smartphone

Only 5,000 units were made and they were available through a special page on Tmall or through the KFC app. This app was really the star of the show  it came pre-loaded on the phone and was popular because it allowed users to order and pay through their phone. Any phone, mind you, not just the KFC one. Not bad, even if not quite amazing for 2017.

The K-music app was even more interesting. It put users in control of the music playlist in the KFC restaurant they were visiting  the company boasted 4,000 KFC locations in China at the time.

The phone that was a SatNav

Well, two phones, actually. Have you heard the term SatNav? It stands for Satellite Navigation and refers to digital devices that use GPS (and similar positioning systems) to offer driving directions. Yes, just like every smartphone under the Sun today.



The Asus-Garmin Nuvifone G60 was all about satellite navigation

But this was 2009 and digital maps still required expensive purchases and subscriptions (this was before Nokia dropped the bomb). Garmin had a long history of building GPS devices  anything from hand-held receivers to plane cockpits  while Asus brought in the phone know-how. A match made in heaven.



The nuvifone G60 ran a custom Linux-based OS

Two phones were demoed at MWC 2009 (check out our report from then). The Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 had a 3.55 resistive touchscreen (272 x 480 px), ran a custom Linux distro and had 4GB of on-board storage (plus a microSD slot, maps can be huge if you want to traverse a whole continent).

The other was the Garmin-Asus nuvifone M20, a Windows Mobile 6.1 device (later updated to 6.5). It had a smaller but much sharper display, 2.8 with 480 x 640 px resolution, and was powerd by an early Qualcomm chipset (528 MHz CPU).



The Garmin-Asus nuvifone M20 was smaller and ran Windows Mobile

Both had on-board GPS receivers, of course, as well as a compass. The loudspeaker lived up to its name as a voice blasted from it, giving you turn-by-turn directions. There was also Ciao!, which was billed as a location-based social networking app. Its main feature was the ability to share your location with your friend (who could then use their Garmin device to navigate your location).



A look around the nuvifone M20

Anyway, the following year the two companies released the nuvifone A50, an Android 2.1 Eclair phone, and the nuvifone M10, another Windows Mobile device. They featured Garmins PhotoReal Junction View. No, not like Street View, a 3D rendering of the junction, but still quite useful.

On the next Weird phones...

That wraps it up for today, but there are other weird gadgets to cover in future installments - we can almost taste them... okay, we should probably lay off the junk food smartphones.
Talk show host Drew Barrymore's ex-husband #3 Will Kopelman announced his engagement to Vogue director of fashion initiatives Alexandra Michler on Saturday.

The 42-year-old art consultant reportedly wrote of his 33-year-old bride-to-be on his private Instagram account: 'Love you love you love you love 1/30/2021.'

Will's announcement came only one month after going Instagram official with Alexandra, who was previously romantically linked to Bitcoin investor Tyler Winklevoss.

'Love you love you love you love!' Talk show host Drew Barrymore's ex-husband #3 Will Kopelman announced his engagement to Vogue director of fashion initiatives Alexandra Michler on Saturday

Whirlwind: The 42-year-old art consultant's (L) announcement came only one month after going Instagram official with his 33-year-old bride-to-be (R), who was previously romantically linked to Bitcoin investor Tyler Winklevoss

Kopelman and the Golden Globe winner - turning 46 next month - amicably ended their four-year marriage in 2016.

Divorce was the 'last thing' Drew wanted for their eight-year-old daughter Olive and six-year-old daughter Frankie because she did 'not grow up with any family whatsoever.'

'I really did not take divorce well. I took it really hard,' Barrymore admitted on Sunday Today with Willie Geist in October.

'I was, like, "Oh, the ultimate promise I wanted to make with you and for you was to have this amazing family. And I found them. And there's something not working that isn't livable. How tragic is that?"'

Five years ago: Will and the Golden Globe winner - turning 46 next month - amicably ended their four-year marriage in 2016 (pictured in 2015)

'I really did not take divorce well': Divorce was the 'last thing' Drew wanted for their six-year-old daughter Frankie (L) and eight-year-old daughter Olive (R) because she did 'not grow up with any family whatsoever' (pictured in 2018)

Barrymore admitted on Sunday Today with Willie Geist in October: 'I was, like, "Oh, the ultimate promise I wanted to make with you and for you was to have this amazing family. And I found them. And there's something not working that isn't livable. How tragic is that?"'

And while the former child star said she was 'scared to find love again,' she has since joined a dating app - most likely the exclusive celebrity favorite, Raya.

'It's true. I got back on a dating app [while binge-watching Netflix's] Bridgerton,' Drew confessed on the January 15th episode of her syndicated daytime talk show.

'I was like, "I'm not dead, I'm not dead!" For me, that was a big step.'

Barrymore previously divorced Canadian comedian Tom Green in 2002 after 15 months of marriage, and British bar owner Jeremy Thomas in 1995 after less than two months of marriage.

Could it be? And while the former child star said she was 'scared to find love again,' she has since joined a dating app - most likely the exclusive celebrity favorite, Raya

Drew confessed on the January 15th episode of her syndicated daytime talk show: 'It's true. I got back on a dating app [while binge-watching Netflix's] Bridgerton. I was like, "I'm not dead, I'm not dead!" For me, that was a big step'
It was the third time that members of the sector gather in the capital to protest the governmentally enforced closure.

The organisers of the protest communicated on Saturday evening that the expected crowd of 150 people had been exceeded by 200 demonstrators. Members of the Horesca sector thus walked from Place Guillaume II to the Chamber of Deputies, demanding that both restaurants and bars are allowed to open their businesses once more.

The administration recently decided to prolong the current measures and restrictions until 21 February in an attempt to limit the spread of new coronavirus variants. The Horesca sector laments this decision and emphasises that the government support is not coming in fast enough. Businesses want to reopen, even if they still have to apply additional safety measures.

Last year, 127 businesses in the sector had to shut down forever. Although 44 fewer than in 2019, the fear of bankruptcies persists. Businesses therefore demand that they be given a clearer perspective on how to move forward. Especially smaller bars and restaurants are nearing their financial limits.
An urgent alert has been issued for 15 venues in Perth after they were visited by a security guard working at a quarantine hotel who tested positive to Covid.

The city, along with the Peel region and Western Australia's South West, will enter a harsh five-day lockdown from 6pm on Sunday after the man in his 20s returned the positive result.

Residents who visited any of the 15 locations, including a Coles supermarket, a KFC and a 7-Eleven at specific dates and times have been told to get tested immediately and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.

The venues are spread across the suburbs of Maylands, Midland, Morley, Cloverdale, Burswood, North Perth, Perth and Nedlands.

Long queues are seen outside Coles in Maylands, one of the potential exposure sites, in Perth, on Sunday

Anyone who visited the KFC Maylands (pictured) on January 27 from 6pm to midday must attend a Covid clinic to be tested

Those who attended Spudshed, Coventry Village in Morley (pictured) on January 27 from 8pm to midnight must also get tested

Anybody who visited one of the following locations must seek Covid testing immediately and self isolate until they receive a negative result:

Coles Maylands on January 25 between 8pm and 10pm and January 29 between 8pm and 9pm

KFC Maylands on January 27 between 6pm and midnight

Mitsubishi Motors in Midland on January 27 from 7pm to close

Spudshed, Coventry Village in Morley on January 27 from 8pm to midnight

ECU Joondalup on January 28 from 11am to 2pm

Consulate general of India in St Georges Terrace on January 28 at 5pm

Halal Grocery Store in Cloverdale on January 28 from 7pm to 9pm

Venus ladies and gentleman hair design in Maylands on January 29 between 1pm and 3pm

Perth Convention Centre on January 29 between 4pm and 6pm

Nedlands GP on January 29 between 5pm and 6pm

Chemist Warehouse North Perth on January 29 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm

7-Eleven Ascot petrol station on January 29 from 8pm to 9pm

Coles Express Shell Clovedale on January 30 between 12pm and 3pm

Puma Service Station in Burswood on January 30 from 11am until 12pm

Pharmacy 777 at Maylands Park shopping centre on January 30 from 2.30pm to 4pm

The alert comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned the next few days will be difficult for the 80 per cent of Western Australia's population who will not be allowed to leave home except for four essential reasons.

'The coming days will be difficult for many Western Australians but we're confident WA will be able to get on top of the current outbreak,' Mr Morrison said.

'A big thank you to everyone in WA for your patience and cooperation as we all work to fight this terrible virus.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the days ahead will be a difficult period for the Western Australia residents subject to the harsh lockdown

Anyone who attended the Mitsubishi Motors car dealership in Midland (pictured) on January 27 from 7pm to close must get tested for Covid

Shoppers who were at the Coles Maylands supermarket (pictured) on January 25 from 8pm to 10pm and on January 29 from 8pm to 9pm must go to a Covid clinic so they can be tested

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said it was imperative residents came forward for testing and noted it was likely more venues would be added to the list of potential exposure sites.

'People who have been to these venues on these dates must attend a COVID clinic and get tested,' he said.

'In addition, people who live or work in the Falkirk Avenue, Maylands area including Coles, Liquorland and the Maylands shopping precinct should present for a test.

'They must then go home and isolate until their negative test results are returned.

The investigation is on-going by our public health team, and it is likely more locations will be added following further discussions with the man.'

Close contacts of the security guard will be required to quarantine for 14 days. They will be contacted by health authorities.

'The man's immediate household contacts have been contacted, tested and placed in isolation at State managed quarantine facilities to complete a 14-day quarantine period,' Mr McGowan said.

'All three have tested negative (Sunday) morning. However, we can expect that they will become positive in coming days.

Perth, Peel and the South West will enter a strict lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population

Those who were at Venus Ladies and Gentleman Hair Design Maylands hairdressers (pictured) on January 29 from 1pm to 3pm must be tested for Covid

Residents who visited the Pharmacy 777 at Maylands Park Shopping Centre (pictured) January 30 from 2.30pm to 4pm must get a Covid test

'Genome sequencing is underway on the positive case and results will be known by Tuesday morning.'

Residents who have not been to the venues but develop any Covid-like symptoms are also urged to come forward for testing.

Mr McGowan warned there may be delays in testing, and suggested people take 'a hat, sunscreen and some water' while they queue up in Perth's scorching hot summer.

Testing clinic locations will be announced shortly and will have extended hours for the foreseeable future.

McGowan declared a state of emergency on Sunday as he revealed the man in his 20s tested positive to the virus after midnight on Saturday.

Perth, Peel, and the South West will enter lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population.

The three regions will be closed off to each other with meaning banned from travelling between them without an exemption. Road checkpoints will be set up to ensure compliance.

The employee worked two shifts at Sheraton Four Points in Perth's CBD, and was stationed on a floor where at least one returned traveller was diagnosed with the UK strain of the disease, which is up to 80 per cent more infectious.

Mr McGowan said genomic sequencing is already underway, but it would be reasonable to accept that the man contracted the mutant strain, and that his close contacts would test positive in the coming days.

Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan held an emergency press conference on Sunday

Residents are pictured queuing to get into a Coles supermarket on Sunday before the harsh five-day lockdown comes into effect

The employee doubles as a rideshare driver, but the premier understands that he had not worked any shifts for the company since Friday, January 23.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders - though this view is disputed by other states.

As per the lockdown orders, residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for four reasons; shopping for essential goods like groceries and medicine, seeking medical treatment, exercise for one hour per day and work if a person cannot work remotely.

All pubs, clubs, playgrounds and gyms in Perth will close, while restaurants will be open for takeaway only and visits will be banned to care homes and hospitals.

Schools will remain closed - they were supposed to reopen on Monday for the first day of the year.

Restrictions have also been reintroduced for funerals - limiting them to just 10 people for the duration of lockdown.

Weddings have been cancelled during the lockdown period.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders by closing his state off from the rest of Australia for most of 2020

Residents must wear face masks at all times they are outside and face masks are also compulsory at indoor workplaces.

Masks are mandatory on public transport.

Anybody within the locked down regions were urged to stay put to avoid potentially spreading the virus to regional and vulnerable communities.

'We are strongly encouraging that everyone in this area who is from another WA region, stay here,' Mr McGowan said.

'Do not travel further outside of this area until the lockdown is over.'
Cases have been filed in 5 states so far, the latest being in Delhi on Saturday, against Congress Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists over their allegedly 'misleading' tweets on the violence

Five days since the violence during the farmers tractor day parade on Republic Day, a host of police cases have been filed in multiple states, including Delhi, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The Delhi Police have so far filed 38 cases and arrested 84 people in connection to the case.

FIRs have been filed in five states so far, the latest being in Delhi on Saturday, against Congress Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists over their allegedly misleading tweets on the violence and death of a protester during the farmers tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.

In addition to filing cases against journalists for 'misleading' tweets, police have also issued lookout notices against farmer leaders named in an FIR and invoked sedition charges in a case of the Red Fort incident.

Police file case against Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai across five states

Delhi

The Delhi Police has filed a case against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, The Caravan magazine and others for allegedly misleading the public. The case has been registered at the IP Estate police station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, police said.

Uttar Pradesh

Last week, Tharoor and six journalists had also been booked by the Noida Police for sedition, among other charges, over the violence during the farmers' tractor rally in Delhi, officials had said.

The FIR was lodged at the Sector 20 police station in Noida following a complaint by a resident who alleged that "digital broadcast" and "social media posts" by these people were responsible for the violence during a tractor rally by farmers in the national capital.

The journalists named in the FIR are Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath

According to The Indian Express, the complainant stated that the accused spread fake news about protester Navreet Singhs death in Delhi on 26 January by blaming Delhi Police to instigate violence.

Navreet Singh died of head injuries when his tractor toppled after hitting a police barricade. The post mortem ruled out any bullet injuries. The complainant stated that the accused posted tweets that day and spread fake news about Singhs death by calling it killing.

Haryana

Another similar case was filed in Gurugram against the same people for their allegedly misleading tweets on the violence and death of a protester during the farmers tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.

Karnataka

In Bengaluru, a social activist named Rakesh Shetty, alias Rakesh BS, filed a complaint of sedition, criminal conspiracy and other charges against the same six journalists and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

According to the complainant, the tweets by those named in the FIR amounted to incitement, damaging of national integrity, creation of enmity between different religious groups and division in society.

As per The New India Express, the FIR stated, The tweets have spread hate and disrupted national integration by spreading hate between religions, besides hurting religious feelings.

Madhya Pradesh

As per The Indian Express, four separate FIRs have been filed naming Tharoor and the six journalists for allegedly instigating farmers with unverified and unauthentic information for personal and professional advantage in Madhya Pradesh

The FIRs have been registered in Bhopal, Hoshangabad and Betul districts, based on written applications by complainants who have submitted almost similar applications.

Delhi Police detain journalist

On Saturday night, the Delhi Police detained a journalist from the Singhu border for allegedly misbehaving with a station house officer on duty at the protest site.

Mandeep Punia, a freelance journalist and contributor to the Caravan magazine, was detained while he was on an assignment to cover the clashes that broke out at Singhu on Friday.

Hours before his detention, Punia had posted a Facebook Live about the Singhu violence on Friday, detailing how men claiming to be locals had pelted stones at the protest site in full view of the police, reports The NewsMinute.

The police told PTI that some people, including Punia, were trying to remove the barricades put up to cordon off the site of farmers' protest at the Singhu border. The police have said that the journalist misbehaved with police personnel and was detained for the same.

Another journalist, Dharmender Singh from Online News India, was also picked by the police. The Indian Express reported that Singh was allowed to go later after he showed his identity card, while according to the Newslaundry, both Punia and Singh were taken to Alipur police station.

UP Police file FIR against journalist

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a case against The Wires Founding Editor Siddharth Varadarajan for tweeting an article published on the news website reporting that the farmer who was killed during a tractor rally on Republic Day had died in police firing.

The article, published on Friday, cited the family of Navreet Singh. They rejected the Delhi Polices claims that the farmer had died after his tractor overturned. The family alleged that the man was shot.

Whats the IPC provision for malicious prosecution? Here is the UP Police indulging in it, filing an FIR against me for tweeting about what the grandfather of farmer who was killed in the tractor parade had said on the record! https://t.co/yRMAXtAXKm  Siddharth (@svaradarajan) January 31, 2021

The FIR was filed on a complaint by one Sanju Turaha, a resident of Rampur district, according to The Print.

On Saturday evening, the Rampur district magistrate had responded to Varadarajans tweet sharing the article. We ardently request you to please lets be sticking to facts and facts only, he wrote. We hope our request will be sincerely taken up by you.

The official also attached a denial note by the three government medical officers who conducted the postmortem, claiming that none of them had spoken to anybody from the media, or made any statement about the autopsy.

We ardently request you to please let's be sticking to facts and facts only. We hope our request will be sincerely taken up by you. Thank you.

Here is the official declaration. pic.twitter.com/2dowcoMriM  DM Rampur (@DeoRampur) January 30, 2021

Delhi Police issue lookout notices

Last week, on Wednesday, the police named as many as 37 farmer leaders, including Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav and Bharatiya Kisan Unions Haryana unit President Gurnam Singh Chaduni, in the first information report in connection with the violence.

The FIR also named social activist Medha Patkar and Bharatiya Kisan Union Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, according to a copy viewed by Scroll.in.

Other farmer leaders who have been listed in the FIR are Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chanduni, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Satnam Singh Pannu, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Surjeet Singh Phool, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Harinder Singh Lakhoval.

Delhi Police file 38 cases so far

The Delhi police have registered 38 FIRs so far. Nine of these 38 FIRs were transferred to the crime branch of the Delhi Police for investigation, reports Scroll.in. The Delhi Police have also appealed to the public, including media personnel, to help identify those behind the violence, by sharing videos or photos of the incident with them.

Police had asked nine farmer leaders to join the investigation in the case on Friday, but no one turned up.

According to officials, the special investigation team of Delhi Police has asked farmer leaders Rakesh Tikait, Pawan Kumar, Raj Kishore Singh, Tajender Singh Virk, Jitender Singh, Trilochan Singh, Gurmukh Singh, Harpreet Singh and Jagtar Singh Bajwa to join the investigation. The notices were forwarded through WhatsApp to them.

The tractor march by farmers protesting against the three recent agriculture laws had turned violent on 26 January, leading to chaotic scenes on the streets of the national capital on Republic Day.

While the police have alleged that farmer leaders made inflammatory speeches, and were involved in the violence during the tractor parade, farmers have denied the allegations and blamed antisocial elements for the chaos.

With inputs from PTI

Struggling hospitality and entertainment venues received less than half of the money advertised in three Victorian government grant programs by the end of 2020, while about one-tenth of a $100 million assistance fund dedicated to sole traders was paid out.

About one-in-five of the states estimated 600,000 small businesses netted state government cash boosts since it committed to billions of dollars of cash grants and tax relief from March last year, including the multibillion-dollar Business Support Fund for hard-hit sectors.

The measures were introduced to prop up struggling businesses, but a fraction of the available support has been distributed. Credit:Darrian Traynor

Three grant programs had distributed less than 12 per cent of the total amount of stimulus allocated to each fund, according to government figures provided to a state parliamentary committee in December.

Four funds designed to assist hospitality and entertainment venues  which launched in August  had paid out 40 per cent of the total pool of $379 million, according to the figures. But the Hospitality Business Grant Program distributed $3 million of $30 million and the Night Time Economy Business Support Initiative paid out $1 million of $40 million.

Purple is the color you wear when you shatter glass ceilings.

At least, Vice President Kamala Harris thinks so.

There were plenty of looks to commemorate the inauguration of President Joe Biden and the first female vice president on Jan. 20. There also were dozens of symbolic messages sent through inauguration fashion and beauty choices.

For her history-making moment, Harris wore a matching purple shift dress and overcoat by beloved Black fashion designer Christopher John Rogers, according to Harpers Bazaar.

Purple seemed to be the color of the day, as former first lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both wore different shades of the hue, with Obama in plum and Clinton in maroon. Even former First Lady Laura Bush wore a color between periwinkle and lilac.

And this might have been intentional. Purple is the color of royalty, and its also the award given to our countrys most heroic soldiers.

Many also assumed purple was a call for unity. A literal mix of the two political partys colors, red and blue, purple is meant to evoke a sense of solidarity and bipartisanship, wrote The Hill.

Sticking with striking jewel tones, first lady Dr. Jill Biden wore pieces from emerging American label Markarian designed by Colorado-born designer Alexandra ONeill including a turquoise tweed coat, dress and matching face mask.

The talent at the event didnt disappoint either.

National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman  who delivered the most beloved performance of the event, a recitation of her poem, The Hill We Climb  wore a red Prada headband and canary yellow coat. The latter was a nod to the first lady, who sought out Gorman for the event, commenting on a bright yellow coat she wore, the poet told Vogue. Gorman, 22, also donned a ring with a caged bird on it to symbolize I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and a pair of earrings gifted to her by queen/icon/legend Oprah Winfrey.

My favorite, Lady Gaga, performed a stirring version of the National Anthem at the event. In true Gaga fashion, she sent a message with each part of her look.

She was styled by Haus of Gaga, her collection of artists, designers and other creatives that collaborate with her on her signature looks: fashion stylist duo Tom Eerebout and Sandra Amador, hairstylist and wig designer Frederic Aspiras, and longtime makeup artist Sarah Tanno.

Gaga wore a custom Schiaparelli Couture with red silk faille ballgown topped with a navy wool jacket accented by a large pin: a gold dove holding an olive branch.

She wore her hair in milkmaid braids woven with a black ribbon, with a bouquet of poppies at the nape of her neck. Poppies traditionally are a symbol of those who died for their country.

As for her makeup, she stunned with a dramatic red lip. Tanno used Haus Labs Le Monster Matte Lip Crayon in 1950 (a warm pure red) and RIP Lip Liner in Slayer (a deep burgundy wine) on Gagas lips, she wrote on Instagram

(@sarahtannomakeup). Bold red lips are a timeless symbol of women empowerment.

Tanno used Glam Room No. 1: Fame palette and Micro-tip Eye Lie Ner and Eye-dentify Gel Kohl liner, both in Punk, to define Gagas eyes. She contoured her cheeks with Heat Spell bronzer in Desert and Head Rush blush in Flirt, all from Gagas beauty brand, Haus Labs. Tanno used Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara to define her lashes.

Jennifer Lopez, who performed This Land Is Your Land and America the Beautiful, injected with a line from her hit, Lets Get Loud, stepped out in Chanel, stunning in an all white, suffragette-inspired look.

Lopezs makeup was her signature dewy glam complete with a shimmery, smoky eye shadow; soft, flushed blush; and a nude lip. She had her hair pulled back into a silky high ponytail and long, clean nails designed in a transparent take on the French manicure. J.Lo also was glammed up by her typical team: styled by Rob Zangardi with nails by Eri Ishizu, hair by Chris Appleton and makeup by David Velasquez. According to Velasquezs Instagram post

(@mugopus), he used Pat McGrath, Tom Ford Beauty, Chanel Beauty, Scott Barnes Cosmetics and Lopezs brand, JLO Beauty.

This means a little more history was made at the inauguration. It marked the first time performers there both wore products from their respective beauty brands.

The days looks truly prove the point I will make until my dying breath: fashion and beauty are woven into every facet of our lives, including politics.

Gia Mazur is a staff writer for the Lifestyles Department of The Times-Tribune. Contact her at gmazur@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9127 or @gmazurTT on Twitter.
Amber Violas need to help people and do whats right drives her passion.

Whether it was sticking up for a classmate in her private elementary school who was kicked out for being gay or advocating for victims of sexual assault in the military, Viola, 35, is sure to stand up for others and her beliefs.

At the core, its always been about helping as many people as I can, doing the most good I can do, the Scranton resident, Navy veteran and single mom to Jacquelyn, 4, said. Ive always been one to stand up for the underdog and speak out against anything that was going to harm people. I try to be there to help people wherever they need me.

After graduating from North Pocono High School, the then-Gouldsboro resident attended University of Scranton for a year but found herself searching for something more. Her mom, Brenda Johnson, had retired from the Army, and her brother, Joseph Robinson, was considering joining the military after high school, so the siblings decided to both sign up. Robinson, who Viola said is her best friend, went into the Air Force (he remains on active duty), and Viola joined the Navy.

First stationed in Everett, Washington, Viola spent most of her time aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. She then became a victim advocate for the Department of Defense and worked closely with victims of sexual assault and their families.

Whenever or wherever the survivor wanted me with them, I went, Viola said. Your job is basically to be with them from the very beginning, from the hospital and getting any examinations, all the way up to court, if they choose to take it that far.  You are there for them every step of the way to guide them or to just be there for them.

She learned a lot about sexual assault and harassment in the military as well as military sexual traumas (MST) similarities to post-traumatic stress disorder. Additional challenges can develop from MST, including eating disorders, depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal ideation and more. Viola often felt that those around her in the military didnt understand how detrimental this could be for survivors. She spoke up on their behalf on dozens of occasions, like when she explained a treatment plan to a survivors superior and the superior began to question the survivors needs.

It was clear to me in that moment (the superior) was not prioritizing mental health, Viola said. Everyone should carry out the mission to the best of their ability, but if your people arent good mental-health wise, theyre not going to be able to do that.  Much of my time there was seeing this firsthand and doing what I could to help.

Through her role as a victim advocate, she realized her future included helping people on a legislative level, one that could create real change.

After eight years in the military and now living in Virginia, Viola began to plan her exit. She made a to-do list that ranged from enrolling in school to finding a place to live to securing childcare for her daughter. She saw herself in social work, helping as many people as she could, and enrolled at Marywood University. Viola moved into her home and began school the next day, which set the tone for the following years.

It was a lot. I was basically a broke college student for three years who still needed to work and provide for my family, she said. I think back to that time and Im like, When did I sleep? I have no idea how it worked, but it did.

Viola drew upon the determination and stamina from her naval career to see how far she could stretch a dollar and how many tasks she could fit in a day. She remained laser-focused on getting her degree while serving as president of Marywoods Student Veteran Alliance and still making time for community work including as an intern with the Community Intervention Center, Scranton.

Viola graduated last spring and plans to earn a masters degree in social work, but she put school on pause for the rest of the pandemic. Viola began to look for a job instead and also ran for Scranton City Council and the Scranton school board. While she didnt nab either position, she made an impression. When the position of director of human resources for the City of Scranton, part of Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognettis cabinet, opened, Viola applied and was hired. She now uses her Navy leadership experience  where she was in charge of training, evaluating, disciplining and supervising sailors  in her day-to-day work at City Hall.

Cognetti noted Viola brings a community-minded approach into everything she does for the city. This not only includes Violas administrative work but also the racial bias and policy training Viola is in charge of. The two also connect about the importance of being moms to little girls as Cognettis daughter Sloane is 13 months old.

In the lighter moments  its really fun to just talk to each other about Sloane and Jacquelyn. Sloane already looks up to and learns from Jacquelyn. Its a nice personal connection with our daughters, and thats something thats special to me, Cognetti said, adding shes been working with Viola and others to explore grants to help residents with childcare. Amber is an incredible asset to our community, and I really enjoy working with her.

Violas also excited to work for the mayor and an institution, especially as a young Black woman. Viola hopes to generate change and bring other people in who maybe wouldnt have had the opportunity before I was there.

The importance of her role is not lost on her, and over the summer she got involved in activism. Viola had never been to a rally or a protest since its not allowed for military members, but after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, Viola decided to attend protests with her daughter. There, she was overwhelmed by those who shared their stories as she also recalled her own experiences, including times police officers had treated her poorly or she faced racism in the military.

I felt like this is it. I have a duty (to get involved), she said. I am in the position where Im working with the city and the mayor.  I am the highest-ranking Black person working in City Hall. I dont take that lightly. I have to do something.

In an unplanned moment, Viola got on the microphone to speak that day. From there, she began helping planners with protests and rallies as well as working with groups such as the Black Scranton Project and its founder, Glynis M. Johns. Viola traveled to marches out of state and spoke at several other events, including Black Scrantons Juneteenth celebration. She also belongs to the NAACP Organizing Charter Committee of Lackawanna County.

Viola participates in veterans advocacy groups as well, and she campaigned for President Joe Biden as part of PA Vets for Biden. She was featured in his campaign videos and in pieces by the Washington Post and Vogue. On Election Day, she volunteered to drive voters to polling places in a non-partisan effort.

And she makes time for other community causes, too, such as the nonprofit Do It for Dame, started by the mother of one of Violas former North Pocono classmates, who died of an opioid overdose. When regional school districts shifted to virtual learning during the pandemic, Viola also hosted a laptop drive to get computers and money to buy them for students in Scranton School District who didnt have them.

She sees no end in sight as far as her activism and community involvement are concerned, but right now Viola focuses on her role with the city. While on the surface Scranton seems to lack diversity, Viola described the city as a melting pot, with large groups of Black, Latinx and Nepali populations. Diversity is necessary, she said, and different perspectives matter.

On a personal level, every day she strives to be the role model she felt like she didnt have, especially for her daughter.

As a dark-skinned Black woman in a very white area, I didnt see a lot of role models who looked like me.  There are so many more women of color in the forefront of things, including the election, Viola said. Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, women of color, Black women who look like her.  I just want her to look up to them and to me and see that she could feel beautiful and confident as a Black woman and know theres a place for her in society.

Meet Amber Viola

Residence: Scranton

Family: Mom, Brenda Johnson; brother, Joseph Robinson; daughter, Jacquelyn Viola, 4

Education: A graduate of North Pocono High School, Viola attended University of Scranton and earned a bachelors degree in social work from Marywood University. She is pursuing a masters degree in social work from Marywood.

Employment: Human resources director for the City of Scranton

Claim to fame: A Navy veteran and former advocate for military sexual assault victims, Viola is a dedicated activist and community volunteer, lending a hand to causes that include racial equality, veterans affairs, battling the opioid epidemic and giving back to those in need.
New Delhi: As part of the globalization of India-developed COVID-19 vaccine, India's Bharat Biotech has applied for "Emergency use authorization" (EUA) in the Philippines.

EUA was filed earlier this month in the country and is the first international regulatory filing for Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN. Once approved by the local regulator, India is expected to donate some doses and also open the door for exports in commercial terms, as is being done currently by Western and Chinese vaccine manufacturers.

India's envoy to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran in a tweet said, "A moment of pride for Indian R&D! The first international regulatory filing for COVAXIN. Delighted it is in the Philippines, a vital Indo-Pacific partner. Process ahead will be challenging but today we celebrate those who made this key milestone possible!"

A moment of pride for #Indian R&D! The first international regulatory filing for COVAXIN. Delighted it is in #Philippines, a vital Indo-Pacific partner. Process ahead will be challenging but today we celebrate those who made this key milestone possible! @BharatBiotech @ICMRDELHI https://t.co/CNuclsSMJN  Shambhu Kumaran (@shambhukumaran) January 21, 2021

The local drug regulatory authorities are looking for more clinical data from Phase 3 trials and efficacy data. Phase 3 human clinical trials of COVAXIN began mid-November. The development is seen as a major step when it comes to India's vaccine exports and a boost to "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliance).

The EUA was applied as part of "pro-active" action and as soon as the data comes, an immediate approval can come. A delay in such action also means, impact on commercial deals in a very competitive Covid-19 vaccine market. Interestingly, the Philippines already had a deal with Novavax for Covid-19 vaccines for the supply of 30 million doses commercially.

While India has so far exported India-made vaccines, the new frontier is seen when the export of India-developed vaccines becomes the norm.

Meanwhile, Philippines foreign secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr has lauded India's COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy and, in a tweet, said, "we're looking to India to teach us. We're certainly not looking to the West. But we need to look elsewhere to teach us how to get it done"

New Delhi has gifted India-made Covishield vaccine of Oxford-AstraZeneca made by Serum Institute of India to 10 countries. These are Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Oman.

On Friday, Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen speaking to WION said Bharat Biotech has offered its COVID-19 vaccines to the country. Bangladesh is keen on the co-production of COVID-19 vaccines with India. Brazilian companies have also signed an agreement for the supply of COVAXIN from India. Supplies to the private market would be based upon receipt of market authorization from ANVISA, the Brazilian regulatory authority.

India produces 60% of global vaccines and amid the pandemic reaffirmed the position as the "Pharmacy of the world" by supplying HCQ and Paracetamol to 150 countries.

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It is another Mo whose brilliance will always be synonymous with the Olympic Stadium. Yet, while gold medals are not awarded for wins in routine Premier League fixtures, it is Mo Salah, not Sir Mo Farah that has made this his happy place post-2012.

Liverpool have played here five times since West Ham arrived in 2016: won four, drawn one. Salah has played in four of those games and took his goal tally to five at the venue. Coming so soon after the win at Tottenham, it is fair to say Liverpool's blip is over, with back to back victories away to the capital's highest-placed teams.

West Ham were on an unbeaten run of eight games, and six wins, but were significantly second best here against a Liverpool team depleted front and back. No Sadio Mane, injured, and with Roberto Firmino given a breather on the bench, Liverpool were nevertheless superior. West Ham created little and once Liverpool's goals started to go in just before the hour there was only ever going to be one winner.

Mohamed Salah (C) celebrates with his team-mates after scoring Liverpool's first goal against West Ham on Sunday

Salah broke the deadlock with a fine finish after receiving the ball from Curtis Jones on the right hand side of the box

The Egyptian held off a challenge before cutting inside and finding the far corner with a well placed left footed strike

Salah is congratulated by team-mate Jordan Henderson after breaking the deadlock midway through the first half

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND LEAGUE TABLE WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6, Coufal 6, Dawson 6.5, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 5, Soucek 5, Rice 5, Bowen 5 (Fredericks 79, 6), Benrahma 5, Fornals 5.5 (Yarmolenko 62, 5.5), Antonio 6 (Noble 79, 6) Subs not used: Balbuena, Lanzini, Martin, Johnson, Odubeko Goalscorers: Dawson 87 Booked: Soucek, Rice Manager: David Moyes  5.5 LIVERPOOL (4-3-1-2): Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 6.5, Phillips 7, Henderson 7.5, Robertson 6.5, Thiago 6.5, Wijnaldum 7, Milner 6.5 (Jones 57, 8), Shaqiri 7 (Firmino 69, 7), Salah 9, Origi 6.5 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 80, 7) Subs not used: Adrian, Minamino, Tsimikas, Rhys Williams, Kelleher, Neco Williams Goalscorers: Salah 57, 68, Wijnaldum 84 Manager: Jurgen Klopp - 8 Referee: Jonathan Moss Ratings by Daniel Matthews Season at a glance Live tables

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It was a vital victory, too, given that the end of this week brings the visit of Manchester City to Anfield. Pep Guardiola's team are four points clear with a game in hand, true, but that is nothing given what remains of the season if Liverpool can strike a blow on Sunday. Increasingly, they seem in the mood for it, too.

Credit to Salah is also due. He is now the first Liverpool player since Ian Rush to score over 20 goals in all competitions in four consecutive seasons. He was the only member of Liverpool's usual forward trinity to start, but his presence was more than enough. His goals were beautifully taken, the difference between pretenders and the real deal in the upper echelons of the Premier League, given West Ham's recent form had seemingly catapulted them into the mix for Champions League places.

Salah's first came after 57 minutes immediately after Jurgen Klopp introduced Curtis Jones for James Milner. The substituted man, by popular reputation one of the most unselfish, obliging players in the league, looked mildly disgruntled. Klopp clearly thought he deserved an explanation. So he gave him one, the pair in earnest conversation on the touchline as the manager imparted his logic.

Behind him, a more practical demonstration was beginning to take shape. Jones was on a surging run through West Ham's midfield, ending in an interchange of passes involving Xherdan Shaqiri and Trent Alexander-Arnold, before Jones supplied Salah. The moment he got it on his left, West Ham were in trouble and Salah curled it sweetly past Lukasz Fabianski into the far corner. Klopp and Milner hugged, laughing. No further words were necessary.

Salah doubled the lead with a cool finish after brilliantly controlling a cross from Xherdan Shaqiri in the box

The forward (R) watches on as his finish makes its way past West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and into the net

Salah wheels away in celebration after scoring his second goal midway through the second half of the match

Confirmation that Liverpool were back to their best came after 68 minutes. Liverpool's second started from a West Ham corner, showcasing the ferocious counter-attacking style of old, all speed, and pinpoint passing. A clearance to Alexander-Arnold, a precise crossfield ball to Shaqiri, a splendid centre to the feet of Salah, one touch to control, the next to dink the ball into the net. Simply beautiful and very Liverpool. West Ham were done.

By now, Liverpool were shaping the game to their will. After 84 minutes, Alexander-Arnold was involved again before Roberto Firmino - another substitute making a big impact  laid the ball for Georginio Wijnaldum to finish. Craig Dawson ran one in from a poorly-defended corner soon after but it gave the scoreline a more balanced look that was not reflective of the match. Liverpool were in a different class here and one suspects those inside West Ham always suspected they might be.

When West Ham manager David Moyes bumped into an old friend, David Pleat, on a scouting mission at Tottenham on Thursday, his first tongue-in-cheek request was that Pleat's Tottenham might tire a few Liverpool players out for this encounter. Well, that's the polite version anyway.

And while all was said in jest, Moyes might even have cracked a smile when the team sheet arrived, confirming an injury to Mane, picked up at Tottenham and with Firmino on the bench, having put in a highly energetic display in an important win. Coupled with the makeshift defensive partnership of Jordan Henderson and Nathaniel Phillips, it made this a very good weekend to be playing the champions.

Yet, as the season wears on, a very obvious divide is emerging between genuine title contenders and those just in a good moment. Manchester City and Liverpool look better than the rest; Manchester United are clinging to their coat-tails; the rest are either falling away or too inconsistent. Imagine if Liverpool had the full team out for this fixture. This was their domestic cup tie team, and still West Ham could not compete.

Georginio Wijnaldum finishes from close range after being teed up in the box by team-mate Roberto Firmino

Wijnaldum watches on as his shot makes it's way into the net in the closing stages of the Premier League clash

The Dutch midfielder (C) celebrates with all of his Liverpool team-mates after putting the game to bed in the 84th minute

It was that way from the start, really. Liverpool had the better of it the whole game, and certainly enjoyed the best chance of the first-half, in the final minute of normal time. Thiago Alcantara played a splendid pass which almost put in Divock Origi at the near post. What a clever player Thiago is. His eyes were saying 'square, across the perimeter of the penalty area' his feet delivered a dangerous inswinger which Origi could not get on target.

The striker will always be a cult figure on Merseyside, for obvious reasons, and he put in a hard-working performance here occupying West Ham's defenders but, undoubtedly, Liverpool dip a little when he replaces one of their famed front three.

The opening 45 minutes did set the pattern for the game, mind, lots of possession from Liverpool and perspiration from West Ham with goalmouth action limited. Salah had a header from a Thiago cross go wide after 23 minutes and soon after he held the ball up well, only for Shaqiri's shot to be blocked by Craig Dawson, who hasn't looked back since breaking into Moyes' side. Aaron Cresswell was equally resilient on the other side of half-time, blocking a close range shot from Salah, who was always Liverpool's prime threat.

West Ham? Their best chance came after 24 minutes when a Cresswell cross should have been finished by Said Benrahma, but he hesitated and it fell instead to Pablo Fornals, whose shot was headed away by Andrew Robertson en route to goal.

Moyes said this was a lesson for his players, and he is right. West Ham's fiuxture list is unbalanced, opening with a stretch against the league's strongest teams, then respite. They have capitalised of late, so here was reality. It is hard to see them as top four contenders on this evidence. Liverpool showed what is needed; and very few teams possess it.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shows his delight after watching his side go 3-0 up at the London Stadium

Scroll down to see how it all unfolded with Sportsmail's live runner.



Hyundai Motor seeks to solidify leadership through huge investment



By Kim Bo-eun



The market for hydrogen-powered vehicles is gaining momentum amid global interest in the fuel as a means of meeting carbon targets.



Major economies have announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and have unveiled national roadmaps for building a hydrogen economy. These efforts are placing an increased focus on eco-friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).



The market for FCEVs remains a niche segment of the global car market but is seeing growth. According to energy market tracker SNE Research, 2,594 hydrogen-powered vehicles were sold worldwide in the third quarter of 2020, up 27.3 percent from the same quarter of 2019.



Those in the industry state that FCEVs are more suitable than EVs for delivery trucks that carry heavy loads and travel long distances. Major vehicle makers are in a race to secure a major share of the market as it develops.



Leading French carmaker Groupe Renault said earlier this month it will set up a joint venture with Plug Power, the leading U.S. firm in fuel cell systems and hydrogen-related services, in the first half of the year.



Through the partnership companies aim to boost their competitiveness in R&D, manufacturing and sales of FCEVs.



The joint venture is seeking to capture more than 30 percent of Europe's fuel cell-powered light commercial vehicle market.



The announcement came shortly after Korean conglomerate SK Group unveiled investments of 1.6 trillion won ($1.5 billion) into both Plug Power and its own plan to establish a joint venture by 2022. With the investment, SK Holdings and its energy development affiliate, SK E&S, own 9.9 percent of the U.S. fuel cell company.



Meanwhile, Japan's top carmaker, Toyota, acquired shares of the Portuguese bus manufacturer Caetano last month to manufacture fuel cell buses in Europe.



Toyota has set up its Fuel Cell Business Group in Europe to oversee its global business and work with national and regional governments, as well as industrial partners.



In October, the Japanese carmaker stated it would jointly develop hydrogen fuel cell trucks for the North American market with its subsidiary, Hino.



Last month, Toyota launched the completely redesigned FCEV sedan, Mirai, and is targeting a 10-fold increase in global sales of the vehicle.



German automotive group Daimler launched a truck fuel cell unit last year, which will transition into a joint venture with Volvo, to develop, produce and commercialize fuel-cell systems for trucks.



Daimler Trucks premiered the Mercedes-Benz fuel-cell concept truck with plans for customer trials in 2023 and aims to begin production in 2025.



Hyundai Motor Group is a leading player in the global FCEV market, selling 73.8 percent of the 6,664 fuel cell vehicles sold globally between January and September last year, according to SNE Research. This sales success was attributed specifically to the sales of its fuel cell SUV, Nexo.



Hyundai has unveiled plans to invest 7.6 trillion won into FCEVs by 2030, and to increase production to 500,000 vehicles a decade from now. Hyundai produced 11,000 FCEVs in 2020.



The carmaker plans to roll out 1,600 of its XCIENT fuel cell trucks by 2025; and by 2030, Hyundai is expecting more than 12,000 vehicles to be exported to the U.S.  25,000 to Europe and 27,000 to China.



Hyundai is also focusing on the production of fuel cell systems. The group said earlier this month it is setting up an offshore fuel cell system production facility in Guangzhou, China.



Construction is set to begin next month and reach completion in the second half of 2022. The plant will be Hyundai's first fuel cell production base outside Korea, with a capacity to produce 6,500 fuel cell systems per year.



"Carmakers are still in the early stages when it comes to hydrogen vehicles. Partnerships with global entities and getting the necessary infrastructure laid out are among their top considerations," said Moon Jong-chol, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET).



"For hydrogen-powered vehicles, there is still lots to do in developing the technology. Difficulty and high costs of production remain challenges to work on," said Lee Hang-koo, senior researcher at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute.



The government is seeking to boost the number of FCEVs on Korean roads to 6.2 million by 2040, up from 2,000 in 2018. By 2040, it is aiming to have 80,000 taxis, 40,000 buses and 30,000 trucks powered by hydrogen. To enable these numbers, the government plans to build 1,200 filling stations by that time.



The number of registered FCEVs here stood at 10,906 as of the end of 2020, up 115 percent from a year earlier. These numbers are seen as being due to greater government subsidies, as well as lower prices and enhanced performance of the vehicles, backed by technological developments.



Troubles in life are often described as obstacles that could make or break a person.

Someone out there always has it worse, though, said Weatherly police officer Ashley (Goho) Fedor  though that someone may not always be obvious.

~

Fedor spots a sedan as she watches traffic from her patrol vehicle on Wilbur Street.

Theres a kid in that car! she exclaims as she pulls onto the road and begins to follow it during a ride-along with The Standard-Speaker before Thanksgiving.

Her red and blue lights signal the driver to pull over on Evergreen Avenue, but Fedor isnt issuing a ticket; instead, she has a gift.

A project between the police department and Faith Church allowed officers to hand out $50 gift certificates at random to people doing good, and the properly restrained child and attentive driver satisfied Fedor.

A little girl in the back seat continuously waved at her, jumping as much as the safety belt would allow, as Fedor explained why she stopped them.

That stuff, its not just uplifting for me, Fedor said after getting back in her vehicle.

The pandemic has taken a toll on peoples finances, but even if the woman didnt need the money, theres a chance the random act of kindness will inspire her to reciprocate, she said.

With the bad and evil in the world, it makes the world that much better, she said.

The law-abiders get as much attention as the law-breakers in the Carbon County borough. Theres vehicle code violations and drugs traveling through town, mostly heroin and methamphetamine, seized during a seemingly benign traffic stop, she said. There are consequences for peoples actions in her line of work, but theres community policing whenever possible, whether through a roadside conversation, at a community event or at a presentation at the local schools  and even during an arrest, she said.

Were all humans. Were (police) no different than anyone else, she said.

Indeed, everyone has their struggles.

Everything was thrown at me

Fedor knows what devastation feels like. She understands what it is to work hard while grappling to pay the bills. She was only 10 when her father died, leaving her mom to raise three girls alone. Two years later, Fedor began working as a waitress at a Tamaqua restaurant. After graduating from Tamaqua High School in 2004, she headed to Lackawanna Police Academy in 2005. She always wanted to be a police officer, ignoring the people who told her she couldnt do it because she was a woman. What shed find was a woman brings her own set of innate skills to police work.

A day after graduation she was hired part time in Nesquehonings police department and eventually joined Weatherlys ranks part time.

Fedor took some time off after giving birth to her son, but returned and added a full-time post as a Pennsylvania State Police dispatcher to support her family. It wasnt easy, but it was about to get harder when her mom passed away in 2013. After beating uterine and colon cancer, a heart attack ended up taking her life at 59 years old.

Everything was thrown at me, she said.

Cancer would knock on her familys door again when her sister, at age 35, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2017. Around the same time Fedor was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent major surgery.

Her Weatherly coworkers walked beside her the entire time, hosting benefits and, when her sister took her last breath at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest on Christmas Eve 2017 , they were standing by for Fedor in the waiting room.

A single mom who gained custody of her sisters heartbroken 12-year-old daughter, she trudged on working two jobs and raising two kids.

It was hard, but we were able to make it through it all, she said.

Overcoming

Eventually a full-time spot would open in Weatherly and Fedor placed first on the testing list. She accepted the full-time position, which allowed her to eliminate a second job.

Asked how she held on, she said: Honestly, it was just the way my mom raised me.

It was her life experiences that helped save an intoxicated woman driving through the borough. Fedor made a traffic stop and learned the woman was having a hard time dealing with the death of her husband. After vetting the story, Fedor gave the driver an ultimatum and an opportunity: go to rehab, which would be more useful than her arrest. Fedor checked in with her daily, and the woman is a success story, she said.

Officers deal with people at their worst, bound to enforce laws that aim to preserve peace and safety. Were the bad guys no matter what. But, were actually trying to help them, she said.

Ive been there in my life. Ive had some really low lows. Ive felt like I should give up.

But you have to grow from your experiences, Fedor said. She doesnt bemoan the tragedies in life. Instead, she uses them to relate to people when they need it, asking them: Are you going to let it destroy you, or are you going to overcome it?
Navy in hour-long rescue mission to save pregnant deer View(s):

The Navy this week rescued a pregnant deer from drowning in the seas off Trincomalee.

The frightened animal who was being bitten and chased by dogs had jumped into the sea and was being dragged away into mid sea by the current when the Navy rescued it in the nick of time.

After an hour-long rescue mission by four divers the animal was brought ashore and treated at the Navy camp.

The pregnant deer gave birth soon after the rescue, and both mother and fawn are doing well, a Navy spokesman said.
Starting today, anyone with a BN(O) passport and their dependents can apply online for the visa. The visa would allow them to live, study and work in Britain for five years and then eventually apply for British citizenship.

The United Kingdom has extended a new visa scheme for British National (Overseas) Passport holders offering them a pathway to British citizenship, after China imposed national security law. The law has been brought to put down the democratic protests in Hong Kong that often turn violent. The visa offers grants working and living rights to BN(O) passport holders.

Starting today, anyone with a BN(O) passport and their dependents can apply online for the visa. The visa would allow them to live, study and work in Britain for five years and then eventually apply for British citizenship. Reportedly, there are 2.9 citizens who are eligible for the visa. The British government has estimated that including dependents approximately 3,00,000 people will be moving to the UK in the first five years. In response China has announced that it will not be recognizing BN(O) as a legal travel document from 31st January.

Since last July, 7000 Hong Kong citizens had moved to the United Kingdom before the scheme was announced were also allowed to settle by being granted Leave Outside the Rules provision which allows the government to make exception in immigration rules on certain grounds.

Also Read: China launches two naval warships; including one for Pakistan

Referring to the move Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, I am immensely proud that we have brought in this new route for Hong Kong BNOs to live, work and make their home in our country. In doing so we have honoured our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy  values both the UK and Hong Kong hold dear.

Also Read: Union Budget 2021: PM calls for an all-party meeting today; budget expectations on agenda

On the other hand, Chinese foreign ministry has called the scheme a violation of the countrys sovereignty. China had warned the UK earlier as well to not interfere in its domestic issues.
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In Virginia, "social justice" is undermining criminal justice. Northern Virginia has a serious problem with violent criminal gangs, particularly MS13, and law enforcement responded by creating a gang member database. Now the leftwing Viriginia state government is eliminating that database for "social justice" reasons. They claim it contains too many minority names.

This is really asinine. Criminal gangs are almost always ethnically based. Could an Asian or a white or a black join MS13? Could a Hispanic or a white or an Indian join the Crips or the Bloods? Of course not. Indeed, the ethnicity is often more narrowly focused. MS13, for example is composed of illegal aliens from El Salvador.

So "social justice" in Virginia has translated to protection of violent criminal gangs because out of touch bureaucrats are concerned the database of members has too many minority names in it.

The US federal prosecutors on January 30 charged a woman in connection with the Capitol insurrection on January 6, wherein she can be heard threatening House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in LIVE video footage. Dawn Bancroft and Diana Santos-Smith were charged by the court Saturday for violent invasion into the restricted property unlawfully and for disorderly conduct. The federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) cited a selfie video in an affidavit, where the investigators alleged Bancroft can be heard saying, We broke into the Capitol. We got inside, we did our part. Furthermore, she made disturbing threats against Pelosi saying, "We were looking for Nancy to shoot her in the friggin' brain, but we didn't find her.

According to a document issued by the Justice Department, cited by US news agencies, the woman was arrested by the police early Saturday. The Bucks county accused is a gym owner from Doylestown. Another woman Diana Santos-Smith, was also detained along with Bancroft in Pennsylvania after charges for violence after storming into the US Capitol was filed against the two. The suspects were first identified when the FBI received a video tip on Jan. 12 wherein the two women can be seen exiting the US Capitol building. The FBI then filed a criminal complaint against the perpetrators.

Read: US Pauses Plan To Give Virus Vaccine To Guantanamo Prisoners

Read: US: Sentencing Delayed For Fired VA Staffer Who Killed 7 Patients With Fatal Doses Of Insulin

Now appearing on the world stage, #DawnBancroft.

Formally charged by the Feds.

Proud trumpist. pic.twitter.com/ScrM9Atgkc  Rose (@RoseofArlVA) January 30, 2021

160 people charged

Bancroft was seen donning Make America Great Again MAGA hat when she participated in the mob violence and attempted at coup to obstruct President Joe Biden's electoral college certification. Thus far, at least 160 people have been charged in federal court in connection with Capitol rioting. A former Delco firefighter and a Harrisburg woman were arrested for theft of Nancy Pelosis laptop, the woman allegedly planned to sell the device to Russian intelligence.

Similarly, a Rochester resident, the member of Proud Boys right-wing extremist group nicknamed 'Spaz', who had access to weapons, bomb-manuals ahead of the Capitol siege, was charged by the prosecutors, according to a memo filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The 43-year-old insurrectionist Dominic Pezzola is now facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 penalty after the FBI officers executed a search warrant at his home and unveiled a thumb drive with hundreds of PDF files, that provided detailed instructions for making homemade firearms.

Help the #FBI identify individuals who unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and assaulted federal law enforcement personnel. If you see someone you know, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or visit https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD to submit a tip. @FBIWFO https://t.co/WNIWf3UHML pic.twitter.com/BkRye75os3  FBI (@FBI) January 23, 2021

Read: FBI: Pipe Bombs At RNC, DNC Were Planted Night Before Riot

Read: Two Pipe Bombs Found Near US Capitol On Jan 6 Were Planted A Night Before, Reveals FBI
The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App after the completion of the Budget Speech by the finance minister in Parliament on Monday, 1 February.

With the Union Budget 2021 set to be presented today (Monday, 1 February), going paperless for the first time in the history of Independent India, the Centre has launched a dedicated Union Budget Mobile App for Android and iOS smartphones.

The app, which aims to provide hassle-free access to Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public, was launched by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier in January, during the symbolic 'Halwa Ceremony' that marks the beginning of compilation of Budget documents.

The mobile application facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill etc. as prescribed by the Constitution, the finance ministry had said in a statement, It added that the app has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the guidance of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).

The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile app after the completion of the Budget speech by the finance minister in Parliament.

According to News18, the app is compatible with smartphones using Android V5 and above or iOS V10 and above.

How to download Union Budget Mobile App:

Step 1: Open Google Play Store/ Apple App Play Store on cell phone with active internet connection

Step 2: Look for the Union Budget Mobile App in the search tab

Step 3: Select the Union Budget app by NIC e-gov mobile apps and download by choosing install option

The application can also be downloaded from the Union Budget web portal www.indiabudget.gov.in by clicking on the link to Download Mobile App, which in turn directs to the Google Play Store or Apple App store.

A Union Budget App User Manual document has also been uploaded on the web site.

According to Hindustan Times, the app doesn't require any login or registration.

The app has a user-friendly interface with embedded features of downloading, printing, search, zoom in and out, bidirectional scrolling, table of contents and external links, the statement added. According to reports, the app is bilingual and the documents will be available in Hindi and English.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month promised a 'never before' like Union Budget as the economy grapples with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With inputs from PTI
Only half of healthcare workers showing up for vaccine appointments

Vaccine hesitancy is potentially putting India's ambitious vaccination drive in jeopardy as even health workers are wary of receiving the jabs, according to a report The Telegraph.

Due to widespread online misinformation and suspicion that the Indian government may have authorised Covaxin, a home-grown vaccine, without adequate efficacy data, barely half of India's health workers are showing up for vaccination appointments. As of Thursday, official data shows that only 54 per cent of health workers showed up for their appointments, the report said. Read more here

After age, Schizophrenia biggest risk factor for Covid mortality: Study

Schizophrenia, a chronic brain disorder, could be the second biggest risk factor behind Covid-19 mortality rates, according to a new study, a report in ThePrint said.

The study found that those diagnosed with the schizophrenia spectrum disorder had a 2.7 times higher risk of mortality compared to Covid-19 patients without psychiatric disorders. People with schizophrenia could also face a higher risk of contracting a severe form of Covid-19, the study said. Schizophrenia causes distortions in thinking and perception. Some symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech, and lack of motivation, the report said. Read more here

Will Pakistan get Covid jabs from India?

As Pakistan begins its vaccination drive against Covid-19 next week using free jabs of a China-made vaccine, many believe it is a matter of time before India begins to supply its vaccines to its arch-rival, a report in the BBC said.

Despite poor relations, pharmaceutical trade between the two neighbours has been stable. Pakistan's pharma imports from India were at about $62 million in 2018. Usman Ghani of Sindh Medical Stores, a leading Karachi-based importer of vaccines, told the BBC Pakistan will get vaccines from India in the near future. "We will try our best to get supplies, but it will take time," Ghani said. Read more here

Without additional resources, vaccination programme likely to strain public health system

The cost of inoculating India's entire population could consume much of the union government's allocation to the health ministry of Rs 69,234 crore for the 2020-2021 financial year, according to a report in The Wire.

The programme is likely to burden the country's already fragile public health system without the help of additional resources. Since the start of the pandemic, routine health services have suffered large-scale disruption, according to National Health Mission data.

Between March and April of last year, institutional deliveries slumped by 35%. Infant and maternal mortality rose sharply, together with a 64% drop in child immunisation sessions and 50% drop in BCG vaccinations and oral polio vaccine between January and April 2020, the report said. Read more here

Vaccine diplomacy can help India generate goodwill

Using vaccine diplomacy can be an effective way of using soft power than can allow India to win friends, mend relations and generate goodwill in South Asia and even in the rest of the world, according to experts, a report in CNBC said. India has already sent 1 million Covid-19 vaccine shots to Nepal, 2 million to its eastern neighbour Bangladesh, 150,000 to Bhutan, 100,000 to Maldives and 1.5 million to Myanmar. It has also sent 2 million doses to Brazil, the report said. Read more here

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Food banks, immigrant rights groups, and struggling colleges across the US discovered a surprise benefactor last year as billions of dollars flowed into organizations hurting during the pandemic from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Scott unlocked a staggering sum of nearly $6 billion in charitable gifts last year, and unlike many other large donors did not attach any restrictions or even naming rights requirements.

The approach has shaken up the philanthropic world, not only with the size of her gifts, but without the limits and accounting requirements of many large foundations or donors.

Laura MacDonald, board chair of the Giving USA Foundation, a nonprofit which conducts research on philanthropic giving, said Scott's approach is part of a movement of "trust-based philanthropy" which does away with some of the red tape imposed by many donors.

MacDonald said Scott's approach moved beyond the "Big Brother" approach of some donors and the venture capital mindset which permeates much of the business world.

"Trust-based philanthropy has catapulted to the top of the list of taking points" in the philanthropic world as a result of Scott's initiative, MacDonald said.

"This may embolden other donors to try something and take more risks."

In December, Scott's latest funding round included 384 organizations ranging from Blackfeet Community College in Montana to the Arkansas Food Bank to the Immigrant Families Fund.

"This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling," Scott wrote in a blog post.

"Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires."

- Lots to celebrate -

Philanthropy activists say Scott's actions are likely to make other billionaires -- including her ex-husband -- take notice.

"There is a ton to celebrate about her philanthropy," said Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, which provides research data to foundations and other charitable donors.

"I would hope that the sheer amount of money she is getting out the door and her intention to continue to do so is a kick in the pants to all those sitting on tremendous wealth at time of unbelievable challenge and need."

Scott, whose Amazon stake acquired in her divorce settlement is estimated at some $58 billion, pledged to give away the majority of her wealth to fight social inequity.

She announced grants of some $1.7 billion last July and another $4.2 billion in December.

She enlisted a team of advisors to help identify organizations to aid those suffering from the economic toll of the pandemic, focusing on those working to combat hunger, poverty and racial inequity.

While her ex-husband Bezos has donated $10 billion to fight climate change -- the largest charitable gift of 2020 -- and additional amounts to other causes, his giving has been slower and proportionately smaller, given that his fortune is worth more than three times hers.

The former couple could offer a major boost to philanthropy in the US, which represented some $450 billion in donations from Americans in 2019.

- Speed and scale -

Benjamin Soskis, senior research associate at the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute, said Scott's actions are remarkable not only for their scale but the speed in delivering the funds.

"The pandemic has amplified an imperative in getting money out the door as fast as possible," Soskis said.

Additionally, Scott has broken with much of philanthropic tradition by eliminating onerous restrictions and limits, which can complicate matters for organizations scrambling to cope with the pandemic.

"She has emphasized giving money and getting out of the way," Soskis said.

"Philanthropists often see themselves as part of the process, with multiple checks and evaluations and metrics which can be really burdensome."

One potential critique of Scott's approach is her "opaque" process in which she has selected grant recipients, Soskis said.

"She is operating in a realm of absolute discretion that is not accountable to anyone," he said.

Still, Soskis said her actions set an important precedent which could be a positive force for philanthropy.

"We shouldn't underestimate the role MacKenzie Scott plays in establishing a new norm for philanthropic giving," Soskis said.

"Any major philanthropist has to confront the example that she has set."

rl/jh

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Downing Street is studying a damning report that blames Britain's former ambassador to Washington for Boris Johnson's failure to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with Joe Biden's government.

Lord Darroch, who quit his post after a series of explosive memos were published which found that he had called President Donald Trump 'inept', 'insecure' and 'incompetent', is being blamed for much of the trade deal impasse No10 is experiencing with the Biden administration.

A report by the Policy Exchange think-tank which will be published tomorrow argues that the British Embassy under Lord Darroch's control' failed to adjust swiftly enough' to the 2016 referendum on EU membership.

Lord Darroch made an 'underwhelming' attempt to engage the US Congress and build support for a deal among the Democrats, who criticised Mr Johnson's repeated threats to flout international law by breaking the Good Friday Agreement to secure a deal with the EU in September.

The report, written by senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Ben Judah, argues the Irish government damaged perceptions of Brexit in the US even further in the absence of a 'strong and proactive British voice'.

Lord Darroch, who quit his post after a series of explosive memos revealed that he had President Donald Trump as 'inept', 'insecure' and 'incompetent', is being blamed for much of the trade deal impasse No10 is experiencing with Joe Biden's administration

It also blasts the Embassy's weak and slow-footed communications operation, which struggled to fight back against 'negative coverage [of Brexit] from elite US media' and generally suffered from a 'culture of caution and a fear of failure or embarrassment in UK officialdom'.

Responding to the scathing report, Lord Darroch told the Sunday Times that 'many of these accusations are just plain factually wrong' and said that 'perceptions among Democrats on Brexit were shaped overwhelmingly by the political chaos going on in London'.

The report by Policy Exchange, of which Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove was a chairman, comes as US officials pour cold water on the chances of a trade deal with Britain any time soon.

According to the Sunday Times, the paper has been looked at closely by policy advisers in Downing Street - while senior Tories including Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, have been briefed.

The Policy Exchange report also argues that Britain has 'fallen behind' France and Germany in influence among Washington think tanks, with almost all Mr Biden's senior foreign policy hires coming from think-tanks including the prestigious Brookings Institution.

The report describes the British approach to US think-tanks as 'ad hoc and disjointed', pointing out that London spent 20million on think-tank donations between 2014 and 2018 but achieving less impact than France, which spent just 2million in the same period.

Downing Street is studying a damning report that blames Britain's former ambassador to Washington for Boris Johnson's failure to secure a lo post-Brexit trade deal with the US

The report by Policy Exchange, of which Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove was a chairman, comes as US officials pour cold water on the chances of a trade deal with Britain any time soon

It argues: 'Britain's image problem in Washington is now interfering with real-world UK diplomacy. Above all, it is affecting the appetite and sense of urgency in Congress for a trade deal with the UK.'

A UK Government spokesperson called the report 'evidence-lite', telling MailOnline: 'We don't recognise this flawed caricature of the relationship. We are well connected at every level, with ten diplomatic missions across the US.

'The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other ministers are already engaging on our shared priorities - from trade and security to Coronavirus and climate change.'

In July last year the Mail on Sunday revealed Lord Darroch, then Sir Kim, had described President Trump as 'inept', 'insecure' and 'incompetent' in a series of explosive memos.

In secret cables and briefing notes Lord Darroch warned London that the White House was 'uniquely dysfunctional' and that the President's career could end in 'disgrace'.

After the leak, Mr Johnson, then running for the Conservative leadership, repeatedly refused to say that he would keep him in post during a TV debate, in contrast to his opponent Jeremy Hunt.

In an interview with the Times, Lord Darroch said he later told Mr Johnson that he was in part to blame after the Prime Minister questioned why he had quit.
There were rumors this winter that shortstop Didi Gregorius second winter in a row on the free agent market could lead to a Yankees reunion if second baseman DJ LeMahieu signed elsewhere.

That didnt happen, so Gleyber Torres is staying at short for the Yankees instead of moving to second, forcing Gregorius to focus on other options.

Gregorius made his final decision on Saturday by re-signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. Hes returning to Philly on a two-year, $28-million deal after joining them last winter on a one-year, $14 million pact.

Gregorius reportedly had been seeking a two-year, $30M contract, so he wound up settling for $2M less. He also reportedly was getting serious interest from the Cincinnati Reds.

After not having a standout final season with the Yanks in 2019, Gregorius had a good bounce-back campaign for the Phils last year, batting .284 with 10 homers and a team-best 40 RBI in 60 games.

Gregorius, who turns 31 on Feb. 18, enjoyed a good five-year run with the Yankees as Derek Jeters successor. From 2016-18, he averaged 24 homer and 81 RBI. He batted just .238 with 16 homers and 61 RBI in 82 games in 2019, a season in which he missed the Yankees first 60 games recovering from offseason Tommy John surgery.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
President Joe Biden outlined ambitious new plans for taking on climate change on Wednesday, but the most potent weapon may already be in his arsenal.

The five-member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is poised to play a pivotal role fulfilling Biden's clean-energy ambitions, including his vow to strip greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector over the next 14 years. FERC could help Biden deliver on those promises by fostering carbon prices on electricity, propelling a massive build-out of high-voltage power lines and making it harder to build natural gas pipelines.

"Transforming the American electric sector to produce power without carbon pollution will be a tremendous spurt of job creation and economic competitiveness in the 21st century," the president said Wednesday, as he signed a series of climate directives.

Biden can't count on help from Congress. With Democrats having only a narrow hold on the House and Senate, it's unlikely both chambers will pass broad clean energy legislation, including a nationwide renewable power mandate.

Enter FERC, which can accomplish many of the same goals, said Ari Peskoe, director of Harvard Law School's Electricity Law Initiative.

"FERC will be an indispensable player in the Biden administration's clean energy agenda," Peskoe said. "It's the federal regulator of two major energy industries -- the power sector and the natural gas industry -- so it matters a lot in how this energy transition plays out."

The commission has a big say in the nation's energy mix because of its role overseeing gas pipelines, liquefied natural gas export facilities and wholesale power markets. The agency dictates how electricity is bought and sold in those wholesale markets, which are where most utilities get their power. And the commission's decisions governing natural gas pipelines can give developers a green light to invoke eminent domain and install the projects on private land.

Biden has designated Richard Glick as chairman, giving one of the panel's two Democratic members a chance to immediately steer the agenda. The remaining three seats are set to be occupied by Republicans through mid-year.

There are signs already of FERC's new approach. Glick complained in a meeting earlier this month that the commission has not paid enough attention to how local, often disadvantaged communities are affected by the natural gas projects FERC scrutinizes. "I have been at the commission for three years, and I've seen little in the way of orders to do more than give lip service to environmental justice," Glick said. "That needs to change ."

And in her opening remarks as a Democratic commissioner, Allison Clements stressed she planned to consider "the grave threat of climate change" in her decisions for the panel.

Environmentalists are counting on FERC to make major changes pushing the nation away from fossil fuels. Activists have already briefed Biden officials on how FERC can impose a climate litmus test to effectively block future natural gas projects. They also are urging policies to encourage state programs rewarding emission-free renewable and nuclear power.

And they have outlined ways FERC can help deliver on Biden's promise "to build the next generation of electric grid transmission," with high-voltage power lines that can deliver low-cost renewable power from the Midwest to customers in big coastal cities.

That is critical to meeting Biden's 2035 goal of carbon-free electricity, said Rob Gramlich, a former FERC policy adviser and founder of Grid Strategies. "You just can't achieve significant decarbonization without major changes to the grid," Gramlich said.

FERC's past transmission efforts have mostly spurred small, local projects, said Jeff Dennis, managing director of Advanced Energy Economy, an association of clean energy businesses. Now, the commission can reform planning processes to encourage big transmission projects that cross multiple jurisdictions and "are really critical to unlocking more capacity for renewables," Dennis said.

Even a small shift in FERC's approach to renewable energy could buttress state efforts to subsidize emission-free nuclear, wind and solar power.

States are "a real driver of decarbonization policy," and FERC policy can ensure they have the power to "to go further and faster," Dennis said.

Already nearly three dozen states in FERC-regulated markets have adopted clean-power goals.

"A lot of the actions are going to be taking place at the state level in the absence of federal leadership," said FERC commissioner Neil Chatterjee, a Republican whose term expires at the end of June. "That is going to put FERC squarely in the epicenter of that debate."

FERC had a mixed record enabling a clean energy transition under former president Donald Trump. On the one hand, it imposed regulations making it easier to integrate battery storage into the grid and explored ways to spur transmission lines critical to support offshore wind farms. However, it also created hurdles for renewable electricity while helping to sustain natural gas power plants, including by imposing a minimum price floor for sales of state-subsidized renewable power in capacity auctions run by the largest U.S. grid.

FERC also is expected to shift its approach to natural gas projects. Glick has argued the panel needs to better consider the climate change consequences of approving natural gas pipelines and export facilities.

"FERC has not kept up with the challenge and the real imminent threat of climate change," said Joan Walker, an activist with Sierra Club's Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign. "The fossil fuel industry is going to find every opportunity to keep perpetuating their business model so it's absolutely essential and urgent that these changes be made."

(The Sierra Club has received funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the charitable organization founded by Michael R. Bloomberg, the majority owner of Bloomberg LP.)

Under federal law, FERC is supposed to weigh the potential benefits of proposed natural gas pipelines against their potential negative impacts on landowners and the environment, said Sierra Club staff attorney Elly Benson.

"If a pipeline will be pumping a lot of gas and therefore is going to have a lot of downstream emissions, FERC should really be taking a close look," Benson said. "That should weigh against approving a new gas pipeline."

Big shifts in FERC's approach would probably come only after Democrats hold a three-member majority on the commission, and there's a lull in proposals now pending before the panel. But changes could have lasting impact, said John Moore, who directs a Natural Resources Defense Council project focused on FERC.

The agency is using "a 21-year-old policy on assessing gas projects that we have long argued is way outdated and needs to be replaced," Moore said. "That is going to definitely be up to the next chair to tackle."
New Delhi, Jan 31 : A group of journalists and others rallied outside the Delhi Police Headquarters on the Jai Singh Road here on Sunday to protest against the arrest of freelance journalist Mandeep Punia.

Police on Saturday arrested Punia after alleging that he had misbehaved with a station house officer (SHO) at the Singhu border.

Police said that he was moving through roadblocks and barricades when the alleged incident took place.

Calling it an 'attack on journalism', the protesters working for different media organsitations carried posters and placards to show support to the journalist.

Traffic movement was briefly closed on Jai Singh Marg and Bangla Sahib lane due to the demonstration.

"Punia has been booked under Sections 186 of the IPC (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty). A case has been registered at Alipur police station," Said a senior police officer.

Another journalist, Dharmender Singh, was also picked up but later allowed to go after he showed his press ID, police said.
Israel could begin overcoming the COVID-19 crisis after fully vaccinating a third of its population, an official said on Sunday, indicating it would take some weeks more than previously thought.

Launching what has become the world's fastest vaccine rollout on Dec. 19, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set protecting Israel's most vulnerable cohorts - around 24% of 9 million citizens - as the benchmark for a possible reopening of the economy in February.

But a projected mid-January turnaround in curbing the spread of the illness did not transpire. Despite a third national lockdown, cases and deaths have surged among the part of the population that has not yet been vaccinated. Officials blame this on highly communicable foreign variants of the coronavirus.

Asked when he now anticipated a turnaround, Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch said: "Our goal is to achieve 5.5 million (fully vaccinated citizens) and I reckon that the moment we cross the 3-to-3.5 million (mark) you will already see change."

"Everything that the prime minister predicted will happen, possibly with a few weeks' delay," he told Kan public radio.

As of Saturday, 1.7 million Israelis had received the second dose of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine more than a week prior, achieving the maximum 95% protection, the Health Ministry said.

Around another 1.3 million had either received one dose and were awaiting the second or had received the second dose within the last week and so were not yet designated as fully vaccinated.

The conservative Netanyahu is up for reelection on March 23.

He wants to extend the lockdown, which is due to expire on Sunday night, but faces opposition from his coalition partner and political rival, Defence Minister Benny Gantz.

Israel's inoculation programme does not extend to the approximately 5.2 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where local authorities are organizing their vaccination programme separately.

(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Frances Kerry)
New Delhi: Forensic evidence critical to investigation of Fridays bombing outside the Embassy of Israel was missed by crime-scene teams of the Delhi Police, highly-placed intelligence sources have told News18. The Delhi Police had lifted crime-scene barriers early on Friday morningeven allowing in cleaning staffbefore shutting down the area again after central government agencies discovered shrapnel and bomb components scattered in nearby lawns and homes.

The revelation of errors in the crime-scene management come as the Union Government is considering handing over the investigation of the Embassy bombing to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Israeli diplomats, a senior intelligence official said, usually left the Embassy premises around 5 pm, but some key staff had been delayed because of a meeting that dragged on. The official declined to identify the officials whose vehicles appeared to have been targeted.

Theres the distinct possibility that whoever carried out the act had carried out reconnaissance on the movement of these diplomatic officials, and timed the explosion accordingly, a senior official said.

Fragments from the bomb, including parts of the circuit-board which likely controlled the timing of the explosion, were found scattered as far as the lawns of former Member of Parliament and industrialist Naveen Jindals residence on 5 APJ Abdul Kalam Road, over a hundred metres from the bomb side.

The bomb, sources at the Forensic Sciences Laboratory in New Delhi said, had been packed with metal shrapnel, including ball-bearings, a well-established technique to maximise the lethality of improvised explosive devices.

Anyone near the bomb when it went off would likely have been killed or maimed, one forensic expert with knowledge of the investigation said. It is possible this was a carefully-planned assassination attempt. The official, however, also said it was possible the bomb may have detonated at a time other than that intended, due to problems in the circuit-board or construction.

ALSO READ| Energy Drink Can Used for Israel Embassy Blast, Probe Team Suspects; 'Odd' Explosives Mix Casts More Doubt

The bombers, a Delhi Police source said, appeared to have carefully selected an area without line-of-sight coverage from closed-circuit television cameras planted to surveil the road. However, low-quality footage of two potential suspects has been obtained from a nearby Canadian diplomatic facility, and is being digitally enhanced, he added.

NIA sources said they would pursue several lines of investigation, including the possibility that the attack was carried out by Iran-linked intelligence services or their proxies, as well as other terrorist groups.

Theres a long list of people with reasons to carry out such an attack, an NIA officer said, but you have to come to a determination of who the perpetrator is based on evidence, not on possible motives. This will likely take some time. As things stand, we have little to work with.

Errors of procedure and investigative protocol have earned the Delhi Police judicial reprimand in several past high-profile counter-terrorism cases. In 2012, Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of an Israeli diplomat, was targeted in an attempted assassination attemptpart of a series of Iranian intelligence-orchestrated strikes in New Delhi, Tbilisi and Bangkok.

The Delhi Police had arrested journalist Syed Mohammad Kazmi for his alleged role in Korens assassination, but failed to file charges against him within the legally-mandated period. No convictions have been obtained in the case.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had pointed to multiple procedural errors and lapses in handling evidence by the Delhi Police in its investigation of the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament.

Israelalleged to be responsible for the assassinations of top Iranian nuclear scientistswas last week reported to be considering the sanction of an additional $918 million for its armed forces to develop capabilities to hit facilities involved in Tehrans strategic weapons programme. The bomb strike, some intelligence officials believe, could have been intended to signal that Iran would respond to attacks by striking at Israeli facilities worldwide, as it did in 2012.

Without a full-time head for almost a yearDelhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava was given additional charge of this responsibility in February 2020the Delhi Polices has been battered by a succession of crisis.

The force faced sharp criticism for its failure to anticipate and contain the communal violence which broke out in New Delhi last year. Its handling of the farmers protests in New Delhi has also led to claims of failure in command-level executive leadership.

Kathmandu, Jan 31 : China will be sending 300,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine to Nepal, ten days after India sent one million doses of Covid-19 vaccine there, marking the launch of nationwide inoculation drive in the Himalayan country.

The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement that China has decided to provide 300,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine under grant assistance to Nepal, which would benefit 150,000 Nepali citizens.

"China and Nepal are good neighbours, good friends and good partners. Facing whatever challenges like the earthquake and the pandemic, the two countries have always supported and helped each other through thick and thin," the statement said.

In order to implement Chinese President Xi Jinping's solemn commitment that China will make its vaccine a global public good once available, and on the request of the Nepali government, the Chinese government has decided to provide Covid-19 vaccine to Nepal.

"Despite huge demands for the vaccines both in China and across the world at present, the Chinese government has prioritised Nepal in providing the vaccines, fully demonstrating the great importance it shares the bond with Nepal," the statement added.

The vaccine to be provided to Nepal was developed by Sinopharm and has already got conditional marketing approval in China with over 24 million doses having been administered until January 31.

"After a two-dose inoculation procedure, the vaccine shows 79.34 per cent efficacy against coronavirus, and the seroconversion rate of neutralising antibodies reached 99.52 per cent." The Embassy said that it is coordinating with Nepali authorities on the registration for emergency use and receipt of the vaccine and would like to deliver the vaccines to Nepal at the earliest so as to help the country win the Covid battle.

"China is willing to work together with Nepal to build a community of health for all and further strengthen and promote the strategic partnership of cooperation featuring the ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity between the two countries," the statement said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
New Delhi:

Defying summons of Enforcement Directorate (ED), a Delhi court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in an over a decade-old case of money laundering registered against him for alleged terror financing.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma issued the arrest warrant after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the court that Shah was repeatedly evading the summons asking him to depose before it and join the investigation.

According to Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta, the matter relates to August 2005 wherein the Delhi Polices Special Cell had arrested 35-year old Mohammed Aslam Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah.

Delhi court issues non bailable arrest warrant against separatist Shabir Shah.ED had approached court after Shah refused to join probe. pic.twitter.com/zQO5OnhbGi  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani.

Wani was arrested allegedly with Rs 63 lakh, received through hawala channels from the Middle East, and a large cache of ammunition on August 26, 2005.

Also Read | Crackdown on Kashmir separatists: NIA registers FIR against Geelani, Saeed; ED issues summons to Shabir Shah

During questioning, he had told the police that Rs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh to Jaish-e-Mohammad area commander in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, and the rest was his commission.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has announced the appointment of Mohammed Paracha as Head of Middle East.

Paracha will succeed Deirdre Walker, who has held this leadership role since 2017 and continues with the firm as a disputes partner.

A partner at Norton Rose Fulbright since 2010, Paracha currently leads the banking and finance practice in Dubai. He is also the firms head of Islamic finance for the Middle East and Africa.

Paracha commented: I am delighted to be appointed to the role of Head of Middle East. I look forward to working with our team and colleagues around the world to support our regional clients at a time of profound legal, regulatory and economic change.

Peter Scott, Managing Partner, Europe, Middle East and Asia, commented: Mohammed Paracha has over 20 years experience of working in the Middle East both at our firm and as in-house counsel at a leading Bahraini bank. I know Mohammed will work closely with our entire Middle East team to build on our strong foundations and capitalise on the significant opportunities for growth in the region. On behalf of the firm, I would like to thank Deirdre Walker for the significant contribution she has made as Head of Middle East, particularly in growing our award-winning dispute resolution practice.

Paracha trained and qualified with Norton Rose Fulbright in London in 2001. He focuses on Islamic finance and banking matters and has extensive cross-border transactional experience. Mohammed led the firms team on a $1 billion first-of-a-kind cross-border Islamic financing last year, one of several ground breaking Islamic finance mandates he has advised on over his career.

Norton Rose Fulbright has expanded in the Middle East over the past year with four lateral partner hires including Nicholas Kramer, Nicholas Robinson, Zayd Alathari and Kayaan Unwalla, as well as counsel Shabnam Karim and Jonathan Burton. Earlier this month, Angela Croker was promoted to partner.

Recent accolades for the firms wider Middle East practice include Litigation Team of the Year at the 2020 Law.com Middle East Legal Awards, as well as several 2020 Islamic Finance News Awards including Hybrid Deal of the Year, Syndicated Deal of the Year and Law Firm of the Year in the Banking & Finance category. -- Tradearabia News Service
News

Grafton, Wisconsin - A Wisconsin pharmacist has agreed to plead guilty to charges filed Tuesday in federal court that he attempted to render hundreds of doses of COVID-19 vaccine ineffective.

According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, Wisconsin, was charged with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products with reckless disregard for the risk that another person will be placed in danger of death or bodily injury. Brandenburg has agreed to plead guilty to the charges, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

As detailed in the court documents, while working as a hospital pharmacist in Grafton, Wisconsin, on two successive overnight shifts in late December, Brandenburg purposefully removed a box of COVID-19 vaccine vials manufactured by Modernawhich must be stored at specific cold temperatures to remain viablefrom the hospitals refrigeration unit intending to render the vaccines inert and no longer effective. According to the plea agreement, Brandenburg stated that he was skeptical of vaccines in general and the Moderna vaccine specifically. Brandenburg had communicated his beliefs about vaccines to his co-workers for at least the past two years.

After leaving the vaccines out for several hours each night, Brandenburg returned the vaccines to the refrigerator to be used in the hospitals vaccine clinic the following day. Before the full extent of Brandenburgs conduct was discovered, 57 people received doses of the vaccine from these vials.

Tampering with vaccine doses in the midst of a global health crisis calls for a strong response, as reflected by the serious charges the United States has brought today, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the Department of Justices Civil Division. The Department of Justice will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to ensure the public receives safe and effective vaccines.

Distributing the COVID-19 vaccine is critical to overcoming this pandemic, which continues to end lives and upend our economy, said U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Krueger. As these charges show, the Justice Department will pursue anyoneand especially any medical professionalwho tampers with the vaccine.

The FDA has ensured that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine meets the agencys rigorous standards for quality, safety, and efficacy, said FDA Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen. Those who knowingly tamper with this vaccine place American patients health at risk. Todays announcement should serve as a reminder that this kind of illicit tampering activity will not be tolerated.

Pharmacists rank among some of the most trusted professionals, said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes. This individual used his special access to tamper with vials of the much needed COVID-19 vaccine. The FBI takes allegations of consumer product tampering very seriously and will use all available resources to bring those to justice who intentionally put the publics health at risk.

This matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administrations Office of Criminal Investigations, the Milwaukee Field Office of the FBI, and the Village of Grafton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Knight of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Senior Litigation Counsel Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorney Rachel Baron of the Department of Justice Civil Divisions Consumer Protection Branch.

The claims made in the information are allegations that, if the case had proceeded to trial, the government would have had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to convict the defendant. The plea agreement expresses the defendants intention to plead guilty, but the defendant has not yet formally entered a plea in this matter.
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Australias former top diplomat says the government needs to approach China with more nuance and be wary of being drawn into a United States policy of confrontation with Beijing.

Philip Flood, secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade between 1996 and 1999, said the current low point in relations between Australia and its biggest trading partner had been caused by both parties.

Relations between China and Australia have reached new lows amid a bitter trade dispute. Credit:

The call for a shift in strategy comes after New Zealand Trade Minister Damien OConnor suggested Australia should speak with a little more diplomacy and respect towards China.

China last year imposed more than $20 billion of trade strikes on Australian exports and its senior government officials have refused to return the phone calls of Australian ministers after the Morrison government pushed for an independent inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has fired back at conservative PAC The Lincoln Project, accusing the group of being the 'real traitors' and 'Biden's little tool' after they turned against GOP leader Kevin McCarthy.

The embattled Georgia Republican, who is facing mounting calls to resign, launched yet another Twitter tirade on Saturday to defend the House Minority Leader after the group tweeted the hashtag: '#TraitorMcCarthy.'

'The Lincoln Project are the REAL traitors! You aren't Republicans. You are nothing but a bunch of America last losers,' Greene replied.

'You wallow in the same pit with the bloodthirsty media and the socialist democrats. [McCarthy] is fighting for America First. The LP is Biden's little tool.'

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene fired back at the Lincoln Project Saturday after the group accused Kevin McCarthy of being a 'traitor'

The Lincoln Project, which was formed in 2019 by a group of former and current Republicans, and staunchly opposes Donald Trump, has accused McCarthy of destroying the GOP.

McCarthy is also facing pressure from fellow lawmakers to take action against Greene, who has come under fire over her controversial posts and for openly supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Lawmakers have called for Greene to be removed after separate footage surfaced of her harassing a Parkland mass shooting survivor and she showed support on Facebook for executing top Democrats.

Earlier this week Democratic Rep. Cori Bush announced she was moving her office to get away from 'white supremacist' Greene after she 'berated' her in the Capitol.

Greene has refused to quit saying it was Bush who 'berated' her and that Democrats hate her only because she's 'a threat to their goal of Socialism', while she claims to have brought in $1.6 million in campaign donations.

Greene has repeatedly pushed unfounded conspiracy theories including that late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double, the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that left 58 dead was organized by Democrats and that there is no evidence a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11.

The Lincoln Project, which was formed in 2019 by a group of former and current Republicans, and staunchly opposes Donald Trump, has accused McCarthy of destroying the GOP

Earlier on Saturday Greene announced on Twitter that she had spoken to Donald Trump. They are pictured together above on January 4

Greene spoke about the call with her 'all time favorite POTUS' in a Twitter rant on Saturday

While some Republicans have condemned Greene's postings, they were hardly a surprise.

Greene has expressed support for QAnon conspiracy theories, which focus on the debunked belief that top Democrats are involved in child sex trafficking, Satan worship and cannibalism.

Facebook videos surfaced last year showing she'd expressed racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views.

Top Republicans denounced her at the time, hoping to block her from capturing the GOP nomination for her reliably red congressional district in northwest Georgia.

McCarthy called the posts 'deeply disturbing' and said he had 'plans to have a conversation' with Greene about them.' The House GOP leader flew to Florida on Thursday to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort

The opposition faded, however, when Greene won the primary and was essentially guaranteed a seat in Congress. By the time she was sworn into office, Greene had ridden with President Donald Trump on Air Force One during his final days in office.

Still, there's greater pressure on political leaders to address extremism after a pro-Trump mob staged a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez announced Wednesday night that he was readying a resolution to expel Greene from Congress because of her past social media activity.

In a statement to Axios, a spokesman for House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy called the posts 'deeply disturbing' and said McCarthy 'plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them.'

It's unclear when that conversation may happen. McCarthy flew to Florida on Thursday to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
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Two Toronto-area retirement homes imposed restrictions on visitors coming from an Ontario region at the centre of a more potent COVID-19 outbreak over the weekend as officials in another district said the more contagious U.K. virus variant had surfaced there as well.

This 2020 electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - Rocky Mountain Laboratories shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which cause COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells cultured in a lab. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP - NIAID-RML

Two Toronto-area retirement homes imposed restrictions on visitors coming from an Ontario region at the centre of a more potent COVID-19 outbreak over the weekend as officials in another district said the more contagious U.K. virus variant had surfaced there as well.

Shannex Inc,. confirmed Sunday that its two retirement facilities in Toronto and neighbouring Mississauga, Ont., are barring visitors from communities deemed "high alert" as part of a slate of infection control efforts.

"These new measures are extra precautions we must take in our battle to keep COVID-19 out of our buildings, particularly as we see the new variant in our province," Shannex communications manager Gillian Costello said in a Sunday statement.

The restriction is currently limited to visitors from Barrie, Ont., because of the rising number of U.K. variant cases there, Costello said. Barrie has become the epicentre of the latest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic after confirming the more contagious U.K. virus variant was the cause of a deadly outbreak at a local long-term care facility.

Costello said Shannex may update the restrictions later if the company identifies more "high alert" areas.

Meanwhile, a Region of Waterloo Public Health investigation had linked the first local case of the variant to another person who travelled internationally as well as a local long-term care home outbreak, the municipality said Saturday.

"We do expect further cases will be identified as more variant testing is completed by Public Health Ontario," the statement read.

Public health officials have said the B.1.1.7 variant was behind the deadly outbreak at Roberta Place in Barrie, where the virus has claimed at least 46 lives and infected more than 200 people.

The region's top doctor has said he's confident all cases in the outbreak are the result of the U.K. variant. It's also been linked to outbreaks at a hospital and another care home in the area.

In Waterloo, officials confirmed Saturday that the region's first U.K. variant case was linked to a COVID-19 outbreak declared at Columbia Forest long-term care home late in December.

Provincial data as of Sunday reported fewer than five cases among staff and residents at the facility, where the outbreak is still considered active.

The first case of B.1.1.7 in the Waterloo area was identified on Friday, with public health noting that the womans illness is considered resolved.

The region's top doctor said the arrival of the variant is not unexpected given confirmation of its presence elsewhere in the province. Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said continued adherence to public health guidance is still the best defense against the virus.

What this means for Waterloo Region is that we must not let up our guard with respect to public health measures. What we have been doing are the same measures we need to employ against this variant, Wang said in a statement.

Provincial officials have said the variant, which first emerged in the U.K. last year, is more contagious and may cause more severe illness.

Public Health Ontario had confirmed 58 cases of the variant in the province Sunday as it continued to ramp up genomic testing for B.1.1.7 and two other COVID-19 strains deemed "variants of concern."

Haldimand-Norfolk was added to the list of health units with a confirmed case of the U.K. variant on Sunday.

Only the U.K. variant has been confirmed in Ontario, and a number of regional health officials have said they suspect the number of such cases is higher than the current total.

Toronto's medical officer of health said last week that restricting travel between regions to control the spread of the variant is "worth considering," but noted much would depend on what ongoing research uncovers about the virus variants.

Ontario reported 1,848 more cases of COVID-19 and 43 additional deaths from the virus on Sunday.

A data catchup at Toronto Public Health likely inflated the daily total by about 300 cases, according to Health Minister Christine Elliott.

Toronto's associate medical officer of health said the small backlog of lab results came from cases that needed additional review before data entry.

The province reported 1,159 people were hospitalized with the virus as of Sunday.

Of those patients, 356 were in intensive care and 252 were on ventilators.

The province said 2,816 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered since the last daily update, for a total of 339,644 administered across the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2021.
Photo: (Photo : Leichhardt Police Area Command / Facebook)

A hero dad from Sydney rescues a young girl from drowning.

Scott Windon quickly ran to save a three-year-old girl who tumbled over the ledge into the water.

The harbor was full of rocks and sharp rock oysters. Because of this, the hero dad sustained wounds on his feet and legs. The young girl, however, was safe but with a minor bump.

ALSO READ: New York Hero Dad Who Shielded Kids from Gunman Receives $200K of Donations





The young girl almost drowned.

Scott and his two daughters were at Mort Bay Park last Saturday. The park was along Sydney Harbor, which makes it a nice place to enjoy the warm weather. While there, they witnessed a young girl tumble over the ledge into the water.

Police reports disclosed that the three-year-old girl, Mia Bullimore, immediately started to sink into the water.

Everyone who was at the bay started to panic, including Scott.

However, the hero dad was quick on his feet and jumped off the ledge to rescue the young girl.

The hero dad rescues the young girl.

On the Facebook page of Leichhardt Police, they said that the hero dad scooped Mia just before the little girl was completely underwater.

The report said, "He placed her under his left arm and walked over more rock-oysters, then swam 70 meters to the nearest exit point to hand Mia to the waiting arms of her parents, Ian and Phoebe."

Luckily, the young girl only sustained a minor bump and was safely welcomed by her parents.

ALSO READ: Young Boy Drowns After Falling into a Canal, Stranger Quickly Rescues Him





Hero dad sustained wounds.

Because sharp rock oysters filled the water, the hero dad sustained deep wounds.

His feet, legs, thighs, and even hands had cuts and lacerations.

Paramedics arrived at the scene and looked at the sustained woods of Mia's hero.

Scott was transported to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital by the paramedics. There, he had to undergo surgery to keep his wounds clean. He also received stitches to the soles of his feet.

ALSO READ: Child Chokes at the Drive-Thru, Fast-Food Chain Employee Comes to Rescue





The heroic act

According to the police, Windon's act is a manifestation that heroes do not have to wear capes. The authorities also added that his actions saved people from horror and heartache.

Police also said, "This incident could have easily led to yet another tragic drowning death of a child if it were not for the quick thinking, selfless, heroic actions of Mr. Scott Windon."

Drowning incidents in Australia

This summer, a total of 61 deaths due to drowning has been recorded in Australia. This number is higher compared to last year when there are only 12 recorded drowning incidents.

The number of deaths is expected to rise because of a snorkler who remains missing in Melbournes since last Saturday.

ALSO READ: New York Hero Dad Shields Three Children from Gunman, Gets Shot in the Thigh

The Board of Directors of Parmigiani Fleurier SA hereby announces the appointment of Guido Terreni as CEO. He is to replace Davide Traxler, who has decided to pursue professional opportunities outside the Group after two and a half years at the helm of the Company.



Mr. Traxler will also resign from the boards of directors of Parmigianis distribution companies, where he will also be replaced by Mr. Terreni.



In the person of Guido Terreni, we have been able to secure a strategist and recognized expert who oversaw the repositioning of Bulgari Horlogerie as one of the leading global watch brands in the high-end segment, says Fritz Schiesser, Chairperson of the Sandoz Family Foundation. I am certain that Guido Terreni will take Parmigiani Fleurier to new heights.



Mr. Terreni made the following statement on his appointment: I am honored and enthusiastic about being able to contribute to enhancing Parmigiani Fleurier's reputation. It is a solid brand, capable of expressing the Swiss watchmaking heritage at the highest level, which has recently been included by UNESCO in its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity, whilst also attracting the interest of the most discerning connoisseurs.

Guido Terreni  Parmigiani

When I joined Parmigiani in mid-2018, we focused on improving company profitability as well as optimizing the product range and structures declared Mr. Traxler. We have made major progress in this area. The next stage will be centered on long-term strategic brand realignment. This will also include the Companys response to market changes brought about by COVID-19. This is the right time to place management of the Company in new hands.



The Board of Directors would like to express its thanks to Davide Traxler for his efforts for the Company.



A native of Milan, Guido Terreni, aged 51, is of dual Swiss-Italian nationality and graduated in Economics at the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan. He has gained 25 years of professional experience both within an international company under family management and at major international groups. He started his career in 1995 at the Danone Group. In 2000 he moved to Switzerland, joining the Watchmaking Division at the Bulgari Group. He was appointed President of Bulgari Horlogerie in 2010, a position which he held for the following ten years. Driven by his vision for innovation, his sense of aesthetics and a strong desire to respect the integrity of traditional Swiss mechanical watchmaking, he has been able to assemble teams that have turned Bulgari into a fully-fledged premium watch brand. This result is confirmed by the 57 international watchmaking prizes and 6 world records in the area of ultra-thin movements.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Expect to see anywhere from six to 12 inches of snow early next week, forecasters are predicting, as a snowstorm heads for New York City and the surrounding area.

Several weather services are tracking the storm, including AccuWeather.com, and predict that snow will begin to fall late Sunday evening and continue through early Tuesday.

Freezing temperatures are expected, and borough residents could be in for as much as 12 hours of uninterrupted snowfall, according to an AccuWeather meteorologist.

Because of the frigid temperatures that will last through the weekend, the ground it is going to be very cold so the snow is going to stick very quickly, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Gresiak said.

It could make things slippery very quickly because of the cold ground, Gresiak said.

AccuWeather.com is tracking the snowstorm system heading for New York City. (Courtesy of AccuWeather)

On Sunday, snow is expected to begin in the late evening, with one to three inches of accumulation throughout the night before things really start picking up on Monday.

On Monday, steady snow throughout the day is expected to add three to six inches of accumulation to Sundays total.

AccuWeather.com is tracking the snowstorm system heading for New York City. (Courtesy of AccuWeather)

We should be expecting the snow to begin Sunday evening around 9 p.m., Gresiak said. It is going to be a prolonged snow. This one is going to hang around for a while.

It is going on at least through parts of Tuesday, he said.

AccuWeather.com is tracking the snowstorm system heading for New York City. (Courtesy of AccuWeather)

The snow will be accompanied by heavy, gusting winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour, with a potential for wind speeds to reach a maximum of 65 miles per hour.

This could result in minor coastal flooding and beach erosion.

On Tuesday, light snow is expected in the morning, potentially adding an extra inch of accumulation, but should clear out of the area by the early afternoon hours.
Kamala Harris niece has stopped selling clothing using the vice president's name after flying to the inauguration on a private jet paid for by a Biden donor and writing a children's book about her famous aunt.

Meena Harris, 36, no longer sells her range of t-shirts and swimsuits named after her relative, Politico reports.

Their removal follows a pledge by the Biden administration that the president and vice president's family 'will uphold the highest ethical standards'.

She was told a day after the inauguration to remove them from her site by transition ethics lawyers, Fox New reports.

Meena's name had also previously featured as a collaborator on a t-shirt sold on the Biden campaign store; it was later removed.

A White House official said of that decision: 'For appearance sake, Meenas name was removed because we didnt want to make it seem or appear that she would be benefiting or profiting from the campaign.'

Her clothing brand Phenomenal had also sold $60 sweatshirts with MVP - Madam Vice President - and 'I'm speaking' on the front, referencing Kamalas line to former Vice President Mike Pence during their debate, before their removal.

Meena Harris, 36, no longer sells her range of t-shirts and swimsuits with her aunt's name following a pledge by the Biden administration to 'uphold the highest ethical standards'

The Stanford and Harvard Law graduate's clothing brand Phenomenal also sold sweatshirts with MVP - Madam Vice President - and 'I'm speaking' on the front

But following a pledge by the Biden administration to 'uphold the highest ethical standards' they have been removed from her online store, Politico reports

Meena also worked with Beats By Dre on headphones with the slogan 'The First But Not The Last'; they were gifted to influencers a week before the inauguration

A collaboration between Meena and Beats By Dre also featured the slogan 'The First But Not The Last'. The headphones were gifted to influencers. The vice president's team had not been made aware of that venture, Axios reported at the time.

The Stanford and Harvard Law graduate had shared clips from her trip to DC on board the plane to her Instagram stories.

And her new production company with former Obama White House staffer Brad Jenkins also produced an advert for the Supermajority Education Fund the day before the inauguration. It is not known if she was paid for the work, Fox News reports.

In a statement the VP office said: 'The Vice President and her family will uphold the highest ethical standards and its the White Houses policy that the Vice President's name should not be used in connection with any commercial activities that could reasonably be understood to imply an endorsement or support.'

New ethics rules 'are likely to be more restrictive than the rules that governed the Obama administration', The Washington Post had reported in December

Meena was told a day after the inauguration to remove the clothes from her site

A book that she wrote about her mother and aunt, Kamala and Mayas Big Idea, was published in June 2020 and so did not break any ethics laws.

But it is unclear if she continues to make money from the story, which is number four on the New York Times bestseller list.

She says that her new book, Ambitious Girl, is designed to inspire young children.

A book that she wrote about her mother and aunt, Kamala and Mayas Big Idea, is number four on the New York Times bestseller list

New ethics rules 'are likely to be more restrictive than the rules that governed the Obama administration', The Washington Post had reported in December.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday: 'It's the White House's policy that the president's name should not be used in connection with any commercial activities to suggest or in any way, in any way they could reasonably be understood to imply his endorsement or support.'

Meena's mother, Maya, 53, was a single mother at 17. It is not known who her biological father is.

But her stepdad, Tony West, is the former associate attorney-general of the United States and now chief legal officer for Uber.

Meena also previously worked in the policy departments of the ride share app and at Slack.

Meena's mother, Maya, 53, right, was a single mother at 17. It is not known who her biological father is. Kamala is center, Meena is left

Meena's clothing brand Phenomenal also sold sweatshirts with MVP - Madam Vice President - and 'I'm speaking' on the front, referencing Kamalas line to former Vice President Mike Pence during their debate. Meena is pictured with Kamala, right

In an interview with The Times of London on Saturday Meena said her partner gave up his high-flying tech job in San Francisco to be a stay-at-home father to their two daughters, and free her to write feminist children's books and run her business.

She told how Nikolas Ajagu, who she met while working in the tech industry, decided he wanted to be a full-time father to Amara, four, and two-year-old Leela.

Ajagu left his job as the Global Head of Partnerships at Facebook to raise their children, she told the paper. It was unclear if he has since returned: his LinkedIn page says he still works for the company.

On the day of the inauguration won praise from sneakerheads for his stylish $2,000 Dior Air Jordan 1s.

'We do not ascribe to the traditional gender role thing in our house,' she said.

In an interview with The Times of London on Saturday Meena said her partner gave up his high-flying tech job in San Francisco to be a stay-at-home father to their two daughters, and free her to write feminist children's books and run her business
Longford farmers are invited to sign up to a new agri-environmental scheme to improve biodiversity on farms.

A statement from the Department of Agriculture said the Programme for Government commits to rewarding farmers for adapting to more sustainable methods of farming and to the development of a new agri-environment scheme capable of delivering broad environmental and biodiversity benefits that will align financial supports with climate objectives.

To advance this objective funding has been made available for 2021 for a results-based agri-environment pilot project.

Payment rates to farmers who get involved will be decided with reference to income foregone, additional costs of specific environmental management and transaction costs. Other capital help may be available.

The pilot will only be open to farmers who have not participated in GLAS and are not in other agri-environment schemes. The application process is expected to open in the second quarter of 2021.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Senator Pippa Hackett welcomed the initiative.

"This is a really valuable consultation because it gives everyone who is interested in farm biodiversity an opportunity to input into the design of a new Agri-Environment Pilot. I hope all stakeholders will participate. Farmer input will be key of course, but the insights from other groups and interested parties will also be invaluable as we try to make sure this really does deliver for the environment.

"It must also deliver for farmers of course and through this, they will be given opportunities and incentives to embrace more environmental practices and benefit from results-based payments for farming with nature. What we now want is an Agri-Environment scheme in which more farmers can adapt their practices for a more sustainable form of agriculture, said the Senator Hackett.

A summary of the current proposal can be accessed at gov.ie - Public Consultation on Proposed Agri-Environment Results Based Pilot Project
Nearly 136,000 people flew into Ireland during December and arrivals into the country jumped by almost 60% on November, as the third wave of the Covid-19 virus took off in Ireland.

New Central Statistics Office figures show that flights into Ireland represented the bulk of travel into Ireland during the last month of 2016. The remainder of the 164,400 arrived by sea into the country.

The figures show that arrivals were 89% down on December 2019 when more than 1.3 million entered the country.

The figures also show that more people left Ireland than arrived in the country around Christmas. Nearly 179,000 went abroad as the third wave of infections began to emerge. Of these, 156,000 left by plane.

As restrictions eased with the lifting of the Level 5 October to December restrictions, the CSO says overseas travel to and from Ireland increased in December 2020.

The figures show that over 65,000 people arrived from Britain in December as the UK variant had been shown to be more infectious than the original strain. MORE BELOW TABLE

The CSO says December's figures compare with 103,900 arrivals and 96,800 departures in November 2020, increases of 58.3% and 84.7% respectively.

Apart from the UK, the CSO says that of those arriving in Ireland, 79,100 (48.1%) by continental routes, 11,700 (7.1%) by transatlantic routes and 8,500 (5.1%) by other overseas routes. The corresponding figures for those departing Ireland were 54,800 (30.6%), 107,100 (59.9%), 7,900 (4.4%) and 9,100 (5.1%) respectively.

The CSO says the most important staging countries for persons travelling overseas to Ireland were Great Britain (65,100), the Netherlands (14,700) and Spain (13,100). The most important staging countries for persons travelling overseas from Ireland were Great Britain (54,800), Spain (19,200) and Poland (17,200).

In the year 2020, 4,460,200 persons arrived in Ireland from overseas and 4,452,600 persons departed. These represent decreases of 77.9% and 78.0% respectively compared to 2019.

The Government has introduced new restrictions on travel in 2021.
Thousands of Australian chemists will be enlisted in the coronavirus vaccine rollout under a $200 million program to be announced by the federal government on Sunday.

Health Minister Greg Hunt is confident Australias current vaccine schedule is on track after talks with the country heads of Pfizer and AstraZeneca, despite a decision by European leaders to give themselves sweeping powers to potentially block crucial coronavirus vaccine shipments to Australia.

Biotechnology company CSL said on Saturday that it was ahead of schedule for its Australian production of the Oxford University Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine. CSL senior vice president Chris Larkins told 7 News the company was in the final stages of producing 10 million doses of the vaccine at its facilities in Victoria and expects to roll out the first doses by the end of March.

The federal government will pay 5800 community pharmacies across the country to give coronavirus vaccines for free. The program will start in May, when phase 2 of the rollout to people over 50 and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is due to start.
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Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, and Boeing has released details of its advanced helicopter for the U.S. Armys Future Long Range Assault Aircraft competition, known as FLRAA. The aircraft, named DEFIANT X, will be the fastest, most maneuverable and most survivable assault helicopter in history. The Army is expected to release a request for proposal on FLRAA later this year, with a contract award expected in 2022.

DEFIANT X is a complete weapon system that builds on the handling qualities and transformational capabilities proven by the teams technology demonstrator, SB>1 DEFIANT. With unmatched range and survivability, DEFIANT X will to fly low and fast through complex terrain, land quickly, deliver soldiers and equipment to the objective area (referred to as the X) and get out.

DEFIANT X flies twice as far and fast as the venerable Black Hawk helicopter it is designed to replace. Currently undergoing testing in a digital combat environment, the aircraft continues to prove itself the most survivable platform for mission requirements.

We are ready to deliver unparalleled capabilities backed by proven technologies that will truly transform the Armys mission today  with room to grow and adapt to the missions of tomorrow, said Andy Adams, Sikorsky vice president of Future Vertical Lift. DEFIANT X not only includes the transformational aircraft, mission systems and revolutionary sustainment solution, but also leverages Sikorskys and Boeings advanced manufacturing capabilities.

With its rigid coaxial rotor system and pusher propeller, DEFIANT X incorporates Sikorsky X2 Technology to operate at high speeds while maintaining low-speed handling qualities. This critical capability provides soldiers with increased maneuverability and survivability in high-threat air defense environments, allowing them to penetrate enemy defenses while reducing exposure to enemy fire.

DEFIANT X is purpose-built for a modernized Army that requires expanded reach, survivability and lethality, said Steve Parker, vice president and general manager of Boeing Vertical Lift. This weapon system will give soldiers unequaled technological advantage and connectivity over adversaries in a multi-domain battle space.

DEFIANT X will revolutionize the Armys air assault capability with limited changes in tactics, techniques, procedures, training and infrastructure while maintaining the Black Hawk helicopter footprint and tight formation capability flown today.

Together, Sikorsky and Boeing have built 90 percent of the U.S. Armys current military rotorcraft and have totaled more than 15 million flight hours. The team has brought forward iconic military rotorcraft including: Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache. The iconic UH-60 Black Hawk has proven itself to be the premiere assault platform in the world and DEFIANT X will bring the next level of capability that the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft requires.
The Executive Director, International Needs Ghana (INGH), Mr. Cromwell Awadey, has called on Ghanaians to recognize education as a public good that eradicates poverty and ignorance.



"Remember we have a responsibility to Recover and Revitalize Education in this COVID Era, " he said



At the celebration of the "International Day of Education" at Kanuwloe, a community in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, Mr. Awadey appealed to Ghanaians to embrace education wholeheartedly and set in motion the solutions to most of the problems in their homes and communities.



"These include, child trafficking, child labour, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, inequality, gender-based violence. Education is a human right; no child should therefore be denied the right to education.



" This imposes obligations on all of us to promote access to education for all, ensuring that no one is left behind."



The Christian NGO director added that Goal 4 of the global agenda 2030 focuses on seeing children everywhere having access to inclusive and equitable quality education and equal access to affordable vocational training, and to eliminate gender and wealth disparities with the aim of achieving universal access to a quality higher education.



"As we mark the day, we need to remember the effect of COVID-19 on education, especially as manifested in the closure of schools, spikes in child abuse and gender-based violence and more importantly children missing the opportunity to be in school and to learn.



UNESCO estimates that about 1.5 billion pupils and children were out of school during the peak of the pandemic.



This called for a concerted effort on our part to work together as stakeholders in ensuring that our children return to school, "he said.



According to him, closure of schools over the last 10 months affected over 5,000 learners on the INGH's programmes and out of that virtual learning reached only about 5%.



He added that the adolescent girls among these learners who had to stay home as a result of the school closure, were exposed to multiple vulnerabilities including, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, trafficking and a host of other abuses.



He said his outfit stepped up its engagements with the communities, by strengthening Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs) to mitigate such consequences.



Rev. Isaac Quacoo, Education Manager, INGH, told GNA in an interview that some of the children had now tasted money and may not want to come back to school and so the INGH is backing the Ghana Education Service's Back-to-School Campaign with a programme that will run for three months.



"This will create awareness on the importance of education in a safe and healthy environment, promote a behaviour change towards the observance of the COVID-19 protocols and to provide counselling, referral services and learning materials to Learners,"he said.

Source: GNA









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Westlife Development Ltd, which owns Hardcastle Restaurants, the master franchisee of McDonald's restaurants for western and southern India, expects its business to return to pre-COVID-19 level from the next quarter and continue its expansion journey by adding more stores to its network, said a company official.

The company plans to open three new stores in this quarter and then resume its growth journey of adding 25-40 stores every year from the next fiscal.

"If the momentum of consumer confidence continues, we will achieve and hopefully exceed pre-COVID-19 levels in the next 2-3 months," Westlife Development Vice-Chairman Amit Jatia told PTI.

He added that in the coming quarters, through the in-store business, the company will continue to grow, the convenience channels will be there, and here to stay.

"Convenience channels are here to stay... For occasional use for the restaurants, where people used to come for hang-outs and celebrate, this was not being met and that need is coming back. It would not take away (business) from the convenience channels," he added.

Jatia also said the company almost reached pre-COVID-19 numbers in December.

"The business has gone up month after month. In December, we were almost 97 per cent of the pre-COVID-19 sales. Even Ebitda margin for the month of December was 13.1 per cent, which gave us a lot of hope, as we are moving up month on month. I feel it is here to stay," he said.

Hardcastle Restaurants In-Store business was 85 per cent of the pre-COVID-19 in December, Jatia added.

"I have projected that from the January onwards, things would look good for us. I am seeing consumption coming back and decent sentiment due to the vaccine. I am also seeing in-store business also comes back," he said.

In December, the company's in-store business was around 80-85 per cent, he added.

On being asked about the expansion, Jatia said the company opened three new stores in the last quarter and has plans to open new stores in this current quarter as well.

"We would continue our journey to open 25-30 restaurants from 2021-22," Jatia added.

Currently, Westlife Development operates 304 McDonald's stores in 42 cities of the western and southern India.

"Around 60-70 per cent of new stores would come in the six key cities Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad; and the rest 30 per cent into smaller towns," he said.

The company plans to open stores in 2-3 new cities every 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.)
Kanpur : , Jan 31 (IANS) The IIT Kanpur Research and Technology Park and IIM Lucknow-Enterprise Incubation Centre (IIML-EIC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to give an impetus to innovation in the startup ecosystem in the country.

Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur and Chairman Board of Technopark, said,"This association between the two world-class premier institutes will not only foster close linkages between academia and industry but will also open new avenues for resource sharing." It would boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem and empower future innovators of the country, he added.

The two teams met over a zoom call for signing the MoU.

Speaking about the MoU, Karandikar said, "IIM Lucknow Incubator and Technopark are a part of academic powerhouses and bring unique values to the innovation ecosystem. We are delighted to partner with the IIM Lucknow Incubator to blend these strengths and leverage synergies." "We believe that this partnership has the real potential to make a deep and tangible impact on not only Uttar Pradesh but also the country at large," he added.

Anadi Pande of IIM-Lucknow said, "As an emerging economy, we need to fill in the institutional voids that have long existed to create something on the lines of the Silicon Valley and incubation and innovation is the only way out." "At IIM-Lucknow, we are deep into artificial intelligence and have many technology start-ups incubated with us. This MoU will facilitate a collaborative exchange of ideas and knowledge between our start-ups and IIT-Kanpur and Technopark companies and our faculty," he added.

"The association between IIT-Kanpur and IIM-Lucknow may serve as a benchmark for other IITs and IIMs to follow. India is witnessing an unprecedented boom in the innovation start-up ecosystem of the country and in the current scenario the motto of "self-reliance" and 'Make in India' and start-up holds more prominence than ever before," an IIT official said.
Bernard Lucas was out on an Irish Coast Guard "shout" last week for a missing man in Co Clare.

The extensive search with the Irish Coast Guard's Doolin and Kilkee units, the Shannon Rescue 115 helicopter and Clare Civil Defence had a good outcome, as the elderly man was found in woodland and treated for hypothermia.

However, Bernard's Doolin unit doesn't always get days like that. One such day etched forever in his memory is September 12, 2016, when the unit lost one of its own highly experienced members - Bernard's wife, Caitriona.

Ms Lucas (41), a librarian, a mother of two, and an advanced coxswain, had offered to help out the neighbouring Irish Coast Guard Kilkee unit in a search for a missing man.

She hadn't expected to go to sea, but the unit was short a crew member. She died after the Kilkee rigid inflatable boat (Rib) capsized in a shallow surf zone. Two other crew members survived.

Bernard is loath to talk about the toll it has taken on himself and his two adult children, Ben and Emma.

This time last year he trekked the Arctic Circle trail in Greenland as part of the Caitriona Lucas Challenge, set up in his wife's name. On legal advice he has filed an action against the State. However, the family are still waiting for an inquest, almost four-and-a-half years later .

Last summer the Director of Public Prosecutions decided no criminal charges should be brought in relation to the incident, after a report was forwarded to it by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The unpublished HSA report was one of two separate investigations. The second report, by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB), proved so contentious it had to be published in two parts.

The MCIB report identified five significant faults with the Rib and was critical of the Irish Coast Guard, including the absence of a safety systems manager. This had been recommended in a review in April 2012, but was not implemented by the government. A health and safety officer has since been appointed.

In a robust response, the Irish Coast Guard described the MCIB report as "flawed" and "misleading".

Bernard made his own submission, querying why the investigation did not address the failure to find personal locator beacons, the loss of helmets by three crew and the failure of life jackets to inflate.

A post-mortem examination identified a trauma to the side of Ms Lucas's head at a point where it should have been protected by her helmet. Her life jacket was not inflated.

Last summer the MCIB's authority was questioned in a European Court of Justice judgment which found it is not independent as its board included the Department of Transport secretary general, or his or her deputy, and the Marine Survey Office chief surveyor. These two post holders have stood down.

As if that wasn't upsetting enough for Bernard, an analysis of the MCIB submitted to the Oireachtas says it is "not fit for purpose".

"Shocking" is how he describes his reaction, and he says the investigation into his wife's death must be reviewed.

The analysis of the MCIB by former State marine surveyor Captain Neil Forde was commissioned by maritime lawyer Michael Kingston, who lost his father in the Betelgeuse Whiddy Island explosion in 1979.

It claims the MCIB failed to investigate incidents it has a statutory duty to inquire about, questions its resources and independence, and says the inquiry into Caitriona Lucas's death is "riddled with inaccuracies" - starting with the wrong location for the incident. These inaccuracies were not corrected because MCIB investigators "simply have not had the resources required to do the job properly", Mr Kingston stated in a presentation to the Oireachtas Transport and Communications Networks committee hearing last Friday.

Captain Forde's analysis also questions why the MCIB did not investigate a previous incident which occurred in similar circumstances to that of Ms Lucas's death, where an Irish Coast Guard Dingle unit Rib capsized off Inch, Co Kerry, in August 2014. Although there were no fatalities, the failure to investigate it was a breach of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000, he says.

The author of the Lucas inquiry said the Dingle incident "had many attributes similar" to the Kilkee incident.

"I think this is one of the aspects that I find so upsetting," Bernard says. "If the Dingle capsize had been investigated, and recommendations implemented, Caitriona might still be alive today.

"We have a fully staffed Air Accident Investigation Unit and a Railway Accident Investigation Unit, but a part-time body investigating marine accidents that is poorly resourced and, therefore, compromised.

"When it can't even get the location where Caitriona died right, the MCIB report raises more questions than it answers. We need a reinvestigation."

When Transport Minister Eamon Ryan told Friday's Oireachtas committee he planned a "fundamental review of the structures in place for marine accident investigation", Mr Kingston said a review had already taken place in 1998.

Formation on an independent investigation unit with an estimated 350,000 annual budget would be a fraction of the cost of a 50m annual search and rescue helicopter contract, he pointed out.

The MCIB said it does not comment on published reports issued on the conclusion of investigations, and said it was not the purpose of an investigation to attribute blame or fault - but to avoid other casualties occurring.

There were 20 bodies in a mortuary in Northern Ireland in just one day last week, following an in- crease in Covid-related deaths linked to the new Kent variant of the virus.

At one point last week, 760 patients were being cared for in hospitals across Northern Ireland, with nearly 70 in intensive care.

Hospital occupancy is expected to remain high for many weeks as the new variant leaves its mark.

Around 60pc of all cases being treated by the Southern Health Trust in the region are connected to the coronavirus, which was first identified in England last September.

It is believed the variant spreads up to 70pc faster than others and it may be up to 30pc more deadly.

"It has been horrendous here," said Dr Anne Carson, a consultant radiologist at Craigavon Hospital, which had more than 220 cases of Covid-19 in five days last week.

"A significant percentage of those admissions have been linked to the Kent strain - more than 50pc. We couldn't cope, we had to divert patients to other hospitals throughout Northern Ireland."

The Southern Trust area has had "eight out of the 10 worst postcodes following the Christmas surge in infections", said Dr Carson.

"All I seem to be seeing these days is Covid, Covid, Covid. It used to be eight or nine patients with Covid in the ward, now it's wall-to-wall."

Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally fears the new strain may be more "persistent and continue to circulate at dangers levels" throughout Northern Ireland.

"There also remains the unsubstantiated remarks from Boris Johnson that this strain is more fatal than other cases, which we will not know for some time," he said.

The speed at which the Kent variant has taken hold in Northern Ireland indicates "higher levels of it than anywhere else, after London and the south-east of England", Dr Scally said.

"It is very alarming, and I do worry," he added. "I find the situation very concerning. We are not out of the woods yet, by a long shot."

While there has been a further decrease in the numbers of positive cases, the R number has remained below one and is now estimated to be between 0.65 and 0.8.

Dr Scally believes the decline will continue cautiously, and said "it may not go down as fast as everyone would like it to".

Figures released by the North's health minister Robin Swann's department last week show more than 220,000 vaccines have been administered in Northern Ireland, including 196,131 first doses and 24,070 second doses.

Mobile teams have administered first doses in all local care homes, and second doses to more than 80pc of them; 83pc of the over-80s group have received their jabs, while work has begun to vaccinate 70- to 79-year-olds through the GP programme.

More than 50,000 people aged 65 to 69 have now booked vaccine appointments.

Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show 150 deaths involving Covid-19 took place in the region in the week to January 22.

It was the second-highest weekly toll since the pandemic began last year.

January 17 saw 34 deaths, the highest number in any one day.

Meanwhile, the disagreements around the Government's reluctance to share passenger data rumbles on after civil servants from Northern Ireland met with officials in Dublin last week.

Officials North and south have been told to come up with a solution before Mr Swann and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly "engage any further".

"There's no movement between Robin Swann and Stephen Donnelly, that's for sure, and this is an issue that has to be sorted as soon as possible," a senior Stormont source said.

"That's why officials from the Executive Office, not the department of health, are engaging with officials in Dublin."

Given the gravity of the situation, the Northern Ireland Executive announced last week that remote learning for all educational settings will be extended until March 5.

These include pre-schools, nurseries, primary schools, and post-primary schools. Supervised learning provision will continue for vulnerable children and the children of key workers and special schools will remain open.

"The situation at present remains very difficult and we need to keep going for a bit longer," Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill told a news conference.

On the subject of travel, she said she had discussed the issue with colleagues in Belfast and Dublin.

"I think there's a desire from everyone to work together and have a joined-up approach on travel across the two islands," she said.

"That makes good sense, and we certainly support a two-islands approach. But there are obviously some significant details to be worked through in terms of those arrangements."

Ms O'Neill reiterated that "no one should be travelling anywhere at the minute - on or off the island - unless it's absolutely necessary".

Northern Ireland's Department of Health announced yesterday that 455 people had tested positive for Covid-19 within the previous 24 hours and 17 more people had died from the disease.
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You have heard of Band Aid, now meet the Northern Ireland man behind Broadband Aid - a fundraiser to provide vulnerable children and families with vital home-learning equipment.

The virtual charitable music event was the brainchild of Belfast musician and former teacher Peter Sloan (45), alongside fellow Northern Irish friend and social worker Jackie Duffy.

Having already raised more than 5,500 to help families struggling with accessing technology and broadband for homeschooling during the latest lockdown, a weekend of pre-recorded 'live' performances also saw audiences rocking along to the online concerts while racking up thousands of views on Facebook.

Describing himself as "delighted" at the response online and the money raised, Peter, who currently lives in Leicester, explained this wasn't the first time he had worked with Jackie in a charitable venture. The duo also raised money during last summer's lockdown to buy washing machines for a group of vulnerable families.

"My background is in teaching and I do a lot of school support work for the organisation I am with now," explained Peter.

"The big thing over the last while is laptops and devices for homeschooling. The fact we are in another lockdown means this issue has raised its head again.

"Jackie is a social worker and works directly with families in the area. We spoke a couple of weeks ago and he said this was a real problem.

"As soon as the money clears from the crowdfunding, we are going to buy loads of devices and second-hand refurbished ones and get them out to local schools around Leicester. If those kids haven't got broadband and Wi-Fi, we will also be trying to work with companies to get dongles and access sorted.

"It is quite a local project, but it will make a big difference to those families. I have two kids of my own and it is hard enough as an ex-teacher even to motivate them to do home learning.

"I just can't imagine what it is like for families with no devices, or maybe only one between three kids."

The Northern Ireland connection to the project doesn't end with Peter and Jackie, with the studio space for the gigs provided by Jon O'Neill - whose family is originally from Omagh - and his Yellow Bean Studios.

Formerly gigging around Belfast in his student days, Peter explained having the chance to play to the virtual audience over the weekend has been "a great buzz".

"It was brilliant being back in a room - albeit socially distanced - and seeing mates and colleagues," added Peter.

"Lots of the guys have lost out on touring and their careers have been put on hold. They continue to dig deep themselves and are so generous with their talent. Getting to play music again is fantastic.

"We're delighted with the amount raised so far and the response to the gigs."

Anyone wishing to donate to the BroadBand Aid project should visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/broadband-aid
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Imperial Valley News Center

Man Convicted of Multiple Obscenity Crimes Involving Children

El Paso, Texas - A Texas man was convicted by a federal jury for operating a website dedicated to publishing writings that detailed the sexual abuse of children.

Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division; Gregg Sofer, U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Texas; and Luis M. Quesada, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs El Paso Field Office made the announcement.

After a three-day trial, Thomas Alan Arthur, 64, of Terlingua, was convicted of three counts of trafficking in obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of a child, five counts of trafficking in obscene text stories about the sexual abuse of children, and one count of engaging in the business of selling obscene matters involving the sexual abuse of children.

According to trial evidence, Arthur began operating the Mr. Double website in 1996, and began charging members for access to the site in 1998. The website was dedicated to publishing writings that detail the sexual abuse of children, including the rape, torture, and murder of infants and toddlers. The evidence at trial showed that all submissions for publication were reviewed and approved by Arthur before he posted them on the site. Some of the author pages contained drawings depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Evidence at trial showed that the website was Arthurs sole source of income for more than 20 years. The site was taken offline in November 2019 when the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence near Terlingua, where Arthur administered the site. Pursuant to our Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the Netherlands, additional evidence was obtained from the server in the Netherlands where the site was hosted.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2021.


Gregory Nickerson Gregory Nickerson

April 28, 2015





Susan Gore is arguably Wyomings most influential libertarian promoter.





She puts millions of her personal wealth into political activities and nonprofit groups that speak loudly in the Legislature and on the campaign trail.





Since 2008, Gore has founded and financed three non-profit organizations that seek to reshape Wyoming politics and loosen restrictions on campaign spending nationwide. These include the Wyoming Liberty Group, Republic Free Choice, and the Pillar of Law Institute. Her staff had a role in the U.S. Supreme Courts 2010 Citizens United decision that allowed corporations, unions, and certain nonprofits to ramp up their political spending.





Even so, many who oppose her activities seem somewhat in the dark about just who she is, where she came from, and what her ultimate goals are. WyoFiles review of published biographies, court cases, land records, and historical documents reveals some of the facets of her life.





Gore, a resident of Cheyenne, has lived in Wyoming for almost 20 years. Her Wyoming roots go back three generations in the southwest part of the state. She came to Wyoming in the mid-1990s after living for more than a decade in a transcendental meditation community in Fairfield, Iowa. Before that she lived in Delaware and Vermont.





More widely known is that Gore grew up in the family that founded the company most famous for inventing Gore-Tex fabric. Through the course of her life, the private family company grew from a small operation in a basement to a global chemical engineering behemoth that makes more than $3 billion in annual revenue and employs 10,000 people.





Gores own assets have fluctuated. She was wealthy by the 1980s due to inheriting shares of a family trust, but nearly bankrupt by the late 1990s after falling ill and ending her support of the meditation movement. She later viewed her involvement in the movement as a mistake, according her testimony before a Delaware court.





Her mother then gave her enough shares of family stock to make her wealthy again in the 2000s. In 2003 she adopted her ex-husband in an unsuccessful attempt to boost her childrens share of the family inheritance.





Through it all, Gore pursued her version of a better world. And in Wyoming, she seems to have found her niche as a promoter of conservative-libertarian ideas.





Two of her sons, Joel Otto and Nathan Otto, also play a role by serving on the boards of her groups.





Together, their efforts put pressure on Wyomings small-money elections, where nearly every legislative race costs less than $20,000.





Dan Neal, a long-time legislative observer who formerly directed the Equality State Policy Center, has followed Gores groups for years.





I think they are getting more attention than they deserve, Neal said. This woman moves in from out of state and hires a bunch of people to come here and tell us what to do. It seems a little odd.





Everybodys got a right to speak their mind, he said, but people need to recognize shes got a lot of money, and she can make her voice a lot bigger and a lot louder than most people.





Susan Gores rise in Wyoming is two intertwined stories: the work of three conservative-libertarian groups with national ambitions to promote anonymous political spending, and the journey of their founder, whose experience as an heiress to a successful family business informed the political changes she proposes.





WyoFile requested comment from Gore through her staff. She did not respond. [ ...

WyoFile
Brussels/London: EU officials confessed on Saturday to a blunder in invoking Northern Ireland Brexit emergency powers during a showdown with Britain over vaccines, and London said it expected its supply of COVID-19 shots would not be interrupted.

The European Union has fallen far behind Britain and the United States in the race to vaccinate its public. It announced on Friday it would impose export controls on vaccines, widely seen as a threat to prevent doses from being sent to Britain.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has thrown into doubt the timeline for 3.8 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine destined for Australia. Credit:AP

But it was forced to reverse part of the announcement within hours, after both Britain and Ireland complained about plans to impose emergency export controls for vaccines across the land border between Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland.

They have recognised they have made a mistake and I believe we can now concentrate on making sure that our vaccine programme is successful, Michael Gove, a senior British cabinet minister told Sky News.
A British expat has been found dead with one hand 'tied to the deck' on his sunken sailing boat in a port on the Greek island of Crete, it has been reported.

The man, in his 70s, was mysteriously found on the half-submerged vessel in the port of Souda, near Chania.

It is claimed that the man had one hand tied to the deck of boat, which managed to sink despite clear weather.

The Greek Coast Guard and the Souda Port Authority attended the scene after it was reported to them by fishermen.

A British expat has been found dead with one hand 'tied to the deck' on his sunken sailing boat in a port on the Greek island of Crete, it has been reported

The man, in his 70s, was mysteriously found on the half-submerged vessel in the port of Souda, near Chania

His body was pulled out of the water and transported by EKAB ambulance to Chania Hospital for an autopsy.

According to Zarpa News, the British national had been living on the boat alone with his dog since his wife's death 10 years before.

Local media reported that he was the victim of a robbery on his boat two years ago and was found with his feet bound by a rope.

He was described as a 'calm man' and was well known among locals, according to Creta Live.

His body was pulled out of the water and transported by EKAB ambulance to Chania Hospital for an autopsy

The man's dog was found alive on the boat trying to hold on to the wreckage to avoid drowning.

In a post appealing for a family to foster him, Chania Animal Protection said: 'A sailboat sunk in the port of Souda was found this morning by fishermen.

'The fishermen located the sailboat mast in the water, after hearing a dog on it crying and trying to hold on to the wreckage of the sailboat so as not to drown.

'Unfortunately, the guardian of the dog, who is an English citizen, was found dead.

The man's dog was found alive on the boat trying to hold on to the wreckage to avoid drowning. A local charity are now trying to find him a new home

'The dog is currently on the fishermen's boat in shock and the police notified us if we can help.

'Please anyone who can foster the dog temporarily, so that the police can look for the family of his unfortunate guardian.

'The dog is in confusion and shock and will need a calm environment until a solution is found.'

The expat has not yet been identified.
CNN's Anderson Cooper asked an ex-QAnon believer about his previously-held views. Steven Ferdman / Stringer / Getty Images

As part of a two-hour CNN special, Anderson Cooper interviewed a former QAnon believer.

Jitarth Jadeja, who became disillusioned with the QAnon, said he had believed that Cooper ate babies.

He offered an apology to the CNN anchor for his previously-held views.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

On Friday night, CNN's Anderson Cooper sat down with a former follower of the disproven QAnon conspiracy theory.

During the two-hour CNN special, Cooper asked the ex-QAnon believer about some of his previously-held views.

In an astonishing moment, Jitarth Jadeja apologized to Cooper for having thought that the CNN host had drunk the blood of children and eaten babies.

"I apologize for thinking that you ate babies," Jadeja said.

Read more: The right-wing conspiracy theories that fueled the Capitol siege are going to instigate more violence.

At the start of the interview, Cooper asked Jadeja: "Did you, at the time, believe that high-level Democrats and celebrities were worshipping Satan and drinking the blood of children?"

"I thought you did that, and I would like to apologize for that right now," he replied.

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The discredited far-right conspiracy theory alleges that an elusive cabal of Satanic pedophiles, who are thought to be part of the "deep state," work together to undermine former President Donald Trump.

Many of the followers believed that Trump would eventually arrest liberal celebrities and influential Democrats and send them to Guantanamo Bay prison.

After Biden's inauguration, a significant number of QAnon followers began to realize that the conspiracy theory was a "big lie."

Jadeja, who was one of the people who became disillusioned with QAnon, was previously so deep into the conspiracy theory that, he said, he believed that Cooper was "drinking the blood of children."

He was even familiar with suggestions that the CNN host was a "robot."

Explaining why he came to believe these falsehoods, Jadeja said: "It's because Q specifically mentioned you and mentioned you early on. He mentioned you by name."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The FAO Schwarz store in Arnotts in Dublin was the busiest of the five new concessions opened by the US company

The Brown Thomas and Arnotts group took a wide range of steps to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 restrictions last year, including agreeing a new 22m facility with parent company Selfridges, which remains undrawn.

Other measures included a restructuring programme, availing of Government supports and pushing out investment plans, according to accounts to be filed shortly at the Companies Office.

Group managing director Donald McDonald told the Sunday Independent that the pandemic was very challenging for retail but that the company had been well-positioned going into 2020, with revenue at both Brown Thomas and Arnotts up 5pc in the 12 months to February of that year.
Hong Kong: Dental centre reports virus case

The Department of Health today said a contract staff member working in its MacLehose Dental Centre in Wan Chai has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.

The staff member is a contract system analyst who last performed his duties on January 26. His body temperature was normal during screening at work.

He wore a surgical mask while performing his duties, did not have contact with the public and properly maintained social distancing.

The analyst was transferred to a quarantine centre on January 28 as his household contact was confirmed with COVID-19. He developed symptoms on January 30 and his preliminary test result was positive.

The department has arranged virus testing for all relevant staff and will arrange for them to work from home until their test results are available.

It will also arrange thorough cleaning and disinfection of the office floor concerned.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said the EU's botched plan to block vaccine exports into Northern Ireland has "created tension that we could have done without".

Mr Coveney blamed "some clever technician or lawyer" in the European Commission for the proposal to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol agreement that would have temporarily nullified the post-Brexit deal to ensure an open border on the island.

The move infuriated governments in Belfast, Dublin and London and prompted a series of phone calls between the Taoiseach Micheal Martin and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday night, before the EU confirmed that it would not invoke Article 16.

Mr Martin told RTE last night that the protocol had become "collateral damage" and that "lessons have to be learned" from the debacle.

Mr Coveney said he had been assured that such a unilateral move would not happen again, describing what happened as "an unfortunate incident, it shouldn't have happened" and wouldn't have had the commission consulted with the Irish Government beforehand.

"This was not welcome, it created tension that we could have done without. Yes, it was fixed quickly and it's to the commission's credit that they did that - but this was a mistake that we need to learn some lessons from," he told the Sunday Independent.

He later added: "Let's not pretend that damage wasn't done in the meantime - it was - but we can work to address that I hope."

The EU is attempting to introduce a new export control mechanism designed to restrict shipments of Covid-19 vaccines out of the EU if the bloc's own orders are not being met.

Read More

It comes amid a furious row with vaccine-maker AstraZeneca, which has told the commission it cannot fulfil orders promised. Ireland expects around 300,000 fewer vaccines in the first quarter as a result, impacting the roll-out to over-70s.

Mr Coveney said he understood the logic for the decision and said there was a fear that vaccines could be exported into the UK through Northern Ireland "as a back door", but said the proposal to invoke Article 16 "came from someone who hadn't been involved in the protocol and the understanding of the politics of the protocol".

First Minister Arlene Foster said yesterday that the UK government must "recognise the unreasonable disruption UK citizens living in Northern Ireland are currently facing" and called on Johnson to act.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill described the decision as "unwise, ill-judged and totally unnecessary".

"The protocol exists as a stable and lasting solution to avoid a hard Border on the island, thereby enabling the smooth functioning of the all-island economy and safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement," she said.

A source for the Executive said: "The protocol was used for wrong purposes and parties on the island of Ireland and the Irish Government won't take it lightly. It has given unionism a credible reason and momentum to their campaign of opposition."

Health Minister Robin Swann was expected to speak with Health Secretary Matt Hancock about the issue.

Meanwhile, a leaked document from the Executive, seen by the Sunday Independent, shows a growing list of concerns.

The document outlines the impact on the viability of some businesses, issues for online orders, the horticulture sector and fishing at the end of the transition period.

It states that British companies that trade directly and indirectly through the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland "were not prepared for the additional process for trading after the end of the transition period", explaining that readiness for the end of the grace periods in April and July is a "key issue".

The transport of mixed loads in a single lorry is another "major issue" and affects smaller companies "who are not benefiting from the grace period for supermarkets".

Another issue affects farmers moving livestock from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as "some animals have effectively been stranded in Scotland and Northern Ireland farmers have currently no available solution".

The report also states that "further work is required" to address the "risk of additional burden on the fishing fleet" and reveals that both hedging and seeds companies are unable to sell to Northern Ireland "due to the presence of GB soil".
Many nations have started a vaccination drive against corona. Bolivia expects to get almost nearly one million doses of vaccines next month.

Bolivian President Luis Arce took to Twitter and wrote, "We announce to the Bolivian people that in February almost one million doses of vaccines will arrive in #Bolivia to combat covid19. The steps we have carried out in less than three months place us among the four countries benefiting from the COVAX mechanism promoted by #WHO [World Health Organization]."

Earlier, late December, Bolivia signed a deal with Russia to secure 5.2 million doses of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developed by corona. Bolivia authorized Sputnik V for emergency use on January 6. Bolivia on Friday began its immunization campaign with the Sputnik V vaccine. Earlier this month, Bolivia signed an agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and its partner Serum Institute of India to import five million corona vaccine doses.

Talking about the global Coronavirus cases, the deadly virus rise unabated across the globe, with nearly 102.6 million infected by the deadly contagion. While 74,299,138 have recovered, 2,214,227 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 26,500,252, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom.

Also Read:

WHO teams visit Wuhan food market in search of origin of coronavirus

France report 24,392 new corona cases in 24 hours

Brazil registers 1,279 new corona deaths in last 24 hours

One of Australia's richest men is accused of cheating has family out of millions and secretly dumping asbestos on their land.

Queensland cement mogul Raymond Edwin Neilsen is being sued by his sister Leonie Margaret Merker in Sydney's Federal Court.

The 62-year-old woman is a main shareholder in Neilsen Group - a $150million concrete and gravel company built by her parents Ruby and Ernie in the 1970s on flood plains on South Pine River, north of Brisbane.

Mrs Merker and Mr Neilsen now own a fortune worth about $500million, comprising 200 hectares of prime development land and Neilsen Group - which supplies concrete to four local councils, the airport, and the main roads department.

Queensland cement mogul Raymond Edwin Neilsen is being sued by his sister Leonie Margaret Merker in Sydney's Federal Court. Pictured: A Neilsen Group truck

In the bitter legal dispute, the Brisbane woman claimed in court documents her 72-year-old brother oppressed her as a shareholder and gained exclusive control of the group, The Courier-Mail reported.

She also claimed he made himself the 'permanent governing director' of 10 family companies after their father died in 2007 and has been running them as his own private empire.

But according to the court filing, Mr Neilsen is minority shareholder behind his late mother Ruby, who died last Saturday, and Mrs Merker - who together own more than two-thirds of the family's fortune.

Mrs Merker claimed her inheritance trusts were deprived of income after her brother sold two industrial plots of land in Brendale, next to the family quarry, for less than their value.

She said he has two sets of books for the Brendale quarry and used the second set to downplay the quarry's actual revenue by not recording trucks dumping 'acid sulfate polluted waste' on the land.

According to the claim, Mr Neilsen allowed the family property to be used as a dumping ground for pollutants, including car tyres, asbestos, waste metal, and unprocessed organic matter.

Mr Neilsen is accused of shrinking the land's value by dumping waste and breaching environmental permits which ban contaminated waste being used to fill holes - potentially exposing the family to substantial legal penalties.

Mrs Merker also claimed her brother seized an opportunity to import cement from Asia in a joint deal called Southern Cross Cement in 2017.

She alleged he used company assets to secure loans to get $10million needed to buy a one-third stake into the joint venture with two other companies.

Mr Neilsen pays himself $500,000 a year and lives in a $4million mansion in Ascot with his third wife Paula. Pictured: Neilsen property near Brisbane

She has asked the court to remove him as director of the family companies and for a probe into profit losses and has asked for compensation.

Mr Neilsen pays himself $500,000 a year and lives in a $4million mansion in Ascot with his third wife Paula.

He drives a Range Rover with personalised 'Neilsen' number plates and holidays in a $2.5million apartment in Bundina on the Sunshine Coast.

The multi-millionaire used to own a ski chalet in Canadian resort Big White and has sold more then $20million worth of property, jointly owned by his mother and Mrs Merker, in the last year.

Mr Neilsen's lawyers are yet to file a defence.

The case will return to court on February 10.
As of midnight, Saturday January 30, the HPSC has been notified of 1,247 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 196,547* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, 84 of today's number are attributed to Limerick, up from 43 yesterday.

The 5 day moving average (to midnight 30Jan2021) for Limerick now stands at 57, while the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population (17Jan2021 to 30Jan2021) is at 495.6

New Cases during last 14 days (17Jan2021 to30Jan2021) for Limerick are now at 966

Of the cases notified today:

579 are men / 659 are women

60% are under 45 years of age

The median age is 39 years old

430 in Dublin, 97 in Wexford, 87 in Cork, 76 in Galway and the remaining 473 cases are spread across all other counties**



As of 2pm today, 1,516 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 211 are in ICU. 39 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 15 additional deaths related to COVID-19. All 15 deaths occurred in January. The median age of those who died is 84 years and the age range is 68-99 years. There has been a total of 3,307 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health said; There is an onus on employers to ensure that, in the first instance, staff are encouraged to work from home and in cases where that is not possible, that their workplaces are safe for staff and customers and in full compliance with infection prevention and control measures.

The HPSC has comprehensive guidance on outbreak management and infection prevention control measures that every employer should be familiar with and activating on their premises. I encourage all employers and managers to review their workplaces and ensure they have effective measures in place.

The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
(Newser)  Eric Schwam, his parents and grandmother arrived in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, a small French village known for providing refuge since the 17th century when it helped Huguenots escaping religious persecutionin 1943. A pastor and his wife had urged villagers to protect Jewish refugees from Nazi occupiers, as well as their Vichy French collaborators. Residents began to take in refugees, and the word spread, sometimes through human rights groups. The Schwams were hidden in a village school, the Guardian reports. With the help of the villagers, Schwam survived the war, living to age 90. He died last month, per the BBC, leaving behind a gesture of his gratitude to the people of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon: more than $2 million US. Schwam asked that the money go toward educational and youth initiatives, especially scholarships.

story continues below

"He was a very discreet gentleman, and he didn't want a lot of publicity about his gesture," a village official said. "Little is known about the donor, but we did some research." The town learned that the family was from Vienna and that Schwam's father was a doctor. It's not clear how the Schwams came to be in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, but they might have been interned elsewhere in southern France first. They remained in the village of 2,500 until 1950, when they returned to Austria. Schwam then moved to the nearby city of Lyon to study pharmacy and married a woman from the area; they did not have children, and Schwam's wife died before he did. For protecting about 2,500 Jewish people during the war, Le Chambon-sur-Lignon has been recognized by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations. (The last surviving German similarly honored for saving Jews died last year.)
The Telegraph

Police are conducting an investigation into the death of a woman who was allegedly given higher than recommended doses of a powerful anti-psychotic drug at a mental health unit. Margaret Molyneux, 69, a former lecturer, was undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder when she suffered a series of complications and died in hospital three days after choking in July 2017. A coroner ruled that she had died of natural causes, but Hertfordshire Police launched an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, after a review found that Ms Molyneux had been prescribed higher than recommended doses of the drug Olanzapine. Her daughter, Petria Foley (pictured below), believes the anti-psychotic medication caused dangerous side effects - including choking - which were not picked up by the psychiatrists treating her and eventually led to her death. The Telegraph can reveal that detectives have now appointed a forensic toxicologist to look into the case before deciding whether to bring any charges. Ms Molyneux, a mother of two, was admitted to the Kingfisher Court mental health unit in Radeltt, Hertfordshire in March 2017, after being sectioned following a relapse of the bipolar condition she suffered from. She was prescribed Olanzapine, a powerful anti-psychotic drug that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions including schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. But it has also been linked to a variety of side effects and in 2018 Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation into the death of teenager Oliver McGowan, who died after being prescribed the drug. In the weeks leading up to her death, Ms Molyneaux, had a series of falls and also suffered from sepsis, pneumonia. She also developed dysphagia - a condition where swallowing becomes difficult - and Ms Foley is convinced it was the medication that was causing the physical problems. She said despite her mothers deteriorating condition, the drugs continued to be prescribed and medics also stopped her mother from smoking which meant the medication had an even more powerful effect.
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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/31/2021



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[ Spoilers Warning: This report includes spoilers that reveal if Rebecca and Zied are still together or whether the couple has broken up.]

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So did Zied and Rebecca end their relationship or is the couple still together?

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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.

star Zied Hakimi is feeling homesick after his arrival in America on the series' eighth season, so did Zied and Rebecca Parrott break up and did he return to Tunisia? What do spoilers say about whether the couple got married and are still together now?Rebecca was a 47-year-old private investigator when she fell hard and fast for Zied, a then-26 year old whom she had met online.Rebecca, who has three kids, first starred on Season 3 of : Before the 90 Days with Zied.Rebecca confessed her first two marriages were with "average, run-of-the-mill American men" and her third marriage turned out to be a disaster because the Moroccan man -- whom she had brought to America on a spousal visa -- became too jealous and controlling once he arrived in the United States.Rebecca was certain, however, her romance with Zied would be different and last forever.Rebecca therefore traveled over 15 hours to Tunisia with the goal of getting engaged to Zied, but her third divorce had yet to be finalized. (Rebecca hadn't filed the paperwork although both she and her ex signed the papers).Rebecca and Zied's time together was great for the most part, but Rebecca had to learn that Zied wasn't using her for money, and Zied had to come to grips with the fact Rebecca was still technically married and once had a relationship with a woman.Zied's family would never approve of Rebecca's same-sex relationship, but Zied said he still loved Rebecca more than anything and wanted to be with her forever.As a result, Zied proposed marriage to Rebecca during a romantic picnic in the Sahara Desert.Rebecca thought the marriage proposal was "perfect," and then she returned to America and filed for the K-1 visa.Rebecca pointed out there were no red flags with Zied, who also insisted he wanted to work in the United States and was already making his own money.On the premiere of 's eighth season, Rebecca was working hard to make and save money by managing a local fast-food restaurant, but she was still waiting for the K-1 visa to be approved.Zied had to prove in his final interview that he was in his relationship with Rebecca for the right reasons."It was a very difficult decision for me to take the risk and do this again, and if it turns out that I'm wrong about Zied, I don't know if I'll ever trust my judgment again or be able to be in a relationship again," Rebecca shared.It then became time for Zied's K-1 visa interview, but first, Rebecca went shopping for a game system so Zied could play video games while she's at work in America.After Zied's K-1 visa interview, Zied FaceTimed with Rebecca and revealed his passport had been taken away and no one told him whether he had been approved for the visa. Zied said he was asked many questions and told to return for his passport about a week later.Rebecca was in shock and didn't know what this meant. Rebecca said she hated the idea of having to wait another week, and Zied admitted he was "nervous" but "okay" at the same time.Five days after Zied's final K-1 visa interview, Rebecca finally learned Zied's K-1 visa had been approved."I need to call Zied. Oh my God, I'm shaking! He's going to be in America now! I am so happy! I don't remember the last time I was this happy," Rebecca gushed in a confessional.Rebecca then shared with Zied on the phone how his K-1 visa had been approved, and Zied exclaimed, "That is amazing! I am so happy!... Thank you for the news, baby!"This moment was the culmination of two years of paperwork and phone calls and being patient. Rebecca said it finally felt real that she and Zied were going to become a family and would be able to see each other every single day.Rebecca wondered how Zied would mesh with her family and friends, but the next step was moving into a new place so Zied would have a home once he arrived in the United States.Zied was then shown buying Rebecca a nice bracelet. He had saved money that would apparently last him in America for a few months and wanted to show Rebecca how much he loved her.Zied's parents hoped for a better life for Zied, but they were upset Rebecca is not Arabic and doesn't share their religious views.Zied's father asked Zied to stay connected with him and try his best to succeed and be happy, but the whole family was sad about being split up.Rebecca was then shown moving into a new apartment -- with seemingly only a bed and some dishes -- and she worried Zied wouldn't be happy once he found out she had previously lived in the same apartment building with her Moroccan ex-husband.Rebecca said she couldn't wait to cook for Zied and make him happy.Rebecca feared how Zied would feel leaving his family because he loved them so much, and so she just hoped Zied wouldn't change his mind about moving.Zied had a tough time saying goodbye to his family at the airport because he said they mean the world to him, and he admitted he was "so nervous" about starting a new life in America -- although it would probably be a better life.It had been a little over a year since Rebecca was able to kiss or touch Zied, and she was shown getting ready to pick Zied up at the airport in the United States.Tiffany had never met Zied in person, so she wanted to take the same car as Rebecca and Zied to and from the airport, which rubbed Rebecca the wrong way because she was getting the feeling Tiffany and Micah wanted to act as chaperones.Tiffany and Micah said they wanted to get to know Zied better and try to find out his true intentions. But this isn't the type of energy Rebecca wanted in the car since she had been waiting for this day to see Zied for 13 months.Rebecca wanted her reunion with Zied to go perfectly, and when Zied finally arrived, the couple hugged tight and she said he smelled and looked so good. Zied told Rebecca that he missed her so much and was so happy to be with her again.Zied took videos of everything as he drove to Rebecca's place in Georgia, and he said he was so excited to see "America like the movies."The ride was a little awkward given Tiffany and Micah were protective of Rebecca since she's been hurt in the past, and Rebecca decided not to kiss Zied until they were alone.The group then arrived in Canton and grabbed a bite to eat at a local pub or bar. Tiffany said it was obvious Rebecca completely adored Zied, but he was a bit quiet."We've been through this before, where she's met foreign men who are half her age pretty much, and it just always goes bad," Tiffany complained. "It's like she's a love-sick teenager. But we still don't know his intentions."Tiffany and Micah then asked Zied what he planned to do for work in the United States, which rubbed Rebecca the wrong way since it was only Zied's first day in America.Zied said he couldn't work for six months after getting married but he definitely planned to get a job. Rebecca said Zied is certified in plumbing repair but would be open to pretty much anything, and Rebecca asked her daughter to just trust her.Zied didn't like being compared to Rebecca's Moroccan ex, but Rebecca's family just didn't want to see her get hurt again.Once Zied saw the apartment in which he'd be living, he thought it was nice but noticed there was no furniture yet. He seemed very quiet around his fiancee."Zied doesn't really seem like himself right now, maybe it was leaving his family and friends or maybe it was the third degree he got from Tiffany and Micah," Rebecca explained in a confessional.Rebecca acknowledged that Zied didn't seem happy, but he insisted that he was just tired and needed to shower and get some rest. She could tell Zied was off and hoped he wasn't second-guessing his decision.During Zied's first morning in America, he said he was so happy to be with her. Rebecca wished she didn't have to go to work, but she had to make money to support him during his stay in America.Zied woke up and was alone in the apartment and enjoyed a cup of coffee. He already missed his mother because he used to see her every morning, and so he decided to FaceTime with his mom. He had promised his mother before leaving Tunisia that he would touch base with her every morning.Zied realized he was going to be very lonely in the United States, but he was confident Rebecca would be by his side when he needed her.Zied could feel the distance from his family and said it made him feel very sad, but he could tell Rebecca was doing everything possible to make him feel comfortable, including shopping for groceries.Zied also gave Rebecca the bracelet he had purchased for her in Tunisia."Zied is absolutely the most romantic, thoughtful and caring man I've ever been in a relationship with. He surprises me constantly!" Rebecca gushed.Zied already wanted to visit his family soon, but Rebecca said he'd probably have to wait a year due to his paperwork. Zied was clearly struggling to adjust to life in the United States without his loved ones."I want to feel like Zied is ready to be my husband and build a life here with me. As homesick as he is, if Zied isn't happy here, I don't know if this marriage will even happen," Rebecca shared.In the trailer for what's to come on Season 8 of , Zied tells Rebecca he's not going to stay with her if she doesn't agree to marry him in the United States before Ramadan."Zied seems dead set about getting married as quickly as possible," Rebecca tells the camera, "and it's making me question his motives."In March 2020, TLC released a short-form Season 4 episode of : What Now?, the spinoff available on the network's TLC GO streaming service, that updated viewers on Rebecca and Zied's relationship.During the : What Now? episode, Rebecca announced her divorce from her third husband had been finalized and Zied's K-1 visa had been approved.Rebecca and her ex-husband finalized their divorce on July 9, 2019, according to divorce documents obtained by In Touch Weekly.According to Rebecca, Zied's visa was approved less than four months after they applied for it, which was a short period of time considering they both anticipated it could take anywhere from six months to a year.One scene in the What Now? episode also showed Rebecca house hunting so she and Zied could live together once he arrived.Around the time the couple's : What Now? episode was released, Rebecca denied split rumors on social media and confirmed she and Zied were still "happily in love."Rebecca explained she was simply too busy with work and moving to a new house to constantly post about their relationship on social media.Rebecca told Us Weekly in a late December interview the K-1 visa process "wasn't too bad" after all."We were very fortunate at that time... He got here and within two days, COVID hit and everything was locked down. So we just [got him to America] under the wire," Rebecca said.Rebecca and Zied reportedly obtained their marriage license on April 14, 2020.Rebecca and Zied exchanged vows and got married in Lumpkin County, GA, on April 19, 2020, according to a representative from the Probate Court in Cherokee County, In Touch reported.Zied is therefore now a married man seemingly living with Rebecca in Canton, GA.Zied gushed about Rebecca on May 29 writing on Instagram, "I love your sexy eyes and your face babyy @tlc_90day_rebecca."Rebecca later showed their relationship was still in a good place when she posted a picture of her man on Instagram and captioned it, "I'm so in love. Those eyes. #ilovehim #beautfuleyes #rebeccaandzied #90dayfiance."Zied hinted about his reality TV return with Rebecca in early June."Hello, everyone. I hope everyone is okay and stay home and stay safe with this coronavirus. I'm sorry about George Floyd, I know that's a big problem in America now. I'm sorry my friends, Zied said in an Instagram video at the time."I just want to say I can't answer the question if I am in America or [not]. Just wait until next season of and you will understand everything, my friends! Bye!"Instagrammer John Yates re-posted the video on his own Instagram account and captioned it, "So looks like Rebecca and Zied will be back on the show in some capacity. #90DayFiance #90DayFianceBeforeThe90Days."Although Zied wouldn't confirm whether he was in the United States this past summer, it was apparent he and Rebecca were still going strong in June.On June 10, Rebecca posted a photo of Zied on Instagram and added the following hashtags to her post: "sexy" and "mine."And on July 16, Rebecca shared a picture of Zied lying in bed on a pink pillow."#sexyaf #mine #rebeccaandzied #90dayfiance @tlc_90day_zied I love you more than all the sand in the Sahara," Rebecca wrote with many heart and kissing emojis.Rebecca later gushed about Zied in mid-August by posting a photo of the couple on Instagram with "I love you forever" written across the image."I love you so much @tlc_90day_zied. Thank you for making every day of my life since April 24, 2018, happy and so full of hope for the future," Rebecca captioned her post."I'm so thankful I found you. You are the extraordinary, crazy kind of love that only happens once in a lifetime. I'll spend the rest of my life making you happy. Wallah #90dayfiance #rebeccaandzied #mylove."Zied also spilled a spoiler on October 15 that he and Rebecca were still happy and in love.Zied posted a photo of Rebecca kissing him on the cheek when they were both wearing winter hats."I love you so much my love @tlc_90day_rebecca #tlc #90dayfiance #rebeccaandzied," he wrote alongside the picture with numerous heart-eyes emoticons.Rebecca then replied in the comments section, "Babyyy I love you more. Mahboulla bik habibii."Zied and Rebecca's main Instagram photos also feature one another.But Rebecca admitted Zied didn't adjust well to life in America at first."He's never been married before. He's never been in a long-term relationship before. He's never been to another country before... He basically said, 'This is not what I thought it was going to be,' and he was very unhappy," Rebecca shared with Us in her December interview."He missed his family and it was really hard. It was a struggle."Rebecca also said "a rather large argument" made matters worse when Zied and Rebecca were trying to adjust to life together in America shortly after Zied's arrival."I know if I were going to Tunisia and I was going to live there, I would have something in my head of what [to expect]," Rebecca said."I don't know what it would be, but I guarantee you sitting in quarantine wouldn't have crossed my mind. That's not something that's in your toolbox to consider."Rebecca noted Zied just sat around and couldn't drive or go anywhere, and she admitted life didn't get any easier in subsequent months after Zied's big move."If I were in any -- literally almost any -- other field of work, this would have been a blessing in disguise," Rebecca told Us, referencing how she manages a fast-food restaurant."Can you imagine [if] I would have gotten the stimulus checks and probably gotten unemployment to stay home? We would have thought it was written just for us. We would have gotten to stay together, like, 'This is amazing!' Or we would have killed each other, I don't know."Rebecca continued, "But you know, because of my job, it was just the worst possible scenario. So it wasn't the best... It was really bad."Rebecca had been hoping to travel with Zied -- including stops in Miami and New York -- before the coronavirus pandemic, and so she said life recently has been "a bit of a letdown."More recently, Zied dropped huge hints he is still living in the United States, presumably with Rebecca, in January 2021 Instagram posts.Zied posted a slideshow of images with his family at the airport in early January and captioned them, "I want to say to my mother, father, sister, family and friends @ssen10 @khalilaymen3 and the other goodbye. I promise to come back to see you soon .. I love you all very much .. #90dayfiance #rebeccaandzied #tlc."Saying he'll "come back" to see his family in Tunisia "soon" indicates he still resides in America.On January 13, 2021, Rebecca wished Zied a happy birthday on Instagram by posting a photo of the two of them."Happy Birthday @tlc_90day_zied I hope you have a wonderful day full of all the blessings you deserve," Rebecca wrote, along with a heart. "#rebeccaandzied #90dayfiance #happybirthday #tlc."On January 18, Rebecca posted an entire slideshow featuring sweet and affectionate photos of Zied and herself, with many of them apparently having been taken in the United States.And Zied took to Instagram in late January with a seemingly-recent picture of Rebecca and himself wearing cowboy hats. The couple was visiting Tennessee together.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
New parents should be offered a baby bonus to arrest the nations plummeting birth rates, a demographer has argued.

Data reveals there were 4486 fewer babies born in Queensland in 2020 compared with a decade ago, a fall of almost 7 per cent.

There were more than 4000 fewer babies born in Queensland last year compared with a decade ago. Credit:Shutterstock

Even one year earlier - in 2019 - there were 2269 more babies than in 2020, suggesting many couples were delaying their decision to have children.

Demographer Mark McCrindle said the data was similar across the country, and the federal government should consider introducing a baby bonus.

The Telegraph

Police are conducting an investigation into the death of a woman who was allegedly given higher than recommended doses of a powerful anti-psychotic drug at a mental health unit. Margaret Molyneux, 69, a former lecturer, was undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder when she suffered a series of complications and died in hospital three days after choking in July 2017. A coroner ruled that she had died of natural causes, but Hertfordshire Police launched an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, after a review found that Ms Molyneux had been prescribed higher than recommended doses of the drug Olanzapine. Her daughter, Petria Foley (pictured below), believes the anti-psychotic medication caused dangerous side effects - including choking - which were not picked up by the psychiatrists treating her and eventually led to her death. The Telegraph can reveal that detectives have now appointed a forensic toxicologist to look into the case before deciding whether to bring any charges. Ms Molyneux, a mother of two, was admitted to the Kingfisher Court mental health unit in Radeltt, Hertfordshire in March 2017, after being sectioned following a relapse of the bipolar condition she suffered from. She was prescribed Olanzapine, a powerful anti-psychotic drug that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions including schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. But it has also been linked to a variety of side effects and in 2018 Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation into the death of teenager Oliver McGowan, who died after being prescribed the drug. In the weeks leading up to her death, Ms Molyneaux, had a series of falls and also suffered from sepsis, pneumonia. She also developed dysphagia - a condition where swallowing becomes difficult - and Ms Foley is convinced it was the medication that was causing the physical problems. She said despite her mothers deteriorating condition, the drugs continued to be prescribed and medics also stopped her mother from smoking which meant the medication had an even more powerful effect.

New Delhi, Jan 31 : The movie theatre business which was severely hit due to the coronavirus pandemic is expected to be back on track now as theatres have been approved to operate at full capacity across the country.

Cinema halls would operate as usual on 100 per cent seats from February 1. Following the approval from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has also released guidelines regarding operating of cinema halls on Sunday. Theatres, however, must strictly follow the Covid-19 protocols during this time.

Thermal scanning is mandatory at the entry point of the theatres. There will be some time gap between the two movie shows so that social distancing could be followed between the people entering and moving out of cinema halls.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday gave information about the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to film screening. He said, "from February 1, all seats in theatres can be occupied. We are encouraging more and more online movie show bookings." Sanitisation facility as well as Covid protocols would need to be followed. Cinema goers can buy food items from the stalls at the theatres and take them inside the movie halls.

Javadekar said although these things are normal, but the situation became abnormal so all necessary restrictions had been imposed and now these restrictions are on the verge of ending. Therefore, cinema halls would run at 100 per cent capacity.

On January 27, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had approved the opening of theatres with 100 per cent capacity. After which the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued new SOPs and made the information public on Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 23:28:56|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Casualties are feared as a huge bomb exploded at a popular hotel located along the main airport road in Mogadishu on Sunday, witnesses and police confirmed.

The police near the scene said suspected al-Shabab fighters breached the Afrik Hotel's barrier and stormed the facility's grounds, prompting a fierce gunfight.

"Our forces are exchanging fire with the attackers, we are trying to subdue them," the officer who did not want to be named told Xinhua on the phone.

Witnesses said they heard several blasts near the hotel.

They said the blast, which happened some minutes past 5 p.m., caused massive damage to business premises around the highway and plumes of black smoke, which could be seen from a distance, engulfed the area.

"I heard huge blasts at the hotel and then a huge fire followed," Ismail Ahmed, a witness told Xinhua.

The Afrik Hotel is a popular hotel with government officials and located near Mogadishu airport.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack but al-Qaida allied terrorist group, al-Shabab usually stages such attacks in the capital and across the country. Enditem
Organs were put on specially chartered flights or were handed from one specialist team to another at hard borders as governments worked in tandem to allow transplant teams to continue operating last year.

All of this was part of a mammoth effort to ensure critically ill patients were still able to receive precious donor organs during the pandemic.

Liver transplant recipient Richard Betteridge at his home in Bendigo.

After the shutdown of kidney transplant services from mid-March to mid-May, the number of people who received organ transplants was 12 per cent lower in 2020 than the previous year, while the number of donors dropped by 16 per cent, the latest national organ donation and transplant data shows.

The greatest drop in both donations and transplants was in April, after kidney transplants were paused, with 33 transplant recipients from 23 organ donors, compared to 120 transplant recipients from 46 donors in April 2019.
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Seventeen new community transmissions of Covid-19 and 19 imported cases were recorded Sunday evening, with the latest outbreak spreading to nine localities across the country.

The 17 community transmissions include four cases in Hanoi. "Patient 1724" and "patient 1725", who had come into close contact with "patient 1694", are residents of Dong Anh and Me Linh districts. "Patient 1814" and "patient 1815" are residents of Nam Tu Liem District.

Hanoi has reported a total 13 cases, all linked to Hai Duong Province, the country's biggest Covid-19 hotspot.

Another Covid-19 hotspot, Quang Ninh Province, confirmed three new cases, "Patient 1726", "patient 1727" and "patient 1740", taking its count to 25 since the country's new outbreak wave began last Thursday.

The three patients are residents of Dong Trieu Town and all related to Hai Duong's Chi Linh Town.

The southern province of Binh Duong recorded its first community transmission. Its "patient 1801" resides in Phu Giao District.

Hai Duong has another nine cases, all in Chi Linh Town. The province's infection tally is now 188.

The 19 imported cases include those from Germany, China, France and the U.S. who have been quarantined upon their arrival.

A medical worker tests novel coronavirus samples in a lab in HCMC, April 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Authorities on Sunday also reported a Vietnamese man from the northern province of Phu Tho tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon his arrival at Japan's Narita Airport on January 18. Thirty two people who had come into close contact with him have been put under quarantine.

The latest Covid-19 wave with 238 community transmissions in the last four days has come right before the Lunar New Year (Tet), Vietnam's biggest holiday which peaks on Feb. 12 this year.

Hai Duong has recorded 188 cases, Quang Ninh (25), Hanoi (13), Gia Lai (4), Bac Ninh (3), Hoa Binh (2), and HCMC, Hai Phong and Binh Duong one each.

The sources of transmissions of the outbreak have not been identified, with the first patients confirmed being a man working at Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh and a woman working at Vietnam Poyun Electronics Co. Ltd in Chi Linh Town of Hai Duong.

Vietnam has registered 1,817 cases and 35 deaths so far.

The pandemic has infected more than 102.5 million people worldwide, killing more than 2.2 million.
NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC" or the "Company") (OTCQX: SMICY) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Central District of California, and docketed under 21-cv-00067, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired SMIC securities between April 23, 2020 and September 26, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Plaintiff seeks to recover compensable damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the United States ("U.S.") Securities and Exchange Commission.

If you are a shareholder who purchased SMIC securities during the Class Period, you have until February 8, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

SMIC purports to be an investment holding company principally engaged in the computer-aided design, manufacture, testing, packaging, and trading of integrated circuits ("IC"), as well as the provision of other semiconductor services. The Company is also involved in the design and manufacture of semiconductor masks and various types of wafers. The Company distributes its products in China and to overseas markets, such as Europe and the U.S.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose to investors that: (1) there was an "unacceptable risk" that equipment supplied to SMIC would be used for military purposes; (2) SMIC was foreseeably at risk of facing United States restrictions; (3) as a result of the restrictions by the United States Department of Commerce, certain of SMIC's suppliers would need "difficult-to-obtain" individual export licenses; and (4) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.

On September 4, 2020, after market hours, Reuters published an article entitled "EXCLUSIVE-Trump administration weighs blacklisting China's chipmaker SMIC".

On this news, SMIC's ADR price fell $3.08 per ADR, or over 20%, to close at $12.02 per ADR on September 8, 2020, the next trading day.

Then, on September 26, 2020, Reuters published an article entitled "U.S. tightens exports to China's chipmaker SMIC, citing risk of military use".

On this news, SMIC's ADR price fell $0.57 per ADR, or 4.7%, to close at $11.47 per ADR on September 28, 2020, the next trading day.

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WYOMING, MI -- Police are investigating a fatal shooting that left one man dead in Wyoming Sunday morning.

Wyoming police were notified of an injured person in a car and responded at 4:30 a.m. to 2000 block of 36th Street Southwest.

Officers discovered a 22-year-old Grand Rapids man dead from a gunshot wound, according to a Wyoming police news release.

The investigation is ongoing. Police are still working to notify the family of the deceased, whose name has not been released.

Anyone with information about the deadly shooting is asked to contact the Wyoming Police Department at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

More on MLive:

Passenger dies in head-on collision in Kalamazoo

Holland driver pinned in vehicle after crashing into front-end loader

New Muskegon Heights police chief seeks locally, homegrown recruits like he was

Once upon a time, my primary specialty of anesthesiology was the most scientific of all the medical specialties that actually touch patients. Then I saw that Dr. Scott Segal, chair of Anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina told NBC news that we should consider wearing four -- count em -- four face masks at once. I had thought that the insanity would stop at double masking. Welcome to the new normal. Panic porn has taken over even the medical community that should know better.

Albert Einstein is credited with the maxim that Doing something a second time and expecting a different result is insanity. So the first step in Will more masks help? is to ask, Do masks help at all? Lots of people have done a lot of good work on the mechanics of masks. Jose-Luis Jiminez at the University of Colorado and Linsey Marr at Virginia Tech are two excellent scientists who study the mechanics of the aerosols that transmit COVID-19. Both have demonstrated that masks will markedly reduce droplets. Numerous YouTube videos have also demonstrated that quite dramatically. Masks may even slightly reduce -- not eliminate -- aerosols.

The problem with all this work is that it starts from two primary assumptions. First is the questionable idea that droplets are responsible for spreading the bug. The second is that if we stop droplets, we will necessarily stop the virus. When the epidemic started, we were told to worry about droplets from speaking, singing, and sneezing. But while those can travel many feet, they follow a spitballs path to the floor, where they cause no further problems. Unless someone sneezes directly in your face from close range as you are inhaling, they cant get inside your lungs to make you sick.

The mechanistic (fancy word for how something works) answer to the first question is that it is not reasonable to expect masks used by the general public to be useful in preventing disease transmission. But as scientists, we must check out whether this is actually true. RationalGround.com has put together a lot of the data. Notice that Southern California put in a bunch of mask mandates, and the rate of COVID-19 cases skyrocketed. The simplistic answer would be that masks caused infections. A comparison of the fifty states would suggest the same.

Of course, infections went down later without a change in the mask requirements. Any rational scientist would suggest that this means that masks were irrelevant. RationalGround.com has many other charts that make the same point. Put simply, the mechanistic studies examine something that isnt important in the transmission of COVID-19, because the bug isnt spread by that way, and stopping droplets wont matter.

But what about aerosols? These are the smaller particles that can stay suspended in the air for hours and are probably responsible for most infections. Were all familiar with them. If you wear a mask and can smell the sample odor, its not fitting properly. Thats why I had to be fitted for the alternate N-95 brand at my hospital. Incidentally, there is data that properly fitted and worn N-95s do reduce infections among health-care workers in high-risk environments. But thats not the issue. Were asking about the general public.

Some time ago I demonstrated with a vape that aerosols simply evade most masks. Studies suggesting that redirecting them is a benefit forget that sending them sideways only deal with one breath. As you continue to breathe, the aerosol accumulates like the classic smoke-filled room. But even with a 20% reduction in aerosol, the CDCs close proximity allowance of ten minutes only increases to twelve and a half. Perhaps we should invest in stopwatches?

There are studies on both sides of the argument. I find this summary most useful (banned by FB fact-checkers).

Of key interest, in one CDC study, 85% of COVID victims report nearly always wearing face masks. One study claiming benefits had to be withdrawn after its conclusions were contradicted by continuing experience. Others have major confounding variables. Mask advocates ignore significant downsides such as reduced personal performance, severe psychosocial consequences, and difficulty breathing. And the Danish Mask Study, a gold standard randomized, controlled study, showed no benefit to mask wearing in the general population.

Difficulty breathing is something I didnt quite appreciate during the thirty-six years I wore a mask on a daily basis in the operating room. After all, masks were a part of life. But I always dropped my mask the moment I left the OR, and almost every other OR staff member did the same. Its really simple. Masks increase your work of breathing. If youre wearing a properly fitted N-95, all your air has to come in and out through that filter material. Thats work. And it makes you short of breath.

Do a simple experiment. Fold a bath towel a couple of times and try to breathe through it. Make sure you arent breathing around it. The filtration from the fabric creates resistance to air flow. Now do it for several minutes. Thats what breathing through an effective mask feels like. Youll get short of breath, and as soon as you can, youll take it off. What you felt was increased work of breathing. And thats why the movies often show someone being strangled with a pillow.

Most Americans intuitively recognize that masks dont reduce infections. But they go along with the virtue signaling to be good citizens. And, to make their own life a bit better, they use a single thickness gaiter over their mouth and nose like a train robber. Or they use a face shield that does nothing at all other than covering their mouth and nose without restricting air flow. Often you see them with a mask over their mouth but not their nose. And of course, President Biden doesnt wear one in the Oval Office.

Returning to Einstein, since a single mask doesnt help in the general populace, why should anyone think that double masking might help? Or quadruple, as Dr. Segal suggests. Such suggestions fall under the logical designation of magical thinking. Or as Albert Einstein is reputed to have said, insanity.

Images: Ted Noel, https://www.nursetogether.com
Jurgen Klopp labelled Mohamed Salah "incredible" after the Egypt star ended his Premier League goal drought in style with two superb finishes to inspire Liverpool's 3-1 win at West Ham on Sunday.

Salah had gone six league games without scoring until he broke West Ham's resistance in the second half with his first goal in the competition since December.

The 28-year-old followed that fine strike with another eye-catching effort and his masterclass ensured Liverpool made it two successive league wins.

Salah is the first player to score at least 20 goals in all competitions in four consecutive seasons for Liverpool since Ian Rush in the 1980s.

Georginio Wijnaldum grabbed Liverpool's third as Klopp's side moved above Leicester into third place.

"What Mo made of Shaqiri's pass was incredible. The first touch was unbelievable," Klopp said of Salah's second goal.

Liverpool are four points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and one behind second placed Manchester United.

After five league games without a win, the champions showed signs of emerging from their winter slump in Thursday's 3-1 success at Tottenham and this was another step in the right direction.

"These boys are a really good group. They're not happy at not being successful. They always have the right attitude," Klopp said.

"We spoke about it in the last few weeks and maybe in the last week we have spoken about the right stuff.

"We have found a way to be uncomfortable again for other teams. It was a great game, very professionally controlled against a flying side."

Liverpool's previous away league wins this season had come at Chelsea and Crystal Palace and they inflicted more capital punishment on West Ham in their latest trip to London.

West Ham had won their last six games in all competitions and were unbeaten in their last six league matches.

But Liverpool squashed that streak emphatically, proving that the group who swept to the title last season shouldn't be written off yet.

Story continues

The Reds are rounding into form just in time for next Sunday's crucial clash with Manchester City, which is preceded by a home game against Brighton on Wednesday.

- Salah shines -

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was absent due to a muscle injury suffered against Tottenham, while Roberto Firmino was left on the bench as Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri started in attack.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Fabinho all out injured, Nat Phillips came in alongside midfielder Jordan Henderson in Liverpool's makeshift central defence.

At least Liverpool's full-backs remain healthy and Andrew Robertson combined with Trent Alexander-Arnold to set up Wijnaldum for a shot that flashed just over.

Liverpool didn't manage a single shot on target until first half stoppage-time when Salah's speculative effort was held by Lukasz Fabianski.

But Salah almost broke the deadlock early in the second half as the Egyptian met Origi's cross with a close-range shot that was blocked by Aaron Cresswell's last-ditch challenge.

Leading the Liverpool charge almost single-handed, Salah shot narrowly wide from 20 yards.

Antonio was inches away from putting West Ham in front on the counter, the forward shooting just wide on the turn.

Salah finally ended his drought in the 57th minute as he took Curtis Jones' pass in the Hammers area and showed typically deft footwork to open space for a superb curler into the far corner.

West Ham had no answer for Salah's clever movement and he put the result beyond doubt in the 68th minute.

Picked out by Shaqiri's brilliant long pass into the area, Salah controlled superbly before clipping a clinical finish past Fabianski from close-range.

Firing on all cylinders now, Liverpool struck again in the 84th minute when Wijnaldum capped a flowing attack by tapping in Firmino's pass.

Craig Dawson's 87th minute goal, finished from close-range, was little consolation for out-classed West Ham.

smg/td



Being a celebrity comes with many exciting perks. However, having ones identity known to millions of strangers around the world can also be a terrifying experience as well. Pop star Britney Spears had a taste of this as a teenager when she first became famous. In one instance, she had a creepy encounter with an older male fan that left her totally freaked out.

Britney Spears | Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Britney Spears became famous at a young age

Spears grew up in the small town of Kentwood, Louisiana, where she began performing as a young child. When she was not yet a teenager, Spears went to New York City to try out for a career in showbiz.

In 1992, she became a cast member on The Mickey Mouse Club, which also featured rising stars like Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling. The show lasted until 1996 when it was cancelled.

Then, Spears went on to establish a solo career. When she was 16 years old, she released her first single, Baby One More Time. It quickly topped charts all over the world and made Spears a pop icon. Spears continued seeing success the next few years with songs like Oops! I Did It Again, Im a Slave 4 You, and Toxic.

Teenage Britney Spears once had a creepy encounter with an older male fan

RELATED: What Happened to The Snake From Britney Spears Iconic Im a Slave 4 U Performance?

When Spears was beginning to rise in popularity, she had a creepy encounter with an older male fan who somehow found his way to her house.

One guy came to my house when I was home, she said in a 1999 interview with Variety. Thank goodness I wasnt home by myself. It was so weird because he parked like half a block away from my house and was snooping up on me. And he asked my mom, Can I meet her? And my mom was like, Shes busy right now, because I was freaked out, especially if youre a senior in high school.

She continued, noting that she could not believe he came to her house by himself, If youre going to drive that far  he [lives] like two hours away from me  you would bring someone along with you, right? I could see myself, if there was someone I totally admired and I even thought of going there, Id bring a couple of friends with me. So for him to do that, I was totally freaked out.

A man once tried to get on stage with Britney Spears during her Las Vegas residency

"He's got a gun?"  a man has been arrested after rushing onto the stage during a Britney Spears performance pic.twitter.com/daX0xsY9Yg  Sky News (@SkyNews) August 11, 2017

RELATED: Britney Spears Almost Led a Girl Band  But Shes Probably Glad She Didnt

As Spears progressed in her career, she would unfortunately encounter other individuals who invaded her boundaries.

In August 2017, while performing her residency show Piece of Me in Las Vegas, a man jumped on stage and forced Spears to briefly stop performing. According to a clip posted by TMZ, the man was subdued by her dancers and security guards before he could get close to Spears. He was later charged with trespassing.
COVID-19 vaccination programs in Ukraine, Georgia, and Iran were given a boost over the weekend as health officials announced progress in getting their populations inoculated.



Ukraine's deputy health minister, Viktor Lyashko, said on January 30 that his country will receive 117,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot in February via COVAX, a facility coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to support lower-income countries in accessing vaccines.



The vaccine will be immediately distributed to inoculate employees of hospitals who provide care to patients with COVID-19, Lyashko said on Facebook.



Ukraine will also receive between 2.2 and 3.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the first half of 2021.

Georgia, meanwhile, will receive the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the end of February, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said on Facebook on January 30..



Gakharia did not specify how many doses would arrive, but he said the vaccination of medical personnel would begin immediately after the first doses arrive.



Gakharia's announcement came on the same day that several dozen restaurateurs, owners of hospitality businesses, and fitness centers demonstrated in Tbilisi to demand the lifting of COVID-19 measures, RFE/RL's Georgian Service reported.

The Georgian government has said the regulations will stay in place until the situation improves.



Elsewhere, Iran expects to receive the first batch of Russia's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine by February 4, the IRNA state news agency reported.



"A contract for the purchase and joint production was signed yesterday between Iran and Russia," said Tehran's ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, according to IRNA on January 30.



Two more batches are to be delivered later in February, he added.



Despite criticism of the way trials of the vaccine were conducted, Sputnik-V has also been registered in Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, the U.A.E., and the Republic of Guinea.

It has also been cleared for emergency use in European Union member Hungary even though it has yet to be greenlighted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the EU's drug regulator.

The latest vaccine announcements come as governments in Europe and elsewhere move to curb international travel amid already tight restrictions as virus mutations show signs of spreading to dozens of countries around the globe.



Health officials have expressed concerns over whether vaccines will provide sufficient protection, particularly against virus mutations originally detected in South Africa and Brazil.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and AP
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What would possibly drive a mother to take the life of her child? It seems almost unfathomable.

But last week, 40-year-old Olga Freeman pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility after suffocating her severely autistic ten-year-old son Dylan last summer.

Described as 'a great mum', the divorced lawyer was said to be suffering some sort of psychosis at the time of the incident, triggered by the relentless nightmare of trying to care for Dylan, seemingly with zero help or support.

I found the details of the case almost too painful to read, not least because I've long felt a sense of deep foreboding that something like this might happen.

Over the past two years, as part of our Dignity For Disabled People campaign, I've spoken to scores of parents of disabled children, reporting on the desperate circumstances they so often find themselves in.

Devoted doesn't begin to cover it, and yet at every turn they face obstacles, bureaucracy and a lack of basic support from the very organisations that are supposed to help and protect the most vulnerable.

Last week, 40-year-old Olga Freeman pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility after suffocating her severely autistic ten-year-old son Dylan last summer. Pictured: Freeman with Dylan

One, a mother-of-three, is caring alone for her eight-year-old son who is blind, partially deaf and severely autistic and requires tube feeding. She was recently hospitalised after collapsing with sheer exhaustion.

Another was refused help at home so had to put children into care, then was barred from seeing them due to lockdown  only to discover they're so distressed they've begun to self-harm. Repeatedly slamming their heads into walls is common.

Then there are those who have had support withdrawn because their children are 'too heavy' for carers to lift. Or told they're no longer eligible despite their child being almost unable to move or keep their food down.

Tube feeding, injections, medication, 20 nappies a day, endless seizures and most do this, of course, without complaint. After these conversations, I'm always left asking myself: just how do they do it?

Yet, since making this my beat, I have been plagued by a nagging fear  that there is only so much a person can take.

I remember the story, clearly, of Alison Davies, who in 2006 threw herself off the Humber Bridge along with her severely disabled 12-year-old son Ryan.

Described as 'a great mum', the divorced lawyer was said to be suffering some sort of psychosis at the time of the incident, triggered by the relentless nightmare of trying to care for Dylan, seemingly with zero help or support. Pictured: Freeman

An inquest heard that the mother, from Romiley, near Stockport, was unable to cope alone  as he'd grown bigger he had begun to attack her.

In 2018, Jane Kavanagh, 33, took her own life. A full-time carer to her 15-year-old daughter who was autistic and wheelchair-bound, Jane had no help from carers and was offered no respite care.

Their home was so small that she didn't even have her own bedroom. In a suicide note to her parents, Alan and Irene Farrar, Jane wrote: 'I just can't find a way to drag myself out of this f****** s***hole of a life.'

And then came poor Dylan Freeman's death. Dylan suffered a rare genetic syndrome that affected his sight, speech and brain function. But when the pandemic struck, all streams of vital support for his mother Olga were cut off. His day centre closed, ending respite for Olga from the constant effort of helping Dylan to swallow, sleep, go to the toilet and even sit up.

Then his special school shut its doors to vulnerable children, despite Government guidance not to. Her local council ignored pleas for help.

And so, isolated, turning psychotic and driven to unimaginable depths of despair, she saw no other option but to suffocate her son, leaving him to die beside his favourite toys.

Pictured: A court sketch of Olga Freeman, 40, appearing at the Old Bailey in London

Pictured: Police at the scene in Action following the death of 10-year-old Dylan last summer

They are all victims of a system which, I have come to understand, is a catastrophic failure.

It's true that Covid has brought an extra layer of misery  but the problems existed before the pandemic. Most of the battle is fighting a complicated tangle of red tape that sets up parents to fail.

Disability-related problems are, by their very nature, complicated. Often the solution involves input from several local services, whether it's the NHS, housing, education or benefits. Navigating these intersecting systems is, as one mother described, 'like wading through bureaucratic treacle'.

How anyone finds time to complete the dossier of paperwork while holding down a full-time job, and keeping one hand free to stop their wheelchair-bound child from choking on their breakfast, is beyond me.

Even more shocking is recent data showing that, in some areas, half of all requests for vital care and educational support are rejected. Why?

As several mothers have put it: 'I was told my child is not disabled enough.'

Those who do pass the strict criteria face delays of up to two years before local authorities even make a decision, according to official figures from more than 150 UK councils. So what can be done?

Extra cash, of course, will help: the Disabled Children's Partnership, a coalition of more than 70 charities and organisations, has called for 434 million cut by the Government over recent years from early intervention services  such as respite care and providing vital equipment  to be reinstated. But there's little point in throwing money at a broken fence and hoping it fixes itself.

There's no one Minister responsible for the lives of disabled people. We thought it was Justin Tomlinson, the Minister for Disabled People, but when we contacted him last year to ask if he'd like to back our Dignity For Disabled People campaign, we found out he apparently deals only with benefits and employment. Sorry. Can't help.

His office suggested we contact the health services, and of course, health say it's a matter for social services, which says it's definitely not them but one of the other two.

The tragic truth is, if something doesn't change, there'll more Dylan and Olga Freemans.

I for one don't fancy living in a country that pushes its most vulnerable parents to a point where they see no option but to suffocate their child. Do you?
March-past for a few as virus shutters Feb 4 show By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s):

Fewer guests, muted celebrations and no public  thats how next Thursdays 73rd Independence Day commemoration will be held at Independence Square in the shadow of COVID.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, which is hosting the event, has planned to reduce guests by half, with seats arranged one meter apart. Invitations have been sent only to diplomats and dignitaries.

Even though guest numbers will be halved, costs will rise by half due to the expense of maintaining COVID-19 protocols, Home Affairs Additional Secretary K.G. Dharmathilaka said.

Everyones temperatures will be taken and antigen tests administered if necessary, he said.

The general public and schoolchildren will not be invited to observe the event in order to limit the spread of the pandemic, Mr. Dharmathilaka said.

Members of the police and armed forces taking part in the Independence Day parade have been quartered separately for some time to prevent possible infection.

Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said the ceremonies will be carried out as fully as possible given the importance of the day.

Seventy-three years ago, our ancestors earned independence through hardships; it was not given to us on a gold platter. We should be proud about our independence, General Silva said.

He said the celebrations would showcase the nations capability to handle a pandemic situation.

General Silva said the squadrons taking part in the parade have been practising at regiment camps while being sequestered.

We made sure they didnt mix with others and advised them to maintain social distancing. Yesterday onwards (Saturday) the squadrons taking part in the event have been holding rehearsals at Torrington Square, he said.

Random PCR and antigen tests will be carried out among those in the parade.

Although schoolchildren are not participating in numbers a group has been chosen to sing the national anthem and recite Jaya Mangala Gatha. These students have also been asked to isolate themselves until the celebrations are over.

If there is any complication, a back-up team is reserved to carry out their task, the army commander said.

While the number of dignitaries will be limited the arrangements for parliamentarians are more flexible according to the requirement and the situation, General Silva said.

The dress rehearsal will be on Tuesday and the timed rehearsal on Wednesday.

The Director-General of Government Information, Nalaka Kaluwewa, said it was a priority that journalists covering the event do not contract or spread coronavirus. All will have to undergo PCR tests.
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When Amitabh Bachchan's granddaughter Navya Naveli was asked to "get a job" on a post concerning her NGO, she came up with an apt response. She recently revealed her latest project, Project Naveli, on Instagram and got some unkind reactions from netizens. One person wrote, "You first need a job, then you can do all this." Navya replied to this, "I do have a job actually."

Read: Amitabh Bachchan's Granddaughter Navya Naveli Doesn't Stay Silent When Troll Asks Her to 'Get a Job'

Disha Patani posted about indulging in a cheat meal. She posted a video on her Instagram Stories where, she is seen dressed in a floral boat neck blouse. She is sitting on the backseat of a car. On the images, she wrote: "Enroute cheat meal".

Read: Disha Patani Spends Sunday Indulging in 'Cheat Meal'

Rakhi Sawant's mother is in the hospital with a tumour in her gallbladder, which is cancerous. Her brother Rakesh Sawant has said that she was operated upon on Saturday and will start chemotherapy from Monday.

Read: Rakhi Sawant's Mother in Hospital with Cancerous Tumour in Gallbladder, Chemotherapy Starts Monday

Sonu Sood has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court order which dismissed his appeal against a BMC notice over alleged illegal construction at his residential building in Mumbai's Juhu area. Sood's petition stated that his application for conversion has been approved by the Municipal Commissioner subject to Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) permission.

Read: Sonu Sood Moves SC Against HC Order on Illegal Construction Notice

The Government has announced a fresh set of guidelines for cinema theatres, allowing 100 per cent occupancy from Monday but with strict Covid-19 protocols. Filmmakers and the trade alike welcome the move saying it brings relief and encouragement to the film industry, which has been one of the worst hit due to Covid-19 lockdown.

Read: 'Good News' Says Bollywood, as Govt Allows 100 Per Cent Theatre Occupancy


Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Kichcha Sudeep is one of the biggest names from down south who has managed to earn fame all over India. The Kannada actor has completed 25 years in the industry, and got nostalgic about his first day of shoot, which was held at the Kanteerava Studio in Bengaluru.

He is gearing up for the big launch of the teaser of his upcoming film Vikrant Rona in Dubai at the Burj Khalifa. The actor addressed the media over a virtual press conference from Dubai, where he spoke about his journey, reported TOI.

"I cannot believe that I have completed 25 years so quickly. It seems like that first day 25 years ago was just yesterday. On this day, 25 years ago, at 9.30 am, there was the muhurtha of my film. Ambareesh sir had worn a white and white suit that day for the launch. My makeup man Guru was applied makeup on my face for the first time that day. He still continues to be with me even after these 25 years," he said.

"Be it the floor of Kanteerava Studio or my director Om Prakash Rao, everything is so fresh in my mind. I'd never seen a set like that in my life. In fact, I recently shot for a song in Kotigobba 3 in the same floor of Kanteerava Studio. The nostalgia is there. I don't think we can forget that, it is right in front of me even today," he added.
Frazer Harrison/Getty

SOPHIE was an optimist, and she made me one too.

The Scottish producer died in Athens, Greece, around 4 a.m. Saturday at the age of 34, according to a statement from the record labels Transgressive and Future Classic: True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell. The death is a deep loss for pop music.

SOPHIE (government name: Sophie Xeon; artist name styled in all caps) sketched out worlds unconstrained by genderor any bodies at all. A representative told Pitchfork the musician used no pronounsneither the gendered he/she nor the nonbinary them.

SOPHIE cut a figure like Willy Wonka, erecting wondrous worlds within music and making us all feel like we had won a golden ticket to tour a vast, glassy imagination. SOPHIE winked at us all the while. And SOPHIE made exceptional music.

Immaterial, a song from the 2018 album Oil of Every Pearls Un-Insides, reads like a SOPHIE manifesto: I could be anything I want / Immaterial boys, immaterial girls / Anyhow, anywhere, any place, anyone that I want / Im-ma-ma-material, immaterial. The record was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Though SOPHIE did not wholesale invent the genre within a genre of Hyperpop, the artist was a pioneer of the ebullient electro-maximalism, as described by a Spotify data scientist in a recent interview with The New York Times. It is a burgeoning niche that includes SOPHIE, SOPHIEs own starting point PC Music, several high-profile transgender artists, and 15-year-old trailblazers. The curators of Spotifys Hyperpop playlist paid tribute to SOPHIE not long after news of the producers death broke by adding several SOPHIE songs to the list along with a broken heart emoji. SOPHIE was one of their foremost forebears.

SOPHIE drew the future with bouncy, oversaturated sounds synthesized from scratch rather than sampling. Like the artists lyrics, the gleeful instrumentation and production invited us to imagine a shinier, better tomorrow. The laborious process belied the ease and apparent artificiality of the songs themselves, and the resulting music seemed to reflect the sheen of a screen and the whiplash experience of the internetthe giddy, romance-novel excitement of Like We Never Said Goodbye and the grim, kinky pounding of Ponyboy. There is both a sweetness and a Berlin-club darkness to the chiming synths and abrasive bass of Hard.

Story continues

SOPHIE described SOPHIEs genre as advertising to Billboard not long before Lemonade, a breakout 2014 hit, soundtracked a commercial for McDonalds lemonade. In 2015, Red Bull Music Academy sponsored Pop Cube, a touring PC Music showcase that included SOPHIE. Attendees could buy $20 cans of QT, an energy drink born of the sugary SOPHIE collab Hey QT. When I tried it, QT tasted like Red Bull, though the artists insisted it was not Red Bull in interviews. The sound of the show was industrial euphoria. I found it unforgettable.

This unstable unseriousness was not unlike a 2016 RuPaul quip: I want to sell you some beer and shampoo and I need you to stick with what you are so Ill know how to market it to you. Drag is the opposite. Drag says, Identity is a joke.

Gene Wilder improvised Wonkas famous introductory somersault. His reasoning: I knew that from that time on no one would know if I was lying or telling the truth.

A 2015 Pitchfork essay, PC Music, Hipster Runoff and the Year of the Internet Hangover, expressed skepticism that the sound of SOPHIE and other similar musicians could amount to anything when the early, hopeful internet had so soured in the hands of corporations and political interests.

Fully getting PC Music relies on the spectators awareness of the artists winking performance of Web 1.0 zeal in a Web 2.0 world, wrote critic Meaghan Garvey. They subvert nothing, nor do they add anything to the discussion beyond noise. They merely reflect the flat, bright, incessant, corporatized banalities of the current age, with all the insight and nuance of clickbait.

The answer came as SOPHIEs music evolved from 2015s Product EP to 2018s Pearl. SOPHIE incorporated the corporeal SOPHIE into the music. The artist came out as transgender in a 2018 interview with Paper, posed for the cover of Pearl facing the camera straight-on, used SOPHIEs own vocals to make songs, and created and starred in a music video for the first time. Though the music uses obviously unnatural sounds, its point is not a tautological one alerting the listener of its fakeness. In Pearl, SOPHIE made and argued for a world where SOPHIE could exist freely, a world freed from gender.

Theres a huge amount of work to be done socially, culturally. Theres a huge gap between where we are now and where I imagine we could be. The places that our imaginations can take us are so far away from what were presented with a lot of the time, so I cant get too excited about anything happening now. Im really excited about what should be happening in the future, SOPHIE said in a 2018 interview with the YouTube channel Arte Tracks.

Why the Deaf Family Dramedy CODA Became Sundances Biggest Sale Ever

The excitement for that future is what SOPHIE brought to devoted listeners. SOPHIE as a persona seemed to emerge from the future and create music that fused high-pitched hope for days to come with the caustic unhappiness of the present. The producers adoration for pop musics least natural elements is a philosophical 360-degree turn. It swivels from the original, boring earnestness of the mainstream into the ironic, surveying the contrarian viewpoint until it returns to a laughing desire for the original objectsynthetic sound.

The attitude and production resonated with artists from Madonna (Bitch Im Madonna) and Charli XCX (Vroom Vroom) to Vince Staples and Kendrick Lamar (Samo, Yeah Right).

Id rather collaborate with my friends who are whatever gender they please, or have very fluid ideas about gender, the artist told Paper in 2018. I view the people that I work with, girls and boys and people who identify as whatever gender they please, as strong individuals.

In the same interview, SOPHIE said of transgender identity, Transness is taking control to bring your body more in line with your soul and spirit... It means theres no longer an expectation based on the body you were born into, or how your life should play out and how it should end. SOPHIE prefaced one description of transgender identity with on this earthidentity to the artist was a reconciliation between the body and the ethereal essence of the self, but in a better world would not force them to fight in the first place.

God is Trans, SOPHIE said.

SOPHIE declared a philosophical stance on making pop music in a 2015 Rolling Stone interview: I think all pop music should be about who can make the loudest, brightest thing. That, to me, is an interesting challenge, musically and artistically. And I think its a very valid challengejust as valid as who can be the most raw emotionally. I dont know why that is prioritized by a lot of people as something thats more valuable. The challenge Im interested in being part of is who can use current technology, current images and people, to make the brightest, most intense, engaging thing.

SOPHIEs vision, SOPHIEs trademark layering of saccharine sounds over banging noise, was absurdist. If were standing on a glass floor above a long fall into meaninglessness, we may as well dance to SOPHIE on it. There is little to lose. The music advocates for something while acknowledging the silliness of championing anything. Might as well do it, then, if nothing matters and everything is fake? SOPHIEs pursuit, as the producer said in interviews, was not a gag but rather deeply serious. One must imagine SOPHIE happy and intent on creation.

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Australia's rollout of the coronavirus vaccine may be delayed - but the government still expects to offer everyone the jab by October, Scott Morrison will say on Monday.

The government aims to start administering doses of the Pfizer jab - the only vaccine approved in Australia so far - by the end of February.

But the date may be set back because the vaccines are made in Belgium and the European Union on Friday tightened export controls amid a serious shortage.

In a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday, Mr Morrison will admit the start date of Australia's vaccination program is up in the air.

'Our guidance is that first vaccinations remain on track to be in Australia, ready for distribution to priority groups, from late February.

'However, the final commencement date will depend on developments overseas, which we will continue to monitor and update accordingly,' he will say.

Mr Morrison will also warn the pandemic is still 'raging' and has not petered out - meaning Australia has another turbulent year ahead.

It comes as Perth begins a harsh five-day lockdown after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested positive to Covid and visited 15 locations around the city.

Australia's rollout of the coronavirus vaccine may be delayed due to export controls in the EU. Pictured: A woman is vaccinated in north-west England

More than two million residents living in Perth, Peel and the South West will enter lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of Western Australia's population.

The employee worked two shifts at Sheraton Four Points in Perth's CBD, and was stationed on a floor where at least one returned traveller was diagnosed with the UK strain of the disease, which is up to 80 per cent more infectious.

Victoria has banned anyone from Perth from entering the state without an exemption while Queensland will enforce a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine for anyone visiting from the city and surrounding regions.

The government has bought 10million doses of the Pfizer jab - enough to inoculate 5million people - and wants to roll out 80,000 a week by the start of March if they arrive in time.

Mr Morrison has also ordered supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Europe but these have already been 'significantly' reduced after the company suffered production problems.

Fortunately Australia has the ability to make its own doses at the CSL factory in Melbourne and, once the jab is approved by regulators, supply is due to start in March at 1million doses a week, earlier than planned.

The prime minister will also announce an extra $1.9billion in funding for hospitals to support the vaccine rollout. Pictured: Nurses working in Sydney

Despite the uncertainty over the start date of the vaccination program, Mr Morrison will insist the nation remains on track to offer everyone the optional jab by October.

'Initially, we will need to prioritise the most vulnerable and those likely to experience a serious disease, as well as frontline health and care workers and other essential services,' he will say.

'We will then extend vaccination to the balance of the population as quickly as possible, building towards protecting the entire community by the end of 2021.

'Our aim is to offer all Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated by October 2021, commencing in just a few weeks' time.'

The prime minister will also announce an extra $1.9billion in funding for hospitals to support the vaccine rollout, with the cash to be spent on systems, training and extra staff to administer the jabs.

'We'll have thousands of points of presence across Australia - Hospitals, GPs, Pharmacies, Respiratory Clinics, Aboriginal Health Services and a specialist surge workforce,' Mr Morrison will say.

'This will ensure we get the vaccine to all Australians, including people in rural, remote and very remote areas and others who are hard to reach.'

Also in his speech, Mr Morrison will thank Australians for staying positive throughout 2020.

'I said we would not let this virus break our Australian spirit. It hasn't, and it won't,' he will say.

'We found the same strength, good humour, resilience and mateship that enabled past generations of Australians to rise to the challenges of their time.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is confident that everyone will be offered the jab by October

The prime minister will note that the unemployment rate has fallen from 7.5 per cent in July last year to 6.6 per cent in December. Almost 800,000 jobs were created in the past seven months. Pictured: Graphs showing the recovery

The prime minister is set to champion the country's record on suppressing the virus, with Australia's death rate the third lowest among the G20 nations, after China and South Korea.

He will also promote the government's economic support measures and declare that 90 per cent of jobs that were lost since March have come back.

However, with parts of Western Australia in lockdown after a hotel security guard tested positive on Sunday, Mr Morrison will warn that the nation is not out of the woods yet.

'The pandemic is still raging. It is not petering out. The virus has not gone anywhere. Indeed, it is morphing into new and more virulent strains.

'So we must remain vigilant,' he will say.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 21:41:12|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday unveiled an action plan to guide the building of a high-standard market system in the next five years.

The plan proposes more than 50 specific measures covering five aspects, including the basic institutions of the market, efficient allocation of factor resources, market environment and quality, high-level opening-up and the oversight mechanism of the modern market system. Enditem

The central government has allowed full occupancy in cinema halls and multiplexes starting from February 1.

In this regard, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cinema halls and to prevent the spread of the ongoing novel

Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news on his Instagram handle. He wrote "BIGGG NEWS... 100% seating capacity allowed in cinemas/theatres/multiplexes. SOPs issued by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting."

The SOPs also stated that no films shall be screened in containment zones. To ensure the safety of viewers, cinema halls have taken some other measures too apart from the mandatory wearing of masks and temperature checks. will have separated seats, staggered show timings, and bookings, mandatory social distancing, and digital payments are being encouraged.



In its last set of guidelines issued earlier this month, the government had allowed cinema halls to operate at a higher capacity. In October 2020, the Centre had allowed cinema halls to operate at 50 per cent seating capacity.

This move by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should come as a relief to cinema halls that were closed for nearly seven months last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Even after opening they have been struggling with low audience attendance and very few new film offerings.

Stakeholders will also be happy with this decision for increased capacity, as several big-ticket films including '83', starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, 'Sooryavanshi,' starring Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Singh, and 'Radhe', starring Salman Khan have been ready for months, awaiting release.
Hezekiah was a remarkable king, used by God to rescue Jerusalem from the Assyrians and bring reform and revival to Judah. He is known for his God-honoring prayer life, a remarkable miracle, and a tragic choice.

Where Does the Bible Mention Hezekiah?

Hezekiahs name means God has strengthened. He is mentioned in many biblical passages. His story unfolds in 2 Kings 16:20-20:21 and 2 Chronicles 28:27-32:33, and again in Isaiah 36:1-39:8. He is mentioned throughout the Old Testament in Proverbs 25:1; Isaiah 1:1; Jeremiah 15:4; Jeremiah 26:18-19; Hosea 1:1; and Micah 1:1.

Hezekiahs godliness was in direct contrast to his fathers wickedness. King Ahaz was an evil, idolatrous king. During the reign of Ahaz, the people of Israel said they feared God, but simultaneously they practiced idolatry (2 Kings 17:33). Hezekiah was the 13th successor of David, reigning in Judahs southern kingdom. He reigned for 29 yearsapproximately 715-686 BCbeginning at age 25 (2 Kings 18:2). His reign began in the third year of Hosheas reign over the northern kingdom of Israel in Samaria (2 Kings 18:1-3), and it coincided with the ministry of two of Gods prophets, Isaiah and Micah.

Verifying his place in biblical history, archaeologists found Hezekiahs royal seal in 2010 in an area at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

What Reforms Came under King Hezekiah?

For the most part, King Hezekiah faithfully walked with God (2 Chronicles 31:20), and there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him (2 Kings 18:5). He was compared to King David in 2 Kings 18:3. After his wicked fathers reign, Hezekiah committed himself to set things right again in Judah.

King Ahaz had nailed Jerusalems Temple doors shut, but Hezekiah reopened the temple and cleansed it. He destroyed Judahs idols, pagan temples, and altars (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 31:1-2); and he re-established worship, reinstated the Levitical priesthood, and set up contributions for temple worship (2 Chronicles 29:5; 20-35; 31:2-21). He sanctified the temple vessels that had been desecrated but destroyed the bronze servant Moses madebecause Gods people had turned it into an idol (Numbers 21:9; 2 Kings 18:4). Hezekiah also reinstituted the sacrificial Passover celebration as a national holiday (2 Chronicles 30:1-27).

As Hezekiah restored Temple worship and reformed Judah, revival came to Gods people. They returned to God, His Word, and the Old Testament blood sacrifice for sin (2 Chronicles 29:15, 22-24). God rewarded and prospered him personally too. 2 Kings 18:6-7a says the righteous king held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.

How Did Hezekiah Lead Judah in Crisis?

Hezekiah led Judah through several crisis situations. He threw off the Assyrian yoke and defeated the Philistines (2 Kings 18:7-8). During his reign, the ruthless Assyrian empire conquered many nations. With foresight, Hezekiah decided to fortify Jerusalem against siege. He fortified the city walls, expanded his military, and built a 1,750-foot-long tunnel to provide a secret water supply (2 Chron. 32:2-8). Hezekiahs tunnel still exists under the city of Davidexcavated by modern archaeologists.

In 701 BC, the Assyrians under King Sennacherib invaded Judah for the first time, marching against Jerusalem. The Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. Hezekiah tried to appease the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, by giving him silver and gold from his own treasures and the Temple (2 Kings 18:13-16), but this appeasement didnt last long. The Assyrians openly taunted and defied Judahs God, likening Him to the powerless gods in nations they already had overcome (2 Kings 18:28-35; 19:10-12). Sennacherib told the people Hezekiah was lying to them about being able to deliver them from his hand (2 Kings 18:29-36).

In the face of these threats, Hezekiah grieved, but he knew where to turn. He sought wisdom from the prophet Isaiah (2 Kings 19:1-5). Isaiah told him Sennacherib would hear a rumor and return to his own land where he would die by the sword (2 Kings 19:6-7). As Sennacherib continued to defy God, he sent a letter to Hezekiah. Judahs king once again returned to the Temple to pray. As he spread the Assyrians letter before the Lord, he prayed a humble, powerful prayer of faith, asking for deliverance so all the kingdoms of earth would know that the Lord alone is God (2 Kings 19:19). Hezekiah recognized it was not his own reputation that was at stake; it was Gods.

A second answer came from Isaiah: Assyria would never enter Jerusalem. The city would be spared (2 Kings 19:32-34). The Lord kept His promise to protect Jerusalem. The angel of the LORD killed 185,000 Assyrians that night (2 Kings 19:35) and those who remained, including Sennacherib, withdrew in defeat to Nineveh the next morning. The Lord brought the victory (2 Chronicles 32:21-22). And Sennacherib? As he worshipped in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons killed him by the sword as Isaiah had prophesied (2 Kings 19:36-37).

How Did Hezekiah Find Miraculous Healing?

Some time later, King Hezekiah was terribly sickso ill that Isaiah came to him and told him to get his life in order because death was imminent (2 Kings 20:1-7; 2 Chronicles 32:24).

Weeping with his face toward a wall, Hezekiah asked God to be merciful. He reasoned with the Lord, reminding Him of all the good he had accomplished in faith and obedience to Him during his reign.

God answered the kings prayer swiftly! Before Isaiah left Hezekiahs home, the Lord instructed him to tell the king his prayer was heard. Isaiah said Hezekiah would go to the Temple three days later and would live an additional 15 years. After Isaiah applied to a simple poultice, the king recovered (2 Kings 20:5-7). In response to this healing, Hezekiah offered his testimony of faith and a psalm of thanksgiving (Isaiah 38:9-20).

These additional years did not end up being a season of blessing for Hezekiah. Not long after his healing, he made a foolish choice.

What Was the Kings Tragic Mistake?

A writer at Ligonier Ministries said, Incredibly, Hezekiah himself indicates the ongoing failure of Gods people to trust the Lord. Hezekiahs heart became proud and he failed to respond to the kindness God has shown him (2 Chronicles 32:25). In Hezekiahs Tragic End: A Warning and a Promise, J. D. Greear wrote, Hezekiah had passed the test of adversity but he failed the test of prosperity.

Through a sad turn of circumstances, instigated by Hezekiahs foolish choice, God poured out His indignation on Hezekiahs kingdom. When the Babylonians heard about the kings sickness, Marduk-Baladan, the son of the king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift by envoys to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:12). Hezekiah had great wealth and honor from the Lord, and God had given him great success (2 Chronicles 32:27-30); but God decided to test his servantto know everything that was in his heart (2 Chronicles 32:31).

Hezekiah failed that test. In pride, the king showed Marduk-Baladans ambassadors all the precious things in Jerusalemhis personal treasures, the riches of the city, and everything in the arsenal. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them (2 Kings 20:13).

Hearing of this, Isaiah went to Hezekiah and rebuked him for the foolish pride that endangered Jerusalem and Gods people. The prophet made a terrible prediction (2 Kings 20:16-18). Everything Hezekiah had shown the Babylonians would be taken from himcarried off to Babylon. Even the kings descendants would be taken to serve as eunuchs in the Babylonian palace. Isaiahs prophecy came true during King Zedekiahs reign (2 Kings 24:13-16). The king should have been horrified by the prophecy, but his response showed another fault. Hezekiah only was concerned about peace and safety during his own lifetime (2 Kings 20:19).

In the 15 years after his illness, Hezekiah fathered the heir to his throne, Manasseh. Though Hezekiah had led the nation in reform and revival, his indifference for the future had terrible consequences. Manasseh would be incredibly evil and undo most of his fathers reforms (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32; Isaiah 36-39). He brought immorality back to Judah, promoted the worship of pagan gods, and Jewish tradition says he even may have murdered Hezekiahs long-time friend, Isaiah.

What Lessons Can We Learn from Hezekiahs Choices?

For most of Hezekiahs years, he modeled godly character. Because God was with him during his years of obedience, Hezekiah found success in whatever he undertook. The testimony of scripture is, There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him (2 Kings 18:5-7). His passion for God brought a restored Judah into a period of national revival. But Hezekiahs life took a sad turna warning for Gods people who want to finish well. There are at least five lessons we can learn from Hezekiahs life and choices.

First, the kings priorities were right though he lived in a wicked, immoral culture. He chose to cling to the Lord, follow Him, pursue holiness for himself and his people, and lead Judah in renewed worship. Likewise, the Lord wants us to resist the pull of the culture and stand strong as lights in the darkness for Him (1 Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 5:15-17; 6:13; Philippians 2:15).

Second, Hezekiahs love for God and desire to please Him brought him additional years of life. He could rightly point to how he had served God and done exploits for His glory. The Word of God tells us God desires our love, and He honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30; Matthew 22:37).

Third, Hezekiah knew where to turn in times of trouble. As a man of prayer, he knew his only hope was in the sovereign God. He prayed to desire Gods glory above all. Voices in the culture can confuse or misdirect us from Gods will, but His Word is wisdom for us, and we must seek the Lord in prayer to be grounded and built up in Him (Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:15-16; Colossians 2:7).

Fourth, Hezekiahs downfall was sinful pride. When he bragged about his possessions, he brought disaster to Judah, including the looting of Israels treasury and the nations eventual captivity. We too must guard against pridewhich can be our downfalland realize our sins often affect more than our own lives (Proverbs 11:2; 16:18; Jeremiah 9:23-24; James 4:6, 10).

Fifth, even though this righteous king made sweeping reforms in Judah, he failed to pass on his love for God to his own son, Manasseh. As parents, we will only pass on a wise and godly legacy with intentional, biblical training (Deuteronomy 6:5-9; Psalm 78:2-4; Proverbs 22:6). We cannot leave this important task to others.

Hezekiah truly was a remarkable king. He is a model to all who desire to walk in close fellowship with God during times of trouble, and a reminder not to forget the Lord in times of blessing.

Resources

Biblicalarchaeology.org - King Hezekiah in the Bible: Royal Seal of Hezekiah Comes to Light

Watchjerusalem.co - Hezekiah: A Story, a King, a Legacy

LandoftheBible.com - Hezekiahs Tunnel

Ligonier.org - Hezekiahs Failure

GotQuestions.org - How Did Isaiah Die?

Photo credit: Sparrowstock

Dawn Wilson and her husband Bob live in Southern California. They have two married sons and three granddaughters. Dawn assists author and radio host Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth with research and works with various departments at Revive Our Hearts. She is the founder and director of Heart Choices Today, publishes Upgrade with Dawn, and writes for Crosswalk.com and Christianity.com. Dawn also travels with her husband in ministry with Pacesetter Global Outreach.

When Becky Ames announced she would not seek an eighth term as Beaumont mayor, she lamented the rise of partisan politics on the City Council. In fact, she even went so far as to urge voters to seek a truly independent candidate for office.

But experts say politics in such nonpartisan offices is as American as hot dogs and baseball. Certain party allegiances can actually increase voter turnout by decreasing the barrier to becoming an informed voter.

However, what has changed is the way voters look to their own party affiliation in daily life and use it as another way to exhibit their own values.

Experts say this change is the result of a few smaller shifts that have seen slow movement over the past several decades.

Related: Ames bows out as filing begins for next Beaumont Mayor

In the mid-1900s, both political parties had liberal- and conservative-leaning wings. As a result, ones party affiliation didnt tell much about an individual, nor did it conjure up a certain image in another persons head, Lamar University political science professor James Nelson said.

As the parties became more homogeneous, party affiliation slowly became a part of someones social identity, as opposed to simply being an ideology that governs ones politics, he said.

Part of that is (voters) want someone whos reflective of their values system, he said. There are people who are going to want to say, Hey, Im a Republican. I want someone to represent me who reflects my values, or I dont want to vote for someone with a MAGA hat in the closet.

Those affiliations and the connotations that follow have then invaded nearly every aspect of daily life - culture, food, mask wearing and down to the cards we buy, said Robert Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice University.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

As more people joined social media and other types of news media grew, instead of taking advantage of the diverse opinions now at voters fingertips, they have instead chosen to stay in increasingly-specific silos that reinforce their beliefs about themselves, their own party and everyone else.

Ironically, there is no more digital divide, but we still choose to be with our own, Stein said.

In a City Council setting, that can easily translate to pre-existing biases simply because an individual is a part of one Facebook group and not another, wears a mask while in a meeting or sends other signals that people pick up on as they move through life and make judgments about the people around them.

Ames encouraged people to overcome misinformation sometimes posted on social media by carefully seeking out the truth on city-related matters.

The tight grip party affiliation seems to have on voters doesnt always have to be negative, though.

One of the main reasons local elections that happen to be nonpartisan see such low voter turnout is because of the amount of time and energy required to learn about the issues and candidates, University of Houston political science professor Richard Murray said.

Local issues are complicated, but party identity is really simple, he said. Most people dont have the time to unravel the issues, so defaulting to, Im a Republican and he or she is a Republican, or vice-versa, thats kind of a shortcut.

Related: Jefferson Co. looks to third Election Day under COVIDs shadow

As a result, more people are likely to cast a ballot.

While the pervasiveness of party identity hasnt shown any signs of fading, that doesnt mean city governments are doomed for the gridlock of Washington, D.C.

In addition to seeking an independent candidate, Ames asked voters to elect individuals who are team players that can agree to disagree and move forward.

Stein said, anecdotally from his observations, those team players tend to be women.

I believe at all levels, even partisan bodies, they bring cooperation and collective action, he said. Because of their disproportionate role in the household, they seem to have skillsets that men lack. And for many women, service at the municipal level often is the last thing. You just dont get that ambition to jump to the next level. Women also tend to focus more on how important it is to get around in a car, get your garbage picked up on time, be able to get to parks.

He also noted that cities with more seats elected at-large typically tend to see broader coalitions than those with a number of single-member districts.

Related: Beaumont City Council confronts discord on 2020 capital plan

Whereas at-large members usually focus on the entire constituency, single-member representatives can get blinders to look solely at their district and express more reticence to vote for initiatives that only benefit another district.

Beaumonts council includes three at-large representatives, meaning at least one of the four single-district members would have to agree with them to build a majority.

Stein said he doesnt expect to see a move away from partisanship in local politics anytime soon.

While its likely that the days of finding a truly independent candidate for almost any office are in the rear-view, voters can use partisan and other signaling to find who they believe to be Beaumonts next leader.

I am not the only person that can do this job, Ames said in her announcement. There will be many opportunities and new challenges for the next mayor. I am hopeful that some good, qualified candidates step up.

The deadline to file for mayor or one of the other Beaumont City Council seats is Feb. 12.

kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/KaitlinBain
Bolivian President Luis Arce attended the immunization of ten health workers who received the country's first doses of Russian Sputnik V vaccines against COVID-19 on Saturday.

This is the second country in the region, together with Argentina, to use the Russian vaccine in their rollout.

Sandra Rios, an Intensive Care Unit nurse, and nine of her colleagues received the dose at a hospital in El Alto, at the eastern region of Santa Cruz, one of the departments hardest hit by the pandemic.

Although there are some skeptics about the vaccine's efficacy, there were no major demonstrations in the Andean nation.

The country is currently experiencing a resurgence of the disease.

Presidentail spokesman Jorge Richter said that priority will be given to health workers although President Arce may also receive his vaccine in the next few days.

At the end of last year, the government finalized the purchase of 5.2 million doses with Russian authorities.

The country is expected to receive another 5 million vaccines developed by the AstraZeneca laboratory and the University of Oxford in April.

Bolivia also expects free immunizations to arrive in March under the COVAX system, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to allow equitable access to the vaccine.

According to the government, this would be enough to vaccinate 7.2 million Bolivians out of the 11 million living in the country.

As of Saturday, Bolivia has reported 213,392 cases and recorded 10,279 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
On RTE radio last Wednesday, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar was asked about restrictions on international travel. He noted (optimistically) that new infections had been running at 1,000 per day and went on to claim that the portion attributable to international travel was "very, very small, maybe as little as 1pc, maybe less".

The Tanaiste was relying on data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). One of its series relates to the location of the 2,503 outbreaks (not cases) which had arisen over the first seven weeks of the third wave.

An outbreak is defined as two or more associated cases, and just nine outbreaks out of 2,503, one-third of 1pc, were described as "travel related" by the HPSC.

There have been 11,539 outbreaks since the epidemic first struck, 8,147 in households, many hundreds more in hospitals, nursing homes and workplaces, but only 69 in 'travel related' settings. This represents just one in every 167 of the outbreaks.

Another HPSC data series seeks to identify the source of infection by case, but leaves over half unexplained, either "community transmission" or "under investigation". Just half of 1pc is assigned to travel.

Read More

Cumulative confirmed cases in the Republic are approaching 200,000. If external travel is responsible for only 1,000 of these, which is what the Tanaiste's interpretation conveyed to RTE listeners, there is indeed limited value in restricting travel. But is this what the HPSC's figures really mean?

It does not claim to have followed the chain back to the original source of each infection and does not have the resources to do so, certainly not at current infection levels.

Trivially, the portion of cumulative Covid infections in Ireland attributable to international travel must be 100pc - every single case. It started in China and propagates from person to person.

Had there been no international travel, the disease would have stayed in China. The Tanaiste may well be right that there is little travel-related transmission right now, but only because there is so little travel.

The first wave in Ireland was, by definition, imported - fuelled by skiers returning from the Alps and racing fans back from the Chilterns. The second wave, after the first had been driven down close to zero in June, was fuelled by a small reservoir of virus surviving domestically and a big boost from returning holidaymakers.

New cases had declined to 10 or 20 per day and international travel had almost ceased during the first lockdown. Total inbound arrivals by sea and air in April totalled 16,100, just 1pc of normal, and rose only a little in May and June, when categorical advice from Nphet against the de-restriction of international travel was ignored in the first reopening.

Arrivals in July rose quickly to 227,300, followed by 362,600 in August and 254,400 in September. These numbers were still way below normal for the time of year, but their impact was dramatic.

Every mutation of the virus, even if no more infectious or lethal, leaves a signature, making it possible to trace transmission patterns through genetic sequencing.

Researchers at the University of Basel led an international team which traced the autumn surge of infection in northern Europe back to a virus variant which had spread around Spain over the summer.

Holidaymakers brought the Spanish variant back home and it was identified in 60pc of Irish cases when the study was released at the end of October. The second wave in Ireland, like the first, was propelled by international travel.

The Government eased the second lockdown from November off a higher base of infection than prevailed at the end of Lockdown I in June, and again despite reservations from Nphet.

The influx of visitors pre-Christmas did the rest and Ireland's third wave saw, briefly, the highest new infection rate in the world.

When the second reopening was initiated, disease incidence was around 300 cases per day and the reservoir of domestic infection far higher than prevailed prior to the first reopening in July. Nphet expressed concern but the Government chose to be less nervous than Nphet - and Nphet was not nervous enough.

Lockdown III came too late to prevent a Covid explosion in Ireland, and the upsurge in foreign travel was again a factor. There is a blatant inconsistency in the Government line - the new UK variant is a significant component it insists, and not our fault, since unforeseeable.

But hey, foreign travel was not to blame. If the more infectious UK variant is widespread, it got here from the UK. It did not come down the chimney.

The Tanaiste speculated that Level 5 restrictions could perhaps be dispensed with by March 5 and indicated a trigger for another reopening, new daily cases in the "low hundreds" and ICU occupancy around 50.

November's second reopening was initiated when cases and critical care demand were around these levels and was hardly a triumph of prudence.

The Tanaiste has floated an exit from Lockdown III modelled on the exit from Lockdown II, and long before vaccination can reduce appreciably the numbers susceptible to infection. Why expect a different result?

Does it make sense to fix both a date and a trigger? The trigger was supposed to be 50 to 100 daily cases last time around, but the date had been flagged and the date, unfortunately, won the argument with the trigger.

Portugal has replaced Ireland as the EU's least fortunate member, with the highest incidence of infection in the world last week and a hospital system under severe strain.

Prime minister Antonio Costa has just announced closure of the land border with Spain (for the second time) and accepted that his government was to blame for the relaxation of restrictive measures over the festive season.

Germany seems on the verge of restricting all external travel, as numerous EU members did during the refugee panic in 2015.

It is tiresome to endure ministers and officials claiming that EU freedom of movement rules prevent member governments from implementing a coherent policy on travel.

Costa had more to say: "There were certainly errors: often in the way I transmitted the message to the Portuguese and, when the recipient of the message did not understand the message, then it is the messenger's fault, I have no doubt about it."

His government has responded to their worst-in-the-world status by stopping foreign travel altogether.

The lesson from Ireland's experience is that encouraging foreign travel, without arrival testing, should not be an early priority next time case incidence drops towards zero.

Must there be another cycle of reopen and lockdown before the penny drops?
A large number of Indian companies, hit hard by the pandemic, are recovering at a fast pace  thanks to the rising consumer demand and government expenditure on infrastructure projects.

CEOs expect to finish the ongoing March quarter with positive growth as the corporates get back to work in full strength.

While several sectors like airlines and are still reeling from the pandemic, heres is look at the winners and losers during the period.

WINNERS

> Pharma

The pandemic gave a big boost to the pharmaceuticals and hospitals segments. Companies reported higher sales as India slowly recovered from the pandemic. The vaccination drive is expected to benefit those firms that have tied up with MNCs to produce vaccines in India and overseas





ALSO READ: India's rural demand seen ebbing in 2021-22, urban may come to the rescue

> E-commerce

While the offline retail stores suffered, the e-commerce sector boomed during the pandemic. The estimated size of the retail commerce economy in India will be more than $1 trillion in the next 3-4 years. Of this, the online market size would be roughly $50 billion to $60 billion

> Consumer products

After sales fell in the June quarter, consumer products firms pushed products via online channels apart from selling via the traditional channels. The December quarter results of industry leader HUL shows 10% growth in health, hygiene, and nutrition business

> IT

Indian IT sector saw good growth as staff worked from home during the lockdown. In 2020, Indias IT spending fell 2.7% as chief information officers prioritised spending on technology and services that were deemed mission-critical during the initial stages of the pandemic. All IT spending segments are forecast to return to growth in 2021



> Telecom

The demand for telecom services shot up substantially as an entire nation was locked down in their houses by the government to prevent the spread of virus. Bharti, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone reported unprecedented spike in data consumption as staff started working from home. The net based OTTs (over-the-top) companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos were other top gainers

LOSERS

> Hotels/Airlines



One of the worst hit, the hotels, airlines, and tourism sectors are yet to recover from the Covid-19 shock. The entire value chain, which spans aviation, tour operators, travel agents, hotels, restaurants, and other service providers in the tourism industry, were impacted with sales falling by as high as half. Industry leaders expect the sectors to recover only by October-November this year

> Real estate

Customers stopped buying properties due to the uncertainty over their own jobs and future outlook. Sales started picking up in few pockets after the state governments cut taxes to lure customers

https://www.aish.com/ci/s/California-Is-Cleansing-Jews-From-History.html

The states proposed new ethnic studies curriculum is even worse than you imagined.

In the fall of 2016, Californias then Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a mandate to develop an ethnic studies program for high schools in California. Californias public schools have the most ethnically diverse student body in the nation, with three-quarters of students belonging to minorities and speaking over 90 languages. Luis Alejo, the Assembly member who shepherded the bill through the 15 years required for its adoption, hailed the law, the first in the nation, as an opportunity to give all students the opportunity to prepare for a diverse global economy, diverse university campuses and diverse workplaces, adding, Ethnic studies are not just for students of color.

Elina Kaplan, a former high-tech manager who had just stepped down as senior VP of one of Californias largest affordable housing nonprofits, remembers agreeing wholeheartedly with the idea at the time. The objective was to build bridges of understanding between people, said Kaplan, an immigrant herself, who moved to California from the former Soviet Union with her family when she was 11. This was as welcome as mom and apple pie. It offered students the chance to learn about the accomplishments of ethnic minorities, as well as to address issues of inequality and bigotry.

But three years later, when the first draft of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) was released, Kaplan couldnt believe what she was reading. In one sample lesson, she saw that a list of historic U.S. social movements  ones like Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, Criminal Justice Reform  also included the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement for Palestine (BDS), described as a global social movement that currently aims to establish freedom for Palestinians living under apartheid conditions. Kaplan wondered why a foreign movement, whose target was another country, would be mischaracterized as a domestic social movement, and she was shocked that in a curriculum that would be taught to millions of students, BDSs primary goal  the elimination of Israel  was not mentioned. Kaplan also saw that the 1948 Israel War of Independence was only referred to as the Nakba  catastrophe in Arabic  and Arabic verses included in the sample lessons were insulting and provocative to Jews.

Kaplan, 53, a Bay Area mother of two grown children who describes herself as a lifelong Democrat, was further surprised to discover that a list of 154 influential people of color did not include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, or Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, though it included many violent revolutionaries. There was even a flattering description of Pol Pot, the communist leader of Cambodias Khmer Rouge, who was responsible for the murder of a quarter of the Cambodian population during the 1970s.

Kaplan began calling friends. Have you read this? she asked, urging them to plow through the 600-page document. The language was bewildering. Ethnic Studies is about people whose cultures, hxrstories, and social positionalities are forever changing and evolving. Thus, Ethnic Studies also examines borders, borderlands, mixtures, hybridities, nepantlas, double consciousness, and reconfigured articulations.  This was the telltale jargon of critical race theory, a radical doctrine that has swept through academic disciplines during the last few decades.

The new curriculum, which will eventually be promulgated throughout the California school system of 6 million children, would critique empire and its relationship to white supremacy, racism, patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, ableism  and other forms of power and oppression, according to the proposal. It would build new possibilities for post-imperial life that promotes collective narratives of transformative resistance.

Capitalism was classified as a form of power and oppression, and although classism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and transphobia were also listed as forms of oppression, anti-Semitism was not. Jewish Americans were not even mentioned as a minority group.

It didnt take long for Kaplan to realize that the education offered up by the ESMC had little in common with the program described at the time of the laws passage. Instead, it was a crude pastiche of idiosyncratic neo-Marxism that advocated the end of capitalism and divided the world into a simple polarity of victims and oppressors. The victims, according to this schema, included four groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans.

Kaplan quickly marshaled her skills honed as a nonprofit leader and co-created, with two other women, the Alliance for Constructive Ethnic Studies (ACES), to fight the adoption of the ESMC. The effort was urgent, she knew, because since California has the largest school system in the country, any curriculum it adopts will be exported to the rest of the country.

Its a view that actively invites anti-Zionism into the classroom. It requires it. This is the greatest threat facing American Jews today.

As a refugee from the Soviet Union, she understood the challenge intimately. The reason Im doing this  full time and not sleeping she said, is that this curriculum is pervasive and all-inclusive. It creates a means of understanding the world that does not allow questioning. And its a view that actively invites anti-Zionism into the classroom. It requires it. This is the greatest threat facing American Jews today.

Kaplan wasnt the only one upset about the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Clarence Jones, former legal counsel and speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr., in a letter he wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the states Instructional Quality Commission, called the ESMC a perversion of history for providing material that refers to non-violent Black leaders as passive and docile. Jones, who is co-founder of the University of San Francisco Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice, decried the glorification of violence and Black nationalism as role models for the students, and rejected the curriculum as morally indecent and deeply offensive.

The unassailably liberal LA Times editorial board weighed in, criticizing the offering as an impenetrable melange of academic jargon and politically correct pronouncements that served as an exercise in groupthink, designed to proselytize and inculcate more than to inform and open minds. It warned it was in bad need of an overhaul.

A group of Asian Americans urged the state to develop a program that would inspire ethnic pride in all students and inspire them to work together, rather than against one another, while Hindu, Korean, Armenian, and Sikh groups complained of being left out as did several Jewish groups. The California Legislative Jewish caucus published a letter saying the ESMC effectively erases the American Jewish experience.

Several emigres from the former Soviet Union found the curriculum so traumatizing they couldnt read it through. Three hundred signed a letter to Gov. Newsom and other state agencies saying: We escaped a Marxist-socialist system and its associated tyranny and oppression. Never could we have imagined that, decades later, the same ideology and concepts that we escaped, would show up in, of all places ... the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum.

They wrote of their shock at seeing Marxist code-words in the text, such as urging students to fight for a truer democracy, which Marx used to refer to the abolition of private property. They also noted other terms that look innocuous or even enlightened to the uninitiated, such as transformative resistance, radical healing, critical hope, have specific meanings in critical race theory, which the ESMC explicitly directs teachers to use as the key theoretical framework for teaching ethnic studies.

Critical race theory in education, writes Daniel Solorzano, a scholar cited in the ESMC, challenges the traditional claims of the educational system such as objectivity, meritocracy, color-blindness, race neutrality, and equal opportunity. Critical race theorists argue that these traditional claims act as a camouflage for the self-interest, power, and privilege of dominant groups in U.S. society.

CRT is not just an educational pedagogy that seeks to overturn academics as we know it, but it is also a guide for activism animated by the spirit of the decolonial, antiracist, and other global liberationist movements.

Ethnic studies is a California native. It was born of a violent strike that erupted on the campus of San Francisco State College in 1968, triggered by the firing of a popular teacher named George Murray. The strike, led by the Black Student Union and the Third World Liberation Front, was marked by huge rallies, bloody clashes with police, and eventually, the shutdown of the campus. It was finally settled when the president of the college accepted the strikers principal demands and agreed to establish degree-granting departments of Black and ethnic studies, to be housed in a separate School of Ethnic Studies that would include Black, La Raza, Asian American, and Native American studies.

There is a straight line from the 1968 strike to todays ESMC, whose text explicitly acknowledges its debt to the Third World Liberation Front. In a speech a week before his firing, George Murray, who also served as the minister of education for the Black Panther Party, declared the U.S. Constitution was a lie and the American flag was a piece of toilet paper deserving to be flushed. He also attacked Jewish people as exploiters of the Negroes in America and South Africa and called for victory to the Arab people over Israel.

Many of the 18 people chosen by the State Board of Educations Instructional Quality Committee to create the ESMC hail from San Francisco States School of Ethnic Studies, and most are adherents of the radical critical ethnic studies movement who refer to themselves as scholar-activists.

Kaplan reports that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond admitted in a 2020 meeting with Jewish groups that there were problems with the creation of this group that allowed it to be politicized, and we have put systems in place to make sure they do not recur.

Nevertheless, in 2020, Gov. Newsom signed into law AB 1460, which requires that every student in the Cal State system  the largest four-year public university system in the country, of which San Francisco State is a part  take a three-unit course in ethnic studies. The governors decision defied the recommendations of the universitys own chancellor, members of the universitys board of trustees, and the universitys academic senate, all of whom opposed the bill, objecting to the governments unprecedented intrusion into the universitys curriculum. The board of trustees had offered a competing proposal to require a course on ethnic studies and social justice, which would have included Jewish, LGBTQ and disability studies. Propelled by the momentum of the BLM movement in the wake of George Floyds killing, the governor rejected the boards suggestion.

Several districts in California have already implemented ethnic studies courses on their own, independent of the ESMC. Some are controversial and some are not. Although the ESMC was originally intended for high school students, an entire chapter deals with K-12 integration. Because of the public outcry following the unveiling of the proposal, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required an ethnic studies class for graduation from high school. (The bill has been reintroduced.) Meanwhile, the city of Seattle has already created a proposed framework for implementing ethnic studies throughout its K-12 curriculum. Math teachers will ask the following questions: identify how math has been and continues to be used to oppress and marginalize people and communities of color, analyze the ways in which ancient mathematical knowledge has been appropriated by Western culture, how important is it to be right? and Who gets to say if an answer is right? It appears educational leaders are all for this. The president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Robert Q. Berry III, told Education Week: What theyre doing follows the line of work we hope we can move forward as we think about the history of math and who contributes to that, and also about deepening students connection with identity and agency.

This, despite the fact that students in the United States already perform poorly in math. In the most recent survey conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which tests 15-year-olds in dozens of developed and developing countries, the U.S. placed an unimpressive 38th out of 71 countries in math and 24th in science. Among higher performing countries, the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. ranked 30th in math and 19th in science.

One of the selling points for ethnic studies is that it would help Californias students do better in school overall. In 2019, only one-third of Californias fourth graders were reading-proficient. Only 25% of Californias total student population had basic reading skills. A suit brought against the state in 2017 by a group of parents, teachers, students, and advocacy groups claimed that When it comes to literacy and basic education, California is bringing down the nation. Among the 200 largest school districts in the country, California had 11 of the lowest performing 26 districts, including three among the lowest performing 10 districts. In February 2020, a state judge approved a settlement that requires the state to pay $53 million to improve basic literacy statewide.

Almost every article touting the ESMC makes reference to a single paper that showed some improvement in at-risk students who took an ethnic studies class. Thomas Dee, professor at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Education, compared a group of ninth grade students in San Francisco high schools at risk of dropping out with a similar group who took a class offering culturally relevant pedagogy. He described the results as highly encouraging  the latter showing improved attendance, completing more courses, and earning improved grades. Basically, students earning Ds became C+ students after taking the classes. This improvement, he said, is significant, as it means the difference between dropping out and being able to apply to college. Dee calls ninth grade a make-or-break year.

Dee described the classes less as instruction about other ethnicities and how they have succeeded in the U.S., and more as a social-psychological intervention that helps to buffer students social identities in the classroom setting, which might otherwise affect their sense of belonging. In other words, the teachers try to keep the kids from tuning out because of cultural influences that may make them feel they dont belong and cant succeed. He explained the classes as aiming to reduce stereotype threat, by identifying external forces that contribute to academic challenges and preparing for how you may be misjudged. He said the teaching has three defining traits: an emphasis on student success, maintaining students cultural integrity, and promoting students capacity to think critically.

But Dee cautioned that his study was small and its results not easily scalable. He explained that the teachers who offered the classes had spent years developing them and getting them right with the help of outside experts. This kind of pedagogy requires teacher skills of a high order, he said. He is not sure the ESMC, a huge statewide top-down project, is focused on providing the kind of sensitive, close teaching that produced the positive results.

He is critical of the ESMCs chaotic rollout, which he characterized as a hot mess. The motivation for ethnic studies is grounded in the idea that historically underserved communities dont see themselves represented in the curriculum, he said, a project he supports. However, referring to the team of CRT proponents that prepared the first draft, The people who have been nurturing this flame for a half century are reluctant to give up control. Im worried that the way its being rolled out might snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. By having such a high profile effort, it has become a flashpoint of the larger culture wars.

If done carefully, he emphasized, this kind of teaching can improve student interest in learning. In the wrong hands, it can be feckless and counterproductive. We have evidence of real measurable innovation, but by pushing it the wrong way, California runs the risk of discouraging its adoption throughout the country.

As a result of the outpouring of criticism of the first ESMC draft, in August 2019, Superintendent Thurmond ordered a revision. A second draft was completed in August 2020 and was immediately criticized for simply moving objectionable material to the appendices and footnotes. In the current, third draft, released in December, some of the most offensive material was actually moved back in. For example, an historical resource was added with the following description of prewar Zionism: the Jews have filled the air with their cries and lamentations in an effort to raise funds and American Jews, as is well known, are the richest in the world.

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, director of AMCHA Initiative, which fights campus anti-Semitism, points out that all 13 founding members of the Critical Ethnic Studies Association (CESA) are BDS activists. CESA, the national home base for critical studies, passed a resolution to boycott all Israeli academic institutions in 2014, and the groups past four biennial meetings included multiple sessions demonizing Israel. There are a couple thousand academic boycotters of Israel in the country, she said, and the largest percentage of them come from ethnic studies. Anti-Zionism is built into the theory and the discipline of ethnic studies, which demonizes Israel as an apartheid settler-colonialist Nazi state.

But of even greater concern to Jews, she believes, is the singling out of Jewish students as enjoying racial privilege. I dont see any way that Jewish students can sit in an ethnic studies class and not feel they have a double target on their backs, she said, fearing hatred and violence will ensue. First, because theyre Jewish, and considered white and part of the 1%, the purported villains of the teaching, and then through an assumed association with Israel. Theres a state requirement that you have to sit through a class that says to Jewish students they have extraordinary racial privilege and yet forbids them from speaking because this course is not about you? If you dont accept it, youre publicly shamed and ostracized  you cant even speak up and say, Im not sure if I think that all white people are racists.

Jews are the only group in the curriculum for whom the term privilege is used. And this privilege is not earned by way of talent, or educational and professional attainment, but rather trickery.

To placate critics, the third version has added lessons about Korean Americans, Armenian Americans, and Sikhs. Two lessons have been offered about Jews. One, following crude CRT dogma, teaches that Mizrahi Jews coming to the United States from Arab lands were mistreated by white Ashkenazim. The other suggests that Jews of European descent have white privilege.

The Jewish Journal points out that Jews are the only group in the curriculum for whom the term privilege is used. And this privilege is not earned by way of talent, or educational and professional attainment, but rather trickery. The ESMC, echoing Nazi propaganda about Jews as impostors and appropriators hiding in plain sight, points out that American Jews often change their names (this practice of name-changing continues to the present day) to change their rank in the social hierarchy.

The historical reality of repeated genocidal attacks on Jews because of their perceived or imagined privilege is not offered as counterpoint, because ethnic studies teachers assume the Holocaust is taught in world history class. But next year in San Mateo County, world history will be replaced by ethnic studies. Lia Rensin, who has two children in public schools in the Bay Area, said the students already have no time. I think I probably feel the way most parents feel  there are already a gazillion requirements. My daughter took two semesters this summer of online Spanish, so she could take art next fall in school. Now youre thinking of adding yet another requirement?

Meantime, Rossman-Benjamin said the ESMC creators are trying to reestablish their influence: The people who wrote the first curriculum who are still very well connected are going school board by school board and getting them to agree to implement the discredited first draft. In fact, school districts are free to follow any curriculum they want. There is no requirement to use the model curriculum.

Moreover, she said, while everyone was going through the third field review, they are holding webinars and training sessions, they are recruiting faculty, and training the teachers who will need to be hired to teach ethnic studies.

These teachers are warning that additional counselors will be required to help students deal with the trauma of the new content, she reports. In fact, the ESMC itself makes this suggestion.

Brandy Shufutinsky is an African American Jewish woman who is pursuing an Ed.D. in international multicultural education at the University of San Francisco. She opposes the ESMC. It needs to be scrapped. Its foundations are faulty, she told Tablet, having more of a political agenda than an educational one. Her interest is personal. The mother of four, she is concerned that other states will follow the lead of California, and may have an impact on my own children in the future.

She doesnt approve of critical race theory, and she said the LA Unified Teaching District has already adopted a fine ethnic studies program that does not rely on it.

Im a progressive Democrat and have been for my entire life, and I come from a family of Democrats, she said. I dont understand how someone who claims to be progressive can say they are against Israel. Israel is one of the most successful countries in terms of the indigenous rights movement. They have reclaimed a culture that was decimated and denied, reclaimed their religion, their peoplehood, and language in their traditional indigenous land. This is something that progressive people all around the world should hold up as an example, not demonize.

And she has no patience for young people calling Israel an apartheid state. They dont know the history of apartheid  theyre too young to have experienced it themselves, and they seem not to have read too deeply about it either. Its easy for people to imagine that Arabs are all Black and brown and the Israelis are all white. But its not true. Israelis are not white, but thats a lie that the ethnic studies curriculum is built on.

The State Board of Education will vote on the curriculum on March 17. Comments can be sent to the SBE and Gov. Newsom.

This article originally appeared in Tabletmag.com
Former US President Donald Trump, environment activist Greta Thunberg and Russian dissident Alexei Navalny are among those nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

Nominees also include WHO and its COVAX programme, according to a Reuters survey of Norwegian lawmakers, who have a track record of picking the winner.

Thousands of people, from members of parliaments worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates. Nominations, which close on Sunday, do not imply an endorsement from the Nobel committee.

The recipient is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member committee appointed by the Parliament of Norway.The Norwegian Nobel Committee does not comment on nominations, keeping secret for 50 years the names of nominators and unsuccessful nominees.

But nominators can choose to reveal their picks.Thunberg was named as one of "the foremost spokespeople in the fight against the climate crisis", with the campaigning group she co-founded, Fridays for Future, also receiving a nod.Navalny, nominated by Russian academics, was named for his efforts for a peaceful democratisation of Russia, by Norwegian former minister Ola Elvestuen.

Other names are Belarusian activists Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kolesnikova and Veronika Tsepkalo for their "fight for a fair election and inspiration for peaceful resistance", one nominator, Geir Sigbjoern Toskedal told Reuters.

Freedom of information is a recurring theme with nominees including the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists; former Charlie Hebdo journalist Zineb el Rhazoui, news website Hong Kong Free Press, the US-based International Fact-Checking Network and Paris-based Reporters without Borders (RSF).Other nominees include NATO and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

The 2021 laureate will be announced in October.

Also read: Donald Trump loses lead impeachment lawyers a week before trial

Also read: UK to join Asia-Pacific free trade pact CPTPP
Intensifying stir against the Centre's privatisation policy, 15 lakh power employees of the country would resort to "work boycott" on February 3, the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said.

"Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), through a letter, has also been apprised (of this) besides notice served on Union and state governments," AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said on Sunday, during a virtual conference.

He firmly said the Electricity (Amendment) Bill in its current form is unacceptable.

To build pressure on the government, the Federation earlier held meetings and has resorted to token work boycotts.

Unless the government rescinds its decision, the agitation would further be intensified as the steps taken by the government in the name of reforms had placed power distribution companies (discoms) in alarming financial crisis, said the AIPEF chairman.

Despite failure of privatisation in Agra, Greater Noida and Orissa, the government is moving ahead without bothering to take feedback of practical aspect from discoms, who are the real sufferers, he added.

In the name of reforms, the government is serving the interest of the private sector, gradually destroying the public sector across the country, the official said.

AIPEF wants the commencement of the withdrawal process of privatisation of electricity from the public sector to private companies in states and Union territories without further delay, he said.

The official said the Federation demands scrapping of the Electricity Bill and standard bidding document for total privatisation of distribution of electricity.

It also urged the government to re-merge all power utilities in states with function components of generation, transmission, and distribution like KSEB Ltd and HPSEB Ltd.

The Federation official also demanded the implementation of old pension scheme for all employees and regularisation of all contractual workers.

(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 the long awaited COVID-19 vaccine distribution gains momentum, new strains of the virus are being reported. These new strains raise new concerns, with many wondering whether or not the vaccine will protect against the new strains.

Dr. Linda Yancey is an infectious disease expert at Houston Methodist Hospital West in Katy. Shes on the front lines of monitoring the new strains and their potential impact on the area. Yancey discussed these new strains and what they mean for the vaccine and people who have already had the virus.

What can you tell us about these new strains? How does a virus mutate to create a new strain?

The coronavirus is doing what all viruses do in outbreak situations. Viruses are obviously very tiny, and they have tiny genomes, so they're not able to produce high quality proteins, which makes them very error prone when theyre replicating their DNA.

So they'll copy their DNA, but they make a lot of mistakes. Most of these mistakes end up with the virus not able to replicate it, so it'll just die. But every so often, you'll get one that is in some minor portion of their DNA, or makes a change that allows them to continue to grow.

It's actually useful to us because it allows epidemiologists to trace where a virus that's in a certain area came from. That's how we know that the virus that was circulating in New York City back in March and April came from Italy, whereas the virus that was circulating along the west coast came from China. Theyre useful markers for tracking the viruses through populations.

Most of these variations will result in no change to the virus. But every so often, if you have enough of these, there's going to be one that comes along that does affect how the virus acts. We've got a couple of those now that we're monitoring around the world.

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Are the new strains worse than the COVID-19 strains were already battling? Will the current vaccine offer protection from these new strains?

The first variation we found- the one that everybody's been talking about- is the strain from the United Kingdom. It's called B.1.1.7, and unfortunately, what it does is it makes the virus spread more easily. It makes it about 56 percent more infectious. So it's spreading like wildfire through Ireland and the U.K. right now. It doesnt look like its any more serious an illness, it's just that it's easier for people to catch it.

The good news is that our vaccine appears highly effective against that U.K. strain, as well as the main ones that we have circulating with us right now. These vaccines should protect people against the U.K. strain and our local strain.

I know that someone in the north part of town tested positive a few weeks ago for the U.K. strain, and since that time, we've had more positive tests from around the city. And because its more contagious, it does spread more rapidly and to more people than the strains that we've been dealing with so far.

There is another strain that we're keeping an eye on down in South Africa in the southern part of the continent. It's called B.1.351. That one doesn't spread any more rapidly, and it doesn't cause more serious disease, but it looks like it's not as effectively covered by the vaccine.

So far, we don't have any of the B.1.351 strain in the area. I don't think we even have any of that in the country right now. That being said, Moderna and Pfizer are already working on a booster- a third shot- that would cover the South African strain. They're already working on this problem, even before it exists in this country.

How do hospitals track the progression of these strains?

The Department of Public Health monitors that. When we do COVID testing in the hospital, we will send in one in every 20 tests downtown to the public health, and they're the ones who do the sequencing to see what are the strains circulating in our local community.

For people who have already had COVID-19, do these new strains pose a higher risk for reinfection? Do you recommend that people who have already had the virus still get vaccinated?

The odds of reinfections of this strain are quite low. If the vaccine covers both, then your own immune system should cover both.

We are still recommending that you get the vaccine, and that is because immunity after natural infection is very variable- you might get nice high level immunity, but you might not. It just depends on how your immune system reacts, and there are 1,000 different variables.

Whereas with a vaccine, you will get consistent high level immunity. We know that we can get COVID more than once- we've seen it around the world during this pandemic- and that it was the people who got it but had a relatively weak immune response to the natural infection.

If you've had COVID, were still recommending that you get the vaccine to make sure you get that high level of protection.

Something that confuses people is the fact that the vaccine has to be administered in two doses. Why are two separate shots required?

This is not at all uncommon for vaccines. When you get vaccinated against hepatitis A, you get one shot, and then you get a booster in four weeks. When you get immunized against hepatitis B, you get one shot, a booster in four weeks and a booster in six months. That is to bring you up to a 95 percent protection bracket.

So one week after the first dose of the COVID vaccine, people have 80 percent protection from the virus, which is good, but its not as good as 95 percent. So three or four weeks later and seven days after that second shot, you're up to 95 percent protection.

We believe if you got a third dose, wed get you from 95 to about 97 percent protection. And if we give you four shots, wed get you from 97 to 99 percent protection. But as you can see, at that point, we're hitting the Law of Diminishing Returns- it's only an incremental improvement in the protection, whereas 95 percent is great protection.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Downtown Houston construction still abuzz despite COVID

Its been a few weeks since the vaccine arrived in the area. How is the vaccine distribution at Houston Methodist West Hospital progressing?

We are just trying to get the vaccine out to as many people as we can as quickly and efficiently as we can. Our problem right now is supply, not demand. We have more people wanting this vaccine than we have doses available to give. We're waiting on the state of Texas to tell us when our next allocation will be.

claire.goodman@chron.com

Xiaomi Corporation is suing the United States Department of Defense and Department of Treasury for listing the company as Communist Chinese Military Company. Xiaomi has filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Earlier this month, the Chinese tech company was blacklisted along with 8 more Chinese companies, for alleged links to the Chinese military. The US administration had said then that the ban on the nine Chinese companies including Xiaomi was done accordance with the statutory requirement of Section 1237 of the National Defense Authorisation Act of 1999 in the US. It was one of the last decisions taken by the Donald Trump administration, in its final days in office.

The company believes that the decision to include the company as a Communist Chinese Military Company under the NDAA by the Department of Defense and the Department of Treasury of the United States was factually incorrect and deprived the company of legal due process. With a view to protection the interests of the global users, partners, employees and shareholders of the company, the company has pleaded to the courts to declare the decision illegal and that it be reversed, says Xiaomi in an official statement issued on behalf of Xiaomi Corporation Chairman Lei Jun. It turns out, American investors will be required to divest their holdings in each of the blacklisted firms by November 11, 2021. This is because of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in November 2020, barring Americans from investing in any company that is added to the Department of Defense's list. Companies previously placed on this blacklist include smartphone maker Huawei and chipmaker SMIC.

While Donald Trump and the US Government vs Huawei has to be one of the lasting memories of the previous US Administration, earlier this month, the Trump administration also blacklisted Chinese tech company Xiaomi as well for alleged military links with the China National Offshore Oil Corp. over the drilling in the South China Sea. The Company reiterates that it provides products and services for civilian and commercial use. The Company confirms that it is not owned, controlled or affiliated with the Chinese military, and is not a Communist Chinese Military Company defined under the NDAA. The Company will take appropriate course of actions to protect the interests of the Company and its shareholders, a Xiaomi spokesperson had told News18 hours after the announcement was made. This is a saga that is ongoing, something that the Joe Biden administration will have to tackle.
However, a single visit by scientists is unlikely to confirm the origins of COVID-19. Pinning down an outbreaks animal reservoir is typically an exhaustive endeavour that takes years of research

Wuhan: A World Health Organisation team looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday visited the seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan that was linked to many early infections.

The team members visited the Huanan Seafood Market for about an hour in the afternoon, and one of them flashed a thumbs up sign when reporters asked how the trip was going.

The market was the site of a December 2019 outbreak of the virus. Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold in the market. The market has since been largely ruled out but it could provide hints to how the virus spread so widely.

Very important site visits today  a wholesale market first & Huanan Seafood Market just now," Peter Daszak, a zoologist with the US group EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO team, said in a tweet. Very informative & critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019.

Earlier in the day, the team members were also seen walking through sections of the Baishazhou market  one of the largest wet markets in Wuhan  surrounded by a large entourage of Chinese officials and representatives. The market was the food distribution center for Wuhan during the city's 76-day lockdown last year.

The members, with expertise in veterinary medicine, virology, food safety and epidemiology, have so far visited two hospitals at the center of the early outbreak: Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital and the Hubei Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital.

On Saturday, they also visited a museum exhibition dedicated to the early history of COVID-19 .

The mission has become politically charged, as China seeks to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak.

A single visit by scientists is unlikely to confirm the virus origins. Pinning down an outbreaks animal reservoir is typically an exhaustive endeavour that takes years of research including taking animal samples, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies.

One possibility is that a wildlife poacher might have passed the virus to traders who carried it to Wuhan. The Chinese government has promoted theories, with little evidence, that the outbreak might have started with imports of frozen seafood tainted with the virus, a notion roundly rejected by international scientists and agencies.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that the country is saddened after the Tricolour was insulted on Republic Day, Bharat Kisan Union (BKU) chief Rakesh Tikait said that the whole country loves the national flag and the government should nab those who insulted it.

"The national flag belongs to all. The government should nab those who insulted it," Tikait said.

After the PM on Friday said that the Centre's proposal to the protesting farmers on the farm laws still stands, the BKU chief said that they will hold talks only if the government does not put prior conditions.

"With respect to the PM, we want a solution to the issue of farmers. However, we will not hold talks with the government at gunpoint. Farmers are ready to hold talks only if the Centre does not put prior conditions in front of us (Rough translation)," he said.

Meanwhile, farmer leader Naresh Tikait Sunday said that protesting farmers will honour the dignity of prime minister, but are also committed to protect their own self-respect, a day after Narendra Modi said his government was just a phone call away" for talks with them.

Tikait said the Centre should "release our men and prepare an environment conducive for talks".

His statement comes after the Delhi Police on Saturday said its Crime branch has received 1,700 mobile clips and CCTV footage from the public in connection with the January 26 violence during farmers' tractor rally.

In a statement, Delhi police said that a total of 84 people were arrested and 38 FIRs have been registered in connection with the Republic Day violence.

A respectful solution should be reached. We will never agree to anything under pressure," he told PTI at the Ghazipur border between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had Saturday said his governments offer on agri laws made to protesting farmers still stands" and it was a just phone call away" for talks, days after violence broke out in parts of the national capital on Republic Day.

We will honor and respect the dignity of prime minister. Farmers don't want that the government or Parliament bows down to them," Tikait said.

Will also ensure that the self-respect of farmers is protected. A middle way should be found. Talks should be held," he added.

During their January 26 parade, many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort while some of them hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

Tikait said, The violence on January 26 was part of a conspiracy. The Tricolor is over and above everything. We will never let anyone disrespect it. It will not be tolerated," he said.

The Delhi Police has registered nearly 40 cases and made over 80 arrests in connection with the violence and vandalism.

The government should release our men and prepare an environment conducive for talks. A respectful solution should be reached. We will never agree to anything under pressure," Tikait asserted.

In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast Sunday, Prime Minister Modi also referred to the Red Fort incident, saying the country was much pained at seeing the dishonour to the Tricolour on Republic Day.

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(SAVANNAH, Mo.)  The first mass drive-thru vaccination clinic in the region got underway at a Savannah church Friday.

Lines of cars snaked off of Highway 71 and curled around cones in the First Baptist Church parking lot at the COVID-19 event. The 1,950 spots for a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine went to individuals on county health department waiting lists, a county official said.

Charlotte Chunn, 76, said she has had trouble finding an appointment in Buchanan County to get the COVID-19 vaccine. On Friday, after striking out closer to home, she drove to get her first Pfizer vaccine shot in Savannah.

I got up here a little early and it was just a steady stream of moving us to the next spot, she said.

Chunn arrived around 9 a.m. By around 9:30 a.m., she was waiting out her mandatory 15-minute observation period after vaccination, to check for adverse reactions. Before 10 a.m. she was headed home and felt lucky to get the vaccine.

I had my shot within five minutes, she said.

The one-day, drive-thru event was run by the Missouri National Guard and local public health officials. Health workers from the Northwest region were there to administer vaccines, said Jayne White, a nurse for the Andrew County Health Department and one of the event planners.

Prior to Friday, only one other state-directed drive-thru mass clinic had been held.

Last weekend, the National Guard operated a similar event in Poplar Bluff and vaccinated about 2,000 people in one-day. But White and Andrew County Health Departments Director, Andrew Hoffman, didnt have time to dissect and learn from the Southeast events mistakes.

We signed the contract about six days ago now to be the Regional Implementation Team lead not knowing that we would need to stand up a clinic of this size within a few days, White said. Andrew and I went to work with our partners and our key players here in the community. This is not just for Andrew County. This is something that everyone in Region H can be proud of.

Each of the nine Missouri Highway Patrol regions has been assigned a team of Missouri National Guard Members to pull off weekly mass vaccination events. The events are currently one-day-only clinics and are limited by the states supply of doses.

The National Guard will hold another event in Savannah in February, to administer the second dose. Next week the Region H vaccination team will host another vaccination clinic in a different northwest county.

At the close of the clinic, White said 1900 individuals had been vaccinated.

In Missouri, residents that qualify under the states Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tier 1 and Tier 2 distribution plan are eligible for the COVID-19 shot. The state has slowly worked through its health care workers, long term care facilities, first responders, and now individuals 65 and older or who have a qualifying state health condition.

Chunn said her siblings, all above the age of 65, were also able to get appointments at the drive-thru clinic.

My brother and his wife are coming up today and my sister and her husband are coming up later on and they are right behind me in age so we all wanted to get it just as soon as we can, Chunn said. Thank goodness we were able to do it and this was an outstanding situation to get it.

She said she hopes the state speeds up the vaccine rollout.

Im hopeful that more people can get it because I still have a daughter, a son-in-law and I have a son that needs to get it too but, you know, they are going to be down the line farther and so I just hope that its not too far off for them, she said.

More than 350,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered in Missouri with 5.7 percent of the states population receiving at least one dose, data from Missouris COVID-19 Dashboard shows.
We've all been bogged down by the boredom of staying indoors, but this is the muddy trail of devastation left by an army of lockdown walkers in beauty spots across Britain.

Now conservation groups fear that the sheer number of families out and about with little else to do may be wreaking long-term damage.

Walkers refusing to stick to designated routes may also be to blame.

Footpaths have been turned to muddy puddles across Britain, including along the Downlands Circular walk in Surrey

Mud and puddles have pushed families towards the road as they enter Richmond Park - with more wet weather on the way

Some paths have been rendered virtually unusable, with hikers struggling to keep their footing. Bellingdon in Buckinghamshire has transformed into tough terrain for some dogwalkers too

Some paths have been rendered virtually unusable, with hikers struggling to keep their footing.

Other trails looked impassable, with routes widening from two to 12 metres as walkers ignore designated tracks.

Meanwhile, walking the dog has become a Herculean task as murky puddles have to be waded through.

With more rain set to lash the South, walkers are already struggling to contend with muddy conditions along the Downlands Circular walk in Surrey

Even experienced walkers have been struggling to cope with the conditions in Hampstead Heath, as the National Trust urges people to avoid walking on the grass and instead use designated footpaths

Puttenham Common in Guildford is another beauty spot that has seen quiet walking tracks turned into muddy obstacle courses

Rob Rhodes, head of The National Trusts countryside management, is urging ramblers to keep to the main tracks and savour the squelch of muddy paths  instead of walking across the grass and ruining it.

He said: We would encourage everyone enjoying some time outside to be aware of where they are walking or exercising and to help look after nature by sticking to paths.

Snowstorms to blitz North, more rain for sodden South

By Richard Marsden

Blizzards bringing up to 7in of snow are set to blast across a swathe of the country tonight and tomorrow.

Forecasters warn the wintry weather could last the rest of the week while yet more rain is predicted for the saturated South.

Last night there were more than 250 flood warnings and alerts in force after heavy downpours, strong winds and large waves battered southern England over the weekend.

At Chesil Beach in Dorset, the storm brought terrifying 23ft-high waves on Saturday night as sea and rain water poured into surrounding streets.

At Chesil Beach in Dorset, the storm brought terrifying 23ft-high waves on Saturday night as sea and rain water poured into surrounding streets

The Environment Agency issued a flood warning for the area, as high tides combined with the strong winds produced powerful sea spray that was flung inland.

Yesterday resident Sharon Cooper, 47, said: The waves were absolutely huge and there was so much flooding. Just behind the beach there is a small car park and the water even swept one of two of the cars away. It was absolutely crazy weather.

In Cornwall yesterday, several main roads were closed due to flooding, with marooned vehicles abandoned in the rising waters at St Erth.

Porthleven harbour was battered by huge waves while there were also reports of flooding in Devon.

Sarah Kent, of the Meteorological Office, said: There is a risk of snow across the UK any day this week.

The River Avon in Evesham, Worcestershire has burst its banks as the level rose 3.24m above its usual height. It comes as forecasters expect snow to hit parts of the UK later this week

The wintry blitz is predicted to arrive tonight across the northern half of the Midlands, the North West, Yorkshire and the North East.

Central and northern Wales plus Northern Ireland and Scotland are also set to be hit. The Met Office issued the warning for ice and snow lasting from 10pm today through the whole of tomorrow as a weather front moves north.

Forecasters say the snow could cut off some rural communities as road closures, public-transport problems, power cuts and interruption of mobile-phone coverage are likely.

Freezing rain is also predicted. In its forecast, the Met Office said: A band of rain, heavy in places, is likely to push slowly north-east. As this rain comes into contact with cold air, it is likely to turn to snow away from eastern coastal districts.

Up to 7in (20cm) or more could fall across higher parts of northern England and Scotland.

After waves battered Seaton in Devon this weekend, southern parts of England and Wales is bracing for another wet week

Pictured: Pebbles thrown all along the footpath after yesterday huge waves at Chesil Beach, the Environment Agency has issued a flood warning for the area

In southern parts of England and Wales, patchy rain is expected this evening and tomorrow, with up to 1in (25mm) in the wettest places, such as the Brecon Beacons.

The rain is due to clear eastwards tomorrow morning followed by showers. But, due to the saturated ground, Miss Kent warned: It wont take much rainfall to have some impact.

However, temperatures will hold up in southern areas and could reach a balmy 55F (13C), almost as warm as Nice in the South of France where it is forecast to be 57F (14C).

For Wednesday, a further snow warning has been issued, covering the central Pennines, where another 7in of snow could add to the drifts set to fall tomorrow.

The River Thames breaches its banks on Sunday causing flooding to the surrounding, fields, parks and towpath, more rain is forecast for the South this week, but temperatures could reach as high as 55F (13C)

Pictured: Round the coast huge piece of rock broke away during the storms at Portland Bill in Dorset

Yesterday 76 flood warnings and 191 flood alerts were still in place, mostly across central and eastern England and Yorkshire. Cambridgeshire was hit by flooding on Sunday

The split between the milder South and chilly North is set to continue for the rest of the week.

Yesterday 76 flood warnings and 191 flood alerts were still in place, mostly across central and eastern England and Yorkshire.

The ground in many areas remains saturated and river levels high after heavy rain over the last ten days including Storm Christoph, which brought more than a months precipitation in just three days.

Pictures from Gloucestershire yesterday showed a playground partially submerged in Tewkesbury and vehicles battling rising flood- waters in Lower Apperley.

There were similar scenes in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, where water lapped onto the towpath, surrounding benches and approaching riverside homes.
In air travel news, Biden Administration officials are studying the possibility of requiring domestic air travelers to show a negative COVID test result before boarding, just like the new federal rule for inbound international travel; airlines are adding apps to help customers cope with the new rule while hotels and foreign destinations are rushing to put testing facilities in place to protect their tourism business, but the State Dept. is urging Americans to stay at home; United begins a COVID test preclearance program for Hawaii-bound passengers; JSX adds a new route from Oakland; Southwest expands Long Beach service, including a new Hawaii route; ANA will suspend some San Francisco-Tokyo flights; Southwest joins other airlines in banning emotional support animals; TSA reports a record haul of guns in carry-on bags last year; Oaklands airport sells COVID testing kits; and American Express opens a Centurion Lounge at Denver International.

According to a Reuters report this week, the Biden administration is actively looking at imposing a mandatory COVID testing requirement for domestic air travelers similar to the new rule that took effect for inbound international travelers this week. While nothing is definite yet, Reuters was told by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official that the agency is engaged in ongoing discussions about what the types and locations of testing might be for domestic airline trips, in line with the Biden Administrations directive to impose additional public health measures for domestic travel and for persons crossing land borders with Mexico and Canada.

Meanwhile, airlines, hotels and foreign governments were all scrambling this week to cope with the new U.S. government mandate -- which took effect Jan. 26 -- that anyone flying into this country from any foreign nation must get a negative COVID test result no more than 72 hours before their flight. Airlines are barred from boarding passengers who cant provide that test result. Much of the pre-flight testing activity is focused on the Caribbean and Latin America, where U.S. travelers have still been able to visit more easily than other countries.

United Airlines this week introduced a new feature on its website and mobile app called the Travel-Ready Center, where customers can find information on the availability of local testing, see COVID-related entry requirements, and upload test results and vaccination records required for any domestic or international trip. Our 'Travel-Ready Center' gives customers a personalized, step-by-step guide of what is needed for their trip, a simple way to upload required documents and quickly get their boarding pass, fully integrated within our app and website," a United official said. In the weeks to come, United will enhance the app with the ability for customers to schedule COVID tests at 15,000 locations worldwide. Customers with reservations can access the new feature through the My Trips section of Uniteds mobile app and website.

Delta has also added a resource to its website that helps customers locate COVID testing facilities anywhere it flies, and is offering customers the option of purchasing at-home COVID-19 test kits and uploading testing verification at check-in. With the home testing option, Delta said, customers can administer one prior to departure, and pack another with them to comply with negative-test requirements before their trip back to the U.S. And American Airlines is now encouraging international travelers to download the VeriFLY app from the Apple or Google Play stores, create an account, and use it to study a destinations testing requirements and to store negative COVID test results. Customers can already use VeriFLY to streamline their travel from the U.S. to several countries including Jamaica, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, American said.

The U.S. will accept either a PCR test, which provides results in a day or two, or an antigen test, which can give a result in less than an hour but is less accurate. The cost of a test can vary considerably, but Hyatt Hotels this week announced that all 19 of its resorts in Latin America and the Caribbean are now offering free on-site testing through May 31 for guests traveling to the U.S. Some Marriott and Hilton properties in the region have also stared to offer pre-departure testing for guests, and the Spanish chain Melia Hotels is providing free tests at its 10 resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Many other independent resorts and small chains are adding testing options as well.

Aeromexico has reportedly signed a deal with two large labs in Mexico to provide discount-priced COVID testing for its customers and those of its partner Delta. Mexican airports at Guanajuato and Merida have installed their own testing facilities. And the resort area of Los Cabos, popular among West Coast travelers, has created a new web page to help travelers find information and local testing sites before their return flights. The government of Jamaica has done the same, with a web page listing test sites both at public labs and at hotels and resorts that offer the service. Best advice for travelers: If you really insist on going someplace outside the country, do your research in advance to find out where and how you can get a COVID test at your destination no more than 72 hours before your return flight.

Even though the travel industry is trying to accommodate the new testing needs of U.S. citizens traveling outside the country, the State Dept. is urging everyone to just stay home. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Ian Brownlee told reporters this week that the new COVID testing requirement for re-entry to the U.S. means that travelers could be seriously disrupted in their trips. If you cannot easily access a COVID-19 test, or if you test positive, you will end up overseas for much longer than you planned," Brownlee said. "If that happens, you will be responsible for covering your own lodging and medical costs during that time." The Biden Administration has also said that in addition to getting a negative test result, travelers entering the U.S. will have to self-quarantine for a period after arrival, although the specifics of that order have yet to be worked out.

Some domestic air trips  like from the mainland to Hawaii  already require passengers to obtain a negative COVID test result if they want to avoid a lengthy quarantine after arrival, and United Airlines this week became the latest carrier (after Alaska and Hawaiian) to offer customers a pre-clearance program that lets them avoid airport lines at the destination to have their health documentation checked. Starting Feb. 1, United said, participating customers must enroll in Hawaiis Safe Travels program and fill out an online health questionnaire, then upload a negative test result from an approved partner lab. When they show this to United staff at their departure airport, theyll get a wristband that lets them bypass mandatory document screening in the islands. United is also expanding the availability of mail-in COVID tests to Hawaii-bound passengers no matter where in the U.S. their trip originates.

In domestic route news this week, regional small-jet carrier JSX said it will introduce weekly seasonal service from Oakland to Salt Lake City from March 11 through April 18 to accommodate the ski market. The company also started weekend Salt Lake City service from Burbank this week, continuing through April 18. Southwest Airlines on March 11 will begin new service from Long Beach to Kahului, Maui, in addition to its previously announced plans to start Long Beach-Honolulu service on the same date. Using slots obtained from JetBlue, Southwest on March 11 will also kick off new service from Long Beach to Chicago Midway, Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby, Reno/Tahoe and St. Louis.

On the international side, Japans All Nippon Airways announced it will trim a number of international routes due to immigration guidelines, recently instituted public health quarantine measures and passenger demand trends, and that will include San Francisco. From March 1 through April 18, ANA will suspend its SFO-Tokyo Narita flights, although it will maintain service from SFO to Tokyo Haneda. The airlines service from Tokyo Haneda to Mineta San Jose will be put off at least through April 19.

Southwest Airlines this week joined Alaska, United, Delta, American, Frontier and Hawaiian Airlines in advising passengers that as of March 1, it will no longer accept emotional support animals on its flights. Instead, it will allow only 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. 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. Southwest will continue to allow small dogs and cats on board as provided for in its pet policy, provided they can be stowed under the seat.

Dont people know you cant carry a gun into an aircraft cabin? With the massive falloff in passenger traffic during 2020, youd expect that the rate of weapons seizures by TSA agents at airport checkpoints would have dropped by a similar amount. Instead, the opposite happened: TSA said its agents detected 3,257 guns in passengers carry-on bags last year; as a percentage of total travelers screened, that was the highest rate of passengers packing since TSA was created in 2001. And 83 percent of those guns were loaded, TSA said. Airports with the most guns found were Atlanta (220), Dallas/Ft. Worth (176), Houston Bush Intercontinental (126) and Phoenix (124).

In airport news, Oakland International said this week it has become the first airport in the U.S. to start selling COVID testing kits in vending machines, available in both of its terminals. The kits, priced at $130 to $150, require purchasers to send in a saliva sample via FedEx and wait for the results to be sent to their mobile phones. But the airport cautions: For those traveling to Hawaii, please note that this additional COVID test option is separate from, and not part of, the State of Hawaii Department of Health's pre-travel testing program.

American Express on Feb. 1 will open its 14th Centurion Lounge, this one at Denver International Airport. The 14,000 square foot lounge, located in DENs Concourse C mezzanine, is the second largest in AmExs network. The facility features the first craft beer bar in a Centurion Lounge, with a rotating selection of Colorado brews. It offers members a selection of Italian-inspired dining options and is the first Centurion Lounge to include a live-action cooking station, where Card Members will be able to enjoy dishes prepared a la carte and even customize them to their personal preferences, AmEx said. Theres also a game room with options ranging from pool and shuffleboard tables to custom, large-scale classics such as Connect Four and Checkers. Free access to Centurion Lounges is limited to AmEx Platinum Card members, Centurion members, and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card members.

Jim Glab is a freelance travel writer.
All 77 BJP MLAs in Bengal to have central security cover

RJD says in talks with TMC to fight West Bengal polls together

India

oi-Deepika S

Kolkata, Jan 31: Bihar's main opposition party RJD is in talks with the Trinamool Congress to fight the upcoming West Bengal elections together, a senior RJD leader said on Sunday.

RJD principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui and national general secretary Shyam Rajak are in Kolkata to hammer a tie-up with Mamata Banerjee''s party for the Bengal polls.

"We will be meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday to fight Bengal elections together," Rajak told PTI.

Siddiqui and Rajak are meeting party leaders in the state ahead of the discussions with Banerjee.

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said over the phone from Patna that the party is exploring the possibility of contesting some seats on the Bengal-Bihar border.

He, however, did not give any numbers on which the party is planning to fight the state elections, likely in April-May.

Banerjee has a cordial relation with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and the party wishes to strengthen her hands in the Bengal polls, Tiwary said.

Mamata Banerjee working towards serving her nephew in West Bengal: Shah

The primary objective of the RJD is to stop the "communal" BJP from increasing its influence in West Bengal and strengthen the secular forces under the leadership of the TMC chief, he added.

Though not a noticeable player in Bengal politics, the RJD, which emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded Bihar polls and enjoys considerable support among the Muslims besides the Yadavs, is eyeing a few seats on the inter-state border that have a sizeable number of Hindi- speaking voters.

RJD had an MLA in the Bengal assembly between 2006 and 2011 during the Left Front rule.

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Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 17:05 [IST]


Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala was discharged from a hospital here on Sunday after recovering from COVID-19, days after she was set free by the prison officials on completion her jail term in a corruption case, authorities said. The family has decided to take Sasikala, close aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, to Chennai, sources close to her said, adding the hospital has advised her to be under self-quarantine for sometime. She checked into a luxury resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru for quarantine.

Sasikala was admitted to the Victoria Hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 recently while under judicial custody. Prison authorities here had formally released her on January 27 after she completed the four-year jail term in a Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

"Sasikala was discharged from the hospital in the afternoon as she completed 10 days of treatment on Saturday. She will be in quarantine at a resort (Prestige Golfshire) towards the city airport as per post-Covid protocols," an Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK) party source told IANS.

Sasikala's car with AIADMK flag.

On the advice of doctors, she remained in the hospital and was discharged on Sunday after her latest test reports came negative for COVID-19, hospital officials said. A huge crowd of her supporters greeted Sasikala as she came out of the hospital.

More than 300 police personnel were deployed in the area to ensure law and order, police said. Sambasivan, one of her supporters from Hosur in the border district of Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, told.
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The Cocoa market will register an incremental spend of about 986.6 th MT, growing at a CAGR of 4.09% during the five-year forecast period. A targeted strategic approach to Cocoa sourcing can unlock several opportunities for buyers. This report also offers market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Download free sample pages

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Some of the top cocoa suppliers listed in this report:

This cocoa procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

Cargill Inc.

Olam International Ltd.

Barry Callebaut AG

SunOpta Inc.

FUJI OIL HOLDINGS INC.

The Nisshin OilliO Group Ltd.

ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Ltd.

Rizek Cacao S.A.S.

Touton S.A.

ASKINOSIE CHOCOLATE LLC.

This procurement report helps buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their cocoa requirements by answering the following questions:

Am I engaging with the right suppliers?

Which KPIs should I use to evaluate my incumbent suppliers?

Which supplier selection criteria are relevant for?

What are the cocoa category essentials in terms of SLAs and RFx?

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Before FirstEnergys money was used to try and undermine rival Cleveland Public Power, its millions traveled down a winding road.

Among its first known stops: Partners for Progress, an upbeat-sounding nonprofit started by a then-FirstEnergy lobbyist who now works for Gov. Mike DeWine.

The FBI called Partners for Progress an Energy Pass-Through allegedly used to funnel millions to Generation Now, another nonprofit that federal officials said was illegally controlled by former House Speaker Larry Householder.

Partners for Progress also sent money to other groups. One helped DeWine win the race for governor and another tried to help the governors daughter win a race for county prosecutor. DeWines office admitted that he asked FirstEnergy to help his daughter, noting that the ask was legal.

And it sent more money to a Cleveland group that lobbied against Cleveland Public Power, the city-owned utility that has long competed with FirstEnergy and its predecessors.

Both Partners for Progress and Generation Now are organized as 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofits, which means they cannot spend more than half of expenses on political causes nor work closely with candidates and their campaigns. Such groups are called dark money entities because they dont have to disclose their donors.

We only know about this trail of dark money because of the FBI.

Catherine Turcer is executive director of Common Cause Ohio. (Alex Kass)

Last July, federal agents charged Householder, Generation Now and four others as part of an ongoing racketeering investigation centering on House Bill 6, the $1 billion-plus ratepayer bailout of two Ohio nuclear power plants then owned by FirstEnergy Solutions that Householder helped push through - and DeWine signed into law.

It should not take FBI wiretaps and subpoenas to be able to follow the money.

At the press conference to announce Householders arrest, U.S. Attorney David DeVillers was asked if the bribery scheme could have occurred if Generation Now had been required by law to disclose its donations. I dont see how it possibly could have, he responded.

Common Cause Ohio responded to the indictments and Statehouse inaction by hosting forums with experts to craft proposed reforms. Every expert called for Ohio to require disclosure of dark money.

The bribery scandal inspired some legislative reforms, but none made it out of committee.

While they would have been good first steps, meaningful reforms must do the following:

 Require that the original sources of funding be disclosed. Absent this requirement, wealthy special interests will try and avoid disclosure by funneling the money through pop-up shell groups.

 Give Ohioans access to the donor information as they are watching TV or reading political advertisements by requiring that the names of the biggest donors be listed on the ads.

 Prohibit fundraising for independent expenditures from candidates their staff and family. Had this been the law, DeWine would not have been legally allowed to ask FirstEnergy to send money to the entity helping his daughter.

Democracy experts also called for Ohio to force Public Utilities Commission of Ohio applicants to disclose all sources of income, to make certain they are free from conflicts of interest  especially ones involving the utilities they regulate.

On Dec. 3, 2020, Common Cause asked existing PUCO members to voluntarily disclose all sources of income from utilities, their lobbyists, consultants, and lawyers. Not a single member responded.

Gov. DeWine and PUCO members also failed to respond to a letter from a bipartisan trio of former commissioners. Their Dec. 21, 2020, letter outlined steps the regulatory panel should make to restore the public trust.

The letter followed the departure of Sam Randazzo as PUCO chairman. He resigned after the FBI raided his condo and after FirstEnergy disclosed it paid $4 million to an unnamed person who subsequently was hired by the state to regulate utilities.

This is not FirstEnergys first bailout nor first pay-to-play scandal. Ohio needs to make it the utilitys last scandal by shining a light on dark money and adding conflict-free members to the PUCO.

Catherine Turcer is the executive director of Common Cause Ohio. She was previously the director of Ohio Citizen Actions Money in Politics Project and has authored a number of studies following the money.

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Stratovolcano 4835 m (15,863 ft)Kamchatka, 56.06N / 160.64E(1 out of 5)1697-98, 1720-21, 1727-31, 1737, 1740, 1762, 1767, 1770, 1772, 1785, 1787, 1788, 1789-90, 1791, 1807, 1812, 1813, 1819-22, 1829, 1840, 1848, 1852, 1853-54, 1865, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1882, 1883, 1890, 1896-97, 1890, 1896-97, 1898, 1904, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1935-36, 1937-39, 1944-1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960-63, 1963-64, 1965-1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1971-73, 1974, 1977-80, 1981, 1982, 1982-83, 1984-85, 1986, 1986-90, 1991, 1992, 1992-93, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2002-04, 2005 - ongoingDominantly explosive, strombolian and vulcanian activity, sometimes lava flows from fissure vents. At present in a phase of near-persistant activity.(volcano expedition to Kamchatka)

If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online:

Kliuchevskoi is Kamchatka's highest and most active volcano. Since its origin about 6000 years ago, the beautifully symmetrical, 4835-m-high basaltic stratovolcano has produced frequent moderate-volume explosive and effusive eruptions without major periods of inactivity. Kliuchevskoi rises above a saddle NE of sharp-peaked Kamen volcano and lies SE of the broad Ushkovsky massif. More than 100 flank eruptions have occurred at Kliuchevskoi during the past roughly 3000 years, with most lateral craters and cones occurring along radial fissures between the unconfined NE-to-SE flanks of the conical volcano between 500 m and 3600 m elevation. The morphology of its 700-m-wide summit crater has been frequently modified by historical eruptions, which have been recorded since the late-17th century. Historical eruptions have originated primarily from the summit crater, but have also included numerous major explosive and effusive eruptions from flank craters.

NASA photo of the eruption of Klyuchevsky volcano on 30 September, 1994, the volcano's largest explosion in 40 years. The large

The world's largest and most active stratovolcano had a phase of intense activity today: Increased lava effusion from the summit produced increasingly large avalanches on the SE flank that ended generating massive block and ash flows (pyroclastic flows), which in turn created a tall ash plume that rose to 28,000 ft (7.5 km) altitude as reported by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Tokyo. ...

Witnessing a volcanic eruption from close is an unforgettable experience. We offer a wide variety of tours and expeditions to active volcanoes worldwide.

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Jaipur, Jan 31 : Both Rajasthan's ruling Congress and opposition BJP claimed victory as the results for the urban local bodies elections, held in 20 districts on Thursday, were announced on Sunday.

While the Congress won a total of 1,197 seats, the BJP claimed 1,140 seats out of total 3,034 seats, said election commission officers.

The NCP won 46 seats while Independents grabbed 634 seats. The BSP won 1 seat, the CPI-M 3 seats and the RLP 13.

The elections for members for 90 municipal bodies -- one municipal corporation, 9 municipal councils and 80 municipalities -- on Thursday saw a 76.52 per cent turnout.

Now, election for chairpersons shall be held on February 7.

The Congress expressed its satisfaction on garnering large number of seats, while the BJP questioned the ruling party's celebration of its performance.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in a tweet, said: "The results of 90 civic bodies elections today come as a happy news. Hearty congratulations and best wishes to all the winning candidates of the Congress Party. Thanks to the voters and thanks to the Congress workers and leaders for their hard work and congratulations for this victory." Party's Rajasthan in charge Ajay Maken, in a tweet, hailed the "good news" for the Congress which leads in 48 of the 90 contests. Also, in four towns, independents have extended support to Congress, he said adding that there is a possibility of Congress forming its board in 52 municipal bodies out of 90 bodies.

He also expressed his happiness on the fact that Congress has won the polls in a few municipal bodies after decades.

Maken also said that Congress leads the show on three seats out of four where bypolls are scheduled.

BJP state President Satish Poonia, however, said that his party has garnered majority on 23 boards while Congress has been limited to 19 boards. "We have gained clear majority for Ajmer Municipal Corporation. Out of 9 municipal councils, we won 4, Congress won 1 while independents won the remaining." Now if Congress claims to form its boards on 52 seats, it will be "jod-tod" ki rajneeti (politics of make and break)", he said alleging that the ruling party will misutilise its resources.

On the BJP trailing behind on three seats where bypolls are supposed to be held, he said: "We shall come with new strategy to steal the show."
United Nations: India has voiced concern over the precarious" security situation in the Central African Republic following the recent presidential election, urging all opposition groups to cease hostilities and find a peaceful solution to the current crisis. Speaking at a meeting on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) in the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, India's Deputy Permanent Representative-Political Coordinator to the UN R Ravindra, said that given the history of political instability and violence, the situation in CAR warrants immediate attention from the international community.

"The precarious security situation in the Central African Republic since the presidential elections held last month is a matter of serious concern, he said. He noted with concern the dangerous escalation on the ground with the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), armed groups opposed to President Faustin-Archange Touadera, abandoning the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation signed in early 2019 and launching attacks on the capital Bangui and other towns.

Ravindra said while the holding of the second democratic elections on December 27 last year despite persisting challenges was no doubt an important milestone in the CAR, recent developments have the potential to derail the hard-earned progress made since 2019. We have seen similar post-electoral situations turning into a major crisis, affecting the larger region. Given the history of political instability and violence, the situation in CAR warrants immediate attention from the international community, he said.

On Monday, the Central African Republic's constitutional court validated the results and endorsed the outcome of the December elections in which Touadera had garnered 53 per cent of ballots cast. India called on all opposition groups, particularly signatories to the Peace Agreement, to cease hostilities immediately and join the CAR authorities in finding a peaceful solution to the current crisis.

"It is imperative for all stakeholders to respect the final verdict by CAR's Constitutional Court and settle their disputes through a peaceful process," Ravindra said. India also welcomed Touadera's statement where he underscored the importance of reconciliation and that of willingness to work with the opposition.

The CAR authorities should also avoid taking any action that will exacerbate existing tensions, the Indian envoy said. Ravindra reiterated India's strong condemnation of the shocking" and unacceptable attack on peacekeepers of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

The death of seven MINUSCA peacekeepers since the launch of the coordinated and simultaneous attacks by the coalition of anti-government rebel groups is a tragic reflection of the deteriorating situation on the ground, Ravindra said. He added that the perpetrators of these heinous attacks must be held accountable and called on the CAR authorities to take immediate action against the attackers and bring them to justice.

He offered condolences to the bereaved families of peacekeepers from Egypt, Morocco, Gabon, Rwanda and Burundi, who lost their lives during the attacks and stressed that MINUSCA has been playing a critical role in supporting the CAR security forces in repelling the attacks from the opposition groups. Ravindra voiced India's support for the ongoing efforts of the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the two guarantors of the 2019 Peace Agreement to defuse the crisis through negotiations.

While the incessant violence has forced nearly 60,000 people to flee the country, reports of CPC recruiting children for its work are condemnable, Ravindra added. We remain concerned about the evolving humanitarian crisis due to attacks by the opposition groups. We call on the opposition groups to lift the blockade on towns and allow movement of essential supplies, he said.

MINUSCA head Mankeur Ndiaye appealed for the deployment of more peacekeepers in response to the upsurge in violence in the wake of December presidential and legislative elections. The situation is tense on the ground and the wave of violence that preceded the elections is continuing, said Ndiaye, who is also the Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Central African Republic.

He emphasised that seven Blue Helmets have been killed in the past four weeks, including, most recently, two on January 18 in an ambush outside Bangassou city. That was the same day on which the Constitutional Court validated the re-election of Touadera, he said, noting that a coalition of armed groups and political allies including former President Francois Bozize are violently challenging the outcome. The deployment of reinforcements from the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) lifted morale among MINUSCA personnel, he said, while cautioning that some armed groups appear to be increasingly aggressive and human rights violations are continuing, testing the Mission's capacities.

We need a strategy to manage the mandate, he said, requesting a substantial increase of both troops and police officers in the framework of inter-mission cooperation.

.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has hosted the political leader of Afghanistan's Taliban during the past week, offering Tehran's own help as a mediator in peace talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government that have become stalled in Qatar.

Shi'ite Muslim Iran has been a foe of the hardline Sunni Muslim Taliban for decades, but has been openly meeting with Taliban leaders for the past few years as the United States has started negotiating the exit of its troops from Afghanistan.

Washington has accused Iran in the past of providing covert aid to Taliban fighters against U.S. forces.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Tehran, and told him that Washington was not a "good mediator" for the conflict, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

Iran supports an inclusive Afghan government that would include all ethnic groups and sects, Zarif was quoted as saying.

Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem said on Twitter that the meetings had taken place "in a good atmosphere".

"The situations in Afghanistan, Intra-Afghan negotiations, the full implementation of the Doha agreement and Afghanistan's & region's need (for) peace were discussed," he added.

The United States reached an agreement last year with the insurgents at negotiations in the Qatari capital to withdraw troops that have been in Afghanistan since 2001.

More recently, the Taliban and the Afghan government have been negotiating in Qatar to reach a peace deal. Those talks resumed this month after an almost month-long break, but negotiators and diplomats say there has since been little progress.

Reuters reported on Sunday that some NATO troops are likely to stay in Afghanistan beyond the deadline set last year of May 2021, as the Western alliance does not believe the withdrawal conditions have been met.

New U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to take a close look at the withdrawal agreement negotiated under his predecessor Donald Trump.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Additional reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Peter Graff)
A man has been remanded in custody charged with the murder of a schoolboy in Dublin last week.

The 16-year-old suffered fatal injuries and was rushed to the Mater Hospital but was later pronounced dead.

The boy cannot now be identified due to a court order based on a recent ruling prohibiting the news media from identifying deceased child victims.

However, when the case came before Dublin District Court on Saturday, the presiding judge extended anonymity to the adult accused despite pleas from the media to set out the basis for that decision.

The man, who is in his mid-30s, was charged on Saturday afternoon and brought to appear before Judge John Campbell at Dublin District Court.

The accused, a foreign national who has lived in Dublin for several years, was charged with murder of the boy and production of a knife during a dispute.

At the start of the hearing, Judge Campbell told reporters: there are reporting restrictions with respect to the accused, and the the victim.

The man, dressed in a blue jacket and cream trousers, listened to the proceedings with the aid of an interpreter.

He has not yet indicated how he will plead.

The teenage boys mother watched on silently from the back of the courtroom. She wore a T-shirt with a slogan calling for justice for her son.

Detective Sergeant Shane Noone told Judge John Campbell that he charged the man at 1.47pm.

The defendant made no reply to the murder charge and in response to the weapon allegation, he answered: This is the charge, or this is the final decision.

Detective Sergeant Noone made an application under section 252 of the Children Act for the media to be prohibited from naming victim.

A bail application in a murder case can only be heard by the High Court.

Barry Ward, defending, instructed by solicitor Sinead Mulhall, said his client was not a person of means. Legal aid was granted.

The accused, who did not address the court, was remanded in custody to appear via video-link at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday.

Solicitor Fergus Foody, on behalf of Independent News & Media (INM), then made an application in relation to the anonymity order.

He asked the judge to clarify one aspect of his reporting restriction ruling. Clearly section 252 applied in relation to the deceased, he said, but the basis for no identification of the accused was not clear, he submitted.

My view, is that the identification of the accused could give way to identification of the victim, and the victim must be protected, the judge replied.

In my view, the name of the accused should be prohibited, he continued.

The INM solicitor said that he had not been given any basis, at which the judge replied, I have made my decision, and he left the bench.
After days of frigid temperatures, the Northeast braced for a whopper of a storm that could dump well over a foot of snow in many areas, create blizzard-like conditions and cause travel problems for the next few days.

Schools in Meriden and Wallingford announced remote only learning days on their websites, while Meriden also issued a parking ban beginning at 8 a.m. Monday. Off street parking will be provided at several locations including Columbus Park on Lewis Avenue, Washington Park on Liberty Street and Ceppa Field on Gale Avenue. For the complete list and updates go to the citys website www.meridenct.gov.

The storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest in the most snow some places had seen in several years. Chicago got almost 7 inches of snow by Sunday morning, leading to the cancellation of a couple hundred flights at the citys two airports. In Wisconsin, snow depths in some counties near Lake Michigan had reached more than 15 inches, and the snow was still falling.

Thats more snow than weve seen in a decade, Chris Stumpf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, Wisconsin, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Three to 5 inches of snow arrived in central Ohio by early Sunday, making for some slippery roads. Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia had also received some snow, with up to 3 inches in some areas. By the afternoon, the snow was expected to reach Pennsylvania.

Heavy snow falling at an inch to 3 inches an hour was forecast for Monday in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the National Weather Service said. Much of the region could see blizzard-like conditions, with a foot to 18 inches of snow.

Temperatures were expected to be in the upper 20s to lower 30s for the New York City metro area.

The snow was expected to start falling Monday, bringing up to a foot of snow to impact the evening commute. The storm will reach northern New England later that night, meteorologists said.

Winds strong enough to bring down tree branches with gusts ranging from 35 to 50 mph were forecast for the storm.
MEXICO CITY: There were at least two Guatemalans among the 19 bodies found earlier this month at the scene of a suspected massacre in northern Mexico, state prosecutors said on Saturday.

The attorney generals office of the northern border state of Tamaulipas, where the corpses were discovered, said in a statement that investigators had so far genetically identified four of the dead with the aid of their families.

Two were Guatemalans and two were Mexicans, the office said, without giving the names of the people. Some Guatemalan families had said they feared loved ones trying to migrate to the United States were among those killed in Tamaulipas.

Many of the dead that were found in the municipality of Camargo, Tamaulipas had gunshot wounds and were badly charred.

The Tamaulipas authorities said preliminary findings suggested that 16 of the bodies were male, one was female, and two were still unclear because they were so badly burned.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to offer citizenship to selected investors and professionals, including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families to formalize a process aimed at giving expatriates a bigger stake in the economy.

The major policy shift unveiled Saturday is aimed at attracting talent in a way that will boost growth in the UAE, home to the Middle Easts finance and travel hubs and millions of expatriate residents.

The new directives aim to attract talents that contribute to our development journey," Dubai's ruler and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said in a twitter post.

"The UAE cabinet, local Emiri courts and executive councils will nominate those eligible for the citizenship under clear criteria set for each category," Sheikh Mohammed added. "The law allows receivers of the UAE passport to keep their existing citizenship," the Sheikh said.

It was unclear if new passport holders would benefit from the public welfare system. The UAE spends billions of dollars each year on free education, healthcare, housing loans and grants for its estimated 1.4 million citizens.

Its another milestone that comes along a transformation path of the UAE as a financial, trade and cultural hub, allowing for further avenues of economic growth," said Mohamed Abu Basha, head of macroeconomic research at Cairo-based EFG-Hermes Holding.

The scope of implementation -- including the rights granted for the new passport holders -- will be key, Basha said. The wider the scope, the wider the positive economic implications of a qualitative growth in population and economic value added."

Foreign residents make up more than 80% of the population of the UAEs seven sheikhdoms and have been a mainstay of the economy for decades. But they lacked a clear path to citizenship, including if they were born and raised in the country.

Oil-rich Gulf states have been forced to consider longer residency and limited citizenship for foreigners as they seek to attract investment and diversify. Until now, citizenship in the UAE and some other Gulf states has been reserved for foreigners in special cases, including for service to the state, but these changes will formalize and widen such a process.

Gulf governments have long resisted offering permanent residency to their millions of foreign workers, guarding generous privileges enjoyed by their citizens. But forced by the 2014 oil-price slump to prepare their economies for a post-fossil fuel world, they are now seeking to entice wealthy people to stay. Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have taken steps toward allowing some expatriates permanent residency.

The UAE abolished the need for companies to have Emirati shareholders last year -- a major shake-up of foreign ownership laws aimed at attracting investment into an economy reeling from the coronavirus and a decline in oil prices.

It had previously announced a plan to grant visas of five to 10 years to wealthy property investors, entrepreneurs and specialized talents and researchers." A minimum investment of 5 million dirhams ($1.4 million) was required to obtain a five-year visa, and double that amount to stay for a decade.

According to a statement on UAE state news agency WAM, the conditions that must be met to secure the citizenship are:

Investors must own a property in the UAE.

They must obtain one or more patents that are approved by the UAE Ministry of Economy or any other reputable international body, in addition to a recommendation letter from the Economy Ministry

Doctors and specialists must be specialized in a unique scientific discipline or any other scientific principles that are highly required in the UAE.

Scientists are required to be an active researcher in a university or research center or in the private sector, with a practical experience of not less than 10 years in the same field.

Individuals with creative talents such as intellectuals and artists should be pioneers in the culture and art fields and winners of one or more international award. A recommendation letter from related government entities is mandatory as well.

The citizenship can be withdrawn upon breach of the conditions, according to the statement. It was not immediately clear whether those who will be bestowed citizenship would have the full rights and benefits of people born Emirati.

An oil and gas producer, the UAEs economy has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices, prompting tens of thousands of expatriates to leave.

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EACH AND EVERY DAY, my colleagues and I hear about how New Hampshires high property taxes are an unsustainable burden on hardworking Granite Staters. According to a recent report from US News and WalletHub, New Hampshire has the third-highest property tax rates in the country. For young wor
EUGENE, Ore. --- The sister of an Oregon man who died of asphyxiation in a Eugene police car after wrapping a seat belt around his neck has filed a $9 million wrongful death suit against the city and police department.

The federal civil rights suit alleges police failed to recognize that Michael Amador Sanchez, 34, was suffering from a mental health crisis, properly secure him in the patrol car, monitor his conduct in the rear seat or summon an ambulance to properly care for him.

The suit, filed Friday by Isabel M. Mihalich in Eugene, seeks $6 million in non-economic damages and $3 million in economic damages, as well as unspecified punitive damages.

RELATED: EUGENE POLICE RELEASE NEW INFORMATION ON IN-CUSTODY INJURY INVESTIGATION

This is a tragic circumstance for Mr. Sanchez and for his family, said Chief Chris Skinner. We and our transporting officers are shocked and deeply saddened. You never expect a quick, seemingly routine transport to turn out this way. The vehicles travel was smooth without crashes or abrupt stops. We will continue to look into how this occurred and remain concerned for Mr. Sanchezs well being and for his family.
(UroToday.com) At the 2021 European Association of Urology (EAU) Section of Oncological Urology (ESOU) Virtual Annual Meeting, the EAU Section of Urological Research (ESUR) lecture was provided by Dr. Karen Knudsen discussing when and how to provide genetic testing for prostate cancer. Dr. Knudsen pointed out that there is an extraordinary burden of prostate cancer in the US, ranked as #1 for males in estimated new cases and #2 in estimated cancer-related deaths. Germline testing is revolutionizing care, with 12-17% of metastatic patients having germline mutations and 5-7% of early-stage patients having germline mutations. As such, germline testing is impacting precision medicine and tailored screening approaches, which also has an impact on families for hereditary cancer risk.



Dr. Knudsen, who works at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, notes that there is an extraordinary burden of prostate cancer seen at her institution. In fact, Philadelphia outpaces the state and the US in prostate cancer incidence and mortality:







In the Philadelphia area, thousands of men and families need access to genetic counseling and genetic testing in order to reduce prostate cancer mortality. According to Dr. Knudsen, there are several reasons for this disparity in the Philadelphia area, including (i) having a high incidence of smoking (a top 10 city) and tobacco-related cancers, (ii) obesity rates far exceed national averages secondary to poor nutrition, and (iii) a lack of transportation with 16% of patients at her institution without sufficient travel arrangements.



The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Centers mens genetic risk clinic is led by Dr. Veda Giri. In terms of genetic counseling and testing, patients are seen across a 3-stage geographic landscape, with five genetic counselors providing care across the Jefferson Health System; during the pandemic, 95% of visits were via telehealth. Genetic case conference discussions occur on a weekly basis with the entire team, with over 3,000 cases in their database since 2015. The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center model is as follows:









The result of this approach has led to the Philadelphia Consensus Conference, which has been influential in spearheading national guidelines, including Role of Genetic Testing for Inherited Prostate Cancer Risk: Philadelphia Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference 20171 and Implementation of Germline Testing for Prostate Cancer: Philadelphia Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference 2019.2



The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic (Version 1.2021) and NCCN Guidelines Prostate Cancer Version (2.2020) recommend germline testing in the following patient groups:

Metastatic prostate cancer

Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry

Intraductal/cribriform histology

Very high-risk disease: T3b-T4 or primary Gleason pattern 5 or >4 cores with Grade Group 4/5

High-risk disease: T3a or Grade Group 4 or 5 or PSA >20

One of the issues with germline testing is the variability in multigene panels for testing:2









As follows is an important table highlighting the clinical implications of germline testing for prostate cancer:







Dr. Knudsen provided the following conclusions from her presentation discussing germline mutation testing for patients with prostate cancer:

Germline testing is now central to prostate cancer treatment, risk assessment, and hereditary cancer evaluation. This is likely to have a future impact on early-stage disease management

Close collaboration is needed between cancer genetics, urology, and oncology to streamline genetic evaluation strategies

There are multiple areas that require attention, including disparities in genetic knowledge and engagement in genetic testing, healthcare provider education, implementation across practice settings, advocacy and policy changes to make germline testing accessible, and increased population awareness

Presented by: Karen Knudsen, PhD, Executive Vice President of Oncology Services, Jefferson Health Enterprise Director, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc, Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, Twitter: @zklaassen_md during the 18th Meeting of the EAU Section of Oncological Urology (ESOU21), January 29-31, 2021 References:1. Giri, Veda N., Karen E. Knudsen, William K. Kelly, Wassim Abida, Gerald L. Andriole, Chris H. Bangma, Justin E. Bekelman et al. "Role of genetic testing for inherited prostate cancer risk: Philadelphia Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference 2017." Journal of Clinical Oncology 36, no. 4 (2018): 414. 2. Giri, Veda N., Karen E. Knudsen, William K. Kelly, Heather H. Cheng, Kathleen A. Cooney, Michael S. Cookson, William Dahut et al. "Implementation of germline testing for prostate cancer: Philadelphia prostate cancer consensus conference 2019." Journal of clinical oncology: official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 38, no. 24 (2020): 2798-2811.
David Cameron and Jeremy Heywood, pictured in January 2012 - Andrew Parsons/ I-Images

The UK's top civil servant during Brexit privately warned David Cameron that he would "open up a Pandora's box of problems he couldn't solve" by offering a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

Jeremy Heywood, who was Cabinet Secretary from 2012 to 2018, penned a personal memo alerting the then Prime Minister to the pitfalls of holding the vote.

In her biography of him, entitled "What Does Jeremy Think?" and serialised in The Telegraph, his widow Suzanne describes the "almost unheard-of trip" he made to the office on December 30, 2012, to compose the note.

The revelation comes as mandarins expressed concerns that the book breaks the established rule of civil servants never writing memoirs to ensure that ministers can freely express their views while in office.

Describing how Lord Heywood warned Mr Cameron early on that he might lose the vote, she writes: "Jeremy didn't question David Cameron's decision to hold a referendum. That was a political choice, whatever his own views.

"Instead, he began by saying that he understood the Prime Minister's wish to see a fresh settlement between the UK and the rest of the EU, including the repatriation of some powers. However, since failure to achieve this could lead to the UK's exit, it would be essential to show the Government had understood and prepared for such an eventuality."

Jeremy Heywood, seen in Downing Street in 2012, suggested to David Cameron that 'it would be better to start by trying to reform the EU more broadly' - Steve Back/Rex Features

He went on to advise Mr Cameron that "businesses would assign a 25 to 50 per cent probability to the UK's exit, which would impact investment in the UK."

Suggesting "it would be better to start by trying to reform the EU more broadly", he warned that the then Prime Minister would only win a referendum "if the issues relating to immigration, welfare, extradition and the European Court of Human Rights that dominated the newspapers were addressed".

When he replied on January 15 2013, Mr Cameron said he had "taken time to digest the advice". He said it had influenced the drafting of his Bloomberg speech, eight days later, in which he announced: "It is time to settle this European question in British politics."

Story continues

Lady Heywood writes: "The bulk of the speech still focused on issues like the crisis of EU competitiveness and the gap between the EU and its citizens, while the more troubling topics that Jeremy had raised, such as the role of the European Court of Human Rights, were either mentioned in passing or, in the case of immigration, not at all."

Both Mr Cameron and Theresa May privately complained about the book, with Lady Heywood admitting she had delayed its publication so Mr Cameron's own memoirs could be published first. But her version of events includes details that Mr Cameron was told he could not publish as well as the unauthorised contents of Government papers.

On Saturday night, a retired senior madarin named in the book said: "Suzanne is a widow and she can do what she likes, but would Jeremy Heywood, if he was alive today, have published this book? I don't think so. None of us would have written a book this quickly, and I think the fact that none of the others have says it all, really."

Another retired senior civil servant said: "The reality is Jeremy's death has enabled her to publish things even David Cameron couldn't. The timing undermines the basic principle that conversations between ministers and civil servants should remain confidential. It's bad form."

In an interview in Saturday's Telegraph Magazine, Lady Heywood said: "I am not a civil servant. There is no rule to break. There is nothing against a member of the public writing a book."

A spokesman for Mr Cameron declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Theresa May.
Congressional Democrats plan to use their new-found majorities to permanently expand vote-by mail after an election that saw both record turnout and former President Donald Trumps failed attempts to block New Jersey and other states from making it easier in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill would let anyone could vote by mail for any reason and receive postage-paid envelopes for requesting and returning ballots. States would have to set up secure drop boxes for completed ballots. Any ballots postmarked by Election Day but received up to 10 days later would count, and voters whose ballots are rejected would have to be notified and given time to fix problems such as mismatched signatures.

The bill also would create automatic voter registration and allow people to register on the same day they vote, require all states to provide 15 days for early voting, allow voters to sign affidavits in lieu of presenting photo IDs, and eliminate requirements that ballots be notarized or witnessed.

We should have standardize rules and thats what this bill is doing, said Stephen Spaulding, senior counsel for public policy at the advocacy group Common Cause. This hopefully would tamp down on all of that chaotic litigation by getting these rules settled and setting a national standard.

The provisions are part of the Democrats campaign finance, ethics and voting legislation, designated at H.R. 1 in the new Congress to denote its priority. Democrats control the Senate as well and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer followed suit by numbering his bill as S. 1

Only four other bills were designated as both H.R. 1 and S. 1 in the last 20 years and all became law, said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, an advocacy group.

The legislation is the congressional Democrats response to Trumps disproven claims about how mail-in ballots lead to massive voter fraud and his campaigns unsuccessful lawsuits against New Jersey and other states that decided to expand absentee voting in 2020.

Trumps claim of a stolen election led to the Jan. 6 riot where his supporters stormed the Capitol, and then to his impeachment a week later.

This last election cycle only underscores the importance of these types of reforms, said Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist., a former national security aide. The ability to conduct free and fair elections is an absolute necessity for our democracy, I worked in diplomacy in countries that couldnt conduct free and fair elections. I saw how corroding that was to their democracy.

But the New Jersey Republican Partys executive director, Phil Valenziano, said the bill would let House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., control the states elections.

New Jersey has made dramatic changes to our elections each of the last three years, and H.R. 1 would further radically shift how New Jerseyans vote, he said. Handing over control of our elections to Pelosi is a bad idea that no New Jerseyan should support.

Another provision would outlaw voter intimidation efforts, such as the Republican effort in New Jerseys 1981 gubernatorial race that targeted heavily minority communities and led to legal restrictions on certain GOP activities for 35 years.

There are several measures to improve election security, including guarding against foreign interference and increasing the oversight of companies manufacturing the voting machines.

The bill leaves it to the states to decide whether to have all mail-in elections or, like New Jersey did last year, send ballots to all registered voters.

House Republicans in the last Congress objected to what they said was an attempt to federalize our elections.

Both Muller and Spaulding said the Republicans obviously have changed their tune since then. A majority of the GOP conference, including Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., first asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the election results in battleground states Trump lost, and then voted to reject the certified results.

Its incredibly hypocritical for any of the Republicans to make that argument in the wake of well over 130 House Republicans voting to overturn an election hours after the Capitol was sacked by the insurrectionists, Spaulding said.

In addition to the voting provisions, the legislation would require all committees involved in politics, including nonprofits and trade associations, to identify their big donors; and all states to set up independent commissions to draw congressional district lines, as New Jersey does.

Kim and Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th Dist., have made advocacy for such legislation as a major part of their congressional campaigns, helping them oust two Republican incumbents in 2018 and retain their seats last November.

Along those lines, Kim and Malinowski rejected corporate political action committee contributions and still managed to each raise more than $7 million for their re-election campaigns, putting them in the top 25 among House members, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Trump, too, made ethics a major issue when he first ran for president in 2016, talking about how he could fix the system because he knew how it favored for big donors like himself.

That message really did appeal, not just to Republicans but to independent voters and Democratic voters, Muller said.

Another provision in the bill would require presidents and vice president to release their tax returns. Trump was the first president in 40 years to refuse to do so, and has fought efforts in the House, led by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist. to obtain them under a 1924 law. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against Trump in July.

And presidential and congressional candidates who raise a certain amount in small-dollar donations would get federal matching funds.

Everyone wants to see less money, particularly corporate money and untraceable money influencing our elections, Malinowski said. Everyone wants our leaders to obey ethics rules and nobody wants to see politicians choosing their own voters through partisan gerrymandering. Its one of the most unifying issues in America.

But some of those provisions could muffle Americans voices, said David Keating, executive director of the Institute for Free Speech, which opposes the disclosure proposals.

The problem is the bill is so poorly written that its kind of a full employment act for campaign finance lawyers, Keating said. Anytime you say anything about an elected official, its probably going to wind up requiring filings with the federal government. It basically would tamper the ability of people to speak about the politician.

Responded Muller: The unlimited undisclosed flood of money isnt about someone having free speech. Its about drowning out everyone elses speech.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @JDSalant.



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Although not encouraged, favouritism is not new in the workplace, and I might have been perceived as guilty of it based on certain decisions I took during a particular hiring process seven years ago. I was unit head in a multinational company (MNC). I headed a unit of about 100, comprising engineers and line managers. A line manager position opened up within my unit, and the position was advertised both internally and externally. One of the engineers in my unit, who had been on the same job stage and role for more than five years, notified me of his interest in taking up the line manager position. At face value, he met the minimum requirements for the role, so I encouraged him to apply for the position. To be honest, we were buddies. We had hung out a couple of times and had a good rapport.

Somehow, some urgent work deliverables got in the way, and he didnt get around to applying until the application period elapsed. He informed me of his dilemma, and I made some swift power moves. I contacted the HR admin handling the hiring process, requested an extension of the submission deadline, which was granted without ado. My buddy was surprised at the speed and relative ease with which I got the application portal re-opened to submit his application. Since he met the minimum requirements and the HR person also sensed that I was interested in his application, my buddy was shortlisted for the first round of interviews without ado. After he was notified of being shortlisted, he met me privately and said, Now, I know the power of a grandfather. (At the MNC, a persons managers manager was referred to as grandfather, regardless of age.)

I chaired the interview panel, and it was smooth sailing for my buddy as he responded to the interview questions the panelists threw at him. From his body language, I could tell that he thought this was a done deal. It then came to my turn to ask questions. I set aside the interview questions HR had prepared for the role and began asking scenario-based questions (which I had asked all other interviewed candidates), questions that had no right or wrong answers  they only revealed candidates level of business maturity, and understanding of complex organizational dynamics.

My buddy caught up with me a few hours after the interview and declared that, based on my questions and his responses, he knew for certain that he was not yet ready for the role and wouldnt be shortlisted for the subsequent round. He thanked me for the opportunity to be interviewed for the role and said the interview experience was an eye-opener for him. Yes, grandfather opened the door; grandfather also shut the door graciously after the candidate was weighed and found wanting.

There is no way I would hire someone who could not convince me of delivering KPIs, who could not lead his team to achieve their targets. If I made such a recruitment error, I would have to invest significant time attending to escalations and issues that boil over in his team. Why would I make such a hiring decision rather than taking the pains to hire a more capable hand who would make life easy for me in the future? Business leaders look for good hands to delegate tasks to, so they can focus on higher priorities. A good hire takes the pressure off management; it doesnt add to it. This is why I make a case that people watching from the sideline, who readily assume that business leaders hire unqualified former colleagues/buddies, might be making hasty generalizations. The business leader is more likely to hire someone who convinces them that he/she can deliver their KPIs  if the person who is most convincing at the interview turns out to be their buddy, former co-worker, so be it.

Many employees dont outgrow their current role but desire to be given higher responsibilities, a higher budget to manage, and a higher salary. When they see other colleagues get promoted, they rationalize it away by claiming that nepotism or the favoritism card was played. What they fail to acknowledge is that business leaders are given KPIs, targets to meet. The average business leader will hire a person who they believe will help them meet their targets and make them look good towards upper management. If they have 10 mid-management roles to fill, they are likely to fill up to 70% of the roles with people who convince them that they have grown in business maturity to fill the role and deliver. Yes, there might be a 30% allocation reserved for political correctness, hiring decisions that they are constrained to make to avoid stepping on powerful toes. How about the 70% that are filled purely on merit? Why dont employees who dont have buddies in senior management work on themselves, so they become a natural fit for the positions filled purely on merit? Why do employees find it convenient to blame others for their career stagnation while taking no conscious step to grow their capabilities?

Adedayo Omotunde is a telecom executive based out of Dubai.
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By Tom Deignan

Its fitting that Liberty State Park and Ellis Island are located within the boundaries of Hudson County.

A century after huddled masses from Russia, Italy and Ireland streamed past the Statue of Liberty, Hudson County remains a magnet for those born abroad, with West New York and Union City among Americas most immigrant-heavy districts.

Overall, 43% of Hudson Countys residents are immigrants, according to recent U.S. Census figures.

Such shifting demographics  standing in defiance of Build the Wall and Storm the Capitol conservatives  have led to predictions that the GOP will soon go the way of the Whigs, as one Washington Post columnist put it.

As the Brooking Institute noted back in July, Population trends are moving away from todays Republican Party. Harvard researcher Thomas E. Patterson has argued that the GOP is destroying itself, and will pay a stiff price for defaming immigrants.

Joe Bidens inauguration, alongside daughter-of-immigrants Kamala Harris, in a town now ruled by Democrats, only seems to confirm that the GOP is on its way to extinction.

Theres just the matter of the North Jersey 2020 election results.

Make no mistake, Donald Trump lost Hudson and Passaic counties. But he performed much more strongly in both than he did in 2016  despite all of his anti-immigrant rants and COVID-19 mishandlings. This mirrored other surprising immigrant-voting trends, according to an extensive New York Times analysis.

In Jerseys urban neighbor across the Delaware River, the Democratic vote (in Philly) fell 18% in majority Latino areas, including in the largely Puerto Rican precincts in North Philadelphia, the Times noted.

Chicagos Chinatown went for Donald Trump 34% more in 2020, just as other Windy City districts that are more than 50% Latino with a high population that is born abroad showed the most dramatic (rightward) shifts, as the Times put it. Similar patterns were evident in big cities like Chicago and New York, in California and Florida, and along the Texas border.

As perplexing as this might seem, it is actually just the latest miscalculation and misunderstanding of the so-called immigrant vote in American history.

Exactly 100 years ago this spring, lawmakers were debating the Emergency Quota Act (EQA)  a kind of 1921 wall around Ellis Island.

Anti-immigrant supporters, disturbed by Americas shifting demographics, peddled all manner of anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic paranoia. When the Depression hit, marginalized immigrants and their children were firmly ensconced in FDRs mighty New Deal coalition. It seemed unfathomable that Ellis Island immigrants or their children would  gasp!  vote Republican.

But the decades that followed brought brutal culture wars over the Spanish Civil War and Vietnam; over Radio Priest Charles Coughlin and red-baiter Joe McCarthy; over the New Deal and the Great Society; over law and order and poverty.

When all was said and done, a lot of Ellis Island New Dealers wound up in Nixons Silent Majority.

Liberals and Democrats dismiss or simplify this messy political evolution at their own peril.

In her best-selling, soon-to-be-a-Netflix film, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, Isabel Wilkerson argues that European immigrants shed their old selves to gain admittance to the powerful dominant majority  or caste, Wilkersons preferred term, since race is fluid and superficial, while caste is fixed and rigid.

But should any group that includes the children of Sicilian peasants and the children of Rockefellers, really be described as fixed and rigid?

Just Us author Claudia Rankine wanted her readers and students to connect Donald Trumps anti-immigrant demagoguery... with the treatment of Irish, Italian and Asian people in the last century, as The Atlantic put it, expos(ing) whiteness as a racial category whose privileges have emerged over the course of American history through the interaction with, and exclusion of, Black  and brown, and Asian  people.

Heres the problem: many of these folks  whom Wilkerson calls middle castes... instead of, or in addition to, Asian or Latino  cast votes for that very demagogue.

Thousands and thousands of them live in North Jersey.

Republicans, of course, still have their own monumental problems.

Nativist right-wingers have a long, ugly history of exploiting all things foreign  which is all the more shameful if their own immigrant grandparents were targeted by nativist laws 100 years ago. Pro-Trumpers have never explained how America was so great back when plenty of yesterdays immigrants danced and shouted with delight after a national tragedy  as was reported about North Jersey Italians in September 1901, following President William McKinleys assassination.

But Democrats must also start to grasp the importance of bread-and-butter issues like education, religion, and crime to middle caste voters, who occupy a complicated spot on the downtrodden-privileged spectrum.

Immigrants who are overwhelmed small-business owners, with children in the military or law enforcement, tend to develop opinions and priorities very different from those with, say, Liberal Arts degrees from Vassar.

In the end, Harvards Thomas E. Patterson is probably on to something. A political party is in danger with immigrants and their offspring.

We just dont know which one yet.

Tom Deignan has written about history and immigration for the Washington Post and National Catholic Reporter. He is researching a book about immigrants in America after the opening of Ellis Island, and lives in Woodbridge.

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Some hospitals around the U.S. are facing complaints about favoritism and line-jumping after their board members and donors received COVID-19 vaccinations or offers for the prized inoculations. In Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha opened an inquiry after reports that two hospital systems offered their board members vaccinations. A Seattle-area hospital system was rebuked by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee after it offered COVID-19 vaccination appointments to major donors. Hospitals in Kansas, Florida and New Jersey also are facing questions. The disclosures could threaten public confidence in a national rollout already marked by vaccine shortages, appointment logjams and inconsistent standards state to state.
WASHINGTON - District of Columbia schools are set to reopen this week for the first time in nearly a year, with schools in wealthier wards at maximum capacity while seats remain empty in the city's poorest neighborhoods, because families there have opted in high numbers to stay home and continue with virtual learning.

The partial reopening is a relief to families of all incomes, but the mismatch across the city has teachers and parents questioning whether the city should be pouring resources during the pandemic into an in-person learning program that White students are disproportionately enrolling in.

Across the country, Black and Hispanic communities have been hit hardest by the virus, and many of these families have told their school districts they do not feel safe sending their children back to school buildings. In the District, families in the poorest ward rejected offers for an elementary school spot at twice the rate of families in the wealthiest one, according to city data.

Still, the District's public school population is overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic, and most students returning are students of color.

"She's better off back at school," said Rhonda Hall, a Black mother in Southeast Washington who is sending her 6-year-old daughter back to school because she was falling behind in reading and missed her friends.

The city's reopening plan is capped at just 15,000 of the school system's 52,000 students, some of whom were invited to come back to a classroom just once a week for a few hours. Only 9,200 students have accepted seats to return.

Students are preparing to return Monday as the teachers union and city continue to spar, with the union arguing it is not safe to return to school buildings and making a last-minute attempt to delay the reopening date. Snow also threatens to derail the long-awaited start.

Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said school buildings are safe, health metrics allow for students to return, and school will open as planned.

Principals were able to offer slots to anyone, but Ferebee had directed them to prioritize students at highest risk for academic failure, a broad group that includes students whose families receive food stamps. At some schools, nearly all of the children are considered at-risk. At others, it's less than 10%.

Of the elementary students expected to return to classrooms, 60% are homeless, learning English as a second language, receiving special education services or designated as at-risk, which means they are in foster care or their families qualify for public assistance. At the middle and high school level, 70% of students fall into one of these categories.

White children, who make up 16% of the District school system's population, are a minority of the total number of students expected to return to classrooms - 28% of the 6,300 children at the prekindergarten and elementary level, according to city data - but a larger percentage of them chose in-person learning.

As a result, some campuses in the wealthiest neighborhoods have most of their students - hundreds of children - returning. And on the other side of the Anacostia River, some schools have just a couple dozen students listed.

"For me personally, staying virtual has a lot of benefits because I can control a lot more," said Burnice Cain, the PTA president of Houston Elementary in Southeast Washington, who lost her bartending job during the pandemic and now stays home with her daughter. "My daughter's asthma has been better while she's home."

Ferebee said he believes the city's public education system has an obligation to offer in-person learning as an option to children, even if most families do not want it. City leaders view this as the first step to more expansive in-person learning offerings. If the school system can pull it off, more families may want to join.

"The reality is that as African Americans - and I can speak clearly to this - our health outcomes have not been the same as our peers, and a lot of that is related to systemic racism," said Ferebee, who is Black. "Every child is different, and every circumstance is different."

But many teachers and parents say the plan is not helping the students who need it the most and argue that bringing back 45% of the teacher workforce to serve 17% of students could make virtual classes worse for everyone. Some virtual learning classes sizes would grow to accommodate the smaller in-person classes needed to comply with health guidelines. Some teachers will now be teaching in-person classes while students at home log in to join.

"The kids that I am most worried about, either their parents weren't comfortable with them coming back or they didn't respond," Jessica Salute, a teacher at Stanton Elementary, a high-poverty school in Southeast Washington, said at a teachers union forum last week.

- - -

Interviews with parents and education activists across the city show that the decision of whether to send a child to a classroom during a pandemic is deeply personal and complicated, reflecting disparate family circumstances.

School leaders and neighborhood activists said some families want to return, but without after care, the parents couldn't manage a pickup at 3 p.m. Others have children at multiple schools, including charter schools, and didn't get slots for all of them.

Some said they found alternative and consistent child-care options - and the school system, which already canceled reopening plans twice, didn't seem like a reliable choice.

Maria Milagro Vasquez finally has Internet and, with help from a teenage neighbor, can confidently use it. She has settled into a grueling yet now manageable routine with her first-grade son. Her Northwest Washington neighbors have depended on each other through the pandemic. If someone gets called for a last-minute shift, Vasquez, who used to work at a child-care facility, babysits free.

She trusts the measures she takes to keep her children and neighbors safe, and she feels it is too risky to send her son back. She decided that her son would not be returning to a classroom Monday.

Vasquez knows too many people in her neighborhood who have died of covid.

"It's very hard to do reading and school with him at home," Vasquez said in Spanish. "But I prefer to take on the burden myself."

Rhonda Hall - the mother who is sending her daughter back to school in Southeast Washington - works as an assistant manager for Amazon Prime at a Whole Foods during the day, but when she is home, she notices her first-grader flipping to YouTube instead of listening to her teachers. Hall, who has had covid, said a prayer and made the decision.

She found it too troubling when she practiced reading with her daughter and noticed she could no longer read the word "microwave" like she once could.

"People don't understand that going to school was an escape for many kids in the community," Hall said. "And now they are stuck in the place they were trying to escape from."

And in upper Northwest Washington, the wealthiest swath of the city, Valerie Cline said her two children - particularly her fifth-grade son, who has ADHD - wanted to go back to school so badly that she couldn't decline the seats offered. She believes, with the proper precautions, returning to school can be safe, and she has taught her children to wear masks and social distance.

"My son was coming to me daily with . . . tears missing his friends, the classroom and teacher," said Cline, whose daughter is in first grade. "My kid, their emotional well-being, they were just wilted."

Tory'elle Coleman, a 16-year-old junior who lives in Northeast Washington and attends Phelps Senior High, said he was offered a slot and his mother allowed him to accept it if he wanted. But school would only be for a few hours one morning a week, and it would have required him to rush home to make his afternoon virtual classes. Plus, he said, while he takes public transportation most days to commute to his job at an after-school program, he fears the busier bus line he would take to school would be too crowded.

He felt the school building would be safe, but declined the slot.

"I felt like it was a waste of time," he said of the three hours of in-person learning he was offered a week.

Sharra Greer, policy director at the Children's Law Center, a nonprofit group that provides free legal services to D.C. children from low-income families, said most of her clients are struggling with virtual learning but declined a slot for-person classes because they didn't feel safe.

- - -

Every school has a different reopening plan, bringing back different students. There are schools that are only asking students struggling in certain courses to return. Others are targeting students in certain grade levels, leaving some families who want to return stuck with virtual learning.

Teare'Ra Bittle wishes her children could go back to school. Her family - two children, her parents, her sister, and two nieces - downsized to a two-bedroom apartment after she lost her wages working as college cafeteria worker. It's cramped, and she fears her children aren't getting the individualized attention in remote learning they need.

One of her children has dyslexia and is struggling. The other typically receives speech therapy and hasn't received the same services during virtual learning.

But she said their elementary school isn't offering in-person learning for children in fourth and fifth grade. So her children will continue full time with virtual learning.

"At first I wasn't too sure about them going back," Bittle said. "But at this moment, they need to go back. These kids really need to go back."

Greer noted that several of her clients in the foster care system weren't offered an in-person slot, and she fears that schools may not have updated contact information for their guardians.

Michelle Romo, who lives in Northeast Washington with her husband, kindergartner and toddler, said she "won the lottery" when her kindergartner was offered a spot.

Romo hasn't told her daughter yet because she is afraid schools will not reopen as planned. Still, her daughter senses something is happening, and has made a list of all the items she will need when she returns to school.

Romo said she and her husband both work virtual jobs and help with remote learning but rarely have time to take their daughter out to playgrounds during the day. She is often cranky and frustrated. They've already cut hours at work and can't afford a full-time babysitter or pod with a tutor.

When her daughter sees groups of students in pods logging into class from the same room, she wonders why she can't also be with other children.

"I can't tell you how infuriating it is as a parent to see Lululemon open and bars and gyms open and school still closed," Romo said. "I feel like the city has just thrown parents and children under the bus with this."
The de Blasio administration and the developers behind those proposed mega-towers in the Two Bridges area headed to appeals court last week in a bid to reverse a lower court ruling that halted the unpopular projects. [City Limits]

Opinion: Developments shouldnt be approved when they impinge on crucial institutions or iconic views. Case in point: One Manhattan Square among New York Citys most disappointing buildings. An 80-story box completed in 2018 It stands just 50 feet from the Manhattan Bridge, where Chinatown meets the East River. From that location, towering over everything around it, the building spoils views both to and from Lower Manhattan. [The Architects Newspaper]

The city lays out various precautions it intends to take in opening a homeless facility in the Blue Moon Hotel on Orchard Street. A group of landlords and businesses has filed a lawsuit to block the facility from opening. [The New York Post]

Remembering Corky Lee, the acclaimed documentary photographer and activist so important to the way we all see Chinatown past, present and future. Lee died last week from complications from Covid. [The New York Times]

For nearly fifty years, New Yorkers never knew where they might run into (Corky) Lee and his camera Most often, it was somewhere along Mott Street, in the heart of Manhattans Chinatown, where his photographs of everyday life helped generations of Chinese-Americans see themselves as part of a larger community. [The New Yorker]

Four suspects in the beating of a man near Canal and Allen streets have been arrested. More details about what led to the altercation are coming to light. [Channel 7]

Inside a deli near Canal and Orchard streets, a customer hit an employee with a wet floor sign after he was told to lottery machine was closed for the night. [New York Post]

The Supreme Court declines to hear Sheldon Silvers latest appeal. [The New York Times]

Bicyclists will no longer need to dodge oblivious tourists on the Brooklyn Bridge. The city is converting one car lane, creating a dedicated bike lane on the bridge. [Gothamist]

Jordana Bermudez is documenting the radical female and non-binary skateboarders of the Lower East Side. [CNN]

A look at how the critically acclaimed restaurants, Contra and Wildair, have pivoted during Covid. [Eater]

Recalling Pickle Alley on the Lower East Side. [Untapped New York]

Armed protesters tried to force their way into a hospital near Vancouver on Friday night, authorities said. Deputies from the Clark County Sheriffs Office pushed them away, though no arrests were made.

The protesters gathered in response to a social media call that claimed a woman who had refused a COVID-19 test was not allowed to leave the medical facility. However, the sheriffs office determined the patient willingly stayed in the hospital to receive medical treatment.

According to a live stream shared online, protesters said a woman in her 70s had been hospitalized at Legacy Salmon Creek the previous night with a urinary tract infection and declined to take a coronavirus test. A woman narrating the livestream said hospital employees did not allow her to leave, prompting demonstrators to gather outside.

According to hospital personnel, the patient had refused a COVID-19 test upon admittance to the hospital and was put in quarantine while receiving medical treatment, the Clark County Sheriffs Office said. The womans daughter was not allowed to see her mother in quarantine because she had refused to wear a mask upon entering the hospital.

Dispatchers received a call at 4:48 p.m. from a woman that reported her mother was being held against her will at the Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital. She said she had medical power of attorney over her mother but was not being allowed inside the facility, according to the sheriffs office.

The responding deputy spoke to the patient at the hospital and determined she was able to make her own decisions. She told the deputy that she wanted to stay in the hospital to receive treatment, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office said Legacy security requested additional support as protestors arrived and a total of 22 deputies responded to the scene.

Videos posted online show a woman who identified herself as the hospital patients daughter standing at the door without a mask, yelling at officers and demanding to be allowed inside.

Several demonstrators came with firearms and gas masks, the sheriffs office said. At one point, some attempted to force their way into the hospital and had to be pushed back out. A man who tried to assault a deputy in the process was pepper-sprayed in the face, according to the sheriff's office.

The patient asked to be discharged at 7:55 p.m., according to the sheriffs office. She was released around 8:40 p.m. to the family, and the crowd dissipated shortly after, the sheriffs office said.

The live stream of the demonstration attracted thousands of views, in part because it was posted on the YouTube channel of Ammon Bundy, one of the men who led the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016. Bundy himself was not visible on the livestream, and its not clear if he was in attendance.

The live stream posted to Bundys page showed a crowd of about 30 protesters outside the hospital, most of whom werent wearing masks. Several protesters said they were waiting for the woman to be released.

Some of the demonstrators identified themselves as members of a Peoples Rights group founded by Bundy to oppose government coronavirus mandates.

-- Jaimie Ding

jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding

Nearly a third of Irish businesses have said they will need to ramp up their digital transformation to survive the pandemic crisis, according to a report by professional services firm Grant Thornton.

The Grant Thornton Global Business Report surveyed 10,000 mid-market businesses globally across 29 economies, including 64 Irish companies, during the second half of last year. Interviews were conducted with chief executive officers, managing directors, chairpersons or other senior executives from all industry sectors.

As well as the concerns over digital transformation, the report found 44pc of businesses felt they needed to invest in staff skills, and 36pc in R&D. It also found more difficult decisions were ahead for Irish companies over the next 12 months, with 38pc of respondents stating they will look to reduce overheads to survive the Covid-19 crisis. A third will also examine diversifying their service and product offerings. The report found Covid-19 had caused a large spike in economic uncertainty, with 61pc of businesses in Ireland indicating it as the main constraint on their ability to grow their company. More than a third cited shortages of orders as a business constraint, with concerns also raised over the availability of skilled staff and labour costs.

Shortage of finance also remained a concern, with 31pc of Irish firms identifying it as a business constraint over the next 12 months.

Despite the concerns, 61pc of Irish businesses are optimistic about the outlook of Ireland's economy for the next 12 months, the highest in Europe.

Over half of Irish businesses surveyed said they expect their revenue will increase over the year ahead, compared to 27pc reported in the first half of 2020. Just 17pc said revenue would decrease.

Ireland ranked eighth globally in terms of revenue forecast and was the highest across Europe.

Profits could also be bolstered, according to the report. Some 41pc of Irish businesses said they expect to increase their profitability over the coming year. Nearly a fifth expected a decrease in profits, while just over a third reported they would remain the same.

Commenting on the results, Michael McAteer, managing partner of Grant Thornton Ireland, said it was heartening to see Irish businesses remaining optimistic about the coming 12-month period despite anxieties surrounding Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Whilst the outlook is showing real improvement with both economic optimism and expectations around revenue and profits on the rise, it is important to note the context of these increases," he said. "In many cases, the improvements we are seeing are due to firms benchmarking the next 12 months against the very depressed economic environment of 2020 due to Covid-19.

"Even with vaccines being rolled out, the reality is it will still be some time before we return to anything approaching normality."
Piece of Californias Highway 1 Near Big Sur Collapses

A large chunk of Californias Highway 1 near Big Sur collapsed and fell into the Pacific Ocean after a winter storm triggered a mudslide, officials said.

A California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Fifth District message warned drivers of the closure on Jan. 29 from a partial washout. The washout occurred near Rat Creek about 15 miles south of Big Sur, according to Caltrans, which added that Highway 1 remains open from Carmel to the town of Big Sur.

Photos posted from the scene showed a significant piece of the hillside and road missing. Due to the size of the missing chunk, it appears that the section of Highway 1 will remain impassible for a considerable amount of time.

Check out this amazing drone video of #Hwy1 washout at Rat Creek about 15 miles south of #BigSur. Our crews are on site securing it, assessing damage & starting clean-up/ repairs. Reminder: the road is OPEN from #Carmel thru town of Big Sur. @bigsurkate @BigSurCC @CHP_Coastal pic.twitter.com/rB193DzXhL  Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) January 29, 2021

Toks Omishakin, director of the California Department of Transportation, wrote that it could be several weeks before the highway is reconstructed. He called on people to avoid this area of Monterrey and San Luis Obispo counties.

Some Impacts of #ExtremeWeather #SeaLevelRise in our state. Hwy 1 will be closed for several weeks due to this roadway slip. Avoid this area of #MonterreyCounty & #SLOCounty. Txs to team @CaltransD5 @CHP_HQ @Cal_OES as they help lead recovery on this. pic.twitter.com/141ZCIuhL5  Toks Omishakin, 33rd Director  California DOT (@ToksOmishakin) January 29, 2021

Caltrans told CNN that debris that fell during the mudslide from above overwhelmed drainage infrastructure, flowed across the highway, and eroded the road, resulting in the complete loss of a segment of Highway 1.

Locals stated that the washout will be bad for business.

Oh my gosh! All our businesses came through the spring, summer, and fall because people were desperate to get out of their towns, Mary Ann Carson, executive director of the Cambria Chamber of Commerce, told a local newspaper. Then we had the normal January slow season, were looking forward to increasing visitor traffic next month, she said.

We cant take another year or two years of no traffic, she said. It would be great if the state would build a temporary road, maybe behind that hill, for people to traverse while Caltrans rebuilds the damaged section. Im sure [chamber board President] Mel McColloch will be on the job, bugging Caltrans.

IT has been well established that the countrys most effective mobilisation system is the election machinery based on political affiliation.

With this in mind, the current crisis in the country regarding the frightening spread of the coronavirus calls for a different kind of intervention. It is past time for the declaration of a political truce. We call on the countrys two major political machines, PNM and UNC, and all other existing political parties and groups, to come together in the national interest.

For a few days, this was the shrewdest thing said about Ohios 2022 race to succeed GOP Sen. Rob Portman: If Jim Jordan decides to run, it is highly likely he will win that [GOP] primary. Thats what Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a Democrat, told The New York Times.

Whaley, who herself may run for the Senate or for governor next year, was 100% correct  at the time. But Jordan said Thursday that he wont run for Portmans seat, presumably because Jordan doesnt think he can win a statewide race. (Besides, by staying in the House, Jordan might eventually become speaker.)

Meanwhile, cleveland.com reported, some Democrats are promoting Dr. Amy Acton, Ohios former health director, as a candidate for Portmans seat. Acton earned her medical degree at Northeast Ohio Medical University and a masters in public health at Ohio State. Acton, as head of the state Health Department, was GOP Gov. Mike DeWines anti-COVID-19 point person. She resigned in June, partly because mulish General Assembly Republicans fought anti-virus measures she ordered. Likely compounding that was picketing of her home in Bexley, the Columbus suburb, by people protesting Ohios COVID-19 restrictions.

U.S. Senate seats are so coveted theres no shortage of possible candidates, such as U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a suburban Warren Democrat. Ryan has also been talked up as a possible gubernatorial candidate. The one announced Democratic contender for governor is Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, a graduate of John Carroll University and of Harvards law and divinity schools.

One possible GOP Senate candidate: ex-state Treasurer Josh Mandel. In 2012, Mandel ran against Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, but lost by 325,000 votes. Mandel, as an Ohio House member in 2009, voted no on a bipartisan bill to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. House Bill 176 passed 56-39 but died in the Ohio Senate.

Another possible GOP Senate candidate: Republican State Chair Jane Timken, an in-law of the Canton bearings-and-steel dynasty. Jane Timkens husband is ex-TimkenSteel Chair Ward J. Tim Timken Jr., co-founder and CEO of McKinley Strategies LLC. The McKinley firms suite of services includes Ohio legislative lobbying and procurement and federal lobbying of Congress and the executive branch.

True, some Ohio Republicans in the U.S. House get mentioned as potential Senate candidates. But they dont run in competitive districts. Senate elections in Ohio are competitive. Example: Ohio gave Donald Trump 51.3% of its 2016 vote and 53.2% of its 2020 vote. But Sherrod Brown, a rootin-tootin liberal, won reelection with 53.4% of the statewide senatorial vote in 2018.

While Portmans stand-down is surely coincidental, only one GOP senator from Ohio has won a third term since voters began to pick senators in 1914: The first Robert A. Taft, the brilliant conservative, elected in 1938, reelected in 1944 and 1950. Voters denied third terms to GOP Sens. Simeon Fess (1934), John W. Bricker (1958) and DeWine (2006).

But Democrat Brown has won three Senate terms, as did Sen. Howard M. Metzenbaum; and Sen. John Glenn won four. They, too, were Democrats.

Because 2022 will be a midterm election, it may be perilous for Democrats seeking Portmans seat. If President Joe Biden is doing reasonably well  in Ohioans eyes  his record might help a Democrat running for the Senate. But if Biden is faltering, it would give an Ohio Republican Senate candidate a leg up. (But few Republicans would have been better at playing anti-Biden pit bull than Jordan.)

Portman, 65, of suburban Cincinnatis Terrace Park, said he wont run again because hes tired of Washingtons political gridlock. Result: a statewide cascade of gush about what a great guy Portman is. No question, Portman is a gentleman. Hes smart, handsome, has a great resume; and its impossible to imagine that Portman could ever embarrass his family. Moreover, in 2013, after a son revealed he is gay, Portman announced his support for marriage equality. (Sorry, hair-splitters: An ally is an ally.) The Cincinnati Enquirer reported at the time that made Portman the only sitting Republican senator to hold that position.

But Portman did essentially nothing to buffalo Donald Trump. And for that, history will judge Rob Portman harshly.

Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens.

To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474

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Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung speaks about the provincial government's supplementary budget plan for local residents affected by COVID-19's economic impact during a session at the provincial council, Jan. 25. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Council



Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung has sent a letter to the United Nations and the U.S. Congress to call for support for a law that South Korea enacted to ban the sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into North Korea, officials said Sunday.



Lee, considered a leading presidential hopeful, said in the letter that the leafleting ban is the minimum measure to protect the lives, safety and properties of the people of Gyeonggi Province that includes regions bordering North Korea.



Lee also stressed in the letter that the law is a peaceful means that can prevent unnecessary military tensions and confrontation with North Korea and improve strained inter-Korean relations, according to provincial government officials.



The ruling Democratic Party-controlled National Assembly legislated the ban last year after North Korea expressed vehement anger at such leaflets that usually sharply criticize leader Kim Jong-un. In a dramatic expression of such anger, the North even blew up a joint inter-Korean liaison office building in June.






By early 1921 the War of Independence had been raging across Ireland for two years, although Leitrim had not witnessed the widespread violence experienced in counties such as Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Dublin.

Like many other counties, Leitrim was not unique in this regard, and by late 1920 IRA General Headquarters (GHQ) in Dublin was frustrated by an absence of political violence in many regions of the country.

Added to this, an escalation of police and military activity in the autumn of 1920 forced many IRA men to go on the run, and become full-time fighters as members of flying columns. The concept of IRA flying columns was initially devised in mid-1920 when the column was to consist of twenty-six men divided into four squads. Each column was to be a mobile force that worked independently, and would also operate as an aid to local units in initiating action in their respective areas.

IRA GHQ also recognised that the threat of reprisals in communities was also a factor that inhibited armed action by local IRA units. The columns offered safety and companionship for many men on the run, and, even if only a small minority of columns ever managed a successful ambush, IRA GHQ recognised that the transition to full-time active service was necessary in the fight against crown forces.

By December 1920, the RIC in Leitrim were reporting for the first time that information as to the formation of the South Leitrim Battalion IRA has come to hand, and it is believed that some five or six companies have been formed. After a concerted campaign of crown force activity in the county throughout late 1920, the RIC County Inspector was reporting that the police were now able to move freely around the county without fear of ambush and they were now receiving information from sources hitherto dried up. Ballinamores Berney Sweeney recalled the formation of Leitrims flying column stating that A number of the lads who were on the run had come together for companionship and also for safety reasons and were staying in the one district. I suppose that it was the herd instinct or that we felt safer in numbers that drove us together.

Despite their formation, IRA GHQ needed to ensure that the columns would become militarily active in the quieter counties of Ireland. IRA leadership in Dublin had two primary means of influencing the action of local forces: it could send them organizers, and it could send (or deny) them arms. In January 1920, GHQ sent one of their staff officers, and former leader of the North Longford brigade, Captain Sean Connolly, to Leitrim and north Roscommon to organise their flying columns into active fighting units. Connolly chose to go to north Roscommon first in January 1921, and while he was there, IRA activity had increased in nearby Leitrim. RIC reports stated that local Volunteers were being urged by GHQ to commit outrages and they are doing their best to comply with their instructions.

Any attempts at following GHQ instructions was hindered by the absence of arms among Leitrims IRA units. In their Bureau of Military History witness reports, South Leitrim Brigade members Hugh Brady, Berney Sweeney and Patrick Hargaden recalled that only a few service rifles and shotguns were in the possession of the flying columns.

When questioned by north Longford IRA leader Sean MacEoin on the levels of ammunition in the South Leitrim brigade area, local IRA man Tom OReilly replied that they possessed as much as would frighten sparrows out of a haggard.

Despite scarce resources, the first attempt at a large scale operation against crown forces was planned for 16 January 1921. As part of a co-ordinated attack, Volunteers fired shots at Ballinamore RIC barracks in the expectation that crown forces would travel from Mohill to aid their comrades. At Edentenny, an ambush party had cut down trees and trenched the Ballinamore-Mohill road to await the British reinforcements.

The ambush was thwarted when crown forces remained in their barracks in Mohill. The fear of crown force reprisals following the shootings at Ballinamore barracks was a factor which led to a number of Ballinamore business people and local residents issuing a public statement disassociating the local community from the attack on the police.

Despite the setback at Edentenny, IRA activity continued when Thomas Early, a member of the Royal Air Force, who was home on leave, was shot and seriously injured near Leitrim village. Condemning the attack on Early, Canon Thomas OReilly warned that, people who were guilty of murder had their blood spilt, and he knew of instances where they died in asylums or other places which brought disgrace on themselves and their families.

By late January 1921, IRA activity in Leitrim was increasing as never witnessed in the previous two years of conflict. The formation of the IRA South Leitrim Brigades flying columns, and pressure from IRA leaders in Dublin was a major factor in these developments. Captain Sean Connollys imminent arrival would soon herald an escalation of political violence as never previously witnessed in the county.

Leitrim, The Irish Revolution 1912-1923 written by Dr Padraig McGarty is available at local bookshops in Leitrim and nationwide. Signed copies of the book are available, with personal messages if desired, by emailing the author on pmcgarty1@gmail.com. The book is also available online at www.fourcourtspress.ie
Prime Minister said on Sunday that the country was saddened by the insult to the Tricolour on Republic Day, referring to the religious flag incident at Red Fort during the farmers tractor parade.

In his monthly Mann ki Baat broadcast, Modi maintained that his government is committed to modernising farming and has been taking many steps.

The efforts of the government will also continue in future, he said, amid intense protests by a section of farmers from states like Punjab, Haryana and UP near the Delhi border against three farm reform legislations enacted by his government. Farmer unions have demanded that these laws by repealed.

While recounting a number of developments in January this year, including Indias remarkable come-from-behind series win over Australia in the recent Test series, Modi made a brief reference to the farmers tractor rally on which witnessed incidents of violence.

Amidst all this, the country was saddened by the insult to the Tricolour on January 26 in Delhi. We have to infuse times to come with new hope and novelty. Last year, we displayed exemplary patience and courage. This year too, we have to work hard to attain our resolves. We have to take our country forward at a faster pace, he said.

Referring to Indias corona vaccination exercise underway, the prime minister said the country has not only rolled out the worlds largest vaccination drive but is also vaccinating its citizens at the fastest rate.

The country has vaccinated over 30 lakh corona warriors in 15 days, he said, adding the US and the UK took 18 and 36 days to reach this figure.

Just as Indias fight against Corona became an example, our vaccination programme too is turning out to be exemplary to the world, he said.

Noting Indias decision to send vaccines to several countries and the praise it has received from their governments and citizens, he said during the moment of crisis India is able to serve the world since it is capable and self-reliant in the field of medicines and vaccines.

The same thought underpins the Atmanirbhar Bharat Campaign. The more India is capable, the more will it serve humanity; and the world will benefit more, Modi said. Speaking of the recent announcement of Padma award winners, he said the tradition of conferring the honour on unsung heroes that was started a few years ago has been maintained this time too.



I urge all of you to know more about these people and their contribution, he said.

Noting that the country is approaching its 75th year of Independence, Modi urged people, especially youngsters, to write about freedom fighters and incidents associated with their struggle.

The freedom struggle was fought with full might in every part, every city, every town and village of India, he said, and highlighted the comments of a resident from Munger in Bihar about the Tarapur Martyr Day.

On February 15, 1932, Britishers had mercilessly killed several of a group of brave young patriots, and the incident has not received as much publicity as it should have, he said.

Write books about the saga of valour during the period of freedom struggle in your area. Now, as India will celebrate 75 years of her freedom, your writings will be the best tribute to those heroes of our freedom. An initiative has been taken for young writers for the purpose of India Seventy-Five. This will encourage young writers of all states and of all languages, Modi said.

With the country observing Road Safety month between January 18 and February 17, the prime minister said road accidents are a matter of concern not just in our country but also the world over.

Modi often highlights the presence of different aspects of Indian tradition and culture in different parts of the world during his monthly radio address and this time spoke of yogas popularity in the South African country of Chile.

You will be pleased to know that there are more than 30 yoga schools in Santiago, the capital of Chile, he said, and noted that the name of the Vice President of the Chilean Senate is Rabindranath Quinteros, inspired by Indias Nobel laureate poet-philosopher Rabindranath Tagore.

The prime minister also highlighted remarkable efforts of individuals and groups of people in different parts of the country in various fields.

Boston police released images Saturday, asking for the publics help to identify the person pictured in connection with the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Tasjahnaya Dance.

Dance was shot in Dorchester on Jan. 22. Police got a call around 12:40 p.m. reporting a person shot in the area of Bowdoin Avenue and Washington Street.

Officers found Dance suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police said they wanted to identify the person pictured in connection with the ongoing investigation homicide investigation. Further information was not released.

Anyone with information is asked to call BPD homicide detectives at 617-343-4470.
One Syrian was killed on Sunday and four injured after Kurdish security forces opened fire at pro-government demonstrators in a northeastern city, state media said.

The state news agency SANA said the Kurdish forces opened fire at demonstrators protesting the siege on their neighborhood in Hassakeh city. The area is known as the security square and is controlled by government forces.

A video of the rally showed dozens of men gathering in a street on a rainy day as fire rang out over their heads. The men began chanting: ``With our souls, our blood we sacrifice for you Bashar,'' in reference to the Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A Kurdish-run news agency, Hawar, said security forces at a checkpoint in the city had come under fire, prompting its members to respond to the source of fire. The clashes led to the death of a government security member, the agency said.

The different accounts could not be immediately reconciled or independently verified in the city where both security forces have presence.

The Kurds, Syria's largest ethnic minority, have carved out a semi-autonomous enclave in Syria's north since the start of the civil war in 2011. In the area, they run their own affairs and control most of the country's oil resources.

In both Hassakeh and Qamishli cities, they share control with government forces_ which have presence in security zones, near the airport and in some neighborhoods. Both cities have a sizeable Kurdish population.

Tension occasionally erupts between the two sides, but the Kurdish forces have more presence and control there. In recent weeks, Kurdish forces have imposed a siege on government neighborhoods in Hassakeh and to a lesser degree in Qamishli.

In Hassakeh, the Kurdish forces prevented flour from entering the government-controlled areas, forcing bakeries to shut down in the last week. Fuel and water have also been prevented from passing through checkpoints erected around the neighborhoods. Amid the tension, the two sides have conducted arrest campaigns against each other's supporters and security members.

There was no immediate comment from the Kurdish forces. But Kurdish officials have previously said they were reacting to government troops which have imposed a siege and are harassing Kurdish-dominated neighborhoods in the northwestern Aleppo province where government is in control.

The Kurdish forces are backed by the U.S-led coalition, with which they fought Islamic State militants in Syria and ended their territorial control of large parts of the country in a military campaign that ended in 2019.

The U.S-led coalition still has forces in Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria, citing continued joint efforts to weed out the militants' remnants. The presence of US troops is another reason for tension between the Kurdish and government forces.

Russia, which conducts patrols in northeastern Syria and is a main backer of the Syrian government, has offered to mediate between the Kurdish forces and the government.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces have besieged Kurdish areas in northwestern Aleppo for month_ preventing foods and medical supplies from entering. The Kurdish forces responded by imposing a siege in on government areas in the two cities for the last 21 days.

The Observatory said it is not clear if the person killed in the protest was a civilian or member of the government security forces.rity forces.

Short link:


New Delhi:

Indian Army, Police and CRPF in a joint "cordon and search" operation on Sunday have trapped terrorists in Malangpora area of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was still underway and the forces were trying to nab the terrorists.

J&K: Army, police and CRPF begins cordon and search operation in Pulwama's Malangpora, terrorists suspected to be trapped in the area. pic.twitter.com/3Sc0YMvMvq  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

More details are awaited.

The incidents of infiltration and militant attacks in Kashmir are on the rise since past one and half year and the Army is aggressively hunting them out to make the atmosphere of Valley peaceful.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The newly appointed chief of ICSSR Braj Bihari Kumar has said that textbooks today are aimed at creating "activists" and not educating students. He termed universities like the JNU a 'nurturing ground' for them.



Kumar, who took over as the head of the apex body forv promoting research in social sciences in June, also believes that caste-based conflicts and intolerance are 'fringe' phenomena and should not be seen as a reflection of the Indian society as a whole.



"Textbooks are not meant for making students activists but for educating them. Unfortunately the books are driven by an agenda today and there is a need for a curriculum rehaul," the 76-year-old former anthropologist, who once famously called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the 'worst victim of intolerance', said.



"Textbooks are in bad shape today. I had found a map in a social science textbook which showed Jammu and Kashmir out of India, there was another one not showing northeast area as part of the country. There are several lapses in our textbooks," Kumar told PTI in an interview.



Kumar, who used to used to edit a journal, Dialogue, before he joined the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), had written in an editorial in 2016 that "NCERT textbooks are driven by political agenda and are partly responsible for the increasing social conflicts and anarchical trends in society".



"I had also written two letters to former HRD minister Smriti Irani pointing out the issue but I did not get any response," he said.



Kumar lashed out at 'JNU-like universities', claiming, 'several persons from a single family are massacred in Chhattisgarh and there is jubilation in JNU and a march in praise of the killers, much cannot be said about the kind of varsity that is.' He, however, did not elaborate.



He said though the JNU projected itself as one of the best universities, 'they can't claim excellence when they are hurting nationalist sentiments and becoming a nurturing ground for activists and not a place for education. Taxpayers do not pay money for activist-making'.



Kumar also said that 'caste-based conflicts' and 'intolerance' should not be seen as reflection of the Indian society in entirety.



"Caste-based conflicts, untouchability and intolerance are all fringe phenomena. They should not be treated as general phenomena and reflection of Indian society," he said.



Kumar, who had in one of his editorials in the journal 'Dialogue' had said that caste in its present form and intra- Hindu societal exploitation were "entirely non-Hindu factors" caused by "aggressive anti-Hindu agenda of conversion" by Muslim rulers, also said subjects like Hindu-Muslim riots and caste-based conflicts should not be part of curriculum.



The ICSSR was established in 1969 by the central government to promote research in social sciences. It gives grants to institutions and scholars, and reviews the progress of social science research.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The local stock market made the sharpest reversal in ten months on Monday, leaving investors wondering how a steep decline could turn into a strong gain without any clear catalysts.

After falling as low as 6517.2 during the first hour, the ASX climbed 146 points to close 0.8 per cent higher at 6663, its best result in almost two weeks.

The ASX 200 rose 0.8 per cent on Monday. Credit:Louie Douvis

The materials sector out-performed with a gain of 1.3 per cent despite Chinese manufacturing data coming in weaker than expected. And healthcare was up 1.7 per cent. Financials fell 2.2 per cent before finding a foothold and closing 0.9 per cent higher. The utilities sector dragged and electricity retailer AGL continued its scrape along at 12-year lows, closing at $11.45.

Portfolio manager at Tribeca Alpha Plus, Jun Bei Liu, said the ASX changed direction on Monday at about the same time US futures reversed a fall and started rising. The S&P500 mini was down 1.3 per cent in the morning, but up 0.4 per cent by the time the ASX closed.

Ms Liu said investors had been surprised by the buying opportunities that were suddenly created last week when some funds were forced to liquidate winners to cover short positions on stocks they thought were losers.

I still think there is a little bit more to go, she said.

I wouldnt be surprised if the US had a positive [session] tonight.

US reporting season was also doing better than expected with 38 per cent of companies already reporting, she added.

Meanwhile, Think Markets analyst Carl Capolingua said Mondays performances was the biggest positive intraday reversal since March 13 last year

Im not sure how much was confidence in the local market, and how much was simply the algorithms tracking moves in Asia, he said.

If youre a big fund with a pile of cash to put into the markets, the best way to get the liquidity you need is to buy into an obvious down open. With those sharp falls on Wall St. Friday, and weaker Chinese PMI data over the weekend, this morning was that sort of opportunity. Clearly, the price was right at the open, so they took it.

The biggest decline on the ASX was a 10.9 per cent fall in Worley Ltd to $10.18 due to delayed projects, and a 4.7 per cent fall in Service Stream. Online retailer Kogan declined 3.8 per cent to $17.31.

The biggest gains were enjoyed by Blackmores, up 8.9 per cent, and Mesoblast, up 5.6 per cent. But it was a 2.3 per cent gain in CSL, 1.4 per cent gain in Commonwealth Bank, and 1.3 per cent gain in BHP that contributed the most points.
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Nearly one in three federal MPs are suppressing their home addresses from public view, with female MPs more likely to do so than their male counterparts because of concerns about their personal safety.

An analysis of the federal electoral roll has found that 45 of 151 MPs have chosen to become silent electors, which means their address is not listed on the Australian Electoral Commissions public database - up from 36 of 150 MPs in 2016.

Labor MP Clare ONeil. Credit:Elke Meitzel

The figures include 16 of the 46 women in the lower house, or about 34 per cent, compared to 29 of 105 men, or 27 per cent.

The Sunday Age and Sun-Herald contacted female MPs from Coalition, Labor and the cross bench to learn why more women were choosing to suppress their home address and was told, without exception, there was growing concern about MPs personal safety and security, and that of their families.
New Delhi, Jan 31 : Ahead of organisational polls in the party slated for May, the Delhi Congress has passed a resolution calling for Rahul Gandhi to be appointed party President.

Delhi Congress chief Chowdhury Anil Kumar moved the resolution, to request Rahul Gandhi to take over as the President of the Congress at the earliest.

He said, "Considering the disturbed and dangerous political situation in the country, Congress needs a dynamic and powerful leader like Rahul Gandhi at the helm, to lead the party forcefully, to counter the communal, authoritarian and undemocratic forces, trying to take the country on the path of destruction." The resolution said that Rahul Gandhi has been waging a determined battle to "expose the misdeeds" of the Modi government, and his leading from the front as the Congress President was an urgent need to boost the confidence and morale of the Congress workers.

The two other resolutions demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, for their "mishandling" of the farmers' tractor rally and the resultant violence in Delhi, and alleged Kejriwal was also responsible for the present "state of ruin" in Delhi.

The resolution noted that "the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, had forcefully protested against the anti-farmer laws inside and outside Parliament and backed the farmers' agitation demanding the repeal of the laws which will be ruinous to the farm sector in the country, as the laws were intended to benefit a few rich corporate friends of the Modi government."

New Delhi: Several sectors in the country are battling a huge crisis in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic  one such sector being the hospitality sector. The industry in general is witnessing a massive distress due to low or no footfalls. The sparks of revival are few and far in between. According to one estimate, more than 40% of hotels in India are on the brink of closure.

At this crucial juncture, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement for the hospitality industry in the Union Budget 2021, is going to have a major impact on lakhs of people dependent on the sector.

Anirban Chakraborty, Managing Director & CEO, TFCI Ltd said that the travel and tourism sector has been one of the most impacted sectors during the course of the pandemic. Few sector specific sops may be considered by the government to help hospitality sector emerge out of this situation.

"Steps like reduction in GST slabs, waiver/normalization of various license fees, sector specific stimulus package (viz., interest support by government, additional funding by lenders, etc.) may be considered. Government should continue to encourage domestic tourism by extending and increasing the threshold LTA benefits for expenses incurred for domestic travels/stays. Tax exemption on MICE events; enhancing liquidity support by promoting hospitality focused AIFs with benefits like tax holidays, etc, he added.

Anirudh Lakhotia, Director- The Golden Tusk told Zee Media, "Progressive push from the government to this sector is the need of the hour to keep the Hospitality, its allied businesses such as travel companies and its workforce afloat".

Most importantly, rendering the industry status to sector will give a strong push to the sector allowing it to enjoy all the benefits which are issued to the manufacturing industry, in terms of subsidies, credit facilities, power rates etc, he said.

Lakhotia also highlighted the need for revision in GST structure for the hotel industry, keeping in mind the revival of inbound travel in the Budget 2021.

"For hotels having tariff of over Rs 7,500, if the GST on both- Room & Food is lowered to 12 percent than the current structure of 18 percent, it will put the Indian tax structure at par with other south-east Asian countries & make such hotels more affordable for domestic traveler as well," he added.

Further, if the tax structures are revised to increase disposable income of tax payers, it will boost the spending on non-essentials, travel & tourism being one of them. With inbound tourism still some time away to fully ease out, domestic tourism will definitely witness an increase in tourist inflow with increased disposable income, he said.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget 2021 in Lok Sabha at 11 AM. Union Budget 2021 will go paperless as the Finance Ministry has decided not to print the budget documents amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Touted to be a historic move, it will be for the first time in the history of independent India that the budget 2021 papers will not be printed.


Ines Basic made a dramatic arrival at part one of the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Sunday night.

The 30-year-old brunette bombshell couldn't hide her boredom, failing to interact with her peers, and even managing to throw an insult at rival Martha Kalifatidis.

'Salty as always,' one viewer posted on Twitter, shortly after Ines' arrival.

'So salty': Viewers turned on Ines Basic (pictured) for being 'salty' as she arrived looking extremely bored at the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Sunday

'Ines is easily the best on screen baddie since Darth Vader,' another said.

'Ines always looks incredible bored,' one also posted.

However, it wasn't all negative with some praising Ines for her laidback vibe.

'I'm so here for Ines' IDGAF (I don't give a f**k) energy,' one in particular wrote.

Not interested? Dressed in a skin-tight navy frock that accentuated her slender figure, Ines, 30, arrived at the Sydney studio for the rehearsal looking far from thrilled to be there

Dressed in a skin-tight navy frock that accentuated her slender figure, Ines arrived at the Sydney studio for the rehearsal looking far from thrilled to be there.

She lukewarmly greeted other MAFS stars including Troy Delmege and Ashley Irvin, casting unimpressed glances at the conversation.

Ines' behaviour may be surprising to some viewers, as in a piece-to-camera before arriving, Ines said she's 'grown up a bit'.

'I'm focused right now on the future': Ines' behaviour may be surprising to some viewers, as in a piece-to-camera before arriving, Ines said she's 'grown up a bit'

'I have grown up a bit, matured a bit. I'm really focused right now on just, like, the future and not going backwards,' she said while in a hotel suite.

Upon arriving, Ines admitted that she didn't 'know anyone' but was not particularly looking forward to seeing Martha, 32.

The former legal secretary couldn't help but throw an insult at Martha upon her arrival with beau Michael Brunelli.

Online: Viewers were quick to share their thoughts on Ines' behaviour on Twitter

Throwing shade: The former legal secretary couldn't help but throw an insult at Martha Kalifatidis (right) upon her arrival with beau Michael Brunelli (left)

'Michael and Martha walk in like the Royal Family. I just don't like that facade,' Ines said.

In a piece to camera, Martha claimed Ines had not 'changed at all'.

'Publicly between Ines and I... I was actually really hoping that she'll be civil but... she hasn't changed at all. She's the same exact person. She's not who I'm worried about, though,' she said.
New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow is calling for black Americans to launch a 'reverse Great Migration' and move back to the South to create racial majorities in the states their ancestors fled two centuries ago.

Blow presents his provocative proposal in his new book 'The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto', which hit bookstores last week.

In the original Great Migration, some six million black Americans fled from oppression in the Jim Crow-era South over the course of several decades in the 20th century in search of a better life.

Looking back through a modern lens, Blow asserts that 'the initial benefits of the Great Migration have given way, in many ways, to a stinging failure', citing the 'perpetual oppression' wrought by housing discrimination, police brutality, white nationalism and other forces.

'Black people fled the horrors of the racist South for so-called liberal cities of the North and West, trading the devil they knew for the devil they didn't, only to come to the painful realization that the devil is the devil,' he writes.

If they took a page from their ancestors and returned to the South in large numbers, Blow contends that black Americans could take on the 'devil' directly by creating a 'contiguous band of Black power that would upend America's political calculus and exponentially increase Black political influence'.

'The point here is not to impose a new racial hierarchy, but to remove an existing one,' he writes.

'After centuries of waiting for white majorities to overturn white supremacy, it seems to me that it has fallen to Black people to do it themselves.'

New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow (pictured) is calling for black Americans to launch a 'reverse Great Migration' and move back to the South to create a racial majorities in the states their ancestors fled two centuries ago

In the original Great Migration, some six million black Americans fled from oppression in the Jim Crow-era South over the course of several decades in the 20th century in search of a better life. Pictured: Black families lined the streets of New York to celebrate the homecoming of the 369th Army infantry unit in 1919 amid the Great Migration

In recent interviews Blow has said he was inspired to write 'The Devil You Know' after Black Lives Matter protests exploded around the US last summer following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest in Minneapolis on May 25.

Blow presents his provocative proposal in his new book 'The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto', which hit bookstores last week

In his book Blow downplays the power of those protests, saying they were fueled by 'cabin fever racial consciousness' during the coronavirus pandemic and arguing that they will not yield significant results in the long term.

He contends that the best way to actually make change is by leveraging the current political system and centralizing black power at the state level.

'The mission begins with the states,' he writes, 'which are the true centers of power in this country, and as such control the lion's share of the issues that bedevil Black lives: criminal justice, judicial processes, education, health care, economic opportunity and assistance.

'In a society and system in which white supremacy is ubiquitous and inveterate, Black people need fierce advocates to help restore the balance in the first instance.'

Blow summarized his proposal from the book into a column for the New York Times earlier this month, describing how he had already followed his own advice and moved from New York to Atlanta.

He criticizes Northern cities like his former hometown, saying that black communities there were 'abandoned by the Black elite and spurned by white progressives' and have become 'permanent refugee camps'.

'White people in destination cities are committed to the same control over the Black body to which the law has been dedicated in this country from the beginning, a strategy that the modern North has adapted from the historical South,' he writes.

Blow (pictured) boiled down his proposal from the book into a column for the New York Times earlier this month, describing how he had already followed his own advice and moved from New York to Atlanta

Meanwhile, Blow says the South has made more progress, becoming 'a country within a country . . . a new Africa in America'.

He stresses that the South is already home to 1,000 of the 1,200 majority-black cities and towns in the United States, and calls to build upon those majorities at the state level.

Blow also notes that without the Great Migration in the 20th century, many states would already have black majorities in power.

'If the Great Migration hadn't taken place, Black people could control or form the majority influence for as many as ninety Electoral College votes, more than California and New York State combined,' he writes.

'And if they and other groups voted the same way that they do now, they could have ensured that almost every president in the last fifty years was a Democrat.'

Blow argues that the Great Migration 'cleaved the Black community culturally', between those who stayed and those who left, and says now is the time 'to reunite and reconcile these two factions' and 'remember that our trauma history is not our total history'.

He points to last year's presidential election in Georgia - where Stacey Abrams helped turn the state blue by mobilizing voter registration for some 800,000 black residents - as 'proof of concept' for his proposal.

Several reviewers criticized how the proposal is more of a stretched-out idea than a road map, lacking details about how a reverse Great Migration could actually be achieved.

In a review for the Washington Post, Carlos Lozada criticized Blow's proposal as 'reflecting a simplified interpretation of history' and questioned whether the 'course-correction' Blow imagines would actually come to fruition.

In his book Blow describes his proposal as 'grand' and 'revolutionary' - an apparent acknowledgement of its practical limitations.

But his hope is that readers will join him in asking this question: 'What could and should Black people do to acquire and maintain the economic and political power  for the many, not just for the few  that the Great Migration failed to secure?'
A two-week ban on foreign travel took effect in Portugal on Sunday as the country grapples with the worst surge in Covid-19 cases anywhere in the world.

The few exceptions include international professional activities, medical emergencies, goods transport or to reunite families, the interior ministry has said.

According to AFP data, Portugal is the world's worst-hit country relative to its population of about 10 million.

Nearly half of the 12,000 Covid-19 deaths have occurred in January alone during a third wave of the virus, and Portugal went into a second general lockdown on January 15.

Border controls have been re-established at land routes into Portugal's only neighbour Spain, at a reduced number of crossing points.

At Elvas, one of the main border crossings some 200 kilometres (120 miles) east of the capital Lisbon, police and customs officials checked dozens of motorists Sunday morning, an AFP journalist saw.

For air travel, Lisbon has set different criteria for flights arriving from fellow EU countries and the Schengen area depending on the severity of the virus situation in each nation.

Passengers from less affected countries such as Norway are not restricted, while those from countries with situations deemed intermediate, like France, must show negative Covid-19 tests conducted less than 72 hours before boarding.

Worse-hit countries such as Spain and Ireland must additionally observe a 14-day quarantine from the date of arrival in Portugal.

Portugal has also suspended all flights to Britain and Brazil because of new, more contagious variants originating in the two countries.

bcr/ial/gd/har

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

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The Victorian Institute of Technology in Melbourne has promoted scholarships that offer onshore international students fee discounts of 15 per cent to 25 per cent for information technology and systems bachelors and masters degrees. The discounts offered to offshore students are up to 50 per cent. Fee discounts for a masters of business administration range from 40 to 50 per cent. Loading Swinburne University of Technology has offered international students fee discounts of between 30 per cent and 75 per cent through scholarships. A spokesman for Swinburne said its website needed to be updated, but the university offered a range of scholarships to support students financially during these challenging times. The Australian Institute of Higher Education in Sydney offers a Women in Stem scholarship worth $6000 per trimester for students in the bachelor of business information systems. It also offers a 20 per cent bursary on standard fees for all courses and flexible payment plans to onshore international students. The Australian National University last year offered up to $13,000 towards on-campus accommodation costs in the first year of study, and a 25 per cent fee waiver for international students in the second year of study, valued at up to $12,000. The scholarship is not available this year and has been replaced with a merit-based scholarship worth $25,000 a year including a once-off per annum fee waiver ranging between $15,000 and $25,000 for high calibre students.

Universities Admissions Centre data also shows ATARs for courses including the bachelor of commerce at the UNSW dropped from 96 last year to 93 this year. The ATAR for a bachelor of business fell from 90.1 last year to 85.05 this year. Deputy vice-chancellor Merlin Crossley said UNSW reduced ATARs for a number of courses including engineering and science. New enrolments of international students are at about 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Domestic student enrolments were up on last year but limited by federal government caps. We are not suddenly trying to poach students from other places. We are all hurting, Professor Crossley said. We are a smaller university now, next year and the year after.

Loading Some industries will bounce back quite quickly if borders open, but we are going to struggle to bounce back. UNSW has cut 500 staff to manage its budget and is among major universities heavily reliant on international student fee revenue to fund research, which the federal government has propped up for one year with a $1 billion. We are holding on, but we cant hold on forever. We wont be able to keep up with research, Professor Crossley said. Figures published in 2019 annual reports for universities show UTS generated $472 million in revenue from international students and had $163.8 million in cash reserves which could potentially be depleted by a 35 per cent drop in international fee income. A 33 per cent drop in international fee revenue could similarly deplete Southern Crosss estimated $31.2 million in cash or near cash assets. UNSW would need to experience a 60 per cent drop in fee revenue to deplete cash reserves according to the analysis, but last years restructure was used to manage its budget.

A UTS spokesman said it was using a variety of measures in conjunction with cash reserves. Mechanisms such as deferral of capital expenditure on buildings or other infrastructure, restructuring of borrowings and reduced expenditure through efficiency measures are just some of the levers that are available, the spokesman said. A University of Sydney spokeswoman said demand from local students has been higher than ever without any reductions in fees or entry requirements for international students. The university confirmed its international student fee income for 2019 was $1.062 billion and the reported value of its cash, cash equivalents and other financial assets was $2264.2 million, but said this could not be easily liquidated and turned into cash. While our annual report data might suggest we have significant resources, the majority of our income is quarantined for specific purposes and is not available to support day-to-day operations, the spokeswoman said.

Data from the Universities Admissions Centre shows there has been a 5.5 per cent increase in the number of new applications from students who had partly completed a bachelor degree, which suggests they are transferring to another course. This was part of a 9 per cent increase overall in the number of applications from people other than those who completed year 12 last year. Loading Professor Scott Harrison, acting deputy vice-chancellor at Griffith University said it was getting national interest in its courses this year. He said there has been a 20 per cent increase in demand for music and performing arts courses and people are prepared to travel. Charles Sturt University interim vice-chancellor professor John Germov said wealthier universities had previously targeted students with high ATARs with scholarships, but were now using more aggressive advertising, alternative entry and early offer programs.

Ben Roche, who is vice president for engagement at Southern Cross University said it was feeling relatively comfortable with its cash levels. He said across the sector there had been increased competition for students and fierce demand to try and dangle incentives in front of current students who are onshore. We havent changed our fees, but the bit we do ratchet occasionally, which I have to say I dont think is a very prudent long-term strategy, is the volume of fee-waiver scholarships, which is effectively fee discounting, he said. I think universities are becoming more concerned around discounting price in an absolute sense, so they are using other levers and incentives. Peter Hurley, education policy fellow at Victoria Universitys Mitchell Institute said competition for onshore international students would be unsurprising because with borders closed they are the main source of new enrolments. In November, enrolments were about 14 per cent below the same time the previous year, but another 21 per cent of students were due to finish their courses by January.
Now, you can be part of the pre-loved book fam By Shannine Daniel View(s): View(s):

Secondhand bookshops in Colombo and its suburbs have for years been the haunt of bookworms in search of their favourite authors, and also students looking for cheaper alternatives for expensive textbooks. Some like the old bookshops located on D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha in Colombo 10, known to generations have been a family business.

However, in recent years, many book lovers have taken to social media to purchase their quota of secondhand books. Facebook pages such as Bargain Book Corner and The Book Mark and Instagram pages such as Preloved Books LK (prelovedbooks.lk) and Book Haven  Used Books (bookhaven_usedbooks.td) have gained popularity within a short time.

There are prominent Facebook groups too for avid readers. Book Swap Colombo, which was originally a group created to post news about the Book Swap event that used to take place once a month or so in Colombo, has also turned into a sort of virtual marketplace that allows people to buy and sell secondhand books.

There are other Facebook groups such as Second Hand Books for Sale  Sri Lanka and Buy & Sell Used Books  Sri Lanka which allow people to advertise their secondhand books, and help readers find the books they are looking for, that have a large following.

The Book Mark

I think its great that there is resale value for secondhand books in Sri Lanka. Not only does it help to circulate books among readers, it gives people a chance to try new authors or books that they would otherwise not be able to at an affordable price, said Chathu Perera, owner of The Book Mark.

A stay-at-home mum with two young children, who runs The Bookmark through a Facebook page, Chathu began around three years ago by selling a few books from her own collection. She now sells secondhand novels, classical literature, biographies, self-help guides, comics and childrens books.

Secondhand books are more affordable, and there is no stress of trying to read a brand new copy without creasing or staining the pages. I used to get books from other countries whenever I could, but after the COVID crisis began, I started buying books locally, Chathu added.

The Book Mark is a part-time venture right now, and Chathu hopes to one day open an eclectic little book store, filled with haphazardly piled books and coffee.

I want it to be a space for deep conversations, and a safe haven for bookworms to make connections and create memories, she says.

Book Haven Used Books

Book Haven Used Books is a part-time venture by a 24-year-old University of Sri Jayewardenepura graduate on Instagram. Readers can find English fiction and non-fiction books, from fantasy and adventure novels to self-help guides, through this online store.

I think the number of people in Sri Lanka, who have become familiar with the concept of buying and selling secondhand books is increasing gradually, as more people are starting to buy secondhand books, said the owner of Book Haven Used Books.

I have always been an avid reader and I wanted to start a side business. During the curfew period I had time to think about my future, and I was following several online bookstores on Instagram. I noticed some of these booksellers were selling books at exorbitant prices. So I decided to do the same at affordable prices.

Though a fairly new store on Instagram, operating since June last year, they already have more than a 1000 followers, and are gaining popularity on the platform.

Preloved Books LK

Also popular on Instagram is Preloved Books LK, which also has more than a thousand followers, despite being launched only in June 2020. Its run by 25-year-old Haifa Saheed and her husband Mehraz Zaneer, and they mainly sell fiction of a variety of genres, as she finds many of her customers prefer fiction to non-fiction.

I love referring to my customers as my book fam as it creates a sense of belonging and togetherness. So far this has been such a blessing and I am so grateful to everyone for their support, Haifa told the Sunday Times Magazine. There are a lot of Facebook and Instagram pages that are in this business, and I think its great. I have bought books from other online stores. The immense support we give each other is amazing, she adds.

Though Haifa said she faced difficulties dispatching orders during the lockdown, she believes the secondhand book business is growing spectacularly in Sri Lanka. It amazes me that more people are willing to buy preloved books instead of new ones, Haifa said.

I feel that passing a book down from one reader to another is a great responsibility. I recently had to sell my Harry Potter books and although it was heart wrenching, I knew the person who received it would be able to experience an adventure that helped me get through some difficult days, she added.

Second Chance Books

Second Chance Books is an online secondhand bookstore operating on Facebook, which mainly sells English and Sinhala fiction. Speaking to the Sunday Times Magazine, the owner who wishes to remain anonymous, said the venture is a hobby as well as a part-time business.

Second Chance Books has been in operation since 2019, and it gives the owner the opportunity of selling her pre-loved books (in good condition) to interested bookworms.

Readers in Sri Lanka love buying and selling pre-loved books. Being a bookworm myself, I think its a good way to promote the habit of reading. Its also a very convenient method of getting books we love at a reasonable price, and we can resell the books we have to make room for more books, she said.

Customers reach out to Second Chance Books through Facebook and Facebook Messenger, and can contact her on 070 430 5858. They can also choose to pick up books purchased, or have them delivered.
Bengaluru: Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala was discharged from a hospital here on Sunday (January 31) after recovering from COVID-19, days after she was set free by the prison officials on completion of her jail term in a corruption case, authorities said.

Sending a strong signal, Sasikala, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, travelled in a car that sported the AIADMK flag from the hospital, with the ruling party questioning the propriety of her action when she had been ousted from the party.

The AIADMK has time and again made it clear that the 66 -year old Sasikala would not be taken back and her release would not have any impact on the party, which is keen retain power in the assembly elections, expected in April-May.

It has already declared incumbent K Palaniswami as the chief ministerial candidate for the polls.

Sasikala was expelled from the party in September, 2017 along with her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and others by the general council of the combined AIADMK under the leadership of Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam after the two merged their respective factions.

On Sunday, the AIADMK in its twitter handle said the use of its flag by Sasikala was against the law and quoted senior party leader D Jayakumar.

"How Sasikala, who is not even a party member could use the party flag? This is against the law," Jayakumar, who is also the Fisheries Minister, said.

Defending Sasikala, Dhinakaran, who is the general secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) floated by him in March, 2018 as an arrangement to retrieve the AIADMK, claimed "she (his aunt) is the general secretary of the AIADMK."

Cases relating to her so-called 'expulsion' and connected matters were pending before the court in Tamil Nadu, he told reporters, adding "I have already told you that legal fight will continue (to retrieve the AIADMK)."

The very purpose of floating the AMMK was to retrieve the AIADMK in a democratic way and 'Thiyaga Thalaivi Chinnamma' (leader of sacrifices, junior 'Amma') would continue legal efforts to win back the party, he said.

Dhinakaran said as per doctors' advice she would stay back here and take rest for a week before returning to Chennai.

AIADMK deputy coordinator K P Munusamy rejected Dhinakaran's claim that "Sasikala is the general secretary."

The party decided that late leader 'Amma' alone could be the permanent general secretary and reflecting this position, party rules were amended and a new party structure of coordinator, co-coordinator and deputy coordinators was brought in, he told reporters in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district.

"The opinion that Sasikala is the general secretary is expressed out of selfishness. It is not acceptable," he said.

He denounced Sasikala using the party flag in her car and said it was 'condemnable' since she was not with the party. On AMMK's claim to 'retrieve' the AIADMK, Munusamy said Dhinakaran tried his best to 'capture' the party but could not succeed.

Such a claim was laughable and aimed at only protecting him, he said adding Dhinakaran was expelled from the party by Amma about a decade ago. He asserted that there was absolutely no scope for a merger of AMMK with his party since Dhinakaran attempted to destroy the AIADMK and dislodge the government.

If he submitted a letter apologising for such activities, the party top leadership would take a decision on it, he said.

Political analyst Sumanth Raman tweeted "#Sasikala coming out of hospital in a car with an AIADMK flag on it seems to be a clear signal of her intentions. Game on."

Soon after she was discharged, Sasikala reached a resort near the scenic Nandi Hill at Devanahalli in North Bengaluru.

Sasikala was admitted to the Victoria Hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 recently while under judicial custody.

Prison authorities here had formally released her on January 27 after she completed the four-year jail term in a Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

On the advice of doctors, she remained in the hospital and was discharged on Sunday after her latest test reports came negative for COVID-19, hospital officials said.

A huge crowd of her supporters greeted Sasikala as she came out of the hospital. More than 300 police personnel were deployed in the area to ensure law and order, police said.

Sambasivan, one of her supporters from Hosur in the border district of Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, told PTI that this was like a festival for him.

Sasikala's release comes ahead of the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and the course of action taken by her would be keenly watched.

The Supreme Court sentenced her to four year simple imprisonment on February 14, 2017 at a time when she was set to take over as the Chief Minister subsequent to her election as the AIADMK legislature party leader.

After the sentence that also barred her from contesting elections for six years after completion of the term, she chose Palaniswami to be the chief minister.

Before coming here to serve the sentence, Sasikala had made a dramatic vow at the 'samadhi' of Jayalalithaa, though she did not openly declare what it was all about.

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This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-03-04, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
Ten moderate Republican U.S. senators urged Democratic President Joe Biden on Sunday to significantly downsize his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to win bipartisan support as Democrats in Congress prepared to push ahead with his plan this week.

A top White House economic adviser signaled willingness to discuss the ideas raised by Republican senators who floated a $600 billion alternative, but said the president was not willing to compromise on the need for a comprehensive bill to address the public health crisis and economic fallout.

"He is open to ideas, wherever they may come. ... What he's uncompromising about is the need to move with speed on a comprehensive approach here," Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, told NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "A piecemeal approach ... is not a recipe for success."

It was unclear whether the outreach by 10 of the 50 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would shift plans by congressional Democrats to take up legislation in the coming days. Biden and fellow Democrats are seeking to make use of their control of the House of Representatives and Senate to move quickly on the president's top goal of addressing the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said his chamber would begin work on it as early as this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress would complete a preliminary step before the end of the week.

Congress enacted $4 trillion in COVID-19 relief last year.

Passage of the new relief legislation not only would impact Americans and businesses reeling during a pandemic that has killed about 440,000 people in the United States but also offers an early test of Biden's promise to work to bridge the partisan divide in Washington. Biden took office on Jan. 20.

Biden's proposal includes $160 billion for vaccines and testing, $170 billion for schools and universities, and funds to give certain Americans a $1,400 per-person stimulus check, among other provisions.

Some Republicans have questioned the overall price tag, while others urged more targeted measures, particularly over the direct payments to individuals.

In their letter to Biden, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney and seven other senators asked Biden for a meeting and said their compromise proposal could be quickly passed with bipartisan support, promising more details on Monday.

They said their proposal sought more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses, while echoing Biden's plan for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and childcare centers. They also pointed to unspent money from previous COVID-19 relief bills.

"Ours is about $600 billion. ... We're targeted to the needs of the American people," Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the 10 senators, told "Fox News Sunday."

Deese said the White House was reviewing their letter but did not say whether Biden would meet with the group, which also included Republicans Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young, Jerry Moran, Michael Rounds and Rob Portman.

The United States leads the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths by a large margin. Biden's administration is seeking to scale up lagging vaccination efforts as new problematic variants of the novel coronavirus emerge.

Some moderate Democrats also urged changes to Biden's package while more liberal Democrats have pushed for more spending and other provisions such as a federal minimum wage hike to $15-an-hour - more than double the current $7.25-and-hour.

Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat from the conservative state of South Dakota, told CNN's "State of the Union" program that the Republicans' letter was "a positive sign that folks want to work together."

With the Senate split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris wielding the tie-breaking vote, Democrats are considering using a parliamentary tool called "reconciliation" that would allow the chamber to approve the bill with a simple majority. Under Senate rules, legislation usually requires 60 votes for passage.

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The issue of vaccinating pregnant women against COVID-19 is controversial because they were excluded from initial vaccine clinical trials.

In theory, vaccination would protect both mother and newborn because disease-fighting antibodies to the coronavirus would cross the placenta from the mothers blood into fetal circulation.

But without solid data to support that theory, public health authorities and medical groups are divided about whether vaccination should be offered to pregnant women before studies prove its safe and effective for them.

A new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers, published Friday in JAMA Pediatrics, sheds some light. It finds that infected pregnant women transfer high levels of coronavirus antibodies to their newborns  a hint that vaccination might confer immunity on both.

Many questions remain to be answered. Heres what is known and unknown so far.

How dangerous is COVID-19 for pregnant women and their babies?

Women are now routinely tested for COVID-19 when they go to the hospital to give birth. Many of them, research shows, are infected but have no symptoms. An analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found slightly more than half of 548 hospitalized pregnant women who tested positive were asymptomatic.

The chance of severe COVID-19 in pregnant women is low  but significantly higher than in nonpregnant women, according to the CDC, perhaps because of physiologic changes in pregnancy.

COVID-19 is rare in newborns of mothers who had the disease while pregnant, suggesting perinatal transmission is uncommon. Most newborns who tested positive for COVID-19 had mild or no symptoms and recovered, the CDC says.

That is a reassuring contrast to some other viruses. Rubella (German measles) and the Zika virus readily pass to the fetus and can cause devastating defects.

Is there reason to think COVID-19 vaccination would be harmful for pregnant women?

The short answer is no. Even though pregnant women have been excluded from vaccine trials, a small number got pregnant during studies of the two authorized vaccinations, made by Moderna and Pfizer. Those women continued in the trials and no safety concerns emerged.

Both vaccines activate ultrahigh levels of antibodies to COVID-19  far more than the bodys natural immune response.

There is no data that suggests these vaccines cause harm in pregnant women  but there just isnt a lot of data on this, said Scott Hensley, a Penn microbiologist and co-author of the new antibody study.

It should be noted that some vaccinations, such as flu and whooping cough, are highly recommended for pregnant women. Pregnancy increases the chance of being hospitalized with influenza, and both flu and whooping cough can be deadly to infants.

What do we know about maternal and fetal immune responses to COVID-19?

Relatively little, which is why the Penn study is valuable.

Penn researchers tested blood samples from 1,471 women and umbilical cord blood from their newborns to look for antibodies that the body produces to fight COVID-19 infection. High levels of IgG  an antibody that lasts for months or years in other types of infection  were found in 83 women and 72 of their infants.

The 11 infants who didnt show signs of antibody transfer may have had levels too low to detect, probably because their mothers were in the early days of infection, said study co-author Karen Puopolo, a neonatologist at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and associate professor of pediatrics at Penns Perelman School of Medicine.

We were consistently able to detect IgG in cord blood if at least 17 days had passed since the infection began, she said.

Among the remaining unknowns, Puopolo said, is what antibody level is protective for an infant and how long the protection lasts.

We see our work as a first step, she said. Our work doesnt comment on whether or not pregnant women should be vaccinated.

Where do expert groups stand on that issue?

The World Health Organization recommends withholding COVID-19 vaccines from pregnant women unless they are at high risk of exposure to the virus, or have chronic health conditions that could worsen an infection.

But even the WHO says, We dont have any specific reason to believe there will be specific risks that would outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine stress that women who want to be vaccinated should not be denied solely based on their pregnancy or lactation status.

The CDC agrees, while recognizing that limited vaccine supplies may affect access: If pregnant people are part of a group that is recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., health-care personnel), they may choose to be vaccinated.

The ob-gyns group, the maternal-fetal medicine society, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academy of Medicine have consistently advocated for including pregnant and breastfeeding women in vaccine trials in general.

Pfizer plans to launch a clinical trial of its vaccine in pregnant women by June, while Moderna is establishing a registry to record outcomes in pregnant women, the New York Times reported this week.
Queenslands Police Commissioner says she expects more men to be charged over the gang rape of two teenage girls in a Brisbane park.

Four men have now been charged with a combined 160 offences stemming from the assault in a park in Calamvale in Brisbanes south on December 28 last year.

Calamvale District Park, where the gang rape is alleged to have taken place.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll said on Sunday that the investigation into the assault is ongoing, and she expected more of the men involved to be charged in the coming days.

This is a sickening incident, and something those young girls will have to live with for the rest of their lives, Ms Carroll said.
Thomas Catenacci, writing at the Daily Caller reports:

Large corporations have endorsed and lobbied for a $15 federal minimum wage in recent years, but while they can afford such a policy, small businesses would be harmed, multiple studies have shown.

More than doubling the federal minimum wage is one of the policies that would threaten the fragile small business economic recovery, said National Federation of Independent Business Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman.

The $15 minimum wage would result in 1.3 million workers losing their jobs, a 2019 Congressional Budget Office report estimated.

Large corporations have endorsed and lobbied for a $15 federal minimum wage in recent years, but while they can afford such a policy, small businesses would be harmed, studies have shown.

Many corporations, once known for their opposition to raising the federal minimum wage, have reversed course in recent years, raising their own wages to $15 per hour and lobbying the federal government to legislate an increase. While larger corporations have determined they could benefit from such a reversal, studies continue to show a federal minimum wage hike will crush small business.

The small business economy is very fragile right now, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman told the Daily Caller News Foundation. And anything that hampers that small business recovery should be avoided.

More than doubling the federal minimum wage is one of the policies that would threaten the fragile small business economic recovery, he said. (RELATED: WILFORD: The Lefts Unhinged Reaction To $15 Minimum Wage Legislation)

Kuhlman said corporations are able to afford minimum wage increases because of their larger profit margins. Lobbying for minimum wage increases also puts corporations at a competitive advantage over their small business competitors who cannot afford the added costs.

The economic burden of a $15 federal minimum wage would disproportionately fall on small business owners since they dont have the cash reserves or profit margins to account for the added costs like corporations do, the NFIB Research Center found in a 2020 study. The minimum wage would cause small businesses to stop expanding or even downsize.

Small businesses do not have the resources to absorb such a dramatic increase in costs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Employment Policy Marc Freedman wrote in 2019.

The $15 minimum wage would result in 1.3 million workers losing their jobs, a 2019 Congressional Budget Office report estimated. (RELATED: How A $15 Minimum Wage Could Move Jobs From Red States To Blue States)

In July 2019, the House passed legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025, but the bill never received a vote in the Senate. On behalf of the NFIB, Kuhlman criticized a 2021 revival of the legislation in a recent letter of opposition.

At a time when small businesses are confronted with the worst pandemic in more than 100 years, Congress should not be considering saddling them with a costly new mandate, he wrote in the letter shared with the DCNF.

Advocates of a $15 minimum wage law have argued that the current $7.25 per hour minimum wage contributes to increasing income inequality. Businesses can afford to pay their employees higher wages and stand to benefit from a stimulated economy, according to a recent report from the progressive think tanks Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and National Employment Law Project (NELP).

Corporations such as McDonalds and Amazon, which routinely report billions of dollars in profit, have endorsed this view. In the process, they have joined the ranks of EPI, NELP and labor unions like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), which has butted heads with corporations on minimum wage policy.

We do have a perspective on elements of this discussion, McDonalds Vice President of U.S. Government Relations Genna Gent wrote in 2019, The New York Times reported. We believe increases should be phased in and that all industries should be treated the same way.

Gent added that the company would stop using its resources including lobbyists or staff to oppose minimum wage increases, according to the Times. (RELATED: Biden Chief Of Staff Dodges Question On Whether Administration Would Consider Tabling Minimum Wage Increase)

Amazon went further in 2018, pledging to actively lobby Congress to increase the minimum wage while increasing its own companywide minimum wage to $15 per hour. Senior Vice President of Amazon Global Corporate Affairs Jay Carney, who was White House press secretary under former President Barack Obama, reiterated the companys view on an increased minimum wage in a blog post Tuesday.

During the last congressional session, Amazon advocated for the previous version of the Raise the Wage Act, which passed in the House but stalled in the Senate, Carney wrote. We will continue our advocacy this Congress.

Facebook, Target, Costco, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JP Morgan and Google have all announced support for a higher minimum wage since 2019, increasing their own wages in the process.

A number of our members that have substantial retail operations are very concerned about image, Roger King, senior labor and employment counsel with the HR Policy Association, a trade group of large employers, told CNN in 2019.

Theyre very concerned about marketability of their product, and they dont want to be a poster child for poor working conditions, King continued. (RELATED: Heres How President Bidens Executive Orders Could Hurt Workers)

Kuhlman agreed with King. Corporations have learned to factor public perception into their support for the minimum wage increase, he told the DCNF.

Corporations get a PR benefit, Kuhlman said. There is also a political benefit given the makeup of Congress and the administration.

Corporations weigh the costs of a higher minimum wage, which can be absorbed by large profit margins, with the benefits of better public perception, he added. Corporations may also free up money by laying off workers, investing in technology or cutting other employee benefits, all while keeping their minimum wage high.

Madeline Dovi contributed to this report.
Vietnam's Communist Party on Sunday reelected Nguyen Phu Trong to be its chief, the state Vietnam News Agency reported.His selection makes him the nation's de facto leader for a third five-year term.

The vote at the 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi took place a day earlier than planned, as the meeting, scheduled to end Tuesday, was being shortened to lessen the threat from a coronavirus outbreak, which last week spread to the capital city.Vietnam is a single-party Communist state, so party leaders almost automatically assume leadership of the government, though debates can take place within the party's bodies and the legislature.

The 1,587 delegates at the congress were selected in a process that began at the party's grassroots.Trong is known for his tough stance against corruption, and during his second term there were several high profile corruption cases that made it to trial, including those of two former Cabinet ministers and Hanoi's former mayor.

The challenges facing Vietnam include long-term economic planning and dealing with pressure from neighboring China, which asserts claims over offshore territory in the South China Sea where Vietnam is seeking to develop oil and gas resources.Hanoi is expected to maintain a delicate balance of relations with Beijing and Washington to leverage US power as a counterweight to the threat from China.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)

Big Tech companies, including Google and Twitter, are pulling the plug on disfavored posts, websites, and even people. They rely on section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act to justify censorship.

One way around section 230 is to enact state laws that ban viewpoint discrimination by tech companies. I discussed that project here and here. John followed up with this post about his efforts to advance such legislation in Minnesota.

Prof. Phillip Hamburger suggests another approach. In this Wall Street Journal op-ed, he argues that the Constitution can crack Section 230, by causing courts to construe it as not providing Big Tech with a license to censor with impunity.

Section 230 states:

No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be held liable on account of . . . any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected.

(Emphasis added)

But can the government really privatize the censorship of constitutionality protected material? Hamburger thinks not.

He notes that seventeenth-century censorship, which the First Amendment clearly prohibited, was also imposed largely through private entities, such as universities and the Stationers Company, Englands printers trade guild. Hamburger continues:

Some of the material that can be restricted under Section 230 is clearly protected speech. Consider its enumeration of objectionable material. The vagueness of this term would be enough to make the restriction unconstitutional if Congress directly imposed it. That doesnt mean the companies are violating the First Amendment, but it does suggest that the government, in working through private companies, is abridging the freedom of speech. This constitutional concern doesnt extend to ordinary websites that moderate commentary and comments; such controls are their right not only under Section 230 but also probably under the First Amendment. Instead, the danger lies in the statutory protection for massive companies that are akin to common carriers and that function as public forums. The First Amendment protects Americans even in privately owned public forums, such as company towns, and the law ordinarily obliges common carriers to serve all customers on terms that are fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory. Here, however, it is the reverse. Being unable to impose the full breadth of Section 230s censorship, Congress protects the companies so they can do it. Some Southern sheriffs, long ago, used to assure Klansmen that they would face no repercussions for suppressing the speech of civil-rights marchers. Under the Constitution, government cannot immunize powerful private parties in the hope that they will voluntarily carry out unconstitutional policy.

(Emphasis added)

There is also the question of whether Congress has the power under the Commerce Clause to immunize restrictions by carriers on constitutionality protected speech. Hamburger writes:

The expansion of the commerce power to include regulation of speech is. . .worrisome. This is not to dispute whether communication and information are commerce, but rather to recognize the constitutional reality of lost freedom. The expansion of the commerce power endangers Americans liberty to speak and publish. That doesnt necessarily mean Section 230 is unconstitutional. But when a statute regulating speech rests on the power to regulate commerce, there are constitutional dangers, and ambiguities in the statute should be read narrowly.

(Emphasis added)

Hamburger identifies several ambiguities in Section 230. First, what does Section 230(c) mean when it protects tech companies from being held liable for restricting various sorts of speech? This is widely assumed to mean they cant be sued. But Hamburger points out that the word liable has two meanings.

In a civil suit, a court must first consider whether the defendant has violated a legal duty or someone elses right and is therefore legally responsible. If the answer is yes, the court must decide on a remedy, which can include damages, injunctive relief and so forth. The term held liable as used in Section 230(c) can fall into either category. Thus, the protection of tech companies from being held liable may merely mean they cant be made to pay damages, not that they cant be held responsible and subjected to other remedies. The former interpretation seems more plausible, if only because a mere ambiguity seems a weak basis for barring a vast class of plaintiffs from recourse to the courts on a matter as central as their speech.

There is also the matter of the material that the companies can restrict without fear of being sued for damages. Hamburger explains:

Section 230(c) protects them for any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material of various sorts. Even before getting to the enumerated categories of material, it is important to recognize that the statute refers only to material. It says nothing about restricting persons or websites. To be sure, the statute protects the companies for any action restricting the relevant material, and if taken literally any action could include various nuclear options, such as barring persons and demonetizing or shutting down websites. But the term any action cant be taken to include actions that restrict not only the pertinent material but also other things. Any action has to be focused on such material. . .[not] other things, such as websites and persons.

Theres a whole lot more about the statute in Hamburgers piece. I encourage you to read the whole thing.

The bottom line is that, given the constitutional concerns about section 230(c), courts should read it narrowly. And read narrowly, the section offers Big Tech considerably less leeway to censor than Big Tech now exercises.
A health care worker died after receiving his second vaccine dose against COVID-19 on January 9, but his family still urged others to get vaccinated.

Tim Zook, a 60-year-old health care worker at South Coast Global Medical Center, complained of an upset stomach after getting his second vaccine worker. He also had trouble breathing, according to Orange County Register.

These complications arose four days after Zook received his second vaccine dose. In the afternoon of January 9, the he was walked to the emergency room because of how bad his condition had been.

Zook's death is still under investigation and his family isn't going to jump conclusions on the role played by the second vaccine dose in his death, reported KTLA.

Zook Shared Hopeful Message After Getting Second Vaccine Dose

As an X-ray technologist for the hospital, Zook witnessed COVID-19 patients struggle to breathe as devastated families suffered from loss.

Zook managed for 11 months as he also grappled with his own fears about the deadly coronavirus.

After getting his second vaccine dose, Zook finally felt hopeful and he didn't waste time in sharing his enthusiasm online.

Read also: Portuguese Health Worker Dies Two Days After Receiving Pfizer Vaccine, Autopsy Results Unknown

In a Facebook post, Zook brimmed with optimism.

"Never been so excited to get a shot before," he wrote on Jan. 5. His post came with a photo of the Band-Aid on his arm and his COVID-19 vaccination card.

His wife, Rochelle Zook, recalled the work he did over the past year in helping COVID-19 patients.

She added that her husband often went home very emotional after all the death he witnessed. "But he never gave up," she added, also talking about her husband's belief in vaccines.

Upon getting walked to the emergency room, Zook texted his wife about the situation who then asked if it was possible that it was a reaction to the vaccine.

"I'm not sure what. But don't worry," he told her.

Los Angeles Times said in a report that all tests for COVID-19 on Zook came back negative and he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

Hours later, since he was still struggling to breath despite being put on oxygen, Zook was put on a BiPAP machine to help send air to his lungs.

His earlier message saying he'd be home late changed into him going home the next day instead.

He went through several complications like respiratory distress and kidney failure and was also placed on a medically induced coma.

On January 9, four days after he was walked into the E.R., he had to be resuscitated thrice over several hours and died that afternoon.

Health Care Worker's Family Chose Not to Blame

Zook's family still doesn't know if the vaccine played a role in the man's death but chose not to throw blame at anyone as investigation by federal and local authorities is underway.

"We are not blaming any pharmaceutical company," said Rochelle. "My husband loved what he did...He believed in vaccines."

The family was insistent that the death should not dissuade others from getting the vaccine.

Rochelle Zook was also adamant that her husband would get vaccinated again if he could do it over.

However, they did call for officials to "do more research" and "know the cause." They also wanted assurance that vaccines would be as safe as possible.

Related story: South Florida Doctor's Death Two Weeks After Getting Coronavirus Vaccine Under Investigation

Zook's death comes after a Florida doctor died on January 3, weeks following his first vaccine dose. His death is also under investigation.
Party chief re-elected for third term at the helm

The 13th Communist Party Central Committee has elected Nguyen Phu Trong for a third term as Vietnam's Party General Secretary.

The first plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee took place Sunday morning to choose members of new Politburo, the Party General Secretary, the Secretariat, the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission and the commission's chairperson.

Incumbent Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, 77, was re-elected for another five-year term, the third in a row.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on behalf of the Politburo, congratulates Nguyen Phu Trong on being elected for a third term as Party General Secretary. Photo by VNA.

He was re-elected Saturday to the 13th Communist Party Central Committee, which included 180 official and 20 alternate members.

Trong was among the "special cases" introduced by the 12th Party Central Committee for re-election to the 13th Party Central Committee since they exceed the age limit as per existing regulations.

He became General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in 2011, and was re-elected to the position in 2016.

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at a meeting with voters in Hanoi, October 14, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Hai.

Nguyen Phu Trong, born in 1944 in Hanois Dong Anh District, joined the Communist Party in 1967. He holds a Ph.D degree in politics and a bachelors degree in literature.

He was General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 11th, 12th and 13th tenures, a member of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Politburos, a member of the Politburo's Standing Board (August 1999 - April 2001), and a member of the Party Central Committee from the 7th to the 13th tenures.

In October 2018, he was elected as State President, making history by becoming the nations first ever to be both Party chief and State President. Earlier, he was Chairman of the National Assembly for the 11th and 12th tenures.

Trong has also been Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Head of the Central Steering Committee on Corruption Prevention and Control. He was a member of the National Assembly during its 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th tenures.

The 13th Party Central Committee on Sunday also voted for the 18 members of Politburo, five members of the Party Secretariat, and 19 of the Inspection Commission along with the commission head. The list can be found here.

Tran Cam Tu will continue to serve as the head of the Inspection Commission, which was tasked with enforcing the Party's regulations, addressing corruption and deliberating disciplines for offenders among the Party rank.

The General Secretary and the Politburo of the 13th tenure will be introduced to the 13th National Party Congress on Monday, the final working day.

Later in May, the general election for the 15th-tenure of the National Assembly will be held, and the National Assembly will elect the State President and Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will then propose to the National Assembly new cabinet members.

Below is the full list of the Politburo members and their current positions.

-Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary, State President

-Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister

-Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Central Organizing Commission

-Vuong Dinh Hue, Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee

-Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade

-Nguyen Hoa Binh, Chief Justice of the Supreme Peoples Court

-Luong Cuong, Director of the Vietnam Peoples Armys General Department of Politics

-Dinh Tien Dung, Minister of Finance

-Phan Van Giang, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army

-To Lam, Minister of Public Security

-Truong Thi Mai, Head of the Central Commission for Mass Mobilization

-Tran Thanh Man, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front

-Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs

-Nguyen Van Nen, Secretary of HCM City Party Committee

-Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council

-Vo Van Thuong, Head of the Central Commission for Publicity and Education

-Phan Dinh Trac, Head of the Central Commission for Internal Affairs

-Tran Cam Tu, Chairman of the Central Inspection Commission
With a commitment to continuous improvement in its business and, after reviewing its systems and practices, Jaquet Droz has officially been awarded the RJC Certification following an independent external audit.



The RJC is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2005. Its mission is to establish standards for a responsible global supply chain, promoting confidence across the entire jewelry and watch industry.



As a fully independent organization, it individually certifies that each of its members adopts environmental, social, ethical and responsible practices in their sourcing and use of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum), diamonds and colored gemstones. With its certification, Jaquet Droz joins other brands in the Swatch Group, including Omega and Harry Winston.

Jaquet Droz Manufacture  Jaquet Droz

From exceptional watchmaking to ethical excellence, joining the RJC is another step we are proud to have taken, explains Christian Lattmann, CEO of Montres Jaquet Droz. For us, this certification is a source of continuous commitment, but we believe that it is part of our social and environmental responsibility, especially in relation to younger generations, who are particularly aware of this issue and to whom we are indebted.



As such, Jaquet Droz reaffirms its desire to be a brand that respects its customers, suppliers and employees, as well as its environment. One hundred percent of its components are made in Switzerland, primarily in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Vallee de Joux. Within its Ateliers dArt, the Maison carries on the tradition of using artisanal crafts, in particular enameling, plique-a-jour, miniature painting, engraving, setting and paillonne enameling. With the creation and production of its exceptional timepieces and automatons, it continues to demonstrate its expertise in watchmaking and art mechanics, which was recently included in UNESCOs list of intangible cultural heritage.



This cross-disciplinary undertaking involves all positions within the company, without exception, and unites its teams through an ethical and responsible approach for a sustainable future.

Playing a pivotal role in the petition in the shoe By Yomal Senerath-Yapa As we celebrate our 73rd Independence anniversary on February 4, Dhammika Gunasekera recalls his grandfather James Edward Gunasekeras role in a now famous saga in Sri Lankas freedom struggle View(s): View(s):

The petition in the shoe is a legendary part of the struggle leading to our Independence from the British. Yet few know the full cloak-and-dagger story of this memorandum which disproves the idea that Ceylon got its Independence on a concessionary platter- as a minor repercussion of the British Raj collapsing.

Few recall the name of James Edward (JE) Gunasekara today. Yet he was as pivotal to the petition and its aftermath as E.W. Perera and F.R. Senanayake.

It was JE who, with the petition sewn into his shoe heel, travelled to Madras- to atpass it on to E.W. Perera on the next leg to London and to the British Colonial Secretary where it was to become a cause celebre- exposing the brutalities of the colonial government of Ceylon following the 1915 riots shocking everyone from King George V to the poorest miner. Many British broadsheets denounced their actions and consequently a strict order was given to the British administrators to stop inhuman treatment of Ceylonese.

JEs grandson Dhammika Gunasekara is one who still remembers the passed-down tales. He has many a family portrait, among them one of JE at a grand dinner in London in the 1920s.

JE, born in 1885 and having left S. Thomas College, then at Mutwal, was a teacher at Ananda College and later principal at Mahabodhi Vidyalaya, Maradana, founded by the Anagarika Dharmapala who was his guru-mentor.

His call to serve the country came in the calamitous year of 1915 when clashes between a Buddhist perahera and a mosque triggered the Sinhala-Muslim riots. Beginning in Kandy in the tail end of May, the riots spread across the country and by June 2, British Governor Robert Chalmers declared Martial Law.

Scarier than the riots were the measures taken against the rioters. The Army Commander H.H.L. Malcolm asked his men to shoot through the heart any Sinhalese that may be found on the streets. Many were killed and many prominent Sinhalese were arrested- among them F.R. Senanayake, D.S. Senanayake, D.B. Jayatilaka, W.A. de Silva, F.R. Dias Bandaranaike and E.T. de Silva. Most were members of the Lanka Mahajana Sabha, the prototype of the UNP, of which JE was also a member.

IGP Herbert Dowbiggin is painted for posterity in the vilest black due to the way he dealt with the rioters. He sentenced the Anagarikas brother Edmund Hewavitarane to life in penal servitude at Jaffna Prison, where he died due to insanitary conditions and purposeful lack of medical care.

One of the most shocking executions was that of the 26-year-old Captain Henry Pedris. The bloodstained chair in which he was executed was shown to other riot leaders- an image that for many Ceylonese was the end of any delusions about the regime. The Havelock Town statue of young Pedris, today, stands near the Isipathanaraamaya, built in his name by his family.

It was against this backdrop, says Dhammika Gunasekara, that F.R. Senanayake dictated the petition, drafted by Dhammikas grandfather. FR got a cobbler from Kurunegala to insert the petition into the heel of a shoe, and JE was sent over to Madras in the guise of a student from Talaimannar in a ship. The cobbler was kept within FRs house till the letter- through E.W. Perera was due to reach the Secretary of the Colonies in London, Bonar Law later Prime Minister.

The reverberations of the petition so perilously delivered may today seem somewhat vague, after all harsh action was not taken against the Governor or the IGP but it remains the first clarion call for Independence which stirred the middle-class Ceylonese into prompt action.

Also instrumental to the release of the Sinhalese leaders, and the transfer of Chalmers and his Head of Military, was the mission to London of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan. After his triumphal return the Sinhalese leaders took turns to draw the horse carriage in which Sir Ramanathan sat, all the way to his Ward Place house.

After coming back from Madras, JE, not being an overly prominent activist was not imprisoned, and continued to host at his house the clandestine meetings of the Lanka Mahajana Sabha.

In 1920 he married a girl from Musaeus College where he taught. Four years later he would be sent to Oxford on a scholarship by F.R. Senanayake, to return and continue as headmaster of Mahabodhi Vidyalaya.

In 1931, when his fifth child who was Dhammikas father was hardly two years, JE passed away aged 46. His young widow was much harassed by the minions of the British government, who would search their house for any secret documents (even rifling through the pillows, says Dhammika) so she left for her ancestral home in Matale with the children.

It was years later, in 1966, that part of Kynsey Road near Maradana was named J.E. Gunasekara Mawatha, near two schools where he had served. With his siblings, Dhammika today is sifting through the familys hoard of memories to unearth more of the patriots life and his work with the Anagarika and the Lanka Mahajana Sabha.

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London: Meghan Markle has said the changing of her name on her sons birth certificate was dictated by Buckingham Palace, as she launched another tirade against tabloid newspapers.

Her given names, Rachel Meghan, were removed from the document in June 2019, a month after Archie was born. The Duchess said it was offensive to suggest she had wanted to be nameless on her own childs birth certificate.

Meghan Markle has lashed out at Britains tabloids. Credit:AP

On the original certificate, registered on May 17 2019, Markle gave her name as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. But 19 days later on June 5, the Duchess and her husband submitted alterations to both their names.

Markles name was corrected to merely read Her Royal Highness Duchess of Sussex. The Dukes name was also changed to insert the word Prince, which had been left out of the original.


Thousands of medical clinics have put forward plans to vaccinate Australians with options for extended hours and Sunday trading in a program that will be free for all patients.

The strong support from GPs has doubled the number of points of presence to more than 2000 from earlier estimates, with the centres set to include pharmacies and hospitals.

Health Minister Greg Hunt dismissed talk clinics might apply fees for some of the service, if not the vaccine itself, and insisted the government would cover the full cost.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt. Credit:Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The vaccines are universally available, theyre voluntary and theyre free, he said.

Bosses at the controversial NHS gender-change clinic for children have been removed after regulators highlighted a string of failures.

The management team of the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London has been 'disbanded', documents reveal.

It comes weeks after the clinic, run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, was judged 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission.

Watchdogs said staff were afraid to raise concerns about patient safety for fear of 'retribution' from bosses.

A report said: 'Staff did not always manage risk well. Many of the young [patients] were vulnerable and at risk of self-harm.

The management team of the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London has been 'disbanded', documents reveal. It comes weeks after the clinic, run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, was judged 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission

'The size of the waiting list meant staff were unable to proactively manage the risks to patients waiting for a first appointment.'

The High Court also ordered the clinic in December to stop giving puberty-blocking drugs  whose long-term effects are still not known  to vulnerable youngsters amid fears for their safety.

Judges ruled that under-16s were unlikely to be able to give informed consent.

Despite publicly defending GIDS amid mounting concerns, Trust health chiefs have now moved to oust the clinic's entire management team.

Papers prepared for the Trust's board of directors said doctors and officials running the clinic will be removed from management duties and assigned to other roles 'relevant to their skills and experience'.

From next week, executives from elsewhere in the Trust will form a new board.

Watchdogs said staff at the clinic were afraid to raise concerns about patient safety for fear of 'retribution' from bosses. A report said: 'Staff did not always manage risk well. Many of the young [patients] were vulnerable and at risk of self-harm.' (Picture posed by model)

New clinical and management staff are also being recruited to overhaul GIDS, which is at the centre of growing public and political unease about the rising number of children seeking to change gender.

Last year, more than 2,700 youngsters were seen by the clinic  some as young as four.

Stephanie Davies-Arai, of Transgender Trend, said: 'It's no surprise that the management team has been disbanded.'

Referring to how the High Court heard about serious harms caused to youngsters, such as infertility, she said: 'Lessons must be learned so that this never happens to our children again.'

The CQC later found that GIDS in many cases had no proper records justifying treatment decisions for vulnerable children.

The Tavistock and Portman Trust last night said the changes will help support 'important changes and improvements'.
A special PMLA court in Mumbai on Saturday issued summons to former ICICI Bank managing director Chanda Kochhar and other accused after taking cognizance of the charge sheet filed against them by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case and asked them to appear before court on February 12. The ED filed its first charge sheet against Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, and Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot on money laundering charges in November.

Special PMLA Judge AA Nandgoankar took cognisance of the complaint filed by ED on Saturday and directed all the accused to remain present before it on February 12.

The ED had filed a money laundering case against the Kochhars, Dhoot and others for "illegal sanctioning of loans amounting to Rs 1,875 crore to the Videocon Group of companies".

The ED had arrested Deepak Kochhar in September after it filed a criminal case of money laundering based on an FIR registered by the CBI against the Kochhars, Dhoot and others.

The ED has alleged that an amount of Rs 64 crore, out of the loan amount of Rs 300 crore sanctioned by a committee headed by Chanda Kochhar to Videocon International Electronics Limited, was transferred to Nupower Renewables Pvt Ltd (NRPL) by Videocon Industries Limited on September 8, 2009, a day after disbursement of loan by ICICI Bank.

NRPL was earlier known as Nupower Renewables Limited (NRL) and is Deepak Kochhar's company, as per the ED, which has also claimed that "net revenue of Rs 10.65 crore was generated by NRL from these tainted funds".

Therefore, as per the ED, proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 74.65 crore were transferred to or generated in NRPL.

These are part of the first charge sheet filed by the agency in this case.

The CBI had booked Chanda Kochhar on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and abuse of official position for "dishonestly sanctioning loans to the Videocon Group".

As per CBI's FIR, she received "illegal gratification through her husband from Videocon MD VN Dhoot for sanctioning a term loan of Rs 300 crore to Videocon International Electronics Ltd."

Also read: Setback for Chanda Kochhar! SC trashes plea against ouster as CEO of ICICI Bank

Also read: ICICI Bank case: Chanda Kochhar threatened Dhoot, asked him to invest in husband's firm, says ED
Thousands of medical clinics have put forward plans to vaccinate Australians with options for extended hours and Sunday trading in a program that will be free for all patients.

The strong support from GPs has doubled the number of points of presence to more than 2000 from earlier estimates, with the centres set to include pharmacies and hospitals.

Health Minister Greg Hunt dismissed talk clinics might apply fees for some of the service, if not the vaccine itself, and insisted the government would cover the full cost.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt. Credit:Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The vaccines are universally available, theyre voluntary and theyre free, he said.
Will the Covid-19 vaccine also be administered to babies? According to this official, it could happen, and soon. P C Nambiar, director, Group EXIM at Serum Institute of India told the Times of India that the Covid vaccine for babies is likely to be ready by October this year and the first dose could be be given in the same month of their birth.

SII manufactures the Covishield vaccine. Nambiar made the announcement while addressing a function in Kochi, Kerala. He said the same vaccine which could be given to babies would be further developed as a medicine for children testing positive for the virus. He added that SII will produce four more Covid vaccines and all of them will be ready for use by the end of 2021.

ALSO READ | Over 37 Lakh Beneficiaries Vaccinated Against Covid-19 in 15 Days: Health Ministry

He said the Novovax vaccine would be made available by June and that its tests were proceeding fast. "The vaccine for babies will be ready by October. The Phase 2 clinical trial of COVI-VAC vaccine developed in association with Codagenix has been completed, Nambiar said.

He said that the production of Covishield would be increased to 20 crore doses per month from April, to meet the requirements of the central government.

ALSO READ | Centre Allows 100% Occupancy in Cinema Halls and Theatres From February 1, Releases New SOPs

According to Nambiar, Covishield was effective for all mutated Covid-19 viruses, being a malaria-based vaccine and not based on any particular strain of coronavirus.

He rejected reports of side-effects post vaccination, adding that mild headache or fever were a common reaction. He added that those who had recovered from the disease would also be required to take the vaccine as immunity against Covid only lasted for a short-term.
Hunger is tightening its grip on America. It is an empty fridge in New Mexico, a skipped meal in Pennsylvania, an unpaid bill in California, a line of cars just outside the nation's capital. Everywhere, people are lining up for food - parents and grandparents, students and veterans, employed and underemployed and jobless. They often spend hours waiting for as much food as will fit in a box, then days trying to make it last until they can line up again, in a week or two. One in 9 adults say their households don't have enough to eat. Billions in food aid expired at year's end. The country's largest network of food banks is bracing for a 50 percent reduction in food from the government this year. President Joe Biden has increased funding for food stamps and school lunches and proposed nearly $2 trillion in new economic relief. For families in need, it can't come soon enough.

- - -

- Pennsylvania

Kelly Evens was a self-employed home health-care worker in the Pittsburgh area, until she caught the virus. She hasn't had steady work since, or received unemployment. Most days she has five children to feed - a teenage son, an 11-year-old daughter and three grandkids, who stay with her while her eldest daughter, Kathryn, drives for DoorDash. Every meal is a struggle.

Kathryn Avitts spends 10 hours most days, and seven days most weeks, delivering meals. Sometimes she takes the kids with her, but they get tired after a few hours in the car. The $1,200 stimulus check last spring helped Avitts keep up with her bills for a few months, but now she's behind again. The food stamps she receives are not enough to feed the family.

The local food bank has only enough supplies to offer pickups once a month, and the next-closest one is 45 minutes away. Getting there takes time Avitts can't spend working and gas money she can't afford.

Evens has been hearing "Mom, I'm hungry" a lot more in the past six weeks, she said. "I know, honey, I'm sorry, have a spoonful of peanut butter," she said she tells them.

"There's really nothing to give them. Katie and Michaela would have spaghetti noodles with butter and Parmesan. Then, the Parmesan was gone and then, the butter was gone," Evens said. "You know, you try to be creative, but as a parent, that's the worst feeling, but there were several days where we all sort of just stayed in bed and slept, just to not be hungry."

Nearly 24 million adults reported they sometimes or often didn't have enough to eat in the past week, according to the latest Census Bureau data analyzed by The Post, more than at any other time during the pandemic.

- - -

- New Mexico

In many parts of New Mexico, fresh food is hard to come by, even in better times. You can drive for miles without passing a supermarket. If you don't have a car, the local dollar store may be the only place to get groceries. The Food Depot is based in Santa Fe, but serves nine counties. It's a lifeline for small, indigent communities, even more isolated during the pandemic.

Murphy, who would give only her first name, was living comfortably in Santa Fe, semiretired after a career as a paralegal. She had saved up for a trip to Egypt. The pandemic ended her travel plans, then it drained her savings. She's always given to charity, and she prides herself on being the person others turn to when they need a hand. Now, for the first time, she's had to ask for help.

"I actually opened my refrigerator door and said, 'Well, what can I make with the ketchup and the mustard?' So let me drive by the Food Depot. To have to admit," she said, and she paused, crying, "that I needed help was hard on me.

"But it's also a fact, unfortunately, almost the norm now, during this pandemic, that there's so much more of us" who need help, she said. "It's okay to admit that you need help and to see it, because we've got to get through this together."

- - -

- California

In Inglewood, Calif., in the heavily Latino neighborhoods near the Los Angeles airport, some 3 in 10 families live in poverty. Many people here have lost their jobs in the service industry; some are undocumented and don't qualify for government aid. They can all turn to St. Margaret's Center, which provides food every Wednesday to around 225 families.

For Juan Rosas, the weekly food box from St. Margaret's has been one of the only constants in a time of uncertainty. He lost his job delivering food to hotels and restaurants. Now, his days are full of worry - about his four children's struggles with virtual learning, about his landlord's threats of eviction, and, most critically, about keeping his family fed.

Now, his days are full of worry - about his four children's struggles with virtual learning, about his landlord's threats of eviction, and, most critical, about keeping his family fed.

"We try not to worry them," he said about the children. "But they do know what's going on. It is like you're walking and you don't know when you're going to get there, or when this is going to stop. There are times when I am alone, and I start crying."

- - -

- Maryland

There is hunger, too, in affluent areas. In Takoma Park, Md., on the outskirts of D.C., hundreds of cars from across the region line up twice a month. Volunteers fill their trunks with food. When the day is done, they take a box home for their own families.

Among them is Theresa Nedd, an African American retiree on a fixed income who loves to cook for her six grandchildren - curry chicken, rice and peas, macaroni and cheese. "My son says, 'You're spoiling them, you need to stop,' " Nedd said. '"But I'm a grandmother, and that's what grandmothers are for."

A husband and wife set up the food distribution, piecing together grants and donations. Smith Kwame Oliver Vodi and Yvonne Reginat Vodi, founders of Shepherds of Zion Ministries International Church in Silver Spring, Md., poured their energies into feeding people after the pandemic forced a halt to services.

They started serving 2,000 people every two weeks; now it's up to more than 5,000.

"Things are hard," Yvonne Vodi said. "It's really tough right now." She tells those who come to pick up the food: "I know you are striving so hard to make ends meet. You are striving so hard to get breakfast, to get lunch and dinner. But know that there's hope.

"And come back in two weeks."

- - -

To help, you can find your local food bank at feedingamerica.org.

- - -

The Washington Post's Zoeann Murphy, Erin Patrick O'Connor, Jon Gerberg, Lindsey Sitz and Jesse Mesner-Hage contributed to this report.
The first plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee elected an 18-member Politburo in Hanoi on January 31.

Party leaders attend the first meeting of the 13th Party Central Committee

The Politburo members comprise of:

- Nguyen Phu Trong, Party General Secretary and President;

- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc;

- Pham Minh Chinh, head of the Party Central Committees Organisation Commission;

- Vuong Dinh Hue, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee and head of the delegation of National Assembly deputies (14th tenure) of Hanoi;

- Vo Van Thuong, head of the Party Central Committees Commission for Popularisation and Education;

- Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade and deputy head of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission;

- Nguyen Hoa Binh, Chief Justice of the Supreme Peoples Court;

- Luong Cuong, Chairman of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam Peoples Army;

- Dinh Tien Dung, Minister of Finance;

- Phan Van Giang, Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army;

- To Lam, Minister of Public Security;

- Truong Thi Mai, head of the Party Central Committees Mass Mobilisation Commission;

- Tran Thanh Man, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee;

- Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister;

- Nguyen Van Nen, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee;

- Nguyen Xuan Thang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council;

- Phan Dinh Trac, head of the Party Central Committees Commission for Internal Affairs;

- Tran Cam Tu, Chairman of the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission.

The 13th Party Central Committees Secretariat includes some Politburo members and five others elected at the first plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee.

Those five are Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairs Do Van Chien; Standing Vice Chairwoman of the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission Bui Thi Minh Hoai; Chief of the Party Central Committees Office Le Minh Hung; Inspector General of the Government Inspectorate Le Minh Khai; and Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam Peoples Army Nguyen Trong Nghia.

The Inspection Commission has 19 members with Tran Cam Tu re-elected as its Chairman.

Thu Hang  Tran Thuong  Hong Nhi
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Bab Al Shams Desert Resort, who recently completed a successful Covid-19 vaccination drive for all eligible hotel employees and their families, will now be offering UAE residents who have taken the Covid-19 vaccine, a flat 25 per cent off on all dining venues and hotel bookings made at the best available rate. The offer will be valid from now till April 30, 2021.

This move comes just as the nationwide UAE Covid-19 vaccine programme is being rolled out across different emirates, with some restaurants and ride sharing apps offering reductions to those who have had their jabs.

We would like to show our support to the government of UAE, particularly  Dubai Health Authority who is working tirelessly to get all UAE residents vaccinated and safe. We hope this move will incentivize people who are making the decision to get vaccinated and show our support for those who have taken the jab. said Ziad Sleiman, Hotel Manager of Bab Al Shams Desert Resort.

The offer will be valid on all of the resorts dining venues, including Al Forsan, Al Hadheerah, the hotels signature desert dining experience, Al Sarab Rooftop Lounge and Ya Hala. It is also valid on the hotels best possible rate, which starts at AED750 ($204) for two adults. - TradeArabia News Service
A year since its first Covid-19 case was detected, India seems to have got a grip on the pandemic as its curve shows signs of a steady decline. In these 12 months, the country clocked over 10 million detected cases and 154,000 deaths.

Globally, there have been almost 100 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 2 million deaths.

Unlike many countries that are grappling with a surge in cases now, India has been reducing the number of Covid beds in hospitals due to the drop in the number of patients.

The twin-challenge that faces India and the world is the new variants and vaccination. Even though India has given the antidote over 2.5 million health workers, the pace is slow given the size of the population.

The new variants from the UK, South Africa, and Brazil may add a fresh twist in the pandemics journey so far. As normalcy resumes it isnt time to let the guard down just yet.
MACON, Ga. (AP)  Ten Georgia residents and one from Alabama have been indicted on federal charges including drug and dogfighting violations.

According to a 136-count federal indictment, unsealed Thursday, 10 of the defendants were involved in a conspiracy between May 2019 and February 2020 to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. In addition, five of them were involved in a conspiracy to sponsor and exhibit dogs in a dog fight, and possess, train, transport, deliver and receive dogs for the purpose of having the dogs participate in a dog fight, federal prosecutors said in a news release.

Dog fighting is brutal and illegal; it is particularly troubling when combined with drug trafficking, said Peter D. Leary, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. We will investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in these criminal acts and seek justice for all of their victims. I thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work on this significant investigation.

The indictment outlines dog fights the defendants are alleged to have attended between May 2019 and February 2020, as well as discussions between the co-conspirators about training and matching up their dogs for fighting.

The defendants include: Jarvis Lockett, 40, of Warner Robins, Georgia; Derrick Owens, 37, of Woodland, Georgia; Christopher Raines, 50, of Talbotton, Georgia; Armard Davis, 41, of Fort Valley, Georgia; Jason Carter, 38, of Phenix City, Alabama; Shaquille Bentley, 26, of Roberta, Georgia; Bryanna Holmes, 24, of Fort Valley, Georgia; Vernon Vegas, 49, of Suwanee, Georgia; Lekey Davis, 45, of Talbotton; Georgia, Kathy Ann Whitfield, 61, of Columbus, Georgia; and Rodrick Walton, 40, of Shiloh, Georgia.
Chamber Breakfast Celebrates Black History Month

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MCCRACKEN COUNTY - The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce February Power in Partnership Breakfast on Thursday will celebrate Black History Month.The virtual breakfast at 7:30 a.m. features Brent Leggs, a Paducah native that serves as Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund with the National Trust for Historic Preservation based in Washington, D.C.The McCracken County NAACP and the McCracken County Community Career Endowment are sponsoring the event.You can register to attend via Zoom at the link below. It will also be carried live on the Chamber's Facebook page.In his current position, Leggs promotes the role of cultural preservation in telling the nation's history, and empowers activists, entrepreneurs, artists, and civic leaders to advocate on behalf of African American historic places.Leggs is a Harvard University Leob Fellow, and the author of "Preserving African American Historic Places," which the Smithsonian Institute considers a "seminal publication on preserving African American historic sites." He is also the recipient of the 2018 Robert G. Stanton National Preservation Award.Over the last decade he has worked to develop the Northeast African American Historic Places Outreach Program, which has built a regional movement of leaders saving important landmarks in African American history.Leggs was the first African American to complete the University of Kentucky's graduate program in historic preservation. He is a Senior Advisor and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites, has taught at Harvard University, and is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University's graduate program in Historic Preservation.
CBSE board exam 2020: Lakhs of students of Class 10, 12 of CBSE and CISCE are awaiting for the release of the final datehseet for Class 10 and Class 12 Board Exams 2021. A few days ago, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced that the exam schedule for Class 10 and Class 12 CBSE board exams 2021 will be announced on February 2. On the other hand, the CISCE is yet to announce the date for the release of the datesheet for Class 10 and 12 board Exams.

Apart from board exams, the Centre has also declared the dates of a few entrance exams.

On December 31, during a live Facebook session, the Union education Minister announced that CBSE board exams would be held from May 4 to June 10, 2021. He added that the board would soon release a final datesheet for the exams. The results for class 10 and 12 would be released by the board on July 15, 2021, announced the minister.

CISCE Class 10 (ICSE) and Class 12 (ISC) board exams: CICSE chief executive and secretary Gerry Arathoon had informed all school principals the Board exams 2021 will not be held as per their usual schedule in February due to COVID-19 pandemic and upcoming Assembly election in five states. Arathoon mention in his ketter that the dates of the exams will be announced at an appropriate time.

JEE Mains 2021: Few weeks ago, it was announced by Union Minister Pokhriyal that Joint Entrance Exam (Main) 2021 will be conducted in four sessions in February, March, April and May starting from February 23 to 26, 2021. According to the minister, the next sessions of the exam will take place between March 15-18, April 27-30 and May 24-38.

JEE Advance 2021: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced will be conducted on July 3, 2021.

NEET 2021: While the Union Education Minister announced the exam dates for the JEE Main, there is no official update on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NEET 2021 exam date.

Live TV
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will commit $1.9 billion to ramp up vaccinations at hospitals, surgeries and pharmacies in a pledge to protect health while weaning the economy off the blank cheque of endless federal payments.

Outlining his agenda for the year, Mr Morrison will talk of delivering the first jabs in late February as part of a comeback in the economy that will see Australians return to work.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will deliver a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But he will spurn industry calls for another big stimulus to replace the JobKeeper wage subsidy when it stops at the end of March, saying the economy is still gaining the benefit from federal payments worth $251 billion.

You cant run the Australian economy on taxpayers money forever, Mr Morrison says in a draft of a speech to be delivered to the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday.
UVF leaders are at the centre of a PSNI probe after they breached coronavirus regulations by attending a sizeable paramilitary funeral in Belfast.

Terror bosses John 'Bunter' Graham, Harry Stockman and Jackie Anderson face possible prosecution after they were pictured among the 100-plus mourners, many of whom were unmasked, who walked behind the UVF flag-covered coffin of Hugh 'Boot' Hill on Friday.

The 58-year-old, who died suddenly last weekend, was the former 2IC (second-in-command) of the East Antrim UVF.



His funeral took place just days after that of IRA man Eamon 'Peggy' McCourt in Derry, which is also being investigated for potential Covid breaches.

Police watched as the cortege left Hill's home on Gainsborough Drive in the Tigers Bay area of north Belfast en route to Roselawn Cemetery for cremation.

The gathering breached Covid-19 restrictions that limit funeral numbers to 25. However, PSNI chiefs who spoke with the organisers beforehand did not intervene.

Chief Inspector Darren Fox said: "Regrettably, at the funeral on Friday 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. Evidence has been gathered, and where individuals are identified as potentially being in breach of the regulations, they will be reported to the Public Prosecution Service.

CI Fox admitted that after being told Hugh 'Boot' Hill's funeral had the potential to breach lockdown rules, senior PSNI figures "engaged" with organisers.

Expand Close Funeral of loyalist Hugh 'Boot' Hill from his home on Gainsborough Drive in Belfast NO BYLINE / Facebook

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He added: "As a result, police engaged beforehand with representatives of the family of the deceased, funeral director and local community representatives.

"Across these engagements, police emphasised the need for adherence to the current health protection regulations and sought assurances from those with influence."

The presence of the UVF's leadership at Hill's funeral surprised loyalists because the deceased had walked away from the terror gang several years ago after suffering a brutal punishment beating.

He was attacked with iron bars on the Shankill Road for punching a UVF member who had beaten up his younger brother John 'Mountain' Hill.

"Boot Hill walked away from the UVF after that. He continued to pay his weekly tote (membership fee), but that was the height of his involvement," a loyalist source told Sunday Life.

"People are surprised he was given a paramilitary funeral because he hasn't had anything to do with the UVF in a long time."

During his time as an East Antrim UVF boss, Hill was linked to one of the most shameful sectarian killings of the Troubles - that of good Samaritan Sharon McKenna.



Expand Close North Belfast taxi driver Sharon McKenna, 27, who died after being shot on January 17, 1993. / Facebook

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Whatsapp North Belfast taxi driver Sharon McKenna, 27, who died after being shot on January 17, 1993.

The 27-year-old Catholic was shot dead in January 1993 while cooking dinner for a Protestant pensioner on the Shore Road.

At the time, the UVF suspected notorious killer and Special Branch agent Mark Haddock of passing information to the police that led to the arrests of several of its members. In order to test the agent, Hill personally selected him to kill Sharon, wrongly believing that an informant would not be allowed to pull the trigger by his handlers.

Although Haddock went through with the murder, a suspicious Hill continued to doubt him. This would lead to his downfall as East Antrim UVF leader Rab Warnock, another Special Branch agent, demoted him from his UVF second-in-command role. At the same time, he promoted Haddock to Mount Vernon UVF commander.

This marked the beginning of the end for Boot Hill, who became a target for his rival's cronies, which led to his fallout with the UVF.

The lifeless body of the veteran loyalist was discovered in his Tigers Bay home last Sunday. Family raised the alarm after he had not been seen for several days.

Police had to break a window to get inside the heavily fortified house.

UVF sources said the death of Hill's elderly mother Rita before Christmas had a devastating effect on him. The two were very close, with some speculating that he died of a broken heart.

"Although he hadn't been involved with the UVF for some time, Boot was still well regarded by loyalists in north Belfast," a friend told Sunday Life.



Expand Close Harry Stockman (left) and Jackie Anderson (centre) NO BYLINE / Facebook

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"He wasn't targeted by the UDA during its feud with the UVF in 2000 out of respect. Boot lived in Tigers Bay, which is a UDA stronghold, and was a sitting duck, but he didn't have any trouble."

Death notices for Hill placed in a morning paper described him as a "true gent" and said that he was having a private funeral in line with coronavirus restrictions.

Locals said his younger brother John Hill had taken the sudden death hard. Like Boot, he broke all contact with the UVF some time ago.

Last year the Court of Appeal rejected the 49-year-old's appeal against a firearms and arson conviction, pursued on the basis he had been set up by UVF double agents Mark Haddock and Gary Haggarty.

John Hill was one of a dozen Mount Vernon UVF members caged for a 1997 attack on LVF men in the Golden Hind pub in Portadown during a feud.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  At least 5.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from US drugmaker Pfizer and the United Kingdom's AstraZeneca are slated to reach the Philippines within the first quarter of 2021, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Sunday.

According to Galvez, Aurelia Nguyen, managing director of the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, informed the Philippine government that WHO secured 9.407 million vaccine doses against the COVID-19 from the two pharmaceutical firms.

In time for the government's mass immunization campaign, initial vaccine shipments are expected in February, according to Galvez, who is also the chief impementer of the country's National Task Force against COVID-19.

A total of 117,000 doses produced by Pfizer-BioNTech will be delivered through the COVAX facility in mid-February, Galvez said.

He noted that the Philippines' vaccination drive will also be boosted with 5,500,800 to 9,290,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines.

"As the company awaits the issuance of its EUL (Emergency Use Authorizations), the indicative numbers of doses reflect only the supply for the first two quarters of 2021. The initial delivery is scheduled by mid to late February as stated in the letter," Galvez said.

The Food and Drug Administration has earlier cleared both Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca coronavirus shots for emergency use in the country.

Galvez said his team will continue monitoring the preparations of local government units for their respective vaccination plans.

For this year, the government is targeting to purchase 148 million doses of COVID-19 to inoculate around 50 million Filipinos.
Gloom, despair, and misery filled the air as Lagos agencies demolished Monkey Village, an informal settlement at Opebi area of the state on December 31, 2020.

The bulldozer assigned for the task kept working, as government officials, mixed with touts and security agents stood to forestall attempts by dwellers to stop the demolition.

While dwellers tried to salvage their properties amidst hopelessness, auto mechanics occupying a mechanic yard adjacent the settlement watched with despondency as government officials towed away vehicles in the yard and demolished their workplace.

What could have led to an unjust demolition of Monkey Village, the takeover of the mechanic village  a registered business association upright with payment of levies and dues to the government  and the displacement of hundreds of residents on New Years Eve?

What more, the demolition was done without prior notice or regard for the law of the land. While the exercise had the handwriting of the state government, there was more to it  land grabbing.

The demolition

Residents of Monkey Village  just like other Lagosians- anticipated the new year and made plans for it in their own way, with some pimping their abode in expectation of the new year.

Many of the residents had travelled home for the yuletide. Those that decided to stay back were out working, shopping or engaged in other end of the year activities.

The mechanics were working at their yard adjacent the informal settlement, all hands were on deck to see to the delivery of many vehicles before the new year holidays. They had received a kangaroo notice from the Ministry of Transport and Environment two days earlier telling them to vacate the premises within 48 hours.

Upon receipt of the notice, the lawyer to the owner of the land being used as a mechanic workshop, Monday Ubani, contacted the Ministry of Transport where he was told that the ministry had no knowledge of it.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES about the matter, Mr Ubani said he later found out that one Hon Fayinka, a consultant with the Ministry of Transportation, issued the notice, and boasted that they would take over the land soon.

Mr Ubani told PREMIUM TIMES that there had been a tussle on the land and several attempts by land grabbers to invade the land had been rebuffed through court processes.

On December 31, however, the land grabbers had their way by using government agencies and officials to demolish the mechanic workshop, and by extension, an informal settlement behind the workshop where hundreds of families lived with an agreement with the owners of the land.

The sudden demolition, which was without any notice, led to the destruction of many properties, including an ICT centre established by the Centre for Childrens Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE) to help children and youth acquire technological skills.

How Lagos agencies became tools in the hands of land grabbers

In the morning of December 31, 2020, truckloads of police officers, officials from the Lagos task force, Lagos State Environmental and Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), and thugs descended on the mechanic village to carry out the demolition, allegedly acting on a judgment.

To make the demolition legitimate, the officials extended the act to Monkey Village, an informal settlement behind.

As graders and bulldozers kept on pulling down structures, thugs and police officers stood by to prevent the residents from stopping the process. Over 400 persons, including children and youth, were displaced in the process.

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We were not given any notice, they came suddenly. Where is this done? Even if the government will demolish this place, are they not meant to inform us so that we can pack our things? These and many other words filled the mouths of the residents as the demolition went on.

By the time PREMIUM TIMES reporter arrived the scene on December 31, Monkey Village had been demolished to ground zero. Several vehicles in the mechanic compound had also been towed to the Ministry of Transportation, Alausa.

PREMIUM TIMES reporter saw four fully-loaded vehicles belonging to the Lagos State Environmental and Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), and police officers leaving the site.

While residents of Monkey Village tried to salvage the remnants of their properties, mechanics occupying the mechanic village stood helplessly, confused about the situation. Residents lamented the demolition of their abode without prior notice by the state government.

Kayode Jolaosho, the chairperson of the mechanic association, told PREMIUM TIMES that about 38 vehicles were towed from the yard.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the spokesperson of LAGESC and Lagos Taskforce who were at the scene of the demolition, both agencies denied carrying out the demolition.

It is not our own task force, I dont know, it is not our own task force. I have spoken with our operation officer, he said he is not aware of any operation, Adebayo Taofeek, the spokesperson of Lagos State Task Force told PREMIUM TIMES.

In a separate press release, Mr Taofeek said it is imperative to state categorically that the operatives of the agency was (were) not in any way involved in the said demolition, as they were enforcing traffic laws to ensure the free flow of traffic during the yuletide.

Kehinde Adebayo, the spokesperson of LAGESC, also said the agency did not carry out the operation, despite the involvement of officials of the agency.

The denial of the agencies further suggests how influential persons in Lagos can use government apparatus unchecked.

While land grabbing is a common practice by omo-onile in many parts of the state, how influential land-grabbers turn to state agencies to perpetrate the act is worrisome.

Lagos  A state that flouts its own laws

On January 3, Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development disclosed that it carried out the demolition of the neighbourhood where it removed over 200 shanties to protect the master plan of the State and restore orderliness to the axis.

Referencing the area where the said demolition took place, the ministry said the property was located at 1, Kuku Street, Opebi, Ikeja. This is the land where the mechanic village is located, which does not extend to the Monkey Village behind the land.

In the statement, Idris Salako, the commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, said the allegations by Mr Ubani, the lawyer for the landowner, that the exercise was done with the intent to grab the land was untrue.

Mr Salako said the property, rather than being developed in line with the Operative Development Plans of the state and the subsisting Approval Order of the area, had defaced the otherwise serene and organised neighbourhood with illegal mechanic workshops and over 200 shanties that were abodes to criminal elements terrorising the area.

Mr Salako said the demolition exercise was the aftermath of a petition to the Lagos State Special Taskforce on Land Grabbers and the approval of the Ministry of Justice.

He added that the exercise was done within the ambit of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mukaila Sanusi, the spokesperson for the ministry, on why the demolition took place without prior notice, he said it was in line with the regulation of the land.

If we are saying in line with the law, it means that we have followed the law, Mr Sanusi said.

Section 34 (2) & (3) of the Physical Planning and Urban Development Law of Lagos state however provides that:

(2) The Agency shall have power to serve the developer and occupier a Demolition Notice if a structure erected is found to be illegal, defective, distressed or constitutes a nuisance to the occupier and/or the public.

(3) Notices served in accordance with the provisions of sub-regulation (2) of this Regulation shall contain a date within which the addressee shall comply and after which the Agency shall take steps to commence removal action on the affected structure.

Section 41 of the law, which contains the power of the ministry to demolish buildings, provides that adequate notices are served and demolition be carried out after the expiration of the time served.

Despite the clear provisions of the law which the ministry said it followed, no notice was served, neither were other adequate steps taken as provided by the law.

Contradictions

It is, however, unclear whether the Ministry of Physical and Urban Planning acted based on the petition to the Lagos State Special Taskforce on Land Grabbers and the approval of the Ministry of Justice or whether the exercise was done within the ambit of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019.

Given that the provisions of the Urban and Regional Planning law were not followed, it then begs the question whether the exercise was motivated by a land grabbing attempt.

When PREMIUM TIMES revisited the scene of demolition in January, three touts (alleged security personnel) were seen securing the land at 1 Kuku Street, Opebi.

The touts told PREMIUM TIMES in no uncertain tone that they work with the state government. It is unclear however whether the state government puts touts on an expanse of land after demolition or the touts hold brief for the alleged land grabber.

Mr Ubani, the lawyer to the owner of the land, said six months ago, land grabbers invaded the six plots of land they had been occupying for over 31 years, saying they had a Supreme Court judgment to take over the land.

He said the judgment tendered read a location different from 1, Kuku Street Opebi and he removed the invaders and land grabbers through court actions and the police.

When they invaded the land, they brought in some government officials who I suspect to be surveyors to be surveying the land. In other words, they want to comprise the survey, so that they can make the judgment gotten on a different place read as if it covers the land.

When I sued them, I got an injunction, they didnt file anything up till now. What they did now is to wait until the 31st day of December when they know that courts are not in session and my office would have closed. They now went and use all government agencies, even though all of them have denied now.

Mr Ubani said the Ministry of Physical Planning complicated the matter more because of its position. He said whether they acted on the physical planning law or in accordance with approval of the court on land grabbing was unclear.

If there is any breach of planning law, are we not supposed to be given notice? he said.

Mr Ubani, who described the act as land grabbing, alleged one Ariori Akeem of being the land grabber. He added that Mr Ariori had attempted to grab other land within the estate, one of which he was involved in and won the case in court.

It was a land grabbing issue  Estate Chairperson

Steve Omamole, the chairperson, landlord association of the estate, regarded the situation as a quagmire, while stating the position of the estate.

There was a pending land grabbing issue between the owner of the land where the mechanic workshop is and the land grabbers.

When the land grabber discovered that there was a pending issue on Monkey Village coming in and out of the mechanic village, they took advantage of that to come in through the mechanic workshop and used Monkey Village as an opportunity to grab the land, Mr Omamole told PREMIUM TIMES.

The estate chairperson said although the estate, in February 2020, wrote a series of letters to the Lagos State taskforce and the state government concerning the ingress and egress from Monkey Village into the estate, the authorities took no action.

When we wrote the petitions, we got visits from the Lagos State task force and the ministries and they did nothing. The estate took it upon itself to create a wall, a boundary to lock Monkey Village completely away from the estate. And they access to the village only from the Opebi bridge, he said.

Mr Omamole said the recent demolition of the village and the mechanic workshop had nothing to do with the petitions written by the estate association.

If you go there now, what you will see is they are claiming that they had a court order on the land. But if it is the petition we wrote, we didnt go to court, so, where did the court order come from?

Where did that order come from when the courts are on holiday? They are only trying to rope the estate executives into the matter between the land grabbers and the owners of the land. We absolutely have no petition against a legal land that is in the estate. If we have any issue with any property in the estate, we deal with the owners directly.

The chairperson further said the land grabbers, who had made attempts in grabbing two other lands in the estate and succeeded in grabbing one, only used Monkey Village as a cover to grab a land that the mechanics were legitimately occupying.

When they came, they could not gain access to Monkey Village without going through the workshop, so they created the impression that their mission was Monkey Village and unknown to them (the mechanics), they came with towing vehicles and emptied the mechanic workshop, locked it and put a court order on the wall.

Mr Omamole said the same alleged land grabber, Mr Ariori, attempted to grab a land in Anuopluwapo, and Mr Ubani, who was the lawyer to the owners, took the case to court and won. He, however, succeeded in grabbing another land on Alhaji Afolabi Awosanya Street within the estate.

Alleged land grabbers response

After several attempts by PREMIUM TIMES to get Mr Ariori, the alleged land grabber to speak on the matter, he said he had given a press release on his position.

Mr Ariori, who sent links to his published press release, said the allegations were untrue.

We have been in possession of the said land (Opebi) for more than 20 years. About six months ago, while trying to erect some structures on the land, we found out that some mechanics have taken over the place and we reported them to Zone II for which they were all arrested.

That was when we met the lawyer, who came to facilitate their bail and ordered them back to the land that has the Supreme Courts verdict backing us. Since we have been trying to work on that land and he (lawyer) has been using police to frustrate our efforts.

When PREMIUM TIMES reporter asked for a copy of the Supreme Court judgment and other necessary documents to back up his claim, Mr Ariori did not respond to calls or messages.

Mr Ariori said they wrote a petition to the Attorney-General of the State to assist on the issue which led to a further investigation on the matter.

Meanwhile, before then, the people of the community had written the state government to eject the miscreants from the land as a result of their criminal activities, leading to the state government action of December 31 last year

I was surprised then, when the lawyer started attacking me, calling me several names on social media. Even if I acted illegally as he has been saying, is he saying that the government also did not do the right thing? Does this action mean that we are not the true owners of the land? the press statement further read.

Demolition without prior notice is gross violation of human dignity  CEEHOPE

Betty Abah, executive director of CEE-HOPE, a non-governmental organisation which set up an ICT centre in Monkey Village for children and youth, regarded the demolition as an attack on the poor and violation of human dignity.

CEE-HOPEs ICT Centre and youth hub was also demolished with several computers, library and other gadgets intact in the building. A water project done in the community by the organisation was also destroyed.

Mrs Abah, faulting the action of the state government, described as crude, autocratic and a gross violation of all known laws and guidelines guiding the handling of such matters world over.

The organisation said the action had not only displaced 400 persons but also endangered the educational dream of more than 200 of the communitys children.

It is indeed a crying shame that the biggest news out of Lagos every single year would revolve around the savage treatment of the urban poor.

From Maroko, Makoko, Badia East, Iluibirin to Otodo-Gbame, and now Monkey Village, it is the same pattern of the gross abuse of the human and shelter rights of the urban poor, when Lagos is not the only state in Nigeria and when Nigeria is not the only place where we have slum settlement or indeed where the urban poor exists.

The most painful for us was the destruction of educational facilities funded by private individuals and for the most vulnerable of children, and in a country with the highest number of out-of-school children, at a time of a global pandemic and during a national recession, Mrs Abah said.

She said the statement from the government was part of the layers of lies bandied by the Lagos State Government in the last few days to cover up the atrocity committed against the poor residents of Monkey Village.

Stating their demands, CEE-HOPE said an apology be issued to the community members for the gross violation of their rights, including the failure to follow due process by duly serving them formal notice.

It also demanded the compensation of CEE-HOPE for the complete destruction of its multi-million naira ICT Centre/Youth Hub in the community and water project, adding that every member of the community be compensated for the loss of personal and household belongings.
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LONDON  On Jan. 17, 1921, the magician P.T. Selbit walked onstage at the Finsbury Park Empire in North London with Betty Barker, his assistant, whom he ushered into an upright wooden box.

Selbit  whose real name was Percy Tibbles  tied ropes around Barkers wrists, ankles and neck, and pushed the ropes through holes in the box. Then he called members of the audience to the stage and asked them to pull the ropes tight, so Barker couldnt move an inch.

He sealed the box and laid it flat with the help of assistants, then Selbit got down to business.

First, he pushed thick sheets of glass through slits, until they appeared to poke through her and out the other side. Then, as if that werent enough, he picked up a saw, and cut through the middle of the box, spraying sawdust everywhere.

Selbits show was, according to magic experts, the first time a performer ever sawed someone in half  a trick that has become an icon of magic, only rivaled by pulling a rabbit out of a hat. It caused a sensation. Soon, Selbit was performing the illusion around Britain, using some marketing abracadabra to fuel interest. Before each show, stagehands would pour a bucket of fake blood outside the theater, as if a terrible accident had occurred.

Selbit knew hed created a stir, but he couldnt have known hed created a trick that magicians would spend the next 100 years reinventing.

On YouTube today, you can watch dozens of illusionists sawing people in half, in all sorts of ways. Some magicians have sawed their assistants head to toe, instead of through the waist. Other have chopped two people in half, then swapped the legs around.

Yes, it is normally a woman who gets divided in two, but not always. Magicians  male and female  have sawed men in half, too.

Even a baby has been sliced up. In 2017, Justin Flom, a hugely popular magician with 7 million Facebook followers, created an online storm when a video went viral of him performing the trick on his four-month-old daughter, using two books instead of a saw.

Why has this trick survived, when so many others havent? If you ask magicians  I spoke with six  they eventually land on one answer. Its just the simplicity of it, said Mike Caveney, a magician whos writing a history of the trick. Magicians say a good trick is one that can be described in a few words, and sawing a lady in half is very few words, he added.

But the secrecy around how the trick is done obviously adds to its appeal, too. As much as everyone thinks they know how it works, There might be 20 different methods in popular use, Flom said.

Most magicians really dont want those revealed, as I found out while researching this article. Including that would be like doing a history of Santa Claus, then writing at the end, He doesnt exist, Caveney said.

(If you believe in magic, dont worry  I wont give too much away.)

The imitations and innovations on Selbits trick began almost as soon as he was offstage. Within weeks, Horace Goldin  a magician based in the United States  started performing his own take. He claimed to have invented the trick entirely, years earlier, and his New York Times obituary, from 1939, gives him the credit.

Horace Goldin, a stage magician, patented one version of the trick in 1923. He licensed it to other magicians and sued anyone who performed it without his permission. Photo Illustration by The New York Times; United States Patent and Trademark Office (Horace Goldin patent images)

Goldins version was more like the one we know today, with the assistants head, hands and feet peeking out of the box. Once Goldin had finished sawing his assistant in half, he would pull the boxes briefly apart, before miraculously reassembling them. (His first public performance used a hotel bellboy, not a woman.)

Goldin didnt just take that trick on tour: He patented it, licensed it to other magicians and sued anyone who performed it without his permission, or who revealed its workings.

But within a few years, the trick had become a cliche, and magicians began applying their own spin. They slimmed down the box. They got rid of the box entirely. They used buzz saws and chain saws. Online, you can see utterly confounding versions that sometimes look like genuine murders onstage.

Sawing a person in half is not one trick, said Teller of the comedy magic duo Penn & Teller. There are lots of different things that you can express with the same fundamentals.

Penn & Tellers variations on the trick usually involve telling the audience how its done, then undermining the explanation. In one, Georgia Bernasek, one of their assistants, gets into a box, and Penn & Teller perform a classic sawing-in-two. But then, they explain how its done: The table the box sits on is hollow, Teller says, so Bernasek can sink her waist out of the saws reach. Just when the audience thinks its all been explained and the trick is over, Penn & Teller accidentally slice through her, leaving the crowd guessing once more.

The message was obvious, Teller said: You think you know how magic tricks are done. Well, maybe you do, and maybe you dont.

Of all the performers whove done the trick, David Copperfield is seen by many as the master thanks to his 1986 version, known as Death Saw, which reimagined the illusion as a Las Vegas spectacle involving a huge, descending rotary blade.

Once the falling buzz saw has cut Copperfield in half, two assistants pull the sections apart and he wiggles his detached feet, before, magically, turning back time and putting himself back together.

It took two years to develop, Copperfield said in a telephone interview, involving lots of cardboard and foam and tape in hotel rooms.

Copperfields take on the classic stands out from the others, partly because it is the magician himself who gets sawed in half. Because most involve a man cutting a woman in two, the trick has been regarded by some as a symbol of misogyny.

Selbits first performance took place at a time of immense change for women in Britain. They won the right to vote only in 1918, and even then it was restricted to women over 30. In 1921, activists were still pushing for greater rights.

Naomi Paxton, an academic who researches the suffragist movement, and who is also a magician herself, said that even though the trick emerged from this climate, she didnt think it was motivated by a hatred of women.

We dont know what was in Selbits head, but I dont think it was misogyny, Paxton said. Its all about context, she added. If the womans not got any agency, is hypnotized or restrained, that becomes problematic.

Paxton said that she had played the role of the assistant who gets sawed in half onstage many times, so she knew what she was talking about. When youre doing it, youre not a passive person, she said. Its claustrophobic, and quite noisy, but such fun.

Really, it doesnt matter who is being cut up  woman, or man, even animal  the trick can still shock and surprise, just as Selbits did. After Flom carved his daughter up and posted it on Facebook, he was deluged with messages threatening to report him to the authorities, he said. It seems many people are unclear about the concept of magic tricks, he added.

Flom said the only time hed received more complaints was when he revealed the secrets of how his tricks worked. When he posted some of his methods online, other magicians had disowned him, he said.

But for that, he was unrepentant, he said. Knowing how a trick is done doesnt stop viewers marveling at the illusion, he said. In fact, he said, it makes a trick more impressive, because it shows much time and effort goes into it.

Whats so disappointing is the public will just watch a clip of David Copperfield and say, Fake legs! Flom said. Theyre missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars of ingenuity and creativity.

Flom was the only magician I spoke with who was happy to explain how his trick worked. It cost around $15,000, he said, most of which went on a special mirror, and several other items I wont reveal. (Some help from grandma was free.)

Teller said he had no moral problem with a reveal like this, but he did have an artistic one: It spoiled the fun of guessing, he said. All you need to know about sawing a person in half, Teller said, is that no one really gets sawed in half.




Fire spreads in a redevelopment zone in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Sunday. Yonhap





By Yi Whan-woo







A Filipina grandmother and her two grandchildren were killed in a fire in a redevelopment zone in Wonju, Gangwon Province, police said Sunday.







Her daughter barely escaped the fire but is hospitalized after suffering multiple burns and exposure to smoke.







The daughter is married to a Korean man who works in China and has been away from home.







The fire started at 3:05 a.m., Sunday, in a nearby house and spread to the area where 20 homes that were soon to be destroyed were concentrated.







Thirty-five firefighters in 12 firetrucks arrived at the scene on time. But they had trouble putting out the fire because it spread fast due to the strong wind.







The woman in her 70s was asleep in the same room with her grandson and granddaughter, aged nine and eight, respectively, and their 35-year-old daughter when their house caught fire.







The daughter escaped through a window with help from neighbors, according to the police.







The other three, however, could not make it. They were found dead about two hours later when the fire was extinguished and firefighting personnel entered the house.







The surviving daughter had invited her mother to live with her in Korea last year.







She was laid off from her job at a nearby plastic manufacturing plant amid the COVID-19 crisis.







She and her family had been relying solely on her husband for a living.







The police are investing the exact cause of death.



As many as 2,06,130 healthcare workers were vaccinated on the fifteenth day of the inoculation drive, taking the total number of beneficiaries to over 37 lakh, said Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

"The cumulative number of healthcare workers vaccinated against Covid-19 is 37,06,157 (as at 7 pm Saturday), as per the provisional report," the ministry said in a statement.

The country reported 71 adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) on Saturday.

Of the 37,06,157 beneficiaries, the highest number of people were vaccinated in Uttar Pradesh at 4,63,793 followed by Rajasthan at 3,26,745, Karnataka at 3,15,343, Madhya Pradesh at 2,73,872 and Maharashtra at 2,69,064.

The ministry noted that India is the fastest country to reach not only the one million target but also two million and three million marks in Covid-19 vaccination.

Several other countries which have had a head start, some as much as 40-50 days, have taken a long time to reach these targets, it said.

Meanwhile, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Saturday that sufficient quantity of Covid-19 vaccine is available in the country, advising states and Union Territories to increase the coverage of the inoculation drive.

Bhushan said that there are many states that need to improve their performance in terms of the percentage of coverage and asked them to analyze the daily variation in the number of average vaccination.

The states were also told to undertake the necessary planning to ensure vaccinations of frontline workers, starting in the first week of February, is hassle-free.

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Making the impossible possible is somewhat of an addiction for former British Special Forces soldier Nirmal 'Nims' Purja.

In 2019, he smashed the world record for climbing the 14 highest mountains in just six months and six days and this January, he accomplished one of the greatest mountaineering feats by returning to K2 on the China-Pakistan border and scaling it in the depths of winter, with no supplementary oxygen.

He has now revealed, following numerous reports, that he had also planned to 'fly from K2 in style' using a glider but winds of more than 100mph/ 160 km swept all of his gear away halfway up the peak and he made the descent on two feet instead.

Nirmal 'Nims' Purja and nine Nepalese climbers were the first to summit K2 during winter this January. The former British Special Forces soldier wanted to claim a first for the Nepalese mountaineering community

In winter, all of the challenges K2 throws up are magnified with temperatures hovering around minus 65 degrees Celsius / minus 85 Fahrenheit, treacherous stretches of blue ice and winds over 100mph/ 160km

Nims (third from left, bottom row) planned the expedition in just two months, from getting sponsors on board to forming a solid team of climbers

The charismatic, straight-talking 37-year-old told DailyMail.com from the safer and warmer confines of his presidential suite in Kathmandu: 'I had always thought about paragliding off K2, and I was training significantly for this over around 90 days. I was ready, my instructors can vouch for how hard I was working.

'I had all of my gear with me on the mountain but the winds were nasty. At Camp 2, gusts took all of my flying gear, all my summit gear and cooking equipment.

'Otherwise my plan was to fly from K2 in style. But hey, you can't do everything in one go I guess!'

Despite his scuppered paragliding plans, Nims can't take the smile off his face as he talks about his extraordinary mountaineering feat over Skype.

K2, which stands at 8,611m (28,251ft) high, is known as one of the deadliest mountains on the planet with a fatality rate of 29 per cent due to its complex terrain and unpredictable weather.

A highly-publicised climbing disaster in August 2008 underscored the mountain's volatile character, when an avalanche killed 11 climbers.

In winter, all of the challenges K2 throws up are magnified with temperatures hovering around minus 65 degrees Celsius / minus 85 Fahrenheit, treacherous stretches of blue ice and winds over 100mph/ 160km.

Nims, who took up mountaineering in 2012 while still in the military, explains: 'When I was at K2 in the summer of 2019, I could get to the summit from basecamp directly.

'But this time around we were just struggling to make the journey to basecamp.

K2, which stands at 8,611m (28,251ft) high, is known as one of the deadliest mountains on the planet with a fatality rate of 29 per cent due to its complex terrain and unpredictable weather. A highly-publicised climbing disaster in August 2008 underscored the mountain's volatile character, with an avalanche killing 11 climbers

Nims had planned to paraglide from the summit of K2 and had been practising for several months before his expedition. Above, pictured training on the slopes of Chamonix in France

A shot of Nims on his way to the K2 basecamp with a team of Pakistani porters, who helped carry the heavy loads

Reaching the K2 summit was an 'extremely emotional' experience for Nims and he saw many of his team members in tears

'It was so cold your body felt completely drained. Our backpacks were really heavy too with all of the gear, weighing in at around 35kg.'

So, what inspired Nims to take on such a perilous expedition?

He says it was born out of a determination to claim a first for the Nepalese mountaineering community and demonstrate the country's climbing talent.

All of the other winter summits of the world's highest peaks had been completed by international teams and K2 was the final one left to conquer.

It was time to show 'the Nepalese strength'.

Nims planned to get some extra money on board before his K2 winter attempt as his 2019 mountaineering tour had required him to remortgage his house in Hampshire, UK.

But when he learned some international teams were going for the same K2 goal at the back end of 2020, he moved his plans forward.

'A lot of climbers are strong in Nepal as we grow up with mountains as our playground but for this mission I chose team members with a similar kind of mindset to myself. We had to be doing this for the same reason and like anything, if you're doing it for money you won't be successful. It has to come from really deep inside.'

In just two months, Nims managed to get sponsors on board - including luggage brand Osprey and Red Bull - plan the logistics amid a pandemic and get a team together.

He had never climbed with any of the five Nepalese men he recruited  all Sherpas - and picked them purely for their mindset and ambition.

The record-setter explains: 'A lot of climbers are strong in Nepal as we grow up with mountains as our playground but for this mission I chose team members with a similar kind of mindset to myself.

'We had to be doing this for the same reason and like anything, if you're doing it for money you won't be successful. It has to come from really deep inside.'

Nims and his team, which included Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Geljen Sherpa, Pem Chiri Sherpa and Dawa Temba Sherpa, reached K2 Basecamp (5,117m/16,785 ft) on December 26, 2020 and from there, they went about prepping the route they would take to the summit.

Everything was running fairly smoothly for the climbers but then disaster struck at Camp 2 (6,699m / 21,980ft) when 'nasty winds' took hold and blew their tents away.

Luckily, Nims had a back-up plan and they were able to team up with two other Nepalese groups to share supplies and develop a summit strategy.

The climbers went about fixing lines from the five different camps on K2 to enable them to get to the top.

On January 16, ten of the climbers made history as the first to conquer the world's second-highest mountain in winter.

Nims describes it as an 'amazing' experience, as he trudged to the top of the mountain with nine other men, singing the Nepalese national anthem as they went.

He adds: 'It was extremely emotional. As we hugged, sang and walked together I could see some of my team members were in tears and that was a really powerful thing you know. That's like next level. We were living in the moment.'

Nims had never climbed with any of the five Nepalese men he recruited  all Sherpas - and picked them purely for their mind-set and ambition

On the gear side of things, the hardy outdoorsman was grateful for some hand warmers he could put inside his mittens as he was suffering from frost nip on three of his fingers. Thanks to the warmers, he maintained his track record of 'returning exactly as I left with everything intact'

While Nims and his team were on the mountain, Spanish mountaineer Sergi Mingote sadly fell to his death. Nims said of the tragic event: 'I know if it was me, I wouldn't want to go any other way than doing what I love doing so I'm sure his soul is resting in peace in heaven'

Reaching the top is just half of the battle when it comes to mountaineering and the descent can be just as, and if not more, dangerous.

Luckily the climbers got back to the safety of basecamp in one piece but the celebrations were stalled by the news of Sergi Mingote's death. The Spanish mountaineer, who was part of a different expedition team, fell more than 500 metres (1,640 feet) while making his way down from Camp 1 to advanced base camp.

Nims says of the tragic event: 'I first heard that there had been an accident over the radio when we were near the summit.

'It was a bit tough at that point and I said, 'Hey boys let's change the channel because that's the past and we can't let a sad incident affect us'.

'We thought it was just a fall to begin with. It was important to have everyone focused on the specific goal. But after we got back to Camp 3 on our descent I found out that it was Sergi who was a really good friend of mine.

'He was such a great guy. It was a very weird feeling because we couldn't celebrate our success. I know if it was me, I wouldn't want to go any other way than doing what I love doing so I'm sure his soul is resting in peace in heaven. My condolences to his family.'

For me, giving up is not in the blood. When there is one mission all this pain and hard work is a blur. It's not important how painful it is, it's not important how cold it is

After 21 days in the mountains, Nims was happy to have a hot shower - although he jokes that he still 'smelled good' after weeks of not washing - and his first meal was a plate of momos (Nepalese meat dumplings).

On the gear side of things, the hardy outdoorsman was grateful for some hand warmers he could put inside his mittens as he was suffering from frostnip on three of his fingers.

Thanks to the warmers, he maintained his track record of 'returning exactly as I left with everything intact'.

Asked what his secret to success is, Nims says he's always had a quiet sense of determination and having respect for the mountain is of utmost importance.

He continues: 'For me, giving up is not in the blood. When there is one mission all this pain and hard work is a blur. It's not important how painful it is, it's not important how cold it is.

'When I was a Gurkha before joining the SBS I would sometimes wake up a 2am and run 40km and go back to the boarding house and pretend I was still in bed sleeping. I've had this attitude from a kid. Being in the Special Forces is completely different to mountaineering and high altitude but it helped me to operate and function in a stressful environment.

'As long as you make the right decisions every time, you will always be successful.'

With so many incredible mountaineering accomplishments in the bag the inevitable question is what's next for Nims?

Before heading off for a celebration at the Pakistan embassy in Kathmandu, he serves up a cliffhanger along with a cheeky grin. 'We always keep surprising,' he chuckles.

Nims' book Beyond Possible: One Soldier, Fourteen Peaks - My Life In The Death Zone, is available to buy now via www.nimsdai.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.
Ireland is set to receive nearly 100,000 more vaccines from Oxford AstraZeneca following a new agreement between the manufacturer and the European Union.

In a tweet, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen wrote that the Commission had reached an agreement on delivery of a further nine million doses before the end of the first quarter of this year.

As part of this agreement, it is expected that Ireland will receive an additional 99,000 doses.

This increase would see the country receive 400,000 of the 600,000 doses initially promised.

Step forward on vaccines.@AstraZeneca will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter (40 million in total) compared to last weeks offer & will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled.



The company will also expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 31, 2021

In total, AstraZeneca will now deliver 40 million doses to EU countries in the first quarter of this year.

Ms von der Leyen also said that deliveries of the vaccines will commence one week earlier than scheduled.

She also said that, as part of the new agreement, AstraZeneca would be increasing its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said news of the extra deliveries would mean "more vaccines for Ireland in the next two months."

EU AstraZeneca row

A row erupted between the EU and AstraZeneca last week, after the manufacturer told the European Commission that it had experienced a production glitch at one of its hubs in Belgium, meaning initial vaccine deliveries in the first three months of this year would fall below supply targets.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorised AstraZenecas coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union last Friday.

It is the third Covid-19 vaccine to be given rollout approval by the EMA.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 21:38:08|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and 20 others wounded on Sunday when an explosion hit the rebel-held city of Azaz in northern Syria, according to the pro-government Sham FM radio.

The report said a child was among those killed in the explosion.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the explosion was caused by a car bomb that went off near the cultural center in the city of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo province near Turkey.

The UK-based watchdog group said rescue teams are working to help the wounded.

Azaz is controlled by the Turkey-backed rebels.

A day earlier, eight people were killed, including four children, in an explosion that rocked the city of Afrin, which is also controlled by the Turkey-backed rebels and Turkish forces in the northern countryside of Aleppo near Turkey.

Activists and pro-government media outlets usually report a state of lawlessness and chaos in rebel-held areas in northern Syria. Enditem
I think the developed nations of the world, for want of a better word, have a responsibility to help countries in need at the best of times. At the moment this country is suffering famine, war, uncertainty about its political future  the last thing they need in the world is another tragedy on top of everything else that has happened to them. Mr Box, who normally works as an operating nurse in Melbourne, was in Yemen for three months until September after being seconded by the International Committee of the Red Cross. He worked at a treatment centre in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, which is controlled by a group of secessionists known as the Southern Transitional Council. COVID-19 treatment centre in Yemini city of Aden. While Aden was mostly peaceful while he was there, Mr Box said presentations for COVID-19 testing and treatment were quite low.

Loading There had been a lot of deaths during the first wave, before Red Cross was there, the 42-year-old said. The problem was a lot of people didnt present to the medical centre until they were very sick and when they presented very little could be done for them, unfortunately many died. The locals started associating seeking medical care with fatality instead of presenting earlier. I did hear stories of families buying their own oxygen tanks and treating people at home. He said there were also issues with people being able to isolate at home once they had tested positive with large families living together in small apartments.

There were tensions a few times with people being tested  people were anxious. They already had enough to worry about with the political situation, Mr Box said. Its just another thing that has piled on top of all the other issues they have, and maybe thats one of the reasons the public is not really accepting of it. Theyve already got so much going on they just cant grasp the concept of something else going on. Loading Health professionals are growing increasingly concerned that an international initiative established to promote global access to coronavirus vaccines, known as COVAX, will not be enough to ensure vaccines are distributed equitably to developing nations. A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit found many rich countries will manage to inoculate their most vulnerable citizens by mid-March, while poorer countries may not be able to achieve widespread vaccination until 2023 or longer.

The World Health Organisation has described this widening gap as an unfolding catastrophic moral failure. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed on the weekend that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will this week launch a global campaign seeking 100 million Swiss francs ($147 million) from donors and countries - including Australia - to support the delivery of vaccines to vulnerable communities. Mr Box said aid groups such as the Red Cross will need more help in distributing vaccines in countries such as Yemen where the logistics of navigating an ongoing conflict will prove difficult. He said effective communication with the public will be vital. Particularly in Yemen where they cant guarantee food security for a good portion of the country  the idea of providing vaccine security will be a hugely difficult move, he said.
Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung arrives at a press conference at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control in Taipei on March 11, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

US Can Draw Lessons From Taiwan on Fighting Chinas Disinformation: Report

TAIPEI, TaiwanThe United States can learn from Taiwan how to confront the Chinese regimes disinformation, according to a recent report by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The report, titled Protecting Democracy in an Age of Disinformation: Lessons from Taiwan, analyzed campaigns from China that spread misleading information about Taiwans 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States has also seen misleading information about the pandemic and the 2020 election being promoted on social media via Chinese officials and fake bot accounts originating from China.

The think tank acknowledged that the disinformation campaigns carried out by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are often obscured by the secrecy and opacity of the CCPs united front approach, which makes it difficult to accurately diagnose and right-size the problem of disinformation, complicating efforts to craft effective solutions.

But the Taiwan governments tactics, such as setting up a fact-checking agency and promoting internet memes that dispel false news, can prove effective, the report noted.

Chinas Methods

Chinas United Front Work Department (UFWD) is an executive CCP agency behind Beijings united front efforts to persuade organizations or individuals to spread the Partys propaganda, both inside and outside China. In October last year, the U.S. State Department designated the Washington-based National Association for Chinas Peaceful Unification, which is controlled by the UFWD, as a foreign mission for its malign influence in the United States.

Beijing sees Taiwan as a renegade province, despite its status as a self-ruled island with its own democratically-elected government. It seeks to bring the island under its fold, no matter through military actions or peaceful means. The latter includes the tactics of spinning Taiwans public opinion in Beijings favorby persuading Taiwanese to lose faith in their democracy or embrace the Chinese regimes calls for greater integration between the two sides.

Taiwans very existence as a democratic rebuke to the socialist authoritarian model offered by Beijing has likely further strengthened Chinas resolve to degrade and erode domestic faith in the durability of the islands democratic institutions, the report said.

Beijings disinformation has thus targeted Taiwans politics and social events.

The different channels available to Beijing to carry out such disinformation, such as recruiting Taiwanese businesspeople with significant activities in the mainland to advance CCP-friendly interests in Taiwan, make it difficult to determine whether a case of disinformation is Beijing-backed or China-linked, the report noted. Oftentimes, there is no specific or verifiable evidence pointing to the involvement of Chinese state-backed entities.

[W]hile it is certain that Beijing is behind a rising number of disinformation attacks, it is not true that they are behind them all. Local Taiwanese play their own part in originating, disseminating, and amplifying domestic disinformation, according to the report.

Examples

Citing a 2019 report by Taiwans National Security Bureau, the think tank identified several main methods of Chinese disinformation.

The CCP distorts real news stories from Taiwan, and spreads it through Chinese state media and social media, where the content is likely to be picked up by Taiwanese social media platforms.

It also skews information about controversial news topics in Taiwan and has Chinese internet trolls, including those from the fifty-cent army, spread it on Taiwanese social media, in order to alter Taiwanese public opinion.

In mainland China, the term fifty-cent army refers to internet users who are reportedly paid a meager 50 cents by the CCP for every comment they leave on news articles and social media. On articles that portray the CCP positively, the commenters agree enthusiastically. On articles that are critical of the CCP, they react angrily and stoke nationalist sentiment.

The CCP also creates fake content and uploads it to content farms, which are websites with large collections of shallow or low-quality articles. The communist regime then waits for the fake content to be picked up by social media groups in Taiwan.

Finally, the CCP also directly feeds Taiwans pro-Beijing media materials, or provides them with reporting guidelines, with the goal of having other media outlets follow suit.

COVID-19

As Covid-19 evolved into a global pandemic, Taiwan witnessed a steady increase in disinformation efforts centered on the disease, according to the report.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. The virus originated from Chinas Wuhan city before spreading to countries and regions around the world.

Taiwan has earned internal accolades for being able to effectively control the spread of the virus, after reporting its first confirmed infection case on Jan. 21 last year. As of Jan. 31, Taiwan has a total of 911 confirmed infection cases and eight deaths.

The think tank report cited several examples of disinformation, all pushing a similar narrative of the Taiwan government being ineffective at handling the local outbreak.

One Facebook user shared on a Facebook group that his mother learned from her high school classmate, a Taiwanese lawmaker, that the Taiwanese government wasnt able to track down infected patients.

In another example, one Facebook user wrote that the local government quickly cremated a body, which the user suspected was a patient who died of COVID-19. The user insinuated that Taiwanese health officials refused to make the same assessment.

Forged Taiwan government documents have also circulated on the internet. One forged document was purportedly from the Taoyuan municipal government, announcing the city will be placed on lockdown after infections were detected at one of the citys hospitals.

Taiwan has never initiated lockdowns. According to local media reports, police tracked down the IP address of the person who posted the fake document, to a location in Chinas Hebei Province.

Overall, the impact of their campaigns appears to have been limited, the report said. Many of the [online] posts made sloppy mistakes, often lapsing into mainland linguistic conventions which revealed their true origin.

The two regions sometimes use different words in Chinese to refer to the same noun. For example, mainland Chinese use the words baoan () for security, but Taiwanese use baoquan ().

Taiwans Responses

The report applauded Taiwans responses to Chinas disinformation campaigns.

Taiwan has relied on civil servants in different government agencies to timely respond to disinformation by publishing counter messages or memes on social media, written in a humorous or internet language to enhance their appeal to people.

Additionally, the island has robust fact-checking systems in place. The Taiwan FactCheck Center, a nonprofit established in 2018, publishes its review process and references for every factual assertion. Additionally, Line, a messaging app commonly used in Taiwan, hosts a fact-checking chatbot named Cofact, where users can forward questionable messages for Lines editors to review.

Taiwans multifaceted approach to disinformation would not be possible without the high levels of public trust that exist in the country, the report noted.

Global Views, a local magazine, polled 1,032 people between Dec. 3 and Dec. 7 last year. The poll found that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen had an approval rating of 54.6 percent. Meanwhile, Chen Shih-chung, Taiwans minister of health and welfare and the head of the islands epidemic command center, had an approval rating of 74.3 percent.

The report concluded that there needs to be extensive international cooperation to respond to Chinas disinformation campaigns.

Democracies need to exchange intelligence about Chinese efforts and share best practices on how to reduce and counter disinformation campaigns, the report said. The efforts should include government agencies, media leaders, and civil society groups.
BEIJING : Emphasising the importance of bilateral relations, China on Friday reiterated that the border issue with India will not be linked with the growth of overall ties with New Delhi, reported Xinhua.

The border issue between China and India shall not be linked with bilateral relations, said Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, at a press briefing on Friday when asked to comment on a recent address on India-China relations delivered by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Speaking at the 13th All Indian Conference of China Studies, Jaishankar on Thursday said that the relationship between India and China were at a 'crossroads' and choices made by the two countries will have "profound repercussions" for the entire world.

"Experiences of the past have taught us the importance of stabilising our relationship (with China) even while adjusting to changes. From that, we can seek proper guidance that will be to the benefit of both nations," the external affairs minister stated.

Zhao acknowledged that Jaishankar's remarks showcase the significance India attaches to its relations with China and stressed that the border issue shall not be linked with bilateral relations.

"This is an important lesson learned through the two countries' efforts over the past decades to keep our ties moving forward," Xinhua quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

He further added that China hopes India will work with it to properly manage differences, promote practical cooperation and bring bilateral relations back on the right track.

On January 24, India and China agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops in eastern Ladakh during the ninth round of the China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point.

The joint press release issued by Defence Ministry on January 25 said the two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of China-India border areas.

The two countries have been engaged in a stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since April-May last year. While China began amassing massive military strength along the LAC, India responded with a befitting build-up.

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In Northeast Pennsylvania, thousands of people are recuperating from COVID-19.

Others will be added to this list in the months ahead.

Many are experiencing physical and emotional effects that can be improved with interventions from rehabilitation experts. This is an emerging specialty in post-acute care and one that is becoming necessary to help citizens recover from the lasting effects of coronavirus.

Across the globe, millions of people have been infected and affected by the COVID-19 virus. Some have had mild illnesses; others have had more significant courses with long-lasting residual problems.

These lingering difficulties extend beyond just respiratory trouble. Many patients suffer fatigue, endurance issues, muscle weakness, reduced joint mobility, gait imbalance, muscle and nerve pain, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and limitations with activities of daily living. All of us know someone in this situation.

Those individuals who required intensive care hospitalizations are more likely to suffer these untoward side effects. Additionally, many endure various psychological issues, too. Depression stemming from social distancing, isolation, quarantine, ICU psychosis, mourning the loss of a loved one, guilt associated with infecting others and other effects are common these days; however, there are other emotional and cognitive illnesses that can arise as well.

Across the country, COVID recovery programs are being established to help patients with their recuperations  Northeast Pennsylvania is no exception.

These programs are increasingly being led by physiatrists, who are physicians specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and cognitive and linguistic therapy as well as physiological services play key roles in this recuperation model.

A patients personal care physician, in addition to other physician specialists such as pulmonary, cardiology, infectious diseases, nephrology, neurology and psychiatry, will also be integral in patients recuperation depending upon each individuals unique needs.

Physicians at Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates, in cooperation with staff from Allied Services Integrated Health System are leading dozens of local patients through holistic approaches to post-COVID 19 rehabilitation with the goal of achieving full recoveries from various effects of this virus. Weve established a center for COVID-19 recuperation and rehabilitation to focus on this emergent issue.

Other programs are developing, too. This is all positive for our region  and very much needed.

Since March, Northeast Rehab physicians have stayed up to date with the latest medical literature and understanding of the coronavirus. We have cared for patients in acute care hospitals, the rehabilitation setting, skilled nursing facilities and in outpatient office settings. The long-term effects of this virus are still not fully understood but our physicians are uniquely qualified to assist with the rehabilitation of it.

To be sure, patients recuperating from coronavirus will benefit greatly from a targeted post-acute care rehabilitation management program. The need is great and our local physician/provider network is working to respond to this growing demand.

As with everything with COVID-19, understanding the lasting health, economic and societal impacts of this dreaded disease is ongoing No issue is more important, though, than ensuring the development and delivery of proper medical interventions to help restore function in those who have been sidelined by this disease.
EL PROGRESO, Honduras - Thirty days after they were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, held on opposite sides of the United States, Antonio and Maily were reunited at midnight in the parking lot of a South Texas detention center.

Antonio looked at his 7-year-old daughter and thought: "They are returning all of my happiness in a single moment."

Attorneys and volunteers watched as they hugged. It was July 2018 - days after the Trump administration's family separations policy was halted. The reunion seemed permanent, a bookend to the most controversial U.S. immigration directive in decades.

But six months later, they were separated again. Antonio went to a scheduled check-in at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in central California. He was handcuffed by ICE agents while Maily was in her second-grade class. They have not been together since.

A federal court ordered the government to reunite the thousands of families separated under Trump's zero-tolerance policy. But many of those parents were released from detention without any legal status in the United States. They were back with their children, but immediately subject to deportation and reseparation.

Antonio, a part-time mechanic, landed in Honduras alone on Jan. 16, 2019. He was not allowed to say goodbye to his daughter. Their second separation has so far lasted two years. Maily is now a fourth grader in New Orleans.

"Separating us once was horrible enough," he said between sobs at his home in rural Honduras. "Now it feels like I've died twice." He spoke on the condition that his last name be withheld for fear of reprisals in Honduras.

Two and a half years after President Donald Trump ordered an end to family separations, immigration attorneys and advocates are growing increasingly concerned about reseparations. The policy of taking children from their parents at the border provoked global outrage, but far less attention has been paid to those families - or their legal cases - afterward.

Parents and children emerged with separate immigration cases - often with pending removal orders and no attorneys. In hundreds of those cases, parents have been ordered deported while their children's asylum or visa applications were being processed.

- - -

The American Civil Liberties Union announced in November that it had been unable to locate 666 parents who were separated from their children at the border. Since then, attorneys have learned that some of them were reseparated and deported alone. In recent weeks, advocates have located more than a dozen reseparated parents in Central America.

"Even after families were reunited by the court, the Trump administration tried to reseparate them by deporting the parent," said Lee Gelernt, the lead ACLU attorney on family separation. "Incredibly, one separation was not enough for the Trump administration."

As the Biden administration prepares to launch a task force to potentially reunite hundreds of Central American families, cases such as Antonio's are a reminder of the complicated legal path beyond reunification. It remains unclear what legal status the administration will offer to reunified families and whether it will protect them from deportation. There's no guarantee that reseparated parents will be allowed to return to the United States.

Images of separated children in makeshift detention centers in 2018 prompted an outpouring of anger and activism. The Trump administration said it had separated at least 5,500 migrant children from their parents.

After Trump signed an executive order ending the policy, new images showed tearful reunions. It might have seemed as if the crisis had ended.

But hundreds of parents had been deported without their children; hundreds more were reunited, but issued deportation orders that meant they could be reseparated at any moment. Often parents were unaware of their removal orders, assuming that reunification implied a path to legal status. It did not.

"The government failed to give these parents basic information about their cases," when they were released to be reunited with their children," said Conchita Cruz, co-executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project.

According to an analysis of roughly two thousand cases of parents and children separated at the border, about 13% have removal orders, said to the National Reunited Families Assistance Project, a legal cooperative. It's unclear how many of them have been deported.

- - -

Weeks after Antonio was reunited with his daughter, an ICE agent put a tracking monitor around his ankle and directed him to check in at the agency's office in Santa Maria, Calif., every 15 days. It was at one of those check-ins, he said, where an agent told him: You don't have anything here. You're going back to your country.

He asked whether Maily could return with him to Honduras. He said he was told to give up custody to a relative in the United States or she would be put up for adoption.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.

Antonio, who had fled repeated threats of violence in Honduras, was put on a charter flight back to his country. On his return, he relocated to a new area with his wife, Carolina, and another daughter. Their new home lay in a flood plain. When Hurricanes Iota and Eta blew through in November, it was destroyed. He shared a video that shows him up to his shoulders in water, searching for his possessions.

For a while, Maily stayed with an uncle in California. She would burst into tears without warning, often in her classroom. She explained to her teachers that she had been separated - twice - from her father. She is scheduled to begin therapy in the coming weeks.

"I just don't understand why they did this," Maily, now 10, said by phone.

Antonio and Maily speak on video calls a few nights a week. Antonio asks Maily how her English is progressing. Maily asks Antonio whether he's safe. Her first court date is scheduled for December 2022.

During their years apart, she had tried to come up with ideas of how to get her father back to the United States. Last month, in her latest effort to reunite the family, she scribbled a letter to President-elect Joe Biden.

"Congratulations on your new job as president," she wrote in Spanish. "My reason for writing is to ask you to please help bring my dad and mom and sister to the United States. If you're able to do this I'll be the happiest girl in the world."

She drew a picture of her family, a wide space between herself and everyone else.

Child welfare advocates warn of the trauma inflicted on children who have been separated twice.

"Each time you do this you're just multiplying by an exponent the level of terror," said Ken Berrick, founder of Seneca Family of Agencies, which has been charged with linking separated families to mental health providers. "When this is your only experience as a child it becomes a part of who you are - it has lifelong impacts."

- - -

Reunited families were released into legal peril for a range of reasons, each a reflection of a complex immigration system.

Parents were issued notices to appear in courts, but without dates; they unknowingly missed their hearings and were ordered removed in absentia. Some were never given notices to appear in court at all. Others were ordered deported while in detention, but they were inexplicably released and reunited with their children. For hundreds of reunited parents, deportation orders mean they cannot promise their children that they will not be separated again.

Henry, a 47-year-old Guatemalan man, was separated from his 7-year-old son, Brandon, in 2018. When they were reunited three months later, Henry already had a deportation order.

He says his son panics every time they see a police officer. A few months ago, when Henry had a scheduled check-in with ICE, his son called him frantically: Are they going to send you back to Guatemala?

"He's always so scared that I'm going to be deported. But I told him, 'No, they gave me another chance,' " Henry said. "Maybe the U.S. immigration officials want to watch me for a while, to see what kind of a person I am."

Families have discussed what to do in the case of a reseparation. If a parent is deported, he or she can typically choose whether the child should return as well. But because of the conditions the families fled in Central America, those decisions are not straightforward.

"The fact that they don't have any kind of security that they can remain here with their child - that they can be deported at any moment - it just adds to the extraordinary amount of trauma that families have gone through," said Ann Garcia, a staff attorney with Catholic Legal Immigration Network.
GREENWICH  Among the 15 winners selected in U.S. Sen. Chris Murphys fifth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Essay Contest was Greenwich High School sophomore Yurika Sakai.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Murphy (D-Conn.) announced the 15 winners selected from nearly 2,800 entries sent in from elementary, middle and high school students from across Connecticut, reflecting on Kings dream and their own aspirations.

The events of the past year have laid bare the mass inequities in our country and, as we reflect on Dr. Kings dream for justice and equality in America, it is clear we still have a way to go, Murphy said in a statement. The essays submitted by students across Connecticut continue to give me hope. Im certain that if these students continue to stay engaged in their community and reject the sins of our past, well realize Dr. Kings dream sooner rather than later.

Greenwich High School Principal Ralph Mayo said, We are so proud of Yurikas profound and inspiring message.

Her insightful words urging empathy, compassion and understanding, earned her this impressive statewide recognition, Mayo said.

While writing this essay, Yurika Sakai said, I enjoyed reflecting on why we value the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his ambitions for America. Im so thankful that I have been selected to share my own aspirations of fostering conversation and compassion within our community.

13 GHS students excel at Model UN conference

The Greenwich High School Model UN Team recently participated in the Columbia Model UN Conference, and a total of 13 students were recognized for their impressive performances in the digital event.

According to the conference website, CMUNCE prides itself on departing from traditional Model UN through its highly dynamic crisis-style Model UN committees, which challenge delegates of all levels to think quickly and creatively in response to new scenarios and events.

While I am thrilled to see how many students were formally recognized for their work at the conference, I am proud of all of our participants for the many weeks they spent researching their assigned roles and topics of their respective committees, GHS teacher and Model UN Club adviser Ian Tiedemann said.

The team leaders were especially critical to our success; they trained our newer members and supported them throughout the entire process, he said. They have continued to operate as a close-knit team despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and digital learning. I am so proud of GHS Model UN.

The award winners and their committees are:

*Sophomore Casey Adams, CELAC, Verbal

*Junior Aarya Dhru, Doctors Without Borders, Best

*Sophomore Ambika Grover, 1992 JCC: Bush, Verbal

*Junior Sophie Jaeger, Ireland Troubles, Outstanding

*Senior David Katz, Constitutional Convention 2100: Colorado, Verbal

*Senior Skyler McDonnell, Ad Hoc, Best

*Freshman Amrutha Nandakumar, 1992 JCC: Clinton, Honorable

*Sophomore Nicole Orlofsky, Cuban Missile Crisis US, Outstanding

*Senior Wyatt Radzin, Downton Abbey, Verbal

*Junior Veda Swaminathan, Revolutionary Peoples Constitutional Convention, Best

*Senior Joshua Winston, Greenlandic Independence, Best

*Freshman Ziyi Yan, Cuban Missile Crisis USSR, Honorable

*Sophomore Arjun Kishore, Pokemon Go, Outstanding

Several members of the GHS Model UN Club shared their experiences.

I liked discussing the issue of peace over defense and exploring the roles of both concepts while the nations of America and the USSR were teetering on the brink of a nuclear disaster, said Nicole Orlofsky, who looked at the Cuban Missile Crisis. We had to make tough decisions about when to exercise restraint and when to move forward with military action in order to protect the nation, and it was a really wonderful experience to get to put myself in the shoes of a government official and think about the repercussions of every action taken by the administration in an effort to save the country.

Amrutha Nandakumar, who studied Bill Clintons Campaign in the 1992 Election, said, Participating in a Model UN Conference is amazing because you get the chance to discuss and debate ideas with people with different perspectives from all walks of life in the hope of coming together to make an impact on the world.

Being in a committee strikes the balance between cooperation and conflict in a way that mimics the real-life dynamics between global powers and gives a really incredible look into how the real United Nations operates. I had the opportunity in this conference to be in a three-way committee modeled after the Presidential Election of 1992, and it was a really eye-opening look into how misinformation and manipulation can often influence the direction an election takes, Nandakumar said.

I was in the Doctors Without Borders committee that focused on the Yemen humanitarian crisis. I competed with students from all around the world and we discussed possible solutions to improve safety and healthcare in Yemen, Aarya Dhru said.

By the end of the committee, I was elected president of Yemen and we resolved the crisis. I also loved hearing about everyones positive committee experiences and how despite us not being able to attend the conference in person, we all took something away from participating.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-30 21:55:54|Editor: huaxia

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The number of COVID-19 cases on the African continent has surpassed 3.53 mln. The arrival of Chinese vaccines and other medical supplies has injected confidenc in local people's fight against the pandemic. Click this edition of GLOBALink to see what African people say.  Produced by Xinhua Global Service
(Natural News) As President Joe Biden assumes the Oval Office, The Federalist will continue its rigorous coverage of the new White House, keeping the administration accountable with substantive fact-checking throughout Bidens tenure.

(Article republished from TheFederalist.com)

Biden Trashed Trumps Early China Travel Ban As Xenophobic Before Signing His Own

When Trump implemented a travel ban on China in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, then-candidate Joe Biden railed against the executive action as xenophobic claiming such restrictions do not work.

Less than a year later, Biden has implemented his own travel bans on South Africa, Brazil, Great Britain, and 26 other European countries in the second week of his presidency.

Biden's tweet about Xenophobic & fear mongering was not about the Muslim country travel restrictions. It was about COVID, in March of last year. Biden also stated travel restrictions won't work. https://t.co/v6PNl5ILOb pic.twitter.com/SRj8Wtq2oR  Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 25, 2021

Biden Team: Trump Vaccination Plan Worse Than We Could Have Imagined

After Biden staffers lied telling CNN there was nothing for us to rework in terms of a vaccination distribution plan, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki admitted there was a plan at the podium during a Jan. 25 briefing they just wont give credit.

Psaki told reporters the plan from the Trump White House was much worse than we could have imagined.

.@PressSec says the coronavirus vaccine distribution plan inherited from the Trump White House is "much worse than we could have imagined."  Anders Hagstrom (@Hagstrom_Anders) January 25, 2021

The plan inherited by the Biden White House however, has already put the new administration on trajectory to reach its goal of reaching 100 million vaccinated within its first 100 days.

Below is the chart outline for the distribution process under Operation Warp Speed, which produced not one, but two coronavirus vaccines in record time.

Biden Warns Pandemic Will Worsen After Pledging To Shut Down Virus

President Biden spent the entire campaign last year running on a platform to shut down the novel coronavirus, only to back away from the signature pledge on day three of his White House tenure with a bold admission.

Theres nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months, Biden said on Jan. 22.

On day 3, @JoeBiden gave up and admitted he was lying. https://t.co/e6583LHruH pic.twitter.com/1yh0DkG8wG  Reverend Doctor Jill Biden Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) January 22, 2021

Biden Claims Federal Government Never Acted with Urgency to Combat Pandemic

Joe Biden claimed the federal government failed to act with the urgency that was necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, apparently neglecting to mention the Trump White Houses Operation Warp Speed that produced two viable coronavirus vaccines by the years end.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn also pointed out that Congress passed trillions in stimulus, providing funds for pandemic efforts and economic recovery.

Fact: A series of bipartisan COVID-19 relief bills passed last year totaling more than $4 trillion, as recently as last month. Fact: About 1 million Americans being vaccinated daily  Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) January 22, 2021

Biden Team Tells CNN Trump Offered No Plan for Vaccine Distribution

Sources within the Biden administration told CNN they inherited no vaccine distribution plan from the previous White House.

There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch, one source reportedly told CNNs MJ Lee, except there was, as outlined in Trumps Operation Warp Speed, included below.

The Biden teams statements were also contradicted by the National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci the same afternoon.

Were certainly not starting from scratch, because there is activity going on in the distribution, Fauci told reporters.

Biden White House Claims Elites Celebrating Is Exception to Mask Edict

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki justified Bidens decision with his family to forgo face masks at the Lincoln Memorial after signing an executive order requiring them on all federal lands.

He was celebrating a historic day in our country.  We have bigger things to worry about, said Psaki, whose dismissal of the face mask as an insignificant issue was contradicted by the White House edict passed hours earlier.

Jen Psaki is asked why Joe Biden and members of his family weren't wearing masks at the Lincoln Memorial last night after signing the mask mandate on federal lands: "He was celebrating a historic day in our country We have bigger things to worry about." pic.twitter.com/wLjD1V0k1f  Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 21, 2021

Though Biden has received both shots of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines stipulate that vaccinated people are to continue wearing face masks, citing a lack of research showing whether those vaccinated can still spread the virus. While Biden likely did not need to wear a face mask, considering he was outside and adequately distanced from others, the absence of a mask flies in the face of Bidens executive order, in which celebrating is not listed as an exception.

Biden Falsely Claims All Media Smeared Vaccine Plan as Impossible

Joe Biden defended his administrations goal to vaccinate 100 million Americans within his first 100 days in office after a reporter questioned whether the target was too modest.

When I announced it, you all said it wasnt possible. Cmon. Gimme a break, man, Biden snapped.

Biden, asked if 100 million vaccines within 100 days is too low of a goal, snaps: When I announced it you all said it wasnt possible. Gimme a break. Cmon man. pic.twitter.com/O7n7jBOjvn  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 21, 2021

While few articles at major publications have voiced some skepticism, they remained rare, undermining Bidens claim that all media had been overwhelmingly pessimistic of the Biden administration reaching the 100 million mark by the end of April.

Biden Vows to Be Unity President After Smearing GOP Sens. as Nazis

Biden launched his first term as commander-in-chief by branding himself as the unifier-in-chief while aggressively pursuing a partisan progressive agenda promoting left-wing ideas of social justice after smearing two Republican senators as Nazi collaborators.

To all those who did not support us, let me say this: Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart, Biden pleaded with the American people.

Less than two weeks prior, however, the unity president smeared Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas as Nazis.

Read more at: TheFederalist.com
A consignment of India-made vaccines arrived in Oman's capital city Muscat on Saturday, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed on Saturday. Jaishankar said that the delivery of vaccines to Oman "reflects friendship spanning millennia". The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to Oman is part of the broader vaccine diplomacy currently being practised by India under which it has reportedly delivered more than 55 lakh doses so far.

Read: COVID-19: India Records 13,083 Fresh Cases, 137 More Fatalities; Recovery Rate 96.98 Pc

Made in India vaccines arrive in Muscat. Reflects a deep friendship, spanning millenia. #VaccineMaitri pic.twitter.com/LZ5Y6G432A  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 30, 2021

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday had said that India intends to deliver 1 lakh vaccine doses to Oman in the coming days. Srivastava had also said that India will gift vaccine doses to Caribbean nations and Pacific island states. India is also planning to give 10 million doses to Africa and 1 million to the United Nations under the GAVI's (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) COVAX facility, a World Health Organisation (WHO) programme.

Read: India, Bangladesh Foreign Secretaries Review Bilateral Ties, Discuss PM Modi's March Visit To Dhaka

55 lakh doses delivered so far

Srivastava also said that India has so far gifted over 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius. He added that New Delhi has also gifted 1 lakh doses of vaccines to Bahrain, which arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Thursday.

Read: India's COVID-19 Active Cases Tally Contracts To 1.71 Lakh; Positivity Rate Drops To 5.50 Pc

According to Srivastava, out of the 55 lakh doses of vaccine donated so far, 20 lakh has been given to Bangladesh, 1.5 lakh to Bhutan, 10 lakh to Nepal, 15 lakh to Myanmar, 1 lakh to the Maldives, 1 lakh to Mauritius, 5 lakh to Sri Lanka, and 50,000 to Seychelles. India is supplying AstraZeneca-Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine that is being manufactured in the country at Serum Institute of India's facility in Pune.

Meanwhile, India has commercially supplied COVID-19 vaccine doses to Brazil, Bangladesh, and Morocco. India has said that it plans on selling the vaccine doses to other countries as well, including Saudi Arabia, Canada, Mongolia, and South Africa.

Read: India To Gift 10 Million Coronavirus Vaccine Doses To Africa, 1 Million To UN: MEA



Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

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

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Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

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


Police are renewing their appeals to locate Brodie Collins-Haskins, who has multiple warrants to arrest and is wanted in relation to drug, firearm and money laundering charges.

The 26-year-old is described as 177cm tall, of medium build with distinctive tattoos on his arms and legs, says a post on the Bay of Plenty and Taupo Police Facebook page.

"These include a tattoo of a nun on his right upper arm, a skull on his left calf and the words TIRADOR 34 on the back of his right leg, running from his ankle to upper thigh.

"He has links to Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel and Christchurch areas.

"He is considered dangerous and should not be approached by the public."

Collins-Haskins is a patched Mongols member.

He has been evading police since the gang was targeted last year, with massive raids resulting in the arrest in a numerous senior members of the gang.

More than 200 charges were laid including money laundering, supplying meth and cocaine, and possession of firearms and explosives.

Police said they recovered 28 firearms, including three loaded AK47s, Molotov cocktails, a homemade bomb, drugs and cash.

At the same time, Collins-Haskins featured in an episode of Police Ten 7 as a wanted man.

Anyone who may have seen him or with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact Detective Sergeant Sowter on 021 191 6094 or 105 quoting file number 190904/9001.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or send a private Facebook message.

People can also call 111 if they see him.

Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, a Spokesperson for the Petitioner of the 2020 Presidential Election Petition said it is far from being the case that Former President John Dramani Mahama himself will testify in court.



He said the Petitioner has filed a Petition and he is entitled as of right under the law to call witnesses to aid in the trial that was what he has done.



Dr Ayine was speaking in reaction to comments made by Mr Frank Davis, a member of the Second Respondents (President Nana Akuf0-Addos) legal team that the petitioner who made the various allegations including the fact that he won the elections, has failed to file a witness statement himself in order for him to be questioned on those allegations.



He said In 2013, President Akufo-Addo never testified in court, he called witnesses to testified on his behalf, so is it the case that when it comes to Former President Mahama the law must change and comply him to testify.



However, Mr Davies was referring to the new law, Constitutional Instrument 99 which was enacted to eliminate gaps noticed in the CI 47 used in the 2012 election petition trial.



Dr Ayine said Mr Davis sort to give the impression that they came to court because they wanted a relief to declare the Petitioner winner of the 2020 Presidential Election.



The Supreme Court on Friday struck 7 out 10 paragraphs of Johnson Asiedu Nketias witness statement in the election 2020 Petition trial since he cannot substantiate the allegations therein.



According to the Supreme those paragraph would have been admissible if the petitioner (John Dramani Mahama) was testifying personally in court and that those paragraphs were not in the knowledge of Mr. Aseidu Nketia.



Dr Ayine said what the Petitioner sort from the court was very simply being that they wanted the unconstitutional conduct of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to be nullified.



He said It is also for the court to declare that none of the candidates met the requirements of article 63 (3) of the 1992 Constitution.



I want to assure the public that the Petition filed by former President John Dramani Mahama was not any empty case, he said.



It is very important for them as a party that they are not in the case because they want to joke with the Ghanaian people but by the end of the day, the issues of accountability, and the issues of mathematics of article 63(3).



Mr Davis said out of 10 offending paragraphs the court admitted three of the paragraphs to remain and 7 of the paragraphs were struck out but one of them was totally expunged from the witness statement.



He said the counsel for the Petitioner had made strenuous and tedious submissions to the objections which were raised to portions of the witness statements.



It is a repetition after repetition, which prompted lead counsel for Second Respondent, who cannot bear it any longer to remind the court of the repetitions, he said.



The second Respondents counsel said when Mr Nketia took to the witness box, he remained largely evasive to every question that was posed to him indicating he could not answer some of the questions of the allegations.



He said This is someone who in paragraph two of a witness statement has stated clearly that he was in court to lend aid to the petition filed by the petitioner, how can you come to court as a witness for a party and when youre asked questions in court your response is that I do not speak for the petitioner, then why are you in that court.

Source: GNA









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Featured Video
Expressing herself through words and melodies By Joshua Surendraraj Shehara Jayatilaka Napoleon talks to the Mirror Magazine about her recently released official music video for Fidelity, which is the final track off her album View(s): View(s):

The ability to understand the beauty in every moment, and the importance of each lesson, has been an exciting aspect in Shehara Jayatilaka Napoleons musical journey. From having to learn new skills to building a brand from virtually nothing  it took every bit of confidence, courage and a group of wonderful people around her to release her debut album Fountain of Memory back in September 2019. More recently, Sheharaha released the official music video for Fidelity, which is the final track off the album. The ability to understand the beauty in every moment, and the importance of each lesson, has been an exciting aspect in Shehara Jayatilaka Napoleons musical journey. From having to learn new skills to building a brand from virtually nothing  it took every bit of confidence, courage and a group of wonderful people around her to release her debut album Fountain of Memory back in September 2019. More recently, Sheharaha released the official music video for Fidelity, which is the final track off the album.

Her music comes from a place of deep emotion and a plethora of feelings, she tells us. Shehara always felt that physically expressing ones hurt did more harm than good. Shehara would turn to the pen and paper, with the songs just brewing in her head.

I expressed myself through words and melodies and it helped me heal, she tells us.

The epitome of anger to her was always Fire! Lots of fire!. However, what she loves about fire is the fact that it also represents rebirth and purity. On this note, the video features a roaring fire, honest emotion and the simple message that if we dont go within to confront our inner demons, the world as we know it, would crumble.

Shehara has always enjoyed getting creative with everything she does in life.

Similarly, she had several ideas when it came to directing this new video. Her initial plan was to include scenes of the entire band playing in front of a giant fire in the jungle, together with studio shots of them performing.

However, though a few takes were done prior to the lockdown, as the pandemic situation got worse, she decided to record the rest of the video in the safety of her home. This turned out to be much better than her initial plan, she says.

The process in itself was fun, she tells us, especially so when it came to the storyboard for the track. I had many crazy ideas, with the right people on board to make it possible, she recalls adding that these ideas were simple ones, with an end goal of using them in a creative manner.

Shehara was also happy to be given the opportunity to work with Shameem Ismail and Thahani Mohamed, who filmed the video, Ramona Abeyewardena, who was behind the makeup and dressing and Destiny by Minoli who supplied the hand knitted Phoenix dress worn by Shehara in the video.

She was fortunate to work with her husband Tennyson Napoleon, the lead/ rhythm guitarist of Stigmata, who helped her write the music for Fidelity. The track was then recorded with Azlan Sherriffdeen and Izzy Wildchild. Shehara is grateful to her band which includes RewanJayatilaka (Rhythm Guitar), Izzy on lead, Dimitri Cooray on bass and Ash Lanthra on drums. Ash also co-edited the video with her, and helped design some of the promo work.

Fidelity features Sheharas signature extreme vocals. She recalls the recording process being fun and energetic, which resulted in a powerful two minutes and 37 seconds. Her musical influences for this particular track were primarily Eminem and Metallica, who she grew up listening to. Though in general, she draws influences and inspiration from bands such as Death, Devildriver, Devin Townsend, Iron Maiden, Gojira, Meshuggah, Pantera, One ok Rock, and even artists like Celine Dion and Shania Twain.

Shehara says that she is honoured and humbled that Fountain of memory is the first Metal album to be released by a female in Sri Lanka.

She feels fortunate that it was received well by the metal community and has had people make reference to it, whilst introducing Metal music to those who havent given the genre a chance yet.

Its become somewhat of a gateway album and thats exactly what I wanted; to show others the beauty of Metal and the fact that I got to do that is something Im very grateful for, she says.

Though the Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on artists, both creatively and professionally, it takes courage and a firm belief in ones ability to face the negative situation.

Sheharas personal philosophy is based on her never giving up, no matter what comes her way. It is her determination to achieve what she sets her mind and heart on, while always striving to help those who have helped her. That has kept her going during this time.

The pandemic had us cancelling shows but, Im blessed to say that all the plans I had by then were all executable digitally, she tells us.

On this note, Shehara also launched her online store www.sh3hara.com, which sells merchandise for many local acts, as well as digital copies of their music. It is her hope that this platform will enable Sri Lankan artists and bands to earn more than what they make on other digital streaming platforms.

Off the stage and camera, Shehara is a loving mother to two boys, who inspire her on a daily basis. Through them, she has learned so much about life, herself and also the ability to be more patient.

The best part has been noticing my weaknesses and coming to terms with my past trauma in order to be a better person. Theyve helped me unlock many levels in life, she says.

The apple has certainly not fallen far from the tree and music (particularly metal) is strong in the Napoleon household. While her eldest son enjoys drumming, her youngest son enjoys screaming to the music. Its a proper metal show sometimes, Shehara tells us with a chuckle. But the best part is being able to appreciate all kinds of music and headbang together when we really need to.

The music video for Fidelity is a combination of passion and hard work. It can be viewed on her page at- youtube.com/Shehara.

Her music video Loved for Eternity, which was released in August last year, could also be viewed on the channel.
International

EU in Afghanistan calls for end to violence

Taliban fighters attend a gathering to celebrate the U.S.-Taliban deal in March 2020. (File)

KABUL, JAN 31 (IANS) | Publish Date: 1/31/2021 1:23:11 PM IST

The European Unions (EU) special envoy to Afghanistan, Ronald Kobia, has called for an immediate end to violence in the war-torn country, followed by a ceasefire.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Kobia said: If some parties dont like the term ceasefire, call it truce, cessation of hostilities, moratorium, silent period. Whatever the semantics until it stops rivers of Afghan blood. You have an opportunity with new US administration to show you -really- want peace. Now.

Without naming anyone or party, he stated there is a good opportunity with the new US administration of President Joe Biden, but political parties in Afghanistan have to demonstrate how much they are intended to have a prolonged peace, Khaama Press reported.

Violent incidents mostly in the shape of target killing has been on rise over the past couple of months amid the tough and slow peace dialogue between negotiating teams of the Afghan government and Taliban group in Doha.

The second round of intra-Afghan talks after more than three weeks of break resumed on January 6 without significant progress, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to local media reports, no official dialogue has been held between the two sides over the past 10 days.

Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said last week that he had instructed the government negotiating team to focus on ceasefire and violence reduction to make the talks succeed.

However, the Taliban has demanded the resignation of the Afghan president from power as precondition for ceasefire and making peace.

A member of Taliban negotiating team Sher Mohammad Abas Stanikzai, according to media reports, has said that the armed group was ready to make peace if Ashraf Ghani resigns from power.

President Ghani has rejected the demand, saying that he is not the obstacle to peace rather he is a champion for peace in Afghanistan.



About 20 COVID-19 specimens from Guam  pending the completion of some paperwork  will soon be sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for genome sequencing.

It will likely take a few days to complete the paperwork and ship the specimens. This will be the first time Guam will be sending specimens to the CDC, but the island has been freezing samples since the beginning of the pandemic as a precaution, according to Janela Carrera, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health and Social Services.

"Once they do the genome sequencing, they (CDC scientists) can look out for any new variants, or any new strains. ... Just like how they were able to find strains of the virus in the U.K., they'll be able to tell us if the Guam samples are any different or similar to the virus that we're seeing throughout the world," Carrera said.

Guam is part of the National SARS-CoV-2 Strain Surveillance, or NS3, a program the CDC officially launched in November 2020 to "increase the number and representativeness of viruses undergoing characterization," the federal agency stated on its website.

Viruses constantly change through mutation and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, a large family of viruses so named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces, and there are multiple COVID-19 variants circulating globally, according to the CDC.

Well-known by now is the United Kingdom variant, also called B.1.1.7, which has been detected in countries around the world, including the U.S. and Canada.

Other variants, such as the 1.351 variant from South Africa and the P.1 variant from Brazil, have not been detected in the U.S., according to the latest information on the CDC website.

However, on Jan. 25 the Minnesota Department of Health published a statement confirming the first case of the Brazil P.1 variant in the U.S., from a resident who had recently traveled to Brazil.

These variants seem to spread more easily than others, which may lead to more cases. The CDC states that there is no evidence the variants cause more illness or increased risk of death, but an increase in the number of cases will take its toll on health care resources.

Carrera said there is no reason to believe or suspect that the variants, or strains, are on Guam at this time.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has endorsed double masking as a precaution against more contagious strains of COVID-19.

Carrera said the CDC hasn't published anything official about double masking but Public Health continues to encourage everyone to wear a mask.

"There's the N95 mask, and if you have an extra surgical mask that you can put over, to the point that you're able to, definitely if you have that ability. But at the very least, we recommend wearing a mask, or some kind of face covering," Carrera said.

In 2012, six Chinese miners developed a severe, pneumonia-like disease while cleaning out an abandoned copper mine in the county of Moijang (file image of a mine, left. Not the one cleaned out by the Chinese miners). All six died. Blood samples from the victims were sent for analysis to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) (top right) in Hubei Province. There the blood was analysed by Dr Shi Zhengli (left, in the WIV in 2017), a famous scientist known as 'Bat Woman' by her colleagues because of her pioneering virus-hunting expeditions to bat caves in remote parts of China over almost two decades. Nine years on and the miners of Mojiang are suddenly generating headlines worldwide after the Wall Street Journal reported conclusions from a confidential U.S. intelligence report claiming three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) (top right) were hospitalised in November 2019 with symptoms 'consistent with Covid-19'. The revelation gives fresh impetus to long-standing claims that the novel coronavirus virus - official name SARS-CoV-2 - originated not at the Huanan seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan, or at any of the other suggested 'ground zeros', but via a leak in a Wuhan laboratory. So could the virus (or a related variant) that infected the miners - and which is known to have been studied in Wuhan - be the cause of a global pandemic that has caused 168 million confirmed cases and at least 3.5 million deaths to date? Bottom right: Dr Shi Zhengli with British scientist Dr Peter Daszak who runs a U.S. government-funded science group which for several years had financially backed the WIV in its hunt for new viruses in a bid to better predict emerging diseases.
Benton Man Jailed on Drug, Theft Charges

By West Kentucky Star Staff

An investigation continued into the stolen handguns. The investigation led deputies to a home on Tara Court in Benton, the home of Jaden Heiston. Heiston was not there, however, deputies said there was a very strong odor of marijuana coming from the home.



While working on a search warrant for the home, deputies received information that Joshua Jones and Heiston had returned to the original victim's home in Draffenville. Deputies responded to the home and found Jones. He was arrested for driving under the influence of controlled substance.





Deputies returned to Heiston's home in Benton on Jan. 10 and executed a search warrant. Heiston wasn't there, but during the search, deputies reportedly found drug paraphernalia and marijuana.





The investigation continued over the next several days leading detectives to Murray, where both stolen handguns were recovered. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued for Heiston.





Heiston was located and arrested Saturday on the arrest warrant. He was lodged in the Marshall County Jail on charges of receiving stolen property (firearm), possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

BENTON - A Benton man was arrested Saturday on drug and theft charges.On Jan. 9, Marshall County sheriff's deputies received a report that two handguns had been stolen from a Draffenville home. When deputies arrived at the home, Marteus Holbrook ran out the rear door. A deputy gave chase and apprehended Holbrook. He was served three warrants for his arrest.

Posted Sunday, January 31, 2021 8:38 am

Nearly a year after Gov. Jay Inslee stopped evictions for failure to pay during the pandemic, lawmakers now find themselves attempting to unwind an experiment of their own making.

Both Republicans and Democrats are looking for a way to end the eviction moratorium while staving off what some predict could be a "tsunami" of evictions once it is lifted.

They are split on how to do so. Some lawmakers have proposed a suite of bills that could immediately ease the growing financial burdens of renters. Others lawmakers seek to permanently reshape the balance of power between tenants and landlords.

In a remote legislative session with a cascade of funding needs, lawmakers may struggle to pass dramatic reforms. But funding bills like those raising money for rent assistance could stay in play through the end of the session.

Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, who has sponsored tenants' rights bills in the past, said competing Republican and Democratic proposals for rent assistance show that legislators across the state see a need.

"I'm hearing universally from members that they're concerned about housing stability for their constituents," Macri said. "I feel like we're going to be able to pass something."

But the sweeping changes to rental regulations aren't popular with landlords who say the eviction moratorium has left them unable to pay their bills.

Landlord Erika Nava Sanchez said at a Jan. 26 hearing that her family-owned company has already had to hire an attorney and change its lease forms to address recent years' changes. New regulations would make it harder to stay in business, she said.

"We can't afford to keep doing this," Sanchez said.

Lawmakers should focus on quickly shoring up tenants and landlords who are behind because of the pandemic, not on permanent changes to the eviction process, said Kyle Woodring, who represents the Rental Housing Association.

Yet advocates warn that returning to the old way of doing things in the aftermath of a pandemic could usher in a wave of homelessness and instability for years to come. The bills are also a chance to address long-standing racial inequities in evictions, said Michele Thomas of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.

"This is an opportunity to say we're not just going to get back to the status quo; we have to get to something better," Thomas said.

Lifting the moratorium

The moratorium has potentially kept tens of thousands of people behind on rent in their homes. More than 14% of renters surveyed in Washington  224,007 households  say they are not caught up on rent payments, according to a January survey from the Census Bureau.

Now lawmakers are tasked with creating an "offramp" from the moratorium by March 31, when it's set to expire.

Democrats in the Legislature are proposing $325 million from the state's general fund to cover back rent, mortgage and utility payments and legal aid. They also say the state should have a dedicated rental assistance fund moving forward, paid for by a $100 fee on certain real estate documents that could raise up to $140 million a year, according to estimates from the state Department of Commerce.

Another proposal sponsored by Rep. Andrew Barkis, a Republican from Olympia who works in property management, says the state should suspend the moratorium and tap its rainy-day fund, setting aside $600 million for rental assistance grants paid to landlords and tenants.

The bill, which has the support of five Democratic co-sponsors, would also, among other tenant protections, expand a six-county pilot program statewide that mitigates conflicts between landlords and tenants before the issue goes to court.

The goal, said Barkis, is to end the moratorium and find a path "back to normality."

"Moratoriums by their very nature are intended for a short period of time," Barkis said. Some of the provisions of the extended eviction moratorium, in Barkis' view, had overreached.

Democrats say the reasons so many are close to losing their housing predated the pandemic and will outlast it.

Bills like the one sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, offer bigger interventions. That bill would make sure landlords can be paid directly from any state rental assistance program and features a number of additional tenant protections, including a ban on landlords arbitrarily ending month-to-month rental agreements, or declining to renew other leases, for two years after any public health emergency.

Kuderer's bill would also mandate a "right to counsel" paid for with public funds for poor tenants brought into eviction proceedings, which would make Washington the first state in the country to do so.

A handful of cities, including New York and San Francisco, have already passed laws guaranteeing some tenants the right to a lawyer during evictions.

The Seattle City Council could soon pursue similar legislation, sponsored by Councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Andrew Lewis. Sawant is also eyeing ways to extend Seattle's eviction moratorium but has not yet introduced legislation.

"The ultimate goal is we set in place a structure that will stand up whenever we face this again," Kuderer said.

Sen. Mona Das, D-Kent, wants to prevent rent hikes for the first six months after the moratorium expires, and cap rent increases to 3% above the last year's consumer price index for six months after that.

"I think we need to give renters a little bit of time to breathe, to figure out next steps without worrying about whether they're going to be priced out of where they live permanently or get evicted," Das said.

Reforming evictions

Advocates and some legislators say that the pandemic has created a chance to fix evictions' extreme and disparate impact on people of color.

A University of Washington review of eviction data across the state found that in King County, one in 11 Black adults were named in an eviction filing between 2013 and 2017. In Pierce County, the rate was one in six.

"If you want to go back to business as usual, you're talking about extremely excessive eviction rates among Black and brown households, increases in homelessness and declines in affordable housing," said Tim Thomas, lead author of the study and now research director at the Urban Displacement Project at the University of California, Berkeley.

Macri, the Seattle Democrat, and other lawmakers are also supporting legislation known as "just cause" protections to narrow landlords' ability to end certain leases.

Under the bill, landlords would be required to cite one of 11 reasons, like a tenant's failure to pay or violation of the lease agreement. Without protections and longer notice, "Here's what happens: Either you're displacing tenants or you're adding to the homeless population," said Violet Lavatai, executive director of the Tenants Union of Washington State. "This is racial inequality at its highest."

In public testimony, landlords told lawmakers the regulations would slow the process of removing problem tenants and add new regulatory burdens.

"When untoward behavior occurs, the housing provider's job is to save the other residents from the problem tenant," said Saint Newton, a landlord and commercial real estate broker.

Rep. Jesse Johnson, D-Federal Way, said he supports measures to help renters, but the scale of the short-term response still is "absolutely not" enough to meet the need. People contact his office "pretty much every day" for help with rent or unemployment.

"In communities where there are less resources, less capital, we're feeling it even more," Johnson said.

___

(c)2021 The Seattle Times

Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com

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As she fights cancer, Lisa Oney is not shackled to a hospital bed for days at a time, stuck there while she is infused with chemotherapy drugs.

Shes undergoing chemo at home  even on the move. At times, the life-saving medicine is flowing into her as she drives to make curbside pickups at Target.

Thanks to a new program at Penn Medicine, Oney, 33, carries her chemotherapy medicine in a backpack with a small pump that feeds the drug into her body. Im able to walk around, and take care of my kids, she said. I can go places.

Typically, her particular regimen of chemotherapy would require several five-day stays in the hospital spread over 18 weeks. The trouble was, Oney needed to be home in Souderton to care for her 3-month-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

I couldnt do that, she said, referring to the hospital visits. My husband wouldnt be able to work.

Because of COVID-19, Oney and her husband, Kevin ODriscoll, also cant accept help from friends and coworkers. The risk of her catching the coronavirus or something else is too great.

Chemotherapy at home is a rising trend, driven by patient convenience and the widespread fear of hospitals during the pandemic. But as much as patients love it, antiquated health-care billing systems, especially in Medicare, remain a formidable obstacle to the practice.

Penns shift of some chemotherapy treatments to home started on a small scale before the pandemic, but then took off, according to Justin Bekelman, the radiation oncologist who directs the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation

Under the at-home process, Penn nurses drive to patients residences to set up the complex lines and do the injections involved in the cancer treatment, which in Oneys case continues for days. After that, the backpack-wearing patients are free to go about their lives.

Bekelman said that Penn had good reasons to launch the effort. Its obviously patient-centric and will enhance patients experience of cancer treatment, he said, but also our infusion suites were all full up.

Most experts see the move as positive for employers and taxpayers, who pay much of the cost of health care. Insurers pay less for patients who choose an at-home option as opposed to infusion at their main facility or even a specialists office.

Aetna, a major health insurer in the Philadelphia region, said last year that a single infusion of a specialty drug in a hospital, even on an outpatient basis, costs more than $20,000. The savings from moving it to an independent outpatient center can exceed 50%, it said. Home treatments save about the same, experts said.

But chemo in the home means much less money for hospitals, Bekelman noted, making it harder to expand the treatments.

We need a payment model that keeps health-care providers whole irrespective of where we deliver the treatment, he said. Thats a crucial incentive for health systems to invest in providing more care at home and other less expensive locations  a shift that should ultimately save insurers money.

A more logical payment system would promote changes such as in-home chemotherapy. And there has been some movement in that direction, said Larry Levitt, a health policy scholar at the Kaiser Family Foundation. One approach would be to uncouple insurance payments from specific procedures, he said.

The concept is to pay providers a flat amount for certain patients or conditions, Levitt said, and let the providers figure out the best way to deliver care, keeping any savings they realize.

He added: The key is to build in safeguards to prevent providers from skimping on care.

Not a new concept

Since at least the mid-1990s, home health care companies have talked about providing in-home chemotherapy, but little has come of it.

John Sprandio, an oncologist with offices in Delaware and Chester Counties, welcomes at-home chemotherapy, but cautions that it is actually more costly to provide than many realize.

In terms of efficiency, Sprandio said, its obviously more cost-effective to administer these drugs for the majority of patients in a group setting where you have a team of a dozen nurses and 28 or 30 treatment areas thats equipped to handle anything.

Meanwhile, major trade associations such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Community Oncology Alliance have formally opposed the practice. In statements last year, they cited a fear that patients might have a bad drug reaction with no doctors nearby.

Richard Snyder, chief medical officer for the parent company of Independent Blue Cross, said he was convinced that the trend was safe.

Physicians and hospitals tend to be creatures of habit, Snyder said. We keep doing what seems to work for us, and so were not inclined to change our habit of giving the medication in a hospital or a higher-cost setting.

Snyder described Penn as being at the forefront of moving chemotherapy to the home, where the patient is probably as safe as possible from exposure to COVID-19 and other infections.

Penns Cancer Care at Home program ramped up from 39 patients in March to more than 300 within a month as patients were eager to avoid hospitals. In all of last year, nearly 1,500 Penn patients received in-home chemo.

Currently, patients with breast cancer, prostate cancer and lymphoma are candidates for the program, Bekelman said. Penn hopes to add patients with lung cancer, head and neck cancers, and others, but that depends on higher reimbursements and other changes to insurance plans.

Bekelman said the goal wasnt to transfer all cancer care, but to establish that it can be done safely off premises.

He noted that there were some limits because the risk of side effects was too severe with some chemo drugs.

Other Philadelphia-area providers of cancer care are not as active. Jefferson Healths Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center has helped only 50 or so in-home patients in recent years. Fox Chase Cancer Center said it has no plans to join the trend. Nor does MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper hospital in Camden.

Nationally, CVS Health has joined Penn in trying to move more chemotherapy treatments to homes. This month, CVS, which owns Aetna, announced that its infusion unit, Coram, would work with Cancer Treatment Centers of America to do that, starting in Atlanta.

The insurance problem

Limiting wider adoption of in-home chemotherapy is a legacy payment system that provides much larger reimbursement when the treatments are done at a hospital.

Comparisons for such costs at different sites are hard to find. But a 2019 report showed that the average claim for an injection of infliximab, used to treat autoimmune diseases, was about $3,100 in a physicians office, compared with $5,800 in a hospitals outpatient department. Bekelman said that the same pattern holds for chemotherapy drugs and that reimbursement at home is similar to in a physicians office.

Jeffersons Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center has received widely varying reimbursement rates for home infusion. Some plans reimburse on par with on-site infusion, while others reimburse at very low levels or not at all, Karen E. Knudsen, a top oncology expert at Jefferson, said in an email.

Timothy Kubal, an oncologist who directs the infusion center at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., predicted that much more cancer care could be provided in the home within a decade, but in between now and then, theres going to be a lot of conversation about whats the right rate.

The patients perspective

The bulk of the cancer patients Penn has been treating at home  instead of at an infusion center  are receiving injections for breast and prostate cancer. Penn Home Infusion nurses work around the patients schedules to they dont have to lose time at jobs, Bekelman said.

Avoiding a hospital stay, as Oney, the patient from Souderton, is doing, is an even bigger deal during the pandemic.

We have generally seen that being in the hospital can be tough, no family, food is different. Depression can set in, so overall I think this is a good trend if patients can manage at home, said Kelly Harris, CEO of the nonprofit Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia.

Oney was diagnosed with lymphoma in November, just two weeks after her son was born. Before she began receiving steady treatment at home, she was given her first round of chemo in the hospital to ensure that she didnt have an adverse reaction.

There was none. But on one later evening, Oney, a neonatal nurse at Grand View Hospital in upper Bucks County, got a headache as soon as the infusion started  possibly because she had forgotten to take the medication out of the refrigerator ahead of time.

Oney got a quick response from Penns on-call oncologist, who told her to take ibuprofen. Its all very connected, she said.

Although being home doesnt head off the miserable side effects of chemotherapy, she considers it a blessing to avoid those overnight hospital says.

Im thankful to be home with my kids, she said. I couldnt imagine not seeing them for five days every three weeks.
After almost 80 years of history in Port Neches, the chemical plant that has been the premier upstream chemical producer for more than one company through the years has settled into its new role with Indorama Ventures.

Thailand-based Indorama Ventures wrapped up its $2 billion acquisition of the Port Neches plant and five other facilities from Huntsman Corp. last January.

Since then, staff and administration have completed a turnaround, started establishing what Indoramas role in the community will be and adapted to a global pandemic all at once.

Chad Anderson, an 18-year veteran with the plant, is Indoramas vice president of manufacturing and acting site director for the companys new Gulf Coast assets. He said that has meant exploring where the facility fits with its new corporate family, but mostly its been capitalizing on what has come before.

Its a question of what you have to do right, and that falls down to being responsible and abiding by our environmental permits, keeping employees and clients happy and maintaining our civil engagement, he said.

Changing hands

Under Huntsman, Port Neches was still a major focus in terms of products and resources, but that position was starting to make less sense as the company started to head toward making more specific and proprietary products directly for clients.

The basic building blocks for production created in Port Neches were still important for those products, but complete ownership of their production was quickly becoming less of priority.

Due to the sheer volume, Port Neches became a crown site, but it was about as far upstream as you could get, Anderson said.

The company started selling off base chemical production in 2007. It eventually started marketing its upstream production assets, the plants and units that made the most basic products usually sold at wholesale, as a package.

Thats where Indorama  one of the largest producers of consumer-level plastics and synthetic materials in the world  stepped in.

Indorama previously set an initiative in 2019 to increase its Integrated Oxides and Derivatives (IOD) segments, which not only meant an aggressive investment in some of the basic materials used in its products, but that companies like Huntsman would still be purchasing chemicals like propylene oxide for their own more specialized products.

I see this as (Indoramas) most strategic and ambitious deal as we set our goals and aspirations at the turn of this decade and as we groom ourselves into a global, diversified chemicals company with multiple integrated and related earning streams, Aloke Lohia, group CEO of Indorama Ventures, said at the time of the deals closure.

Along with Port Neches, Indorama acquired plants in Dayton and Chocolate Bayou, as well as facilities in India and Australia. The Gulf Coast assets joined a plant that Indorama was already in the process of restarting in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after it lay dormant for 15 years.

Anderson said that the company had assets like the Lake Charles facility and its plant in Clear Lake that could make olefines and amines or oxides and glycol, but the new assets  and specifically Port Neches  offered the kind of scale and broad flexibility to meet changing demands while still making the kind of products that will always have a place in the market.

Its about who you want to be when you grow up, Anderson said. We have vertical integration and the ability to share technology and ideas to sell to the merchant market or grow the surfactants and amines lines.

The Port Neches plant also still has the nations largest individual unit producing MTBE, a fuel additive banned in the United States but still exported to South American and Asian countries.

The Port Neches plant can make 1.6 billion pounds of MTBE every year and regularly sends shipments between 25,000 and 300,000 barrels overseas, according to the company.

The MTBE business was briefly disrupted in November 2019 after the neighboring TPC Group plant ignited in a months-long fire, which engulfed storage tanks at the TPC site used to store the product for Huntsman at the time.

Anderson said market demands for MTBE seem to be growing in Asia, but South America is still a major client for shipments of the additive, keeping the product high on the priority list going into the future.

I see it as beginning to be even more important, especially as we see economies start to recover and fuel demand rises, he said.

Local impacts

The sheer size of the Port Neches plant gives it an outsized role in Gulf Coast chemical production, but the same goes for its impact on local labor.

Anderson said that it currently employees about 600 direct employees across all departments, and retains 300 to 500 contractors at any given time.

Those hundreds of employees are represented by four local union chapters from the United Steelworkers Union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and Pipefitters Local 195.

Its relationship with Port Neches USW local is particularly critical after TPC Groups layoffs that followed the November 2019 TPC explosion significantly reduced membership.

Indorama has been hiring since the turnaround more than a year ago, including some who departed neighboring TPC, but site manager Kim Hoyt said most of the team is still about the same.

Hoyt, who has spent more than 20 year at the site through multiple owners, said the retention through the ownership transition wasnt that surprising, considering the plants connection with the community.

This has always been the kind of place where the people that work here also live in the community, she said.

The company estimated that the facility covered $127 million in local salaries and benefits in 2019.

She said that deep connection is why administrators are trying to carry over the community engagement and philanthropy people came to expect from staff at the facility when it was under a different name.

Workers got to contribute to the kind of aid the plant has rendered in the past during disasters in a different way during the global pandemic, personally converting units in the plant to produce hand sanitizer for distribution to schools and public facilities across the region.

Hoyt said it was a change of pace from the products they usually make, which are used in countless essential goods, but their origins in Port Neches are often lost along the way.

Anderson said the company moved about 30,000 gallons of the sanitizer during the early months of the pandemic and still has some in storage in case of a resurgence.

It was really an amazing feat when you think about it, he said. There are many instances when we could produce a product like that in around two weeks. It was a spectacular use of resources for the good of the country.

The facility has continued to retain an environmental steward to manage its 1,100 acres of natural habitat that has been used to foster wildlife such as the black mallard.

Growth

Anderson said one of the things that attracted Indorama to the Port Neches facility was its potential for growth.

The site has about 2,800 acres, 1,000 of which have already been developed. Space remains available for new units, namely toward the Groves and Port Arthur boundaries of the facility, if and when the company decides its needed.

That likelihood is apparently growing as Indorama continues to integrate its new and old properties.

Anderson said its facilities such as Dayton are able to meet the specialty needs of companies as their product bases and market demands change, but Port Neches is where Indorama will look when it sees a need to build capacity.

Well be looking for downstream adjacency, and that usually comes from embracing innovations and understanding the businesses of buyers, he said. You want to be able to build something when you need it, and we have that option available here.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
Setting targets for the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out will make fools of all who make them, a senior figure in the health service observed last week.

So it has transpired. The vaccination programme has faltered across Europe, with glitches in production supplies for two approved vaccines and a shortfall in supply of the much-anticipated AstraZeneca jab.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly admitted that his aim of vaccinating 700,000 people by the end of March is now unlikely, and downgraded his announcement that four million people could be vaccinated by September to an "aspiration".

Yet health sources say that vaccinating most adults by the autumn remains the Government's target. But even without the supply constraints, how feasible a target is it?

With 34 weeks to go before the end of September, hitting the four million people target will require 117,647 people to be vaccinated each week, starting from tomorrow. Or more than 133,000 people a week if the start date is pushed out to March.

Read More

According to the GPs and pharmacists who will form the backbone of the community vaccination programme, it's an achievable target.

If the supply is there, they say they can collectively turn over thousands of jabs an hour and tens of thousands a week.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) will deploy public health staff, ambulance crews and the 50-plus teams of community vaccinators who led the roll-out in nursing homes, and has advertised for vaccinators to work at Citywest.

But the real vaccine power will come from the 2,500 GPs and more than 3,000 pharmacists who will administer the jabs in their surgeries, on shop floors and in mass vaccination centres. Dentists were added to the vaccinator list last Friday.

Tadhg Crowley, a GP in Kilkenny, is the Irish Medical Organisation's GP representative on the HSE's Covid-19 vaccine committee. According to his calculation, there are 2,500 GPs in the country and the average GP practice will do a minimum of six vaccinations an hour. If everyone "went at it together", he says, GPs could turn out vaccinations at a rate of 15,000 an hour.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) estimates that having rolled out 50,000 flu jabs a week, 1,800 community pharmacies could easily vaccinate 80,000 to 100,000 people a week.

Darragh O'Loughlin, secretary-general of the IPU, said: "We are pretty confident. Everything depends on the supply of vaccines. If there was the perfect supply of vaccines, pharmacies in Ireland could do up to 80,000-100,000 vaccinations per week."

Supply is the fundamental issue impeding the roll-out and all of Europe, which is buying for Ireland, is operating in the realm of known unknowns.

The early promise of an abundant supply of vaccines coming on stream over the first months of 2021 faltered in the middle of January. Pfizer-BioNTech cut its supply by almost 30pc to upgrade its plant but promised to make up for the shortfall in February. Moderna, which has been arriving into Ireland in batches of 4,000 to 6,000, is also unable to keep up with demand and will be curtailing its supplies.

Most damagingly, Oxford- AstraZeneca cut its promised supply to the EU by 60pc for the first quarter of the year, igniting a bitter contractual row that triggered political tensions over Brexit and the Northern Ireland Border.

Ireland's share has been cut from 600,000 doses expected in February and March to 300,000.

Mr Donnelly told TDs in recent weeks that he expected Ireland to get 3.7 million doses of different vaccines before the end of June and 3.8 million doses before the end of September.

The HSE has refused to set long-term vaccination targets, saying the uncertain supply makes it impossible to do so.

Privately there is a strong expectation among health officials that after three months of faltering production, vaccine output will ramp up.

"The vaccines work, the science is there, the production facilities are gearing up. The rows over how many doses are committed to each bloc will settle," said one senior health source.

"What you're seeing are teething problems. The world can't afford for them to be anything else."

Supplies from Pfizer are widely expected to ramp up from March. The next vaccine in line for approval in Europe, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen one-dose shot, is 66pc effective and could come on stream in March or April.

For now, the figures the health authorities are willing to stand over include the following: 1.1 million doses of three vaccines will have been delivered to Ireland by the end of March; 161,500 nursing home residents and frontline staff have received the first doses of Covid-19 vaccine; and 13,800 have been fully vaccinated with both doses thus far.

Beyond that, uncertain vaccine supply has made health authorities shy of going public with the amounts of vaccine on order for the country for fear of getting it wrong.

According to Darragh O'Loughlin, who is still waiting to hear when pharmacists will be vaccinated, the consequence is that it "looks and feels" as if there is no plan.

"People will recognise that the plan might have to change, given the evolving supply situation. But people need to hear that there is a plan."

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and former union minister Sharad Pawar on January 30 said the new farm reform laws brought by the Centre will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the 'Mandi' system.

As farmers' protest at Delhi borders against the contentious laws continues unabated, Pawar said in a series of tweets that the MSP mechanism should be strengthened further.

The new farm laws curtail the powers of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs or 'Mandis' in common parlance) regarding collection of levy and fees from traders, dispute resolution, agri-trade licensing and regulation of e-trading, he said.

"I am also concerned about the amended Essential Commodities Act," the former union agriculture minister said.

Under the amended act, the government will intervene for price control only if rates of horticultural produce go up 100 percent and that of non-perishable items by 50 percent, he said.

Stock-piling limits have been removed on food grains, pulses, onions, potatoes and oil seeds which can cause apprehension that corporates will purchase commodities at lower rates and sell them at higher prices to consumers, Pawar said.

"During my tenure, draft APMC rules 2007 were framed for setting up special markets, thereby providing alternative platforms for farmers to market their commodities and utmost care was also taken to strengthen the existing mandi system," he said.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November 2020 at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Also read: Farm law protests: Centre cuts internet near Delhi as farmers begin hunger strike
The Federal Government says there are discrepancies in the process used in ranking Nigeria by Transparency International in its 2020 Corrupt...





The Federal Government says there are discrepancies in the process used in ranking Nigeria by Transparency International in its 2020 Corruption Perception Index.

the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known in a press statement titled, 2020 TI-CPI rating not true reflection of Nigerias anti-corruption agenda  FG, on Sunday.

He said having analysed the 2020 TI-CPI rating for Nigeria, the Federal Government is interrogating a number of issues and discrepancies that have been observed in the rating process, including some data sources in which Nigerias scores have remained flat over the past 10 years, reflecting no improvement, decline or fluctuation.

This is very improbable given the nature of behaviour of variables, which are normally influenced by a variety of factors (which is the reason they are called variables).

In this case, the corruption scores would have been affected by changes in the size and structure.

of the public sector over the past 10 years, changes in policies and personnel and systems over the period including, for instance, process automation, etc. There is therefore a need to verify that there is no transposition of figures from year to year due to absence of current data, the Minister said

Also, he said different assessments on the same indicators (for instance corruption in the bureaucracy) by different rating institutions have generated different scores and different rankings across the ranking agencies

There is a need to understand why these variations occur, and consequently the robustness of the methodology and validity of data, Alhaji Mohammed said, adding that there are missing assessments for Nigeria in the data entries where the country has performed well in previous CPI calculations, like the African Development Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment.

There is a need to understand why scores for this assessment have not been recorded for Nigeria for the past two years, which has had the effect of reducing Nigerias cumulative score and ranking relative to countries with those scores included in their CPI for both years, he added.

The Minister said the implementation of the various reforms, especially in the Ease of Doing Business, is expected to yield positive outcomes in the countrys corruption perception and other relevant assessments in the next 12 to 24 months.

For instance, following the release of the 2019 TI-Corruption Perception Index, the government initiated reforms to improve on Nigerias Ease of Doing Business indices. This is because we found that up to 40% of the countrys corruption perception survey indices relate to business processes and general public service delivery processes. Governments swift action has led to major reforms in the processes at our ports and business process points, he said.

Mohammed said in addition to placing more emphasis on corruption prevention measures and building of integrity systems, high profile corruption cases are currently under investigation and prosecution.

In response to these evaluations, a number of significant policies have been instituted to enhance transparency and accountability, and prevent corruption. Even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of key transparency and accountability policies were developed and are currently being implemented, the Minister said.

Last week I read an account of London on the day in 2005 that bombs exploded on three trains and one double-decker bus, and 52 people were killed. One of the least important consequences was that people had to walk home from work that day  for many of them that meant three hours or more. It was, wrote the correspondent, like a movie in which an entire citys population is drawn into the streets by some mysterious magnetic force. This was compelling, but the detail that struck me was that kiosks selling A-Z street directories sold out in minutes. Suddenly, everybody had to navigate, and nobody had any way to do so.

Illustration: Simon Bosch Credit:

In art, and in columns like the one youre reading, the observation that technology has changed things (look at those quaint people sending faxes) is trite. But encountering the proof of this in a primary document is invigorating, because of the connection it opens up between us and these strange people of the past, with all their strange assumptions, which in turn throw light on our own: in this case, that terrorism seems quite normal, while street directories seem odd. There is a kind of tender pity that flows in two directions: towards those people in the past, with their ignorance of what is coming, and towards our current selves, for having to live through what has come.

Londoners had to walk home after the 2005 terrorist attacks on the underground and bus networks. Credit:ITN

The description of London is from a book, Beyond the Newsroom, by former press gallery journalist Geoff Kitney. In another column, he wrote about John Howard taking over as opposition leader in 1985. Howard had previously struggled to become leader because of a conflict of ideas; now the conflict had turned his way. Reading this gave me a similar jolt as reading about the street directories. Last week there was some excitement about the Labor leadership, with several possible candidates mentioned. But in none of the dispatches I read was there any sense that those names might justify their inclusion on the basis of a conflict of ideas.

A senior minister suggested Labour's plan to move teachers up the Covid vaccine priority list could increase deaths today.

International Development Secretary Liz Truss has suggested a plan championed by Labour to inoculate school staff at half-term would leave other vulnerable groups at risk as they are bumped down.

It came as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today insisted that teachers could receive vaccines within weeks.

But he argued that it could be done without any other group missing out by reducing the number of doses being wasted.

There have been calls for teachers to be vaccinated before schools return, but after those in the four most vulnerable groups have received jabs, which is anticipated by mid-February.

Boris Johnson pushed back the opening of schools in England last week until March 8 at the earliest.

Asked if teachers should be moved up the priority list, Ms truss told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'The issue is that for every person you vaccinate who isn't in the most vulnerable group, that's somebody in the most vulnerable group who isn't getting their vaccine and who is more likely to die in the next few weeks and months.

'I just don't think that's right. That's the decision made by the independent committee that we are going to vaccinate first the over-70s and those in the most vulnerable group, and then the over 50s.'

International Development Secretary Liz Truss has suggested a plan championed by Labour to inoculate school staff at half-term would leave other vulnerable groups at risk as they are bumped down

There have been calls for teachers to be vaccinated before schools return, but after those in the four most vulnerable groups have received jabs, which is anticipated by mid-February

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves today suggested frontline workers should get greater priority for vaccination because they are more at risk of contracting coronavirus.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday today, Sir Keir took on the argument that vaccinating teachers means someone else misses out.

With the extra capacity and new vaccines on the way, we can then use the half-term window to immunise our teachers and school staff, alongside the existing rollout plan,' he wrote.

This is not about de-prioritising existing groups. That is not what I am calling for. It is about having the ambition to do both.

'I've met the staff at the vaccine centres and I know they are up for this challenge. We can capture that spirit by going further, faster and smarter too.

'For example, we should be looking at how we can use our supply more efficiently. It's estimated that five per cent of vaccines are wasted. That could mean more than 120,000 a week based on recent numbers - or the equivalent of more than 10 per cent of school staff in England.

'This is a practical, constructive, sensible proposal. It has the support of all four Children's Commissioners in the UK, the Conservative chairman of the Commons education committee, teachers, the public and even Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said it is worthy of exploring.'

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves today suggested frontline workers should get greater priority for vaccination because they are more at risk of contracting coronavirus.

She told Ridge: 'We know that some people, because of the work they do, are more exposed to the virus.

'If you are lucky enough to be able to work from home, you've got a car when you do need to get out, then you are less at risk to being exposed to the virus than if, say, for example, you are a bus driver, or a taxi-driver, or you work in a supermarket or you work on the front line in the police.

'If you work in those jobs you are more exposed to the virus, so what Labour are saying is can the JCVI, the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations, look at how we can ensure that those people who are most exposed to the virus can get access to it at a bit of an earlier stage. I think that is the right thing to do.'

SIR KEIR STARMER: Let's harness the spirit that has made us the envy of the world  to get EVERY child back to school

This pandemic, with the endless round of lockdowns that go with it, has been devastating for our country. It has taken the lives of more than 100,000 people.

It has done unimaginable damage to our economy, with businesses forced to close and billions of pounds of public debt being racked up every week.

And it has forced the Government to shut our schools for millions of children for weeks on end.

Our teachers and school staff have done an extraordinary job keeping schools open as long as possible and adapting to new ways of learning.

Even when schools were open, learning was constantly disrupted. Children were in school one week, out of school the next, then learning from home again. That is no way to learn, writes Sir Keir Starmer (pictured)

They know more than most the damage that is being done every day that millions of pupils are out of the classroom.

Parents are frustrated and worried. Children are suffering. Across the country, parents are doing their best but there is no substitute for face-to-face learning.

A good education is what makes us a good society. It is the springboard to getting a good job, the chance to go to university or take on an apprenticeship. It allows our businesses to hire the best talent so we can compete on the global stage.

It helps children to develop and grow, to build relationships with others and become well-rounded individuals and citizens of our country.

Those skills simply cannot be learnt from staring at a screen for hours on end or, despite their best efforts, delivered by parents who are having to juggle home schooling with working from home.

Even when schools were open, learning was constantly disrupted. Children were in school one week, out of school the next, then learning from home again. That is no way to learn.

I fear were going to see that disruption again in March if we dont take decisive action now.

Parents are frustrated and worried. Children are suffering. Across the country, parents are doing their best but there is no substitute for face-to-face learning

I share the Governments ambition to make it a national mission to reopen our schools. I will do everything in my power as leader of the Labour Party to make that happen.

I have offered to work with the Prime Minister on this, including calling for the opening of Nightingale-style classrooms, and I renew that commitment today.

I believe we can take a further step towards reopening our schools by getting our teachers and school staff vaccinated as soon as possible, as The Mail on Sunday has called for.

Rollout of the vaccine has been a national success story. Our NHS, the pharmaceutical companies, scientists and volunteers have already given hope to millions of people.

The news last week that more vaccines could be on the way is a further boost to getting Britain vaccinated.

We were the first in the world to get the vaccine and I believe we can be the first in the world to get our country vaccinated.

It is right that the most vulnerable are being vaccinated first and we are on course to hit that target by mid-February.

With the extra capacity and new vaccines on the way, we can then use the half-term window to immunise our teachers and school staff, alongside the existing rollout plan.

This is not about de-prioritising existing groups. That is not what I am calling for. It is about having the ambition to do both.

Ive met the staff at the vaccine centres and I know they are up for this challenge. We can capture that spirit by going further, faster and smarter too.

For example, we should be looking at how we can use our supply more efficiently. Its estimated that five per cent of vaccines are wasted. That could mean more than 120,000 a week based on recent numbers  or the equivalent of more than ten per cent of school staff in England.

Rollout of the vaccine has been a national success story. Our NHS, the pharmaceutical companies, scientists and volunteers have already given hope to millions of people

This is a practical, constructive, sensible proposal. It has the support of all four Childrens Commissioners in the UK, the Conservative chairman of the Commons education committee, teachers, the public and even Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said it is worthy of exploring.

I was disappointed the idea was dismissed so quickly by the Prime Minister on Wednesday, but I would urge him to reconsider.

We cannot miss this opportunity by making it into a party political issue  or expect the British public to understand why our schools are closed and our borders are still open.

We are only going to get our children back into school, reopen society and secure our economy if we are bold, decisive and working together.

That is our shared goal. Lets work together to get it done.

Gang Chen, an MIT professor and nanotechnology expert, faces federal charges of hiding affiliations with China. His colleagues, and MIT, have publicly protested. According to the New York Times, more than 160 members of the MIT faculty have signed a letter arguing that the Chinese affiliations Dr. Chen is accused of hiding were routine academic activities, such as reviewing grant proposals, and not ones that clearly required disclosure.

In a letter to the MIT Community, L. Rafael Reif, president of the university clears that MIT established a collaboration with SUSTech in 2018 to create the Centers for Mechanical Engineering Research and Education, at MIT and SUSTech. While Professor Chen is its inaugural MIT faculty director, this is not an individual collaboration; it is a departmental one, supported by the Institute.

UPDATE: Jack Palladino died shortly after noon Monday, according to his attorney, Mel Honowitz, of San Francisco. Read more about his life here.

The nearly fatal attack on a renowned San Francisco private detective may be solved by an unlikely person: Jack Palladino himself.

City police on Sunday identified two suspects now jailed in Thursday afternoons violent robbery, 24-year-old Lawrence Thomas of Pittsburg and 23-year-old Tyjone Flournoy of San Francisco.

The breakthrough in the case was partially thanks to Palladino  photographs recovered from his camera that the suspects allegedly tried to steal, his family said.

Palladino, 76, remained unconscious but was given the good news of the two arrests during a visit from his wife, fellow detective Sandra Sutherland, on Saturday night.

I said, Guess what, Jack, they got the bastards, and it was all your doing, Sutherland told The Chronicle on Sunday.

Palladino, whose clients included political heavyweights and Hollywood celebrities, remained in grave condition with a head injury in a San Francisco hospital. Sutherland said he was taken off life support and was breathing on his own, but was not expected to survive.

Jacks a hard person to keep down, she said. But I really think this is it.

Thomas was booked into jail Friday evening; Flournoy was taken into custody Saturday in Reno and booked into San Francisco jail Sunday morning.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of the same crimes: attempted robbery, aggravated kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy, false imprisonment and elder abuse, as well as an enhancement for allegedly causing great bodily injury to Palladino. They had yet to be charged.

Palladinos storied career includes clients ranging from former President Bill Clinton  who according to a top aide hired the pair in 1992 to help quell rumors of his extramarital affairs  to a 14-year-old boy who won a multimillion-dollar civil settlement against Michael Jackson for alleged molestation.

Just before the attack, Sutherland said, her husband had taken off his reading glasses, grabbed his camera and bolted out the door of their yellow Victorian home on the 1400 block of Page Street in the Haight.

He went out to take photographs of people who were doing mischief in the neighborhood, Sutherland said.

As Palladino snapped shots outside, the men who were in a car apparently spotted him, Sutherland said.

They gunned him down (with the car) and tried to get the camera, which they failed to do, she said. Because Jack wouldnt let go.

Palladino was dragged, fell and hit his head, said his stepson, Nick Chapman. He said his stepfather was briefly conscious as he lay in the street but soon lapsed into unconsciousness.

Sutherland said she doesnt know what her husbands photos show, but police found that evidence very useful in apprehending these two people.

Records show Flournoy was one of four men San Francisco police arrested late last year in connection with the killing of 33-year-old Ronisha Cook, who was fatally shot on Dec. 19, 2019, on the 500 block of Ellis Street in the Tenderloin.

City prosecutors charged two of the men  Gary Owens, 39, and Robert Huntley, 31  with murder and told police more evidence was needed to bring charges against Flournoy and the fourth suspect, District Attorney Chesa Boudin said Sunday. Flournoy was released.

We filed murder charges against the people we believe we can prove were the actual shooter and the driver of the car, Boudin said. At the time of the arrests, we asked police to keep investigating the two passengers in the car, including Mr. Flournoy.

San Bruno police arrested Flournoy and two other men on Feb. 21, 2019, on suspicion of burglarizing a car. He pleaded no contest to auto burglary that April and was placed on three years supervised probation, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe.

Boudin said his heart goes out to Palladinos family, and he commended police for solving the case so quickly.

Boudin, a prosecutor who pledges to use his post to help stem mass incarceration, has recently faced intense scrutiny over a hit-and-run crash that killed two pedestrians on New Years Eve, and whether his office could have done more to prevent it.

Palladino, however, did not count himself among such critics, Sutherland said.

Im a supporter of Chesa Boudin, and so is Jack, she said. And Im sure hell do the right thing.

Palladino and Sutherland  who have both worked extensively on criminal defense teams  believe in restorative justice, and that there is systemic racism in law enforcement, Sutherland said. Both issues were among the centerpiece of Boudins campaign and policies.

The pair conducted investigations out of their home for decades. Among their other clients: Don Johnson, Kevin Costner, Robin Williams, Huey Newton, Snoop Dogg and carmaker John DeLorean.

Though the detective by last week had all but joined his wife in retirement, he had one final case to wrap up, Chapman told The Chronicle.

Sutherland said she certainly wont work on the defense team for her husbands case, but she saw a cruel irony in which victim they attacked.

She recalled the death in 1979 of James Martin MacInnis, a leading San Francisco defense lawyer who was killed in a car crash by an intoxicated driver. Chronicle columnist Herb Caen weighed in at the time, Sutherland recalled, noting that it was really bad luck that the driver killed the only person who could have gotten him off.

Similarly, if anybody could have gotten the suspects off in her husbands case, it would have been Palladino, Sutherland said. He never got to try.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy

Man Wanted For Reelfoot Murders Found Dead in Lake

By West Kentucky Star Staff

OBION COUNTY - The body of the man wanted for the fatal shooting of two duck hunters at Reelfoot Lake was found in the lake on Saturday.The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation tweeted that said the body of 70-year-old David Vowell, of Martin, was located about 3 p.m. near the location of the incident.District Attorney General Tommy Thomas said the body was being sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. He did confirm that Vowell did not have any gunshot wounds.The long-time Martin businessman had been the focus of a massive search by multiple law enforcement agencies after the shooting deaths of 26-year-old Chance Black and 25-year-old Zachery Grooms, of Greenfield.A witness said both men were shot by Vowell during a duck hunting trip on January 25th.Warrants for first degree murder were obtained against Vowell following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service.Thomas said that no motive had been established in the double shooting.
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Nivolumab effective treatment for malignant mesothelioma

(Singapore--January 30, 2021 11:00 p.m. SPT/January 30, 2021 10:00 a.m. EST)-- Nivolumab monotherapy is an effective treatment option for relapsed malignant mesothelioma (MM), according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Malignant mesothelioma is an intractable cancer, and no phase III trial has yet shown an improvement in overall survival following the standard first line chemotherapy doublet comprising pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin since it was licensed in 2004.

Professor Dean Fennell, chair of Thoracic Medical Oncology at the University of Leicester in collaboration with Professor Gareth Griffiths and his team at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, UK, presented results of the Checkpoint Blockade for Inhibition of Relapsed Mesothelioma (CONFIRM) study, funded by Cancer Research UK/Stand Up To Cancer. The investigator-led, placebo-controlled randomized phase III trial involved 24 centers in the United Kingdom.

Nivolumab is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor that has shown activity in previously treated malignant mesothelioma in two single-arm phase II clinical trials.

In the CONFIRM trial, 332 adult patients with previously treated, unresectable, histologically confirmed MM (pleural or peritoneal) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1 were randomly assigned to nivolumab (n = 221) or placebo (n = 111).

Participants were stratified by epithelioid vs nonepithelioid histology. The co-primary endpoints were investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS); key secondary endpoints included best overall response and safety.

Overall survival was immature but showed significantly longer survival with nivolumab (events 232 [target 291]; median, 9.2 vs 6.6 months; HR, 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55-0.94; P=0.02). Investigator-assessed progression-free survival was longer for nivolumab vs placebo (3.0 vs 1.8 months; HR 0.61; 95% CI, 0.48-0.77; P 1% (in 34% of included patients) and survival. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 19% of patients who received nivolumab and in 6.3% who received placebo. Treatment discontinuation due to toxicity occurred in 13.1% (nivolumab) versus 2.7% (placebo).

"CONFIRM met its co-primary endpoints of improved overall survival and progression-free survival with nivolumab vs placebo in relapsed malignant mesothelioma. The safety profile of nivolumab was consistent with its known profile with no new safety signals. Nivolumab monotherapy is an effective treatment option for [patients with this disease," said Prof. Fennell.

"CONFIRM gives good evidence that this treatment approach should be considered for the new standard of care for these patients," said Prof. Griffiths

"Therapeutic alternatives are always welcome in the contest of a difficult-to-treat diseases such as malignant pleural mesothelioma," said Dr. Giorgio Scagliotti, interim IASLC CSO, "and this study contributes to increase our range of treatment opportunities in the setting of relapsed/recurrent disease."

###

About the IASLC:

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 7,500 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit http://www. iaslc. org for more information.

About the WCLC:

The WCLC is the world's largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, attracting more than 7,000 researchers, physicians and specialists from more than 100 countries. The goal is to increase awareness, collaboration and understanding of lung cancer, and to help participants implement the latest developments across the globe. The conference will cover a wide range of disciplines and unveil several research studies and clinical trial results. For more information, visit wclc2020.iaslc.org.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Two years ago, Joanne Su was anxious about turning 30 years old.

She worked for a foreign trade company in China's southern metropolis of Guangzhou, earned a decent income and spent her weekends hanging out with friends. But to Su and her parents, there was one problem -- she was single.

"Back then, I felt like 30 years old was such an important threshold. When it loomed closer, I came under tremendous pressure to find the right person to marry -- both from my parents and myself," she said.

Now 31, Su is still single, but says she is no longer worried. "What's the point of making do with someone you don't like, and then divorcing in a couple of years? It's only a waste of time," she said.

Su is among a growing number of Chinese millennials who are postponing or eschewing marriage entirely. In just six years, the number of Chinese people getting married for the first time has fallen by a crushing 41%, from 23.8 million in 2013 to 13.9 million in 2019, according to data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics.

The decline is partly due to decades of policies designed to limit China's population growth, which mean there are fewer young people in China available to be married, according to Chinese officials and sociologists. But it's also a result of changing attitudes to marriage, especially among young women, some of whom are growing disillusioned with the institution for its role in entrenching gender inequality, experts say.

In extreme cases, some even took to social media to insult wives as being a "married donkey," a derogatory term used to describe submissive women who conform to patriarchal rules within marriage, said Xiao Meili, a leading voice in China's feminist movement.

"This kind of personal attack is wrong, but it shows the strong fear towards marriage felt by many. They hope all women can realize that marriage is an unfair institution to both the individual, and to female as a whole, and thus turn away from it," said Xiao, who once walked 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) to call for reform of China's child sexual abuse laws.

The declining marriage rate is a problem for Beijing.

Getting young people to have children is central to its efforts to avert a looming population crisis that could severely distress its economic and social stability -- and potentially pose a risk to Chinese Communist Party rule.

"Marriage and reproduction are closely related. The decline in the marriage rate will affect the birth rate, which in turn affects economic and social developments," Yang Zongtao, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said at a news conference last year.

"This (issue) should be brought to the forefront," he said, adding that the ministry will "improve relevant social policies and enhance propaganda efforts to guide the public to establish positive values on love, marriage and family."

Alarming statistics

In 2019, China's marriage rate plunged for the sixth year in a row to 6.6 per 1,000 people -- a 33% drop from 2013 and the lowest level in 14 years, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Chinese officials have attributed the decline to a drop in the number of people of marriageable age, due to the one-child policy, a deliberate strategy introduced in 1979 to control China's population.

But demographers have been warning for years of a looming population crisis. In 2014, the country's working-age population started to shrink for the first time in more than three decades, alarming Chinese leaders.

The next year, the Chinese government announced an end to the one-child policy, allowing couples to have two children. It went into force on January 1, 2016, but both marriage and birth rates have dropped anyway. Between 2016 and 2019, birth declined from 13 per 1,000 people to 10 -- a trend not helped by the fact women are emancipating and millennials have different values.

The decline of marriage is not unique to China. Across the globe, marriage rates have fallen over the past few decades, especially in richer Western countries. Compared with other East Asian societies like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, China still has the highest marriage rate, said Wei-Jun Jean Yeung, a sociologist at the National University of Singapore who has studied marriage and family across Asian societies.

But no other country has tried to social engineer its population in the way China did with its one-child policy.

That policy has also affected marriages in other ways, Yeung said. Chinese families' traditional preference for sons has led to a skewed sex ratio at birth, especially in rural areas. Currently, China has a surplus of more than 30 million men, who will face a hard time looking for brides.

Social economic changes

Demographic changes alone don't explain the drastic drop in China's marriage rate. Women are becoming more educated, and economically more independent.

In the 1990s, the Chinese government accelerated the rollout of nine-year compulsory education, bringing girls in poverty-stricken areas into the classroom. In 1999, the government expanded higher education to boost university enrollments. By 2016, women started outnumbering men in higher education programs, accounting for 52.5% of college students and 50.6% of postgraduate students.

"With increased education, women gained economic independence, so marriage is no longer a necessity for women as it was in the past," Yeung said. "Women now want to pursue self-development and a career for themselves before they get married."

But gender norms and patriarchal traditions have not caught up with these changes. In China, many men and parents-in-law still expect women to carry out most of the childcare and housework after marriage, even if they have full-time jobs.

"The whole package of marriage is too hard. It's not just marrying someone, it's to marry the in-laws, take care of children -- there are a lot of responsibilities that come with marriage," Yeung said.

Meanwhile, job discrimination against women is commonplace, making it difficult for women to have both a career and children.

"More and more young women are thinking: Why am I doing this? What's in there for me?" said Li Xuan, an assistant professor of psychology at New York University Shanghai who researches families. "(The gender inequality) is really making young Chinese female hesitate before getting into the institution of marriage."

To make matter worse, the grueling long hours and high pressure at work have left young people little time and energy to build relationships and maintain a family life, Li said.

Statistics show both genders are delaying marriage. From 1990 to 2016, the average age for first marriages rose from 22 to 25 for Chinese women, and from 24 to 27 for Chinese men, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The figures in big cities are even higher. For example, in Shanghai in 2015, the average age for first marriages was 30 for men and 28 for women.

Su, the 31-year-old from Guangzhou, has often heard from married friends about the burden that comes with married life.

"Nowadays, women's economic capability has improved, so it's actually quite nice to live alone. If you find a man to marry and form a family, there will be much more stress and your life quality will decrease accordingly," she said.

The increased social and economic status of women has also made it more difficult to find a suitable partner for two groups at the opposite ends of the marriage market: highly educated, high-earning women and low-educated, low-income men.

"Traditionally, Chinese women want to 'marry up' -- that means marrying someone with higher education and income than themselves -- and men want to 'marry down,'" Yeung said. That preference has largely remained in place, despite the rising education and income levels status of women.

Shifting values

There has also been a shift in values towards love and marriage -- changes that have come a long way since the founding of modern China.

"During Mao's era, marriage wasn't a personal choice," said Pan Wang, an expert on marriage in China at the University of New South Wales. During the Great Leap Forward, the ruling Communist Party encouraged people to have as many children as possible, as the country needed labor to build a socialist economy. Marriage, therefore, played a key role in socialism and nation building, she said.

In 1950, China passed the New Marriage Law, which outlawed arranged marriages and concubines, and enabled women to divorce their husbands. But in practice, arranged marriages remained commonplace, and the language of freedom of marriage and divorce was not translated into the freedom of love, Pan said.

"During the Cultural Revolution period, when you talked about love, that was (seen as) something capitalist, something people needed to struggle against," she said.

Much has changed since then. Having grown up with more freedoms than their parents and grandparents after China's reform and opening up, some Chinese millennials no longer see the institution of marriage as an obligation, but a personal choice.

Increasing social acceptance of cohabitation and premarital sex, as well as the wide availability of contraception and abortion, has enabled young people to enjoy romantic relationships outside the legal institution of marriage. They see marriage as an expression of their emotional connection, not just a means of reproduction.

Star Tong, 32, used to believe that romance, marriage and childbirth are things that should happen once a girl hits her mid-20s. Worried about being single, she attended about 10 blind dates -- mostly set up by her parents -- after she turned 25.

But none of them worked out -- Tong insists on finding a partner who shares her values and interests, and refuses to settle for someone just for the sake of tying the knot.

"Now I've realized getting married is not the only option," she said,"And it's totally fine to just be by myself -- I'm perfectly happy, have plenty of friends, and can focus my attention on advancing my career and taking care of myself and my parents."

Tong said she felt encouraged by what she saw as a shift in society's attitudes towards single women.

In 2007, the state-backed All-China Women's Federation used "leftover women" to describe unmarried women over 27 years old. Later in the year, the Ministry of Education even added the term to the official lexicon, further popularizing its use.

Since then, the term has frequently made headlines and dominated online discussions, often as a criticism of highly educated women deemed "too picky" in the search of a partner. In recent years, the term has drawn criticism from feminists and scholars, and in 2017, the flagship newspaper of the Women's Federation said it would no longer use the discriminatory term in its coverage.

During festive family gatherings, Tong was often lectured by relatives not to be "too picky" when looking for a partner. "I used to think 'picky' is a derogatory term," she said. "But now, I think it's about me choosing what I want. And there's nothing wrong in that."

Rising costs

Then there is the problem of the cost.

For many Chinese families, buying a home is a prerequisite for marriage. But many young couples simply don't have the money to pay for an expensive property -- and not every parent has enough savings to help out.

Li Xuan, the psychologist at NYU Shanghai, said even if buying an apartment is not necessarily wanted by everyone, the social and welfare system in China is built in such a way that home ownership has become almost crucial for couples looking for a better future for their children.

For example, owning a home near a good school grants access to high-quality education for their children, and wealthy couples are often willing to pay a high price for these coveted properties.

Joanna Wang, a 24-year-old student from the southwestern city of Chengdu, has been with her boyfriend for three years. The university sweethearts plan to live together in Shanghai when she graduates from her Master's program in Hong Kong, but have no immediate plans to marry.

"Everything about getting married costs money, but I can't make money faster than these expenses," she said.

And the financial pressure is not only being felt in cities. In rural areas, the families of grooms must pay a "bride price" to her family -- usually in the form of a large sum of cash, or a house. The practice has existed in China for centuries, but the costs have soared in recent decades due to the worsening gender imbalance -- namely a surplus of rural bachelors, due to the one-child policy and rapid urbanization, which has encouraged many women to move to cities for work.

The Chinese government is worried

With a looming population crisis on the horizon, the Chinese government has introduced a flurry of policies and propaganda campaigns exhorting couples to have children. State media lectured couples that the birth of a child is "not only a family matter, but also a state affair." In cities and villages, propaganda slogans advocating for a second child went up, replacing old ones threatening strict punishment in violation of the one-child policy.

"The government wants to keep new kids coming," said Li, the psychologist from NYU Shanghai.

Following the two-child policy, provincial governments extended maternity leave beyond the 98 days mandated by national standards, with the highest reaching 190 days. Some cities also started giving cash subsidies to couples with a second child.

In 2019, several delegates to the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp legislature, proposed lowering the minimum marriage age to 18 for both sexes from 22 for men and 20 for women, to encourage young couples to marry earlier and have more babies. But the proposal drew criticism and ridicule online, with many pointing out that it is the social and financial pressure, instead of legal age limits, that has led young people to put off marriage.

Meanwhile, the Communist Youth League -- the CCP's youth branch -- has picked up the task of matchmaking, holding mass blind dating events to help singletons find life partners.

Authorities are not only encouraging young people to get married, they are also trying to keep married couples together.

Last year, China's national legislature introduced a 30-day "cooling-off" period for people filing for divorce, which went into force this year. The new law provoked criticism online, especially from women, who fear it will make it harder to leave a broken marriage -- especially for victims of domestic violence.

But so far, none of these policies appear to have reversed the fall in marriage rates.

A big part of the problem, according to experts, is none of the policies address the entrenched gender inequality that has deterred young women from entering the institution of marriage and family life -- such as traditional gender roles and job market discrimination against women.

Li said she has observed a revival of more traditional gender roles in government propaganda in recent years. "It has a lot to do with governmental plans, and how the government sees young men and women as social resources," she said.

"Nowadays, there's a very strong need for care work given the culture of intensive parenting and the growing number of elderly. With the retreat of state welfare, we need more and more people to shoulder childcare and elderly care, and women are the 'default' pool of labor for such work. So I think that is part of the reason for them to be pushing women back into the family life."

Discrimination against women at work has also worsened since the relaxation of the one-child policy, as employers worry that women will now have a second child and take more maternity leave, said Xiao, the activist.

With these problems unresolved, the pressure from the state for young women to get married, stay married and have children will only further estrange them from it, she said.

"(The government) needs to change its way of thinking and encourage women to give birth from the aspects of protecting women's rights. They shouldn't treat women's uterus as a water tap, one that they can turn off and on as they wish," Xiao added.
Choi Moon-ja / Courtesy of Edward Haschke



Korean American marriage migrant says racial discrimination and bullying made her strong



By Kang Hyun-kyung



A young woman wailed, as a Seattle-bound ferry departed from the port of Busan and slid into waters on a long voyage in 1954, a year after the bloody Korean War had ended.



The woman was Choi Moon-ja, a Korean bride who had just married a Black American soldier who was stationed in Busan during the war. Choi said she was gripped by insurmountable sadness and belated regret for her decision to leave her mother behind in the southern port city.



She said she was far from being a filial daughter. Her mother vehemently opposed her daughter's marriage to the American solider, Benjamin Garris, pleading with her to think again. But her pleas couldn't stop her daughter, who had fallen in love with him.



Back in the 1950s, Korea was much more homogeneous than it is today, and it was unthinkable for a Korean woman to date a foreigner, especially a Black person. Elizabeth Kim's 2000 memoir, "Ten Thousand Sorrows," vividly recounts the tragic death of her mother and how she became a victim of prejudice by her relatives, just because she had a biracial baby as a result of her love with a Black American soldier.



Against the backdrop of predominant racial bias, Choi was forced to hide her relationship with the Black American soldier, even to her mother.



In addition to her parent's disapproval, there was another obstacle standing in the way of their relationship. According to Choi, the U.S. military conducted a thorough background check to make sure she was not a communist. They spied on her for a long time before she was finally given permission to marry Garris and go to the United States.



Choi, now 90, is part of the first generation of "GI brides," women who dated and married U.S. soldiers who were stationed in Korea after the country was liberated from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II.



It was after Choi boarded the Seattle-bound ferry that she began to ruefully look back at her decision to leave her poor mother behind and start a family in the United States. But it was too late. The ferry had already departed from the port of Busan and had cruised into the waters.



"I was going to cancel everything. I wanted to escape from the ship and go back to my mother," she said during a recent Zoom interview with The Korea Times. "On the ferry, I cried and tried to jump off the ship. An American lady who was near me said 'you're going to be okay.' But her kind gesture didn't help me a lot."



After a two-week voyage, Choi and her husband arrived in Seattle, Washington. From there, the newlywed couple took a train all the way to New York to their new home.



Trying times, however, continued even after Choi settled in New York. She was introduced to Black culture, which was very different from Korean culture. A language barrier also made it even more difficult for Choi to adjust to her new life.



Amid her continued struggles, she was devastated by the saddest news: her mother passed away a year after Choi came to the United States. Choi suffered the deep pain of loss and found herself wandering around in search of a place to cry.



Her six decades of life in the United States as a spouse of a U.S. military official were full of traumatic experiences: bullying, racial discrimination and deprived opportunities were part of her life.



In Norfolk, Virginia in the 1950s, she was asked to sit separately from her husband on a ferry. The ticket controller aboard the ferry told her she was not Black and did not have to sit in the back of the ship after seeing the Asian woman heading to the back of the ship with a Black man. The ticket controller told her she could sit in the front with the white passengers.



In parts of the United States in the 1950s, Black people had to sit at the back of all public transportation, whereas white and other races could sit at the front.



Choi rejected the ticket controller's advice, insisting she would sit with her husband at the back of the ferry.



Such a hostile atmosphere, which was predominant particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, didn't discourage her from continuing to fight for a better future for her three children Deborah, Marcia and Benjamin. Choi said she felt strong especially after she had her first child, Deborah.



Compared to other GI brides, Choi said she was fortunate. "My husband was nice to me. He was kind and thoughtful enough to encourage me to learn," she said. Her husband died of lung cancer in 1982.



According to Choi, some GI brides were exposed to various abuses and some were even treated like housemaids.



Choi's second daughter, Marcia, said her mother is a strong woman who overcame discrimination and bullying.



"Having a tiger mom who taught me to stand up for myself and express myself made me the outgoing person I am today," Marcia said. "Her experiences of bullying and racial tension made her the strong and impenetrable woman she is this day. It was true love that fueled her courage to date not only a soldier, but a Black one, at that time."



GI brides vs. picture brides



GI brides mark the second wave of Korean marriage migration to the United States.



"Picture brides" were the pioneer marriage migrants to the United States. From 1910 to 1924, an estimated 600 to 1,000 Korean women went to Hawaii to marry Korean sugarcane laborers. These women were called picture brides, because they agreed to marry the laborers after they only saw photos of them. With the help of matchmakers, the sugarcane laborers on the U.S. island and the women in Korea exchanged their photos, agreeing to tie the knot upon the brides' arrival.



The picture brides have drawn belated attention in recent years, as their role behind Korea's independence from Japanese colonial rule became known to the public.



GI brides played a part in diversifying Korea's homogeneous demographics.



Marcia admired her mother for her courage to confront discriminatory practices, calling it her legacy. "My mother comes from the blood of pioneers, who truly captured the 'art' of immigrating," said Marcia. "She taught me everything I know and to this day those skills help me to lead, care, support and love all mankind no matter who they are. She taught me that I can learn from anyone and never to be afraid of voicing my opinion or ideas I am so proud that she was a pioneer who married a Black man during those days that were so horrible for Black people. She made it easy for me not to see color but to see human beings."



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The exploit well be looking at today hails from none other than Inaki Bellvers Octane Motorcycles  a lesser-known Spanish workshop thatll make no compromises on their quest to build a sensational custom ride. To give you a clear idea as to what theyre all about, well be proceeding with a closer examination of the crews most notable venture.For this project, the chosen donor was a glorious CBF600N from Honda s mighty lineup. Within its frame, this wicked piece of Japanese machinery hosts a liquid-cooledinline-four engine, with a healthy displacement of 599cc and four valves per cylinder head. At 10,500 rpm, the four-stroke fiend is fully capable of delivering as much as 76 untamed horses. On the other hand, a generous torque output of no less than 43 pound-feet (58 Nm) will be achieved at approximately 8,000 rpm.A six-speed transmission hands the mills force over to the rear 17-inch wheel by means of a chain final drive. Ultimately, this whole ordeal leads to a solid top speed of 125 mph (200 kph), while CB600Ns quarter mile time is rated at just 12.6 seconds. Without going into any other details, its quite safe to conclude that Hondas beast is no toy, right?As to Octane Motorcycles unique masterpiece, the customization process kicked off with the removal of the bikes factory front suspension setup, its brakes and both hoops. In their stead, Spains gifted moto artists went about installing a Kawasaki Z750s 41 mm (1.61 inches) inverted forks and forged alloy wheels, as well as its floating brake rotors and Nissin calipers.Speaking of Z750s wheels, their rims are hugged tightly by top-grade Midas SportForce tires for good measure. In the powertrain department, Octanes CBF600N received a fresh four-into-one stainless-steel exhaust system wearing a Spark muffler, along with retuned carburetors and a set of conical pod filters on the other end of the combustion cycle.When their work on the performance side of things was wrapped up, the aftermarket experts went about replacing the stock subframe with their very own bespoke part. The loop-style module supports a neatly upholstered two-seater leather saddle that does a sweet job at looking the business. Below the new seat, you will find each and every one of CBFs relocated electrical units.Furthermore, the stock lighting items were discarded to make room for an assortment of custom alternatives, such as a Zenon headlight, a discrete LED taillight and a pair of bar-end turn signals from Kosos inventory. In the cockpit, a Koso digital speedometer keeps things clutter-free, while the standard handlebars have been replaced by wider, flat-style counterparts.Last but not least, the finishing touch comes in the form of an ominous paint scheme that blends gunmetal grey and gloss black to accomplish a timeless aesthetic. The paintwork is tastefully complemented by a selection of black decals on the gas tank and laser-cut badges worn by the rear-mounted alloy foot pegs.To top it all off, Octane s specialists manufactured a stainless-steel front fender in-house, to then envelop it in a black finish that matches the bikes frame. Now, if this flawlessly modified Honda CBF600N doesnt soothe our moto-loving gearhead soul, then I honestly dont know what will!

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EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence tied a school record for goals in a game with nine in a win over Smithfield. St. Lawrence scored 17 goals for the week and has 32 for the season.

CARLY CONSTANTINE, Stonington softball, sophomore: Constantine singled home Shea OConnor with the winning run to hand Waterford, the states No. 2 ranked team at the time, its first loss of the season. For the week, Constantine was 5 for 15.

GREG GORMAN, Westerly baseball, junior: Gorman, a junior, hit a massive home run in a win against Barrington. The homer went over the fence in center field and landed in a nearby road. Gorman was 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the game. He is hitting .571 with 10 RBIs for the season.

BRADIN ANDERSON, Wheeler baseball, freshman: Anderson, a freshman, pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Grasso Tech. Anderson struck out three to earn the first win of his varsity career.

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Veerannapalem : , Jan 31 (IANS) An octogenarian from Veerannapalem village in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district has mastered the art of weaving sarees from paddy straw.

"I use normal paddy straw to weave a saree. One saree takes nearly a year and half to produce," Movva Krishnamurthy told IANS.

Originally hailing from Komarinenivaripalem village, the youngest in a family of five, Krishnamurthy studied only till standard 5 and dropped out from school to help the family in farming as they owned 20 cattle.

As part of their farming work, he came across ropes of various kinds that were deftly made by them, using gogunara, janapanara and others (plant straw materials).

Sometime around 1959, when Krishnamurthy was a teenager, two veterinarian doctors, Uma Maheshwar Rao and Ramachandra Reddy, visited his village and told him about competitions at a cattle show being organised by the state government in Veerannapalem.

"When they said that the competitions will have attractive prizes, I asked them if they would reward any workmanship by hand? They said they hadn't thought on those lines but if he produces something impressive, the judges may give him some reward," said Krishnamurthy.

By then, the teenager had already gained a reputation for making excellent ropes using gogunara and janapanara and went ahead weaving two towels with paddy straw.

Impressed by the paddy towels, the judges rewarded him with a prize and encouraged him to make farming tools or articles to compete in a state government animal husbandry event in Guntur.

Using metal, wood, coconut leaves, paddy straw and others, he made some farming tools and went to Guntur. Krishnamurthy's creations competed with another man's tools and implements from Tenali.

Finally, the Tenali challenger's towels weaved out of janapanara won the top prize while Krishnamurthy settled for the second spot.

"After that competition, I decided I would make better weaves and settle with paddy straw as the material. From then on, I used to showcase my paddy weaves at many competitions and won several top prizes," he said.

Krishnamurthy reminisced that he received an award from former chief minister N. T. Rama Rao in 1986 in the category of handicrafts.

Later, an organiser advised the farmer to make bigger weaves. Around 2005, Krishnamurthy thought bigger and weaved a full length saree, which earned him an award.

Krishnamurthy diversified into weaving a blouse and also a handbag and went on to win accolades at Bapatla agricultural college as well.

The farmer said his creations were also exhibited at Delhi and taken to the United States to be displayed at a museum.

"Not only useful for exhibitions, my sarees can also be worn," he says, clarifying that they would not be rough on the skin. He said Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and saree aficionado Nannapaneni Rajakumari wore his paddy saree once.

However, he said the paddy saree has to be dried in the shade after rinsing, adding that one his sarees was made more than 10 years ago.

"The farming tools and implements which I crafted have completed 60 years," said Krishnamurthy, even as he gives away some of them for exhibitions.

Currently, Krishnamurthy is busy weaving a paddy saree, blouse and a handbag for an image made out of rubber to be displayed at an upscale showroom.

Though it only costs around Rs 100 to make a saree, which requires some thread to secure the edges and straw is freely available at the haystack, patiently sitting for hours together to carefully shred the choicest fibre from the straw is the major challenge.

"Two gentlemen, one from Eluru and another from Krishna, came to me to learn the craft but gave up once they saw the drudgery of shredding the straw with a blade as only a small portion of the straw will be useful," he added.

Krishnamurthy was also approached by some educational institutions to teach the craft but ultimately nobody turned up.

Even his children and grandchildren did not show interest in this unique craft as they went ahead to pursue other professions.

(Sharon Thambala can be contacted at thambalasharon@gmail.com)
Hundreds of people have protested in Budapest against coronavirus lockdown measures.



The protesters wore masks but defied rules that ban public gatherings. Police were asking for documents from those attending the rally on January 31.



Meanwhile, at least 100 restaurants in the Hungarian capital vowed to reopen for business beginning on February 1 -- despite government warnings that would face fines of up to $17,000 for doing so.



Current lockdown measures include a nighttime curfew and the closure of secondary schools, as well as the closure of all restaurants and cafes except for takeaway orders.



"We have had enough of the mass destruction of businesses," protest organizers said on Facebook.



Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has said it could only start easing the measures if the number of coronavirus cases declines sharply, or if large numbers of Hungarians are inoculated.



On January 29, Orban said on state radio that "people could die if we do not bear with the restrictions for a few more weeks ... It is not a solution if people go out and violate the rules."



Hungary during the past week became the first European Union member state to sign a deal for Russia's Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccine and China's SinoPharm's vaccine.



With a population of about 10 million, Hungary had reported a total of 367,586 COVID cases as of January 31, including 12,524 deaths.



New infections have recently been dropping. But more than 3,500 COVID-19 patients remain in hospitals.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP

Allies should coordinate transition of OPCON



South Korea and the United States have revealed differences over Seoul's plan to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) of its troops from its ally. Now, both sides need to engage in closer consultation to narrow their differences and ensure security and peace on the Korean Peninsula.



Taking back OPCON from the U.S. is crucial for the South to regain its "military sovereignty." The country transferred operational control of its troops to the U.S. during the 1950-53 Korea War. Seoul managed to take back peacetime OPCON in 1994. But it has yet to retake wartime OPCON, although the 2003-08 liberal administration of Roh Moo-hyun agreed with the U.S. in 2007 for an OPCON transition by 2015.



The envisioned transition plan continued to be postponed under the conservative governments of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye due to the changing geopolitical and security situation. In 2017, President Moon Jae-in came up with a campaign promise to retake wartime OPCON by the end of his term if he was elected.



The issue came to the surface again on Jan. 21 when Defense Minister Suh Wook pledged to expedite efforts to recover wartime OPCON from the U.S. military. "We will seek active policy consultations in the early phase of the Biden government to have it pay more attention to the OPCON transition and create circumstances for the achievement," he said. He vowed to make progress in this matter. He seems to be after an agreement with Washington on a timetable for the transition, given that it is difficult to make good on Moon's election pledge.



However, the new U.S. administration under President Joe Biden has virtually turned down Suh's move. On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman John Supple said that the planned transition will take place when all necessary conditions are met. He made it clear that a "conditions-based" transition is not only what has been agreed upon, but is also necessary to ensure peace and security.



Supple, of course, reaffirmed the consistent U.S. stance that the OPCON transfer is conditions-based and not time-based. Seoul and Washington already agreed on three conditions. First, South Korea should have the capability to lead the allies' combined defense mechanism. Second, it must have the capacity for an initial response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Third, there should be a stable security environment on the peninsula and in the region.



Unfortunately, the South has so far failed to meet those conditions, mainly due to canceled or scaled-back combined military exercises with the U.S. amid denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang in 2018 and 2019. The failure was also attributed to COVID-19 last year. The two countries are discussing how to conduct their annual springtime joint drill set for March, which is likely to be a computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX) without field drills because of the pandemic and the North's strong opposition.



In this situation, President Moon had better not rush to retake wartime OPCON by the end of his presidency in May 2022. His diplomacy and security team needs to hold close consultations with the Biden administration to iron out differences over key issues, including nuclear negotiations with the North. Most of all, Moon should work with Biden to strengthen the bilateral alliance.




The Victorian government has shut the border to parts of WA after the states Premier Mark McGowan ordered a five-day lockdown because one new case was recorded.

Anyone who has been in Perths metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region of WA will not be able to enter Victoria as of 9pm Sunday night. Those areas have been deemed red zones under Victorias traffic light system.

If people have been in one of these currently listed red zones since 25 January, they will not be allowed to enter Victoria without an exception, exemption or permitted worker permit, a statement from the Victorian Health Department said.

The rest of Western Australia outside of the red zone areas of the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region will remain green zones.

NSW Health issued its advice late Sunday requiring some travellers returning from affected areas of WA to isolate or stay at home.

Any travellers who have been at places of concern will be required to be tested and isolate for 14 days if they attended any of the named venues, a spokesperson said.

In addition, it said anyone who had been in any of the affected areas of WA since Monday January 25 will be required to get tested within 48 hours of arrival in NSW.

They will also have to stay at home for five days, until 9pm on Friday February 5. If they do not get tested, they are required to remain at home for a total of 14 days.

There were four flights scheduled to arrive in Melbourne from Perth on Monday, with the first arriving after 6pm.

Passengers from flights arriving today and since January 25 will be contacted by the Health Department. They will be asked to get tested and isolate.

The land border between WA and South Australia will have a police check point which is likely to check both SA and Victorian permits.
Tributes have been paid to the County Secretary of County Antrim's Grand Orange Lodge following his death after contracting Covid-19.

William (Billy) Thompson (74) from Lurgan, died peacefully at Craigavon Area Hospital on Thursday. He had been in intensive care since January 9.

He is survived by his wife Hilda, sons Ian, Clive, Karl and Lee, and the wider family circle.

Mr Thompson's family praised the support and pastoral care given by the staff in Craigavon's ICU and said they recognised that they went above and beyond what was expected of them.

Originally from Ballymena, Mr Thompson was the eldest of 10 and was a driver for Ulsterbus before joining the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in 1968 where he remained until his retirement.

As well as his work with the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland (GOLI) as Co Antrim's Grand Secretary, Mr Thompson was also the chairperson of Broughshane's Royal British Legion.

GOLI Grand Master Edward Stevenson, described Mr Thompson as a "loyal and dedicated Orangeman".

"Billy's dedication to Orangeism was well-known and I know many of our members, particularly those within Co Antrim Grand Lodge where Billy was County Grand Secretary and further afield, will feel this loss deeply," he said.

"Billy was always willing to help and was involved in many areas of the institution's work."

Mr Stevenson added that Mr Thompson was playing a very active role in the GOLI's plans to mark Northern Ireland's centenary. "On behalf of the Orange Institution I tender our sympathies to Billy's wife Hilda and the Thompson family at this very sad time and can assure them of our prayerful support in the days and weeks ahead," he stated.

Mr Thompson regularly called into Carla Lockhart MP's Lurgan office and last visited just before Christmas where he was in "great form".

"I always enjoyed our catch ups, and valued his wise counsel," said Ms Lockhart. "A true Ulsterman, Billy was a straight talker and said it like it is.

"Of course Billy was also a very proud Orangeman. He loved the institution and was passionate about our culture and identity. He played a key role in delivering so much for the Order across Co Antrim and beyond and his legacy will live on for many years.

"My thoughts and prayers are with Hilda and the family at this sad time, and with all those brethren who mourn his passing."

The vice-chairman of Broughshane RBL David Doherty, added that Mr Thompson had always put his "heart and soul into everything he did" and will be sadly missed.

Mr Thompson spoke to the Belfast Telegraph last year about what Co Antrim Orange Lodge had planned ahead of the cancelled Twelfth. He took great pride in the district being the largest in Northern Ireland as five parades were planned to be held in the county, with 25 districts and 7,000 Orangemen.

Mr Thompson's funeral service will take place tomorrow but will be private due to the current government health regulations.

Grand Secretary of the GOLI Mervyn Gibson, who was a close personal friend of Mr Thompson, will be taking part in the service.

Donations in lieu of flowers, if desired, can be made to Air Ambulance NI via Malcomsons Funeral Service, Lurgan.
Were giving an opportunity to come together on important and timely legislation, so why wouldnt you do that rather than trying to move it through with reconciliation and having a fully partisan product? asked Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska and one of the signers of the new letter.

While they have yet to roll out their plan, members of the group said it would omit Democrats proposal for a federal minimum wage increase and scale back direct stimulus payments to individuals, excluding Americans earning more than $50,000 a year or families with a combined income exceeding $100,000.

Lets focus on those who are struggling, Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, said on the CNN program State of the Union on Sunday.

But to Democrats, the scars from 2009 cut deep. First, they believe they were too accommodating to Republicans, who called for restraint in providing stimulus for the economy. Then Democrats saw themselves as sandbagged by Republicans who engaged in prolonged negotiations over health care before pulling the plug entirely, opposing legislation that they had helped draft and inflaming a partisan fight that cost Democrats dearly in the 2010 midterm elections.

This time, Democrats say the new aid must be robust and delivered quickly. They do not intend to allow Republicans to dictate the timing nor the reach of the legislation.

Im not going to let Republican senators stall for the sole purpose of stalling, Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and the incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said on a conference call hosted by the advocacy group Invest in America. He added that his view grew out of his own experience serving as a junior member of the panel during the Great Recession.

Mr. Biden would no doubt prefer to push his proposal through with bipartisan support to show he is able to bridge the differences between the two parties. But the White House has been adamant that it will not chop up his plan to try to secure Republican backing and that while the scope could be adjusted, the changes will not be too substantial.

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The ride was almost impressively confusing. It had all the trappings of a haunted house, but it wasn't scary. It featured a famous comic strip character, but it wasn't funny. It was just a psychedelic parade of brightly-colored, food-based fever dreams, seemingly inspired by the video game of the same name. The end product (which also required 3-D glasses) seems less like a Garfield story and more like an art installation by Guy Fieri and the ghost of William S. Burroughs.

How did this glorious abomination come to be? It first premiered in 2004 at Kennywood -- which, sadly, isn't Kenny Rogers' answer to Dollywood, but rather an amusement park in Pennsylvania. According to Very Local Pittsburgh, the company's manager initially met with Jim Davis about creating a separate, entirely Garfield-themed amusement park. But when that fell through, everybody settled for giving an existing Kennywood ride a Garfield makeover.

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Reports are varied as to whether or not Davis had any direct involvement in the ride; some claim he "wrote the script for the ride and did the initial drawings," while others suggest that he "didn't do anything" and merely sent Kennywood some Garfield books so they would know who the hell Garfield is. Unfortunately, the budget for the ride "wasn't that big" and, worse still, the higher-ups told the designer not to make it "too great because too many people would want to ride it." Perhaps we should just be glad that the ride didn't end with the mind-bending revelation that you were floating down a river of dog semen inside Jon Arbuckle's digestive tract.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter! And check out the podcast Rewatchability.

Top Image: Roller Coaster Philosophy/Wiki Commons
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 14:28:48|Editor: huaxia

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by Lu Huaiqian, Sally Chen

WELLINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's politicians, business people and consumers are welcoming the signing of a protocol to upgrade a free trade agreement (FTA) between their country and China earlier this month.

MILESTONE IN RELATIONS

On Saturday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told thousands of participants at the 2021 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day event in Auckland that the signing of the FTA upgrade was a milestone for both countries.

"Alongside the renewed commitment to our people-to-people links, stands our ongoing commitment to our economic and trade ties, which are equally long and deep and important to us," said Ardern.

"The FTA upgrade is a really important milestone for both countries, and shows the strength of our relationship," she added.

According to the protocol signed on Tuesday, on the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand to boost the trade of services.

For the trade of goods, the upgraded FTA will see both countries open their markets for certain wood and paper products and optimize trade rules such as rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and customs facilitation, China's Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement.

New Zealand will lower its threshold for reviewing Chinese investment, allowing it to receive the same review treatment as members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first deal of this kind between China and a developed country. China is currently New Zealand's largest trading partner, the largest source country of foreign students, and second-largest source of foreign tourists.

RENEWED COMMITMENT

The New Zealand public is also applauding the FTA upgrade. Many people believe that the bilateral ties are getting fresh impetus and gaining greater momentum, while others are looking forward to the future business opportunities that the FTA upgrade will bring along.

Chris Lipscombe, international business strategist, was excited to hear the news.

"It is a clear statement around cooperation, particularly a commitment to fair non-discriminatory and transparent relationships between the two countries," Lipscombe said, adding that "this is a really positive step forward."

Bill Dwyer, international business lawyer and head of China Desk, Tavendale & Partners, believed that the upgrade is a welcoming development particularly for New Zealand exporters.

A really important thing is that "both parties are making greater commitments to free trade," said Dwyer.

Notably, Auckland employee in the financial sector Dale Singh thought the upgrade is amazing news for New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19.

This FTA upgrade will "really benefit the economy" especially with this hit by the coronavirus pandemic, said Singh.

BUSINESS BOOSTER

"The FTA upgrade brings certainty during the COVID-19 uncertainty. It will give New Zealand businesses more confidence to plan for the future," said John Qin, director of a New Zealand honey exporting company.

"We will use this chance to upgrade our products, adding up more honey flavors especially for (the) Chinese market. Let Chinese consumers have more chance to taste high quality New Zealand honey," said Qin.

"Any trade improvement between China and New Zealand will always have flow on benefits for all exporters, so we will benefit eventually. Any strengthening of trade relations between countries always benefits everyone in the longer term," said Roy van den Hurk, who runs a dairy company in New Zealand.

"It will speed up the overall supply chain which will benefit the consumers by having fresher product. It will also reduce costs, which will benefit the consumers by having less expensive high quality products," he added.

Meanwhile, Auckland University student Tama Payne said that "hopefully we could bring some services to China and hopefully we could get services back from China."

"I think it will be good for all of us," added Payne. Enditem
Free help to quit tobacco available here in Indiana
A policy document on Covid-19 and tobacco use by the School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has called for the ban of Shisha use in Ghana to prevent the spread of COVID-19.



It further called for the ban of the sale and importation of tobacco products including cigarettes during the Covid-19, noting that the disease is a respiratory illness and tobacco could aggravate symptoms and worsen outcomes.



The document which was prepared in August, 2020 and copied to the Ghana News Agency, reports key result from a rapid response study (the Covid-19 and Tobacco Project) and it was set up to examine tobacco use and tobacco control during Covid-19 while building on an existing multi-country collaboration.



The study was carried out by Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Divine Darlington Logo and Patricia Amoah Yirenkyi with a grant support from the UK Global Challenges Research Fund and additional funding from the University of Edinburghs Scottish Funding Council Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).



The document said: Shisha use prevails among the youth, and involves sharing of the same mouth-piece which can be a route for SARS-Cov-2 transmission and other communicable diseases.



It urged the government to increase tobacco taxes, ideally by 50 per cent to generate revenue to support healthcare delivery in the wake of Covid-19, adding that; It is very necessary to raising tobacco tax to make money available for treating people who suffer from tobacco-related diseases as well as Covid-19.



The document said this would reduce tobacco use among the youth because they were sensitive to high prices of tobacco products.



It said cigarettes remained the commonest form of tobacco use, pipe smoking (shisha), chew, sniffing, smokeless tobacco and tawa use among other forms by Ghanaians and that the most recent Demographic and Health Survey in 2014 reports the prevalence of cigarette smoking among males to be 4.8 per cent and females 0.1 per cent.



It said the regional trend continues to show high prevalence from the northern part of Ghana  31.2 per cent, 22.5 per cent and 7.9 per cent in the Upper East, Northern and Upper West Regions respectively.



The document said the recent data indicated that close to one in 10 junior high students use any form of tobacco products.



It said the current tobacco use could, from existing evidence, affect Covid-19 severity and therefore there was the need for government to integrate communicable and non-communicable disease risks into the overall health and wellbeing of the population.

Source: GNA









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The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Leaving Certificate exams is causing untold levels of anxiety, according to Principal of Ballymahon Vocational School, Brian Higgins.

The school has an effective online teaching plan in place, which has been developed throughout the pandemic to become something that works for everyone, with feedback from parents, teachers and students on what can and cant be done to meet their needs while working remotely.

Were copying the same school timetable but we have moved to one hour classes instead of 40 minutes, which means students have six one-hour periods per day, said Mr Higgins.

It was easy for us to move to Microsoft Teams, so we can schedule classes to coincide with the team calendar and engagement this time round is way up. In fact, we have 95% engagement. Weve learned fast how to make it work.

In fact, the school had 12 hours of afterschool training in the autumn to ensure teachers and staff could efficiently work online while schools were closed. Workshops were run by Shane Nolan, who is one of the teachers at the school.

Thanks to those workshops, now everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet, said Mr Higgins.

Things are very different this time as students and staff are not struggling to find their feet as they were when they were thrown into online learning during the first national lockdown last year.

There is a group of six Leaving Certificate students who meet online with Mr Higgins twice a week to discuss what has worked well and what hasnt.

Some of them have anxieties, said Mr Higgins, so weve set up a number of workshops to help with their mental health.

Theres also a student council which meets every Friday and thats an overall picture of how the students are doing, Mr Higgins added, we have a parents focus group once a week and they often have suggestions.

Student interaction wasnt there before, so weve started training in breakout roms on Microsoft Teams to give a space for students to talk to each other. The main thing is were listening to what does and doesnt work.

Leaving Cert students in the school are, understandably, concerned by the upcoming exams, which the government hopes to hold in the traditional way, despite the ongoing crisis.

Theres been a call nationally for predictive grades and students want answers at this point, said Mr Higgins.

Were school leaders and we dont know how to answer that for them. The oral and practical exams are due to take place in April and they need time to prepare.

Theres bee a corrosion into the students time from last year. They lost out on time from March to June.

Lack of communication is a big problem and as principal, Im not able to alleviate any of the students fears.

Parents, teachers and students alike want to know what plans are in place for students should the governments steadfast determination to go ahead with a normal Leaving Cert fail this year.

We want to know what the contingency plan is. The plan is to hold the Leaving Cert but theres no contingency plan, said Mr Higgins, who stressed that mock exams are only around the corner.

With no reopening date yet in sight for schools, Mr Higgins has said that the safety of students must be a top priority.

Wed have students from both schools in Ballymahon on the same busses, he said.

So I can absolutely see the fear that students and staff would have, and parents have also voiced those concerns.

We had Covid infections within the school prior to Christmas but there were factors leading into the school rather than coming from within the school itself.

Furthermore, if schools were reopened during these difficult times, he said, there would be a number of students who would be unable to attend for their own safety, which would force teachers to teach a class in person and online at the same time.

Its virtually impossible, said Mr Higgins, so the government made the right decision to keep the schools closed. Engagement is up 95% now with our online system and its working well.

Nothing beats face to face interactions, but there are now new levels of collaboration and huge positives that can be practised going forward.
NSW has reported no locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the 14th consecutive day, marking one infection cycle with zero local transmission detected.

But testing numbers remain low, with 8811 tests reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday night, down from the previous days total of 10,504.

There were three new cases detected in people returning from overseas in quarantine, bringing the total number of COVID cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4915.

NSW Health said the low testing rate was a concern.
The search for a young woman who went missing while snorkelling at Altona beach stretched into a second afternoon on Sunday after extensive efforts from specialist divers, water police and the air wing failed to locate her.

The 20-year-old, from Ashwood in Melbournes east, was in the water with friends about 100 metres from shore when she disappeared from view while near the pier on Saturday about 11.15am.

Divers search for the missing woman on Sunday. Credit:Luis Ascui

The search wrapped up late on Sunday night and continued on Monday morning.

Distraught family and friends returned to the scene on Sunday and watched as police and Life Saving Victoria continued to search for their loved one.
Hyderabad, Jan 31 : More than two years after promising unemployment allowance, the TRS government is gearing up to formulate a scheme as it seeks to check BJP, which is going aggressive in its attacks on the ruling party over unfulfilled promises.

Despite a big drop in revenue due to Covid induced lockdown and consequent slowdown, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government is contemplating to roll out unemployment allowance soon.

TRS working president and minister for industry, information technology, municipal administration and urban development K.T. Rama Rao stated a couple of days ago that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to announce an unemployment allowance in the next few days.

"The Chief Minister, in a day or two, may make an announcement on the unemployment allowance," said KTR, as the chief minister's son is popularly known.

KTR said the government would soon release a notification for the recruitment to 50,000 posts in the state government. He assured the youth that KCR will bestow more than what they had expected from him.

The move is surprising given the impact the fall on revenue may have on the overall budget size and a plethora of welfare schemes already being implemented by the state.

However, this appears to be a political compulsion for TRS at a time when BJP is going all out to attack the ruling party for failing to fulfill the promises made in 2018 elections.

Political analysts say with BJP going aggressive as part of its goal to come to power in the state 2023, TRS is making swift moves to check the saffron surge.

Only last month, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had announced that notifications would be issued shortly to fill up vacancies of teachers, police personnel and others.

"The primary information suggests that there are about 50,000 vacancies in the state in several departments. We have to fill them up. Teachers and police have to be recruited in thousands," he had said.

Two major announcements in as many months apparently came to placate unemployed youth, whose anger is believed to be one of the key reasons for the electoral reverses suffered by TRS in recent weeks.

In by-election to Dubbak Assembly constituency held in November, TRS suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of BJP which focused on youth and the unfulfilled promises of the ruling party.

The angry youth turned the tide as the BJP wrested the seat from TRS. It was seen as an anti-incumbency vote. It was a big jolt to TRS as the party had never lost a by-election since 2014 when it came to power in the newly created state.

After Dubbak victory, the BJP also made considerable inroads in TRS vote bank by winning 48 seats in 150-member Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), elections for which were held in December. It was an impressive show for BJP which had won only four seats in 2016 elections.

BJP, which emerged as the second largest party in GHMC, denied clear majority to TRS and sent a strong message again that it is emerging as the viable alternative to TRS.

A week after the results of GHMC polls, the chief minister announced filling up of vacancies in the government. He asked Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to collect details about the vacant posts in teachers, police and other departments and issue notifications to fill the vacancies.

"TRS is under extreme pressure from the youth and unemployed sections of the society, along with those who are working in the government. Results in Dubbak and GHMC elections are an indication of the mood of people in the state," said political analyst P. Raghavendra Reddy.

He, however, believes that unemployment allowance will act like a painkiller for the short-term but it is not the solution for the problems in Telangana, especially of the youth. The KCR government will have seriously think about filling vacant posts in the government, and create more employment opportunities through self-employment and in the private sector.

"The BJP is making use of and gaining ground due to the feeling among the people of being neglected by the TRS government. Unemployment allowance could help prevent the ground from slipping away temporarily, but KCR and KTR must think of more long-term and impactful measure to regain lost political turf," said Reddy.

In the manifesto for 2018 Assembly elections, the TRS had promised unemployment allowance. The party promises that the unemployed youth will get a monthly payment of Rs 3,016 till they get a job.

The party made the promise as the youth were voicing their anger over the government's failure to deliver on the promise of one lakh jobs. TRS had come under criticism from students for failing the youth who fought for separate Telangana state. The party, however, retained power with a massive majority.

In the vote on account budget for 2019-20 tabled by the chief minister himself in February 2019, Rs 1,810 crore was earmarked for the unemployment allowance. However, the scheme was never formulated and it found no mention in 2020-21 budget, apparently due to fall in revenue growth rate.

It is still not clear how the government will implement the scheme when it may find difficult to mobilize the resources for continuing the existing welfare schemes like social security pensions, free electricity, financial assistance to farmers, health insurance to poor and scholarships.

The chief minister is likely to appoint a panel of senior officials to formulate the scheme and its guidelines. All eyes will be on the allocation to be made in the budget for 2021-22.

There is still no clarity on the number of unemployed in the state. Nearly 10 lakh candidates have registered with employment exchanges of the state government.

Over 20 lakh people candidates have registered with Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) for government jobs.

Even if the unemployed youth are estimated at 10 lakh, the government will have to earmark Rs 3,600 crore in the budget.

Some sections of unemployed are already demanding that the scheme be implemented with retrospective effect from December 2018.

There is already a war of words going on between the government and the opposition over the former's claim on jobs provided during last six years.

KTR claimed that 1.31 lakh people were recruited since 2014. This includes 36,000 youth recruited through Telangana State Public Service Commission.

He claimed that 14.50 lakh job opportunities were provided to the youth through 14,000 companies given permissions under TSiPASS, the industrial policy under which new industries are given all permission in 14 days.

The Congress party challenged the KTR to prove his claims of recruitment of 1.31 lakh people by the government and. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary A. Sampath Kumar dared the minister for a debate on the issue.

The Congress leader alleged that it was another ploy by the TRS to mislead youth ahead of elections to two seats of Telangana Legislative Council from graduates constituencies.

Elections to graduates constituencies of Mahabubnagar-Hyderabad-Rangareddy and Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam are likely to be held in February.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 00:04:43|Editor: huaxia

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HANOI -- Vietnam recorded 36 new cases of COVID-19 infection between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time on Sunday, including 19 imported and 17 locally transmitted, according to the Ministry of Health.

The new cases brought the total confirmed cases in the country to 1,817 with 35 deaths. (Vietnam-COVID-19)

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HONG KONG -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Luo Huining on Sunday visited the Hong Kong police headquarters and Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station, and greeted the police officers ahead of the Chinese New Year.

Police officers have done tremendous work over the past year to stop violence and fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and have shouldered the vital responsibility of safeguarding national security since the national security law in the HKSAR took effect in late June last year, Lam said. (Hong Kong-Police-Greeting)

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HANOI -- The 13th Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) on Sunday re-elected Nguyen Phu Trong as the general secretary of the CPVCC, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The election took place at the first meeting of the newly-elected 13th CPVCC on Sunday during the ongoing 13th CPV National Congress scheduled from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1. (Vietnam-Party Chief)

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CANBERRA -- Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt has declared that the country's vaccine rollout remains "on track" despite supply concerns.

Hunt said on Sunday that he has spoken to representatives from the European Union (EU) over COVID-19 vaccines produced by Oxford and AstraZeneca.

Australia has bought the AstraZeneca vaccine and plans to begin administering it in March. Vaccines from Pfizer will start being administered in late February. (Australia-COVID-19-Vaccine)

- - - -

SUVA -- Tropical cyclone Ana, the first one that hit Fiji this year, has caused extensive damages to the South Pacific island nation.

According to a statement by Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) on Sunday, around 10:00 p.m. local time on Saturday night, the center of tropical cyclone Ana moved past the northern part of the Yasawa islands and headed towards Fiji's main island of Viti Levu before strengthening into a category 2 system. (Fiji-Tropical Cyclone) Enditem
Joe Biden has selected Robert Malley to be his envoy to Iran. There could no clearer sign that Bidens foreign policy (or that of whoever is running the show) will be pro-appeasing the mullahs and anti-Israel.

We have written about Malley from time to time. This post (via Ed Lasky) collected some of Malleys greatest anti-Israel hits (most of which apparently are no longer available on the internet):

Playing Into Sharons Hands: which absolves Arafat of the responsibility to restrain terrorists and blames Israel for terrorism. He defends Arafat and hails him as the first Palestinian leader to recognize Israel, relinquish the objective of regaining all of historic Palestine and negotiate for a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 boundaries {and] the only Palestinian with the legitimacy to sell future concessions to his people. Rebuilding a Damaged Palestine: which blames Israels security operations for weakening Palestinian security forces (absurd on its face: terrorists filled the ranks of so-called Palestinian security forces-which, in any case, never tried to prevent terrorism) and calls for international forces to restrain the Israelis. Making the Best of Hamass Victory: which called for international aid to be showered upon a Hamas-led government and for international engagement with Hamas (a group that makes clear in its Charter, its schools, and its violence its intent to destroy Israel). Malley also makes an absurd assertion: that Hamas policies and Israeli policies are mirror images of each other. Avoiding Failure with Hamas: which again calls for aid to flow to a Hamas-led government and even goes so far as to suggest that failure to extend aid could cause an environmental or health catastrophe-such as a human strain of the avian flu virus! How to Curb the Tension in Gaza: which criticizes Israels for its actions to recover Gilad Shalit who was kidnapped and is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. He and co-writer Gareth Evans call Israels actions.

Given Malleys animus towards Israel and his admiration for the likes of Yasser Arafat, its not surprising that he is sympathetic towards the Iranian regime. Sen. Tom Cotton noted that sympathy a few days ago when it became apparent that Biden would make Malley the envoy to Iran:

Its deeply troubling that President Biden would consider appointing Rob Malley to direct Iran policy. Malley has a long track record of sympathy for the Iranian regime & animus towards Israel. The ayatollahs wouldnt believe their luck if he is selected.

Bret Stephens raised the same concern here.

Malley is a key architect of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. In exchange for very little, that deal showered the mullahs with vast sums of money with which to pursue their goal of terrorizing and dominating the Middle East.

Malley is also said to have been instrumental in driving Obamas pro-Iran, pro-Russia Syrian policy. I discussed this here, working off of a piece by Tony Badran of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

Even some Democrats find Malleys views of the Middle East difficult to stomach. According to Politico, while progressives and current and former colleagues have rallied to his defense, some Democrats have expressed private worries about some of Malleys public comments.

Politico quotes a former Obama administration official who says that Malley is way too far to the left on these issues, from Iran to Israel to Syria, and it would just be unhelpful to have him in this role as envoy to Iran.

Thus, claims that attacks on him are the ravings of right-wingers are false. Malleys views on Israel and Iran fall outside the mainstream. However, they perfectly match the soft-on-Iran, hard-on-Israel thinking that dominates the Biden administration.

As noted, Malley was a key architect of Obamas nuclear deal. Biden has made it clear that he wants to reenter that deal. Its his right, as president, to work towards that objective, one he did not conceal during the campaign.

But Iran will, of course, demand major concessions in exchange for letting the U.S. back into the deal. The question on the mind of Malleys critics, both Republican and Democrat, is how willing Team Biden will be to make concessions.

Considering (1) Malleys overall record, (2) the fact that the Iran deal is his baby, and (3) his distaste for Israel, the nation most immediately threatened by Iran, the overwhelming likelihood is that Malley will be far too eager to make big concessions.

As discussed above, Malley habitually blames Israel for the behavior of terrorists like Hamas. To put it perhaps too generously, he sees Israel and Hamas as moral equivalents.

Its reasonable to fear that he views the U.S. and Iran the same way. After all, for the past four years, U.S. policy towards Iran has been directed by Donald Trump, than whom the American left perceives no greater villain.

Every time Iran cites a grievance against Trump or against Israel (e.g. the killing of the arch-terrorist Soleimani or that Iranian nuclear scientist, both of which Malley denounced), Bidens envoy will likely see grounds for offering another concession.

So, it appears, will Joe Biden (or whoever is running the show). Otherwise, Malley wouldnt be the new envoy.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio released its full plan for which schools will have staff vaccinated over the course of four weeks, laying out the schedule in a press release on Friday.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District is scheduled for the second week of vaccinations, following fellow large urban school districts Columbus and Cincinnati schools. Columbus schools are set for the first week of vaccines, and vaccines have already begun at Cincinnati schools.

Find your school in the document viewers below.

How long vaccinations will take will depend on the supply of the vaccine and how quickly the doses are administered. School staff will not compete with other groups being vaccinated in Phase 1b, including adults more than 65-years-old.

Vaccine is incredibly scarce, and we simply dont have enough to vaccinate everyone at the same time. Therefore, this will be a rolling process, just like it has been during other vaccination phases, with a goal of administering all first doses by March 1, Governor Mike DeWine said in a press release announcing the schedule.

This rollout schedule is a heavy logistical lift that aims to ensure the maximum number of people can be vaccinated in the shortest amount of time.

The release announcing the schedule did not clarify how schools were prioritized. In order to receive vaccines, districts and schools have agreed to aim for getting students back in school by March 1, either fully in-person or in a hybrid model.

The governor has not stated any consequences for failing to meet that deadline, but called it a matter of good faith, in a Thursday press conference.

Have more questions about the school vaccine rollout? Check out a Q&A here.

Schools in Week 1, beginning Feb. 1

Schools in Week 2, beginning Feb. 8

Schools in Week 3, beginning Feb. 15

Schools in Week 4, beginning Feb. 22
In a pandemic, it becomes a crisis of confidence, because people are saying, Why should I be following these rules when the people at the top dont?

"In a pandemic, it becomes a crisis of confidence, because people are saying, Why should I be following these rules when the people at the top dont?"

 Manitoba Liberal Party Leader Dougald Lamont

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has increasingly acted like a man under siege over the past few months.

No doubt the office of premier is a difficult and stressful one  especially during a pandemic  but that fact cant explain away what happened Thursday when the premier blew up at a question from a Winnipeg Free Press reporter during a televised news conference.

It came to light this week that the chairman of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority board of directors, Wayne McWhirter, travelled to Arizona earlier this month.

When reached by media, McWhirter confirmed he was in Arizona, but refused to say why he had travelled there. This at a time when the provincial government has demanded of Manitobans to do not travel outside the province for any reason.

Opposition calls for McWhirter to either be removed from the post or for him to step down were met with a refusal from government to do so. The best that Pallister could come up with on Thursday is to express his disappointment in the chairman, and defend his governments position not to remove him, saying that McWhirter "isnt a political staffer" and shouldnt be subject to the same political and bureaucratic yardstick.

"This is a person who, apart from a per diem, is one of the over 1,000 people that have volunteered to serve on a board in our province," Pallister said. "And, so, Im not making excuses. Im just saying that the person involved is not a paid staffer of the government like 1,000 other people. They serve as a volunteer."

Its not the first time this month that someone with Tory links  McWhirter was appointed by the Pallister government  has found themselves in media crosshairs.

Progressive Conservative MLA James Teitsma made headlines just after the holidays when it was learned he and his family had gone on a driving trip to British Columbia during Christmas.

So, too, did the provinces chief bureaucrat, David McLaughlin, who was allowed to work from his Ottawa home during the last two weeks of December, while a senior PC political staffer was permitted to travel to eastern Canada as well.

Though Teitsma was not initially punished, a spokesperson for Pallisters office told Winnipeg media that he was removed from one of the committee positions he held previously  though he has never publicly apologized for his actions and remains on the powerful Treasury Board. McLaughlin has seemingly escaped discipline altogether.

These revelations have not gone over well within the public sphere. Routinely on COVID-19 related stories on the Sun website that deal with the provincial restrictions in place, readers are criticizing the Pallister government over its two-tiered approach to government policy  one rule for ordinary citizens and quite another for well-connected government elites.

So when Free Press reporter Larry Kusch doubled down on the question about McWhirter and put it to the premier whether this was a question "of folks in high places being allowed to travel with impunity" if they have the right political connections, Pallister lost his cool and lashed out at the reporter.

Mr. Pallister did the same to another Free Press reporter the week before  instead of answering the question posed about Teitsmas poor decision to travel, blaming that paper for not reporting fairly on the premiers baseless assertions of wrongdoing by members of the Opposition.

It would seem that this is Mr. Pallisters tell  lash out when the political waters get a little heated, or when you dont want to talk about a particular subject.

And it appears to be worsening.

Its fair to say that not every question posed to a sitting premier will be a perfectly fair one, and not every line of questioning will be reasonable when it comes from the media. We are all human after all, and its easy to forget that the person on the other side of the microphone is human too, with the same human failings.

But the premiers increasingly indignant and resentful demeanour to members of the media is doing little good for Progressive Conservative party fortunes. It does not serve the public interest to be at constant war with those tasked with questioning government actions. It only further hurts this governments claim to accountability and transparency.

For that to happen in the midst of a deadly pandemic is doubly troubling, as it adds more confusion to an already bad situation.

Just like justice has to be seen to be done, so too does a government have to be seen to follow its own rules and restrictions, or risk the wrath of the public when hypocrisy is exposed.
President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed the first batch of Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines will arrive in Ghana by March this year.



Delivering his 23rd update on COVID-19 on Sunday, January 31, the President assured Ghanaians that only accredited, valid and certified vaccines will be imported into the country.



He also revealed that about 17.6 million vaccines will be secured for administration to Ghanaians by the end of June 2021.



"Our aim is to vaccinate the entire population, with an initial target of twenty million people. Through bilateral and multilateral means, we are hopeful that, by the end of June, a total of 17.6 million vaccine doses would have been procured for Ghanaian people. The earliest vaccine will be in the country by March."

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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Authorities scrambled on Sunday to meet a flight from Perth to Canberra carrying federal politicians who will have to self-isolate after a sudden lockdown in parts of Western Australia.

In a rush to deal with the situation while the plane was in flight, authorities ordered MPs and others who had come from Perth to stay away from federal Parliament until more details emerged.

Attorney-General Christian Porter is believed to have been one of the federal MPs on the flight from Perth on Sunday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The passengers were understood to include Attorney-General Christian Porter and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, who had boarded Qantas flight QF856 about lunchtime in Perth, before the lockdown.

A passenger on the flight raised concerns about having been at one of the COVID-19 exposure sites named on Sunday when the WA government declared a snap five-day lockdown.
This is Peter Hitchenss Mail on Sunday column

Quite soon we will have to redesign the Union Jack. I can see no way of stopping Scotland from leaving the Union, so there goes St Andrews Cross.

At least that will give us a chance to right a historic wrong and include some symbol of Wales on the national flag, provided they dont declare independence too.

Did you know that the Royal Arms of England used to feature a lion for England and a dragon for Wales? The dragon was dropped, in favour of a unicorn, when the English and Scottish crowns were united in 1603.

I find this a useful way to think about it. We have in recent years seen major nations, including Yugoslavia, Germany and the USSR, change shape utterly. Perhaps we should get used to the idea we are about to undergo the same thing.

When the Blair Government began its revolution in 1997, I thought there might be some chance of saving the United Kingdom. But when the Tory Party adopted Blairism under David Cameron, the last hopes of that faded. Not that they were very strong by then. I dont see how anybody can stop it now.

Nationalism makes many people in Scotland feel good about themselves, and anyone who supports British independence from Brussels cant really argue against it. I suspect that, against all logic, if I were Scottish, I would favour it for the sheer exhilaration of it.

And I now think that our only hope of reunifying Scotland and England is to say: We will be sorry to see you go, and continue to regard you as friends and allies, closer to us in all ways than anyone else on Earth. But if you must go, you should know that you will always be welcome back if you change your minds. Well leave a light burning.

The last thing we should do is behave as Spain has towards Catalonia. Heavy-handed rigidity will only make the divorce worse when it comes. It really is going to be very hard to prevent another vote, and we shouldnt try.

Attempts to argue about finances, or defence, or currency just wont work. Younger people in Scotland are used to the idea. Many dont share the English view of the EU  not surprising, as Scotlands law and politics are much closer to the continental model than ours. Why cover ourselves in bruises in a vain effort to keep hold of people who  for now at least  prefer to leave? Far better to stay on the best terms with them once they go.

Let us, for a while, think rather harder about whether we can save England, our beautiful, free prosperous country, its unique liberty, its limited government, its literature, music, architecture and landscape, its inventiveness and its courage, the things that made us great in the first place and which  if we take the trouble to preserve them  might keep us in being in the future when others fail.

Accused of killing a man Ive never met

On Monday I once again had followers mysteriously cancelled on my Twitter account. On Tuesday I was censored. On Wednesday I was denounced in The Guardian.

On Thursday I was accused of helping to kill a man I had never even met (Ill come back to this). And on Friday I was attacked and abused in the Left-wing New Statesman.

I was also denounced on a website associated with the vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, so effectively an arm of government. Paradoxically, the website  which claimed my words endangered public health  is partly run by a man who spends much of his time defending cigarette companies.

This is normal life now for any dissenter from the official view of the lockdown  abuse, accusations and smears.

The censorship was a mysterious cut in the recorded version of a weekly conversation I have each Monday on Talk Radio with presenter Mike Graham. Mr Graham had nothing to do with it. But Talk Radio recently ran into trouble with the pro-lockdown internet monster YouTube, which provides a platform for its recorded material.

My guess is that someone at Talk Radio, worried that YouTube might attack again, cut out some rude words I said about government propaganda (the whole episode is described on the Peter Hitchens blog). This is what censorship does. It makes people cut their own stuff, so the censors dont have to.

But the worst was the suggestion that I should be counted as responsible for a poor man who had died, in Shrewsbury, after testing positive for Covid-19. The claim was that he had liked some of my tweets, and as a result, had ignored precautions against the virus and so died.

Ill leave it to you to judge the strength of that. Furious screeching internet warriors, who remind me strongly of the Red Guards who denounced and attacked Maos enemies in 1960s China, demanded I should confess my guilt and express public shame. Normally, this sort of thing would be easily dismissed. But in the current atmosphere, I am not so sure.

With every day that passes, this country grows darker and narrower, and more like the places I used to visit in my foreign correspondent days, secure in the knowledge I could fly home to freedom, law and calm. Believe me. I have seen a lot of tyrannies and we are turning, bit by bit, into such a place.

Child spooks? Now that really is sinister

I should have worried more about the TV series Spooks, which glamorised MI5 as a heroic defender of the nation against terrorism.

We have now got far too complacent about this rather creepy organisation, with its enormous budget and its increasingly political remit. I wonder when it will finally get the power of arrest, which will make it truly dangerous?

We have also allowed the police to go down the same path. Infiltrating undercover agents into organisations which are essentially political, as well as into actual criminal gangs. Personally, I dont think this is especially effective at preventing crime, or right. Now, having created this monster, the Government is trying to regulate it.

And what a mess they are in. The Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill actually licenses government informers to commit crimes to help them stay undercover  a direct blow at the rule of law.

If that is not bad enough, it permits children to be used as undercover spies by more than 20 state agencies. Children aged 16 and 17 could even be recruited to spy on their own parents. The only safeguard is that such child spies should only be used in exceptional circumstances, which has all the force of a wet paper bag.

Much praise is due to the few MPs who are fighting this nasty development, and to the much larger contingent in the Lords who have repeatedly tried to torpedo it. If you create such powers, they will be used, and in ways that nobody thinks of now.

The most hateful thing I ever saw in my years in Moscow was a statue to Pavlik Morozov, a (probably mythical) child who had denounced his own parents to the authorities, and then been murdered by his grandfather. Millions of children in the Evil Empire were brought up to revere and admire this little toad.

When Communism fell, the Morozov idol disappeared from the park where it had stood and has not been seen since. At the rate we are going, perhaps it will end up on the empty plinth in Trafalgar Square.

If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens, click on Comments and scroll down
The Church of England has warned that it may cut the number of paid clergy by up to 20 per cent amid fears that a fifth of worshippers may never return after the coronavirus pandemic.

A leaked internal document has warned that the majority of dioceses across the country intend to 'prune [the] number of clergy and diocesan staff' as the establishment looks to cut costs.

It is thought that the financial subsidies given to 5,000 loss-making parishes - out of a total of 12,000 - were also called into question.

The Church of England has warned that it may cut the number of paid clergy by up to 20 per cent. Pictured: Church parishioner watching the Church of England's first virtual Sunday service given by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at Liverpool Parish Church

The Church of England will now look to recruit unpaid clergy with the number of paid priests being cut by 10 to 20 per cent, one source told The Sunday Times.

These new recruits would join the 2,870 unpaid clergy, 7,370 retired clergy who continue to officiate and 7,830 lay readers already part of the establishment.

The publication also stated that the document questioned 'the sustainability of many local churches'.

It comes after Stephen Cottrell, who took over as Archbishop of York during the pandemic, pledged to reform the Church of England in order to make it less middle class.

The married father-of-three previously renewed his calls for greater equality for black and minority ethnic (BAME) clergy in the upper echelons of the church, and said bishops 'must take responsibility' for a lack of diversity.

He also pledged the church should welcome 'absolutely everyone, regardless of their sexuality,' adding 'there is absolutely no place for homophobia in the Church'.

The Archbishop vowed to use his new role to help soothe the nation's divisions following years of political turmoil over Brexit saying Boris Johnson's promise to unify Britain was 'deserving of our support'.

It comes after Stephen Cottrell, who took over as Archbishop of York (pictured) during the pandemic, pledged to reform the Church of England in order to make it less middle class

But traditionalist now worry that he is 'cashing in on coronavirus' by using it as an excuse to cut the numbers of priests and sell off vicarages.

All church buildings were ordered by the government to stay closed from March 24 to July 4 amid the national lockdown.

This prompted religious services to move online - including the Easter Day Service conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby from his kitchen - despite the average age of the UK's churchgoer being 61.

The report concluded that: 'Online worship will have become a significant part of the mainstream.

'The Church of England could emerge from the pandemic smaller in terms of engagement by at least some measures, but particularly physical attendance.'

A spokesperson for the Church of England told MailOnline: 'The findings, based on research during the first lockdown last year, are incomplete in the context of a developing situation.

'The Church of England will continue to assess ongoing research and analysis to understand how the pandemic may shape the church in the future.'
Small landowners near the new airport in western Sydney who will be forced to sell their homes to make way for an $11 billion rail line say the state government has failed to justify the scale of compulsory acquisitions planned for the construction of a train station.

They are also upset about a process that led some of them to believe the line would not impact their homes, only to later be told their entire properties would be snapped up for the project.

Orchard Hills residents Christine and Jason Vella will be forced to sell their home of almost 12 years. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Orchard Hills property owner Christine Vella said authorities had not explained why more than 26 hectares needed to be acquired for construction of the station planned for the area.

It is sickening to watch, she said, referring to the enormous emotional toll the acquisition process is taking on neighbours.
Delhi Congress unit on Sunday passed a resolution to make Rahul Gandhi President of the party from immediate effect, according to news agency ANI.

Reacting to the announcement, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Anil Chaudhary said, "Rahul ji is only one who can inspire Congress workers. All his predictions are coming true from farmers issue to ills of GST. He's shown his leadership ability. So we passed a resolution to make him Congress president again."

The party in a statement last week had said that it will elect a new party president in June. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) had said Sonia Gandhi will stay on as the interim party chief for the five state assembly elections scheduled to be held in May.

The CWC had decided to hold organisational elections, following a storm in the party in August last year over a letter to Sonia Gandhi by a group of 23 leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Mukul Wasnik raising these issues. Sonia Gandhi had met some of the 'dissenters' and discussed the issues raised by them.
The Endoluminal Sciences technology offers a purposeful advancement to Venus Medtechs TAVR product platform, particularly as TAVR expands into a potentially younger population.

Sydney, Australia, February 01, 2021  Endoluminal Sciences Pty Ltd, an Australian medical device company focused on developing breakthrough technologies for transcatheter treatment of structural heart disease, announced today that it has entered into a license agreement with Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc, the leading transcatheter heart valve device developer and manufacturer in China, to grant rights to its active anti-paravalvular leak technology for aortic valve applications in Greater China.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a groundbreaking procedure that enables the implantation of a new heart valve without the need for open heart surgery. Venus Medtech Inc., a Hangzhou, China-based, Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed company (HKSE: 2500.HK), has pioneered TAVR in China and remains the dominant player with its VenusA-Valve having reported over 80% market share in terms of implantation volume. With this agreement, Venus Medtech plans to incorporate Endoluminal Sciences active anti-paravalvular leak technology into its next generation TAVR product pipelines with the goal of building upon the class-leading performance and continuing to improve the clinical outcomes of patients.

Paravalvular leak (PVL), a leak that occurs around the valve replacement, is the Achilles Heel of TAVR that predisposes patients to increased risk of heart failure and death. Several companies in the TAVR market have programs to partially address this challenge using passive leak solutions. However, despite these advances in technology, PVL occurs in the majority of patients undergoing TAVR and is a key determinant of increased post-procedural mortality. Endoluminal Sciences has developed a unique solution to actively reduce PVL in transcatheter heart valve prostheses based upon the companys proprietary expansile polymer and membrane technology. This breakthrough active sealing technology is projected to provide best-in-class elimination of PVL in TAVR patients.

According to Dr. Raj Makkar, MD (Director, Interventional Cardiology, Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles, USA), Reducing paravalvular leak is critical for long-term success of TAVR. Endoluminal Sciences next generation highly-expansile anti-paravalvular leak technology offers a novel solution to this unmet clinical need. Dr. Horst Sievert (Director, CVC Frankfurt, St. Katharinen Hospital Frankfurt, Germany), added, The Endoluminal Sciences technology offers a purposeful advancement to Venus Medtechs TAVR product platform, particularly as TAVR expands into a potentially younger population.

By adding the next generation TAVR device with Endoluminal Sciences active anti-PVL technology to our pipeline, Venus Medtech is demonstrating its continued leadership in bringing superior clinical outcomes for TAVR patients in China. said Eric Zi, CEO of Venus Medtech.

Hou-Sen Lim, CTO and COO of Venus Medtech added: The Endoluminal Sciences innovative sealing technology has the potential to address PVL across a wide range of patient anatomies while preserving the advantages of our products design such as low device profile and device recapturability. With the incorporation of this innovation, Venus Medtech will provide our clinicians with a world-leading treatment alternative for TAVR patients.

Ashish Mitra, CEO of Endoluminal Sciences said, We are very excited to partner with the Venus Medtech team to build their next generation TAVR products with the Endoluminal Sciences technology. Being the market-leaders in China, Venus Medtech offers us the best platform to extend the benefits of our technology to TAVR patients in China.
A 64-year-old man, who was found dead in a luxury New York City apartment along with his 95-year-old mother, has been identified as an actor who landed a small role in Woody Allen's 1989 film, Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that William Wedell had been using Febreeze to cover up the smell of his mother, Agnes', body. Both mother and son were discovered on Saturday when police entered their apartment in the Tate building at 535 West 23rd St, in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

Bottles of Febreeze were discovered littered through the apartment.

William, who also landed a small part in It Could Happen to You starring Nicholas Cage, was identified by his sister, 61-year-old Julianna Wedell.

Julianna told the New York Post that her mom and brother lived a 'very quiet, almost hermit-like life'.

The bodies of William Wedell and his mother, Agnes, were discovered on Saturday when police entered their apartment in the Tate building at 535 West 23rd St, in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood (scene pictured)

Investigators who found Agnes on their couch and William in a bed, believe she died at least a week before her son because she was starting to decompose. Authorities said William is believed to have died two days before their bodies were discovered

Investigators who found Agnes on their couch and William in a bed, believe she died at least a week before her son because she was starting to decompose.

Authorities told the Post that William is believed to have died two days before their bodies were discovered.

Julianna explained that their mother's health had been declining for at least a month. William's younger sister called the police for a wellness check due to their mother's poor health.

'My brother mentioned that our mothers health was declining before the holidays,' Julianna told the Post. 'He said she wasnt eating, sleeping more.'

Julianna said they believe their mother's death was from 'natural causes' but her brother's death is 'the shocker'.

'He might have had a heart attack, we dont know,' she said.

Police do not believe that foul play was involved and the medical examiner is investigating the cause of death for both the mother and son.

According to Julianna, her brother had moved to New York City from Chicago to pursue acting.

Police do not believe that foul play was involved and the medical examiner is investigating the cause of death for both the mother and son. The apartment complex where their bodies was found is seen above

His mother soon followed and they had been living in their apartment for about 20-25 years.

William was taking care of his mother when they died. It's also unclear if they died from complications of COVID-19.

Julianna said that her brother was responsible for doing errands, which included grocery shopping, so he could've been exposed to the virus at some point.

She told the New York Daily News that her brother 'never mentioned' whether or not they were sick.

'When he spoke to my sister, he wasnt coughing or mentioning any issues,' Julianna said.

Juilanna told the Daily News that their mother worked for the Union Pacific railroad.

When she moved to New York City with her son, she transferred to the companys office in the Big Apple.

She retired in either the late 1980s or early 1990s. She also worked temp jobs as a secretary for different companies.

"The Government takes away our jobs for good. It leaves us at home, pointing to us as the only ones responsible for international conflicts, mortifying our work, which we have been carrying out for years with great seriousness and professionalism, without assuming our responsibilities, without having taken steps to ensure that found the necessary solutions to protect the jobs of a company that today represents a strategic asset of national and European importance ". This is what we read in a note from the Rsu of the workers of the Rwm of the Domusnovas plant, after the revocation of the licenses for the export of bombs to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the announcement of the company based in Ghedi (Brescia) to appeal against the government measure.

"We would have liked the same indignation even when the same government, without clamor, gave the green light to the sale of two military ships to Egypt", adds the unitary union representation that underlines "the deafening silence of the Mise" referring to Undersecretary Alessandra Todde. "We are worried about what in the near future will be the decisions of the owners who, due to a lack of planning by the National Government on the war industry, may decide not to make any more investments until reaching a total disengagement in our territory, already battered and penalized by previous nefarious political decisions ".

The RSU asks the Government to "assume its responsibilities by putting in place all the subjects and all possible initiatives to protect jobs, taking once and for all a clear position on what the war industry intends to do in general and in particular of our factory. The dignity of work is not only an economic fact but also an ethical and social issue ".

(Unioneonline / ss)
The Telegraph

Police are conducting an investigation into the death of a woman who was allegedly given higher than recommended doses of a powerful anti-psychotic drug at a mental health unit. Margaret Molyneux, 69, a former lecturer, was undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder when she suffered a series of complications and died in hospital three days after choking in July 2017. A coroner ruled that she had died of natural causes, but Hertfordshire Police launched an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, after a review found that Ms Molyneux had been prescribed higher than recommended doses of the drug Olanzapine. Her daughter, Petria Foley (pictured below), believes the anti-psychotic medication caused dangerous side effects - including choking - which were not picked up by the psychiatrists treating her and eventually led to her death. The Telegraph can reveal that detectives have now appointed a forensic toxicologist to look into the case before deciding whether to bring any charges. Ms Molyneux, a mother of two, was admitted to the Kingfisher Court mental health unit in Radeltt, Hertfordshire in March 2017, after being sectioned following a relapse of the bipolar condition she suffered from. She was prescribed Olanzapine, a powerful anti-psychotic drug that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions including schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. But it has also been linked to a variety of side effects and in 2018 Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation into the death of teenager Oliver McGowan, who died after being prescribed the drug. In the weeks leading up to her death, Ms Molyneaux, had a series of falls and also suffered from sepsis, pneumonia. She also developed dysphagia - a condition where swallowing becomes difficult - and Ms Foley is convinced it was the medication that was causing the physical problems. She said despite her mothers deteriorating condition, the drugs continued to be prescribed and medics also stopped her mother from smoking which meant the medication had an even more powerful effect.
Two Dublin teenagers accused of stealing cars in a spate of burglaries have been denied bail.

Adam Murphy (19), of Cherry Orchard Crescent, Ballyfermot, and Jason Maughan (19), with an address at Rosebank View, Clondalkin, were brought before a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court.

Detective Garda Donal Tully told Judge John Campbell that the two men were charged with burglaries at occupied houses and the theft of high-powered cars from the properties, namely a Range Rover and a Kia Sportage.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred on January 10 in the Leopardstown area.

He objected to bail citing the seriousness of the offences.

The cars have not yet been recovered.

Solicitor Andrew Broderick, for Mr Murphy, said his client will contest the charges. Mr Murphy was due to commence a forklift training course to help him get work.

He would abide by bail terms, the solicitor said. He proposed that his client could sign on daily at a garda station and obey a curfew, and he could lodge 410 cash bail.

Detective Garda Tully told the court that Mr Maughan, a father-of-two, also faced the burglary and motor theft charges.

He was also accused of thefts from vehicles, including a bank card and a One4all gift card valued at 500.

His solicitor, Brian Keenan, said his client was seeking bail and that his partner was expecting a child. He did not have any means but his partner had brought 300 to court, Mr Keenan said.

It could be two or three years before the trial is heard in the circuit court, he said.

Judge Campbell refused bail.

The two men were remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday. Legal aid was granted.
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New Delhi: The interrogation of a staffer of charity organisation Khalsa Aid International (Khalsa Aid) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with activities of banned extremist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and the subsequent nomination of the organisation for Nobel Peace Prize has puzzled and mystified the country.

However, security agencies believe that the organisation acts as a front of the prescribed outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and helps it in financing terror. A case registered by the NIA in August 2012 claimed the same.

Though Khalsa Aid International and its CEO Ravinder Singh also known as Ravi Singh have been openly supporting Khalistani extremism, official documents of Khalsa Aid represent an interesting picture. The documents accessed by Zee News from the Charity Commission of the UK government indicate that Ravinder Singh has been deceiving the donors of Khalsa Aid. It shows underutilisation, maneuvering, and tricking of funds received by the organisation pointing at brazen corruption.

The documents show that for the fiscal year 2018-19, Khalsa Aid raised 3,901,362 as funds. However, during the same year, it only spent 1,384,104 nearly one-third of its total income.

The documents of previous years also show a huge difference between receipts and expenditure. A couple of insiders and members of the Sikh community talk about two possibilities or channels of expenditure of these funds. Firstly, numerous Sikh philanthropists have kept on highlighting that Ravinder Singh misappropriated funds donated to Khalsa Aid to maintain his lavish and royal lifestyle. And secondly, they expressed that there is a great probability of Khalsa Aid working as a funding organisation for the BKI.

Zee News also visited the website of Khalsa Aid (khalsaaid.org), but could not locate any balance sheet, audit reports, financial statements  anything which could lead to accountability or transparency. Auditors have highlighted that in countries like New Zealand and Australia  where it is unregistered, Khalsa Aid has gobbled thousands of dollars of funders without utilising it for charity purposes.

The company documents at the UK government's Company House's website highlights that initially Ravinder Singh registered Khalsa Aid as a Limited company, and wanted to make profits by the business of charity. After operating unregistered for years, he registered the company Khalsa Aid Limited, a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, on March 8, 2008.

However, failing to make profits for years, he dissolved the company on November 27, 2011. Before closing his shop, Ravinder Singh set up a new one. On May 31, 2011, he set up another company by the name of Khalsa Aid, which was a Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital use of Limited exemption.

Nevertheless, this again could not turn Ravinder Singhs fortunes and he had to shut it down on January 8, 2013. Continuing his attempts to make money through the hit and trial method, he ended up registering his organisation as a charitable organisation by the name of Khalsa Aid International on August 25, 2015.

Hence, by mixing up data and manipulating facts, Khalsa Aid shows itself as a charitable organisation that is over two decades old, without mentioning that it operated as a for-profit organisation for more than almost one and a half-decade. A wordsmith and a wizard of jugglery, Ravinder Singh has been interchangeably using the organisations Khalsa Aid - a company meant for-profit and Khalsa Aid International  a charitable organisation.

Ajmer Singh Randhawa, a former office bearer of Khalsa Aid, has been highlighting the scam being carried out by Ravinder Singh under the guise of his charity organisation. He also mentioned that he has acted as a barrier for other Sikh charity organisations and have been sabotaging their fund-raising campaigns through propaganda.

Randhawa, who calls himself a blogger, wrote, Ravi Singh had called all other Sikh individuals and organizations working in charity and working in the field of service to panth UNTRUSTWORTHY... When I read his comment, I objected to it and asked him the reason, calling himself as only a servant of Khalsa nation but others as untrustworthy, instead of giving a suitable answer to my query, he made it a war of words. Many other ignorant blind followers of him too joined it and started attacking me on facebook, trying to defame me. Few who knew his reality of living lavishly on Sangat's money joined me and helped to raise this voice against his false propaganda.

Adding his voice to those exposing the fraudulent activities of Ravinder Singh through Khalsa Aid, a member of the Sikh community, on a discussion over an online forum dedicated to Sikhism, shared the pie-chart on the difference between the income and expenditure of Khalsa Aid and commented  What are your thoughts? Something doesn't add up.. either our community is numb oblivious or doesn't care.

His statements and activities of lobbying within the Sikh community and marginalising other Sikh charity organisations highlight that he aspires to become the undebated champion by receiving almost all the funding coming in from Sikh donors and philanthropists. He considers another Sikh group United Sikhs, which runs a similar charity organisation Sikh Aid, as his opponent and in a long article authored over a Sikh portal in 2006, termed them another organization mushroomed for monetary gain..

These revelations and similar expose have increasingly started coming to light. Transparency groups believe that such exposures would soon lead to an investigation by economic crime investigation agencies in the UK and across the world. However, they also argue that a greater number of whistleblowers from within the Sikh community should start calling out the financial irregularities of Khalsa Aid International and other crowdfunding entities as well, as every money donated to all these organisations are based on the faith of donors on Sikhism and misappropriation of every single penny would amount to an act of denting that image.
The handgun fired by loyalist mass killer Michael Stone in the Milltown massacre was later used by the IRA to shoot dead a baby girl.

In the week the Milltown Cemetery murderer was released from prison on parole, a new book reveals how the weapon seized from him by republicans during the attack was later used in the murder of six-month-old Nivruti Islania during an attack in Germany by IRA gunman Dessie Grew.

The infant was murdered alongside her RAF corporal father Mahesh Kumar Islania, who was originally from Tanzania and was known to colleagues as Mick.

The new book on Provisional IRA attacks in Europe claims that the handgun used to kill the baby girl in October 1989 was the same Ruger revolver that Stone used in his gun and grenade cemetery rampage, during which he murdered three people and injured dozens more. Stone carried out the March 1988 one-man attack at the funeral of three IRA members killed by an SAS unit in Gibraltar.

Three days later, two British Army corporals, Derek Wood and David Howes, were murdered after mistakenly driving into the funeral procession of one of the people murdered at Milltown.

The Browning 9mm pistol that Wood used to fire warning shots after he and his colleague were set upon by a mob was also taken by the IRA.

Along with Stone's Ruger, the weapons were smuggled to mainland Europe to be used in Provisional IRA attacks on British Army bases.

Steven Farr, the author of The Overseas Department: the Provisional IRA on Active Service in Europe, said: "The whole gruesome history of the Ruger .357 revolver was unravelled first by the Central Firearm Identification Service of the BKA (the federal criminal police office of Germany) and the Dutch CRI.



Expand Close Funeral of Nivruti Islania and her father Corporal Maheshkumar 'Mick' Islania (his photo is inset) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Funeral of Nivruti Islania and her father Corporal Maheshkumar 'Mick' Islania (his photo is inset)

"It was the weapon given to Michael Stone the night before the Milltown Cemetery attack in March 1988, which killed three people, including IRA (member) Kevin Brady. The IRA recovered the weapon during the struggle with Stone."

This newspaper revealed last year that Stone, who has been keeping a low profile at his Co Down home since being freed from Maghaberry Prison on Tuesday, had told the Police Ombudsman that the weapon used in the Milltown massacre was given to him by an RUC officer who was also in the UDA.

The loyalist insists, however, that the rogue cop had no idea what the police-issue Ruger revolver was to be used for.

It is believed that the RUC officer who Stone says provided him with the Ruger took his own life in 1989, a year after the cemetery attack.

The IRA used the weapon in the murder of Colin Abernethy on a Lisburn to Belfast train in September 1988.

Later that month, the gun was used to fatally shoot off-duty RUC officer John Larmour as he worked in his brother's ice-cream parlour.

Mr Farr explained in his book: "(Dessie) Grew had taken the weapon to Germany hidden in the side-panelling of a car and on October 26, 1989, had used it to kill Nivruti Islania."

He said that another IRA man joined Grew, who was killed in an Army ambush at a farm shed in 1990, in the attack in Germany.

He added: "It was (also) the weapon that Grew had placed behind the left ear and whose trigger he had squeezed, brutally executing Australian lawyer Stephen Melrose on the night of May 27, 1990, in Roermond's picturesque market square."

The book reveals that Dutch police found Stone's gun alongside other weapons in an IRA arms dump in a wooded area of Heerle, 90 miles south-west of Amsterdam.

The stash contained "packets of ammunition, a Webley revolver, a Semtex bomb, a Kalashnikov AK-47 and the second of the IRA's trophy weapons, Michael Stone's Sturm Ruger .357", the book explains.

Mr Parr said his father was a colleague of Mr Islania and could remember his murder sending shockwaves through the community.

He added: "My father worked closely with Mick Islania in the communications centre at RAF Wildenrath, up until the night Mick was shot dead by the Provisional IRA at Willi Otten's petrol station in the village.

Expand Close Dessie Grew who was shot dead by the SAS at Loughgall / Facebook

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Whatsapp Dessie Grew who was shot dead by the SAS at Loughgall

"A photograph captured at RAF Northolt two days after the murders puts the events of that Thursday night sharply into perspective.

"The white coffin containing Mick Islania's body, draped in the Union Jack, being carried by six men from the plane was enough of a shock on its own, but a lone RAF serviceman trailed behind, walking in staccato rhythm, cradling the tiny white coffin of Nivruti Mahesh Islania in his arms.

"He carried the coffin lightly, but the weight of the emotional impact was overwhelming.

"The picture encapsulates the simple horror of the situation and the effect the murders had on our small community far more effectively than a graphic photograph of the crime scene could ever do.

"No one has ever been arrested or brought to justice for their murders."

Mr Farr also gives a detailed description of the gun attack near RAF Wildenrath.



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Whatsapp Michael Stone. Most recent picture, taken in January 2020

Explaining the aftermath, he revealed: "In the Jetta, the man is slumped face-down on the glovebox, covered in blood; the woman, clearly under severe shock, frantically gets out of the car and scrambles to open the rear passenger door.

"The driver of the bullet-ridden Jetta leans into the car and struggles to pull something out of the back seat. She clutches it tightly to her chest and begins to walk around in circles in the middle of the road.

"After what seems like an eternity, a figure in uniform gently puts an arm around her, all the while talking to her softly and - as if asking for permission - hesitantly and carefully prises out of her hands the lifeless body of her six-month old baby daughter.

"The man shot dead by the gunmen, Corporal Mahesh Kumar Islania, originally from Tanzania and known to colleagues as Mick, was part of that community and indeed part of the wider Royal Air Force community since joining the service in 1974. Mick had been taking part in a training course on the base earlier in the day.

"After a long day training at the RAF base in Wildenrath, Mick and his wife Smita had driven to the store on camp, unstrapped their baby daughter Nivruti from her car seat and gone inside to stock up on groceries within the safe confines of the base.

"After finishing their shopping, it was too late to start cooking that evening, so the Islanias had opted to get a 'schnelly' - a quick takeaway meal - on the way home, outside of the RAF base, at the snack bar next to the BP station.

"(It was) a series of innocuous, everyday decisions that led to brutal tragedy."
Queenslands Police Commissioner insists the states youth justice system is working, after fresh concerns were raised in the wake a joyride incident in Townsville that saw officers injured.

Six children have been charged over the incident, which saw a 4WD stolen from a home in Kelso, before being driven dangerously at high speed early on Saturday morning.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll says she is frustrated a small group of young people are being given bail who then go on to reoffend. Credit:Michelle Smith

Police deployed tyre-deflation spikes but the vehicle avoided them before crashing into a tree a short time later.

The occupants of the car were all treated for minor injuries, with three boys aged 16, 14 and 13, and two girls aged 13 and 15 charged with a range of offences and due to face Townsville Childrens Court.

Democracy activists join together to call on governments to stand against the CCPs suppression of freedom, democracy, and human rights, in front of the UN headquarters in New York City on Oct. 1, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

New United Front Regulations Reveal the Chinese Regimes Manipulation at Home and Abroad

Commentary

Being isolated in the international community and faced with a crisis of legitimacy, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) openly announced last month its intention to keep up its strict control of mainland China, encroachment on Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and infiltration of other countries, through its United Front Work Department (UFWD).

On Jan. 5, state-run media Xinhua reported on the revised Regulations on the United Front Work of the Communist Party of China, referred to as the Regulations from here on out. The previous version from May 2015 was revised during the Politburo Standing Committee (top-decision making body) meeting on Nov. 30, 2020, and officially implemented on Dec. 21.

The article published the full text of the Regulations. Not only will the CCP continue to strictly control mainland China, but will also keep up its encroachment on Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and will continue to infiltrate other countries. Once again, the CCPs sinister intentions to control the world have been revealed.

The Regulations also expose the true nature of overseas Chinese associations, the non-CCP groups that are targets of the United Front, and the dark secrets of the CCPs various UFWD.

Who Are the Targets?

Article 5 of the Regulations describes the scope of the UFWD, marking a total of 12 targeted groups: members of democratic parties; people without party affiliation; non-CCP intellectuals; ethnic minorities; people in religious circles; representative figures among private business owners; social elites from non-CCP organizations; those studying overseas and those returning from studying overseas; Hong Kong and Macau compatriots; Taiwan compatriots and their relatives in China; overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their relatives; others.

Tibetans, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolians, Taiwanese, and Chinese Democracy Activists join together to call on governments to stand against the Chinese Communist Partys suppression of freedom, democracy, and human rights, in front of the U.N. headquarters in New York City on Oct. 1, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

The targets of the United Front are all people outside the Communist Party, and the main focus is on the representatives of groups.

The Regulations describe the United Front as the CCPs political advantage and strategic policy for gathering forces and an important magic weapon to consolidate the Partys ruling position.

The real goal of the United Front, under the pretense of patriotism, unification, communication, and making friends, is to maintain the false facade of the CCPs legitimacy. The fear of losing power has only intensified the scope of the UFWD. According to the CCPs targets, nearly everyone poses a threat to its dictatorship.

Faced with an unprecedented crisis of legitimacy, the CCP has to increase its United Front efforts to survive. Being isolated in the international community, it must strengthen its UFWD overseas out of necessity.

The CCPs Overseas Work

The Regulations are composed just like the United Front itselfthey are packaged with deceptions.

The main objectives of the overseas UFWD, according to Article 37 of the Regulations, is to strengthen ideological and political guidance; to help overseas Chinese nationals and students studying abroad to better understand and recognize the Chinese Communist Party and socialism with Chinese characteristics; to encourage overseas Chinese to participate in a national rejuvenation; to contain Taiwan independence and other separatist forces; to maintain the core national interests; and to create a good international environment.

The goals of these objectives are to continue brainwashing overseas Chinese; to recruit certain individuals to steal technology and act as spies; to infiltrate, disintegrate, and crack down on overseas individuals or organizations that may be unfavorable to the CCP; and to cause divisions in the Chinese community.

Instead of openly calling for infiltration of overseas political and business circles, the Regulations deceptively refer to it as creating a good international environment.

Article 38 of the Regulations also describes the main tasks of overseas Chinese affairs. The organizations that coordinate overseas Chinese affairs are actually the various Chinese associations under the control of the embassy and consulates, especially the leaders of the associations.

Using the theme of the China Dream, these leaders are tasked with guiding overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives to commit to the modernization of the motherland, maintaining and promoting Chinas reunification, help facilitate friendly cooperation and exchanges, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

This is the mission of the CCPs UFWD and the overseas Chinese organizations controlled by the regime. A bold mission, indeed. These groups serve the CCP and act as CCP spies and informants. They undoubtedly cause great harm in the overseas Chinese communities and pose a serious threat to the security of all countries.

Article 6 of the Regulations states that, in order to ensure the overall control and coordination of all parties in the United Front Work and the progress in the correct political direction under the guidance of the Party  the United Front department is taking the lead in coordinating, and the relevant parties are carrying out their responsibilities.

For the CCP to achieve the goal of unified leadership in overseas Chinese associations, its naturally relying on its embassies and consulates, which are the chief hubs of CCP spies. This is also the main reason why the United States closed the Chinese consulate in Houston last year. In addition, the Regulations disclose the facts that the CCPs underground Party organizations are embedded in the larger overseas Chinese associations, which are actually espionage organizations that should be the focus of counter-espionage agencies in the various countries.

How Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan Are Infiltrated

The CCPs infiltration in Hong Kong and Macau has a long history. Article 34 of the Regulations describes the main tasks of the United Front in Hong Kong and Macau as supporting the chief executive and government of the special administrative region; supporting the integration of Hong Kong and Macau into the overall national development; and developing and growing the patriotic force for the nation and Hong Kong, and the patriotic force for the country and Macau.

This shows that the CCP has infiltrated a large number of special personnel in Hong Kong and Macau who can pretend to be part of the public and serve the chief executive appointed by the CCP. Of course, it includes the promotion of the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law, as well as the extradition bill, Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, etc. These people have also occupied Hong Kongs Legislative Council seats, held various positions at government organizations, and business circles.

Protesters chant slogans during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images)

The Regulations clearly show that the CCP has never intended to implement the one country, two systems framework. The United Front Work clarifies that Hong Kong and Macau are integrated into mainland China and will eventually be transformed into a municipality. A large number of special underground or public organizations infiltrated by the CCP have also been continuously developing local personnel from Hong Kong and Macau to serve the CCP. Among them, it should have included members of the Hong Kong crime syndicates, who have repeatedly participated in attacks on pro-democracy protesters.

With regard to Taiwan, Article 36 of the Regulations states that the United Front in Taiwan must support democratic parties and people without party affiliation, guide relevant NGOs and social organizations, and play a role in the United Front work of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

This shows that in addition to a large number of Taiwanese businessmen, the CCP has infiltrated certain parties in Taiwan and can manipulate certain organizations to directly serve them. The people and the elected government of Taiwan not only need to be more vigilant, but also need to take action as soon as possible. CCP agents are actually acting publicly in Taiwan.

United Front Work Inside China

On Sept. 15, 2020, the CCP issued an assessment report on the United Front work in Chinas private enterprises, saying the scale of the private economy has continued to expand, and risks and challenges have increased significantly.

The CCP openly regards private enterprises as risks and challenges and is always on guard. The report stated that strengthening the United Front work in the private economy is an important way to realize the Partys leadership over the private economy. And while it urged to consolidate and develop the public economy, it also said: Educate and guide private economic figures  to maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee in terms of political stance, political direction, political principles, and political roads, and always be politically sensible.

Those who are not politically sensible will naturally become the target of struggle. Alibaba founder Jack Ma and other business tycoons thought that they had climbed up to the ranks of CCP dignitaries, but in the end, they still became the victims of strugglethe accused or the scapegoat. The ultimate fate of private enterprises is to be confiscated or become a dependent of the CCP.

Jack Ma poses for the media at the Alibaba booth during the opening day of the CeBIT technology fair in Hanover, central Germany, on March 16, 2015. (Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images)

The Regulations also added new targets for the United Front, as outlined in Article 31: The new social class mainly includes: management and technical personnel of private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises, employees of intermediary organizations and social organizations, freelancers, and new media practitioners.

The CCP is afraid to lose control of the people in private enterprises who are all included in the scope of the United Front. These people are considered risks and need to be monitored at all times.

Of course, the CCP is also very concerned about religions. The Regulations state that it respects and protects citizens freedom to believe and not believe.

Since its establishment, the CCP has been preaching atheism, and it has actually prevented Chinese people from exercising their rights of religious freedom. The Regulations state that communist members should unite with the masses of religious believers but must not have a religious belief. The CCPs freedom to not believe has actually taken away the freedom to believe.

The Regulations also demand separation of religion and politics. But the atheist CCP actually insists on leading the religious communities, and in reality, the Chinese people are only permitted to follow the CCPs communist cult teachings as the CCP is a cult and a political party all wrapped in one. Those who dont comply will be cruelly oppressed and persecuted. Most of the Buddhist, Taoist, and Christian temples and churches in China are controlled by CCP cadres. The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, Xinjiang Uyghurs, and Tibetans has lasted for a long time because the CCP has failed to gain control of these groups.

Protestors hold banners and wave the Mongolian flag during a protest in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, against Chinese policies in the neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, on Oct. 1, 2020. (Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir/AFP via Getty Images)

The Regulations also define measures taken against minority ethnic groups, such as forbidding them to speak their own language, as full promotion of the countrys commonly spoken and written language, and to increase the recognition of the CCP and socialism with Chinese characteristics among the people of all ethnic groups.

From this it can be seen that the forced promotion of Mandarin in primary and secondary schools in Inner Mongolia was not initiated by local cadres, but an implementation of the CCPs policy. To obliterate the uniqueness of ethnic groups, the CCP will strengthen its totalitarian rule in those regions. Those who are deemed to endanger the CCPs rule will be accused of infiltration, subversion, sabotage, violent terrorism, ethnic separatism, and religious extremism, as described in the Regulations, and they will become the targets of the CCPs brutal crackdowns.

The United Front Work Department cannot conceal its true purpose: maintaining the CCPs totalitarian rule both at home and abroad.

Zhong Yuan is a researcher focused on Chinas political system, the countrys democratization process, human rights, and Chinese citizens livelihood. He began writing commentaries for the Chinese-language Epoch Times in 2020.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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Michigans Upper Peninsula has the highest vaccination rate in the state in the past seven weeks of shots going into arms.

As a region, the U.P. has administered at least one dose of vaccine to 12% of its residents age 16 years and older. Thats compared to around 9% statewide, and 7.3% in Metro Detroit.

Sure, it makes sense that the U.P. would be able to vaccinate a larger percentage of its population faster than more densely populated regions, due to its lesser population. But even on a per capita basis, the Upper Peninsula is leading the way.

Schoolcraft County is No. 1 among Michigans 83 counties with 21% of its 16-and-up residents, per 10,000 people, having received a first dose of vaccine. Seven of the next 10 highest counties are also located in the U.P.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services didnt provide an explanation when MLive asked what rollout policies had led to the U.P.s vaccination success to date.

But Kerry Ott, health officer for the LMAS District Health Department, noted that large early shipments of Pfizer vaccine were likely a factor in getting a jump start. Those shipments came with 975 doses, which could go further in a rural area of Northern Michigan than in Metro Detroit.

I dont think it was a matter of extra emphasis on getting us vaccines, she said. I think the initial supply allowed us to do a bigger percentage because we have fewer people.

Region 8s first shipment totaled 7,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, according to MDHHS data. It received smaller shipments over the next four weeks, before seeing its biggest shipment -- 14,575 total doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines -- in mid-January.

The large initial supply helped U.P. providers push quicker through the 1A priority group -- health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities -- in order to move on to the 1B priority group quicker. The second grouping includes some essential workers and residents 65 years and older.

Ott noted that the region has an older population in general, which has meant a larger pool of vaccine eligible residents.

In Marquette County, Health Officer Jerry Messana said more than 3,000 of the roughly 13,000 residents 65 years and older have gotten vaccinated, with plenty more registered and waiting for doses to be available to them.

While the supply might have been greater at the start, Ott and Messana both said theyve received less doses than expected in the later shipments. Vaccine supply remains the greatest challenge, and a recent change to how the state allocates vaccine doses has also made future allotments more unclear.

The orders we placed last week for this week were not completely filled so we werent able to do even close to what we thought we could this week, Ott said.

Related: Michigan adjusts how it allocates COVID-19 vaccines to communities

The state health department has reported 909,038 vaccine doses administered, as of Friday, Jan. 29. That includes 734,859 residents who have received a first dose, and 174,179 Michiganders who have completed their second of two recommended doses.

In the Upper Peninsula, 41,915 doses have been administered to date, led by Marquette County with 11,210 doses administered and Chippewa County with 5,528 doses.

Ott and Messana touted strong collaboration between the U.P.s six health departments and various hospital systems. From creating new systems for lining up eligible residents to implementing long-held emergency preparedness plans, Ott said the collaboration has been phenomenal.

Sometimes thats easier in smaller communities to create and maintain those relationships than in larger urban areas, Ott said. In that respect, maybe it was a little easier but we have awesome partners.

Im really proud of the work our hospitals and LMAS has done. Its not as fast as some people wish, but a lot of that is logistics and the lack of vaccine.

Read more on MLive:

Michigan reports 1,774 new coronavirus cases, 6 new deaths

Single-dose COVID-19 vaccine could be 85% effective, available next month

Michigan adjusts how it allocates COVID-19 vaccines to communities

57% of Michigan nursing home staff, residents decline COVID-19 vaccine so far

Q/A: MHSAA director on winter sports and search from answers from state health department
Five enemy attacks were reported on January 30.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded as Russia-led forces mounted attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

"During the past 24 hours, five ceasefire violations were reported in the Joint Forces Operation zone," the press center of the JFO HQ reported in a morning update on Facebook on January 31.

Read alsoDonbas warzone update: Two WIAs amid five truce violations on Jan 29

In particular, the Russian occupation troops carried out a targeted attack on the positions of Ukrainian soldiers not far from the village of Novomykhailivka, using grenade launchers of various systems and large-caliber machine guns. As a result of the shelling, two soldiers were wounded, they were hospitalized.

In the suburb of the town of Avdiyivka, the enemy opened fire several times, using heavy anti-tank grenade launchers.

Near the town of Zolote-4, the invaders used automatic anti-tank grenade launchers and rifles.

Ukrainian soldiers had to return fire.

The incident was reported to OSCE representatives through the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of the ceasefire in Donbas.

No ceasefire violations were reported from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on January 31.

Other related news reports

Reporting by UNIAN
The West Virginia woman who fatally shot her three kids and two step-kids before burning them all down in their family home was into witchcraft, posting rituals and jars of dead butterflies to her social media.

Oreanna Myers, 25, shot and killed herself after burning down the home in Greenbier County with the children's bodies inside on December 8.

A peruse of Myers's Instagram account, @glowing_goddess520, reveals that the mother actively participated in rituals related to witchcraft and spiritualism.

Oreanna Myers, 25, shot and killed herself after burning down the home in Greenbier County with the children's bodies inside on December 8

A peruse of Myers's Instagram account, @glowing_goddess520, reveals that the mother actively participated in rituals related to witchcraft and spiritualism

On November 25, just under three weeks after the murder-suicide, Myers posted a photo of insect jars

On November 25, just under three weeks after the murder-suicide, Myers posted a photo of insect jars - filled with death butterflies, moths, mushrooms, rocks, herb, feathers and 'earthly things.'

'Made me some insect jars. This a thing or just an Oreanna thing? LolXoxox,' she said in the post.

Myers made a series of post about a 'powerful manifestation day' on Nov. 11, even posting a photo of the ritual she performed that night at 11.11pm.

'Embracing the 11/11..11:11..,' she said in the post. 'Magic. Love. The Unknown.'

Myers made a series of post about a 'powerful manifestation day' on Nov. 11

She even posting a photo of the ritual she performed that night at 11.11pm

'Embracing the 11/11..11:11..,' she said in the post. 'Magic. Love. The Unknown'

She also shared a photo of a fairy figurine that she had, saying on Instagram: 'Fairies and Flowers are my magical thing.'

In addition to those images, Myers posted a series of memes on the page along with images of women embracing each other.

'Honestly, go ahead and be kooky and get into weird mystical s**t or whatever,' one meme reads. 'Life is short. Reality is fake. F**k the haters.'

Myers also shared a photo of a fairy figurine that she had, saying on Instagram: 'Fairies and Flowers are my magical thing'

In addition to those images, Myers posted a series of memes on the page along with images of women embracing each other

'Honestly, go ahead and be kooky and get into weird mystical s**t or whatever,' one meme reads. 'Life is short. Reality is fake. F**k the haters'

While it is unknown whether witchcraft had anything to do with the murder-suicide on Dec. 8, one of Myers notes does make mention of her 'demons' winning over her.

Raven Bumgarner from West Virginia lost her sons Shaun Dawson, 7, and Riley James, 6, in the tragic killing.

Raven Bumgarner (pictured) lost her sons Shaun Dawson, 7, and Riley James, 6, in a tragic murder-suicide committed by their step mother on December 8

They were killed by her ex's new wife Oreanna Myers, 25, who also fatally shot her own children - Kian Myers, 4; Aarikyle Nova Myers, 3; and Haiken Jirachi Myers, age 1 - before burning down the family home.

Law enforcement officials in Greenbrier County only revealed the harrowing details of the shootings last week, saying that the 'depressed' step mom had fully confessed to the crime in suicide notes.

'It's like your soul is ripped out of you,' Bumgarner told The Sun of the loss of her two boys.

'How could you do that to children? They had full lives ahead of them. I feel she was of complete sound mind, she didn't write me a letter, she was selfish and she wanted to hurt people.

'This was planned, and I can't get my boys back, she murdered my babies,' added Bumgarner, who also has a three-year-old daughter, Khari, from a previous relationship.

'It's hard. It really is hard, I probably wouldn't be here if I didn't have my daughter.

'I'd always told my kids, "Mommy's always here', mommy always comes back,' but mommy couldn't stop this.'

Shaun Dawson, 7, and Riley James, 6, died in the tragic murder-suicide on December 8

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

First responders were called to the family's home after getting reports of a fire on December 8, as pictured above. There, they found the bodies of the children and Myers

Shaun Dawson, 7, and Riley James, 6, were Brian's kids from his first marriage to Raven

According to the local sheriff, Myers was upset that her husband, Brian Bumgarner, had been staying with relatives during the work week due to transportation issues, instead of coming home to her.

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 Brian left the house on December 6 after dropping off groceries for his family.

'You'll 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 there's no replacing me. I beg and cry for help but never get it. It's my mental health that needs tending tohelp me I do not care anymore.'

Raven shared 50-50 custody with Brian and said that she had made small talk with Oreanna as she dropped her boys off to stay.

Brian Bumgarner (left) was married to Oreanna Myers (right) when she shot her three sons and two step-children at her home near Williamsburg on December 8. According to police, Myers was upset that her husband had been staying with relatives during the work week

Raven Bumgarner had two sons, Shaun and Riley (pictured above with their younger sister) with Brian and they shared 50-50 custody over the boys

Raven said she had been looking forward to her first Christmas in her new home with her three children but is now stuggling to explain her sons death to her daughter

'[I believe] she wanted to take everything from Brian,' Raven said.

'But she didn't just hurt Brian when she did this, she didn't just hurt his kids, she hurt everybody.'

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.

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.

Raven described how she had received a message from Brian's cousin on the day of the tragedy telling her not to panic but sending a picture of a fire at the house.

'I called Brian and he was on his way home, I jumped in my car and left my daughter with a sitter,' Raven said.

'The whole way there I was expecting to see all five children and Oreanna outside. The farm was packed with people, but nobody could tell me anything.

'It was like, "Check the barn, check the barn". And I was waiting for them [the boys] to come out of the woods.

'My brother was telling me, 'Don't do anything stupid" because he knew that I would jump in and try to go get my kids. But there was nothing to jump in to, there was a chimney standing and flames.'

The murder-suicide and arson took place in West Virginia on the afternoon of December 8

It took officials four days to find the body of one of the five children amid the debris

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.

Raven revealed that it was hours before she received confirmation that her two sons were dead.

'She shot all five kids in the head and set the house on fire and went outside and shot herself,' Raven said.

'They [cops] described she used a single action shotgun. You have to break it down and reload it after every single shot.

'How can you do that five times to five children?

'In these letters she's apologized, making it all about mental illness,' Raven added, referencing the suicide notes left by Oreanna.

'But she did it five times, wrote four different letters, you set this up, this wasn't just some mental illness, it was planned.'

Sheriff Sloan said he was unaware of whether Oreanna 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.

Two of the children who died - Shaun and Riley (top and bottom left) - were Brian Bumgarner's sons from his first marriage to Raven who has spoken out for the first time about their deaths

Raven and Brian had shared custody of Shaun and Riley, pictured above

Shaun and Riley pictured with their younger sister Khari

'This is no one's fault but my own. My demons won over me. Sorry, I wasn't 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). I'm 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.'

Raven, pictured, said she has been able to go back to the house where they died

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. I'm 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.

Brian Bumgarner has stayed out of the public eye over the past month after his children's deaths.

One day after the murders, he 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!!!' he added.

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 (pictured above), warning him that he would come home to find a 'corpse'

Bumgarner addressed the tragedy in a Facebook post two days after the fact

Ravan said she met Brian when she was 13 and he was her 'childhood sweetheart' who she married at 19.

When they split up, Brian met Oreanna shortly afterward in 2016 and told Raven that she would be a 'better mom'.

'I busted my butt, I went back to school to do college online, I paid off the trailer, I got my car by myself, I got this house by myself, I did everything I could as a single mother,' said Raven, who just recently moved into a house in which she had hoped to share a first Christmas with her three children.

'I wanted to give them everything I never had,' said the young mother, who herself grew up in foster care.

'I aged out of state care, those boys saved me, they made me into a better person. I've never told someone I loved them with my whole being except for my kids.'

'It's waking up [and thinking] 'I gotta get breakfast ready for the kids', just to realize you only have one,' she added of their sudden loss.

'It's expecting to find them in their rooms and they're not there. It's turning around the corner to see them raiding the fridge. And they're not there.

'I can't even bring myself to go back up there [where they died] because it's expecting them to get in my car.'

Raven said that her youngest daughter now keeps asking for her older brothers and that they are both in therapy.

'The first few days she kept asking where they were at,' she said.

'I kept trying to say with God or in heaven, but she didn't understand that concept yet. I have to explain. They can't come back but you can talk to them.'
Ten months after a liberal, diverse Washington suburb saw its first cases of the coronavirus, it faces what might be its most daunting task yet: distributing a protective vaccine to all 1 million residents.

Lawmakers and health officials in Montgomery County, Md., which two years ago passed a sweeping racial equity bill, have emphasized the need to distribute the coronavirus vaccine according to "equity principles."

That means ensuring that the suburb's Black, Latino and immigrant communities, which have been disproportionately harmed by the virus, get their fair share of doses, even if it's harder to reach them.

Health Officer Travis Gayles says he is committed "to a framework that allows fair, equitable access" to vaccinations, not one that favors the wealthy or well connected. But with limited supplies of the vaccine doses, intense demand in more affluent areas and decades of systemic inequalities that have marginalized some communities, this commitment is going to be tested.

"It's going to be hard. This is not going to be the perfect situation for equity," Montgomery's head of emergency management, Earl Stoddard, warned lawmakers on Tuesday, after loud outcries on social media and in phone calls from many constituents unable to get vaccine appointments. "We're going to be struggling with this constantly."

The county is prioritizing residents of hard-hit Zip codes for vaccine appointments, corralling its census outreach team to spread information about the vaccination program and soliciting feedback to identify the specific sources of skepticism in various demographic groups.

But community health providers, advocates and experts say there's much more logistically that needs to be done.

"This is the biggest challenge that I've faced in my lifetime," said Raymond Crowel, head of the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Department. "Am I daunted by it? No. But am I aware of how much of a challenge it's going to be? Yes."

According to state data, White residents in Maryland are being vaccinated at twice the rate of Black or Latino residents. As of Sunday, about 16% of the 498,242 vaccinations with known race information have gone to Black residents even though they constitute 30% of the population. White residents have received 68% of the vaccinations for which race is reported, while constituting 58% of the population.

Maryland recently distributed county breakdowns of this demographic data to local governments, but the state health department declined to provide that information to The Washington Post. Montgomery officials said they are analyzing the data and expect to see racial disparities. Of the nearly 100,000 residents who have preregistered for vaccine appointments in the majority-minority county as of Tuesday, nearly three-quarters are White, Crowel said. About 65% of the suburb's elderly people are White, according to county data.

The county council's vice president, Gabe Albornoz, said he's "greatly alarmed" by the vaccination numbers.

"There's confusion and disorientation over the registration process. And frankly, people with more time on their hands, with strong command of the English language, are better able to navigate it," said Albornoz, a Democrat. "It puts certain communities at a disadvantage."

Gayles has tried to stick to the county's vaccination plan, using the county's limited doses to inoculate health-care workers and first responders, many of whom are Black, Latino or of Asian descent, before moving on to senior citizens.

In mid-January, after the state expanded eligibility to include other essential workers and people above age 75, several Montgomery residents who fit into that category obtained access to leaked registration links and signed up for appointments at county clinics. When they were turned away at those sites and told that they were not eligible according to county rules, many were frustrated. Some, according to clinic volunteers, were "irate."

"We are working hard to make sure that we have a system that is fair for everybody to access," Gayles said at the time. "A system that is not based on who you know."

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, a Democrat, said in an interview Friday that he has received angry calls from friends who are senior citizens asking why they were turned away at county clinics. "I get that it's frustrating to get an appointment and not be able to actualize the appointment," he said. "But if we honored everybody at this point, we'd be doing much more harm to the community."

Sandra Quinn, a University of Maryland professor and the senior associate director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity, said she empathizes with what Montgomery is trying to do.

"There's a reason these priority groups are what they are. They speak to risk of exposure and risk of severe disease," Quinn said. The overwhelming attention on vaccine distribution has caused some people to "get ahead of ourselves," she added, leading to "a sort of premature moving from priority group to priority group."

Montgomery last week started scheduling appointments for those above 75, offering slots first to those who live in Zip codes with high coronavirus case rates. Crowel said the strategy, which mirrors the District of Columbia's approach to bridge initial disparities in vaccinations, will help the county lower overall infection rates.

"As a practical matter, attacking the virus at the places where it has the greatest chokehold is how we're going to stop it," he said.

At 66, Crowel, who is Black, is technically eligible for the vaccine according to state regulations and could sign up for a slot at hospitals or pharmacies, which - unlike county vaccination clinics - follow state rules. But he does not plan to do so until supplies significantly increase.

"I have staff members who are on the front lines and who need to be ahead of me," he said. "I'm not going to jump that line."

During a briefing Tuesday, County Council member Craig Rice, a Democrat, proposed reserving doses of the vaccine for people of color or low-income residents who may be less able to navigate the online registration system. Rice, who is Black, said he spent hours last week trying to help his elderly mother register for a vaccine appointment at a Giant grocery store, to no avail.

Stoddard, the head of emergency management, said that, at least right now, a reservation system is not viable, because of the dire lack of supply. "If we hold doses back, the state sees we're not giving out all our doses and gives us less each week," he said. Hogan last month cut the allotment to hospital systems that had not distributed more than 75% of their doses.

Officials say they are working now to shore up trust in the vaccine and ensure that marginalized communities are able to access appointments. In addition to focus groups and the census team outreach, officials are moving staffers to the county's 311 call center to answer vaccine questions and discussing with partners, such as churches and community clinics, how to convert coronavirus testing sites into vaccination sites.

Gayles and Crowel said they were surprised by the lower-than-expected uptake of the vaccine among health-care workers and nursing home employees, and Gayles said officials need to do a better job of understanding the myriad sources of this hesitancy: "We can't just write it off as 'mistrust.' "

While the Tuskegee syphilis experiment sowed fear of the medical establishment among Black people, Gayles said there are also more recent problems, such as the persistently high rates of infant mortality among Black babies, that contribute to vaccine hesitancy.

"Look at the overall health system," he added. "We continue to see health disparities across the board - let's talk about that."

Jayne Park, director of nonprofit advocacy group Impact Silver Spring, said the group serves about 500 low-income Latino and African immigrant clients. As of Friday, none who are eligible had received the vaccine.

Yesenia Regalado, a supervisor with the group, said clients have numerous questions about the vaccine itself but also about how to sign up. These range from whether they'll need to show proof of insurance (no) and whether preregistering means they have an appointment (no - they still need to receive an invitation to schedule one), to what the differences are between the county and state websites.

"It's going to be very hard for the government, I'll say that," said Maria Gomez, chief executive of Mary's Center, a network of community clinics that primarily serves Latino residents in D.C. and Maryland.

The low supply of vaccine has complicated how doses are being disseminated, Gomez said, and the complexities of the process has a disproportionate effect on people already struggling to avoid eviction or apply for jobs.

"Once we get people to decide that they're going to get it, we need to figure out how to that fast," Gomez said. "Because that window is going to close quickly. Not because they don't want the doses, just because they're busy."
Recently, I read an article about a young woman whose 3 second clip from high school came back years later to haunt her. In a video clip she sent to a friend, celebrating her new license, she used a disgraceful, hurtful word. I do not condone what she said, but I think it reveals something about our culture.

Somehow, a young man at her school saw it and thought he would save the clip to bring it out in the future and teach her a lesson. He held onto it for over four years and then when he thought the time was right, he released it to the world. His plan of revenge worked perfectly, she ended up being removed from her new university and kicked off her cheer team.

This man didnt explain to her how harmful this was to him, nor ask her why she said what she did, even though they passed each other for years in the hallways. He didnt ask if she was apologetic, or regretted what she did, nor did he ask if she sought forgiveness of the ones to whom she had originally sent the video (which apparently she had). He was determined to be the judge and jury.

Cancel Culture

This type of judge and jury attitude is prevalent in our cancel culture. If you dont toe a certain line, or you have made mistakes in the past, be careful, because the cancel culture might be at your door next. It will make sure that you dont ever get a promotion, a job or a spot on the team. It will find out your dirty laundry, expose it and decide your punishment. There is no room for repentance or forgiveness. The plan is just to disgrace you.

Branded forever by your past deeds, to the cancel culture you are unable to grow and change. By its standard, who you were in the past is who you are in the future.

Therefore, under this assumption there is no hope, no grace, nor forgiveness. No one can ever change. There is no room for redemption. What a hopeless society.

Cancel Culture has it all wrong

However, the cancel culture forgets what Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Every single person on this planet has either had bad thoughts, said unkind words, thought ill or evil of someone, or done evil. We all struggle with sin, we are all guilty of sin... we all have dirty laundry.

The Bible is clear in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17 that, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Christ has paid our price for all of our sins and they are now forgiven. This does not mean that there are no consequences for past sins and mistakes. But, it does mean that we can change as we look to Christ and become more like Him daily.

Biblical forgiveness gives grace and realizes that we all do wrong, that we all need saving. In fact, as a Christian I still do wrong things or say the wrong thing. I am not perfect but, by Gods grace I am changing.

There is grace

I think of all the horrible things I have done in the past. I think of how mean I was to a girl in my school. I was a bully to her. Since becoming a Christian, I have reached out to her and I sought forgiveness.

It doesnt take away the words I said or how I acted towards her, however I changed and needed to make it right. I am no longer that person, and I wanted her to know of the work God had done. The Lord has changed me and I am grateful that He and this woman from my school have forgiven me. Thank the Lord my mistakes werent put all over the internet for everyone to think that is who I still am, because it is not.

Paul would never have been able to write the New Testament

The Bible is full of people the cancel culture would have just dismissed. It would have continued to broadcast their past sins across the internet, even after the people sought forgiveness and changed. Think of Saul who turned to Paul, a man who went from killing Christians to worshiping with them.

A man who persecuted Jesus but then surrendered His life to Jesus. God interrupted his life, saved him and radically transformed him. God is in the redeeming business. Taking the worst of the worst and making them a new creation. No matter what you have done, nothing is beyond what Gods redeeming work can do.

With such great forgiveness extended to us from God that we dont deserve, it is only right (and biblical) for us to extend forgiveness to others (see Matthew chapter 18, verses 21-35). Furthermore, God tells us in His Word when people sin we should go privately and tell them, not broadcast it to the world (see Matthew chapter 18, verse 15).

May God give us the grace to forgive others as we have been forgiven!
In the last 30 years of India's Liberalisation, while we have experienced economic growth, industrial boom, and enhanced foreign exchange, the country's environment has suffered greatly. Vidyut Mohan, a 30-year-old environmentalist from an engineering background, pointed out that Liberalisation in India has largely been unregulated from an environmental perspective. Therefore, industrial wastes have polluted our rivers for years, while smoke emission from factories and manufacturing plants have corrupted the air quality of the country.

Mohan has been recognized as one of United Nations' Young Champions of the Earth. He was an Echoing Green Fellow in 2019, and in 2020 Forbes named him one of the 30 Under 30 awardees. He is the co-founder and CEO of Takachar, a social enterprise that helps farmers earn money by converting farm waste into value-added chemicals.

In an interview to News18.com Mohan said, "Liberalisation was necessary, but it wasn't sufficient. When we became a liberalised economy, what we adopted were the worst practices of the west. We just replicated their model in India."

"For example, many industries that were polluting in the west, and were catering to the supply chain economy shifted to India as soon as trade and setting up businesses became less restricted in our country. Mainly because it became cheaper to produce in India while environment-related regulations became more stringent in the west, and, that led to massive pollution where ever these industries were located," pointed out Mohan.

However, unlike climate activist Greta Thunberg, who believes that climate change can only be addressed if we revert to a 'pre-industrial world, with no room for innovation or progress, Vidyut thinks it is the technology that holds the key to deal with environmental issues. Mohan said that one of the most important ways to solve climate change is to invest in tech-based Research and Development, which will lead to cleaner technology.

"The most effective way of solving climate change is to lead a simpler life. However, that is an aspect of behavioural change, which will take time and societal commitment. Apart from that, the only other way of mitigating climate change is through technology. We use technology for practically everything, to produce energy, to manufacture, to transport ourselves from one place to another, therefore, if we can innovate more sustainable technology, we can lead our lives, without hurting the environment," he said.

"However, for people to have the space to innovate such technology, they need capital, and that capital has to come from the Government. It cannot come from investors. India's budget should accommodate technological innovation which will be beneficial for the environment,"added Mohan.

Mohan said that in the US, for instance, if someone has an innovative idea that is competitive in nature, he/she will get government funding to develop the concept from the initial prototype to commercialisation. "The Indian government too needs to spend on R&D. However, just spending on public R&D isn't enough, private enterprises can also come out with great solutions if they have government funding," he added.

Mohan said that as far as India's renewable energy sector is concerned, he felt that India is doing a great job in large- and small-scale solar system deployment. "It started with private enterprises, with start-ups taking the initiatives to produce solar energy. The Government took over in the early 2000s and really encouraged the adoption of solar energy. In recent years, the Government has also created new incentives and publicity for it to thrive," he said.

"Moving forward, I think net metering should be incorporated in all states as well. More budgetary allocation in the distribution infrastructure of renewable energy will also help," Mohan added.

Mohan said that from an environmental standpoint, the government needs to allocate more budget to enforcement agencies and make them competitive and capable of holding industrialists accountable. "I see various bodies like the municipal corporation, the pollution board and several other environment agencies, which are really well-intentioned but understaffed and underskilled in respect to dealing with the challenges of Climate Change. So, it is important to empower and support them so that industries can be better regulated," he concluded.

Editor's note: Children of Liberalisation' is a News18 series tracking the Union Budget expectations from 30-year-olds across different sectors, from the prism of 30 years of economic liberalisation in India.


An expectant mother rests her hands upon her baby bump in Hong Kong, on March 31, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

Maker of Fertility App Sued Over Allegedly Sharing Personal Data With Chinese Firms

The maker of a popular fertility app has been sued for allegedly sending personal data to Chinese analytics firms without users consent.

Premom, a digital ovulation tracker owned by Illinois-based company Easy Healthcare Corp., came under scrutiny last year when a privacy watchdog group found that the app on Android devices was sharing data about the user without permission, with three Chinese firms that focus on advertising.

The shared information included location data and unique device identifiers, which can be used to track a users activities across websites and other apps, the International Digital Accountability Council (IDAC) said in August 2020. Such data is also used by analytics firms to build profiles of consumer behavior.

The three firmsJiguang, UMSNS, and Umengare all Chinese data analytics companies; Umeng is a Beijing-based startup owned by e-commerce giant Alibaba.

In a class-action lawsuit filed Jan. 20 in the U.S. Northern District Court of Illinois, Eastern Division, those allegations against Easy Healthcare also appeared. The data-sharing occurred from 2017 to 2020 and violated the privacy policies of Premom, which promised to not share personal data to advertising platforms, data, brokers, or information resellers, according to the court document.

This was being done in secrecy without  Premom app users knowledge and consent, it further stated.

The suit alleges that Easy Healthcare deceived users because, unknowing to them, it directly worked with these three Chinese entities prior to launching the Premom app.

Prior to its launch, [Easy Healthcare] coded into the Premom app software the ability for these Chinese entities to access and take . users personal information and location data, it added.

The suit asserts that user data shared with the Chinese firms is stored on servers in China.

Under Chinese law, all of this data is accessible by the Peoples Republic of China, and in turn the Communist Party of China, it said.

Desiree Moore, an attorney at K&L Gates LLP, which is representing Easy Healthcare, said the allegations in the lawsuit are without merit and the company is confident it will prevail.

She added, Easy Healthcare is dedicated to the privacy and protection of its users above all.

Last August, Premom told The Washington Post that it had revoked Jiguans access to the data. The company also told the outlet it did not currently use the other two Chinese companies, but didnt comment on IDACs analysis showing that data-sharing took place until June 19 of last year.

IDACs findings led state attorneys general in Connecticut, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., to begin probes into the app.

The sharing of U.S. consumers data with Chinese companies became a hot topic during the Trump administration. Then-President Donald Trump issued an order banning wildly popular app TikTok, aimed at blocking Beijings access to large volumes of U.S. data that could be exploited for intelligence operations and to enhance the regimes artificial intelligence tools. The ban is currently in the midst of being challenged in the courts.

Trump also issued another order, compelling TikToks Chinese parent company to turn ownership of the U.S. app to American shareholders. Trump had approved a partnership deal in principleTikTok would be allowed to continue operating in the United States and ByteDance would create a new company called TikTok Global, with U.S. companies Oracle and Walmart having stakes in the company.

While both U.S. companies have remained committed to the September 2020 deal, the partnership hasnt been formalized.

The Biden administration hasnt indicated how it will deal with TikTok. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Jan. 25 the administration is reviewing a range of Trump-era China policies, adding that the president is firmly committed to making sure that Chinese companies cannot misappropriate and misuse American data.

This article was updated to include a statement from Easy Healthcare.

Daylight robberies, murders trigger alarm over security By Chris Kamalendran View(s): View(s):

A spate of robberies has prompted the police to alert financial institutions, pawn shops and banks to be extra vigilant.

Among the incidents that has caused alarm, is the robbery in Miriswatte, Gamapaha, two weeks ago, when two suspects fled with more than Rs 4 million from a financial institution. Two armed men in full-faced helmets grabbed cash and gold jewellery and fled in a motorbike.

Senior Superintendent of Police for Gampaha, Indika de Silva, said on Friday that the suspects are being sought.

Other similar robberies have taken place in and around the Gampaha District. In one such incident, suspects got away with cash from a supermarket in Enderamulla, while in Wattala, a failed robbery was reported.

Financial institutions should be on alert for people who come wearing full-faced helmets, or those loitering in the area, said the Deputy Inspector General of Police Ajith Rohan.

Suspects do their own surveillance, he said.

He advised that CCTV cameras be switched on around the clock.

Other robberies, too, have been on the increase in the recent weeks.

A senior police officer said there is less attention to crime because their workload related to the coronavirus has increased. Some policemen had themselves been infected.

Investigations have been held up for several months in some cases.

Meanwhile, a government decision to release thousands of suspects from remand custody to reduce heavy congestion in prisons and also as a result of the coronavirus spread in prisons, is also a concern for law enforcement.

A number of serious crimes, including murders, have caught public attention.

Last Monday, a gang hacked to death a 24-year-old in Meetiyagoda.

The police have arrested five suspects, while a Pradeshiya Sabha member from Batapola is wanted for allegedly organising the attack.

Also, this week, a 34-year-old fisherman was shot dead in broad daylight in Pallimulla, Panadura.

The gunman, carrying a T56 rifle, had got off a bike and tried to open fire but had failed, and then his accomplice had given him a 9mm pistol to gun down the fisherman, identified as Lakshan Sandakalum. The suspects then fled on their bike.

The police got an early breakthrough after they arrested another passenger in the three-wheeler in which the victim was travelling. On information provided by the suspect, another person was arrested and the T-56 recovered.

The suspects had been at a rented premises and the motorbike dumped in the Bolgoda lake. Navy divers have been called into retrieve the bike.
By Troy Stangarone





On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was sitting in a windowless office in the Senate Dirksen Office Building unaware of what was happening in New York City. On a normal day I would have headed out shortly to go pick up Senator Robert G. Torricelli and bring him to the Senate, but instead, our office would soon be evacuated due to concern that the Capitol building could be a target.



After living through that day and having worked in a symbol of American democracy, it was painful to watch the U.S. Capitol ransacked on Jan. 6 not by terrorists or some foreign power, but rather my own fellow Americans at the instigation of the president.



It was something that I could not have imagined seeing in my lifetime. The images broadcast live to the world captured in a way nothing else could the damage that has been done to the U.S. and American democracy over the last four years.



But those same images symbolize the damage done not just to the U.S. and its democracy, but to the alliances that the U.S. carefully constructed after World War II, as well as the international institutions that have helped maintain peace and stability in much of the world for the last seven decades.



We are living with the fallout of the last four years every day. The lack of any real coordinated effort to deal with the pandemic means that countless individuals will die in the U.S. and abroad that need not have. China has become increasingly assertive in trying to pressure its neighbors. European nations are considering options for their own future, concerned that if Americans could elect one president who would threaten to leave NATO and wreck alliances, they could elect another.



South Korea has faced its own challenges. The U.S. forced Seoul to renegotiate the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), and tried to hold South Korea hostage for more money in the ongoing defense cost sharing talks. The willingness of the U.S. to meet directly with Kim Jong-un may have tempered some concerns though.



The treatment of friends and allies over the last few years does not represent the U.S., but rather a leader that far too many elected officials enabled and looked away from, as damage was done to U.S. institutions and alliances.



As Joe Biden seeks to turn the page on the last four years, the question is, can the U.S. recover? America in the past has had a strong capacity for self-correction. Its ability to do so this time has significant implications domestically and for U.S. allies.



Self-correction may be more difficult, however, as Biden faces perhaps more challenges than any other president in recent memory.



More than 400,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and that number is expected to reach 500,000 in a matter of weeks. Speeding up the production and distribution of vaccines to put the United States on a pathway that would enable a return to ordinary life is the most pressing task.



Parallel to that, Biden needs to address the economic challenges that the U.S. faces. The pandemic has caused the most significant economic decline in the U.S. since the Great Depression. When Biden was vice president, the policies of the Obama administration revived the economy, but left millions of Americans still struggling. Biden needs not just to restore the economy, but work to ensure that more people benefit from that recovery, and sooner, than occurred during the Great Recession.



On foreign policy, Biden's instincts are right that the U.S.' alliances need to be repaired. In his inaugural address he said, "We will lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example." However, restoring trust in the U.S. will take time.



Returning to the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization are good starts, but Biden will need to show that his administration can build coalitions within the international community to restore American leadership.



In the case of the U.S.-Korea alliance, the first step should be quickly to reach a new agreement on burden sharing. Reaching an understanding concerning collaboration on climate change, while having deeper discussions with Seoul on how to manage relations with China and North Korea, will both be important.



Healing the divisions in America, however, will be Biden's most important task. A third of Americans have been "fed lies," as even Senator Mitch McConnell recently acknowledged, and do not believe that Biden is a legitimate president. Returning America to an embrace of facts over opinion, as well as to a reembrace of civil discourse, will be necessary, but also something Biden cannot do alone.



In an earlier period of deep American divisions, Abraham Lincoln observed that, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Those words are as true today as they were then. If Americans continue to look upon their neighbors as adversaries rather than partners, restoring American democracy and international standing will be more challenging than ever, and the images of the mob at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 will be more characteristic of foreshadowing than aberration.





Troy Stangarone (ts@keia.org) is the senior director of congressional affairs and trade at the Korea Economic Institute.



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Shortly after I came to faith in late 1971, at my fathers request, I met with the local rabbi. By Gods grace, my life had been radically transformed, going from a heroin-shooting, LSD-using, rebellious, hippie rock drummer to a Jesus-loving, clean-living child of God. And this happened virtually overnight. What a miracle!

But as much as my dad was thrilled to see me off drugs, he wasnt thrilled to see me believing in Jesus. As he said to me, Michael, were Jews. We dont believe this.

So it was that I met with the local rabbi, who quickly befriended me and took a genuine interest in my well-being. He challenged my beliefs, forced me to dig deeper into the Scriptures, and provoked me to learn Hebrew well.

He also challenged me to look at the record of church history, which was a total shock for me. What? Christians hating the Jewish people? Christians persecuting the Jews? Christians killing the Jews?

The gave me a book to read, accompanied by a poignant letter, which I still have today, enclosed in the pages of that book. This is what he wrote:

Dear Mike,

Im lending you this book so that as you read its pages you can share in the thousands of years of agony your people have undergone for the sake of the Almighty G-d of Israel and His absolute unity. Perhaps it will touch a note in your heart which will help you realize what your destiny on earth is to be.

Then, after citing powerful verses from the Hebrew Bible, he closed with this: I pray our G-d give you the inner strength to face the truth no matter what the consequences.

What a moving letter this was to receive, and what a shocking book it was to read.

But to be perfectly candid, the book didnt affect me that much, even though it was filled with painful stories of the mistreatment of Jews at the hands of Christians. Growing up, I had been unaware of this history, and in the church where I came to faith as a sixteen-year-old in 1971, I was met with great love, not hatred. These dear Christians seemed to have a tremendous heart for the Jewish people, including those who rejected the gospel. They showed nothing but grace to me, and their hearts were also joined with the modern State of Israel, recognizing that it was God who brought the Jewish people back to their land out of the ashes of the Holocaust, as if alive from the dead.

In the decades that followed, as I traveled around America as well as overseas (now with roughly 200 ministry trips outside the United States), I also met with profound love for Israel and the Jewish people. And, over the years, when I shared with these precious believers the history of Christian antisemitism, they were absolutely shocked. As an Iranian Christian once said to me, It is impossible to be a Christian and hate the Jews!

That had been my experience for forty-seven years, with rare exception, and I could count on two hands the amount of Christian antisemites I had met  until 2019. Since then, I have encountered more Christian antisemitism than in the previous 47 years combined. I am not exaggerating.

Its as if an ancient plague has been revived, spreading from person to person until millions are affected. Its like watching a nightmare unfold in front of your eyes, as professing Christians from all branches of the Church experience some kind of mass deception, coming to the recognition that the Jews, as a people, are the cause of all the worlds troubles. Those evil Jews! And to say it again: It is often professing Christians who are believing and spreading these lies.

Some, like John T. Earnest, on April 27, 2019, while just 19-years-old, took things even further. It was on that fateful day that he marched into an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Poway, California and opened fire, killing one and wounding three, before his gun locked up. Among the injured are an eight-year-old girl and the rabbi, who lost a finger on one hand.

According to a court affidavit, Earnest told a 911 emergency line dispatcher, I just shot up a synagogue . . . because Jewish people are destroying the white race.

But thats not all that he said. In a manifesto written prior to the shooting, he gave an in-depth explanation of why he tried to murder as many as Jews as possible, and it was not simply a matter of the Jewish people allegedly destroying the white race. Earnest, you see, professed to be a devout Christian, raised in a Christian home and the member of a local Presbyterian Church.

In his manifesto he explained, I did not choose to be a Christian. The Father chose me. The Son saved me. And the Spirit keeps me. Why me? I do not know. But as a Christian, he has a responsibility: There is no love without hatred. You cannot love God if you do not hate Satan. You cannot love righteousness if you do not also hate sin. You cannot love your own race if you do not hate those who wish to destroy it. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

Earnest proceeded to rail on the Jewish people in typical white supremacist fashion, but with a distinctly spiritual tone, declaring, It is unlawful and cowardly to stand on the sidelines as the European people are genocided [sic] around you. I did not want to have to kill Jews. But they have given us no other option.

Indeed, he claimed, My God does not take kindly to the destruction of His creation. Especially one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and innovative races that He has created. Least of all at the hands of one of the most ugly, sinful, deceitful, cursed, and corrupt, by which he means the Jews allegedly destroying whites of European origin. This was his Christian duty!

Earnest then cited a number of New Testament that antisemites through the ages have used to defame and even attack the Jewish people. Then, he provided a list of 15 reasons why the Jews must be killed, repeating some of the standard, ugly antisemitic libels, and concluding with this: And finally, for their role in the murder of the Son of Man  that is the Christ. Every Jew young and old has contributed to these.

Shades of the words of Christian antisemites through the ages. The Jews as a people are guilty of killing Christ. Yes, Every Jew young and old has contributed to the murder of the Messiah. For these crimes, he wrote, they [the Jews] deserve nothing but hell. I will send them there.

He then pulled out his gun and put his words into practice. The American Jewish remains shocked and wounded to this day.

In 1992, I wrote a book recounting the horrible history of Christian antisemitism, releasing a new edition in 2019. Now, I have found it necessary to write a whole new book exposing that terrible spiritual disease in our midst today. It is titled Christian Antisemitism: Confronting the Lies in Todays Church.

Read it and weep. Better still, read it and say, Not on my watch!

(This article was adapted from Christian Antisemitism: Confronting the Lies in Todays Church. Used with permission.)
A woman in her 30s, arrested yesterday morning, Saturday 30th January 2021, in relation to the disappearance and murder of William Maughan and Anastasija Varslavanne has been released without charge.

A file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Meanwhile, the father of a man murdered and disappeared along with his girlfriend, has renewed his appeal for information as gardai released a woman questioned yesterday.

William Maughan and Anastasija Varslavane are missing and believed murdered since their disappearance in 2015.

The couple are suspected to have been killed by members of criminal gang after they were last in Gormanstown, north County Dublin in April, 2015.

Expand Close Willie Maughan and Anastasija Varslavane were last seen on April 14 2015 (Garda/PA) / Facebook

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One man was arrested last April and in July a further three were arrested and released without charge by the investigation team.

Father of the missing man Joe Maughan has campaigned to have William and Annas killers brought to justice.

He also renewed his appeal for anyone who has information about their disappearance to come forward and end his familys ordeal.

On behalf of me and my family, look at your own kids and say that could be my child thats missing and I want help, he told the Sunday World.

Im asking people out there, look into their hearts, give us closure that we can give the two of them a Christian burial. Please, Ill pray for you to come forward and say the right thing to the guards.

Say it to somebody and point out where they are and our prayers will be with you for the rest of our lives.

Gardai say their investigations are ongoing.
As we learned the hard way, the problems that we come across when using Android Auto dont always come down to the app itself but to the related services that it needs to run properly.In other words, if somethings wrong with voice commands on Android Auto, theres a chance the Google app is the one to blame, as its powering Google Assistant everywhere in Googles ecosystem. At the same time, if you notice a problem with navigation apps or music player, the culprit may be none other than Google Play Services, as the latest version is always required for everything to run properly.This is why the issue and the fix were going to discuss today dont necessarily come as a big surprise in the Android Auto world.As we told you earlier this month, Samsungs Galaxy S21 is the latest and greatest Android smartphone on the market, shipping with upgraded cameras, and a new processor, more RAM and storage, and improved everything. And it all makes sense. This is Samsungs flagship product, so it spearheads the companys push in the smartphone world.But given it runs Android, its prone to the same problems as all the other devices powered by Googles operating system. Including connectivity issues , that is.While the Galaxy S21 has only recently started shipping, users have already discovered that connecting the device to a head unit to run Android Auto isnt working as expected.And as it turns out, this glitch is tied to another problem with Android Auto and which users also reported earlier this month. This time, more phones experienced the whole thing, as they ended up rebooting all of a sudden when launching Android Auto.In theory, a connectivity problem on Android Auto comes down to trying out a new cable and other generic fixes, like reinstalling the app, clearing the cache and the data, and rebooting phones.But this time, its different, as someone has discovered that the problem isnt tied to Android Auto directly but to Google Chrome, the browser that comes bundled with Android on all devices running Googles mobile operating system.And the fix isnt necessarily the most convenient, but at least it does the trick temporarily.It all comes down to uninstalling the latest Chrome updates, as one of the most recent releases is believed to cause the connectivity problems mentioned above.So heres what you need to do  the steps here are detailed for a Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, but they should be similar for the other Android devices out there.First and foremost, on your Android phone, open the Settings screen and scroll down to Apps. Look for Chrome in the list and then tap it to expand all options. You should now see all the information about the Chrome app installed on your device, so tap the three-dot button in the top right corner and then Uninstall all updates.At this point, the browser should return to the original version, so if you were using Chrome to navigate the web, youre losing the improvements brought by the latest updates. But on the other hand, Android Auto should now be up and running again.Google hasnt yet provided any information on a possible fix for the problems mentioned above, so if you too struggle with the same thing in your car, maybe giving this workaround a try is worth it, especially if Chrome isnt your default browser on Android.

(Natural News) In 2008, dissent went from being the highest form of patriotism, a quote by Communist revisionist historian Howard Zinn that Democrats falsely attributed to Thomas Jefferson, to treason when George W. Bush made way for Barack H. Obama. The old bumper stickers about the patriotic value of dissent were swiftly replaced with others touting the value of change.

(Article by Daniel Greenfield republished from FrontPageMage.com)

In 2020, resistance just as quickly turned into sedition once the political tables were turned.

In one month, questioning a presidential election went from a commonplace proposition to a shocking attack on our democracy. And we all know that if President Trump had been inaugurated for a second term, there would be no censorship or censure of the Democrat politicians and pundits claiming that he was only reelected because of Russia or UFOs.

Nor would we be hearing any talk of sedition and insurrection as if they were bad things.

When November was just decorating the flagstones of D.C. with faded leaves, the Democrat cliques inside federal agencies were still touting their skill at undermining the White House in chats with reporters at bars where drinks cost more than most Americans earn in a day.

These members of the resistance had spent four years undermining elected officials while falsely claiming that they were entitled to do it because the 2016 election had been illegitimate.

Government officials boasted anonymously of undermining President Trump, members of Congress and their staffers helped protesters get inside to disrupt hearings, rioters who assaulted police officers and attacked federal buildings were bailed out by Democrat officials and celebrities who enlisted Silicon Valley and major corporations to support the riots.

By the time November was done, resistance had been rebranded as sedition. Storming Capitol Hill went from a passionate endeavor by Democrat activists protesting the Kavanaugh nomination, the environment, or some other lefty cause, to the single worst event since 9/11.

Black Lives Matter riots had besieged the White House and set fire to its guardhouse, while still being defended by Democrats and the media as peaceful protesters. The media agonized over photos of federal agents protecting the Lincoln Memorial as a sign of incipient fascism. Less than a year later, 25,000 troops occupying D.C. like Baghdad are being cheered by the media.

The difference between resistance and sedition, between protests and insurrections, is whos in charge. Democrats resist Republican elected officials. Republicans however commit sedition against Democrat elected officials. Democrats protest, Republicans riot. These arent distinctions in law. The only real distinction is whos in power and whos on the barricades.

Political hypocrisy isnt a new phenomenon, but Democrats weaponizing the national security state to suppress the political opposition over the same behavior they engage in is a serious threat to the survival of the United States as anything other than a banana republic in a civil war.

The Democrats fired the first shot when the Obama administration used the national security system to target members of Congress during its time in office and then, in an election year, went after President Trumps associates based on Hillary Clintons opposition research.

Instead of being held accountable for abusing national security to target their political opponents, Democrats, their media, and their allies in the system doubled down with fake investigations of the same worthless allegations that they never managed to substantiate.

After four years of falsely claiming that President Trump was a Russian agent and that the 2016 election had somehow been rigged with Facebook ads in an event that was worse than 9/11, the Democrats have pivoted to claiming that questioning the 2020 election is worse than 9/11.

Now the old abuse of the national security state under the guise of hunting down the evidence that Republicans had rigged the 2016 election has turned into abusing the national security state to punish Republicans for suggesting that the Democrats had rigged the 2020 election.

The only consistent thing here is the Democrat abuse of national security to target their political opponents while magically transforming election skepticism from the highest form of patriotism to sedition, and riots from a moral crusade into a major threat because they are now in power.

The failure to have any kind of reckoning with the Obama administrations national security abuses has taken us to a new era of national security abuses by the Biden administration.

Democrat officials and their media allies are already touting a new campaign against domestic extremism. And the same people who labeled John McCain and Mitt Romney extremists when they were running against their boss will get to define who the extremists are. Black Lives Matter, a hate group that injured hundreds of police officers and caused $2 billion in damage while taking its motto from a domestic terrorist wanted by the FBI wont make the list.

The abuse of national security to target the political opposition isnt a new phenomenon. The Clinton administration insisted that the real threat to America was coming from militias even while Al Qaeda was prepping the attacks that would kill nearly 3,000 people on September 11.

Read more at: FrontPageMage.com
Eva Mendes briefly explained the reason behind her infrequent social media activity in a post last week.

But the actress, 46, was forced to address the issue again on Saturday after a fan suggested that her absence from social media was due to plastic surgery gone wrong.

The comment was made after Mendes shared a snapshot to Instagram featuring herself and a good pal, who happened to be celebrating a birthday.

Making a statement: On Saturday, Eva Mendes responded to a fan who had suggested that the reason behind her absence from social media was due to her having plastic surgery

'Shes had work done and I dont think shes happy with it...she was beautiful without,' the individual wrote in reply to another Instagram user asking Mendes 'why' she was on Instagram 'so less.'

Mendes then responded to the comment to clear the air and refute any and all plastic surgery rumors.

'Im not sure why Im answering you but here I go. Im posting less because I really want to be present for my family. My little ones need me and posting takes up too much time,' the actress wrote.

She also responded to the claims about having plastic surgery, noting that 'As far as getting work done, Ill do that whenever I please.'

The Training Day actress finished her message by writing, 'I personally cannot juggle family and social media. So -big shocker -I choose family.'

Talking smack: The fan also noted that they felt Mendes was unhappy with the results of the supposed procedures

Shutting it down: The actress responded to the fan and remarked that her absence was part a conscious decision to focus more on her family

In a prior post last Saturday, Mendes addressed her fans about her break from social media.

In the caption for the post, she revealed that her youngest daughter Amada, aged four, had complained that her mom was too reliant on social media.

Eva began her message by writing, 'I havent posted lately because my little one told me I was on the phone too much. I could tell she was taking it personally.'

Mendes then noted that after speaking with her daughter, she decided to focus less on her social media and more on her role as a mother.

'I apologized and I promised her Id be mindful. I realized that just because Im always home with them doesnt mean Im always present,' the actress wrote.

Original post: Last week, the Training Day actress shared a post to her Instagram account and let her fans know that one of her daughters had told her she was using her phone too often

In addition to Amada, the Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans actress shares a daughter named Esmerelda, aged six, with her partner Ryan Gosling.

The couple first met on the set of the 2012 film The Place Beyond The Pines, which they costarred in.

Before meeting Gosling, 40, Mendes was in a relationship with George Augusto; the two split up in 2010.

Last year, the actress spoke to People about her skills as a parent and expressed that she preferred to let her daughters make their own decisions regarding their personal interests.

The Ghost Rider actress stated that, when dealing with her kids, 'I try not to give my opinion too much on what they like.'

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jan, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday expressed grief over the demise of veteran film actress Neelo Begum.

"My condolences and prayers go to (Shaan Shahid) on the passing of his mother," the prime minister said on Twitter.

Also a renowned actor, Shaan Shahid had announced on twitter the death of his mother on Saturday, "It is with the saddest of heart I share the departure of my mother as she has gone to her creator."
Donald Trump has reportedly parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers just over a week before his Senate trial is set to begin, after the president insisted they argue that the election was stolen from him.

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers who were expected to be among the lead attorneys for the case, are no longer with Trump's defense team.

Josh Howard, a North Carolina attorney who was recently added to the team, as well as Greg Harris and Johnny Gasser, two former federal prosecutors from South Carolina, have also left, according to CNN.

The parting was reportedly a 'mutual decision' that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case.

Trump had wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud, and fell out with the lawyers who wanted to focus on the legality of convicting a president after he's left office, according to CNN sources.

New additions to the legal team are expected to be announced in a day or two.

Butch Bowers (left) and Deborah Barbier (right) were expected to be among the lead attorneys for the impeachment case

Attorneys Greg Harris (left), Josh Howard (center) and Johnny Gasser (right) have also reportedly left the scene

'The Democrats' efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is totally unconstitutional and so bad for our country. In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that it is unconstitutional. We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly,' former Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN

The upheaval injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of Trump's defense team as he prepares to face charges that he incited the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

However, all but five Senate Republicans this week voted in favor of an effort to dismiss the trial before it even started, making clear a conviction of the former president is unlikely regardless of his defense team.

Trump has struggled to find attorneys willing to defend him after becoming the first president in history to be impeached twice.

He is set to stand trial the week of February 8 on a charge that he incited his supporters to storm Congress before President Joe Bidens inauguration in an attempt to halt the peaceful transition of power.

Trump had reportedly wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud

After numerous attorneys who defended him previously declined to take on the case, Trump was introduced to Bowers by one of his closest allies in the Senate, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Bowers, a familiar figure in Republican legal circles, had years of experience representing elected officials and political candidates, including then-South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford against a failed impeachment effort that morphed into an ethics probe.

Bowers and Barbier did not immediately return messages seeking comment Saturday evening.

Republicans and Trump aides have made clear that they intend to make a simple argument in the trial: Trump's trial is unconstitutional because he is no longer office.

While Republicans in Washington had seemed eager to part ways with Trump after the deadly events of Jan. 6, they have since eased off of their criticism, weary of angering the former president's loyal voter base.
New York City, NY, Jan. 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Language of Desire is an online, digital guidebook that aims to educate women of men's most profound intimate desires. We can always agree that the opposite side is still misunderstood by the other. Often, we look for ways to understand better our partners becoming lost in our relationships and dont know what to do next. As its author, Felicity Keith, states, it lights up men's desire to make them feel manly again and make women more feminine. The Language of Desire has already been featured in several media outlets, and it is not a sort of second-rate e-book that women have for fun. This book will educate you on men's inner workings and give you newfound confidence to always spice and lighten your relationship's mood.

Must Read & Watch: Different women are stunned and happy about the Language of Desire and how their relationships changed. Discover more by clicking here =>>

In this in-depth review, we will discuss what Language of Desire is and how it is loved and adored by thousands of women as of late. Indeed, it is a newcomer in the stage of digital reading materials. It is deemed useful not just in ramping up their intimate life but also in saving relationships too. Furthermore, we will discuss the story behind its content and give thought to its imparted wisdom so that you would exactly know what you're getting if you intend to buy The Language of Desire by Felicity Keith.

What is the Language of Desire?

Language of Desire focuses on men's psychological workings and their physiological reactions to specific spoken phrases. In short, it's a book that's centered on communication theories that turn on the lustful desires of men. Language of Desire currently has no public statement about the number of pages it has, but we can estimate it at around 200 pages.

The Language of Desire's content focuses more on the communication aspect than the physical actions, further cementing that this book is all about the language rather than the desire. If you're looking for an erotic book to make you feel lustful, this isn't the one. This one is concerned with reality rather than male or female fantasies. To keep things simple, Language of Desire is more or less a book in psychology and, therefore, is often not considered something that deals with science than fiction.

The book was published around 2013 by author Felicity Keith. She is married to Kevin Keith and was compelled to write this book because of him. The publisher of Language of Desire is Digital Romance, Inc. They are headquartered in the city of Seattle, Washington, USA. The company is known to host relationship expert Michael Fiore and is regarded as people with a mission to rekindle and strengthen relationships daily.

Watch: Discover The Hidden Power of Words with Felicity Keith =>>

Language of Desire can only be bought through their online channels, as it is not available in a paperback version. Furthermore, it is only available on the Language of Desire official website, which is linked here. This site is the only legitimate source of this product, and buying off this book from other sources is considered fake and illegal as per copyright laws. For more details about the product, you can browse the review we're about to start for this product.

Language of Desire Author

With a profound understanding of what Language of Desire is, we can now move on to the author. The author of Language of Desire is Felicity Keith. She is the wife of Kevin Keith, whom she had problems with earlier on. As a more detailed backgrounder, Felicity Keith is a known writer for romantic and relationship matters. Her most popular book is Language of Desire. She also authored other books such as The Flirty Girls Guide to Astrological Attraction. Shes entirely known in the community and has attracted like-minded women struggling with their love life. She also motivates people through her social media account, posting words of encouragement for women worldwide.

For this matter, Keith is a reputable author with her right. One might say that this is her niche, and for that, she is highly qualified to say what she needs to say to save relationships and make the world a better place.

Now that we know who the Language of Desire author is, were going to tackle why it was written. Long story short, Kevin, Felicitys husband, was less invested in their relationship as time went by. As the days passed, Kevin became increasingly and distant from his wife. However, that wasnt exactly the motivation as to why this book was written. It was on a regular night, and they just finished making love. Just minutes after, though, she caught sight of Kevin doing nasty things alone. She just turned a blind eye and pretended to be asleep. Felicity felt insecure and wanted to know more about her husband.

Alas, upon days, weeks, and months of research and taking lessons from various people, she has come up with the perfect plan backed up with science and psychology. Thus, she got to write the Language of Desire guidebook, of which she is proud. Of course, she tried it first on her husband. When it wonderfully worked, she shared it with her best friend, and the news spread like wildfire. This was when she was compelled to write a book about her discoveries on the subject matter.

Kevin and Felicity went on to have a fruitful relationship that just kept on rekindling itself as each day passed. This is their lifes testimony, and Felicity wishes that other people would do the same to their partners as well so that the level of understanding between partners becomes greater and greater until theres no more improvement to be done. Its all because of a desire to help.

What Does Language of Desire Contain?

First off, let's start with the book's primary objective  to rekindle relationships and intimate lives through the proper use of communication and psychology. As the Language of Desire book puts it, it's the trick of "talking dirty" to men. As you may have also noticed, this book targets women who can't understand what their men want for their intimate life. This does not include bed interactions only, but all sorts of things, such as hooking the man you want for life (without cheating, of course!).

With that said, Language of Desire is filled with useful (and fun) information that can be used by every woman or feminine-sided gender. It has captivated its readers through witty statements and intimate content that leaves men aroused all the time when they're with their partners.

First, let us deal with the title of the book itself first  Language of Desire. From the title itself, we can already understand that this is seductive and erotic at the same time. However, do not be fooled, because this is an educational book instead of a book that deals with erotica! If you are studying psychology, you'll get something from this book  things that aren't generally thought of in universities due to their taboo nature!

If we look closer, the title centers itself on the subject of "language." What does that mean? It means that language is the first and foremost way to go to our deepest desires. Language is the bridge between people. It is the catalyst of communication. Therefore, to understand men, women must communicate what they want to make men realize what they're missing out on with the love of their lives. I bet that as you read on this review, you become increasingly curious as to what this book has in store for you. Spoiler alert  there's a lot of useful content that's waiting for you!

It's not just standard content, though. Sure, most educational book content is useful in everyday life, but this is useful for people looking to make their love life bulletproof. It's like a relationship remedy that you can use to save or begin a relationship anew! Of course, we won't be spoiling that much in this review, but we will be giving out glimpses of the Language of Desire's content.

Some of the Language of Desire phrases include communication techniques that you can use to understand and motivate men to find their deepest desires in you. Remember when I said it's a psychology book? The author, Felicity Keith (whom we're going to be talking about in a bit), is gracious enough to simplify things for us. The terms are wacky in their simple ways, and reading the book is fun. When you read this book, don't wonder why you're grinning all the time!

==> Visit the official webpage

To tell you more about it, there's the "Pavlovs Technique that makes any man turned on the moment they see you. Using certain psychological advances, you can condition him with this simple, innocent phrase to make his dingdong as hard as the rock upon catching a glimpse of you. Theres also the Dirty Movies Destroyer, which enables your man to stay away from dirty movies forever by focusing only on you. This is a useful thing to have, especially for people who are addicted to dirty movies. As we can see, the terms are as wacky as they seem, but they work from a psychological perspective.

Other Language of Desire content includes the Cuddle Hormone, which, as you may have guessed, entices your man to cuddle you more often than not. Imagine having to feel safe all the time because of just a few words and gestures that youve done. Theres also the Erotic Telepathy Technique, which lets you know a man on an intense and intimate level. Were talking about his fantasies, which he often hides from you because he feels insecure, no matter how brave he is. Bonus fact, every man has insecurities within him, and this technique will make you know what it means to save that man from the inside. This technique seems to work on women too, so its a two-way avenue.

Language of Desire will also tell you about the single word that a man desperately wants to hear from his woman but is often disregarded. Women dont know its importance to a mans psychology. Called the Intimate Singularity, it is a powerful word that nails your mans full-fledged attention to you.

Of course, there are foreplay techniques as well. Were talking about the verbal way of teasing here! Keith called this The Tease Intensifier. Often than not, this makes a man filled with lust and desire to pounce on his partner like a confident lion. When you tease a man, then things begin to heat up. This is where the Lust Mirror technique comes in. This is probably the most powerful technique in the Language of Desire. It enables you and your partner to connect on a whole other level. Everything is associated with you, both mentally and physically. This means that you are mirrored with one another, and if thats not special and magical, then I dont know what is.

Other techniques are also inside Language of Desire guidebooks, such as the Desire Seed, Oral Intensifier, Special Movie, Invisible Chastity Belt, The No-Touch Lay, The Madonna Moan, The Romance Rotator, and the Friend to Fantasy method. These communication techniques and methods are maximized to make men more invested in their female or feminine partners. It makes men less prone to cheating, better supported in their love life, and increasingly better in their intimate relationships with one another.

As is with these psychological and communication techniques, one must not use this for the negative side. Psychology is one important field to study, and harnessing its capabilities can lead to a person abusing its teachings. Sometimes, people will be compelled to cheat with this learning, and it can sometimes be intimidating how good intentions can lead to worse actions later on. Instead, lets use it for the better and save our relationships while we still can.

All this content will be further understood when you grab yourself a copy of this book. As I said, were just grazing the tip of the iceberg here. A lot more is in store when you get to read this product thoroughly.

Overall, the content of Language of Desire is all about communicating your desires with one another. It enables, equips, and encourages women to know more about their men in advancing their relationships. Of course, some of the content here may not work because all men have different psychological workings from one another, but we must always try to do things first before knowing if they work or not.

Keith talks about how it can be magical and wonderful these techniques are. Its true. If you were reading the book, you wouldnt believe what youre reading in the first place. That is until you try out these techniques; only then youll know that they genuinely work to their fullest potential. The greatest endpoint with the Language of Desires content is those good things happen to educated people, and having the right psychology and skillset is the key to healthier relationships.

Who Is The Target Audience of Language of Desire?

Language of Desire's target audience is women looking to strengthen or save their relationship with their male or masculine counterparts. Women have been struggling to understand men for quite some time now, which gives them power over this struggle. Its a very comforting book to have when youre lost in translation with your man. Its also for people who are studying psychology and communication. Believe it or not, Language of Desire is more of a psychology book, and its more centered on the educational side of matters. It is a textual guide that makes people understand the inner workings of men and their actions.

With that much said, Language of Desire book isnt precisely tailored towards men. However, the excellent point that we can get from this is that men will know what it feels like to be a woman for once. This book can act as an excellent eye-opener for men who were once insensitive to their partners. As much as it is for women, this book is also for men, from a particular perspective.

How Can Language of Desire Help You and Relationships?

Language of Desire is a guidebook that can help relationships in their intimate and general aspects. These relationships include those that are strong and those that are weak. According to the official website, Language of Desire has helped many partners who have lost their path or are just in the process of falling out. For relationships to be prosperous, this book is advised to be read by all women.

Language of Desire is not just any kind of book. It is a one of a kind book that harnesses the power of psychology and communication to make everything right. It uses science for its target audience, combined with emotions that captivate our relationships' inner and physical workings. It is a comprehensive book for its intended target audience.

Learn more about the advantages of having this guidebook from the official webpage here =>>

Usually, it takes around half a day to read this book non-stop. For the average reader, this may take longer. However, this book is very much worth it to read. It isnt boring at all, and its interesting to read. We also get to read about things that we havent learned yet. Its a book telling women the psychological workings of men to keep them in their place. When reading this book, its almost guaranteed that you wont notice the time. Language of Desire is easy-to-read and relatable for mature women, and it brings about a new revolution of digital books that are useful in every aspect.

Language of Desire brings about many benefits, not just to you but also to your relationships and daily outlook in life. First of all, this benefits you. This refers mainly to women and genders that are on the feminine spectrum of things. It is frustrating that we know so little about our partners, and this book gives you an understanding that you didnt have before. It gives you the power and confidence to have everything that you want.

Its also a matter of importance on your part. Self-importance is a feeling that only a few people get nowadays, and respect is always gained along the way. It is one of the most significant benefits here, besides that mentioned above. I know this is obvious already, but it is highly beneficial for your past, present, and future relationships. This is great for past relationships since you can get together again just by following the things in this guidebook. Who knows, maybe you just needed to know these things to save your relationship.

Meanwhile, it can benefit your current relationship if things are going sideways. Its always bad that things go south right after you felt everything is right. Thus, this book can help you find yourself amidst the chaos and bring your partner closer to you by tapping into his most innermost desires.

Furthermore, Language of Desire is beneficial to future relationships, as having the wisdom you have right now can almost guarantee that you wont lose that lucky man of your life. Your dream person wont cheat or go away quickly from you if you stick to the plan indicated in this book.

As a final benefit, this book can heavily boost your self-esteem in so many ways. Having a better relationship with your partner can bring about the boundless joy that could last ages. Your friends will be asking how youre blooming after all these years as a couple. Youll be filled with hope and positivity that you thought you would never have again because you have a faithful and loving partner by your side.

Overall, Language of Desire is a fulfilling book to have, and for all its pros, it is a one of a kind experience to read through for everyone who wants to have a steady relationship in life.

Language of Desire Pros and Cons

As we get close to wrapping up this review, Language of Desire is an exciting book from cover to cover. We couldnt encapsulate it in a single statement, but its thrilling, educational, and thoughtful at the same time. With that said, let us check out the summary of this books pros and cons so that we can fully understand it with the most precise detail possible.

Language of Desire pros are:

Scientifically-based

It has a lot of content

Explains in detail how things work within a mans mind

Witty and fun to read

Very informative down to the core

Pleasing layout and formatting, easy to read

I can almost guarantee that your relationship will go as smoothly as possible

The digital format can be read anywhere as long as you have a modern gadget with you

Written by a credible author in her field

Language of Desire cons are

It can only be bought online, more specifically, from their official website

More targeted towards women

Language of Desire free examples of phrases or text can be found online

As we can see, Language of Desire has a lot of pros above its cons. The cons are more on the technical side of things. It is more of a limitation rather than evil things in the product. In this regard, we can see that this book is very useful and great, and even has a standard that can last a lifetime. I know this review shouldnt be biased, but being an honest one, it is recommended that you grab a copy for yourself so that you wont regret not being able to pick up this book when you had the chance.

Language of Desire is credible in all its ways. A known author writes it, and it is backed up by science. Nothing beats science, truth, and integrity. In writing, writers are king, and having an author that is reliable in this field only proves that this book is credible in giving out advice for couples who have a hard time.

Language of Desire has a lot of testimonies that prove its reliability. Countless women have thanked the author for publishing her work for the whole world to see. If you go on any search engine, youll see that this book is rated high because of its useful content. Overall, it stands with a good reputation.

What Are The Downsides of Language of Desire?

Language of Desire's downside is that it only caters to 50% of the population  women. Men dont have a book that can tell them about a woman's mind, so theres that angle. However, men can read this book, in particular, to feel what its like on the receiving end of things. From there, they can reverse engineer whats written here to maximum effect.

Psychology is a fascinating and challenging field to be in. With that said, it is always recommended that everything should be taken with careful analysis to succeed. It does not mean that you read the mind, but psychology deals with understanding how the human brain works. Other than that, there are no downsides to Language of Desire. It is a content-filled book that manages to meet the expectation of its readers. Keep in mind that not everything will work here. All people are wired differently, and sometimes, it takes a combination of different methods to achieve your intended result. Reader discretion is advised.

How Much Is The Language of Desire?

Language of Desire costs $47 only. Actually, with $47, you wont only get Language of Desire, but youll also have Silent Seduction, Unstoppable Confidence, and The Good Girls Guide to Texting Dirty. These are also Felicity Keiths creations. Theyre supplemental books to Language of Desire.

Where to buy Language of Desire:

Official Website recommended all bonuses included, click here to check stock

Amazon not recommended (not available or bonuses not included)

eBay not recommended (not available or bonuses not included)

Walmart not recommended (not available or bonuses not included)

They also offer a 60-day money-back guarantee, given that you have read everything inside the book and nothing worked for you and your partner. This means that you wont have to worry about getting scammed. Theres no scam involved here since Language of Desire was already featured in several media outlets nationwide! Talk about credibility and reputation.

Language of Desire Verdict

Language of Desire is a great book to have. Whether youre looking to save or maintain your relationship, youll always have tips and tricks to learn from this particular reading material. Grab the Language of Desire now and get the relationship youve always wanted.

=>>Learn More About This Guidebook from The Official Webpage Here

Product Contact:

Language of Desire

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Lorette residents spoke out Monday with varying degrees of success against two zoning bylaw amendments that would allow for more commercial activity along Dawson Road.

Lorette residents spoke out Monday with varying degrees of success against two zoning bylaw amendments that would allow for more commercial activity along Dawson Road.

RM of Tache council held virtual public hearings for the two proposals at a planning and development meeting.

Council postponed a decision on a zoning bylaw amendment and conditional use application for 1378 Dawson Road, a residential property located between Johnson Avenue and Marcoux Avenue.

Applicant Georges Bohemier proposed building a 3,000-sq-ft. commercial building on the front corner of the property and 15 townhouse-style condominiums behind it.

Bohemiers architect, Andrew Wach, spoke of a "nice, quiet, low key" mixed-use development anchored by a single commercial tenant.

"Its not a restaurant or anything like that that has high demand," Wach said.

Last fall, council rejected a proposal to build 18 housing units on the same property, citing a need for commercial development along the road that serves as Lorettes Main Street.

This time around, councillors debated whether the revised application had enough parking spaces. That appeared to frustrate Wach, who complained of "a bit of a mixed message."

"Its the council that wants the commercial," he reminded them.

Five Lorette residents objected to the proposal. Two neighbours said they were concerned the plan would create traffic and parking headaches, devalue their properties by reducing backyard privacy, and exacerbate the water shortages Lorette experienced last summer.

"We can make adjustments to satisfy a lot of these questions," Wach replied.

He said trees would be preserved on three sides of the property.

Coun. George McGregor suggested tabling a decision to find out more about the site plans impact on the property. Council agreed, except for Coun. Natashia Lapeire, who questioned the delay.

"Council has said numerous times that we want to see commercial development on Main Street," Lapeire said. "To table it again, to delayI dont know what that would solve."

Meanwhile, council approved a separate zoning amendment application submitted by realtor Luke Wiebe.

Wiebe proposed rezoning an agricultural property at 1069 Dawson Road to commercial. He presented plans showing a 4,000-sq-ft. multi-tenant professional centre designed to appeal to accounting firms, dentists, insurance agents, and the like.

Four objectors pointed out the long, narrow property lacks sidewalk access and is located directly across from Lorettes high school and grocery store. They argued the area is busy enough already.

"Busy Main Streetthat is where business needs to be," Wiebe said.
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 ...
Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW HAVEN  Five city residents were indicted on conspiracy charges in connection with an alleged drug-dealing operation, and heroin and crack were confiscated in connection to the arrests, according to federal authorities.

Jerry Rollins, aka Prank, 36; Benita Flemming, 33; Orlando Moore, 49; Devaro Taylor, 30; and Tashaun Fair, 27, each is charged with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base, also known as crack, and use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking felony, federal authorities said in a statement.
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The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed that no gathering of more than 50 persons shall hold in an enclosed space, except...





The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed that no gathering of more than 50 persons shall hold in an enclosed space, except for religious purposes.

The governor said this while giving an update on coronavirus in Lagos State on Sunday.

He said that this is in line with the COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations 2021 signed last week by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said, The State Government has observed with dismay the widespread flagrant disregard and non-adherence to guidelines and protocols aimed at stemming and curbing the tide of infection.

We particularly note that some event centres have been operating their premises outside the acceptable parameters for operation/usage and continue to be recalcitrant in this regard.

This is to sound a very serious note of warning that henceforth all those found culpable and in breach of the existing regulations and guidelines would be swiftly and decisively dealt with in full accordance with the provisions of the law.

Furthermore, and in line with the COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations 2021 signed last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, it is hereby directed that no gathering of more than 50 persons shall hold in an enclosed space, except for religious purposes, in which case the gathering shall not exceed 50% capacity of the space.

A breach of the provisions of the Presidential Regulations attracts upon summary conviction, a fine or six months imprisonment and or both. Our enforcement agencies have been appropriately tasked to ensure maximum compliance.

All Lagosians are enjoined to continue to observe all laid down guidelines and protocols issued by both the State and Federal governments for the effective containment and treatment of the novel coronavirus disease.
The Delhi Police has sent over 50 fresh notices to people, including farmer leaders, in connection with the violence that broke out during the tractor parade on Republic Day, officials said on Sunday.

The Delhi Police had earlier issued notices against 44 people.

The police have identified several people and sent notices to them, a senior police officer said, adding that the process will continue further.

According to the police, some tractors, used during the violence, have also been identified and notices are being sent their owners.

The process of issuing notices is taking time as many people are not residents of Delhi and letters are being to their addresses, police said.

Teams of Delhi Police are carrying out investigations at several locations outside the national capital, including Punjab and Haryana, to apprehend the people who were involved in the violence. They are also looking for those who hoisted flags at the Red Fort, they said.

Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory also visited Ghazipur, Red Fort and ITO to collect evidences. They have recovered a lot of evidences, including a big rope with knots, that was used to climb on Red Fort, police said.

Till Saturday, the police have received 1,700 video clips and CCTV footage from public so far related to the violence and is taking help from forensic experts to analyse the material and identify the culprits.

The Crime Branch, which is investigating 10 cases related to the violence, including that at Red Fort and ITO, is also examining dump data of mobile phone calls and registration numbers of tractors.

A team from the National Forensic Sciences University has been called to analyse the video clips and CCTV footage related to the violence that left 394 police personnel injured and one protester dead.

On Friday, the Delhi Police had issued an appeal in leading newspapers asking people to share any evidence or information about the violence.

The investigators are also analysing footage and photos taken from drone-mounted cameras and carrying out 3D mapping of the area vandalised at the Red Fort.

Delhi witnessed violence during the January 26 tractor parade organised by protesting farmer unions to highlight their demand for repeal of the Centre's three farm laws.

Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort while some of them hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

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

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The Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUDD) exchange rate posted a 7-week best and touched the 1.8000 level in Asian trading on Monday and the pair was close to this level in early Europe before fading slightly.

The latest Chinese data remained generally disappointing with the Caixin PMI manufacturing index declining to a 7-month low of 51.5 from 53.0 previously. The official PMI data also suggested a slowdown in the economy which had some negative impact on the Australian dollar.

Equity markets posted net gains in Asia which provided some support to risk appetite, but he Australian currency was unable to gain strong support amid reservations over further volatility.

There was also caution ahead of Tuesdays Reserve Bank policy statement.

GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Rally Runs out of Steam amid Uncertain Market Outlook

For most of the past week, the British Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate continued to rally. The Pound benefitted from the markets coronavirus vaccine speculation, but the Australian Dollar did steady a little towards the end of the week as the market mood calmed somewhat. However, with major central bank news expected in the coming week, it could be another bumpy one for both currencies.

Since opening last week at the level of 1.7738, GBP/AUD briefly saw narrow trade before experiencing a significant rise in movement in the second half of the week.

Towards the end of the week, GBP/AUD touched on a month and a half best of 1.7967. This was the best level for the pair since early December.

Before markets closed for the week though, GBP/AUD slipped from those best levels and trended around the region of 1.7865.

The primary cause of Pound to Aussie movement last week was the Pounds rally. The British currency climbed against many major rivals, due largely to speculation over coronavirus vaccine rollout.

Britains coronavirus vaccine programmes are more advanced than those in many other major economies. This has left the Pound one of the biggest benefactors of positive vaccine developments.

For example, Fridays news that Novavax vaccine trials were going well supported the Pound as well.

For now, vaccine rollout expectations continue to support Sterling. According to Analysts at MUFG:

We assume there will be a pick-up in the pace to keep the government on track to start a cautious reversal of the lockdown by 8th March That will help provide further support for the pound and the current outperformance this week could have further to run over the short term.

The Australian Dollar has been tumbling on risk aversion for most of the past week. The Aussie is often correlated to market risk and trade sentiment, so it often weakens when investors are hesitant to take risks.

Worsening market jitters over the coronavirus pandemics impact on the global economy, as well as some stock market panic last week, both left investors hesitant to take risks. This caused the Australian Dollar to tumble for most of the week.

Australias economic outlook is fairly optimistic, but the currency has fallen a little out of favour with markets lately due to rising Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) easing bets.

Pound Sterling (GBP) Forecast: Outlook Awaits a Slew of UK Data and BoE

The Pound had a busy week last week, even despite a lack of big surprises in UK data. As a result, the Pounds movement may be even more volatile depending on how upcoming data and news develops.

For most of next week, many key UK ecostats will be published. They will give investors a better idea of how Britains economy is weathering the coronavirus pandemic in recent months.

At the beginning of the week, Markit will publish its final January manufacturing PMIs. This will be followed by key services PMIs on Wednesday, which could be particularly influential due to the UK economys reliance on the services sector.

The biggest session of the week for the Pound may be Thursday though, when the Bank of England (BoE) will hold its February policy decision.

If the BoE is more optimistic than expected on Britains economy, the Pound is likely to strengthen. A more dovish BoE could mean fresh weight on the Pound though, which could worsen coronavirus lockdown concerns further.

Australian Dollar (AUD) Forecast: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in Focus

Not only is the Bank of England (BoE) holding a policy decision next week, but the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will also be holding its first policy decision of the year.

In recent weeks, RBA easing speculation has risen and this has caused fresh weakness in the otherwise appealing Australian Dollar.

With the RBA holding its February policy decision during Tuesdays Asian session, markets will be closely watching for any dovish shifts from the bank.

According to Gareth Aird, Senior Economist at CBA, the bank is expected to at least extend its bond buying program.

Extending their bond buying program is the path of least regret It will ensure that their policy decisions do not put any undesired upward pressure on the Australian dollar, And it will assist both Federal and State governments in financing their large fiscal expansions.

While central bank developments will take focus next week, Pound to Australian Dollar exchange rate investors could also react to Australian trade balance and retail sales stats due towards the end of next week.
Few people care who made their flu shot or their childhood immunizations against a range of deadly diseases. Covid changed that, turning vaccine makers into household names and prompting calls for choice.

Doses remain scarce for now, amid a global scramble inflamed by a dispute between the European Union and British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc. Most of the more than 90 million people whove gotten a shot consider themselves lucky for any protection against the pandemic. But vaccines are proliferating, with positive trial data from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax Inc. placing their candidates next in line for approval.

Health officials will have to figure out how to allocate all these different vaccines. Many people whove been boning up on efficacy rates, dosing schedules or side effects want to decide for themselves. If the options are a shot from a Western drugmaker thats been vetted by an independent regulator or one from a Russian or Chinese lab with lesser transparency, that desire is even greater.

We demand the government to provide people the freedom of choice," said Gergely Arato, a member of the opposition Democratic Coalition party in Hungary.

Hungary broke ranks with other EU members to approve Russias Sputnik V and a vaccine from Chinas Sinopharm Group Ltd. alongside the three shots cleared by Europes drug regulator -- from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and AstraZeneca. While Prime Minister Viktor Orban is technically offering choice, his promotion of the Chinese and Russian shots is endangering peoples willingness to get vaccinated," Arato said at a press conference this month.

In the U.S., where the only two shots authorized so far -- from Pfizer and Moderna -- use similar technology and demonstrated virtually identical test results, choice may matter less for now. Elsewhere, however, some health authorities have begun catering to peoples concerns about vaccine differences.

Dubai, Hong Kong

In Dubai, residents older than 60 or with pre-existing conditions can access the shot Pfizer developed with BioNTech SE, or the one from Sinopharm.

In Hong Kong, officials ordered enough doses of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and AstraZeneca -- along with plans to secure a fourth option -- to cover the 7.5 million residents.

The Pfizer shot will be available at community vaccination centers, with the Sinovac and Astra options offered at private hospitals and clinics, and people will be given the choice of which they want to receive. Thats important in Hong Kong, where some people are wary of taking a Chinese-made vaccine.

If residents dont want to take a certain vaccine, they can choose to get the shots at another time and another location," Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in December.

Supplies are so tight in most of the world that choice remains impossible. Those getting shots often have no idea which one theyll receive until they walk through the door of a vaccination center or doctors office. But that could change if vaccines from the likes of J&J, Novavax and CureVac NV come on stream in the coming weeks, and as pharma giants like Sanofi and Novartis AG lend their heft to the production effort.

EU Approval

Even if they dont offer choice, health officials have to decide who gets what. At the Cleveland Clinic, Cassandra Calabrese has been telling patients to take whatever vaccine they get offered, even though some have been asking her which one shed recommend. Things may be different as more are approved," she said in an email.

The European Union, criticized for its slow rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, expanded its offerings Friday by approving AstraZenecas shot. In a sign of the growing tide of people wanting to choose, the approval came after days of pitched debate about the shots efficacy, with Germanys immunization commission recommending against its use in seniors.In the U.K., where infections and fatalities are much higher than in Hong Kong, health authorities are prioritizing the quick inoculation of as many people as possible. The second dose of two-shot vaccines is being delayed in an effort to get first injections into as many arms as possible. Other countries are considering similar steps.Distribution is based on supply and logistics, such as availability of very cold freezers," a U.K. Department of Health spokesman said by email. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots must be kept frozen for long-term storage, while refrigeration suffices for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Efficacy Rates

Although the U.K. has set a priority list for vaccine recipients -- starting with the oldest, most vulnerable people -- it doesnt allocate the different shots based on a persons profile, the agency added. So one 80-year-old patient might receive the AstraZeneca shot while someone else with the same age and health conditions might get the Pfizer one.Some Britons are expressing a preference on the grounds of patriotism rather than what they might have read about different efficacy rates or side effects. Never mind that the U.S. companys vaccine was 95% effective in large trials, compared with an average of 70% for AstraZenecas shot.Theyre saying they want to wait for the British one," Jimmy Whitworth, a professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said in a phone interview. I think that its purely a nationalistic viewpoint."

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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA TERESA  The construction site along the Mexican border, between El Paso and Santa Teresa, is all but abandoned.

Giant earthmovers sit dormant beside twisted heaps of rust-colored metal. Water leaks from a massive tank nearby, forming a puddle before it disappears into the parched earth below.

Now and then, a Border Patrol truck speeds by, dragging tires  smoothing the dirt to better see any footprints later  before the area falls silent again.

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In one direction, the imposing spires of a newly constructed wall shoot up a mountainside where they collide with the past in the form of the thick mesh and squat stature of the old wall.

Two weeks ago, this stretch was bustling with the incessant beep of machinery, the scrape of metal against coarse soil and upturned dust devils as dozens of workers laid the foundation for another section of former President Donald Trumps border wall.

That all screeched to a halt with an executive order, on Jan. 20, from President Joe Biden that called the wall  promoted as a way to crack down on illegal immigration during Trumps 2016 election campaign  a waste of money and ordered construction stopped by last Wednesday.

Immigration advocates applaud the stoppage. Those involved in industrial expansion in New Mexico border towns see no negative effects at all, because much of the work was contracted out of state  although some local leaders have welcomed the slight economic boom from out-of-state workers spending money in restaurants and hotels. And some of those involved in the project decry the loss of work and the layoffs caused by the stoppage.

In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it has suspended construction on the wall except for activities that are safety related while assessments are conducted and plans are established in compliance with the Presidents Proclamation.

Of the 118 miles of wall that had been designated for replacement along New Mexicos border with Mexico, CBP said it had only 18 miles left, including six miles in pre-construction.

Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce released a statement Jan. 20 saying Bidens executive order will present serious problems for New Mexico.

Cutting off border wall funding will have a harmful impact on immigration policy and will make our American border less secure, Pearce said.

Pablo, a worker with one of the contracted companies  El Paso-based Concrete Unlimited  said he was caught off guard by the order.

I never planned for this, but its happening, he said, in Spanish. Theyre just gathering the metal and returning it.

Pablo, who didnt give his last name, said he was part of a crew building the wall from Sunland Park to Antelope Wells. The crew had 10 miles left, he said.

Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico, said Bidens move to stop the wall is very symbolic for his supporters.

If youre going to say: What is Trump known for? It seems to me that one of those things is building a wall, so if you take that down, thats sort of a takedown of Trump, she said, adding that its just as substantive a statement for Trumps supporters as it is for Bidens.

In a 2020 Journal poll, 52% of likely New Mexico voters surveyed said they would prefer to stop the building of the wall, while 38% voiced support for it.

A sense of hope

An immigrant advocate says he sees hope in Bidens actions.

Adriel Orozco, executive director at New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, said the first few days of the Biden administration have brought cautious optimism.

Things were really hard under the Trump administration  that wall was one small aspect of so many things that had been thrown our way, he said.  Seeing these actions and these swift actions by President Biden have really created a sense of hope and a lot of relief.

Orozco said the wall stoppage signals a potential shift toward a more humane approach to immigration, one that centers more on the reasons why people are coming (and) how is it that were addressing those issues.

There are more than 60,000 folks who are still on the other side of the border living in shelters, on the streets, waiting to get their fair shot at trying to request asylum, he said.

Despite the change in administration, Orozco said he remains cautious about the possibility of a high rate of deportations, like those during Obamas presidency.

He said he hopes Biden does stand by his commitment for comprehensive immigration reform and devotes more resources toward the border to help speed up the processing of asylum-seekers.

Little economic impact

On the business side of things, Jerry Pacheco, president of the Border Industrial Association, said stopping construction of the wall has no effect on New Mexicos workers and little economic impact at the border.

Theres not a concern down here, I can tell you that much, he said.

Pacheco said the companies building the wall are from out of state, places like Montana and Texas, and use materials and workers from out of state.

Unless its a political discussion, the walls not playing a big role in anybodys life, at least on behalf of the industrial base here, he said.

But a foreman with Concrete Unlimited, who wouldnt give his name, spoke frankly about Bidens order and the hundreds of people he had to lay off from sites in New Mexico.

This (expletive) president shoots it in the (expletive) because everybody hates (expletive) Trump, the foreman said. Even though he couldnt shut his mouth on (expletive) Twitter and he didnt know when to clam up, he was still a good president to put people to work.

The foreman said he laid off 40 people, including Pablo, from this stretch, and 160 near Columbus.

He said he initially had 500 people working between El Paso and Antelope Wells.

Theyre the ones that are going to suffer, he said.
The European Unions threat to impose a vaccine border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland risks reigniting one of Brexits bitterest disputes. The EU has introduced checks on vaccines made in the bloc, being exported to the UK after the Brexit amid the supply shortfall. While the post-Brexit-deal seeks no restrictions on exports to Northern Ireland, the EU feared that the shipments might be exported directly into the UK via NI as the backdoor, and hence, the bloc resorted to prevent the vaccine supply from entering into Northern Ireland by invoking the Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Despite that the Brexit deal guarantees open trade and borders with Northern Ireland, the EU suspended the deals article 16 citing economic, societal or environmental difficulties, exercising the export controls to the NI, eventually into the UK. However, the EUs threat to stop vaccines crossing freely from the EU to NI was later swiftly withdrawn after it set off a diplomatic crisis between Ireland, the EU and the UK. But the threat reopened the toxic political row over Northern Irelands post-Brexit status.

READ: WHO Criticises EU Over Vaccine Export Controls, Says Its A 'very Worrying Trend'

Massive misjudgement

The vaccine export row escalated on Saturday after Northern Irelands first minister and Democratic Unionist party leader, Arlene Foster, called for the entire deal affecting the region to be redrawn. According to The Guardian, Foster said that the protocol was proving to be unworkable and that serious problems had emerged with trade between NI and Great Britain. Theresa Villiers, who the former NI secretary, also said that it is vital that the government uses this is an opportunity to talk quite toughly with the EU about how the northern Ireland protocol is working.

READ: UK And Irish Officials On UK-EU Vaccine Row

While called EUs decision a massive misjudgement, Villiers said that this is an important time to point out some the other really serious defects in how it is approaching NI. She added that she certainly want the protocol to be a temporary arrangement, but she also added that the leaders can now turn it into something that is broadly workable. Moreover, David Jones, a former Tory cabinet minister, also said that the protocol must go. He added that the EU has shown how ready they are to weaponise it, even with no provocation, in a fit of spite.

Now, the compromise eventually agreed between the EU and Dublin exempts vaccine manufacturers from seeking authorisation for doses crossing the border to Northern Ireland, avoiding claims of erecting a vaccine border in Ireland. Instead, the Irish government will be required to report on the number of doses distributed to Northern Ireland in a sign that the commission remains concerned that it could be a backdoor route for the movement of vaccines to the rest of the UK. The EU officials had said that they also got suspicions that certain vaccinations are leaving Europe, so the bloc has put in place this mechanism to check. The EU holds manufacturers to account, with vaccine shortages being reported across the bloc.

READ: Vaccine Export Row: UK PM Boris Johnson Raises Concerns With EU Chief

READ: EU Says It Is Not Triggering Safeguard Clause Over Vaccines
Screenshot from Bobby Berk Instagram

According to an Instagram post from "Queer Eye" design expert Bobby Berk, which shows the loveable group posing outside of Austins famous El Arroyo sign, the hit show is looking for more central Texans to give a major confidence boost.

I cant wait to see food expert Antonio Porowskis reaction to Texas-style tacos and fashion guru Tan France pulling off a stylish cowboy boot.
CAIRO  Several countries are seeking a mediation role in the faltering negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is set to assume in February the chairmanship of the African Union, with Congo President Felix Tshisekedi succeeding his South African counterpart. Among the chairmanship's duties is sponsorship of the ongoing dam negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.

On Jan. 21, the ambassadors of the United States and Italy to Sudan praised Khartoums position in the talks on the dam. During their meeting with Sudanese Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas, the two ambassadors stressed the need to establish an exchange data mechanism to ensure Khartoum's right to secure its dams, water facilities and the safety of its citizens during the operation of the Renaissance dam.

Meanwhile, the British ambassador to Khartoum, Irfan Siddiq, stressed during his meeting with Abbas on Jan. 18 his countrys support for reaching an agreement on the dam that is satisfactory to all concerned parties, namely Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

The Sudan News Agency reported Jan. 13 that the United Arab Emirates is seeking to converge the views of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia with the aim of breaking the deadlock in the dam negotiations, following a one-day visit by a delegation from the UAE Foreign Ministry to Sudan.

The recent actions come as the latest round of dam negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, sponsored by the African Union, have faltered. On Jan. 10, the six-party meeting of water and irrigation ministers and foreign ministers from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia failed to reach a binding and legal agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. The failure was ostensibly due to disagreements over how to resume negotiations and the procedural aspects related to managing the negotiation process.

Abbas said in a statement issued Jan. 11 that his country asked the African Union experts to play a greater role in facilitating negotiations and bridging the rift between the conflicting parties. The day before, Egypt and Ethiopia expressed reservations about the Sudanese proposal to expand the role of African Union experts.

Cairo University political scientist Tarek Fahmy told Al-Monitor over the phone that any attempt to mediate "is a noble and welcome attempt. The UAE efforts are the most prominent and tangible. Yet they come at a critical time, a few months before the scheduled start of the second filling of the dam in August.

He added, The UAEs mediation could have two scenarios. The first consists of stalling until the second filling of the dam is done. The second aims to succeed in the negotiations, which is difficult to achieve in light of the approaching second filling stage and the absence of a specific agenda for this mediation.

Fahmy said, Egypt wants the African Union to officially declare the failure of the negotiations and inform the negotiating parties that it no longer will play the role of mediator in the negotiation process in its capacity as the relevant regional organization. In this case, Egypt would be able to internationalize the file by referring it to the UN Security Council.

Since the construction of the dam began on the Blue Nile in 2011, Egypt and Sudan (two downstream countries) have been striving to reach a binding legal agreement with Ethiopia (an upstream country) through negotiations on the rules for filling and operation of the dam. The three countries signed on March 23, 2015, the Declaration of Principles in Khartoum. The declaration stipulates fair and appropriate use of water, non-harm, cooperation and regional integration, as the dam raises concerns in Egypt and Sudan about their historical shares of Nile water.

Egypt, which suffers water scarcity, fears a decrease in its Nile water share amounting to about 55.5 billion cubic meters. The $4.6-billion dam is located near the Ethiopian-Sudanese border, with a maximum capacity of 74 billion cubic meters. For its part, Sudan fears the dam will affect its agriculture by retaining silt (sediment) and reducing water levels, which would consequently undermine its fish wealth. Ethiopia says the dam is necessary for economic development, as the dam will provide Ethiopia and other countries with large quantities of electricity.

Hani Raslan, head of the Sudan and Nile Basin Countries Unit at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor the most important stance regarding the negotiations currently is the US position. The US has experience and is well aware of the details of the dam crisis and its points of disagreement. It is also well aware that the Ethiopian position contradicts international law and that Ethiopias intransigence on the negotiations threatens Egypt and Sudan.

He added, Washington had previously submitted a document containing a set of items on filling and operating the dam. This means the US is the most equipped to make an efficacious intervention" when it comes to the dam, "especially since the US does not want the region to slip into any spiraling conflict.

Raslan said the UAE, UK, Italy and even the Democratic Republic of the Congo may play auxiliary roles in resolving the crisis, but they will not be able, alone, to reach an acceptable settlement.

A former Egyptian irrigation minister, Mohamed Nasr Allam, does not expect progress in the negotiations during the coming period. He told Al-Monitor, The interference of some new parties may push the negotiations forward, but only if this is done within the framework of enforcement of international law.

Allam added, These efforts will not result in any solution unless Ethiopia shows flexibility; it has so far rejected any mediation, whether regional or international. This is something that falls neither in its favor nor in its interest.
"What matters is that you know that we have already purchased the vaccines and the plane ready to leave," she emphasized.

?? En vivo | Presidenta del Consejo de Ministros, @VBermudezV, informa sobre las gestiones para la llegada del primer lote de vacunas. https://t.co/HovRgGDAs0
NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against QuantumScape Corporation f/k/a Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. ("Kensington") ("QuantumScape" or the "Company") (NYSE: QS) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and docketed under 21-cv-00150, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise, acquired QuantumScape securities between November 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Plaintiff pursues claims against the Defendants under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

If you are a shareholder who purchased QuantumScape securities during the Class Period, you have until March 8, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

QuantumScape develops battery technology for electric vehicles and other applications.

QuantumScape went public via business combination with Kensington, which closed on November 25, 2020 (the "Merger"), with QuantumScape as the surviving public entity.Kensington was a special purpose acquisition company that was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination. Though Kensington was not limited to a particular industry or sector, it focused its search for a target business in the automotive and automotive-related sector.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose to investors that: (1) that the Company's purported success related to its solid-state battery power, battery life, and energy density were significantly overstated; (2) that the Company is unlikely to be able to scale its technology to the multi-layer cell necessary to power electric vehicles; and (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

On January 4, 2021, an article was published on Seeking Alpha pointing to several risks with QuantumScape's solid-state batteries that make it "completely unacceptable for real world field electric vehicles." Specifically, it stated that the battery's power means it "will only last for 260 cycles or about 75,000 miles of aggressive driving." As solid-state batteries are temperature sensitive, "the power and cycle tests at 30 and 45 degrees above would have been significantly worse if run even a few degrees lower."

On this news, the Company's stock price fell $34.49, or approximately 40.84%, to close at $49.96 per share on January 4, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

888-476-6529 ext. 7980
Mumbai, Jan 31 : Actor Arunoday Singh is gearing up for the release of his romantic spy thriller "Lahore Confidential". He has opened up about his character in the upcoming film.

Arunoday said: "I play a gentleman called Rauf Ahmed Kazmi, who is a very erudite and well-connected man in Lahore, who organises mushairas and cultural/literary events around the country." The actor added: "He knows many many writers and is well regarded by all of them as a kindred soul. He is soft spoken and gentle and has a great depth to him, that becomes apparent as Richa's character spends more and more time with him." "Lahore Confidential" is directed by Kunal Kohli. The film also stars Richa Chaddha and Karishma Tanna.

The ZEE5 film premieres on February 4.
Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Sunday attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and said that "farmers beaten up, journalists jailed, protests discredited" is 'BJP's democrazy'.

"Farmers being beaten up, honest journalists being jailed, genuine protests being discredited, arrogance of those in positions of power at its peak.

This isn't democracy but BJP's democrazy," tweeted Chaturvedi on Sunday.

Earlier the leader had slammed the Centre for failing to resolve the farmers' issue and accused the Central government of not taking adequate measures to prevent the January 26 violence during the Kisan tractor rally.

"This is the failure of the government to have not resolved the issue sooner, allowed it to fester for months and despite having constant inputs from various agencies about how things could go out of control not been prepared with adequate measures to stop this" the Rajya Sabha MP had tweeted on January 26 reacting to the Republic Day violence.

On January 26, during the tractor rally, a group of farmers deviated from the assigned route, broke through barriers, clashed with security personnel in several parts of Delhi. They also vandalised property and even entered the Red Fort, where they hoisted their flags.

Over 25 FIRs have been registered in connection with the January 26 violence under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sections of IPC dealing with sedition.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the capital since November 26 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.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, Jan 31 : Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has asserted that the new farm laws do not affect the current MSP system and APMC's Mandis as well.

Countering the the views of Former Agriculture Minister and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Tomar on Sunday said that Mandis will be more competitive and cost effective in terms of services and infrastructure under the new ecosystem.

His response came a day after Pawar raised concern over the new farm laws saying these legislations will adversely affect the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and weaken the Mandi system.

In a series of tweets, Tomar said: "Under the new ecosystem, mandis are not affected. Instead, they will be more competitive and cost effective in terms of services and infrastructure; and both the systems will synergistically co-exist for the common interest of farmers." "As he (Pawar) is such a veteran leader, I would like to believe that he was genuinely misinformed of the facts. Now that he has the right facts, I hope he will also change his stand and also explain the benefits to our farmers." The Agriculture Minister claimed that new laws facilitate promotion of additional choice channel for farmers with choice to sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with hassle free movement in and outside the state to realize competitive and better net price for their produce.

He said, "This doesn't affect the current MSP system." "Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mixture of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms," Tomar added.

The Centre enacted 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 last year in a move to bring reform in Agriculture and allied sectors which have been opposed by some groups of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh.

Around 40 organisations of farmers have been demonstrating at Delhi's borders since November 26, 2020 and demand for repeal of these three laws and legal guarantee for buying of the crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The first part of the Budget Session of Parliament will end on February 13 instead of February 15 as the Rajya Sabha, on Sunday, decided to change its sitting, sources said.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu also made a fervent appeal to the leaders of various parties at an all-party meeting to ensure smooth and effective functioning of the House during the Budget Session.

Leaders of various parties attending the meeting assured that there would be full participation in all the debates and discussions in the House, the sources add.

It was also decided that the Rajya Sabha would sit on February 13 instead of the scheduled sitting on February 15, as the last of the first part of the Budget Session, the sources said after the meeting.

The house will adjourn to enable the Department Related Parliamentary Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various departments and ministries, and will meet again on March 8.

A number of ministers and around 25 leaders of various parties attended the all-party meeting.

The leaders sought more time for the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address and the General Budget, to which Naidu asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and the others concerned to rework the time schedule.

The chairman observed that these two discussions offer ample opportunities to the members to reflect on a wide range of issues for which more time may be allocated.

He also urged the ministers to learn the art of speaking in brief, both while moving the bills for consideration and replying to debates, so that members get more time to speak.

The allocation of sufficient time for members of small parties and groups in the House was also discussed, with the chairman observing that efforts were being made to give reasonable amount of time for such members.

He, however, noted that it may not be possible for members of about 20 such parties to speak on every issue.

Besides the minister of parliamentary affairs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri attended the meeting.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Leader of the House Thawarchand Gehlot also attended the meeting.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma and chief whip Jairam Ramesh, JDS leader and former prime minister HD Devegowda, BJP leader Bhupinder Yadav, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, DMK's Tiruchi Siva, AIADMK's A Navaneethakrishnan, RJD's Prem Chand Gupta, BJD's Prasanna Acharya, JD(U) leader RCP Singh, TRS leader K Keshava Rao, YSR Congress leader A Vijaysai Reddy, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, CPI-M leader Elamaram Kareem and Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar were among those who attended the meeting.



(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.)
News

Atlanta, Georgia - Two leaders of the national gang the Gangster Disciples were sentenced for a racketeering conspiracy involving murder.

Shauntay Craig, aka Shake, 42, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Craig pleaded guilty in August 2019 to racketeering conspiracy involving murder and drug trafficking.

Donald Glass, aka Smurf, 30, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced to life plus 120 months in prison. Glass was convicted by a federal jury in May 2019 of racketeering conspiracy involving murder, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, causing death through the use of a firearm for the murder of Robert Dixon, and other firearms crimes.

As leaders of the Gangster Disciples, these defendants terrorized communities across the country by engaging in, and ordering others to engage in, multiple acts of violence, including murder, said Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. The significant sentences imposed upon defendant Craig for his national leadership role in the gang, and defendant Glass for his creation of an army of teenagers who shot and killed indiscriminately, demonstrate that even the most sophisticated and ruthless gangs are no match for the coordinated efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Members of the Gangster Disciples left a trail of death and destruction across Georgia and much of the United States, said Bobby L. Christine, Acting U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of Georgia. The sentence for these two gang leaders sends a resounding message to those who seek to inflict irreparable harm on their communities in furtherance of a violent gang. It should reassure citizens that we will use every asset we have to abolish gang activity.

The Gangster Disciples are a ruthless gang that preyed upon our communities for far too long, and Craig and Glass were the driving force behind the devastation the gang caused, said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Atlanta Field Office. It is our goal to dismantle these organized, violent criminal enterprises and we could not do it without the efforts of the FBI led Safe Streets Gang Task Force and its state and local partners.

Craig was a Board Member, the highest-ranking position in the Gangster Disciples. He was responsible for violence, drug trafficking, and murders, including orchestrating the murder of a government informant in Colorado to protect his drug empire.

Glass led the H.A.T.E. Committee, a specialized enforcement team within the Gangster Disciples that reigned terror through its numerous murders, shootings, and robberies. As leader of the H.A.T.E. Committee, Glass ordered his band of teenage shooters, including a juvenile who Glass groomed to be an assassin, to shoot and kill more than 10 people.

According to the charges and other information presented in court, the Gangster Disciples are a national gang with roots in Chicago dating back to the 1970s. The gang is highly structured, with a hierarchy of leadership posts known as Positions of Authority or POAs. The gang strictly enforces rules for its members, the most important of which is Silence and Secrecy  a prohibition on cooperating with law enforcement. Violations of the rule are punishable by death. Evidence at trial showed that the Gangster Disciples were responsible for 24 shootings from 2011 through 2015, including 12 murders.

This case was investigated by the FBI Atlantas Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Atlanta Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, Aurora Police Department (Colorado), IRS  Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Services, and the Georgia Department of Corrections, with significant assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Kim S. Dammers, Principal Deputy Chief of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS), Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan K. Buchanan, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crime and National Security Section and Erin N. Spritzer of the Northern District of Georgia, and OCGS Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe prosecuted the case.
As a student of Binghamton University, I went to Russia only once, in June of 2010 for a month. I did not go with any specific program through a university but instead arranged my stay through a program called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). This is essentially an online database where hosts from around the world can advertise their farms and anybody interested in that kind of work can browse what is offered. Arrangements between hosts and volunteers are conducted entirely by them and are often a direct exchange of labor for boarding and food.

Through the WWOOF program, I found a host with a small farm about two and a half hours from Moscow and arranged a stay. My hostess lived alone in a small ten by ten foot house. Her farm in that location was less than two years old and accordingly undeveloped. She sustained herself on her single cow (named Zvyozdochka, or little star), which she milked twice a day. She sold the milk to neighbors and quenched our appetites with it as well. I lived in a comfy tent next to her house, which skirted a beautiful but mosquito-ridden birch forest.

My work consisted of basic chores such as bringing grass to the animals (my hostess had an old horse as well, which did little more than eat her grass and look stoic), cutting and stacking firewood (a much needed commodity for surviving winter in the Russian countryside), etc. She also gave me more interesting tasks like building a chicken pen for new born chicks and renovating her horse-drawn wagon. She often overestimated my skill sets in this regard but the work got done in good time and quality and I learned more than I realized from it.

My experience with this life was far from easy. It pushed me to grapple with a life that was very foreign in a world with few of the comforts I was used to. I say these things not to brag but to give fair warning to those who wish to embark on similar excursions. It will be the time of your life, but such things cannot be without a fair bit of struggle. My Russian improved by leaps and bounds when I was forced to rely on it alone to communicate. I also achieved incredible insights into the Russian people, from their history to their cultural values. Many of these things remain on my mind to this day as I try to understand them within their own context. I look back on that month as a brief reflection on the kind of life I wish to lead and how unprepared for that life I was. It has inspired me to look deeper into the human experience in order to conquer the fears within me that lie dormant at home. I eagerly await a return to Russia in September of 2012 with all the enthusiasm and passion for life that a twenty-one-year-old can muster.

Another prudent warning to those interested in programs like WWOOF, don't expect interpersonal relationships to go smoothly. My dear hostess ended up conflicting with me and after two and a half weeks she threw me out. I was doing what I thought was best and she was doing the same. Somewhere in there was a cultural, linguistic void that was not broached and we had a falling out. I ended up spending the rest of my time with a wonderfully generous Russian family nearby, with whom I still keep in contact. This story illustrates how the WWOOF system is a less secure way of traveling abroad in that there is no umbrella structure to protect the traveler from unexpected events. This is a higher risk route, but such challenges often garner the highest rewards.I highly recommend it.

Peter Ward, '12
The B66 Bann Road has been closed in both directions following the discovery of a suspicious object between Agivey and Bendooragh.

Police have also closed the Glenstall Road near Bendooragh and the Balnamore Road following the discovery of a second suspicious object in the Ballymoney area of Co Antrim.

The Bann Road between Agivey and Bendooragh remains closed at this time.

Local diversions are in place however motorists are asked to avoid the area if possible whilst efforts are ongoing to examine both objects.
And for anyone who has spent the last year working in isolation, the groups unique and very hands-on approach to improvisation and reducing the spaces between bodies must seem like a kind of intoxication.

Contact Gonzo is a rough-and-tumble Osaka-based ensemble that combines street fighting and contemporary dance. Its the wildest and most surprising kind of performance art.

Three dancers who participated in a 2020 Contact Gonzo workshop  Michaela Tancheff, Jayden Wall and Adrien Tucker  have reunited for a four-day Chunky Move residency to continue exploring the Japanese groups methods.

On Saturday the group presented the results of these investigations. While the event was little more than the sum of its parts, it was still a gutsy return to live performance and a worthwhile experiment.

The themes of the afternoon  building resilience, reimagining ensemble collaboration  were introduced in a preliminary talk by Chunky Move artist director Antony Hamilton who also performed with the three younger dancers.

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Together the quartet offered a short improvisation, a Contact Gonzo workshop exercise in which participants strike one another on the face and chest, and a fragment of a work in progress by Hamilton.
As many school districts across the state  including the largest districts  continue to push back their reopening dates for in-person learning, one group has continued showing up, day after day.

School custodians and maintenance workers have regularly cleaned, and deep cleaned, their districts buildings since the summer and continue to do so, even as many districts remain in remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kim Scott, president of the East Orange Maintenance Association, said her members are in school buildings cleaning five days a week, while the district is remote. While Scott said no one is happy being in the building that often because of the virus, her members are happy to be working.

But at the same token, we are glad were able to come to work, to be able to get a paycheck, (and) to be able to assist the school district in moving forward, she told NJ Advance Media, so that when we do return to full capacity, our students are met with clean, safe schools. ... That is our goal.

Deep cleanings happen in every building on Wednesdays, Scott said, and maintenance workers are able to complete project updates with most people absent from the building, including painting, removing floors and replacing walls.

No layoffs have taken place among her members, Scott said.

Roughly 40 of Scotts members, which totals close to 400 people, have contracted the coronavirus since March, she said. But fortunately there have been no deaths, she added.

In Passaic County, many custodians and maintenance workers are in district buildings every day.

Susan Butterfield, president of the Passaic County Education Associations, oversees the local associations in the county, which has about 11,000 members. She said the situation for these workers largely depends on each district.

The cleaning they do is deeper than their typical workload prior to COVID-19, she said, but she believes many workers are in the buildings daily.

So its like a lot of this pandemic impact on schools  its just very localized responses and impact, based on the building, based on the number of people, if theyre open, if theyre remote Butterfield told NJ Advance Media. Theres really so many different (factors).

The lack of consistency has been frustrating, she added, since members may not live in the districts they work in and they may have difficulty finding childcare.

In Mercer County, the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School Districts buildings and grounds crew consists of 25 district employees and 85 employees from ABM, the districts facility management company.

Superintendent David Aderhold said there have not been any layoffs among the buildings and grounds staff since the pandemics start. The buildings and grounds department regularly cleans the districts 10 schools, he said.

At the start of the school year, when outside events and after-school activities were eliminated, custodial schedules were modified from the evening to the day shift to increase cleaning routines and focus on higher frequency cleaning of restrooms and high-touch areas, he said.

Keith Gourlay, executive director of the New Jersey School Building and Grounds Association, said layoffs and cleaning schedules are dependent on the district, with some townships letting people go due to budget issues.

Other districts have come up with A/B schedules to accommodate possible absences due to infections, he said. But the decisions are usually localized and dependent on size.

The smaller districts have a tough time, you know, they dont have a lot of money. And they dont have a lot of help, said Gourlay, whose 420 members are mainly facility directors.

So it falls on specific people to get that done and it can be tough, it can be tough, he added. The larger districts are not so bad.

But regardless of district size, preparation has been key for proper cleaning, maintenance, and scheduling, Gourlay said.

You dont wait for the day to happen. You prepare for the day to happen, he said. And thats our normal rule. And a lot of people just dont do that. Its unfortunate they dont have the staff to do that, and then when it happens, they have to react.

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Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
After narrowly winning over a divided School board and besting an internal candidate, Sito Narcisse wasted no time getting to work in his new job as East Baton Rouge Parish schools superintendent.

While he is not set to start full time in Baton Rouge until Monday, hes moved fast over the past two weeks to start shaking things up and answering those who see the need for big changes in the states second largest traditional school district. Hes moved so fast, in fact, that it's created legal complications and provoked resistance from board members uneasy with the pace he's setting.

The morning after the board picked him, the 45-year-old veteran educator flew from Washington, D.C. to Baton Rouge and embarked on a whirlwind tour of schools, including holding a press conference with state and local officials to herald his new position. Narcisse ended up staying in town for five days before heading back to D.C.

On day four of his stay, he signed on the dotted line. Narcisses contract comes with a base salary of $255,000 a year. Unexpectedly, it also called for him to start the job that same day, Monday, Jan. 18.

In starting as superintendent so soon, Narcisse stands out. Typically, superintendents wait two weeks or longer to wrap up their old jobs before officially taking over a new one.

Adding to the confusion, the first version of the contract posted online set Narcisses start date as Feb. 1, which was described at the time as a clerical error. Soon after a corrected version was posted with the Jan. 18 start date.

Mike Gaudet, who until recently served as board president and negotiated the contract with Narcisse, said he wanted to give Narcisse the ability to immediately hire his own leadership team and get to work.

Were already almost in February, Gaudet said. Weve got a budget to make and lots of things that need to be done before this next school year.

Narcisse began pushing right away for a far-reaching Central Office reorganization. He asked the parish School Board to quickly approve changes to 24 job descriptions  several of them brand new positions, with many earning six-figure salaries.

But, by the Jan. 21 board meeting, Narcisse retreated, amid concerns from some board members and teachers union leaders that he was planning to go on a costly outside hiring spree. He settled, at least for the time being, for just four new top positions: chief academic officer, chief of schools, chief operations officer and chief of staff. These new jobs are expected to be filled soon.

Even as hes been busy with his work in Baton Rouge, Narcisse had been finishing out his final two weeks as chief of secondary schools for Washington D.C. public schools  his last day was Friday. Its a busy time in D.C, as that school district has readied for a controversial move to in-person instruction after 11 months of remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic.

+2 Despite French name, Narcisse faces challenges to win over Baton Rouge and lead public schools A native of Long Island, N.Y, and the son of Haitian immigrants with no evident ties to Louisiana or work experience here has vaulted into the

To avoid potential problems of holding two jobs at once  and collecting two paychecks in the process  Narcisse made an unusual decision. The day after signing his contract, he took a leave of absence from his new job in Baton Rouge. The leave of absence lasted until Friday. He said its an idea that came up during contract negotiations as a way to avoid receiving two paychecks at once.

I just want to make sure Im doing everything by the book," Narcisse said.

When hes not been doing his duties in D.C., Narcisse said hes been working on East Baton Rouge school matters for free.

This is all on my dime, Narcisse said.

Board member Dawn Collins, who was appointed vice president on Jan. 21, said she was not aware that Narcisse was on a leave of absence until she began asking questions after seeing a Jan. 22 post on Facebook by board watcher James Finney referencing Louisiana law on school superintendents.

The law has broad language prohibiting school superintendents from working other jobs: He shall be required to devote his entire time to the office of superintendent of schools.

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Gwynn Shamlin, general counsel for East Baton Rouge Parish school system, said his reading of the law is that its intended to prevent superintendents from holding two permanent jobs at once, but that it does not apply to Narcisses situation.

Its my position that he is not violating the law, because this is really a transitional period as he moves into this second job, Shamlin said.

Collins questioned the rush to bring Narcisse on board so fast.

The best practice is you dont start someone right away who cant answer basic questions through no fault of their own without a transition period, she said.

David Tatman, who was elected president of the board on Jan. 21, he is not versed in all the details of those negotiations coming in, because Gaudet, his predecessor negotiated and signed Narcisses contract.

But Tatman said hes been speaking daily with Narcisse and said the new superintendent has been active even while working remotely. Tatman said the decision to go on unpaid leave was Narcisses.

He felt if he takes unpaid leave that way hes not drawing a salary in two places, Tatman said.

Neither Tatman nor Collins voted for Narcisse for superintendent, but they say they want to see Narcisse succeed. Tatman said hes glad that Narcisse is finally coming to Baton Rouge for good.

The man has been elected to be superintendent, and we need to get the man on the ground so he can get to work, Tatman said.

Citing declining health, East Baton Rouge school superintendent resigns after 2 months on job With her health on a swift decline, newly appointed East Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent Leslie Brown has decided to resign from the 

Narcisse is the second East Baton Rouge Parish school superintendent in a row to unexpectedly go on leave. To be sure, the last time was a much different circumstance.

In mid-September, Leslie Brown, whod just been the job for six weeks as superintendent, left on medical leave for an unspecified ailment. Two weeks later, she resigned.

While Narcisse has been on leave, Associate Superintendent Adam Smith has been leading East Baton Rouge schools day to day.

Weve been in communication daily, Smith said.

Narcisse narrowly edged out Smith, a 24-year veteran of the school system, for the superintendents job. Smith had served as interim superintendent for three months prior to that vote.

Smith said he has not seen a new organizational chart yet, but said Narcisse has told current members of the senior cabinet, including himself, that they will continue in senior cabinet-level positions.

Narcisse also said hes been receiving regular reports from an outside transition team hes organized to help him sort out his plans in his new job. Smith said members of the transition team started meeting with school staff, including himself, early this past week.

On Monday, Narcisse starts the job in person. And he's ready to get moving.

Im going to be full time and Im really excited, Narcisse said.
US says Vietnam's currency actions 'unreasonable' but holds off on tariffs

President Donald Trumps administration on Friday said Vietnams actions to push down the value of its currency are unreasonable and restrict U.S. commerce, but did not impose punitive tariffs.

Releasing the results of its so-called Section 301 investigation into Vietnams currency practices, the U.S. Trade Representatives (USTR) office said it would continue to evaluate all available options to correct the situation. That process will pass to the administration of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who is due to take office on Wednesday.

The U.S. Treasury Department in December labeled Vietnam a "currency manipulator" due to its growing trade surplus with the United States, its large global current account surplus and heavy foreign exchange market intervention to hold down the value of its dong currency.

Business groups and trade experts had feared this would lead to tariffs in the USTR investigation opened last October as a parting shot from the Republican Trump, who aggressively imposed tariffs during his four years in office.

The USTR said it consulted the Treasury Department on Vietnams exchange-rate policies.

"Unfair acts, policies and practices that contribute to currency undervaluation harm U.S. workers and businesses, and need to be addressed," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement. "I hope that the United States and Vietnam can find a path for addressing our concerns."

The Section 301 investigation - named after a provision in a U.S. trade law - was the same tool that Lighthizer used to launch a sweeping tariff war against China, which has left punitive U.S. tariffs on $370 billion worth of annual Chinese imports and prompted many companies to shift supply chains out of China. Vietnam has been a major beneficiary of investment from those companies seeking to avoid U.S. tariffs on China.

The USTRs decision to hold off on ordering tariffs against Vietnamese goods gives Bidens nominee as trade representative, Katherine Tai, some breathing room in deciding how to approach Vietnam.

A spokesman for Bidens transition team declined to comment on the USTR decision.

The move has paralleled other decisions by the trade office in recent days against imposing tariffs on France, Austria, Britain, Italy, Spain, India and Turkey in retaliation for their digital services taxes.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched the pulse polio programme in the state by administering drops to children at a healthcare facility here and said over 1.10 lakh booths have been set up for the vaccination drive.

All the newborns should be taken to booths and administered polio drops so that the state and the country remain free of the disease, he said.

"A little bit of laxity may paralyse the future of a child... Almost 3.40 crore children in the age group of 0-5 years in the state are being administered the drops. For this, more than 1.10 lakh booths have been set up," the chief minister said.

"The World Health Organisation had on March 27, 2014, declared India polio-free. Even today, three countries -- Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria -- are still polio-infected."

Hence, despite India being polio-free, the danger of the disease coming from the polio-infected countries still remains. So, effective implementation of pulse polio immunisation programme is necessary, Adityanath said.

About the COVID-19 situation, the pandemic has been effectively curtailed in Uttar Pradesh due to dedicated work done by medical teams.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, serious work has been done to improve the health facilities. Two COVID vaccines have been made in the country. India has been providing anti-coronavirus vaccines to other nations as the prime minister strongly believes in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (world is one family)," Adityanath said.

Referring to the health scenario of the state, he said, "From Independence to 2016, there were only 12 medical colleges in the state. In the last four years, work is going on to establish 31 new medical colleges in the state. District hospitals have also been expanded."

He also said that when the first COVID-19 case was reported in the state, there was no testing facilities.

"At present, everyday almost 1.75 lakh samples are tested in the state. Ventilators have been provided in every district and training has also been imparted to operate them," the chief minister said.

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

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Anyone with information about the suspicious death of a 39-year-old man found dead in his home north of Brisbane is being urged to come forward.

Family members of the man arrived at the house on Wobur Street at Bracken Ridge just after midday and found his body.

The cause of death is not known at this stage, with homicide detectives establishing a crime scene and beginning investigations.

Detectives are asking anyone who has information about the mans death or might have seen anything suspicious near Wobur Street between 11pm on Saturday and Midday on Sunday to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

- with Jocelyn Garcia
Berger said when he read the findings of the first probe, "it was pretty clear to me we needed to do a follow-on...
Why Study Russian Language and Culture?

Russia's geopolitical situation in the world has somehow always guaranteed its place as the bearer and protector of a unique truth. For example, until the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 Russia followed a calendar that was 13 days behind the calendar used in Western Europe. Russia is different  and rigorous study of Russia's language and culture challenges our own perceptions of right and wrong, good and evil, love and death. Russia's intellectuals have debated universal questions about the nature of space and time, justice and truth, to create some of the most entertaining and sophisticated literature, ballet, art, and film the world has known.

Our program empowers students to explore Russia's great writers and the language they employed, to analyze the images in art and film that iconically represent Russia to itself and others, to contemplate the layers of belief, ritual, and representation that emerge from Russia's blended European and Asian cultural history. Whether you were born in Russia or have no concept of it beyond its infamous tyrants, structured examination of Russian culture will not leave you unmoved or unchanged.
Bengaluru, Jan 31 : Amazon on Sunday announced that sellers will be able to register on the Amazon.in marketplace and manage their online business in Kannada.

This includes everything from registering as an Amazon seller for the first time, to managing orders, inventory management and accessing performance metrics -- all in the language of their preference.

"This experience has been made available on the Amazon seller website as well as on the mobile app. Amazon also provides Seller Support Services and Seller University videos and tutorials in Kannada," a company statement said.

It added that the launch of seller registrations and account management services in Kannada will benefit over 35,000 existing Amazon sellers and lakhs of new sellers from tier-1 and other markets like Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburgi and Mysuru among many cities in Karnataka.

The launch in Kannada is followed by the recently launched seller registrations and account management services in Hindi and Tamil, which saw over 50,000 new Amazon sellers sign up on the Amazon.in marketplace in a language of their convenience.

C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka said that ease of doing business is a key priority for the government, and its focus is on helping businesses adopt technology to be successful in markets.

"By introducing self-registration for sellers in Kannada, Amazon is taking yet another step towards enabling micro, small and medium enterprises leverage e-commerce to grow their business. The ability to conduct their business in Kannada will greatly benefit the SMBs and MSMEs in Karnataka, eliminate language barriers, and help them succeed," he said.

Pranav Bhasin, Director of MSME and Seller Experience, Amazon India said: "As we move to enable more micro, small and medium enterprises to embrace ecommerce, we remain committed to strengthening our vernacular, voice and video powered initiatives." "We, at Amazon India shall continue to eliminate barriers faced by these businesses and facilitate ease of business. The launch of the vernacular registration and account management experience for sellers in Kannada is a major step in that direction," Bhasin said.
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Guest columnist Wendy Patton is senior project director for Policy Matters Ohio.

Most of us agree that the most important thing the government can do is protect peoples health and well-being.

The past year has been hard. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession have put immense strain on our communities, especially those that were already under-resourced.

State lawmakers could do a lot to help. They will soon start work on the biggest tool in the toolkit: the state budget.

Gov. Mike DeWine presents his 2022-23 budget proposal to the legislature in February. Fifteen years of tax cuts and tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations have drained resources from communities and left us unprepared for tough times.

This time, lawmakers must address the needs of millions of Ohioans. The recession may leave them with less revenue than usual, but they have options. They can tap the $2.7 billion rainy day fund and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal fund reserves.

First, lawmakers must provide resources to control the coronavirus. Ohio ranks 48th among the states in public health funding. Long before the pandemic hit, a 2019 study found the whole system needed an additional $93 million.

Lawmakers need to strengthen the public health system to fight COVID-19 now and ensure a better statewide response to future health crises.

Northeast Ohio hospitals and health providers are doing all they can, but they need more support. At the end of 2020, four out of five critical-care beds in Cuyahoga County hospitals were filled.

Studies found that Clevelanders living in neighborhoods with high levels of poverty had difficulty getting a COVID-19 test. State lawmakers could lower those barriers by improving public transit and funding programs that promote access to -- and trust in -- the vaccine.

Nearly 15 percent of people in the Cleveland-Elyria metro area are experiencing poverty, but the poverty rate is nearly 31 percent in Cleveland alone, making it the nations poorest city.

Even before the recession, Cuyahoga County had the highest number of residents in the state who sometimes didnt have enough to eat.

The majority of Clevelands residents are Black or brown. Many have been excluded from government programs that underpinned post-World War II prosperity -- programs their tax dollars and labor supported.

Public policies steered resources away from Black, brown and indigenous communities, forcing people into crowded neighborhoods and sub-standard homes that were often located near polluting factories.

Racial discrimination in the job market holds down incomes and keeps people of color from building wealth comparable to that of their white peers. This has made Black and brown Ohioans more susceptible to health problems -- in particular, COVID-19.

DeWine convened the Minority Health Strike Force to address the root causes behind COVID-19s heavy toll on Black and brown Ohioans. They made 34 recommendations. Lawmakers must pass a state budget that funds and implements these recommendations, like better funding for safe and affordable housing, and recruiting and training more trusted healthcare providers in communities of color.

Instead of making more cuts or accepting inequity as the status quo, Ohios legislators can pass a state budget that makes a better future for all Ohioans.

They can fix the unconstitutional school funding formula so every community has a great school.

They can fund emergency rental assistance, provide more resources to food pantries and ensure emergency aid for people who have been laid off.

They can pass a budget that will help everyone get through the pandemic and build a stronger, more resilient state for the future.

Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Ann Norman at anorman@cleveland.com. Essays must include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting todays topics are also welcome.
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(@FahadShabbir)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jan, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday expressed sadness over the demise of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's leader Shahid Gondal.

"Saddened to learn of Shahid Gondal's passing... My condolences & prayers go to his family," the prime minister said on Twitter.

Shahid Gondal breathed his last earlier in the evening after having COVID-19 related complications.

The prime minister said that late Shahid Gondal was one of PTI's most loyal workers who stood with the party during its struggle against the political mafias.
Imperial Valley News Center

Alleged Leaders of Gangster Disciples Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges

Chicago, Illinois - Seven alleged members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including top national and state leaders, are in custody after multiple arrests this morning for their alleged participation in a years-long interstate racketeering conspiracy involving multiple murders, drug trafficking, and other crimes.

The case was unsealed today 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. This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. We are committed to dismantling violent gangs like the Gangster Disciples and holding their members accountable for criminal conduct.

These charges target national and state leaders of one of the most notorious street gangs in America, said Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies. With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. I am especially grateful for the support of the ATF and the many dedicated law enforcement officers at all levels of government who contributed to this investigation.

ATF has no higher priority than investigating violent crime and ensuring that those who use firearms in furtherance of their criminal activities are held accountable, said Fred Winston, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division. This investigation demonstrates ATFs commitment and the commitment of our law enforcement partners to ensure that Missouri and Illinois communities remain a safe place to live, work and raise families. Utilizing firearms to injure or intimidate others cannot be tolerated and there is no question that the public is safer today because of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of all of the agencies that played a part in this investigation.

Todays indictment is a result of investigative efforts in our Fairview Heights Resident Agency and strong partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, said Sean Cox, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Springfield Field Office. This illustrates, when we work together, how effective our law enforcement alliances are in pursuing and eradicating violent street gangs to make our communities safer.

The BOP takes seriously our mission to protect the safety and security of our correctional institutions and the public, said Miranda Faust, Administrator of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Branch. The BOP's intelligence component appreciates the opportunity to assist our federal partners in detecting and disrupting criminal activity related to inmates in the BOP's custody.

Investigating organized crime and related financial schemes are a top priority for CI, said Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Chicago Field Office. Racketeering, such as the alleged charges today, brazenly facilitates all kinds of illegal dealings that negatively affect the community. Criminal Investigation is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in this case to bring these criminals to justice.

According to court documents, the Gangster Disciples are a violent gang with a decades-long history of lawlessness and a presence throughout the United States, including in state and federal prisons. 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.

Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;

Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky, an alleged Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;

Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, Illinois, an alleged Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;

Sean Clemon, 50, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, an alleged Governor, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;

Dominque Maxwell, 28, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged Assistant Governor, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;

Perry Harris, 29, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged Treasurer and Chief of Security, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; and

Barry Boyce, 44, of Charleston, Missouri, an alleged member of the gang, is charged with RICO conspiracy.

Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. On April 28, 2018, Clemon, Maxwell, and Harris, on orders from Smith, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. On May 18, 2018, Griffin and Dobbins allegedly killed Ernest Wilson, a rival Board Member, in Chicago, Illinois. Other acts of violence alleged as part of the conspiracy include a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis, Illinois; a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and multiple unsuccessful murder plots.

The indictment also alleges various acts of drug trafficking by Gangster Disciples members, including an ongoing scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug K2 into Missouri state prisons.

The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case results from investigations by ATF, FBI, BOP, IRS CI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department, Mississippi County Sheriffs Office, and Chicago Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Jeremy Franker 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.
Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo)

Russia Arrests More Than 5,100 at Pro-Navalny Protests

MOSCOWChanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets on Jan. 31 across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin.

More than 5,100 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten.

Russian authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia had seen in years. Despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups, and tight police cordons, the protests again engulfed cities across Russias 11 time zones.

Navalnys team quickly called another protest in Moscow on Feb. 2, when he is scheduled for a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.

The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is Putins best-known critic, was arrested on Jan.17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement while recuperating in Germany.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his wife Yulia Navalnaya are seen on board a plane before the departure for the Russian capital Moscow at an airport in Berlin, on Jan. 17, 2021. (Maria Vasilyeva/Reuters)

The United States urged Russia to release Navalny and criticized the crackdown on protests.

The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Blinkens call as a crude interference in Russias internal affairs and accused Washington of trying to destabilize the situation in the country by backing the protests.

On Jan. 31, police detained more than 5,100 people in cities nationwide, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests, surpassing some 4,000 detentions at the demonstrations across Russia on Jan. 23.

A policeman detains a man while protesters try to help him, during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Valentin Egorshin/AP Photo)

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city center, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic, and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed.

Navalnys team initially called for the Jan. 31 protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny claims was responsible for his poisoning. Facing police cordons around the square, the protest then shifted to other central squares and streets.

Police were randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses, but thousands of protesters marched across the city center for hours, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief!a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalnys team.

Im not afraid, because we are the majority, said Leonid Martynov, who took part in the protest. We mustnt be scared by clubs because the truth is on our side.

At one point, crowds of demonstrators walked toward the Matrosskaya Tishina prison, where Navalny is being held. They were met by phalanxes of riot police who pushed the march back and chased protesters through courtyards, detaining scores and beating some with clubs. Still, demonstrators continued to march around the Russian capital, zigzagging around police cordons.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo)

In Moscow, more than 1,600 people were detained, including Navalnys wife, Yulia.

If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow, she said on Instagram, before turning out to protest.

Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow have arrested so many people that the citys detention facilities have run out of space.

The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters calls for freedom and change, Natalia Zviagina, the groups Moscow office head, said in a statement.

Several thousand people marched across Russias second-largest city of St. Petersburg, chanting Down with the czar! and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. More than 1,000 were arrested.

Some of the biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk in eastern Siberia, and Yekaterinburg in the Urals.

I do not want my grandchildren to live in such a country, said 55-year-old Vyacheslav Vorobyov, who turned out for a rally in Yekaterinburg. I want them to live in a free country.

People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo)

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who currently chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists and urged Russia to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.

As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalnys associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people on Jan. 29 were put under a two-month house arrest on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.

The Interior Ministry issued stern warnings to the public, saying protesters could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.

Protests were fueled by a two-hour YouTube video released by Navalnys team after his arrest about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putins time in office while poverty has remained widespread.

Demonstrators in Moscow chanted Aqua discotheque!a reference to one of the fancy amenities at the residence that also features a casino and a hookah lounge equipped for watching pole dances.

Putin says neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property. On Jan. 30, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed that he himself owned the property.

Navalny fell into a coma on Aug. 20 while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and the pilot diverted the plane so he could be treated in the city of Omsk. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, as well as tests by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent.

Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

Navalny was arrested immediately upon his return to Russia earlier this month and jailed for 30 days on the request of Russias prison service, which alleged he had violated the probation of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that hes rejected as political revenge.

On Jan. 28, a Moscow court rejected Navalnys appeal to be released, and the Feb. 2 hearing could turn his 3 1/2-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison. Navalnys team called for another protest outside the court building.

By Jim Heintz and Vladimir Isachenkov
Gerardo Rosales works on his artwork that will be on display at Lawndale Art Centers Mind the Gap show on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 in Houston. Four artists were able to extended their residencies at the studio to have a show informed by the pandemic. Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Walking around Memorial Park last year, Gerardo Rosales spotted a coyote that emerged from the trees. The creature scanned its surroundings, found them too busy and retreated. Even after the coyote disappeared from sight, Rosales noticed its eyes glowing from the dark recesses of the greenery.

It was one of the most beautiful encounters I can remember, he says. A sublime encounter. Forty seconds, but it felt like so much longer. Joggers were running past, and they couldnt see it. But I saw its eyes.

Rosales has incorporated the experience into his third of Mine the Gap, an exhibition opening Feb. 6 at Lawndale. Mine the Gap features the work of four artists in three exhibits, all coming out of Lawndales Artist Studio Program residencies. But this years presentation of the residency program is unlike those from years past. Rosales, Holly Veselka and the duo of Jacquelyne Boe and David Janesko should have completed their residency and exhibited their work last year. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, their residency was extended, and their work changed.

I know a lot of artists who had exhibits canceled, Veselka says. But Lawndale really was so supportive of us and our work, extending this by a year.

Mine the Gap When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, Feb. 6-April 25 Where: Lawndale, 4912 Main Details: free; visit lawndaleartcenter.org to set appointment time

Patricia Restrepo curated Mine the Gap.

Its been interesting to see the ways their projects pivoted because of COVID and how things have gone the past year, she says. It was interesting to me that they didnt see restrictions or compromises, but instead an opportunity to reflexively embrace these quote-unquote limitations. Last year opened up new possibilities in their work.

Into the woods

A native of Venezuela, Rosales has lived in Houston for nearly 20 years. He has created a series of works around an umbrella of clandestine themes involving immigration and sexuality. His Memorial Park coyote made him think of those who shepherd people across the border. The coyote to some is a criminal, he says. To others, hes a savior.

The focal point of Rosales works is a 40-by-20-foot wall painting with two faces incorporated into a flower motif. The penis flower, he calls it. Placed on top of the pattern will be independent works. One shows eyes peering out from a sylvan scene. Another is an overhead representation of a caged receptacle, another commentary on U.S. border policies.

Veselka  a Houston native who lives and teaches in San Marcos  offers juxtapositions in her works: Some are found objects, others are representations of those objects that have been processed by a 3D scanner and printed or placed upon one of three video monitors. The duality is intriguing in its mix of artificial and organic. A dragonfly she found just outside Lawndale rests upon a pin, and a tiny frog appears perfectly preserved. Her prints take other natural objects  such as a bundle of flowers  and break them into a matrix of tiny squares.

Much of Veselkas inspiration and core materials were sourced from walks around Buffalo Bayou Park. The space by the kayak launch is a goldmine for strange artifacts, she says.

Veselkas collection reflects her interest in the humanities and their connection to natural surroundings, Restrepo says. She did a lot of research into the ecological history of Houston and the area. Shes very interested in the organic material and also the detritus that she finds here.

Veselka points out that such material and detritus tell the story of a place. The trash and treasures found walking around Houston differ greatly from those she encountered when she lived in New York, a denser urban area with more foot traffic.

In many ways, Houstons not very natural, she says, citing the citys bountiful paved surface area. But it still has these interesting spaces where you find things you wouldnt find elsewhere.

Dance and Zoom

Boe and Janesko are a study in contrasts twisted together to create something new  what Restrepo calls an entirely new model for presentation.

David is more science- and process-geared, and Jacquelyne is a dancer and choreographer interested in movement, she says.

Boe has worked as assistant curator and exhibitions manager at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and Janesko curated the Flatland Gallery here between 2017 and 2019.

Theyd originally planned a large-scale presentation with six live dancers and projections. Because of the pandemic, those plans were scotched, and a new piece was conceived. The prevalence of communication via Zoom over the past year informed their new piece.

We decided we wanted to start from scratch in this new environment, Janesko says. Jacquelyne is a performance artist, so the public needs to be there for it to work. We didnt want to reduce the work by trying to fit it into a new system, so we started improvising and built it from the experience of working under COVID.

They are constructing three 7-by-7-foot wood-framed pods for both projections and live dancers. Boe and her dancers communicated via Zoom and explored the possibilities of working in confined spaces.

It felt exciting or at least interesting, she says, asking the dancers to explore that form.

They determined the size of the pods by having the tallest dancer lie down with her arms outstretched and taking a measurement from fingers to toes.

Into the sea

Any visit inside a gallery is, by nature, immersive. That feeling is further enhanced by Mine the Gap. On one hand, the presentations cumulatively harmonize to prompt the feeling of moving through an aquarium. Many of Rosales pieces bear little tendrils, as do some of Janeskos projections. A few of Veselkas 3D-printed sculptures  bright and asymmetrical  resemble coral structures.

And once inhabited, the pods created by Boe and Janesko will bear some resemblance to an aquatic tank.

To move around the pieces, even in a state of partial completion, offers the feeling of being in the ocean: full of stimuli, sure, but also refreshing and rare after a year of confinement. Pent-up artistic inclinations have a mirror in viewers eager, too, for a return to the old normal.

There is a dynamic feeling to it, almost futuristic, Restrepo says. But thats the moment weve found ourselves in. All of these artists took huge risks and tried elements that they hadnt necessarily worked with before. The goal wasnt to minimize the severity of the experience of the past year, but to find ways to fold our current moment into what they do in an authentic way.

Boe adds: The role of the artist is to be able to pivot; thats what makes us resilient. To think outside the box and find new ways of being in our time.

The added year of residency at Lawndale was all productive time, Janesko says. Nothing, he says, laughing, can stop me from obsessively making things.

andrew.dansby@chron.com
A 41-year-old woman was found Saturday evening fatally stabbed in a Camden apartment, the county prosecutors office announced Sunday.

City firefighters found Christina Pierce with a puncture wound in her back after they responded to an apartment on the 800 block of Haddon Avenue around 9 p.m., authorities said. The firefighters were called to the home for an activated smoke alarm.

Pierce was discovered unresponsive in a room in the apartment after the firefighters extinguished a small stove fire, officials said.

Firefighters and paramedics attempted CPR. They then rushed her to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.

No additional information was immediately available. The incident remains under investigation.

Officials asked anyone with information to contact Det. Kevin Courtney at the prosecutors office at 856-397-6770 or Camden County Police Det. Shawn Donlon at 856-757-7042. Tips can also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

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Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN.

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Shaun Bailey, Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, admits he is facing an uphill battle to unseat Sadiq Khan in the May election.

Lockdown, he says, has made campaigning nigh on impossible and he sees himself very much as the 'underdog' in the election, postponed from last year.

But there's no denying that 49-year-old Bailey would represent a breath of fresh air at City Hall (offices of the Mayor of London) with his ambitious plans to give London a 'fresh start'  including the building of 100,000 affordable homes for young workers that can be part-owned with a mortgage from as little as 100,000  and a deposit of just 5,000.

'I want to give Londoners a real alternative,' he says in a phone call from his family home in Romford, East London, where he lives with his wife Ellie and children Aurora, 13, and Joshua, 11. 'On so many levels, Khan has been a terrible Mayor and it is time for change.'

Building for the future: Shaun Bailey wants young people to be able to get on the housing ladder

Also on his radar is a shrinking in the net of the congestion charging zone that Khan has taken seemingly sadistic joy in expanding  as well as stopping the expansion of the ultra low emission zone for car drivers that charges a daily fee of 12.50 if a car does not meet the exacting standards. 'I want a mobile London,' he says.

He also would have more police officers (8,000 new ones) on the beat and more investment in public transport, especially outside London's heart.

Bailey is very much 'new wave' Conservative. Born in Ladbroke Grove, West London, to British Jamaican parents, he and his older brother Dwain were brought up by their mother Carmen in a council house. Poverty was never far from the door with the family home sometimes struggling to accommodate several aunts and uncles.

It led to a somewhat torrid youth as he toyed with gangs and crime  and street violence was never far away. Things didn't get much easier once he embarked upon an engineering degree in his mid-20s at London Southbank University in Elephant and Castle.

Sofa-surfing dominated his academic life as he depended upon friends to give him a roof over his head. To finance his studies, he took a series of poorlypaid jobs as a security guard, a cleaner and doing beer deliveries. 'There were times when I was facing homelessness,' he says. 'I remember one day sitting in the canteen at London Southbank wondering where I was going to sleep that night.

Thankfully, a friend said I could stay with him. In fact, it turned out quite nicely because I slept in his bedroom while he stayed in the lounge so he could listen to his new stereo.'

Yet, all the time, he was driven to better himself. 'My mother was a pillar of her community and very much urged me to become involved in it,' he says. 'My dad, who I did not see until I was in my teens, encouraged me to work hard and keep fighting to improve myself.'

Both are still alive and continue to drive Bailey forward. Carmen, in her 70s, is a receptionist at a GP surgery in West London while father James  very much a 'man's man'  has retired from his job as a lorry driver. Dwain died in late 2019 after battling against alcohol addiction.

As a result, Bailey is an individual who very much believes in hard work as way of personal progression. But also, he is someone who will never forget his roots and has something of the 'common touch' about him.

It's no surprise that a big focus of his working life has been spent running youth and community projects in or around Ladbroke Grove. He also set up a charity, My Generation, to support young people in deprived communities, which closed in 2012 because of funding issues. It was this work that eventually drew the attention of then Tory leader David Cameron and his political adviser Steve Hilton.

'I remember Steve coming to hear me speak on youth issues and, in particular, how to break the cycle of crime for many young people,' says Bailey. 'At the time he wasn't aware I had just been involved in a fight in the car park with a drug dealer.'

Bailey became a 'Big Society' ambassador in 2011  Cameron's flagship policy ahead of the 2010 General Election designed to take power away from politicians and give it to the people.

He was then Cameron's special adviser on youth, crime and welfare issues. Although failing to get elected as a Conservative MP in both the 2010 and 2017 General Elections, he has been a member of the London Assembly for the past five years, forever holding the Mayor to account.

A 'card-carrying' Christian for the past 16 years, Bailey embraces a blend of conservatism that came to the fore under Margaret Thatcher  one based on civic responsibility, hard work and free enterprise.

'Family, country, the dignity of work, the responsibility of community  these are all conservative values that drive me forward,' he says. 'And, of course, a commitment to reducing society's dependence on welfare.'

His plan to fund the building of 100,000 homes that young people can then part-own has echoes of Thatcherism.

One of Thatcher's first key policy initiatives on becoming Prime Minister in 1979 was to give council tenants the right to buy their home at a big discount to its market value. It led to one of the biggest transfers of wealth from the state to the people the country has ever witnessed. Bailey's promise may not be as bold  and is obviously confined to London  but it's empowering.

Under his shared ownership homes initiative, young people would be encouraged to become homeowners with minimum deposits from 5,000 and mortgages from 100,000. Some 100,000 homes would be built on brownfield sites by developers with their construction subsidised by grants of up to 3.2billion made available by a company set up specifically by Bailey for the purpose  Housing for London.

First-time buyers would be able to buy a slice of a home and then pay rent on the proportion they don't own. As their career progresses they would be able to own a greater slice of the home through a process called 'staircasing'.

Bailey says the home loans would be offered through Housing for London in partnership with mainstream mortgage providers  so that 'they can access finance on suitable terms'.

Bailey insists the 100,000 homes would all be built in his first term as Mayor  and sold on long leases with the cost of any repairs or maintenance in the first ten years being covered by the landlord (Housing for London).

'Coming from a council home, I always wanted to one day become a homeowner,' says Bailey.

'But it took me until my late-30s to achieve it. First on a shared ownership basis with a new-build flat that Ellie and I bought in Willesden, North-West London.

'We originally owned 20 per cent of the property but by the time we left we owned 45 per cent. Then we bought in our own right with the purchase of our three-bedroom home in Romford five years ago.

'I want more Londoners to become homeowners like me and my wife, and the shared ownership model I am proposing is the way forward.

'Some 87 per cent of Londoners want to own their own home. With my scheme allowing deposits from as little as 5,000, it will represent a big step forward, especially for young first-time buyers who currently cannot afford to put together the deposit required to buy a home in London.

'More homeowners, fewer private landlords  that's my mission: Houses and flats that people can come home to at night, shut the door and say: 'Everything this side of the door is all mine.'

They are words that Margaret Thatcher in her pomp would have been proud to say.

A bronze statue in San Jose commemorating Thomas Fallon  who in 1846 plunged the American flag into the citys soil to claim the land from Mexico during the Mexican-American War  should be removed because it celebrates oppression, violence, injustice and genocide, dozens of people argued in a virtual public forum Friday night.

Community members used their 1-minute allotted time to persuade city officials to get rid of the controversial 16-foot-tall statue, many using the same words to describe Fallons legacy: Colonialism. Imperialism. Racism. Injustice. White supremacy. Violence. Genocide.

While the conversation comes on the heels of a broader racial reckoning that has compelled leaders across the Bay Area and U.S. to examine who should be commemorated in public art, the statue has been the subject of ongoing discourse for 33 years, since it was commissioned in 1988  without an established public process  by former Mayor Tom McEnery.

Fallon was one of the soldiers of John C. Fremonts brigade that was involved in the war with Mexico from 1846 to 1848, and he went on to serve one yearlong term as San Joses 10th mayor, said Albert Camarillo, a Stanford University American history professor and historian.

Some speakers suggested melting the bronze and commissioning local artists to repurpose the metal in a new statue more representative of San Joses influential leaders of color. Some suggested moving the statue to a museum or local historical society where context could be given, and others proposed allowing Latino, indigenous and Black people to remove the statue.

Local high school student Valentina Coronels voice wavered when she said, As an immigrant, it makes me feel extremely unwanted and unwelcome. Sergio Perez said the statue is a reminder of how we have basically destroyed the Native American, the Hispanic culture in the whole county. I see the remnants of the culture being erased quickly.

Yolanda Guerra, a teacher at San Jose High School, said she lives in the neighborhood and drives past the statue every day and said, Each time I see that, thats what I see: Its another example of colonization. Louie Rocha said the the statue is an insult to Mexicans and said, San Jose  if its to be progressive  should have art that celebrates and uplifts all people and not at the expense of others. Ya basta. Enough is enough. Move it, take it down, melt it down, make something useful out of it.

Mayor Sam Liccardo  who encouraged participants more than once to send him evidence from the historical record of Fallons reported atrocities against Mexican and indigenous people  launched the forum by sharing what he learned through research of his own ancestors in San Jose, who were Mexican.

Liccardo said it would cost about $400,000 to remove the statue and transport it elsewhere.

Its clear that many people strongly feel that Fallon has committed these horrible crimes, Liccardo said. It would be helpful for us to have that record, and then we will have a very clear basis for saying lets move the statue. In the meantime, Ill continue to listen to the community and be very open to the public process that results.

The statue is a permanent piece of public art, so it has to go through a de-accession review process, which involves communicating with the artist, and moves through the Public Art Committee and Arts Commission, which can recommend the removal to the City Council. The City Council has that ultimate authority to de-accession a permanent artwork like the Fallon Statue, said Michael Ogilvie, San Joses public art director. The Public Art Committee can recommend to the Arts Commission de-accession or removal of a work of art on a number of conditions, such as significant adverse public reaction has continued unabated over an extended period of time.

Peter Ortiz  a Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee who led the successful campaign that removed a statue of Italian colonizer Christopher Columbus from San Jose City Hall in recent years  told The Chronicle that Fallon wasnt just San Joses 10th mayor.

He was someone who was adamant about expanding colonialism to take land from Native Americans throughout Santa Clara County, Ortiz said. What me and other activists see is that by having a statue of him  someone who has questioned the humanity of specific communities in the valley  having a statute of him in the city put into a prominent place thats the glorification of his actions. That this land is for only white European community members, because thats the belief that man had.

Camarillo told The Chronicle that for some Mexican Americans and to anyone that has a historical consciousness, the statue is seen as putting someone who is the manifestation of the worst elements of Manifest Destiny.

If it causes injury to some subset of a population in the public realm  Mexican Americans, Latinos constitute the largest minority in San Jose  if a subset of that population feels harmed, affected by that statute, which does what? Camarillo asked. The statue shows that the United States was taken, that Mexican California was taken by a violent overthrow of the American Republic in 1846. This fellow (Fallon) represents that.

The statute  comprised of two 6,000-pound sculptures of Fallon and an unidentified man, both atop horses  was shuttered at the Atthowe art storage warehouse in Oakland from 1994 to 2002 after Latino leaders learned the statue was expected to be installed in Cesar Chavez Park in the heart of downtown. The statue was taken out of storage and later placed where it currently resides near Highway 87 only after separate sculptures honoring the regions agriculture, Mexican heritage and Ohlone land were complete.

It has become a place of protest in recent months, particularly during nationwide calls for racial justice, with some people setting it ablaze, tossing red paint resembling blood on Fallons hands, and spray-painting messages on it.

Paul Soto, of San Jose, said that for the healing to start, the statue needs to come down.

Tearing down the statue is not my goal, its to tear down the ideologies that erected it in the first place, Soto said.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
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Kim Kardashian was spotted enjoying a family break in the Caribbean this week, amid reports she's preparing for a legal battle with estranged husband Kanye West in divorce court.

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star appeared to be enjoying some time for herself amid their 'imminent divorce' as she enjoyed a family getaway to Turks and Caicos.

She hit the beach Thursday in some skintight snakeskin swimwear, as she enjoyed a girls trip with her sisters and daughters, taking a boat out onto the gorgeous blue water.

Beach babes: Kim Kardashian hit the beach Saturday in some skintight snakeskin swimwear, as she enjoyed a girls trip with her sisters and daughters to Turks and Caicos, taking a boat out onto the gorgeous blue water

Snake queen: The 40-year-old dressed her signature curves in a barely-there string bikini top with matching bike shorts, which hugged her hips

The 40-year-old dressed her signature curves in a barely-there string bikini top with matching bike shorts, which hugged her hips.

She held hands in the sand with daughter North, seven, who looked like the coolest kid on the block in her neon beach look.

Sister Kourtney Kardashian, 41, served body as she was scantily clad in an orange two-piece string bikini with a sparkling top.

She accessorized the look with some rectangular tortoiseshell sunglasses and a large straw hat.

Neon cutie: She stepped out with daughter North, seven, who looked like the coolest kid on the block in her neon beach look

Orange you hot? Sister Kourtney Kardashian, 41, served body as she was scantily clad in an orange two-piece string bikini with a sparkling top

Wardrobe change: Kourtney was accompanied to the beach by North, who changed into a pink one-piece

Accessorizing: She accessorized the look with some rectangular tortoiseshell sunglasses and a large straw hat. The Poosh founder had her hands full with a green juice and a phone charger as she walked to the beach

Living it up in the Caribbean: The The large group appeared to be in their element as they waded into the crystal clear ocean

Popular: The British Overseas Territory, which lies to the southeast of the Bahamas, is a popular destination for luxury breaks

Fun and frolics: The large group appeared to have a section of the beach to themselves as they frolicked in the water

The Poosh founder had her hands full with a green juice and a phone charger as she walked to the beach, putting on a cheeky display in the thong bottoms.

They were also accompanied for the outing by Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou, 23, and Kylie's former assistant Victoria Villarroel, 28.

Stassie flaunted her derriere in a tiny black thong, as Victoria sported a strapless black bikini top with a matching miniskirt wrap.

The group chartered a speedboat, which they took out on the Atlantic, as they took turns riding on a float behind the boat.

They also stopped to take a dip, as North entered the water with a splash, joining her mom and aunt for a swim.

Squad goals: They were also accompanied for the outing by Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou, 23, and Kylie's former assistant Victoria Villarroel, 28

Back in black: Stassie flaunted her derriere in a tiny black thong, as Victoria sported a strapless black bikini top with a matching miniskirt wrap

Baggage: Ensuring they had all of their necessities with them, they made their way to the beach with bags

All aboard: The group chartered a speedboat, which they took out on the Atlantic, as they took turns riding on a float behind the boat

Taking a dip: They also stopped to take a dip, jumping off the back of the boat

Splish splash: North entered the water with a splash, as she joined her mom and aunt for a swim

Flex appeal: TV personality and entrepreneur Kim displayed her agility as she climbed down from the boat

Close: She stayed close to her daughter North as they enjoyed a cooling dip in the welcoming azure waters

Not present for the outing were sisters Khloe Kardashian, 36, and Kylie Jenner, 23, who also joined them for the getaway.

The proud moms also brought Kim's daughter Chicago, three, on the trip, as well as Kylie's daughter Stormi, who's celebrating her third birthday Monday, February 1.

It comes after a source told Us Weekly that Kim's 'financial advisors to figure out an exit plan that would be best for her whole family.'

Kim is reportedly hoping to divide her and husband Kanye West's shared belongings evenly, as they divvy up their combined $4billion.

Mermaid vibes: Kim, Kourtney and North took the long way back to shore, as they swam back to the beach

Muscled helpers: They were joined by some muscled staff, clad in black shirts and shorts, who helped them get back to land

Not present for the outing were sisters Khloe Kardashian, 36, and Kylie Jenner, 23, who also joined them for the getaway

Family trip: The proud moms also brought Kim's daughter Chicago, three, on the trip, as well as Kylie's daughter Stormi, who's celebrating her third birthday Monday, February 1

We are sailing: The group appeared to have not a care in the world as they chilled out in the glorious sunshine

Beverage: Kourtney cooled herself down with a green beverage as she walked along the powdery white beach

Pricey stay: They appear to be staying at an 11-bedroom, 18-bathroom villa, which houses 16 guests for a $30,000 a night fee

The insider added: 'Kim has had all of her and Kanye's financials and properties ready to be split, it's a very fair deal for everyone. Kim has all of her assets and financials ready for when she decides to file officially.

'Friends thought she was going to file in September, but she's holding out. That does not mean that everything behind the scenes is already done.'

Kanye, 43, was spotted for the first time in months last weekend, as he deplaned Sunday at the Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, after holing up at his Cody, Wyoming ranch.

It comes amid multiple reports that Kim has been meeting with divorce lawyer Laura Wasser in recent weeks, as a source tells People of Kanye: 'He is talking to divorce lawyers this week.'

Fashion: Kim complemented her two-piece with a pair of fashionable shades as she strolled alongside her eldest daughter

Wow: Kim famously flew her family and close friends out to a private Polynesian island to celebrate her 40th birthday last year

Locks: Kim's long raven tresses fell beyond her shoulders as she enjoyed her day of soaking up the sunshine

Winter break: While much of the world remains in lockdown. the family decided to enjoy a winter break on the islands

Making the most of it: The group sailed to a quiet part of the island chain as they made the most of their time together

Cool kids: As the adults basked in the sunshine, the children looked elated as they chatted with one another

Jet setters: The wealthy family are known to often jet off for luxury breaks with one another

She and the Yeezy mogul have been living separately, as their relationship has become 'downright toxic' after months of therapy.

A source recently told Us Weekly of their divorce: 'Kim and Kanye had no option but to live apart in the end because the communication between them had gotten so downright toxic.

'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.

'But it reached the point where the bickering turned to nasty blowups and confrontations, and since neither of them wanted the kids exposed to that type of hostility, they [stayed] apart.'

Under auntie's watchful eye: Kourtney was seen strolling with her nieces and daughter during their day on the beach

Idyllic setting: The breathtaking setting looked idyllic for their break in the Caribbean sunshine

Having fun: Kylie's daughter Stormi appeared to be having fun as she wandered up the sandy slopes of the beach

Daunting claims: The fun-filled trip comes amid reports that Kim and her husband Kanye West are on the verge of a divorce

Catching the eye: Kourtney continued to catch the eye as she enjoyed her day on the sun-kissed shores

Independent: Adorable little Stormi ran ahead of the group as they made their way back down to the beach

Shapely posterior: Kourtney's swimwear of choice allowed her to show off her shapely posterior

Luxury vacation: It is not known how long the group intend to spend vacationing on the popular island chain

Kim and Kanye married in Florence, Italy back in May of 2014, and they share daughters North, seven, Chicago, three, sons Saint, five, and Psalm, one.

Another insider told Us Weekly: 'Kanye is jealous of the amount of time Kim has dedicated to prison reform and the kids.

'Kanye wanted the family to move to Wyoming full-time. It's where he sees this direction of his life going. Kim just doesn't see their lives full-time in Wyoming.'

They also said that although the couple has been working on their marriage in counseling, they 'havent had a joint session together in a while.'

Bliss: In snaps shared by Kim on Instagram, the family appeared to be having the best time as they soaked up the sun

'Girls Trip!' Mother-of-four Kardashian captioned a slideshow on her Instagram 'Girls Trip'

Tropical getaway: Kim wore a plunging tank top and a pair of tiny bikini bottoms

Breathtaking scenery: Meanwhile, Kourtney took to her own Instagram account to share a shot of the breathtaking scenery

'Kim has continued to meet with their marriage counselor in solo sessions. Kim's singular focus is about how this will impact the kids, and Kanye has been receptive to engaging in those discussions.'

Meanwhile, Page Six reported that Kanye's failed presidential run was 'the final straw' for Kim, amid their struggle to make the marriage work.

A source said that the SKIMS mogul 'needed to end the marriage for the sake of her kids and her own sanity.'

Things seemingly came to a head in July, when Kanye revealed that they almost had an abortion when she was pregnant with North, ultimately sparking rumors of a divorce.

Exit plan: Kim is reportedly hoping to divide her and husband Kanye West's shared belongings evenly, as they divvy up their combined $4billion in their 'imminent divorce' (pictured in May, 2019)

New co-parents: Kim and Kanye married in Florence, Italy back in May of 2014, and they share daughters North, seven, Chicago, three, sons Saint, five, and Psalm, one
The Cubs have agreed to a one-year, Major League deal with right-hander Trevor Williams, Evan Altman of Cubs Insider reports (Twitter link). The contract will become official once Williams passes a physical. Williams will earn roughly $2.5MM, according to MLB Networks Jon Heyman, and Altman notes that some portion of Williams salary is likely to be deferred.

After spending all five of his MLB seasons in a Pirates uniform, Williams will remain in the NL Central and now look to win a job at the back of Chicagos rotation. Kyle Hendricks, Zach Davies, Adbert Alzolay, and Alec Mills are lined up for the first four starting spots, though only Hendricks and Davies truly have their spots locked up. Kohl Stewart was also recently signed to a big league contract, Shelby Miller to a minors deal, and at least one more arm is on the way, as ESPNs Jesse Rogers tweets that the Cubs are expected more pitching before Spring Training opens.

Williams opted to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment from the Pirates back in November, with the Bucs move essentially acting as an early non-tender  Williams was projected to earn between $3.2MM and $4.6MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility, and the Cubs control him through 2022 via that third arbitration year. The righty received a fair amount of interest on the open market despite some rough numbers in 2020.

Williams posted a 6.18 ERA and only a 19.4 strikeout percentage (ranking in the 25th percentile of all pitchers) over 55 1/3 innings. The home run problems that plagued Williams in 2019 worsened last season, as he allowed a league-high 15 homers. Both the home run increase and a marked uptick in hard contact allowed has led to struggles for Williams since the start of the 2019 season.

During the 2017-18 seasons, however, Williams looked like a durable young pitcher on the rise, as he had a 3.56 ERA over 321 innings in Pittsburghs rotation. Williams kept hitters off-balance despite a lack of a blazing fastball or big strikeout numbers, though since his SIERA was over a run higher than his 3.56 ERA, there might have been some good fortune involved.

Williams (who turns 29 in April) does have a solid track record when it comes to eating innings, which will certainly be valuable on a Cubs staff that may be juggling multiple arms at the back of the rotation. Alzolay, Mills, and Stewart have only 215 1/3 combined big league innings on their resume.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

PNM Resources top six executives could receive a combined $38 million in executive compensation if shareholders approve the companys proposed merger with Connecticut-based energy giant Avangrid.

About $12.5 million of that would go to three departing execs as a golden parachute. The rest is earnings and benefits the six are entitled to under their employment contracts because of goals they have achieved and is compensation they would receive regardless of the merger.

The company has scheduled a special shareholder meeting for Feb. 12 to vote on both the merger and executive compensation. If the deal is approved, the investment banking firm Evercore will also earn a $36.5 million fee for brokering the deal.

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Meanwhile, Avangrid has offered to pay utility customers in New Mexico a collective $25 million credit on their bills, paid out over three years  an amount that some say should be far more, given Avangrids financial strength.

Most environmental groups are upbeat about the merger, citing Avangrids national reputation as a renewable energy developer and the resources the company would bring to help build a clean energy grid in New Mexico.

But some environmental groups say the $25 million credit is too little, especially when compared with the generous compensation packages earned by PNMRs leadership.

Intervenors  critics and advocates  will weigh in on the merger in the next few months before the state Public Regulation Commission, which must approve Avangrids acquisition.

$25 million is not a lot, and its spread out over three years, said Steve Michel, attorney with Western Resource Advocates, a likely intervenor in the coming PRC case. How the utilities compensate management is really between them. What we need to look at is if ratepayers and the state as a whole are receiving the best outcome they can get.

Stephanie Dzur, attorney for another likely intervenor, the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, said her group will urge the company to commit more to local ratepayers and communities, especially those affected by utility plans to pull out of two coal-fired plants in the Four Corners area  and particularly when theyre talking about a  golden parachute. 

Golden parachute

The executive compensation is included in the proxy statement sent to shareholders in advance of the meeting.

That statement describes the payouts in detail in a section titled Golden Parachute Compensation  an official Securities and Exchange Commission term  although only a portion of the payments are actually tied directly to the merger. Overall, the compensation represents total earnings and benefits the top six officers are entitled to under their employment contracts already approved in previous years by shareholders, PNMR spokesman Ray Sandoval said.

According to the proxy statement, after the merger, three of the executives would leave the company. Those three are Pat Vincent-Collawn, PNMR chairman, president and CEO; Chuck Eldred, executive vice president for corporate development; and Patrick Apodaca, PNMRs senior vice president, general counsel and secretary.

Those three would receive a total of $29.5 million in compensation when they leave: $19 million for Vincent-Collawn, $6.8 million for Eldred, and $3.7 million for Apodaca, according to the proxy.

The three other executives who are not leaving would receive a combined $8.7 million.

Only the three departing officers will receive golden parachute payments if the merger is approved, Sandoval said. That parachute is a total of about $12.5 million of the combined $29.5 million in executive compensation assigned to the three, Sandoval said.

The golden parachute is a benefit called change in control, which is written into the existing executive employment contracts. It takes effect when executives leave the company through no fault of their own, such as acquisition by another firm, Sandoval said.

The overall compensation packages are not part of any specific terms and conditions negotiated by PNMR and Avangrid. Rather, theyre a basic component of executive-level employment in most publicly traded corporations, where top officers generally agree to at-risk pay that they expect to receive in future years if they meet agreed-upon goals and metrics.

The total compensation includes a combination of cash incentives and bonuses, stock equity in PNMR and employee benefits.

No ratepayer money is involved, only shareholder money. In fact, although shareholders will vote on the compensation at the Feb. 12 meeting, thats only an advisory vote that will not affect the payout totals, which Avangrid would be responsible for paying after acquiring PNMR.

PNMR has had change in control arrangements in place with its executive officers for many years, and well before discussions with Avangrid, Sandoval told the Journal.

Path to approval

Shareholders are already voting on the merger remotely, with final voting to take place on Feb. 12.

PNMR shareholders stand to benefit substantially from the deal, because Avangrid has agreed to pay $50.30 for every share of outstanding common stock, which is a 19.3% premium over the 30-day average price of PNMR shares as of Oct. 20, the day PNMR and Avangrid closed on their deal. That amounts to about $4.3 billion in an all-cash acquisition by Avangrid.

In addition, Evercore would earn $36.5 million for its services as PNMRs financial adviser on the deal. PNMR contracted the investment banking firm in December 2018, first to seek out companies potentially interested in a merger, and then to broker the Avangrid acquisition through direct negotiations that started in the summer of 2019.

If the deal is executed, PNMR and its two utilities  Public Service Company of New Mexico and Texas New Mexico Power  would become subsidiaries of Avangrid.

However, apart from the vote by PNMR shareholders, the merger must still be approved by the state regulators.

PNMR and Avangrid filed together in November for approval by the PRC, which has since assigned the case to hearing examiner Ashley Schannauer. A week of public hearings with case intervenors is scheduled for May 4-12, preceded by one day of open public comment on May 3.

The $25 million ratepayer credit Avangrid offered as part of its request for regulatory approval would be divided among 530,000 PNM customers over three years, amounting to about $15.47 per year per customer  or about a $1.29-per-month average saving on bills.

Dzur, with the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, said her organization wants more direct benefits for customers.

We see that $25 million as an opening offer, Dzur said. We hope that PNMR and Avangrid will continue to discuss with us what they can do for ratepayers.

Avangrids resources

Most environmental groups see Avangrids considerable resources as a boon for New Mexico in achieving its renewable goals. Under the states Energy Transition Act, PNM must convert to 50% renewables by 2030, 80% by 2040, and 100% carbon-free generation by 2045.

Avangrids financial might was key to encouraging merger negotiations with PNMR, which started seeking potential buyers in January 2019 to boost the companys resources, according to PNMRs proxy statement.

In fact, four other companies passed on a deal with PNMR, in good part because they believed the companys shares on the New York Stock Exchange are overvalued, according to the proxy. And despite that, PNMR was seeking a premium on its stock price from potential buyers.

Avangrid, however, is a powerhouse with strong international backing. Its a national company with operations in 24 states and $35 billion in assets.

It manages two subsidiaries: Avangrid Networks, a holding company that owns eight electric and gas utilities in the Northeast, and Avangrid Renewables, a wind and solar firm that now ranks as the countrys third-largest wind developer.

Global energy giant Iberdrola, S.A.  a Spanish firm touted as one of the worlds largest electric companies  holds an 81.5% stake in Avangrid.

Avangrid is primarily interested in expanding its renewable development in the Southwest, and sees the PNMR acquisition as a key beachhead for building wind and solar here for local consumption and for export across the region. Thats the central goal driving its merger with PNMR, said George Fisher, a former investment adviser and now founder and editor of the monthly publication Guiding Mast Investments.

Despite Avangrids national standing as a wind developer, its renewables business currently accounts for just 19% of its annual revenue, compared with 81% from its northeastern utility holdings, so its looking to pursue a lot more wind and solar development, Fisher said.

Most new wind development opportunities in the Northeast are for offshore generation, which is far more expensive than land-based wind or solar.

The Northeast is a very difficult place to generate large quantities of renewable power onshore, Fisher told the Journal. Avangrids European parent clearly wants access to less expensive, land-based renewable development, and New Mexico is primed for more wind and solar. I think thats the driving factor.

Economic aid

Given Avangrids financial strength, intervenors in the PRC case say theyll seek more commitments to assist ratepayers and local communities, especially in the Four Corners region, where hundreds of workers face layoffs when PNM pulls out of the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station, near Farmington, in 2022. PNM also filed in early January for PRC approval to abandon the nearby Four Corners Generating Station in December 2024, seven years ahead of schedule.

Avangrid conditioned its merger with PNMR on that early withdrawal from Four Corners because it doesnt want coal generation on its books when it takes over.

The Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy and others say Avangrid should accept a bigger role in buffering the impact of abandoning coal.

We want a just transition for those communities as we shift from fossil fuels to renewables, especially with Avangrid demanding an early withdrawal from Four Corners, Dzur said. Wed like to see more money for that, particularly when theyre talking about a  golden parachute. What about a just transition for all the other PNM employees at the coal plants who have also worked for the company for years.

CCAE will also push for new assistance for low-income consumers to upgrade and weatherize their homes to improve energy efficiency, allowing them to cut consumption and lower their bills.

Sandoval said comparing pre-existing executive compensation to the rate credit and other customer financial benefits from the merger is like comparing apples and oranges.

No customer funds are used to fund these executive compensation agreements, Sandoval said. Customer financial benefits from the merger extend far beyond the proposed rate credits.

In addition to the $25 million customer credit, Avangrid has also offered to pump $2.5 million into local economic development initiatives if the merger is approved. And its committed to hiring 100 new employees, retaining the current workforce with no reductions in wages or benefits for at least two years, and maintaining current levels of PNMR charitable contributions and programs for at least three years.

PNMR says customer benefits from the merger outweigh the costs, including leveraging the financial strength of Avangrid to lower operational costs through bulk purchasing of inventory such as poles and transformers, and from improved credit metrics to reduce the cost of debt.

Our new parent companys balance sheet will help achieve lower interest on debt, and the states economy will benefit from the jobs that are created by the merger, Sandoval said.

Still, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director Camilla Feibelman called Avangrids offer of $2.5 million in economic development assistance a pittance.

Its encouraging to see a renewable energy company committing to New Mexico, Feibelman said. But they also need to commit to assist the economy, especially in such stark economic times that average folks are experiencing now through the pandemic.
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This past week saw some action on COVID-19 vaccine front, possibly offering more tools to fight the pandemic in next few months.

Dr Reddys said it is planning to apply for emergency-use approval (EUA) of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine by March, expects possible approval by the end of that month. The company has contract with Russian sovereign fund RDIF for 125 million patient doses (250 million doses) for India. RDIF has earlier announced that its vaccine would be priced below $10.

The data from clinical trials of Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, which were announced this week, were also positive increasing the chances of the vaccine availability. Interestingly, both these vaccines will be manufactured in India.

India has already rolled out Serum Institute of Indias Covishield and Bharat Biotechs Covaxin. The government plans to vaccinate 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers in the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination. India would need 2.6 billion doses to vaccinate its entire population.

J&J and Novavax positive data

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

Johnson & Johnsons has announced that its single shot vaccine has shown to have 72 percent efficacy rate in the US, 66 percent effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, 28 days after vaccination. The vaccine has been 85 percent effective overall in preventing severe disease and demonstrated complete protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death as of day 28. However the vaccine efficacy has dropped to 57 percent in South Africa, where a highly contagious variant, known as known as B.1.351 has emerged as the leading cause of infection rate.

The topline safety and efficacy data are based on 43,783 participants accruing 468 symptomatic cases of COVID-19. The trial was conducted in US, Latin American countries and South Africa.

J&J single-dose vaccine can prove to be a gamechanger, especially in a country with a large population, such as India, where two doses will consume tremendous resources. Most importantly J&J vaccine is expected to be available in India much sooner, as Indian vaccine maker Biological E has entered into an agreement with J&J to manufacture the drug substance and finished product of the vaccine. J&J had earlier said that the partnership with Biological E, allows for production of 400-500 million doses per year.

The government, in its recent presentation, said the J&J vaccine is expected to be around $10 per dose.

Please read here why J&Js COVID-19 vaccine is generating lot of interest.

Data from Novavax COVID-19 vaccine too has raised hopes. The vaccine developed by US-biotechnology company met the primary endpoint, with 89.3 percent efficacy in its Phase 3 clinical trial conducted in the UK. However in South African clinical trial, the vaccine efficacy dropped to 60 percent in the 94 percent of the study population that was HIV-negative. The UK variant B.1.1.7 and South African variant B.1.351 have now emerged has dominant strains.

The vaccine would be manufactured and distributed by its partner SII, with which Novavax has an agreement to produce around 2 billion doses a year. SII said it plans to begin a bridge trial in India in February 2021. The vaccine has to be given in two doses. The government, in its recent presentation, said the Novavax vaccine is expected to cost around $16 per dose.


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Bass are not geniuses, even though they make bass anglers look pretty dumb at times.

The biggest problem in catching them is, as a wise old angler told me once, Theys an awful lot of places where they aint.

The places where they aint seem to become even more abundant in winter, when the metabolism of these cold-blooded critters goes down and they eat lessincluding fewer bass lures. And theyre inclined to move out of the terrain most of us think of as bassyshallow weedbeds, docks, and shoreline coverout to deeper water, which acts as in insulating blanket on the freezing nights of January and February.

Among several smart Tennessee Valley Anglers who continue to find them in winter is Captain Mike Carter, who guides on the middle and upper portions of Lake Guntersville. Carter has been finding some jumbo bass this winter by keying on the outside of the normal action zone, the area where even the most persistent hydrilla dies out due to lack of sunlight. This occurs on the shoulder of the channels, where the water changes from a gradual incline down to around 8 feet to an abrupt drop down to 15 to 25 foot depths.

To catch fish on these locations, Carter likes a small but fast-diving crankbait, the Bill Lewis MR6. The little crankbait, just 2.25 long, works well on a high-speed crank, and can be thrown a mile due to its  ounce weight and a rolling weight transfer system that sends the weight to the tail on the cast, then back to the nose on retrieve. The design-depth of the lure is 6 feet, and thats deep enough for fish at 8 to 10 feet to see it when water clarity is what it usually is in winter on Guntersville. To learn more, on the tactic or to book a trip contact Carter at https://mikecartersguideservice.com.

Captain Mike Gerry, another well-known Guntersville guide, says hes done well recently on a similar crankbait, also fished on the deep edge of the weeds. The Spro Little John DD-60 is Gerrys favorite, is also very compact at just. 2.36 long, and is even heavier at 5/8 ounce. It also has a weight transfer ball, this one made of tungsten, and its rated to run at 10 to 14 feet.

The trick on fishing the Little John, says Gerry, is to run it down to where it actually digs into the weeds, then snatch it free. A sharp pull on the rod jerks the hooks clear of the winter-killed hydrilla and causes the lure to dart and flash, and this is often what it takes to trigger a strike from bass that are otherwise not enthusiastic enough to chase down the lure. Learn more from Gerry at www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com.

Gerrys tactic with the Little John is much like the rippin tactic devised by Rat-L-Trap fans, who fish  to  ounce Traps similarly, and again, the deep edge of the grass in late winter and early spring is often the most effective location. (Mike Carter is also a big fan of the Rat-L-Trap in late winter.)

Each of these lures will be much more effective for anglers who have side-scan sonar and can use it to pick out the structure-in-structure that so often holds bait and fisha sunken tree, rock ledge, hump or other structure on the edge of the weeds.

Even with everything going for you, the winter bite on bass is rarely brisk, but the good news is that the pre-spawn wake-up is now only about four weekends away, and that will change everything not only on Guntersville but on lakes throughout Alabama.
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Turkey on Saturday voiced support for the stance taken by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) against the UNs decision to extend the mandate of a peacekeeping mission on the island.

Ankara also called on the global body to stop relying on a tested and exhausted process that has failed to resolve the Cyprus dispute for more than 50 years.

The UN Security Council on Friday extended the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force on the Island of Cyprus (UNFICYP) for six months.

TRNC authorities consent was not sought once again regarding the presence of UNFICYP on the Island. This situation is against the UNs own rules and principles, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

We would like to bring to the international communitys attention that the UNFICYP continues its activities on the Island through the constructive and bona fide attitude of TRNC authorities.

Referring to a report released by UN chief Antonio Guterres earlier this month, the ministry said it did not refer to any settlement model for the Cyprus dispute and rather, pointed to a mutually acceptable settlement.

Nevertheless, [the] Councils insistence on bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, which has not provided a settlement for more than 50 years, and its pre-judgements of the settlement on which the two sides on the Island should agree, are unacceptable, read the statement.

Ankara expects that all parties would sincerely reveal their visions for future in the informal 5+UN meeting that aims to determine whether there is a common ground towards the settlement, it added.

It would be useful for the UN Security Council to lay the ground that would allow the addressing of new ideas to enable settlement, instead of imposing on the sides a tested and exhausted process that did not produce a settlement, the ministry asserted.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greeces annexation of the island was followed by violence against the islands Turks and Ankaras intervention as a guarantor power.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the UK. The TRNC was founded in 1983.

TRNC supports a 5+UN informal meeting on Cyprus  both sides of Cyprus, the guarantor countries, and the UN  to resolve the issue.

The UNFICYP was set up in 1964 to prevent further fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island and bring about a return to normal conditions, according to the UN.

The Turkish side has consistently questioned the forces presence on the island due to its political and biased approach.
Installation view of Mina Cheon's exhibition, "Dreaming Unification: Protest Peace," at Ethan Cohen Gallery in New York / Courtesy of the artist and Ethan Cohen Gallery



By Kwon Mee-yoo





Artist Mina Cheon

Korean American artist Mina Cheon unveils her latest pieces created by her North Korean art persona, Kim Il-soon, at an exhibition "Dreaming Unification: Protest Peace" at Ethan Cohen Gallery in New York through Feb. 27.



While the two Koreas remain physically divided, citizens of many other countries in the world, including the United States, are experiencing increasing political and social divisions. This increasing polarization has been a source of inspiration for Cheon, who hopes to explore the concepts of unification and peace through her projects.



"With the world being so divided, culturally, economically, religiously, ideologically, politically and in my case, my native country having been divided for 70 years, although the Korean people have been together for 5,000 years, a Korean with global concerns should also be practicing art in manners that reflect these divided worlds and countries. As such, so should the artist in practice. I practice and make art as both South Korean Mina Cheon and North Korean Kim Il-soon, my art persona," Cheon said during an interview with The Korea Times.



Cheon is known for her "Polipop" works, inspired by Pop art and Social Realism, focusing on awareness about North Korea and global peace projects.



"Pop art is eye-catching and more accessible, it is useful as an art language to handle serious political themes and as a social commentary," she said.



The artist experienced life in the East and the West growing up as her father worked as a cultural attache for the Korean Embassy in different countries. Living abroad allowed her to notice major differences in the views of Koreans and those in other nations surrounding the topic of the Korean War and its aftermath.



"The remarkable difference between the Korean perspective and the world's perspective calls for a cultural comparative. There was a huge gap between the Korean reality and the media's spin on the country. There was a feeling that the world was clueless to the multi-generational trauma of the effects of colonization, war, and separation," the artist said.



A trip to Mount Geumgang in North Korea as a tourist back in 2004 dramatically shaped Cheon's work.



"I remember distinctly traveling through the DMZ into North Korea in a bus with large glass windows but no curtains, so that the North Koreans could see us clearly from outside. The feeling of being monitored was intense, all our lenses and recording equipment were checked, we all had to wear badges declaring our occupation, mine being 'housewife,'" Cheon recalled.



While her experience in North Korea was shaped by strict surveillance and the rigid tourist program, Cheon also found, through interacting with North Koreans, that they were just as Korean as those you see every day in South Korea, which led her to create her North Korean art persona.



"After visiting North Korea in 2004, I started making work about the idea of 'Miss Kim,' as a dedication to all the North Korean women whom I wanted to pay attention to, to the surname Kim, my mother's last name, the many Korean Kims in both Koreas, and the world, as well as the Kim family dynasty of North Korea," Cheon explained.



She started to explore the identity of a North Korean artist who dreams. Only in her dreams, can she dream of liberation and beyond the rigidity of the government.



"Kim Il-soon is a social realist painter, naval commander, farmer, and mother of two, married to the state as well as a human being. She is also a cosmopolitan North Korean who knows how to paint abstraction in her dreams. Through her unconscious state, she is the mother ("eomma") of unification. She exists as an alternative form for all the political dealings and mishaps that are confounded by the father 'dear leaders' of the world, the massive culture of hatred and war of words and missiles that are threatening peace on earth."



She even sent USB sticks containing videos of Kim Il-soon's contemporary art lessons into North Korea as part of the project.





Installation view of Mina Cheon's exhibition, "Dreaming Unification: Protest Peace," at the Ethan Cohen Gallery in New York, featuring a Korean Unification flag painting series / Courtesy of the artist and Ethan Cohen Gallery



The main body of work in this exhibition is the, "Dreaming Unification: Protest Peace aka Flag Figuration," painting series, which is inspired by the Korean Unification Flag. This flag shows the Korean Peninsula in blue against a white background and is used when the two Koreas participate as one team in sporting events.



"In painting, (Kim Il-soon) started out with social realism, then moved into more pop art and abstract expressionism. It keeps evolving because she is dreaming of all the different ways in which she could break way from the propaganda style allowed in North Korea," Cheon said.



The paintings were created with a custom-made New International Klein Blue, or Yves Klein Blue, color and with the help of other tools and materials, such as stencils, spray paints and "sumi" ink.



"Eventually in the series you see now, she is dreaming so deeply and yearning for unification and global peace. It can't be quiet any more. It has to be bold, using street art-style graffiti and tagging. She's at the very brink," Cheon explained.



"It also has 'sumi' ink mixed with spray paint. In North Korea, 'Chosunhwa' is the most revered style, mixing an Oriental painting style with propaganda. Combining the very historic 'sumi' ink medium and very cosmopolitan Western tagging, spray paints, stencils, and mixing them together, confronts the differences between the East and the West. That's where she's at in this dream world now, hoping to overcome the world that's divided."



The artist said the work was well-received in the U.S., as the country is politically divided right now.



Cheon said conflict over there echoes conflict over here, and this fact is why peace is so important.



"What happens over there matters to what happens here, and vice versa. We can no longer look at it from a single perspective, but have to look at the multilateral effects. The tremendous pressure, danger and threat we had with the last [Trump] administration made it so real when I talked about Korea and the divided Koreas. Americans really felt division for the first time," she said, adding how busy she was last year being asked to talk about unification and reconciliation.



Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibit can only be viewed by visitors with a reservation. The show has been extended for a month from its original Jan. 30 closing day.



"Everything is very slow as people have been coming in by appointment only and can only stay for about 30 minutes. (The gallery has) been having social media rollouts, showing one piece at a time with explanations, and sharing the exhibition in part, not just everything at once," Cheon said. "We are taking it slow, so extending it for one more month makes sense. We want more people to have an opportunity to see it."





"Eat Chocopie Together" project by Mina Cheon / Courtesy of the artist
You could say things took a strange turn when NBC's "Saturday Night Live" returned from its mid-season break on Saturday night.

With "The Office" and "Jack Ryan" star John Krasinski hosting alongside musical guest Machine Gun Kelly, many expected an episode packed with nods to the inauguration and recent stock market happenings.

And it certainly delivered on the latter.

In a skit called "The Twins," Krasinski played Craig Steer, a Connecticut economist who was brought on to CNBCs "The Dividend" to discuss the recent market manipulation with high-profile stocks like GameStop.

This, however, is where the normalcy ends with this skit.

Over the course of four minutes, the audience and hosts of "The Dividend," played by Cecily Strong and Beck Bennett, meet Steer's twin children, Jacob (Mikey Day) and Josephine (Kate McKinnon), who take it upon themselves to crash their dad's interview.

"The Twins" are introduced after the hosts of "The Dividend" point out a portrait of a man ripping the flesh off his face behind Krasinski's Steer as well as baby centipede sculpture called "Centipediatric."

Taking a hint from "The Shining's" Grady twins, Day and McKinnon, dressed in matching outfits and wigs, steal the show with their outlandish dialogue and unsettling gaze.

You are indulgent with the mustard, cries McKinnon at one point in the sketch after Krasinski suggests that the two leave him alone to go make toast with mustard.

After taking a fascination with Bennett's character, "The Twins" end the skit by appearing behind him in the newsroom as the skit cuts to commercial.

Though nothing as strange as the controversy surrounding the drama between Wall Street and Reddit, underlying parallels could be drawn between the skit and how most Americans understand the recent economic news.

The next episode of "Saturday Night Lives" airs on Feb. 7 with host Dan Levy and musical guest Phoebe Bridgers.

Caroline Garcia of France also started her season on a positive note, ousting Australian wildcard Arina Rodionova

Ageless Venus Williams opened her 2021 season with a 6-1, 6-3 thrashing of Arantxa Rus Sunday, while former top 10 players Jelena Ostapenko and Caroline Garcia also scored wins.

Williams, 40, showed few signs of having spent 14 days in quarantine in her first-round romp at the Yarra Valley Classic, grinding down her Dutch opponent in 65 minutes -- an amazing 27 years after making her professional debut.

The tournament is one of two WTA events being played concurrently at Melbourne Park as players prepare for the Australian Open Grand Slam starting on February 8.

Former Australian Open semi-finalist Danielle Collins needed 75 minutes to secure her first victory of the year, a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure in the same event.

Collins is back at the site of her best career major run, which saw her upset former champion Angelique Kerber en route to reaching the final four in 2019.

American Shelby Rogers also progressed, thanks to a 6-2, 7-5 win over No.12 seed Fiona Ferro, the first ranked player to fall, while Anastasija Sevastova proved too strong for Madison Brengle.

In a battle between former top five players, 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko triumphed over Sara Errani 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Gippsland Trophy, charging back after losing the first set.

Former world No.4 Caroline Garcia of France also got her season on a positive note, ousting Australian wildcard Arina Rodionova, 6-3, 6-4.

"It was a lot of emotions to get back on court, finally," said Garcia.

"I tried to stay very calm and play one point at a time, and I think I improved during the match, so that's the most positive thing about today."

Other first-round Gippsland Trophy winners included former top 10 player Daria Kasatina of Russia and Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

mp/tl/fox
WASHINGTON: The influential anti-Donald Trump group Lincoln Project is denouncing one of its co-founders after multiple reports that over several years he sexually harassed young men looking to break into politics.

The Lincoln Project in a statement on Sunday called co-founder John Weaver, 61, a predator, a liar, and an abuser following reports that he repeatedly sent unsolicited and sexually charged messages online to young men, often while suggesting he could help them get work in politics.

The totality of his deceptions are beyond anything any of us could have imagined and we are absolutely shocked and sickened by it, the Lincoln Project, the most prominent Never Trump Republican super PAC to emerge during the 45th presidents time in the White House, said in its statement.

The online magazine The American Conservative first reported the sexual harassment allegations earlier this month.

Days later, Weaver, a strategist who advised the late Republican Sen. John McCain and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich in their unsuccessful runs for the White House, acknowledged in a statement to the web site Axios that he had sent inappropriate messages he viewed as consensual, mutual conversations at the time.

The statement by Weaver came after several men had taken to social media to accuse him of sending sexually suggestive messages, sometimes coupled with offers of employment or political advancement.

The Lincoln Project made its most substantive comments about the mounting allegations against Weaver after The New York Times reported on Sunday that the paper had interviewed 21 men who said they had been harassed by Weaver.

One of the alleged victims told The Times he started receiving messages from Weaver when he was only 14. The messages became more pointed after he turned 18.

The Lincoln Projects other founders included 2012 Mitt Romney presidential adviser Stuart Stevens, former McCain and George W. Bush strategist Steve Schmidt, and GOP ad maker Rick Wilson.

The group throughout the 2020 election cycle produced some of the most eviscerating broadsides against Trump, questioning the president and his aides morality and leadership.

The Lincoln Project said in its statement that at no time was John Weaver in the physical presence of any member of the super PAC.

Weaver took medical leave from the Lincoln Project last summer. He told Axios earlier this month that he did not plan to return to the group.

Weaver did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

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The new Netflix film, My Octopus Teacher, is hard to categorize. Its not exactly a nature documentary, nor is it strictly narrative storytelling, and the title is strange enough by itself. Still, this movie by documentary filmmaker Craig Foster has garnered glowing reviews and has become extremely popular on social media.

The movie follows Foster, who, in the midst of a personal crisis, decides to snorkel in the kelp forest near his South African home every day for a year.

I doubt I was the only one whose first thought was, Wow, it must be nice to have a breathtaking coastal home where personal therapy takes the form of a year of snorkeling.

And thats just the first thing that makes the shows popularity puzzlingespecially in this culture, which analyzes all of our problems, every political issue, and even the identity and value of individual people in terms of who has privilege and who doesnt. Just last week, Kim Kardashian was widely panned for posting a picture of a beautiful beach with the caption paradise, without duly noting how privileged she was to be there. Though its difficult to see My Octopus Teacher without noting that cultural tension, its also refreshing to see a person with clear privilege choosing not to dwell on it.

Still, My Octopus Teacher isnt a movie about privilege. Its about, wait for it, an octopus! Foster first comes across the animal in the very early days of his year of snorkeling, and hes mesmerized. Thanks to the engaging narration and cinematography, its hard not to be mesmerized along with him.

Octopi are incredible. And strange. They have this ability to go from something solid to almost liquid in a matter of seconds. The thousands of suction cups on the outside of their bodies are like a second brain. In fact, two-thirds of their cognition happen there, according to scientists.

Throughout the film, we see Fosters octopus friend swim like a fish, walk like a dog, and play games like a kid. She changes colors. When she loses an arm in a shark attack, we watch it grow back. In simpler terms, Craig Fosters true privilege is one that God uniquely endows on His image bearers: the opportunity to marvel at Gods extravagant creativity and the fact that He lets us live in a world like this.

The other lesson in My Octopus Teacher comes from Fosters attempts to explain his obsession. I just wanted to know this octopus, he says. I just wondered  what would happen if I went to the same spot, every day, for a year? So, he does. He followed that octopus around every day, and each night, he went home to study more about her.

His obsession seems strange, to be sure, but its also a poignant picture of a person looking for something outside of himself in a culture where most voices tell us to look inside. Even more, what if we approached God in this way? What if we became so obsessed with knowing Him that we spent our time and energy essentially stalking Him every single day, through reading the Bible, prayer, and serving others?

And, what if we came to God with the same sense of expectation Foster had underwater? He was painfully deliberate to not impose himself in the octopuss life. He wanted to know her, but he knew she had to decide whether to reveal herself to him. The good news is that God wants us to know Him. After all, consider the incredible lengths He has gone to in order to make Himself known, in His word, in His world, and especially in His Son.

Still, it is a particular discipline to not approach God with what Jesus called many words (Mt 6:7), and instead to be still and know that He is God (Ps 46:10).

Foster never really understood the octopus. Though Gods ways are higher than ours, and our ability to understand Him will always be limited, God is knowable. We will never know Him exhaustively, but we can know Him truthfully.

St. Augustine said, You have formed us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You. My Octopus Teacher is a strange movie, but Fosters film is a fascinating portrayal of the God-shaped hole in every human heart. To become obsessed with God, to follow him around like Hes the answer to our troubles, to wait for Him to show Himself to us, is the only way for our hearts to be filled and at rest.

Originally posted at breakpoint.org

Cyrell Paule hurled a glass of white wine at Jessika Power at the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Sunday night.

And while she claimed she lashed out because Jessika, 29, had 'disrespected' her son, it appears there was another reason for her hostile behaviour.

Cyrell, 31, told New Idea the pair's feud stems from the fact her rival allegedly had a fling with her boyfriend, Eden Dally.

Scroll down for video

Exposed: The real reason Cyrell Paule lashed out at Jessika Power at the Married At First Sight reunion has been revealed - and it has nothing to do with the fact she 'disrespected' her son

The mother of one, known as 'Cyclone Cyrell' because of her fiery temper, said Jessika was bitter Eden only ever saw her as a one-night stand.

'I've always said Jess is jealous. She can't comprehend that Eden chose me and had committed to me, and that she will always be a one-night stand,' Cyrell said.

She insisted that Jessika's rumoured night of passion with Eden in 2019 - which Jess had previously denied - was 'absolutely meaningless'.

'She will always be a one-night stand': Cyrell, 31, told Monday's New Idea that the pair's feud stems from the fact Jessika allegedly had a fling with her boyfriend, Eden Dally

Cyrell and Eden began dating in March 2019 - after his supposed fling with Jessika - and the couple announced their pregnancy in August that year.

'Jess accusing me of baby-trapping Eden is hilarious to both of us - she doesn't seem to understand how happy we are,' Cyrell added.

Eden was spotted cosying up with Jessika in Melbourne in February 2019 - at the same time she was appearing as a bride on Married At First Sight.

Cosy: The mother of one claimed their rivalry came from a place of envy, and that Jessika (left) was bitter Eden (right) only ever saw her as a one-night stand

Family life: Cyrell and Eden began dating in March 2019 - after his rumoured fling with Jessika - and the couple announced their pregnancy in August that year. Pictured with their son, Boston

In several videos shared to Eden's Instagram at the time, the prison officer was seen sidling up to Jessika as she danced and pouted flirtatiously.

However, Jessika denied the pair were romantically involved at the time.

Laughing off the speculation, she told Daily Mail Australia: 'This is ridiculous! Me and Eden are not together, we are friends.'

'The whole reason Eden and I were hanging out is because he is friends with my brother [Rhyce Power],' she added.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jessika Power for further comment.

Yikes: During the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Sunday, Cyrell confronted Jessika over what she'd said about her relationship with Eden. Their war of words culminated in Cyrell throwing a glass of white wine in Jessika's face

During the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Sunday, Cyrell confronted Jessika over what she'd said about her relationship with Eden.

The blonde bombshell had previously described the pair's romance as 'fake' and suggested they'd had a baby together for publicity.

Jessika acknowledged saying their relationship was a sham but denied saying anything negative about their 10-month-old son, Boston Dally.

She's done! 'Very mature darling, very mature,' Jessika snapped, before walking off in tears

Cyrell was frustrated that Jessika would not 'take ownership' of her remarks and hurled a glass of white wine at her, leaving their co-stars shocked and appalled.

'Very mature darling, very mature,' Jessika snapped, before walking off in tears.

The Married At First Sight Grand Reunion continues Monday at 7.30pm on Nine
Kabul, Jan 31 : The European Unions (EU) special envoy to Afghanistan, Ronald Kobia, has called for an immediate end to violence in the war-torn country, followed by a ceasefire.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Kobia said: "If some parties don't like the term AceasefireA, call it truce, cessation of hostilities, moratorium, silent period. Whatever the semantics until it stops rivers of Afghan blood. You have an opportunity with new US administration to show you -really- want peace. Now".

Without naming anyone or party, he stated there is a good opportunity with the new US administration of President Joe Biden, but political parties in Afghanistan have to demonstrate how much they are intended to have a prolonged peace, Khaama Press reported.

Violent incidents mostly in the shape of target killing has been on rise over the past couple of months amid the tough and slow peace dialogue between negotiating teams of the Afghan government and Taliban group in Doha.

The second round of intra-Afghan talks after more than three weeks of break resumed on January 6 without significant progress, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to local media reports, no official dialogue has been held between the two sides over the past 10 days.

Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said last week that he had instructed the government negotiating team to focus on ceasefire and violence reduction to make the talks succeed.

However, the Taliban has demanded the resignation of the Afghan president from power as precondition for ceasefire and making peace.

A member of Taliban negotiating team Sher Mohammad Abas Stanikzai, according to media reports, has said that the armed group was ready "to make peace if Ashraf Ghani resigns" from power.

President Ghani has rejected the demand, saying that he is not the obstacle to peace rather he is a champion for peace in Afghanistan.

Richard Harrington, the former Tory Business Minister, is about to have his gilded knuckles rapped by the appointments watchdog after taking a new role in a global public affairs firm, I can reveal.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) confirms he breached a transparency rule in the Ministerial Code requiring all former Ministers to seek its advice before they begin a job within two years of leaving government.

Harrington, 63, held several ministerial posts before stepping down in December 2019 as MP for Watford after nine years, following a spat over Brexit with Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Richard Harrington, the former Tory Business Minister, is about to have his gilded knuckles rapped by the appointments watchdog

Talking of rows, Harrington last year tried to stop reporting of his 20 million divorce settlement with ex-wife Jessica.

She wanted a little over half  the judge gave them an equal share after branding Harrington 'evasive' over his financial interests and criticising a 'very casual attitude to his disclosure requirements'.

As an MP, Harrington lobbied then Chancellor George Osborne for an extension of a rail line in his constituency that was likely to benefit a business park in which he had invested.

Harrington's new career with APCO seemed natural for a man who founded the 'No 10 club', where Tory donors socialised with senior politicians in exchange for a 10,000 annual membership.

After months as a senior adviser, Harrington was recently promoted to APCO's UK chairman.

The lobbyists said his 'in-depth knowledge of industry and government make him an extremely valuable resource for our clients as they navigate post-Brexit Britain'.

ACOBA has asked Harrington for an explanation.

Last night, Harrington apologised for not waiting for the watchdog's approval.

Writing letters is the only power the watchdog has, so perhaps it's time to review the rules on ministerial jobs and sanction those in the chumocracy who break them.

Allegra's the No 10 shrink!

Downing Street is on a charm offensive, inviting Tory MPs for 'Agony Aunt' sessions with Allegra Stratton.

No 10's new Press Secretary is holding lengthy calls with backbenchers to address gripes.

No 10's new Press Secretary Allegra Stratton is holding lengthy calls with backbenchers to address gripes

One MP tells me it was like having a resident shrink  a bit like whip-smart Wendy Rhoades in the hedge-fund TV drama Billions.

'On the couch with Allegra', however, is no dominatrix affair but involves working through past trauma at the hands of Dominic Cummings.

Separate sessions with new chief of staff Dan Rosenfield are more sober but also have members feeling better loved.

Mark Francois has been found guilty of violating Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone's code of conduct for MPs.

She polices parliamentary behaviour and has concluded the former Tory Minister was guilty of abusing rules when wielding his wayward felt tip pen.

The violation concerns a letter the heavyweight Brexiteer wrote to EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier on parliamentary headed paper last summer.

Before Francois backed down, Stone was forced into a tussle with the Essex MP, who wrongly believed he was entitled to use Commons stationery when making a personal response as chair of the European Research Group.

Forced to submit to Stone's ruling, Francois initially offered a non-apology.

His lack of contrition was inadequate, the Commissioner responded, which led to a more grovelling follow-up from the chastened MP.

When under pressure, Francois also implicated other MPs who he claimed had committed similar errors of judgment.

Nice!

With just 11 MPs, Lib Dems have to resort to more creative means to make an impact.

So when Britain and the EU looked on the verge of a diplomatic disaster on Friday, Wendy Chamberlain MP's weighty intervention involved searching Commons records for the words 'vaccine nationalism', and tweeting a screen grab to prove she had 'said it first'  in November.

Yes, you did, Wendy, well done.
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The shade, or variants of it, is not exclusive to Audi, and was used over the years, including as an aftermarket choice, on a number of cars, but people generally associate it with the four-ringed brand. Just type in the Google search bar nardo gray , and see what suggestions are made.And yes, there are bikes wrapped in it as well.Take the Germans from Thunderbike, an unstoppable garage in the business of remaking Harleys. They used nardo gray on a number of their projects, and we must say, the color looks right at home on the limited real estate provided by a motorcycles body.Case in point, the Fat Boy Solid Dude they got out last summer. Or this here Greyhead, one of their even more recent releases. Once a Breakout, it got extensively changed, with the addition of some 30 custom parts and no-nonsense use of nardo gray on the headlamp fairing, fuel tank, rear fender, and elsewhere, combined with black on most of the other parts.The new visual impact achieved with the paint is boosted by the lower stance, made possible by the use of a Stage 2 lowering kit, which brings the two-wheeler down by 30 mm.As said, over 30 custom parts were used to make this, most of them of the Germans own design, including the headlamp, and covers where covers are due.The entire affair cost around 7,000 euros ($8,500) to put together, but that does not include the base bike, the exhaust system, man-hours that went into it, and probably a host of other parts were not told anything about.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
After falling just short of first place for a Keep Texas Beautiful 2020 Governors Community Achievement Award, Friendswood should have extra incentive this year.

The city, which is in Category 7 for communities with a population of 40,001-65,000, captured second place last year for the landscape award. To the winning recipient in Category 7, $250,000 in landscaping funds is awarded, courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which sponsors the prize money.

The Colony, a suburban community north of Dallas, claimed first place and Duncanville, just south of Dallas, garnered third for last years Category 7 contestants.

So, Friendswood may have prevented a sweep of Dallas-area entrants last year. Towns all around us also garnered top three accolades. The city of Alvin captured first place in Category 6 and its landscape award of $210,000. Santa Fe bagged second place in Category 4.

But hearty congratulations are in order for all who strive to keep Friendswood environmentally friendly. For the last three years, Friendswood is listed as just one of 37 cities across the state that have earned the badge of Sustained Excellence, applications that have received a score of 90 or higher from 2018 through 2020.

The award honors achievements in seven areas, including public awareness, illegal dumping enforcement, solid waste management, community improvement and beautification and litter prevention and clean-up.

All of that information brings us to this year and Friendswoods plans, we hope, to wrestle first place from The Colony. Actually, The Colony cant defend its Category 7 title. The GCAA rules state that a city, after winning first place, must sit out the next four years. So The Colony, Alvin and 2020s eight other first-place finishers are required to wait until 2025 to submit a new application.

Applications from cities are due March 4 at 5 p.m. CST, states the Keep Texas Beautiful website. Last week, in preparation for this years contest entries, Keep Texas Beautiful hosted a webinar on the subject of tips from past winners. In December, hosted another webinar.

The GCAA program is regarded as one of the most prestigious annual environmental awards in Texas. A total of $2 million in landscape awards is up for grabs in those 10 population categories.

The Friendswood Fire Department, which is celebating its 70th anniversary this year, is reminding all that it offers free carseat checks every other Monday from 4:30-8:30 p.m.

To schedule a carseat check, call the Friendswood Police Department at 281-996-3316 for more information.

Free childhood immunization shots will be available on six dates this year at the Kenneth M. Camp Fire Station, 1610 Whitaker. The dates, all Saturdays, are Feb. 20, April 17, June 19, Aug. 21, Oct. 16 and Dec. 18. Before arriving, be sure to bring your childs immunization records.

Im giving all a heads-up but its that important of a day. Feb. 9 is National Pizza Day. A whopping 3 billion pizzas are sold in the United States every year. That means 2 billion of that number will probably be sold on Super Bowl Sunday. Pepperoni ranks No. 1 in orders at 36 percent.

Of course, Friendswood has its share of pizza places, popular ones at that, according to tripadvisor.com. Which do you think are the best in town? Is it Stefanos Pizzeria, Center Court Pizza & Brew or Ginas Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria?

ravery@hcnonline.com
AstraZeneca has agreed to provide an extra nine million vaccine doses to the EU, the bloc has announced, after an extraordinary export ban row.

The British-Swedish manufacturer will provide 40 million doses for the EU by the end of March - still only half of what it had originally promised.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said late Sunday that AstraZeneca will also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled and expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has assured Britons that the UK's virus supply would not be affected by the 'toings and froings' of the EU.

However, he also warned that there was no point in just the UK getting vaccinated and that it was important EU countries did too.

It comes after the issue of vaccine supply triggered a row between the EU and the UK.

The row blew up spectacularly when Eurocrats overrode part of the Brexit deal to create a hard border on the island of Ireland to stop doses getting into the UK through Northern Ireland, which is still in the Customs Union.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said late Sunday that AstraZeneca will also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled

Boris Johnson has assured Britons that the UK's virus supply would not be affected by the 'toings and froings' of the EU

Brussels later backed down from plans to impose export controls on vaccines that threatened the shipment of 3.5million Pfizer doses to Britain.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson said on Sunday the UK 'will continue to take steps to protect' vaccine deliveries, in his first public comments since Brussels briefly overrode part of the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland to impose export controls on jabs.

His comments came after ministers agreed to a 'reset' in relations with the EU after the bloc's widely-criticised move that came as it battles to solve supply shortages from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

In a video from No 10 filmed on Sunday, Mr Johnson assured a member of the public who raised concerns over whether she will get her follow-up shot of the Belgian-made Pfizer vaccine that 'we're very confident that we will be able to give you your second dose'.

AstraZeneca agreed to provide an extra nine million vaccine doses to the EU

'You will have seen all this stuff in the papers about our friends across the Channel and disputes with them,' the Prime Minister added.

'All I would say is whatever the toings and froings there, we're very confident in our security of supply.

'We will continue to take steps to protect the UK's security of supply and also to ensure that we ramp up our own manufacturing.'

He also said he wants Europe and the rest of the world to receive vaccinations 'at the same time' as the UK, saying 'there's no point one country on its own getting vaccinated'.

He said: 'Britain, the UK, we can't think of this just as a project for us and us alone.

'The most important thing about the Oxford vaccine is it obviously can be distributed at room temperature, which is great, but it's also being distributed at cost around the world.

'We want to make sure as many people across the whole of the world, across Europe, across the whole world, get access to vaccines and we're massively funding, the UK has put hundreds of millions into the international vaccine alliance, into Covax.

'We want everybody in our country to get vaccinated at the same time as the vaccination of everybody in the world, because that is ultimately the only way to fix this.

'There's no point one country on its own getting vaccinated.'

The EU is far behind Britain and the United States in getting its population of 450 million vaccinated against the virus.

The slow rollout has been blamed on a range of national problems as well as delayed approval of the vaccines compared to elsewhere and an initial shortage of supply.

The announcement last week that AstraZeneca would initially only supply 31 million doses to the EU's 27 member states due to production problems triggered a fierce dispute between the two sides, with officials in Brussels saying they feared the company was treating the bloc unfairly compared to other customers, such as the United Kingdom.

On Friday, hours after regulators authorised the vaccine for use across the EU, the commission announced that it was tightening rules on exports of Covid-19 vaccines, sparking an angry response from Britain.

However, Boris Johnson told the European Commission president that plans to stop 3.5 million doses from the Pfizer factory in Belgium the UK risked preventing people from receiving the second injection, forcing it into a hurried climbdown.

The commission has since made clear that the new measure will not trigger controls on vaccines shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to Northern Ireland.

Under the post-Brexit deal, EU products should still be able to travel unhindered from the bloc to the region

Ireland's prime minister lashed out at the European Union today over its vaccines threat to Northern Ireland, admitting he was one of those 'blindsided' by the announcement.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had been given no advance notice of the intention by the EU to trigger Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol on Friday.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that the first he was aware of it was a public announcement by the bloc on Friday night.

After invoking Article 16 to stop the unimpeded flow of vaccines from the European bloc into Northern Ireland, the EU later backtracked, following condemnation from London, Dublin and Belfast.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had been given no advance notice of the intention by the EU to trigger Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol on Friday

It is understood that a compromise will see vaccines crossing between the Republic and Northern Ireland being recorded in Dublin, but will not be at risk of being blocked.

Any move to prevent vaccines entering Ulster via the republic would effectively create a hard border that could have had serious ramifications for political stability.

The Taoiseach said he articulated the 'very serious implications' the move would have and engagement began between his office and the office of president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

'I had a number of conversations with President von der Leyen and, in the aftermath of those, I also spoke, of course, to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and we discussed the implications of all of this, and the importance of getting a resolution by the close of that evening, Friday evening, and thankfully the commission did issue a statement pulling back and reversing its decision.'

Mr Martin also criticised French president Emmanuel Macron for suggesting - contrary to all available evidence - that the AZ jab did not work for those aged over 65.

''I don't think politicians should pronounce on the efficacy or otherwise of vaccines,' the Irish leader said.

Mr Martin also criticised French president Emmanuel Macron for suggesting - contrary to all available evidence - that the AZ jab did not work for those aged over 65

Boris Johnson handed the EU a stark warning that a vaccines blockade of Northern Ireland could kill British pensioners in 'spicy' late-night phone calls with Ursula von der Leyen.

The Prime Minister told the European Commission president that plans to stop 3.5 million doses from the Pfizer factory in Belgium the UK risked preventing people from receiving the second injection, forcing it into a hurried climbdown.

While a single vaccination gives some protection from coronavirus, both are needed to achieve the maximum impact and Mr Johnson told Ms von der Leyen the EU's hardline plan could lead to the deaths of the most vulnerable, including elderly grandparents.

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the Prime Minister made Ms von der Leyen abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent vaccines reaching the UK.

She immediately capitulated in a tweet sent out shortly before midnight on Friday.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss this morning said it was important to 'resist vaccine nationalism and protectionism', adding: 'The Prime Minister has spoken to Ursula von der Leyen. She's been very clear those contractual supplies won't be disrupted.'

Following the PM's diplomatic victory, Britain yesterday recorded a daily record for first-dose jabs  487,756  to bring the total to almost 8.4 million.

However Mr Martin laid some blame at the door of AstraZeneca, saying there is a 'strong sense across Europe' that the Anglo-Sewdish jab manufacturer has not delivered on commitments around the vaccination.

'My observation is that the terrible row is an acrimonious row between AstraZeneca and the (EU) Commission over the contractual obligations of the company in respect of supplying vaccines to European member states took centre stage here, and people were blindsided by the decision that was taken and the implications for the Protocol,' he told Marr.

The Taoiseach stressed it took four years to negotiate the Protocol to facilitate access for Northern Ireland's economy to the single market as well as to the UK market and to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

'It's a good thing, the Protocol, overall. There are issues there that we have to fine-tune and work out, but essentially I think there are positives there medium term for Northern Ireland in terms of its economic development which we should not underestimate.

'We are only four weeks into the operation of the Protocol, there are bound to be teething problems but I do acknowledge the need for engagement here on all sides, between the European Union, the United Kingdom and the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive.'
A man aged in his 30s is in hospital following a stabbing incident at a property in Co Down, the PSNI have revealed.

A 24-year-old man was arrested after police were called to a house at Castleview in Gilford around 3am on Sunday.

He has been charged with a number of offences including attempted murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and assault.

He is due to appear at Newry Magistrates Court on Monday. As is normal procedure all charges are reviewed by the PPS.

The victim sustained a number of stab wounds as a result of the incident and is currently in hospital receiving treatment, a PSNI statement said.

There are no further details at present.

Police say enquiries are ongoing and detectives would ask anyone with information which could assist with their investigation to contact them in Lurgan on 101 quoting reference number 223 31/01/21.

A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
Veteran Spotlight: Army Sgt. Terry McGinnis

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  At 27 years of age, Terry McGinnis is far ahead of his peers. An extremely humble, courteous and respectful young man, he served his country in the Army for six years, finishing with the rank of sergeant.

His story is an amazing one.

McGinnis grew up in Englewood, Calif., and did his basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. His first assignment was at the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii as a member of the 2nd Platoon, 25th Infantry Division. He remembered there "being a great deal of history there." After being deployed to the Philippines to train that country's Scout Rangers, he was sent to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

"I went back and focused on what I had to do ... told my guys that if you fail at it, make sure as hell you look good doing it," he said.

I asked McGinnis about the holidays and he said he didn't get any holidays, and had no family -- "I grew up in an orphanage."

With his paperwork approved, he was sent back to Fort Benning for Ranger School.

"Probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," he said. "[It]rained all the time, got trench foot, lost 35 pounds." I asked him about a mentor and he didn't hesitate, "my platoon sergeant, Ramirez ... he really pushed me."

From Ranger School he went straight to Ranger Assessment and Selection -- a brutal regimen of running, sprinting, carrying soldiers, literally no sleep (three hours per night), guzzling water in a certain time frame and eating your meals in 30 seconds. After graduating from Airborne Jump School ("it was easy, all we had to do was listen and jump out of an airplane"), Sgt. McGinnis began the dreaded SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training in counterintelligence for if a soldier gets caught with information.

"They sent us out on a fake mission," he said. "As we were crossing a road, these four trucks pulled up ... I got handcuffed and thrown in the back ... I got waterboarded, punched in the face. They even broke my finger ... the last day was horrible."

Out of the 20 soldiers who participated, McGinnis was one of only five who graduated.

He would return to JB Lewis-McChord to get top secret clearance and get assigned to Ranger Reconnaissance Company, training with the Green Berets. He was then sent to both Marine and Army sniper schools, describing the latter as "pretty intense  they pound into your skull the standards so you react to muscle memory."

McGinnis would be deployed an astounding seven times and saw intense combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. He didn't want to speak about it but said, "on my last deployment we got into a firefight and I got blown up ... all that I remember is waking up in Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany." He was awarded the Purple Heart.

His thoughts on service? "I liked doing it," he said. "Liked helping the little person ... always wanted to serve and have a purpose."

He is a proud member of American Legion Post 152 in Williamstown. Sgt. Terry McGinnis, thank you for your service to our great country.


The officer, possibly in his 30s, was inside his police SUV when multiple shots were fired at him, penetrating the SUV, and he apparently returned fire with his service weapon, according to sources.

CNN

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) called for Republican House leaders to take action against QAnon-supporting Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) over her violent and conspiratorial rhetoric, saying on Sunday that stripping her of her committee assignments would send a message.

Appearing on CNNs State of the Union, Portmanwho recently announced that he will not seek reelection in 2022spent much of the interview hemming and hawing over whether or not hed support impeaching former President Donald Trump for inciting the insurrectionist Capitol riot earlier this month.

GOP Pols Knew Who Taylor Greene Wasand Did Nothing

If you dont vote yes arent you excusing it? You say it is inexcusable, anchor Dana Bash confronted the outgoing senator. If you dont vote yes, one could argue you are doing just that. You are excusing the behavior.

Portman, meanwhile, contended that Trumps actions can be inexcusable and yet not be subject to a conviction, adding that he isnt sure that the Senate impeachment trial is constitutional since Trump is no longer in office. (Portman voted for Sen. Rand Pauls motion to reject the impeachment on constitutional grounds.)

Eventually, Bash swung the conversation to Greene, who continues to be an ardent supporter of Trumps attempt to overthrow Joe Bidens decisive election victory. In recent days, Greene has come under fire over past comments and social media posts in which she endorsed the execution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, claimed a Jewish space laser caused California wildfires, harassed a Parkland shooting survivor, and said mass school shootings were false flags.

Greene, meanwhile, has remained unapologetic in the face of the mounting criticism over her unhinged conspiracy-mongering, claiming she is the victim of a radical, left-wing Democrat mob that is trying to take her out.

She has so far faced zero repercussions from what she has said and the ideas that she is spewing, the CNN anchor noted, referencing the lack of action so far from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Story continues

So as a Republican leader who does not want to be silent, do you think that she should be punished or somehow it should be shown that she is an example of how that kind of stuff is not tolerated in the GOP? Bash further asked.

I think Republican leaders ought to stand up and say it is totally unacceptable what she has said, the Ohio lawmaker replied. I saw a couple videos over the weekend and one had to do with violence, as I see it. There is no place for violence in our political dialogue.

Portman went on to say that people ought to speak out clearly against Greenes behavior, prompting the State of the Union host to press him on whether that means stripping Greene of her plum assignment on the House Education Committee.

I assume that is something theyre looking at and I wouldnt be surprised if that happens, he responded. You know, I think that is the way to send a message.

Hedging a bit, Portman also said the voters in her district ought to be respected, but did conclude: On the other hand, when that kind of behavior occurs, there has to be a strong response.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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People gather for a holiday break at the caravan park on December 29, 2020 in Mallacoota, Australia. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

Pitch to Make Camping and Caravanning a Tax Deduction

Caravanning and camping has been a blessing for Australias pandemic-ravaged tourism sector, but theres a call to make it even more appealing in the form of a tax deduction.

As the federal governments JobKeeper subsidy trickles to a stop, Caravan Industry Association of Australia spokesman Stuart Lamont has called for more support measures.

Rather than travel vouchers, he suggested personal tax deductions for things like accommodation and tours.

The government is only forgoing the opportunity of a tax-take, while people are going out and spending money in the community, and that money rolls around many times, particularly in regional communities, he said.

Some sort of incentive in that way, which is tax-related as opposed to just a handout for those people who want to go away on holidays, is a more sustainable model to investigate.

Caravan and camping accounted for 44 percent of all holiday nights and were the most popular choice during the September quarter, according to Tourism Research Australia.

But not all areas have felt the benefit due to domestic border closures.

The nervousness of people to travel long distances for fear of not being able to get back to their home, is the problem highlighted by Lamont.

He said Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Western Australia traditionally attract substantial numbers of international visitors, who have been absent during the coronavirus, and that those places had also been hit hard by domestic travel restrictions.

Among other proposals to support the tourism industry, are concessional loans for tourism operators, repaid once they return to profit, and access to advisory services to pivot to new markets.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called for an extension of support for hard-hit industries such as tourism.

Perhaps Scott Morrison and the federal government could look at those industries that are doing it tough, and maybe JobKeeper, it does need to be extended for those industries, she said this week.

We know other industries have bounced back after COVID and some industries are doing a lot better than others, but we do know that the tourism industry is hurting, especially those regions which relied heavily on international travellers.

Nick Gibbs in Brisbane

Jaipur, Jan 31 : Meet artist Chandraprakash Gupta who is paying rich tributes to Army martyrs differently since the Kargil War of 1999.

He has been making oil paintings of the war heroes and gifting them to their families after travelling miles to their villages to ensure they get a feel of how their Army Hero is loved across the nation by people unknown.

Speaking to IANS, he says, "During the Kargil war, I came to know that over 85 Army heroes from Rajasthan sacrificed their lives for the sake of their nation. The news of their heroism made me proud but I was also feeling hollow and helpless wondering how I can condole their bereaved families as a son of the soil and make them feel the depth of love and respect their son is garnering across the nation." "I was an artist and the only thing I knew was drawing, painting and sketching. Hence came the idea of making their oil painting portraits and gifting it to their families," he adds.

So basically the idea cropped up in 1999 with the Kargil War. While sitting in my crammed Devdas Studio in Chaura Rasta Bazaar, I painted the picture of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, resident of Kota district, on an impulse. His aircraft was shot down by a Pakistani missile, he informs.

Since then Gupta has done 275 portraits, of which 85 are those of Kargil martyrs.

These are all war heroes who came to the battlefield but did not come back.

He also travels miles on his own and gifts these portraits to their families personally.

Till date, he has travelled to 60 villages no matter how much in the interior they are but he ensures that he reaches each martyr's family and meets and gifts these portraits to them personally.

Besides using his brush, he makes much effort to paint them and there are other unseen efforts too.

As soon as he learns of the martyrdom of a soldier, he communicates with his family or the Sainik Welfare Department for a photograph. Then for a week, he makes his brush work in the studio. Once the portrait is done, which is a memorial stroked with colours, he makes ground preparations to give it to the bereaved families.

At times, he carries the finished work to their doorstep and doesn't charge a penny for the painting or his travel from anyone. The money, according to him, comes from his commercial work.

He has inherited the gift of making portraits from his father Brij Mohan, who was an artist too.

Learning the art of painting from him, he soon realised that his work should acquire a deeper shade for he wanted to commemorate the warriors of his land.

Former governor of Rajasthan Anshuman Singh acknowledged Gupta's efforts by awarding him Rs 5,000 and presenting 20 of his paintings to bereaved families.

Recently, Governor Kalraj Mishra gifted his painting to the family of Assistant Commandant Jitendra Singh who was martyred in Jammu in 2018.

He was also awarded by the state government once for his efforts.

However the man is least bothered about rewards.

He says, "It makes an emotional scene watching young widows with infants in their arms and the aged parents mourning their sons." "But on looking at the portrait, a faint smile appears on their face and this is the reward of a lifetime," he says.


I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here contestant Ash Williams has pleaded not guilty to recording intimate images of a woman.

The 38-year-old comedian's matter was mentioned before Newtown Local Court on Monday, just hours after the finale of the hit Channel Ten reality show.

Williams is alleged to have been engaging in phone sex with a woman via Facetime when he took screenshots of her without her knowledge - and then sent them back to her.

He denies any wrongdoing and his lawyer Lauren MacDougall appeared in court on his behalf to formally enter a not guilty plea to the criminal charge.

Charged: I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! contestant Ash Williams, 38, (pictured) has pleaded not guilty to recording intimate images of a women without her consent

The incident allegedly took place in November, while Ash was in lockdown ahead of his debut on I'm A Celebrity.

'In November 2020, officers from the Inner West Police Area Command received a report of an offence allegedly committed by a 38-year-old man,' NSW Police said.

'Following further investigations, the man was charged with intentionally record intimate image without consent on Friday, 18 December, 2020.'

Williams said the allegation has left him feeling 'shocked and confused'.

'I was completely blindsided by the allegation and I propose to defend the charge. Im really upset by the allegation and Im distressed about the impact its had on members of my family, particularly my mum,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

'It involves someone I was in love with and had been seeing faithfully in a committed and long-term relationship. The allegation has left me feeling shocked and confused. I dont propose to make any further comment and look forward to resolving the matter in court.'

'I'm really upset': Williams said the allegation had left him feeling 'shocked and confused'

Williams' matter is due to return to Newtown Local Court on March 23, 2021. Williams is pictured on I'm a Celebrity with Grant Denyer (left) and Toni Pearen (back to camera)

Williams' matter is due to return to Newtown Local Court on March 23, 2021.

On Sunday night Williams joined his fellow I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! stars at an after party in Sydney.

The 2021 season was won by former Bachelor contestant Abbie Chatfield.
Queensland has moved quickly to close the door to travellers from Western Australia, as it opens a window to travellers from New South Wales.

Health authorities moved to close the border with most of WA on Sunday afternoon after the state recorded its first case of the virus in 10 months in a hotel quarantine security guard.

Anyone who has been in Metropolitan Perth, Peel or the South West regions of WA who arrives in Queensland from 6pm tonight will be required to go into 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine. This timeframe may change as we receive more information about the WA outbreak, the Queensland Health statement said.

Anyone who is already in Queensland but has been in Perth or the Peel or South West regions since January 26 should come forward and get tested and isolate until get a negative result.
Mr Prosper Afenyo, a member of the Mens Fellowship of the E.P. Church in Ho, has said former President Jerry John Rawlings laid a sure foundation for the progress of the Volta Region during his days in office.



He said contrary to assertions that Rawlings, who hailed from the Region, did little to enhance its growth, key projects that formed the base for development, were initiated by him.



He cited that the Regional capital got one of two major hospitals he built, which now is a teaching hospital that has birthed the nations first Health University.



The late President also established a regional agriculture development project and made Volta the only region at the time with three television transmission sites.



Mr Afenyo said the start of the Keta Sea defense project was worth mentioning as one of the legacies of Rawlings, who defied its huge cost to save Keta till today.



The senior citizen eulogised the late Presidents life of compassion, which he said was most notably exhibited in his rescue of over two million Ghanaians from Nigeria during the famine of 1983.



It was the most challenging time for leadership but Rawlings excelled, he said



Mr Afenyo also remembered the former President who came to power through a military coup, for eliminating terrorism and serious crime gangs in the country.



He said as Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle, the Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast has appealed to Ghanaians as a form of legacy to the memory of the late former President Rawlings to forgive him, "Rawlings was a human being and not perfect".

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Shocking footage has emerged of revellers on a packed dance floor shouting abuse at a DJ when he asked them to abide by Covid-19 rules.

Under NSW Health restrictions, dance floors are banned in Sydney, with those attending performance required to sit down and maintain social distancing.

But guests aboard a three-storey Sydney Harbour party boat on Saturday night brazenly flouted the rules, dancing in close proximity and ignoring the DJ's request for patrons to remain seated.

A video posted online (pictured) shows revellers dancing on a party boat, in breach of Covid-19 restrictions, in Sydney Harbour on Saturday night

A video posted on Facebook shows out of control partygoers dancing on the boat as organisers tried to get them to comply with health orders.

'I need you to sit down,' the DJ can be heard saying into a microphone.

'I know its f**king tempting but please sit down. We dont want to lock this s**t down.'

But many were unfazed by his request, with one man tearing into the DJ for trying to enforce the rules at the sold-out music event.

'Shut the f**k up. Who is going to sit down? You sit down,' the man filming yells.

'F**king ''sit down'', he says. We dont sit down. We pay our taxes.'

The rest of the attendees appeared to completely disregard the directive, continuing to dance, with some men fist pumping in the air and women grinding against railings.

The boat company is yet to comment on the footage, but its website states it is Covid safe.

Coronavirus restrictions tightened across NSW in December in response to a fresh outbreak, including face masks in shopping centres and on public transport.

The government eased some restrictions last week, however, dancing is still banned with the exception of 20-people in wedding parties.
HOWELL, Mich. - It's a Monday morning and the Sunrise Family Diner is full. Retirees in jeans and plaid sit by the window, chatting over coffee and the local newspaper. A sign posted at the entrance urges customers to wear masks, but some don't. They get seated anyway, within arm's length of strangers in other booths.

Michigan is under shutdown, but inside Sunrise Family Diner, you might assume there is no pandemic.

This is the other rebellion. While armed extremists gathered outside the statehouse in Lansing a week after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in support of President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud, dozens of restaurateurs across Michigan held their own protests against reality.

The restaurants are operating in open defiance of the state's polarizing governor and the restrictions she ordered in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The businesses say the science on which the rules are based - pushed by the state health department, World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - is politicized and untrustworthy.

"I don't think it's as bad as they're saying it is," diner owner David Koloski said. "The whole thing with the coronavirus is political. I think Democrats are dug in and unwilling to move on this."

Their protests have thrived for weeks thanks to law enforcement officers who support their cause and state residents willing to travel hours in some cases to patronize businesses where they can flaunt their distaste for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and her rules. So far, cease-and-desist orders and fines have done little to dissuade the businesses, and state officials have declined to discuss what recourse they have for dealing with the revolt.

But the consequences are clear, some health professionals say: Even as Michigan's coronavirus rates have declined, many of the state's hospitals remain at capacity because of covid-19 patients.

Less than 40 miles away from Sunrise Family Diner, Lansing's Sparrow Hospital has exceeded 90% capacity since April, even with multiple ICU expansions. Since last winter, more than 100 hospital caregivers have tested positive for the coronavirus and two have died. The hospital has lost more than 160 patients to covid since the pandemic began.

Sparrow president Alan Vierling describes driving past open restaurants and bars - and even more often the obvious house party or big family gathering - and how angry it makes him.

"You see that and you know that there's a percentage of these folks, once they get covid, some of them will die. And it doesn't have to be that way," said Vierling, a registered nurse. "This isn't like getting leukemia, where you can do everything right and get leukemia and die. With this, you have a choice."

The scenario here in Michigan is one that is expected to play out increasingly around the country as the pandemic drags on, presenting a challenge for the Biden administration and its plans to use a science-based approach to combating the virus after the previous administration spent much of the past year downplaying its severity and refusing to mandate restrictions - or even model medically recommended protocols.

Koloski, 39, said he can't afford to abide by the state's guidelines that limit restaurants to takeout service only.

"If we didn't open, we would have shuttered. Doors closed. Out of a house, out of a job, out of a car. Me and the rest of my staff," said Koloski, who has seven employees.

Besides, he said, "I'm not holding a gun to anybody's head and making them come here."

So the diner reopened earlier this month, advertising with a group known as Stand Up Michigan. The group, organized by several western Michigan business owners, has held rallies and demonstrations against pandemic-related restrictions across the state, including at the state Capitol.

Restaurants "can't live on takeout," said group co-founder Ron Armstrong, whose business manufactures displays and exhibits for trade shows. "Some people said: 'Either I'm going to have them come and take my keys or I'm going to have to give my keys to the bank. Those are my two choices, but I will not not be open anymore.' "

Meanwhile, hospitals such as Sparrow are reeling from the consequences of such decisions.

On any given day, the hospital typically has five to 10 ICU beds available - and 30 to 40 patients who need them.

Vierling has been forced to supplement his staff with 90 traveling nurses who work 12-hour shifts, five days a week and live in nearby long-term-stay hotels.

The hospital turned its break rooms into respite rooms after seeing caregivers, one after another, retreat to the rooms to weep. It added massage chairs to soothe and distract.

"If you'd have told me before the pandemic that massage chairs would be one of the biggest, smartest decisions I'd make in this job, I'd say you were crazy," Vierling said. "We have to try to provide some comfort. We're trying to save as many lives as possible, and every time we lose somebody, that's devastating. It's like watching somebody drown slowly for 10 days."

- - -

Whitmer announced on Jan. 22 that the state would allow restaurants to resume limited dine-in service beginning Monday. Seating will be limited to 25% of capacity and tables must be six feet apart with no more than six people per table. They also must close at 10 p.m.

"I know that it has not been easy," Whitmer said, referring to the roughly 2 month ban.

But, she said, data shows that the state's actions have worked, and that if people continue to follow the recommendations of the scientific community, further restrictions might not be necessary.

"The science around this virus is settled, and if we can all wear masks and be very smart about congregating, and not do it unless it's necessary, washing our hands, doing that social distancing, we will be in a strong position in a few weeks," Whitmer said. "And we'll be able to do more. That's the hope."

But even the loosening of some of the rules isn't enough for the members of Stand Up Michigan, many of whom said they would continue operating at full capacity.

At All Star Coney Island, it was a full house on a recent Sunday night, with all but one booth filled. That tabletop was reserved for a large sheet of paper on which customers had written thank-you messages to the owners.

"Freedom is given by God. God bless this business!" one customer wrote.

"Thank you for being Patriots! Freedom!" wrote another.

"People need to use common sense. It's been too long," said a maskless Kathy Holcomb, 67, as she left the restaurant. "We stay safe. We wash our hands. We wear our masks - well, not just now," she added, laughing.

Stand Up Michigan keeps a running list of restaurants that are open in defiance of the ban, posting weekly updates for its members, who also swap intel among themselves on the group's social media site about restaurants they've discovered and businesses that allow customers to walk freely through their establishments unmasked.

The number fluctuates, but has more than 60 restaurants in 33 counties spread across the state from the Ohio border to the northernmost reaches of the Upper Peninsula.

The group's online messaging goes beyond promoting open restaurants to disseminating false information and deceptive data to downplay the risks of the virus. For example, when discussing the risks of indoor dining, Armstrong claims that it is safer to be in a restaurant than it is to be in your home, saying more cases of coronavirus are contracted in small indoor gatherings in people's homes than in restaurants. He does not provide any data to back up his claim.

Hospital admissions have dropped significantly in recent weeks, but 18 of the restaurants in Stand Up Michigan are in places where hospitals remain above 90% capacity.

As of Friday, Michigan had more than 557,883 confirmed coronavirus cases and 14,497 deaths, according to data from the state health department. Positivity rates were dropping as well, with more than half the state's counties reporting seven-day positivity averages of less than 6%. But 17 of the state's hospitals remain at 90 to 100% capacity, including the two in Lansing that serve several surrounding counties.

On Nov. 15, when new restrictions were announced, including the ban on indoor dining, Michigan was at 733 cases per million, according to health department spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin. "Two months in, the current number on our dashboard is 207 per million, a decline of more than 70 percent," Sutfin said.

"You'd like to think if people could see the results and know they're possibly putting people in harm's way, they wouldn't do it," said Vierling, the hospital president. "But with this virus, it's very likely large numbers of people are responsible for deaths of other people and never know it."

Since mid-November, the state liquor control commission has suspended the licenses of 34 establishments for violating the emergency orders. Two restaurants have received fines of several thousand dollars, including a former Big Boy restaurant that was forced to give up its franchise agreement - and the iconic Big Boy statue - over its continued refusal to shut down.

State health officials declined to discuss what recourse they have for dealing with restaurants that continue to defy orders, or their plans for future enforcement.

Restaurants such as Jimmy's Roadhouse, on the west side of the state in the town of Newaygo, have continued to operate through cease-and-desist orders and without a liquor license. It's become a symbol of the restaurant defiance movement.

Jimmy's also has become a destination for indoor-dining tourists, people who travel from all over the state seeking a place to publicly display their disdain for masks and social distancing.

"On the weekends, that's one of the tourist attractions. And people drive three, four hours, with their families, elderly people," owner Jimmy Cory said, noting that one of his "regulars" is an elderly couple that drives two hours from the northern Michigan town of Traverse City.

Cory says the restrictions are merely rules, not laws, and he doesn't plan to follow them.

"Anything outside of the food code and the liquor code that I've been following my entire restaurant career is bull---t and unconstitutional," he said, adding that "curfews are for comrades."

Restaurants in many communities appear to have the support of local police, which is complicating enforcement efforts. OSKAR Scots restaurant in the village of Caledonia, was hit with a cease-and-desist order from Kent County's health department on Jan. 11. A sheriff's deputy visited to let the owner know that the department's phone had been blowing up with reports about the business being open in defiance of the restrictions.

"I said, 'Well what happens next with you?' And he goes, 'Nothing.' He goes, 'I'll be seeing you tomorrow for coffee and breakfast,' " owner Randall Scot recalled.

The sheriff's department did not respond to requests for comment. The county health department said it could not comment on specific cases.

Scot, 52, said a trip to Florida convinced him to ignore the state restrictions. His family visited the Sunshine State, where restaurants are allowed to remain open at 100% capacity, over Christmas.

"I decided at that point of time I'll never shut my dining room down again," he said.

Scot, who received a second cease-and-desist order from the county health department on Jan. 19, said operating at 25% of capacity simply isn't enough.

"I have the right to not be deprived of my life, liberty or property without due process of law," Scot said via a text message. "I have fantastic representation and will fight if I have to. I am STANDING UP."
A sinister death threat painted on a wall in east Belfast which warned Tanaiste Leo Varadkar he'd be killed if he "set foot in Ulster" is being treated as "hate crime".

The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed yesterday they were investigating the graffiti, which was discovered on the side of a shop on Drumart Square in the Belvoir estate overnight.

SDLP MP Claire Hanna compared the threats, which have since been painted over, to statements used by the Ku Klux Klan. "Actions like this will persist until we treat backward elements as the societal threats they are." She said those who are intent on "relighting sectarian and racist fires" need to be tackled "swiftly and completely".

Condemning the incident, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was "shocked at the disgusting graffiti targeting Leo Varadkar. This is a hate crime motivated by prejudice. It's also criminal damage, and anyone with information should contact police who must investigate."

A PSNI spokesperson said yesterday: "Police in south Belfast received a report of criminal damage at Drumart Square in Belvoir Estate on Saturday, January 30."

Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd, chair of the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, said: "The language of hate and lynch mobs is not the language of the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland and we should not give credence to the racist ranting of a few disturbed individuals."
POE WELCOMES AMLA AMENDMENTS SIGNING

The fortified Anti-Money Laundering Act is a fresh signal to investors to put their trust and money into the financial system to help bring around the economy.

With a more robust system in place of catching fraudsters, businesses, creditors and the international community can look to the Philippines anew with renewed confidence.

As we rise from the battering of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need the resources of people willing to put in their investments to enliven our sectors, generate jobs and give our people sustainable income.

The new AMLA also sends a clear message to the world that the hard-earned money of our overseas Filipino workers go through the legitimate channels when sent to their families in the country.

It is only fitting to protect the remittances of our OFWs, who help keep our economy afloat.
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Donna Blake Birchell enjoys traveling across the Land of Enchantment.

Its while shes traveling when she finds the hidden gems in the state.

This is what inspired her to once again pack up and travel the glorious roads of the state.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



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

The result is the book, Hidden Gems: Roadside Treasures of New Mexico  which is also her 10th book.

Birchell says Hidden Gems took her a year-and-a-half to complete  with an addition of 40,000 miles on her vehicle.

I was given the perfect excuse to travel (which I love) to many places in New Mexico that I have never been, she says. With photography being a close second of my loves, next to writing, it was thrilling to capture even more of the beauty that we have surrounding us.

Birchell says every part of the state is unique and beautiful in its own way.

As a native New Mexican, I am extremely biased to the state, love to promote and share her whenever I can, she says. This book includes the tried and true landmarks we are familiar with, but it also has places where are forgotten. I want to encourage people to travel to and patronize these spots whenever possible  safely of course, and use this book as a guide since directions were given as well.

Birchell says it is difficult to choose her favorite places because each region is filled with great places.

Five stand out in her mind.

1. Chimay o: The sense of peace and sanctity you feel at the Santuario is otherworldly at times, she says. My first visit to Chimay o was in the early 2000s when I felt completely drawn to the village by a force I couldnt explain. It is now my safe place, my balancing place where I can regroup and face whatever the world wants to throw at me. To me it is the most sacred spot in New Mexico.

2. Angel Peak near Farmington: I found this stunning place completely by accident. As I drove down the highway, the peak stood out so when I saw the sign to visit, it was an immediate detour, she says. The colorful striations of the formations are awe-inspiring, and to think they are only a mile or so off the highway  completely hidden from the passerby who may be in too much of a hurry to enjoy. My imagination runs wild in the Badlands as I think of civilizations and wildlife who may have called this area home. The force needed to form these monuments must have been enormous! The completely serene vistas make you forget life for a while  especially if you take advantage of the benches perched on the edges of the canyons.

3. VLA (Very Large Array) near Socorro: The drive to the array is diverse with opportunities for rock climbing, homestead grasslands and ranches along the way, she says. The idea that something may be out there and maybe someday we will learn about them is something I have always found interesting. After seeing the movie Contact, the VLA has been on the bucket list. Although the site is somewhat small, the units themselves are huge and make for great photo opportunities.

4. Lincoln: Being able to walk the same street as Billy the Kid and the Regulators, being immersed in the tumultuous history of this town which looks extremely close to as it did in 1880, is a treat, she says. The people of Lincoln are unbeatable! Friendly, talented and completely dedicated to the preservation of this Old West town.

5. Hillsboro AND Kingston: These tiny towns were relics of a wild and raucous period in New Mexico, she says. Gold, silver, zinc and copper were being pulled out of the Black Range Mountains in huge amounts, which of course, drew in the miners, gamblers, shady ladies and opportunists. I was first introduced to this region while doing research for Wicked Women of New Mexico, where I learned about Sadie Orchard, a madam posing as an English rose. The towns look much like they did back in Sadies day when she opened her brothel on Virtue Avenue in Kingston and her hotel/restaurant in Hillsboro. Many fortunes were made and lost there. Once again, the people are great.

Online

Hidden Gems: Roadside Treasures of New Mexico by Donna Blake Birchell is available at arcadiapublishing.com

Editors note: The last Sunday of each month, Journal Arts Editor Adrian Gomez tells the stories behind some of the hidden gems you can see across the state in Gimme Five.
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung speaks about the provincial government's supplementary budget plan for local residents affected by COVID-19's economic impact during a session at the provincial council, Jan. 25. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Council



Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung has sent a letter to the United Nations and the U.S. Congress to call for support for a law that South Korea enacted to ban the sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into North Korea, officials said Sunday.



Lee, considered a leading presidential hopeful, said in the letter that the leafleting ban is the minimum measure to protect the lives, safety and properties of the people of Gyeonggi Province that includes regions bordering North Korea.



Lee also stressed in the letter that the law is a peaceful means that can prevent unnecessary military tensions and confrontation with North Korea and improve strained inter-Korean relations, according to provincial government officials.



The ruling Democratic Party-controlled National Assembly legislated the ban last year after North Korea expressed vehement anger at such leaflets that usually sharply criticize leader Kim Jong-un. In a dramatic expression of such anger, the North even blew up a joint inter-Korean liaison office building in June.






Khloe Kardashian recently enjoyed a tropical getaway with her famous family.

And the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has since returned home to Los Angeles, where she's adjusting to life away from partner Tristan Thompson.

She came home Saturday to a sweet surprise from the new Boston Celtics recruit, which she shared on her Instagram Story, after enjoying a girls trip with her sisters in Turks and Caicos.

Sweet surprise: Khloe Kardashian came home Saturday to a sweet surprise from partner Tristan Thompson, which she shared on her Instagram Story, after enjoying a girls trip with her sisters in Turks and Caicos

Long distance: The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has been adjusting to life away from the new Boston Celtics recruit, after he relocated for the job (pictured in February, 2018)

The 36-year-old posted a video of her living room filled with metallic rose gold balloons, including some mylar letters that spelled: 'Welcome home.'

She also shared some photos of pink floral arrangements awaiting her arrival, writing to the father of her child: 'Thank you TT.'

It was a particularly sweet gesture, as Tristan, 29, has been living in Boston, where he signed a two-year contract with the Celtics, reportedly worth $19million, following nine seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A source recently told E! News that he and Khloe 'are on the same page and both want another baby. Khloe knows the value of siblings and growing up in a house full of kids and she wants that for True. It's something they have been working on for a while.'

Balloons everywhere: The 36-year-old posted a video of her living room filled with metallic rose gold balloons

Home sweet home: The display featured some mylar letters above the fireplace, which spelled: 'Welcome home'

Flower power: She also shared some photos of pink floral arrangements awaiting her arrival. A layer of balloons floated above her head, covering the ceiling

The insider added: 'Tristan is very supportive of Khloe and making this happen. He goes with her to doctor's appointments and listens to her feelings. He's very involved and invested in the future of their family together.'

The couple seemed to confirm the news in a teaser for the upcoming final season of KUWTK, as she told Tristan: 'I just feel like it's now time to have another kid.'

Khloe recently returned home to Los Angeles from Massachusetts, where she spent the holidays with Tristan and their daughter True, two.

New addition: A source recently told E! News that he and Khloe 'are on the same page and both want another baby'

Baby fever: The couple seemed to confirm the news in a teaser for the upcoming final season of KUWTK, as she told Tristan: 'I just feel like it's now time to have another kid'

A source told People: 'Khloe and True had a fun week in Boston. They played in the snow, shopped and enjoyed holiday outings. They also celebrated an early Christmas with Tristan since they couldnt all be together on Christmas Day.'

The insider added of recent engagement rumors, after Khloe was spotted with a massive rock on her ring finger: 'Khloe and Tristan are good. He gifted her a diamond ring, but it's not an engagement ring.'

The proud parents have been making their new arrangement work, as Khloe and True have been watching daddy's games together.

Christmas vacation: Khloe recently returned home to Los Angeles from Massachusetts, where she spent the holidays with Tristan and their daughter True, two

Snow days: A source told People: 'Khloe and True had a fun week in Boston. They played in the snow, shopped and enjoyed holiday outings. They also celebrated an early Christmas with Tristan since they couldnt all be together on Christmas Day'

Biggest cheerleaders: The proud parents have been making their new arrangement work, as Khloe and True have been watching daddy's games together

New team: It comes after he signed a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics, reportedly worth $19million, following nine seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers

A source told ET Online last month: 'Tristan in Boston is a difficult pill to swallow for Khloe especially since she and Tristan have been doing so much better as a couple and as a family lately. Khloe is especially going through it, but is doing her best to keep her head up and stay positive.'

The insider added: 'She's not excited for the move for her family's sake, but she is for Tristan and his career. At this point they're planning to split their time between LA and Boston, but it's still up in the air and there's no definite answer since they are still working on rebuilding their relationship and trust.'

Khloe and Tristan have worked toward mending their relationship this year in quarantine, after splitting in February of 2019, amid his alleged cheating scandal with former family friend Jordyn Woods, 23.
She's been shelling out big bucks to relax in style at a $32,500 a night luxury compound in Turks And Caicos.

And Kylie Jenner certainly looked like she was living the high life as she slipped her world famous curves into a stunning designer number on Sunday.

The reality star, 23, wowed while wearing a strapless silk number and posing on the balcony of her beautiful vacation spot.

Chic: Kylie Jenner was the epitome of elegance as she soaked in the sun of Turks And Caicos wearing a stunning gown on Sunday

Kylie exuded elegance in the photos, flaunting her hourglass figure in the body-hugging strapless number,which was a swirls of orange, yellow and red anchored with some grey.

Adding an avant garde element, the dress appeared to feature a pair of matching gloves which twisted into a scarf around the star's neck.

Another part of the photo set showed Jenner turning her head over her shoulder to offer a smoldering stare while letting a long braid fall down her back.

The makeup mogul gave a closeup view of her beauty look in the next shot, seen with fluttering eyelashes, flushed cheeks and full, glossy lips.

It turns out the snaps were a bit of promo for her brand Kylie Cosmetics' lip gloss, as she captioned the post: 'my high gloss hits different.'

Sizzler: Another part of the photo set showed Jenner turning her head over her shoulder to offer a smoldering stare while letting a long braid fall down her back

Glossy: It turns out the snaps were a bit of promo for her brand Kylie Cosmetics' lip gloss, as she captioned the post: 'my high gloss hits different'

The night before Kylie gave fans a glimpse into her VIP life, sharing pictures from her toddler Stormi's third birthday.

Jenner had the front room of their luxurious $32,500 a night rental filled with Mylar balloons reading 'Happy birthday' and '3.'

Continuing the photo spill, Kylie captioned the post: 'Gotta love a random photo dump' and added snapshots of shoes, sunsets, sea shores and daughter Stormi staring out from the balcony of their palatial digs.

Celebration: The night before Kylie gave fans a glimpse into her VIP life, sharing pictures from her toddler Stormi's third birthday

Kick it up: The reality star flaunted two different pair of island-perfect shoes

Nature's beauty: The clear, blue sea looked breathtaking in one of Kylie's photos

Baby girl: There was a photo of daughter Stormi staring out from the balcony of their palatial digs

The spendy accommodations are situated in the Tranquility villa.

The super exclusive beachfront home, run by luxury rental company, The Source, boasts 11 bedrooms and sits on 11 acres.

It's the same sprawling Caribbean getaway where Kylie and her celebrated her 23rd birthday last year.

The high life: The Kardashian's current digs cost $32,500 a night
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NEW DELHI : IDFC First Bank on Saturday reported a net profit of 130 crore for the third quarter ended on December 31, 2020.

The bank, which came into existence recently after the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First, had reported a net loss of 1,639 crore for October-December period of 2019-20.

Total income during the quarter rose to 4,711.72 crore from 4,679.14 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal, the bank said in a regulatory filing.

The bank's asset quality improved as gross non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans reduced to 1.33 per cent of the gross advances as of December 31, 2020 as against 2.83 per cent by the same period a year ago.

Similarly, the net NPAs improved to 0.33 per cent from 1.23 per cent in the third quarter of previous fiscal.

The collections are improving strongly every month since July 2020 and has already reached 98 per cent of pre-COVID collections, IDFC First Bank CEO V Vaidyanathan said.

"Basis our experience in collections, a swiftly improving economy, and our provisioning policies we feel the Retail Gross and Net NPA will normalise soon and will revert to long term averages again of 2.3 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively in retail loans within 2 to 3 quarters," he said.

During the quarter, the bank made provision of 595 crore as compared to 2,305 crore same period of FY2020. This includes additional COVID provisions of 390 crore during the quarter.

Net Interest Margin (NIM) rose to 4.65 per cent in the quarter from 3.86 per cent in the third quarter of the previous fiscal.

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83 new laptops are to awarded to pupils in need following public appeal

The head of John O'Gaunt School has praised the town's community spirit after 83 new laptops were secured for online learning during lockdown.

And town mayor Helen Simpson said: "I never fail to get that warm, fuzzy feeling when wonderful things happen like this in our special community.

"Eighty-three families helped that's just incredible. Huge congratulations Team Hungerford."

As in the first lockdown, school work is set and conducted via Microsoft Teams in live, interactive or recorded lessons.

Head of school Richard Hawthorne said: "A recent survey of parents' and students' views of our remote provision was extremely positive.

"It's clear that students who are accessing online learning feel that they are getting a challenging, effective and engaging education from [the school] with the vast majority of lessons delivered live."

However, he added: "Despite our best efforts, we're aware that this only widens the gap for students who struggle to access online learning.

"Many students may be trying to share a family laptop with siblings and home working parents, or do not have one at all.

"They may have a mobile phone, but it's neither practical nor possible to draw diagrams, complete science equations, show your workings or write 500-word essays on a phone."

During the first lockdown last year, huge paperwork packs were being regularly sent out to more than 110 families.

Mr Hawthorne said: "Whilst the situation may have improved for a few students, this still left 83 families that couldn't access live lessons and whose children were in real danger of falling behind and missing out on the education that was available to others."

With many schools in a similar situation and funding opportunities stretched, Hungerford Town Council and the community stepped up to plug the widening digital divide.

The school and its parent staff association funded digital visualisers and webcams for teachers to use in lessons.

The Department for Education enabled access to some laptops for students, and the Excalibur Academy Trust, to which John O'Gaunt School belongs, committed significant capital investment to the effort.

Hungerford Town Council and Greenham Trust Good Exchange provided the substantial remainder needed.

West Berkshire Council also supported the fundraising effort, but when the project target was reached with the donation from Hungerford Town Council, that money was diverted to a local primary school.

Mr Hawthorne said: "Blended learning approaches are here to stay and the loan of laptops to students in the advent of lockdowns, or in the event of illness, having to isolate or quarantine, really does mean they stand a far better chance of making good progress at school.

"This provision directly affects their future prospects and quality of life.

"The enthusiasm and willingness to help from Excalibur Trust and especially Hungerford Town Council  and crucially, to do so this quickly, so that every one of the original 83 families can be issued with a laptop  is a superb story of community.

"It means a very great deal to us all at John O'Gaunt School.

"I'd also like to pay tribute to all the families who are working so hard to support their children's education at home, online or otherwise, in often far from ideal circumstances.

"We've had some truly heartening feedback and encouragement from parents and we'd very much like to extend our thanks and appreciation to them, too."
The family of American journalist Daniel Pearl will challenge an order by Pakistan's top court to release a British-born militant acquitted of masterminding his kidnapping and brutal murder in 2002.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three other men last year, triggering outrage from the United States.

Pearl was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted and beheaded by jihadists in Karachi in January 2002 while researching a story about Islamist militants.

"The Pearl family intends to file a review petition against the illegal and unjust majority decision," parents Ruth and Judea Pearl said in a statement that was tweeted by the murdered journalist's friend and former Wall Street Journal colleague Asra Nomani.

They join both the federal government and Sindh provincial government -- of which the city of Karachi is the capital -- in launching a plea for the latest verdict to be reviewed.

Lawyers for Pearl's family have argued that Sheikh played a crucial role in organising the abduction and detention of the journalist before ordering his captors to kill him.

Defence lawyers, however, say he was a scapegoat and sentenced on insufficient evidence

"It is beyond belief that Ahmad Omar Sheikh -- who after 18 years of lies, had finally admitted in a handwritten letter to the court his role in the kidnapping for ransom of Daniel Pearl -- has been given a clean slate and let loose once again upon the world to continue his international terrorist activities," Pearl's family said in the statement.

The four men -- who have been detained under the emergency orders of Sindh government since their acquittal last year -- still have multiple court challenges linked to their case.

Sheikh, a British-born jihadist who once studied at the London School of Economics and had been involved in previous kidnappings of foreigners, was arrested days after Pearl's abduction.

Story continues

He was later sentenced to death.

US President Joe Biden's administration was "outraged by the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision", White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters last week.

The new US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, on Friday spoke with Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, pressing his "concern about the potential release of these prisoners", a spokesman for the US Department of State said.

jaf/ecl/fox


France has again implemented a nationwide lockdown over coronavirus. As per the new instructions, travel from outside the EU has been banned. Also, testing requirements for people coming within the EU have now been tightened. However, a number of countries are exempted, as they are not considered at risk. Such as Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore and Thailand.

French PM Jean Castex has announced that France is to close its borders to all countries outside the EU from Sunday. However, I can confirm that this does NOT apply to hauliers, so trade will continue to flow smoothly.  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) January 29, 2021

'Great risk'

French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the new measures after an emergency government health security meeting at the presidential palace. The meeting warned of a great risk from the new variants. As a part of the new restrictions, the night curfew will be tightened, all large shopping centres will be closed, there will be police checks for those who violate Frances 12-hour-a-day curfew, hold secret parties or reopen restaurants.

Read: COVID-19: France's Top Advisor Says Country In 'emergency Situation', Calls For Lockdown

According to the reports by AP, Castex said, Our duty is to put everything in place to avoid a new lockdown, and the coming days will be decisive. He added, More than ever we should do everything to respect the rules. Reports by AP suggest that 60 per cent of intensive care beds are occupied by virus patients.

An 'emergency' situation

This comes after Frances top medical advisor Prof Jean-Francois Delfraissy warned that the country was in an emergency situation adding that this week was critical. With the caseload of coronavirus still on the rise, the Emmanuel Macron-led government had implemented a strict curfew last week. However, the top health official opinionated that a full-fledged lockdown would be required in the near future.

Read: France Witnesses Protests Against New Security Bill That Criminalises Filming Of Police

While the French economy is slowly bouncing back, it is the countrys cultural and artistic landmarks that have been worst affected. The country, home to the largest museum in the world, is struggling to keep its business afloat and a possible lockdown would hammer it even further. On the contrary, Delfraissy, who heads the scientific council, called for a swift action from the government owing to spreading infection. In addition, he also raised concerns about new variants of the lethal SARS-CoV-2 virus. Last month, France reported multiple cases of UK mutant virus strain.

Read: Germany Imposes Travel Ban On Passengers From Ireland, Portugal Over New Variants

Also Read: France Contemplates Stricter Measures As New Cases Continue To Overwhelm Hospitals

(Image Credits: AP)
Tens of thousands of people across Russia took to the streets on Sunday for protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Security forces came out in full force for what was the second straight weekend of protests, detaining more than 4,700 people as they put on a show of strength unlike any in recent history. Among the approximately 1,500 people detained in Moscow was Navanlys wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who had also been briefly arrested last week. If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow, she wrote on Instagram before the protest.

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In an effort to keep numbers low, police paralyzed several of the countrys largest cities to try to prevent people from getting to the protests after last week saw some of the largest anti-Kremlin street demonstrations in years. In Moscow, for example, security forces shut down seven subway stations and blocked off streets. What followed was a cat-and-mouse game, as the Guardian puts it, with police chasing after protesters through the streets.

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The violent actions by the police that often detained people with force coupled with the blockades seems to have at least partially work to dissuade some people from joining the demonstrations that seemed to be smaller than last week. Moscow looks like a fortress today, a protester said.

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Despite the violence from police forces, thousands still marched through Moscow streets for hours, often chanting, Putin, thief! and Putin, resign! So many people were arrested in Moscow that there was no more room in the detention facilities across the city, according to Amnesty International. Despite the threat of arrest more people turned out in some Russian cities than last week leading to hope among the opposition that the protests could be sustained.

St Petersburg, Russia.



The soundtrack of the #Navalny protests pic.twitter.com/9YKg3OH4gI  Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) January 31, 2021

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Footage from protests from other parts of the country showed security forces were also aggressively detaining people who participated in protests. In the Siberian city of Nobosibirsk, for example, police detained drivers who were honking their car horns to show solidarity with the protests. Russia without Putin! protesters yelled. In St. Petersburg, Russias second-largest city, police made a strong show of force and more than 1,000 people were arrested.

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The United States criticized the detentions of protesters and called on Moscow to release Navalny. The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter. Russias Foreign Ministry pushed back, calling Blinkens statement a crude interference in Russias internal affairs.

Navalnys aides have called on Russians to again take to the streets on Tuesday, which is the date of a scheduled court hearing in which the opposition leader could be sent to prison for years. Navalny was detained at a Moscow airport earlier this month right after he returned to Russia from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

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Posted Sunday, January 31, 2021 8:16 am

OLYMPIA  Kerra Bower started providing child care out of her home more than a decade ago, and she learned firsthand how difficult it was to be a provider.

With a business model that many say doesn't work, low subsidy rates make for high costs for staffing and little access to health care and other benefits. The burnout rate for employees leads to high turnover, which can be bad for the kids. Still, Bower found a way to open Little Scholars Development Center in Spokane because she knew how much the community needed more child care centers.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified those pre-existing issues, and many providers are hoping the state will soon provide more relief and create a more accessible business model.

"It all starts in early childhood education," Bower said. "So why are we not paying these teachers what they're worth when they're so vital to the success of our nation?"

It's a question many legislators have been asking for decades, as child care deserts continue to grow across the state.

According to a 2018 report from the Center for American Progress, 51% of Americans live in a neighborhood classified as a child care desert. A child care desert is defined as a ZIP code with at least 30 children under the age of 5 and either no child care centers or three times the number of children under 5 than spaces in centers. According to 2019 data from Child Care Aware of Washington, there were only enough spots in Washington child care centers for 49% of children under five. That number is likely increasing with closures due to the pandemic.

"What we realized is child care was in a crisis before the pandemic, and now is on the brink of collapse," said Auburn Democratic Sen. Claire Wilson. Wilson, along with Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island, has proposed a sweeping legislative package this session aimed at addressing these issues.

The Fair Start for Kids Act is made of two companion bills in each chamber. It proposes the following:

* Increasing child care subsidy rates.

* Expanding health care access to providers.

* Reducing copays for families who use Working Connections Child Care.

* Increasing eligibility for Working Connections Child Care and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program.

* Providing capital investments for child care facilities.

* Creating equity grants and dual language supports.

* Expanding a statewide mental health consultation system for child care.

Wilson and Senn worked throughout the interim to draft companion legislation that creates a coordinated system of support for families and providers.

Both chamber's bills have had public hearing in committees in the last two weeks, and both are scheduled for committee votes next week.

The bill is two-sided, Wilson said. It will support families through lower copays, increased eligibility for programs such as Working Connections Child Care that offer child care to low income families, and elimination of subsidy work requirements for parents pursuing a two-year degree or apprenticeship.

"We've supported the family side for years," Wilson said, "but we haven't really thought about or looked at child care as business."

Currently, 1% of the state's budget is spent on early learning. Wilson and Senn want to improve that number and create a new account to be used only for child care and early learning purposes.

When looking at COVID-19 recovery, making child care more affordable is a priority for both Republicans and Democrats. In a proposed COVID-19 emergency relief package that lawmakers want to pass in the next few weeks, Democrats want to spend $50 million for grants for child care businesses.

In a report done by the Washington State Senate Special Committee on Economic Recovery, the bipartisan committee made reducing barriers to child care a high priority recommendation. In his proposed budget, Gov. Jay Inslee wants to spend $2.2 million on personal protective equipment for child care centers, $29 million on a four-year health care insurance program for child care employees, $9 million to expand broadband access and $39.7 million to reduce the copays for families in the Working Connections Child Care program, among other goals.

But how exactly the state would fund long-term programs included in the Fair Start for Kids Act is yet to be decided as the Legislature works to pass a budget for the next biennium.

Pandemic exacerbated existing struggles

If you live on the outskirts of Spokane, Luc Jasmin, owner of the Parkview Early Learning Center in Spokane, said it can be very difficult to find child care. It isn't uncommon for parents to wake up early in the morning to drop their children off at one center and drive across town to drop an older child off at another.

"Surplus is not an issue, especially here," he said.

One of the biggest issues that child care providers face is the state's subsidy rate.

For providers who accept children using subsidies, the state pays for only a portion of the actual cost. Currently, the state determines the average cost of child care for a certain age in a certain area of the state and subsidizes 65% of those costs. This bill would increase that to 75% by July 1 of this year and 85% by July 1, 2023.

The subsidy rate is often lower than what a provider charges parents who don't use subsidies. Providers cannot charge parents the difference between the subsidy and their private rate, so providers often lose money by accepting children on subsidies.

It can cost the provider more money than if they were to take a child for private pay, Senn said.

In Spokane County, the daily base subsidy rate for toddlers in a full-day licensed care center is $42.32, the preschool full-day rate is $38.32 and the school age full-day rate is $27.91, according to the Department of Children, Youth and Families. Those numbers change depending on the type of center.

Katie Jessop, co-executive director of GLOW Children Early Learning Center in Spokane, said her center primarily serves the children of students at Lumen High School in Spokane. Almost all of their children use subsidies, and because the rate is so low, it can make it very difficult to fund the business needs of the center.

Many providers have opted out of offering subsidized care, Bower said. Those who do understand the need for it in the community, but it can make it difficult to run a quality facility.

This bill would increase the subsidy rate from the 65th percentile of market to the 75th percentile by July 1, 2021, and 85th percentile by July 1, 2023. It would also call for the creation of a new estimate model to recommend subsidy rates in the future.

An increase in the subsidy rate would help many providers be able to pay their staff a liveable wage, Jasmin said. So many of his employees are living paycheck to paycheck, and the pandemic has only made their stress worse.

When many providers struggle to pay their staff, it leads to high turnover in staffing, which Senn said can be bad for child development.

In early learning, people dedicate their lives to teaching a certain age group and they're not making much more than minimum wage and often in positions where businesses can't offer them benefits, Jessop said.

"We have high expectations on us because we know the value of the work and what we are contributing to the community but have significantly less resources than other areas of education," Jessop said.

During the pandemic, many child care providers have found ways to stay open, caring for children of essential workers, including health care workers who are exposed to COVID-19 everyday. And yet, many child care providers don't have health care.

Bower, who is unable to provide health care for her staff, said her employees are now caring for children whose parents are consistently around people who have COVID-19, and social distancing can only go so far.

"You can put as many safety precautions in as you want, but when a toddler needs love, a toddler needs love," she said.

Improving child care improves equity

Legislators hope that improving child care quality across the state, economic and educational outcomes would improve for all providers and children.

According to 2019 data from the Center for the Study of Child Care Development, most early care and education providers are women, and 40% are women of color.

Women also have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic, as many have lost jobs or left their jobs to stay home and take care of their children. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy lost 140,000 jobs in December, most of whom were women.

"Women really help our economy," Jasmin said, "And we need them to continue their work."

Senn and Wilson's plan would create equity grants and dual-language supports to providers who may need them. Improving access to child care could help to better prepare students who are disproportionately affected by educational disparities. Child care plays a critical role for all children, so everyone needs access to it, Wilson said.

"We have to look at those furthest from opportunity," she said.

If early learners don't have access to quality child care or preschool, Senn said it can be really hard to catch up and become ready for kindergarten.

Jasmin said he appreciates the grant plan, which would provide actual dollars to providers who need it because "we do have inequities in our system."

Bower said a deeper discussion still needs to be had about how to better prepare early learners who often face disparities for K-12 and beyond.

"We need to recognize our biases and how they are playing a role in the disparities, specifically for black students," Bower said.

Legislation that helps could pass this year

A lot of these legislative plans cost money, and because the state is already struggling with budget constraints for the next two bienniums, investing this much in child care might not be possible right now.

The House bill has 36 other co-sponsors, and the Senate bill has 16 other co-sponsors, all of whom are Democrats.

Still, those on both sides of the aisle have agreed to prioritize child care, although not necessarily this slate of proposals.

Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, who was a part of the Senate's COVID economic recovery committee, said she made sure child care was a high priority in their recommendations, which came out earlier this month. Families need to be able to make choices, she said, and the state should help provide flexible options for child care. Funding is a part of that but so is the regulatory framework, she said.

Investing in child care now would save the state money later, Senn said.

Working parents often lose money each year because they cannot find child care, which leads to a loss statewide, Senn said. The state doesn't need to invest a lot of money to make the child care system work, she added, and anything invested now will prevent having to pay more in the future.

COVID-19 has brought the issue of child care to the forefront for many people, Senn said. It's common for kids to show up in the background of Zoom calls while parents are now suddenly in charge of working and watching their children at once. Because of that, Senn said there is a lot of support for improving the child care system.

And providers continue to urge legislators for better support.

"I would ask anyone to tell me what our state looks like without child care," Jasmin said. "How would our teachers go teach? How would our health care workers go to work? How is our economy going to function and run without child care?"

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3 1 of 3 Waterbury Police Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Waterbury Police Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





WATERBURY  Authorities said they have solved a cold-case murder of a 16-year-old girl who was found strangled in a basement stairwell in 2004.

Investigators kept reviewing the case and developed a suspect in the death of Jessica Rose Keyworth, leading to an arrest this weekend.

Martha Stewart, Joan Collins and Sir David Attenborough are among the growing list of A-list celebrities to have received the COVID-19 vaccination.

But for 'natural' medicine advocate Olivia Newton-John, 72, getting a jab isn't on the cards.

Speaking to The Herald Sun with her daughter Chloe Lattanzi, 34, on Sunday, the pop icon said she has no plans to get vaccinated against the deadly virus.

'Not at this point, no': Olivia Newton-John, 72, (pictured) revealed she WON'T take the coronavirus vaccine in an interview with The Herald Sun on Sunday

'Not at this point, no,' said Olivia, who is suffering from stage-four breast cancer.

While the Grease star provided no further explanation, Chloe was more than happy to share her bizarre and unscientific beliefs about vaccines with the publication.

'I'm not an anti-vaxxer, I'm anti putting mercury and pesticides in my body, which are in a lot of vaccines,' proclaimed Chloe, who runs a medicinal cannabis farm in Oregon with her beau James Driskill.

Anti-vaxxer: In the same interview, Olivia's daughter Chloe Lattanzi, 34, (right), shared her bizarre beliefs about vaccinations and 'natural' medicine

She went on: 'To me real medicine is what comes from the earth. I think people trust vaccines because the doctor says it is safe, I used to.'

Chloe, who has no medical nor scientific qualifications, claimed that she's 'done research' and now believes vaccines aren't safe.

'If I had a chance to take herbs and plants as a baby rather than have toxins injected into me I would have done that,' she insisted.

'If I had a chance to take herbs and plants as a baby rather than have toxins injected into me I would have done that': Chloe, who has no medical nor scientific qualifications, claimed that she's 'done research' and now believes vaccines aren't safe

Vaccinations are vital to reducing the spread of preventable diseases, and any suggestion otherwise flies in the face of science and the advice of medical experts around the globe.

It comes after Chloe shared her outrageous and unscientific views about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic in a bizarre Instagram rant last month.

In a now-deleted post, Chloe outed herself as an anti-vaxxer and claimed that face masks can cause 'health problems'.

Controversial: The post comes after Chloe shared her outrageous and unscientific views about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic in a bizarre Instagram rant last month

'Natural medicine saved my mum's life,' Chloe, who has no medical training, began, referring to Olivia's long-term battle with breast cancer and well-publicised use of medical marijuana.

'So natural medicine is the party I belong to. Not Republican!!! Not Democrat!' continued Chloe, who runs a cannabis farm in Oregon with her partner, James.

'What do you do when you don't fit in a box!? When you are a vegan, cannabis growing, LGBTQ supporting Buddhist that doesn't agree with vaccines? Anyone relate?' she added.

Discussing face masks, Chloe clarified that while she does wear a face mask inside public places, she still believes that masks are 'causing harm to little ones, and poor people that aren't sick that have to suffocate 9 hour days'.

She even claimed that people have 'cried to her' because 'they can't breathe and are now having health problems' after wearing masks.

Federal health officials have no plans to develop a database for adverse events to people who receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told The Epoch Times.

At this time there are no specific plans to develop a public database of deaths and adverse events associated with vaccination, a spokesperson said via email.

If a link between an adverse event or death to a vaccination were verified, the health officials would communicate the findings and consider if additional regulatory actions were warranted, such as product labeling.

The number of deaths post-vaccination submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is up to 288 as of Jan. 29. The system is passive and anyone can submit reports. Health professionals are encouraged by public health officials to use the system.

Over 3,000 patients have suffered adverse effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, including 106 who have suffered a permanent disability, according to VAERS reports.

Physicians at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA review all reports of death submitted to the reporting system, Dr. Tom Shimabukuro of the CDCs COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force told members of a panel that advises the CDC this week.

The physicians make an assessment if any immediate action is necessary and attempt to obtain death certificates and autopsy reports to ascertain the cause of death.

About 65 percent of the deaths occurred among longterm care facility residents (LTCF), according to data through Jan. 18 that was studied for the presentation. Based on the data so far, physicians expect 11,440 deaths among such residents, Shimabukuro told the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Mortality in LTCF residents is high and substantial numbers of deaths in this population will occur following vaccination as temporally associated coincidental events, his presentation stated.

Officials have cautioned that a person dying after being vaccinated doesnt mean the vaccine caused the death. As of now, there appear to be no deaths conclusively linked to a vaccine. The CDC didnt respond to a request for comment. Officials last month said an ingredient in the vaccine could be causing adverse reactions and later warned against individuals who reacted to polyethylene glycol and polysorbate getting vaccinated.

Officials are relying on VAERS and other passive systems in the early phase of the U.S. vaccination program, according to Dr. Grace Lee, co-chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical Subgroup. Down the road, they plan to use data from population-based surveillance systems such as the National Institutes of Healths Genesis system to examine the risk of adverse events following vaccination.

The rate of severe life-threatening adverse reactions was initially occurring at higher rates among those vaccinated against COVID-19 than those who get injected against influenza. That rate has climbed even higher, to 45 per million doses administered, according to data submitted to VAERS and presented to the advisory panel this week.

CDC officials have said no post-vaccination deaths related to the life-threatening reactions have been reported. The most commonly reported adverse events are headache, fatigue, and dizziness.

From The Epoch Times
Pandemic causes double whammy for Sri Lankan Muslims By Brigadier (Rtd) M Z Ishrath View(s): View(s):

In the realm of Sri Lankan politics, Muslim leaders have immensely contributed to the progress of the nation. Yesteryear Muslim leaders, along with the other national leaders, strived hard to shape the political contours of Sri Lanka. Honest and devoid of vested interests, they earned the respect of others and stood up for what was right.

They raised concerns over national issues and issues related to the Muslim community. In this respect, the late leaders like Dr T B Jayah, Badiudin Mahmood, M H Mohamed, Abdul Bakeer Markar, A C S Hameed and M H M Ashraff, just to mention a few, played a prominent role in parliament. Most of them lived a simple life.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Founder M H M Ashraff championed the Muslim cause for unity and envisioned the importance of bringing all Muslim groups under one umbrella. Tragically, after his demise in 2000, his party stalwarts could not continue with his good work due to infighting and lack of foresight and leadership quality, resulting in the emergence of splinter groups.

Their leaders represent various political parties and constituencies. Each party has its own rules and agendas, while some are more focused on the voter base of their constituency rather than the interest of Sri Lankan Muslims at large. Some have joined hands with mainstream political parties. That said, many new entrants appear to be naive turncoats, who try to cling on to any government that comes into power and kowtow to them through political horse trading.

Many of the present day Muslim leaders are good at pulling wool over voters eyes, while some pay lip service. Some play to the gallery and speak eloquently with their tongues in cheek and a handful seem to be lacking in their spoken Sinhala skills. Few other MPs are in name only and found to be passive in parliament. Some are in politics for financial gains, perks and comforts. They put their self-interests before the issues of the common man, let alone the rumours swirling around a few other MPs on various issues, who are said to be having skeletons in their cupboards.

Their attitudes and conduct leave the Sinhala community a bad taste in the mouth, not to mention, earning their wrath, and may be the underlying reasons for others to stigmatise the Muslims as shrewd and untrustworthy tricksters.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc and has taken a heavy toll on human lives. The Government, in its effort to curb the spread of virus, has categorically ordered to cremate the bodies of those succumbing to Covid-19, although the WHO has recommended burial or cremation, in keeping with the cultural and religious rites of a community. Even so, the Sri Lankan health authorities are hell bent on sticking to the cremation only policy. Appeals to rescind the cremation order have not been realised, and the community sees this as a slap in the face. The issue has created a furore in the Muslim community. This Hobsons Choice has gripped the Muslims in macabre fear and trepidation. Ensuing events have deeply shaken the Muslim community in Sri Lanka and shocked the Islamic world. Hence, for good reasons, the Muslim community sees the current pandemic as a double whammy.

The standoff between Muslim leaders and the Government remains a deadlock. In any event, ironing out the problem at hand appears to be a Herculean Task in view of the Governments firm stand on the issue. Nevertheless, the onus is on the Muslim leaders to focus on the issue and raise concerns on behalf of their community, without losing sight of the problem.

Whats worse, the majority of the commoners are on a knifes edge and could hardly make ends meet, as against the few affluent folks. Tragically, the voiceless commoners in the community appear to have fallen from the frying pan to the fire. In this backdrop, perhaps the dithering Muslim leaders are seen by the miffed commoners as lame ducks as opposed to the leaders of yesteryear. The trials and tribulations of the commoners are gathering steam, with leaders distancing themselves from the burning issues or turning a blind eye.

The Muslim leaders today are in a quagmire, sans any political clout and most of them are losing credibility among their retinue of supporters and community at large. In the meantime, Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, who is eloquent in Tamil, Sinhala and English languages, recently stole the show, outsmarting the Muslim MPs, when he, making a speech in parliament, vociferously raised issues related to Muslims and other minority communities. His speech really hit the nail on the head and obviously would have been a wakeup call to all lame duck politicians.

Today, the Sri Lankan Muslim community is at a crossroads. Indeed, its high time for the Muslim leaders to get out of their slumber as the clock is ticking. In short, the task ahead, wont be a cakewalk for the Muslim leaders but a tight rope walk. This means, they may have to reorganise themselves to find a consensus on the issue. Importantly, they need to draft a roadmap to go the extra mile at Warp Speed with regard to the burning issue of cremation.
Lambert here: This article is mostly speculation, albeit from experts. I dont see any data on behavioral change, or even any anecdotes. I find not knowing whats going on, out there in the biomass, a little alarming. Couldnt we at least  and I never thought Id find myself saying this  put some Frank Luntz-style panels together, given that polling has proven itself so tendentious and untrustworthy? Or sponsor some town halls?

By Christina Jewett, Senior Correspondent with the KHN enterprise team. Originally published at Kaiser Health News.

A dozen states are reporting drops of 25% or more in new covid-19 cases and more than 1,200 counties have seen the same, federal data released Wednesday shows. Experts say the plunge may relate to growing fear of the virus after it reached record-high levels, as well as soaring hopes of getting vaccinated soon.

Nationally, new cases have dropped 21% from the prior week, according to Department of Health and Human Services data, reflecting slightly more than 3,000 counties. Corresponding declines in hospitalization and death may take days or weeks to arrive, and the battle against the deadly virus rages on at record levels in many places.

Health officials, data modeling experts and epidemiologists agreed its too early to see a bump from the vaccine rollout that started with health care workers in late December and has, in many states, moved on to include older Americans.

Instead, they said, the factors involved are more likely behavior-driven, with people settling back home after the holidays, or reacting to news of hospital beds running out in places like Los Angeles. Others are finding the resolve to wear masks and physically distance with the prospect of a vaccine becoming more immediate.

A single reason is hard to pinpoint, said Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She said it may be due in part to people hoping to avoid the new, more contagious variants of the virus, which some experts say appear to be deadlier as well.

She also said so many people got sick in the last surge that more people may be taking precautions: Theres a better chance you know someone who had it, Casalotti said.

Eva Lee, a mathematician and engineering professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, works on models predicting covid patterns. She said in an email that the decline reflects the natural course of the virus as it infects a social web of people, exhausts that cluster, dies down and then emerges in new groups.

She also said the national trend, with even steeper drops in California, also reflects restrictions in that state, which included closing indoor dining and a 10 p.m. curfew in hard-hit regions. She said those measures take a few weeks to show up in new-case data.

It is a very unstable equilibrium at the moment, Lee wrote in the email. So any premature celebration would lead to another spike, as we have seen it time and again in the US.

Four California counties were among the five large U.S. counties seeing the steepest case drops, including Los Angeles County, where new cases declined nearly 40% in the week ending Jan. 25, compared with the week before.

Dr. Karin Michels, chair of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said the lower numbers in L.A. after the virus infected 1 in 8 county residents likely mirror what happened after New York Citys surge: People got very scared and changed their behavior.

People are beginning to understand we really need to get our act together in L.A., so that helps, she said. The big fear [now] is Is it really going in this direction, is it plateauing, or where is it going to go? We need to go further down, because it is really high.

Michels said herd immunity would not explain the declines, since were nowhere near the level of 70% of the population having had the disease or been vaccinated. She said the declines may also reflect a drop in testing, as Dodger Stadium has been converted from a mass testing site to a mass vaccination center.

Officials with the California Department of Public Health acknowledged that testing has fallen off, but overall rates of positive covid tests are falling, suggesting the change is real.

New cases also fell significantly in Wyoming, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah, with each state recording at least 30% fewer new cases. Each of those states reported having vaccinated 8% or more of their adult population by Tuesday, putting them among the top 20 states in terms of vaccination rate.

Alaska leads the states currently, at nearly 15%, according to HHS. Its also logged a new-case drop of 24% in recent days.

Yet experts arent willing to say yet that the vaccines are driving cases down.

Most people in public health dont think well see the benefit of the vaccine until a few months from now, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

The number of deaths continues to remain high weeks after high case rates as the virus variably attacks the heart, kidneys, lungs and nervous system. Many patients remain unconscious and on a ventilator for weeks as doctors search for signs of improvement.

The death rate fell by only 5% in the data posted Wednesday, reflecting 21,790 patients who died of the virus Jan. 19-25.

Anxiety about new strains of the virus from the U.K., Brazil and South Africa remains high in Portlands Multnomah County, Oregon, which saw a drastic 43% new-case decline in recent days.

The concern is that everything could change, said Kate Yeiser, spokesperson for the Multnomah County Health Department.

Shoshana Dubnow contributed to this story.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The Opposition has demanded a separate discussion on farmers' issue in Rajya Sabha during the first leg of Budget Session but the government did not agree to it saying the MPs could raise the issue during the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's speech.

The issue was raised at a meeting of Rajya Sabha floor leaders chaired by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu during which it was decided that the Upper House will adjourn the first leg of Budget Session on February 13 instead of the scheduled February 15 to enable the Parliamentary Standing Committees to immediately start an examination of budget allocations of various ministries.

Also Read | Farmers dance to folk tunes at night as cops put up barbed wires, barricades at Ghazipur border

Sources said that Opposition leaders raised the demand for a separate discussion on farmers' agitation and related issues but was rejected by the government. This has prompted the Opposition to discuss a strategy on the next course of action.

There appears to be an in-principle agreement among the Opposition parties to submit a notice on Tuesday demanding the suspension of business to discuss the farmers' agitation and if not allowed, walk out of the House.

Indications are that government is unlikely to budge on a discussion on farmers' issues in the first leg, especially when the protest is going on at Delhi borders, but maybe ready for one during the second starting March 8. Sources said that the government view is that the Opposition could take up the issue in the second leg after the Budget related business is finished in the second leg.

"You can discuss every issue during the debate on Motion of Thanks. The Prime Minister will reply to that. The government is ready to discuss and reply on all issues," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters after the meeting.

Also Read | Opposition parties boycott Day 1 of Parliament Session

In the meeting, sources said, it was decided that the debate on Motion of Thanks will start on February 3 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would reply in Rajya Sabha on February 8.

On February 2, the government plans to pass some bills and has already listed three bills for passage. Any change could be known only when the revised list of business is published.

Sources said the Budget discussion would start on February 9. The Business Advisory Committee of Rajya Sabha has allocated ten hours each for discussing the Motion of Thanks and Budget.

Prime Minister says 3 farm laws are on pause for 18 months. This is as usual being too clever by half. Why not give a Parliament Committee the same time to examine them and report back to Parliament?  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 31, 2021

An official statement said that Naidu appealed to leaders of parties to ensure the effective functioning of the House during the Budget session. Naidu observed that the discussions on Motion of Thanks and budget offer ample opportunities to the members to reflect on a wide range of issues for which more time may be allocated.

Naidu also advised ministers should learn the art of speaking in brief and to the point both while moving the Bills for consideration and replying at the end of debates so that members get more time to speak.

Sources said that some leaders pointed out that smaller parties get less time. Naidu said that the best possible efforts are being made to give a reasonable amount of time for members of such parties and groups resulting in more time being given than in the past.

Also Read | Farmers dance to folk tunes at night as cops put up barbed wires, barricades at Ghazipur border

He, however, noted that it may not be possible for members of about 20 such parties to speak on every issue.

The meeting was attended by Leader of House Thawarchand Gehlot, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, senior Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh, Bhupinder Yadav (BJP), Prasanna Acharya (BJD), Ramgopal Yadav (SP), A Navneeth Krishnan (AIADMK), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), RCP Singh (JD-U), K Keshava Rao (TRS), A Vijayasai Reddy (YSR Congress), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Elamaram Kareem (CPI-M) and Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP) among others.

How many times have we heard in the last week that Joe Bidens presidency is a return to normalcy?

The term generally refers to Washington, D.C., normalcy  the theater of politics that has little effect on most people. Many Californians are still dealing with the old normalcy  the one where unemployment is high, schools are closed and many businesses are struggling to survive.

To me, that is viewed through the lens of someone of privilege, said John Jones III, a community activist in East Oakland. It is a privilege to be able to assert that a presidential election is going to change your life.

For decades, it hasnt mattered to many people in my community who is in the White House. Weve been suffering, said Jones, community engagement director at Just Cities, an Oakland social justice organization. Ask someone who is unemployed or homeless or suffering whether they have returned to normal.

The dozens of people who were in line outside the food pantry at Shiloh Church in East Oakland one day last week have different ideas about what normalcy looks like.

They dont care that Bidens press secretary is holding daily briefings, unlike her predecessor, or that the new president doesnt spend his days watching cable news and insult-tweeting like the old one. Theyre not wondering how Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell will reach agreement on Senate rules or whether Democrats will kill the filibuster.

The people waiting in a drizzle outside Shiloh for a 25-pound box of food had more immediate concerns. Every week, Shiloh helps 425 families with food from the Alameda County Community Food Bank (where I have volunteered, and which provides food to a different pantry where I regularly help out). Before the coronavirus pandemic, Shiloh fed roughly 200 families a week. Nearly one in every four residents of the county is facing food insecurity, up from one in five before the pandemic, according to the food bank.

Many are like Gloria Tome, who hasnt worked since she lost her $17-an-hour cafeteria job at UC Berkeley in March as the pandemic struck and much of the economy shut down. College students can stay at home and take classes online, but Tome couldnt do her job from home.

Her husband is a roofer who has been out of work for months. Three of her four adult children are living at home; none has worked since the pandemic began. For much of the past year, Tome, 52, has had to line up at pantries around the East Bay to feed her family.

Yet like many people in line, she holds out hope that life will improve. Soon.

Maybe, Tome said, in three or four months they will open the university. I will wait.

A few feet away stands Victorina Calmo. All six members of her family had COVID-19 four months ago, but have since recovered. Shes 50 and hasnt worked since she lost her job at a cookie factory nearly a year ago. Neither has her husband, a house painter. Two of her adult daughters are working just one or two days a week.

She isnt thinking about a return to normalcy. Instead, another emotion nags at her.

Preocupada, she said in Spanish. Shes worried.

Calmo has been coming to Shiloh since March. The chicken and ground beef and vegetables in the box that the pantry hands out is good food, she said, better and more plentiful than what she could afford in a store.

She doesnt think her life will return to normal right away just because someone different is sitting behind the Resolute desk. But eventually, she believes, it will.

Everything takes time to come back to normal, Calmo said.

Normal to Calmo means having a full-time job. Not having to wear a mask. Being free to go where she pleases and to see her extended family and friends.

To not be scared anymore, she said.

Across the state, other Californians are struggling with problems that extend beyond partisan politics.

At his home in the Central Valley, Benedicto Cazares wrestles with daily fears that have little to do with Washington. Cazares hasnt been able to drink the water out of the tap of his Tulare County home in more than a decade, through Republican and Democratic presidencies.

His normalcy: The 69-year-old retired farm worker is one of the more than 1 million Californians who dont have regular access to safe drinking water.

Once every two weeks, a local water company delivers five 5-gallon containers of water to his home in East Orosi, an unincorporated community of about 700 residents, most of whom are low-income Latino farm workers.

Thats not enough water during the hot Central Valley summers for him and the five people he lives with  his wife, their daughter and her three children.

It doesnt last. Its not enough, Cazares said in Spanish through a translator. I always have to buy three or four more.

Hes supported Republicans and Democrats in the past, but didnt vote in November. Local politics matter more in his life. He said hes tried everything over the past few years to get a reliable source of water, a basic necessity that most Californians take for granted.

We fought. Weve collaborated. Weve gone to meetings and (public officials) say theyre going to help, Cazares said. Weve been doing this for 14 years.

East Bay community organizer Leo Mercer is also looking more to local government for help than to Washington.

For many California communities of color, Mercer said, no matter who is the president, weve got the same issues. Whether its Biden or Trump or Obama as president.

He is looking at the effects of mass incarceration and how the pandemic has disproportionately affected Black and Latino communities and how police treat communities of color. Nationally, low-income Black people are projected to lose 35% of their earnings compared to 2018 because of the pandemic, reversing their economic gains from the last decade, according to a study from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities think tank.

The current unemployment rate among Black Californians is 12.2%. Its 11.7% for Latinos and 9.9% for white people.

So the daily normal in his hometown of Oakland wont change unless big, structural reforms come out of the nations capital, says Mercer, a rapper who incorporates music into his activism. Washington normalcy wont cut it.

President Biden might look like someone who is great, said Mercer, 29. But we know that the work is done within the community. Unless they co-sign with people who are at the bottom of the ladder, its not going to make much of a difference.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
As we mark 12 months since the novel coronavirus that emerged in China became a story, moving rapidly from a snippet in world news to the front page, The Echos Breda Graham recounts the story so far of Covid-19, and for Cork

It is now 12 months since The Echo first reported on a new virus that was emerging in central China. As cases of a new respiratory illness emerged out of Wuhan, in Ireland the Health Service Executive (HSE) South briefed Cork doctors on this novel coronavirus on January 23, 2020.

Six days later, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) met for the first time, on January 29, to coordinate Irelands response to the pandemic.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan. Picture Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin.

It some ways, it is hard to believe that the pandemic and its impact on our lives has been going on for almost a year, as life, as it was before Covid-19 turned the world upside down, seems like a distant dream.

In Ireland, as January, 2020, drew to a close, the virus started to make itself felt. A student who travelled from Wuhan to Waterford showed no symptoms of the virus but self-isolated as a precaution. China extended the Lunar New Year in efforts to contain the coronavirus as the death toll rose to 81.

In Cork, University College Cork (UCC) requested students and staff not to travel to China as it locked down cities and foreign evacuees from the worst-hit region returned home.

Dr Maitiu O'Tuathail warned that the country must prepare as the first cases of virus were diagnosed in the UK after an evacuation flight from Wuhan landed on UK soil.

One of the first high-profile signs of the impact of coronavirus was the cancellation of the Six Nations rugby match between Ireland and Italy in February. It also started to be felt in education and travel plans, like the group of students from Kinsale College who had their trip to Italy cancelled after the Erasmus partner they were due to take on work placement was shut on account of an outbreak.

Cork pharmacist Rose Murphy was inundated with people fearful of catching the virus while then-Lord Mayor of Cork city and GP John Sheehan warned it was inevitable that the virus would spread south as the first case was recorded in Northern Ireland.

Minihans Pharmacy on Oliver Plunkett Street reported an increase in demand for face masks and sanitising products.

The first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the Republic after a male student from the east of the country arrived home from northern Italy.

On March 3, a second case of the virus was confirmed in a female in the east of the country, who had also been in Northern Italy but had had no contact with the first case.

The following day, four more cases were confirmed in the west of the country and the next day again, a further seven more cases were confirmed.

The closure of schools was announced on March 12. Pic Larry Cummins.

On March 12, hundreds of schools, colleges and childcare facilities across Cork closed, with publicans following days later when the Government ordered the closure of pubs and bars.

Fergal McCarthy, Principal Kinsale Community College pictured with Eddie Farren, School IT Co-ordinator and students Shane Collins and Oisin Coyle with some of the 3D printers used in the schools PPE project where 10,000 visors were made for health care workers. Picture. John Allen.

Fears were raised about the thousands of Irish attendees at the Cheltenham Festival that week, while in Cork the spread of the virus sparked a wave of calls to GP surgeries and the ringing of Shandon Bells was suspended.

On March 13, the first drive-in test centre in Cork opened at St Marys Health Campus and Dr Chris Luke commended those working in the health sector.

Advocate for the elderly, Paddy OBrien warned the pandemic was causing widespread fear among the elderly community, while health chief Paul Reid said there was no rationale to stockpiling groceries.

For the first time, the kissing of the Blarney Stone was suspended.

The kissing of the Blarney Stone was suspended in March. Picture Dan Linehan.

On what he described as a St Patricks Day like no other, Leo Varadkar warned of further measures to protect against the spread of the virus.

The calm before the storm on a St Patrick's Day never seen before.

Figures revealed by NPHET showed Cork had the second-highest number of cases in the country at 48 as figures per county were released for the first time.

By March 20, the HSEs On Call for Ireland initiative had received over 40,000 applications.

A stay at home order was issued by Leo Varadkar on March 27 and two days later a flight carrying almost 30m in PPE for healthcare workers arrived at Dublin Airport.

A year of living with Covid-19.

A Covid-19 Community Response Forum (CRF) was established in Cork city, aimed at contributing to efforts to limit the spread of the virus by ensuring a coordinated approach to the outbreak.

April saw volunteers step up to the plate to provide for the most vulnerable in communities.

52,500 people in Cork availed of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment benefits and 350 jobs in Cork were lost due to the liquidation of Debenhams.

An Garda Siochana launched Operation Fanacht and Cork City Civil Defence volunteers were deployed in response to the Covid-19 emergency.

Westlifes gigs at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, and Live at the Marquee and Musgrave Park gigs were cancelled as the Government banned mass gatherings.

In May, a roadmap to easing restrictions was adopted by the Government and published online.

On May 18, Cork city shop shutters lifted as retailers including opticians, hardware stores, electrical stores and office supply stores reopened.

Residents of Magazine Road took a stand against the high volume of young people who moved into the area flouting Covid-19 restrictions and concerns were raised about crowded parks and amenities in Cork.

By June 25, there had been no new Covid-19 cases reported in Cork over the previous seven days and Brittany Ferries confirmed the limited return to scheduled passenger services including its Cork to Roscoff service.

Corkman Micheal Martin was elected Taoiseach in a historic coalition agreement with Fine Gael and the Green Party.

On June 29, remaining businesses reopened. Princes Street was lined with tables for outdoor dining and Kinsale pedestrianised streets to increase footfall.

Evanne O'Caoimh, owner, preparing for the re-opening of the gift shop, Unbound, at Bridge Street, Cork. Picture Denis Minihane.

The HSE released the Covid-19 tracker contact tracing app.

Cork saw an increase in the number of adults accessing emergency accommodation and the number of people who sought help from rape crisis centres during the first four months of the Covid-19 outbreak jumped by 98%.

On July 15, phase four of the easing of restrictions was postponed until August 10 with pubs to remain closed.

Owner of The Castle Inn on South Main Street, Michael O'Donovan. Picture: Eddie O'Hare.

The following week, the Government launched a 7.4 billion July Jobs Stimulus package to boost economic recovery with the PUP and TWSS extended until April 2021.

By mid-August the Government moved to a five-level system planned by NPHET.

Principals, teachers and students across Cork returned to in-school classes after months of online learning and over 60,000 Leaving Cert students received their results.

A Cork GP says that the jump in Covid-19 cases reported in early September shows we cannot become complacent.

The whole country entered Level 2 restrictions before moving to Level 3 restrictions with indoor dining in restaurants banned in early October. The move was met with criticism from local restaurateurs before the country moved to Level 5 restrictions in mid-October.

In early November, Cork Airport welcomed the EU traffic light system for air travel coming into effect.

The country took a phased approach to Level 3 in December with Corks non-essential retailers, hairdressers, gyms, and galleries reopening.

3 Degrees Hair Design reopened its doors for the first time since an arson attack on the night of September 18. Pictured are sisters Estelle, Ciara and Hayley. Credit: Damian Coleman Cork, Ireland, 2nd December 2020.

Restaurants and hotels reopened, but it was short lived as the new UK variant was confirmed in Ireland on December 23 and Level 5 was implemented on Christmas Eve.

A full lockdown was announced on December 30 as a third wave was underway.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin warned the Covid-19 situation was extremely serious, and that the number of cases would rise in the coming days.

While the start of vaccination campaigns for the vulnerable and healthcare workers offered a ray of positivity as Cork welcomed 2021, it is clear our battle against Covid-19 is far from over.

One month into the New Year, Cork hospitals continue to come under pressure as more cases were recorded in the first two weeks of 2021 than in the whole of last year in Cork.

The first 12 months of Covid-19 has brought many twists and turns and it seems there are more chapters ahead before the story is complete.

Queensland has moved quickly to close the door to travellers from Western Australia, as it opens a window to travellers from New South Wales.

Health authorities moved to close the border with most of WA on Sunday afternoon after the state recorded its first case of the virus in 10 months in a hotel quarantine security guard.

Anyone who has been in Metropolitan Perth, Peel or the South West regions of WA who arrives in Queensland from 6pm tonight will be required to go into 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine. This timeframe may change as we receive more information about the WA outbreak, the Queensland Health statement said.

Anyone who is already in Queensland but has been in Perth or the Peel or South West regions since January 26 should come forward and get tested and isolate until get a negative result.
WASHINGTON  With the election over and Democrats in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, officials in both parties are bracing for a bruising new battle with a different balance of power: the redrawing of congressional maps, where Republicans hold the advantage in many state legislatures across the country, including in key battlegrounds.

Republicans hold total control of redistricting in 18 states, including Florida, North Carolina and Texas, which are growing in population and expected to gain seats after the 2020 census is tabulated. Some election experts believe the G.O.P. could retake the House in 2022 based solely on gains from newly drawn districts.

Already, Republicans are discussing redrawing two suburban Atlanta districts held by Democrats to make one of them more Republican; slicing Democratic sections out of a Houston district that Republicans lost in 2018; and carving up a northeastern Ohio district held by Democrats since 1985.

I would say that the national vote could be the same as this year two years from now, and redistricting by itself would easily be enough to alter who controls the chamber, said Samuel S. Wang, the director of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project. He estimated that reapportionment alone could net the Republicans three seats, and gerrymandering in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida another five seats.
The Polio National Immunisation Day, which is also popularly known as 'Polio Ravivar', is being observed on Sunday (January 31) across the country. President Ram Nath Kovind had a day ago launched the Pulse Polio Programme 2021 by administering polio drops to children below five years of age at Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi.

The countrywide immunisation programme was earlier scheduled to start from January 17, however, it was deferred due to the Covid-19 vaccination drive which started on January 16.

The three-day polio vaccination drive will continue till 2 February. The vaccination programme for the eradication of polio is organised twice a year.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said President Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind administered polio drops to children on the eve of the Polio National Immunisation Day.

Around 17 crore children of less than 5 years of age will be given polio drops as part of the drive of Government of India to sustain polio free status of the country. The countrywide drive will be supported by about 24 lakh volunteers, 1.5 lakh supervisors and many Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), WHO, UNICEF, Rotary etc, it said.

Healthcare workers will be visiting as many as 2 crore households to ensure that no child is left without the protection of the polio vaccine, the statement said. Health minister Harsh Vardhan also attended the event. He highlighted the mitigation measures and the efforts in strengthening routine immunization by the government.

States/Union Territories Plan for Polio Ravivar:

Karnataka: The pulse polio programme got underway in Karnataka on Sunday, with more than 60 lakh children upto the age of five set to be given the drops over the next three days. Speaking to reporters at Chikkaballapura after giving polio drops to a child, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar noted that no polio case has been reported in India over the last 11 years due to the preventive measures taken by succesive governments. Sudhakar said the COVID-19 vaccination drive would be temporarily stopped for four days from Sunday as extra health staff have to be deployed for the pulse polio programme. The minister said even if children below five years have earlier been given the drops, they should be administered it again until they attain that age.

Uttar Pradesh: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched the pulse polio programme in the state by administering drops to children at a healthcare facility in Lucknow and said over 1.10 lakh booths have been set up for the vaccination drive. All the newborns should be taken to booths and administered polio drops so that the state and the country remain free of the disease, he said.

"A little bit of laxity may paralyse the future of a child... Almost 3.40 crore children in the age group of 0-5 years in the state are being administered the drops. For this, more than 1.10 lakh booths have been set up," the chief minister said. "The World Health Organisation had on March 27, 2014, declared India polio-free. Even today, three countries -- Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria -- are still polio-infected." Hence, despite India being polio-free, the danger of the disease coming from the polio-infected countries still remains. So, effective implementation of pulse polio immunisation programme is necessary, Adityanath said.

Uttarakhand: In Chamoli district, over 39,000 children will be given polio drops at 606 booths.

Kerala: The pulse polio immunisation drive to cover almost 25 lakh children in the state. The government has issued guidelines to ensure the safe conduct of the immunisation on Sunday. All vaccinators should wear N-95 masks, face shields and gloves. Those having influenza-like illness, fever, cough and breathing difficulty will not be deployed for immunisation work. Vaccinators will sanitise their hands before and after the vaccination. The booth will be located away from the OP/IP sections in hospitals and have separate doors for entry and exit. Only five children will be allowed in a booth at once. Only one person will be allowed to accompany each child and shall wear a mask.

Tamil Nadu: About 70.26 lakh children will be covered in the state during the nation-wide Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) campaign to be undertaken on January 31 with preventive measures for COVID-19, the state government said.

West Bengal: West Bengal is all set to administer polio vaccine to a targeted 64,07,930 children below the age of five starting January 31, following all Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.

Puducherry: Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Sunday inaugurated the day-long pulse polio immunisation programme by administering oral drops to children. The programme aims at covering 88,000 children in the whole of the Union Territory. As many as 2,000 health staff have been deployed to carry out the immunisation, a press release from the Health Department said. Special camps were set up on the premises of community halls, anganwadis and temples.

(with inputs from PTI)

So now the AMA has come out and finally said that early treatment of COVID patients with hydroxychloroquine, Z pack and Zinc can be beneficial to curing COVID. This is after nine months of a nationwide ban of its use.

Hydroxychloroquine or HCQ is a drug that has been used for 50 years for various things like arthritis and malaria, Why was HCQ banned you ask? Simply because President Trump mentioned that it "could be" helpful in saving lives and protecting people from getting COVID.

Now after nine months have gone by and 431,000 people have died in the U.S., the AMA now says this: "RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association rescinds its statement calling for physicians to stop prescribing hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine until sufficient evidence becomes available to conclusively illustrate that the harm associated with use outweighs benefit early in the disease course. Implying that such treatment is inappropriate contradicts AMA Policy 7 H-120.988, Patient Access to Treatments Prescribed by Their Physicians, that addresses off label prescriptions as appropriate in the judgement of the prescribing physician (Directive to Take Action); and be it further RESOLVED, That our AMA rescind its joint statement with the American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health System Pharmacists, and update it with a joint statement notifying patients that further studies are ongoing to clarify any potential benefit of hydroxychloroquine and combination therapies for the treatment of COVID-19 (Directive to Take Action); and be it further RESOLVED, That our AMA reassure the patients whose physicians are prescribing hydroxychloroquine and combination therapies for their early-stage COVID-19 diagnosis by issuing an updated statement clarifying our support for a physicians ability to prescribe an FDA approved medication for off label use, if it is in her/his best clinical judgement, with specific reference to the use of hydroxychloroquine and combination therapies for the treatment of the earliest stage of COVID-19 (Directive to Take Action); and be it further RESOLVED, That our AMA take the actions necessary to require local pharmacies to fill valid prescriptions that are issued by physicians and consistent with AMA principles articulated in AMA Policy H-120.988, Patient Access to Treatments Prescribed by Their Physicians, including working with the American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health System Pharmacists.

So that means the media, Fauci, the Democrats, all the governors who banned its use caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of American lives because they hated President Trump. They all lied and Americans died. Some doctors said it didn't help even though many doctors testified before Congress that it did help people recover and prevented people from getting it. These doctors testified before Congress and the Senate and were flat out attacked for their views - views that were provable. One hundred clinical studies that proved it helped were ignored. President Trump was right and tried to save those lives but the before mentioned wouldn't help and walked away.

Remember last summer when a group of doctors held a press conference. They called these doctors quacks, especially the black female doctor who worked in Houston. They called her a witch doctor because she is from Jamaica, I think.

The people who said HCQ would help were right and the media and every Democrat were wrong. The evidence was there, but they lied and people died - 300,000 deaths since July 2020. Blood is on their hands.

We had a drug that would have saved lives and doctors weren't allowed to use it.

Jeff Burns

* * *

Mr. Burns, I only have two things to say.





1. Fact check is your friend.





2. The article you reference was published in AJM (American Journal of Medicine) and not AMA (American Medical Association).





Oh, and there's a third:





3. The article in AJM doesn't say that. AJM doesn't endorse HCQ for COVID-19 treatment. Articles presented to AJM are written by outside authors with different and at times opposing views about various medical conditions and treatments.

a. The article I believe you reference was actually put together last spring and published in August while Trump was still in office. IOWs, it's not a 'new article' at all.





Have a great day, sir. Let your fingers do the tap dancing on your keyboard and use your browser to carry out a simple less than three-second search.





Most of all and finally, stop regurgitating stuff you lift from some right wing site filled with misinformation, hate and outright lies.





Brenda Washington

New Delhi, Jan 31 : As the three high speed rail corridors are expected to start from Delhi for Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Varanasi, the national capital is likely to get two high speed rail stations in different areas, officials related to development said on Sunday.

Speaking to IANS, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) spokesperson Sushma Gaur said, "NHSRCL is exploring all the possibilities to plan two high speed rail stations in Delhi." She said that one of the stations is in close proximity of Sarai Kale Khan and Nizamuddin railway station for Delhi-Varanasi high speed rail corridor, which may provide road connectivity to the high speed rail users through outer ring road, metro connectivity through pink line metro, interstate bus connectivity through Sarai Kale Khan ISBT and regional rail connectivity through RRTS system.

The NHSRCL has started the aerial LiDAR survey for the 800km Delhi-Varanasi high speed rail corridor earlier this month.

She said that the tenders related to data collection and various other activities including LiDAR survey, required for the preparation of Detail Project Reports for Delhi-Varanasi, for which the first draft of the DPR has already been submitted.

The NHSRCL on January 10 this year launched the LiDAR survey for the Delhi-Varanasi route from Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida, wherein a helicopter fitted with state-of-the-art aerial LiDAR and imagery sensors will capture data related to the ground survey along the proposed route.

Another official related to the development told IANS that there will be two high speed rail stations in the Gautam Budha Nagar.

Another official related to the development said that one of the high-speed rail station will come up near the proposed Jewar International Airport while the another one near Sector 148 in Noida.

Talking about another station of the High Speed rail in Delhi, she said, "Locations are being explored for the other station for Delhi-Ahmedabad and Delhi-Amritsar high speed rail corridor, in close proximity of Sector-21, Dwarka Metro station and Bijwasan Railway station." She said that this may provide connectivity to Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport and central Delhi through Airport Express Metro Line and West Delhi, Central Delhi, East Delhi and Noida through Blue line Metro Line, upcoming International Convention Centre at Sector-25 and Gurugram.

The Delhi-Amritsar-Chandigarh is 459 km long high speed rail corridor while the Delhi-Ahmedabad is 886 km long High speed rail corridor.

The official said that the high speed rail stations in the national capital will be finalised only after the DPRs are submitted.

Besides these three corridors, the Ministry of Railways has entrusted the work to the NHSRCL to carry out the detailed project report (DPR) for the 711-km-long Mumbai-Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor, which will pass through Pune; 753-km-long Mumbai-Nagpur and as well as the 711-km-long Mumbai-Hyderabad bullet train corridor.

The NHSRCL has also invited tenders for preparing the DPR for the 435-km-long Chennai-Mysuru and 760-km-long Varanasi-Howrah high speed rail corridors'.

The NHSRCL is collecting data on these new proposed corridors for the preparation of the DPRs.

LiDAR survey alignment or ground survey is a crucial activity for any linear infrastructure project as it provides accurate details of areas around the alignment.

This technique uses a combination of laser data, GPS data, flight parameters and actual photographs to give accurate survey data.

"Based on the findings of the survey, designing of the vertical and horizontal alignment, structures, location of the stations and depots, land requirement for the corridor, identification of project affected plots/structures, right of way etc are decided," Gaur said.

The work on the 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project is also in full swing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had laid the foundation stone for the MAHSR corridor on September 14, 2017.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)
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Farmers protest: SAD chief Sukhbir Badal meets Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur border

India

oi-Deepika S

Chandigarh, Jan 31: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur border and presented him with a ''siropa'' (robe of honour), as he assured his party's support to the farmers movement.

Badal said Tikait had made the farming community proud by following the footsteps of his father Mahendra Singh Tikait, a towering farmer leader, a party statement said.

He reminisced about the joint battles of Mahendra Singh Tikait and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal for the welfare of the peasantry, it said.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief also met the families of farmers whose next of kin had been missing since January 26, besides those whose relatives have been incarcerated for "supporting" the farmers'' protest, the statement said.

Badal assured the families that SAD would take up their cases and ensure appropriate legal remedies were made available to them.

He also requested his party''s Delhi unit chief Harmit Singh Kalka to establish a control room in the national capital to ensure that aggrieved families were given assistance as and when required.

The SAD leader said the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee would also contest all such cases free of cost even as he assured the families that a committee of lawyers had been established in Chandigarh and across all districts in Punjab to ensure a coordinated effort in this direction.

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh calls all-party meet on Feb 2 to show unity over farmers' protest

He requested all political parties to leave aside petty differences and unite for the greater cause of the peasantry.

He said it was now clear that farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh besides those from different parts of the country had formed a united front.

"We must strengthen this front further to ensure that the ''kisan andolan'' is a resounding success," Badal added.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders, demanding a rollback of the Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the Centre has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 22:48 [IST]

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has permitted cinema halls to operate at 100% seating capacity from February 1. In its latest set of guidelines, the government had allowed cinema halls to operate at a higher capacity.

In this regard the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting issued a new set of SOPs for cinema halls and theatres to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.

Since the theatres pose a risk of spreading the infection, to contain the spread of the disease, cinema halls have taken some other measures too. Apart from mandatory wearing of masks and temperature checks, theatres will have separated seats, staggered show timings bookings, mandatory social distancing, and digital payments are being encouraged.

Here are the general guidelines at cinema halls to follow from February 1:

* Adequate physical distancing of at least 6 feet to be followed outside the auditoriums, common areas and waiting areas at all times.

* Use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory at all times.

* Availability of hand sanitizers, preferably in the touch-free mode, at entry and exit points as well as common areas within the premises.

* Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering ones mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly.

* Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest to state and district helpline.

* Spitting is strictly prohibited.

* Installation and use of Aarogya Setu App shall be advised to all.

The news has cheered theatre owners, who have been struggling since theatres shut down in March 2020 following the outbreak of coronavirus. Though in October 2020, the Centre had allowed cinama halls to operate at 50% seating capacity.

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(Newser)  Archaeologists have found the site of a 200-year-old wooden fort where native Alaskans battled colonization and cannonballs. The fort helped the Tlingit people hold back Russian invaders for six days in 1804 before they were forced to leave the land their ancestors had occupied for 11,000 years, per NBC News. Two years earlier, the Kiks.adi clan had attacked a Russian outpost, killing nearly all of the Russian and indigenous Aleut inhabitants, amid Russia's push to expand the fur trade into Baranof Island. Believing retaliation would come, the Tlingit set to work on the fort, some 300 feet long by 165 feet wide, which proved crucial when Russians returned with cannonballs in the fall of 1804, per Smithsonian. With guns and cannons of their own, the Tlingit held off an initial assault but were forced north on a survival march as their supply of gunpowder diminished.

story continues below

The Russians razed the fort in their wake. Wood and cannonballs were previously found in Sitka National Historical Park, but the precise location of the fort was unknown until a 2019 radar survey, described Monday in Antiquity. Thomas Urban, a research scientist at Cornell, and Brinnen Carter of the National Park Service used ground-penetrating radar to scan huge areas, coming upon the buried remains of a fort in the shape of a trapezoidwhich matched drawings the Russians had made. Shis'gi Noow, the indigenous name for the fort, translates to "sapling fort," and experts believe flexible saplings were used in construction for the sole purpose of absorbing cannonball blows, per Smithsonian. It was also "strategically situated behind tidal flats and out of range of the Russian naval guns," per NBC. (Read more discoveries stories.)


MOSCOW - Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 5,000 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov)

MOSCOW - Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 5,000 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten.

The massive protests came despite efforts by Russian authorities to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia had seen in years. Despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and tight police cordons, the protests again engulfed cities across Russia's 11 time zones on Sunday.

FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2016, file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, joins businessman and billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, during to a visit to the construction site of the Kerch Strait bridge in Kerch, Crimea. Putin has said that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the lavish Black Sea residence property featured in a video Alexei Navalny's team released. shortly after his arrest. On Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a close Putin associate and his sometimes judo sparring partner, claimed he owned the property. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin, File Pool Photo via AP, File)

Navalny's team quickly called another protest in Moscow for Tuesday, when he is set to face a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.

The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is Putin's best-known critic, was arrested on Jan. 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement when he was recuperating in Germany.

The United States urged Russia to release Navalny and criticized the crackdown on protests.

Police block a street before a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Blinken's call as crude interference in Russia's internal affairs" and accused Washington of trying to destabilize the situation in the country by backing the protests.

On Sunday, police detained more than 5,000 people in cities nationwide, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests, surpassing some 4,000 detentions at the demonstrations across Russia on Jan. 23.

Police officers search a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed.

Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny contends was responsible for his poisoning. Facing police cordons around the square, the protest shifted to other central squares and streets.

Police were randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses, but thousands of protesters marched across the city centre for hours, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief!"  a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalnys team.

Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

Im not afraid, because we are the majority," said protester Leonid Martynov. We mustn't be scared by clubs because the truth is on our side."

At one point, crowds of demonstrators walked toward the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held. They were met by phalanxes of riot police who pushed the march back and chased protesters through courtyards.

Demonstrators continued to march around the Russian capital, zigzagging around police cordons. Officers broke them into smaller groups and detained scores, beating some with clubs and occasionally using tasers.

Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo)

Over 1,600 people were detained in Moscow, including Navalny's wife, Yulia, who was released after several hours pending a court hearing Monday on charges of taking part in an unsanctioned protest. If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow, she said on Instagram before turning out to protest.

Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow have arrested so many people that the city's detention facilities have run out of space. The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters calls for freedom and change, Natalia Zviagina, the groups Moscow office head, said in a statement.

Several thousand people marched across Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, chanting Down with the czar! and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. Over 1,100 were arrested.

Police officers detain a man during a protest near the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Alexei Navalny is being held, in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Over 1,600 were detained by police, according to a monitoring group. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Some of the biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk in eastern Siberia and Yekaterinburg in the Urals.

I do not want my grandchildren to live in such a country," said 55-year-old Vyacheslav Vorobyov, who turned out for a rally in Yekaterinburg. "I want them to live in a free country.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who currently chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists and urged Russia to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.

People clash with police during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalny's associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under a two-month house arrest Friday on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.

The Interior Ministry issued stern warnings to the public, saying protesters could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.

Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)

Protests were fueled by a two-hour YouTube video released by Navalny's team after his arrest about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putins time in office while poverty has remained widespread.

All of us feel pinched financially, so people who take to the streets today feel angry, said Vladimir Perminov who protested in Moscow. The government's rotation is necessary.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Tens of thousands of people are protesting across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in wave of nationwide demonstrations that have rattled the Kremlin. Many chanted slogans against President Vladimir Putin. Activists say police detained more than 3,300 protesters across the country on Sunday, including over 900 in Moscow. (AP Photo/Denis Kaminev)

Demonstrators in Moscow chanted Aqua discotheque!  a reference to one of the fancy amenities at the residence that also features a casino and a hookah lounge equipped for watching pole dances.

Putin says neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property. On Saturday, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed that he himself owned the property.

Navalny fell into a coma on Aug. 20 while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and the pilot diverted the plane so he could be treated in the city of Omsk. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent.

Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

Navalny was arrested immediately upon his return to Russia earlier this month and jailed for 30 days on the request of Russias prison service, which alleged he had violated the probation of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected Navalny's appeal to be released, and the hearing Tuesday could turn his 3 1/2-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.
Delhi Police on Saturday night detained two journalists, who were covering the farmers' protests at Singhu border, for allegedly misbehaving with police personnel deployed at the protest site. Both journalists have been identified as Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh. While Singh was later released after he signed an undertaking, the police arrested Punia on Sunday.

ALSO READ: R-Day Violence: Delhi Police Files Sedition Case Against Shashi Tharoor, 6 Scribes Over Tweets on Farmer's Death

Punia, a freelance journalist, was presented before a magistrate at the Tihar Court Complex today morning, after being booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court has sent him to 14-day judicial custody and set the bail hearing for tomorrow, NDTV quoted his lawyer as saying.

Reacting to this, media bodies have condemned the police action against the two journalists. They said such crackdowns impinge on the media's right to report freely and interferes with its right to freedom of expression.

The Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India and the Press Association demanded Punia's immediate release and said no journalist should be disturbed while carrying out their duties at any place.

"Such crackdowns impinge on the media's right to report freely and interferes with our right to freedom of expression, and freedom of the press as guaranteed by the Constitution of India," the bodies said in a joint statement. They said Punia has been reporting on the present farmers' agitation right from the beginning and his arrest "is part of the government crackdown on journalists to prevent them from doing their job independently and freely." "Punia is a young freelance journalist who contributes to The Caravan and Junputh. The Delhi Police used brutal force while picking him up (on Saturday) and did not share his whereabouts to other media colleague entire night," the media bodies said.

They said the copy of the FIR against Punia was issued only this morning. Four IPC sections  186 (voluntarily obstructing public servant in discharge of his duties), 353 (assaulting or using criminal force on a public servant in execution of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant in the discharge of his duty) and 34 (acts done in furtherance to common intention) have been pressed against him, they said.

In its defence, Delhi Police had earlier said that they placed barricades at the border following the violence on Friday to ensure that no one could get through. However, some people including the journalist were trying to remove the barricades, the police had alleged, adding the scribe also misbehaved with the police personnel there.

For the unversed, on Friday, clashes broke out at Singhu border between farmers and a large group of men claiming to be local residents who hurled stones at each other. The Singhu border is one of the main protest sites against the new farm laws. Delhi Police SHO (Alipur) was injured in the violence.

At least 44 people, including the man who attacked the SHO, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

(with inputs from PTI)
Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed thinks the only tests that schools should be focused on conducting this school year is COVID-19 tests.

Ahmed is among Michigan school leaders and parents advocating for the states standardized tests to be canceled this year. The Detroit-area superintendent said schools should focus on addressing inequities exposed by the pandemic and supporting students through this unprecedented school year.

Overwhelming educators with meaningless assessments is going to hurt our students and put them further behind, Ahmed said. I dont feel that (standardized assessments) will provide a true reflection of where students are or their learning loss.

The Michigan Department of Education wants to cancel the annual, federally mandated state tests.

For the second time, State Superintendent Michael Rice has requested that the federal government waive standardized testing for 2021 due to the pandemic, arguing the exams cannot be administered fairly and safely while thousands of students are still at home learning remotely  many lacking consistent Internet access.

He said it would be difficult for the state to meet the requirement that 95% of students take the exams.

Rice requested the waiver in a letter to acting U.S. Education Secretary Phil Rosenfelt Monday, Jan. 25, citing inconsistent instructional methods between Michigan schools as one of several reasons to grant waivers from assessment and accountability requirements.

In the spring of 2021, instructional conditions will still vary across the state in combinations of at-home, in-person, and hybrid instruction, Rice wrote.

Thus, the foundational conditions for summative assessment cannot be met, which means summative test results will not be reliable, comparable, generalizable, or valid for their intended purposes.

With the novel coronavirus raging nationwide last March and schools shifting to remote learning, former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos allowed Michigan to waive standardized testing for 2019-2020. But she denied Rices first request in September, advising that states would not have the waiver option this year.

Related: Whitmer cries foul after DeVos mandates school testing amid pandemic

In his second request, Rice said educators should be focused on teaching and learning and providing social-emotional support to students during the COVID-19 crisis, not preparing for state tests.

The stability and structure that we as educators take great pains to produce for our children have been disrupted throughout the school year, in spite of the significant efforts of local educators,' he said. This is the time for care, connection, and support.

Muskegon mom Dawn Johnson said standardized tests would cause unnecessary stress for students and teachers during the COVID-19 crisis.

A lot of kids are truly struggling, and this year has already deeply affected education, mental health and physical health, said Johnson, who has a daughter in first grade at Muskegon Public Schools. Itd be putting more on stress kids that they arent prepared for.

School leaders are split on testing this spring with a number of them advocating for standardized tests to be conducted this spring.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, said school leaders can mitigate the stress levels associated with standardized tests by encouraging students to do the best they can to showcase their knowledge.

He said the tests should not be used to hold teachers and students accountable for their performance this year, but rather to collect data on how much learning loss students have suffered during the pandemic.

I do think its important to know where children are at and to properly advocate for their support, he said. Itll be much easier to make those justifications if we have data to show and quantify the amount of loss that weve seen.

The Detroit superintendent said he thinks there is value in being able to compare the assessment data of schools across the state to see which districts have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

I was visiting homes two weeks ago and one mother said their furnace had broke and they had no heat, so they were constantly moving between their uncles and grandmas house, he said. So, it was hard for the students to log in for online school or even think about that because there wasnt any consistency at home. Thats the reality of poverty, most suburban families arent dealing with that.

Vitti said data from state assessments can help quantify how kids in his high poverty district, where many have struggled with virtual learning, have been impacted by the pandemic compared to wealthier districts.

The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP is administered in April and May to public school students in grades 3-8 to gauge how well they are mastering English language arts, math, science and social studies. The Michigan Merit Exam assesses 11th graders on state standards.

Amber Arellano, executive director of the Education Trust-Midwest, has urged Rice to rescind the waiver request. She said canceling standardized testing will jeopardize future efforts to catch K-12 students up after the pandemic.

Its more important than ever to know how students have been impacted by COVID-19s disrupted learning so that we understand how best to direct resources and supports to students and communities most in need through investments and solution-based, research-driven strategies,' said Arellano in a Jan. 25 statement.

The Michigan Education Association (MEA) is encouraging the U.S. Department of Education to grant the waiver request. The group then wants the Michigan Legislature to use that flexibility to let educators and students focus on teaching and learning.

Amidst this pandemic, we simply cannot waste valuable learning time on high-stakes standardized testing, said MEA President Paula Herbart said in a Jan. 25 statement. Mandated standardized testing like the M-STEP does not provide educators the data needed to meet individual student learning needs in real time, which is what we need to be laser focused on right now.'

As required by state law, Herbart said benchmark assessments are being administered at the local level to help guide efforts to address student learning delays caused by the public health crisis.

Rice said in his request that he wants to prioritize benchmark assessments that measure student improvement throughout the school year.

Bay City Public Schools Superintendent Steve Bigelow said these kinds of assessments have proven to be successful in his district. Bay City uses Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments throughout the year to gauge performance, as do many other Michigan schools.

(Benchmark assessments) allows us to see where each individual student is when they start the school year, and we can actually track their progress throughout the year, he said in support of the waiver. So, if theyre falling behind, were actually able to see that.

Bigelow said standardized testing only provides schools with a snapshot of where students are at the end of the year, which doesnt help teachers assess a students growth throughout the school year.

To help you navigate this complicated school year, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.

Read More:

Five off-campus residences near University of Michigan experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks

High demand as West Michigans largest COVID-19 vaccine clinic wraps up first week

Attorney for ex-Gov. Snyders chief of staff files to dismiss Flint water crisis perjury indictment

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!
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/31/2021



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[ Spoiler Warning: This report includes spoilers revealing if Stephanie and Ryan got married and whether the couple is still together.]

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So did Stephanie and Ryan split or is the couple still together?

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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.

couple Stephanie Davison and Ryan Carr just had a sweet reunion on Season 8 of the series, but did the couple's relationship last or did it crumble? What do spoilers reveal about whether the couple has split or are still together?Stephanie is a 52-year-old career-focused woman who owns and operates two medical spas from Grand Rapids, MI.Stephanie was "a lifelong bachelorette" before meeting Ryan, a 27-year-old from Belize, during a vacation to his home country."I have never had the dream of the big wedding, the white picket fence, the man who comes in and sweeps me off my feet," Stephanie said. "But then I met the hottest guy I've ever dated -- and the youngest guy I've ever dated."Stephanie and Ryan dated for three years before Stephanie applied for a K-1 visa and the couple decided to appear on the show.Stephanie said she had no problem being called a "cougar" because her man has "a phenomenal personality" and is "extremely funny.""I feel something about Ryan that I haven't felt for others in the past," Stephanie noted.Once Ryan's K-1 visa was pre-approved, he still had to go through the visa interview process -- but the embassy remained closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.Stephanie admitted she had trust issues in their long-distance relationship, mainly due to their large age gap, but also because she had caught Ryan texting multiple women as well as an ex-girlfriend in the past."When I was there a year-and-a-half ago, I caught him on the phone with three different women," Stephanie said."I threw Ryan out that night and I was crying. Right after his cousin Harris called me, and I slept with his cousin. Basically, it was over between Ryan and I. I'm just such an honest person, and I never would have slept with his cousin had I not found all of those texts and everything."Stephanie had been keeping this secret from Ryan, and she knew it had the potential to tear them apart and ruin their relationship forever.Stephanie was especially worried because she had invested so much heart into their relationship, nevermind how she was giving him $500-$1300 a month by paying for Ryan's rent, groceries -- and work wages!"I happen to have a friend that owns a resort [in Belize]. So I called and said, 'Everyone is sitting around and no one is working, so give [Ryan] the job and I'll pay his wages,'" Stephanie explained to her cousins."He doesn't know that. But better that than I send his family money. This way, he has self-esteem... I love him enough that I'm willing to take this risk, bottom line. It's my choice. This is who I choose... He's the man I want to build a life with."But then Stephanie couldn't get ahold of her fiance when she wanted to hash out their future plans.She was afraid of losing their connection and "growing further and further apart."An angry Stephanie continued to call Ryan about the borders being closed but just reached his voicemail, and she complained she was in an extremely frustrating situation."I want him to share in my grief right now! I want to see he is as upset as I am... We are hanging on by a thread right now, and that thread is going to f-cking break any single second," Stephanie lamented.Stephanie said she had called Ryan about 14 times before he finally answered, and Ryan snapped, "Every day you would call me and b-tch about something."Stephanie shared with Ryan how the borders were not opening, but he didn't seem phased."Why are you acting like this is not a big deal? You know I've been putting in the effort to try to make this whole thing work, and I bend over backwards to try to make you happy and give you what you need, whether it be new clothes or help with rent," Stephanie said.Ryan said he never asked Stephanie for those things and he's happiest when he's working and making his own money.But Stephanie accused Ryan of sitting on his ass for a long time and asking her for money once every three days."I haven't seen you in a long time and I feel like we're fighting more and more," Stephanie noted.Ryan replied, "This wouldn't be happening if you didn't have trust issues. I'll never change."Stephanie confessed she was exhausted and nearly ready to throw in the towel. She accused Ryan of wanting to come to America to "screw" other women or just have "a little joy ride."For Ryan's part, he said his excitement about coming to America was waning because Stephanie was "far past crazy" and acting ridiculous.Stephanie threatened to cancel Ryan's K-1 visa, and he told her to do whatever she wanted because she's "the boss" and called the shots."If you have nothing but bad [things to say] after all the good stuff I do for you and your family, then you know what? Why are we engaged? Why are we engaged then?" Stephanie questioned."I don't know," Ryan replied.Stephanie told the cameras if she and Ryan were going to end their relationship, they needed to do it in person.The other option was to hang tough and give their romance another chance once Ryan arrived on the K-1 visa for 90 days.In October 2020, Stephanie said the borders had finally reopened and so she'd be able to visit her boyfriend in Belize. However, Stephanie said the pair hadn't been getting along at all, with jealousy and trust issues.But after 10 months of not seeing each other, 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 clothes and shoes. 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 then 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's gifts for Ryan totaled thousands of dollars, and she even gave him 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" with him.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.There is no sign of Ryan on Stephanie's Instagram page, and all signs are pointing to the couple having broken up.Stephanie claimed she had a miserable experience filming and would never appear on the show again.If she and Ryan lasted as a couple and remained happy together, one would think Stephanie would be somewhat grateful for the show given it documented the pair's time together.Stephanie recently made jaw-dropping allegations about her time filming Season 8, claiming she had been raped and that TLC forced her to film during a bug infestation that put her life in danger.On January 13, 2021, the Instagram account @Mommy_says_bad_words posted the cover of a book titled Never Get Ghosted Again: 15 Reasons Why Men Lose Interest and How to Avoid Guys Who Can't Commit by Bruce Bryans.The Instagram account wrote above the image, "If only Stephanie had read this before she met Ryan," and the post was captioned, "She needs this book ASAP."In the comments section of the post, Stephanie completely unloaded her frustrations and publicly announced she had a terrible experience."My new motto after this reality tv stuff.....ONLY believe half of what you see and hear!!" Stephanie wrote.Stephanie also added the following shocking hashtags to her comment: "#theycangofuckthemselves #paymewhatyouoweme #careaboutyourcast #manipulatedbeyondbelief #seeyouincourt."Stephanie then expressed pride in her strong hashtags and explained why she's so angry."These clusterf-cks that work for this company are going to wish they never deceived me. I not only was raped while filming, but manipulated to keep filming after I begged to get off set after being bitten hundreds of times by sandflies," Stephanie claimed."But no, they just needed a romantic dinner filmed with Ryan."While Stephanie didn't get into details about the alleged rape incident, she complained about how all of those bug bites were life threatening and TLC allegedly did nothing to help her."I spend have my time in a hospital now hooked to IV's for the inflammation from the allergic reactions I had," Stephanie wrote."They are unwilling to pay all my medical expenses. My attorney started legal action today...stay tuned!!"The Instagram account noted Stephanie's medical bills should absolutely be taken care of, at the very least."Yes!" Stephanie agreed. "This show has ruined my health, I wish I had never heard of this show."Several days after Stephanie went on her rant, she posted a photo of herself on Instagram and captioned it, "Be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it. #happysunday #Instagood #90dayfiance #truthalwayscomesoutintheend.": The Other Way star Laura Jallali -- whose relationship with Aladin Jallali ended in divorce -- commented, "Looking beautiful and yah 100 [percet] you probably don't want what you wish for because you will be disappointed in the end!"And Stephanie replied, "You and I know first hand, don't we my friend?!!!"Stephanie is pretty clearly giving away her relationship with Ryan did not work out.Laura wrote back to Stephanie, "Honey been there, done that, bought the T-shirt and couldn't return it without loosing my dignity."And then Stephanie responded, "LOVE YOU," along with clapping emojis and crying-laughing emoticons.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
CPC seeks tax relief to avoid fuel price hike By Damith Wickremasekara View(s): View(s):

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) is seeking a waiver of staggering taxes amounting to Rs 2.5 billion a month and has warned of possible fuel price revisions if relief is not granted.

State Minister for Energy Udaya Gammanpila told the Sunday Times the CPC had communicated its position to the Treasury and was awaiting a decision.

World fuel prices are rising and if tax relief is not granted the option will be a revision of the prices, he said.

The state minister said the taxes had remained even when the world market prices were low and therefore the taxes should be revised as the prices had now shot up.

He said that at present the CPC was suffering a loss of Rs 17 on a litre of petrol and Rs 10 on a litre of diesel and losses for last year had increased upto Rs 100 billion due to the depreciation of the rupee and operational costs.

We are expecting a response from the Treasury by Monday, Mr Gammanpila said.

CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe told the Sunday Times the corporation was suffering a loss of Rs 2.5 billion a month with the increase of world fuel prices to US$ 60-62 a barrel.

We are requesting that the tax imposed on fuel be completely lifted to ensure for CPC to operate in a viable manner, he said.

A senior Treasury official said the CPC had made a request to lift the taxes and the Treasury would have to make its own calculations before deciding on granting relief.

We are planning to have a meeting with Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapakas tomorrow to decide on the issue of granting relief, the official said.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is set to meet Monday afternoon with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed spending about one-third of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking in coronavirus aid, though congressional Democrats are poised to move ahead without Republican support.

An invitation to the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter Sunday urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democratic votes. The House and Senate are on track to vote as soon as this week on a budget resolution, which would lay the groundwork for passing an aid package under rules requiring only a simple majority vote in the closely divided Senate.

The goal is for passage by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires. The meeting to be hosted by Biden would amount to the most public involvement for the president in the negotiations for the next round of virus relief. Democratic and Republican lawmakers are far apart in their proposals for assistance.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Biden had spoken with the leader of the group, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Though Biden is wanting a full exchange of views," Psaki reiterated that the president remains in favor of moving forward with a far-reaching relief package.

With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large," Psaki said.

In challenging Biden to fulfill his pledge of unity, the group said in its letter that its counterproposal will include $160 billion for vaccines, testing, treatment and personal protective equipment and call for more targeted relief than Bidens plan to issue $1,400 stimulus checks for most Americans.

Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant for Biden in the 50-50 Senate where Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaker. If all Democrats were to back an eventual compromise bill, the legislation would reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome potential blocking efforts and pass under regular Senate procedures.

Story continues

In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support, the Republican senators wrote. Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support.

The plea for Biden to give bipartisan negotiations more time comes as the president has shown signs of impatience as the more liberal wing of his party considers passing the relief package through a process known as budget reconciliation. That would allow the bill to advance with only the backing of his Democratic majority.

The Republicans did not provide many details of their proposal. One of the signatories, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, said that it would cost about $600 billion.

If you can't find bipartisan compromise on COVID-19, I don't know where you can find it, said Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who also signed the letter.

But even as Biden extended the invitation to the Republican lawmakers, Psaki said that $1,400 relief checks, substantial funding for reopening schools, aid to small businesses and hurting families, and more is badly needed."

As leading economists have said, the danger now is not in doing too much: it is in doing too little," Psaki said. Americans of both parties are looking to their leaders to meet the moment.

Biden also spoke on Sunday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who are facing a growing push from the more liberal Democratic members to move forward with Biden's legislation with or without Republican support.

The other GOP senators invited to meet with Biden are Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Brian Deese, the top White House economic adviser who is leading the administrations outreach to Congress, said earlier Sunday that administration officials were reviewing the letter. He did not immediately commit to a Biden meeting with the lawmakers.

But Cedric Richmond, a senior Biden adviser, said the president is very willing to meet with anyone to advance the agenda." When asked about the senators' plan, Richmond said, This is about seriousness of purpose.

Deese indicated the White House could be open to negotiating on further limiting who would receive stimulus checks. Portman suggested the checks should go to individuals who make no more than $50,000 per year and families capped at $100,000 per year.

Under the Biden plan, families with incomes up to $300,000 could receive some stimulus money.

That is certainly a place that were willing to sit down and think about, are there ways to make the entire package more effective? Deese said.

As a candidate, Biden predicted his decades in the Senate and his eight years as Barack Obama's vice president gave him credibility as a deal-maker and would help him bring Republicans and Democrats to consensus on the most important matters facing the country.

But less than two weeks into his presidency, Biden showed frustration with the pace of negotiations at a time when the economy exhibited further evidence of wear from the pandemic. Last week, 847,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits, a sign that layoffs remain high as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.

I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But the COVID relief has to pass  no ifs, ands or buts, Biden said on Friday.

In the letter, the Republican lawmakers reminded Biden that in his inaugural address, he proclaimed that the challenges facing the nation require "the most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity.

Cassidy separately criticized the current Biden plan as chock-full of handouts and payoffs to Democratic constituency groups."

You want the patina of bipartisanship ... so thats not unity," Cassidy said.

Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said Biden remains willing to negotiate but that officials needed to see more details from Republicans. At the same time, Bernstein pressed the administration's argument that doing too little to stimulate the economy could have enormous impact on the economy in the near- and long-term.

Look, the American people really couldnt care less about budget process, whether its regular order, bipartisanship, whether its filibuster, whether its reconciliation," Bernstein said. They need relief, and they need it now.

Portman and Deese were on CNNs State of the Union, and Deese also was interviewed on NBC's Meet the Press. Cassidy and Bernstein appeared on Fox News Sunday" and Richmond was on CBS' Face the Nation."


The Australian Open quarantine facilities are still holding three people  one player and two others who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in their lockdown  according to Tennis Australia.

The vast majority of the more than 1000 players and their entourages undergoing 14 days of isolation in Melbourne and Adelaide were released by midnight on Saturday and have started preparing for the grand slam.

Fabio Fognini practises at Melbourne Park on Sunday. All but 15 people from the tennis cohort have been released from hotel quarantine. Credit:Getty Images

Spains Paula Badosa was the only player to have confirmed that she tested positive for COVID-19 in Melbourne, restarting the clock on her mandatory period of isolation.

Victoria on Sunday reported another day of no local transmission of the virus and Australian Open tournament chief Craig Tiley said the priority for his organisation remained the health of the local community.
JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Data has continuously shown that Black and Hispanic communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic  which also applies to minority students' education.

After reviewing fall semester test scores from 4.4 million public school students in grades 3-8, a study from academic non-profit NWEA found that a majority of students scored at pre-pandemic levels in reading, but not minority or poor students. Instead, these group saw small declines, including in Houston.
On Sunday, Demi Moore shared a BTS snap of herself and 29-year-old daughter Scout LaRue Willis wearing hydrating face masks aboard an airplane en route to Paris Fashion Week.

The 58-year-old mother-of-three - who boasts 11M social media followers - captioned the picture taken by fellow Fendi catwalker Cara Delevigne: 'Pre-show prep.'

Much ado was made about Demi's unrecognizable appearance while opening artistic director Kim Jones' Fendi Couture SS/21 presentation in a satin suit last Wednesday.

Jet setters: On Sunday, Demi Moore (L) shared a BTS snap of herself and 29-year-old daughter Scout LaRue Willis (R) wearing 111Skin's Bio Cellulose Facial Treatment Mask hydrating face masks aboard an airplane en route to Paris Fashion Week

The 58-year-old mother-of-three - who boasts 11M social media followers - captioned the picture taken by fellow Fendi catwalker Cara Delevigne: 'Pre-show prep'

Moore made matters worse by sucking in her cheeks, which had four doctors telling OK Magazine last Friday that she had 'gone overboard with injectable fillers.'

'Her appearance has clearly changed,' plastic surgeon Ryan Neinstein - who doesn't treat Demi - told the mag.

'Many young women seek high cheekbones, hollow cheeks and a cross-cheek shadow, which is a popular look on social media and often duplicated with makeup.

'One of the most obvious signs of facelift surgery is the cross-cheek depression or "joker line," certain surgical maneuvers in a facelift can give this appearance.'

Surprise! Much ado was made about Demi's unrecognizable appearance while opening artistic director Kim Jones' Fendi Couture SS/21 presentation in a satin suit last Wednesday

'Her appearance has clearly changed': Moore made matters worse by sucking in her cheeks, which had four doctors telling OK Magazine last Friday that she had 'gone overboard with injectable fillers'

'It's about embracing acceptance': Back in 2019, the two-time Golden Globe nominee admitted that 'gravity is going in some directions I'm not fond of'

But it seems the secret to her youthful visage is in fact a rigorous skincare regimen - showing off her Y Theorem Bio Cellulose Facial Mask from 111SKIN in the candid plane snap.

Back in 2019, the two-time Golden Globe nominee admitted that 'gravity is going in some directions I'm not fond of.'

'But I feel for myself it's about acceptance...embracing it and no longer looking for what's wrong  just being accepting of everything,' Demi told The Mirror in 2019.

'My friend put up a quote, "My skin no longer fits the same but my life does." I feel like that's true. The reality is, the comfort I feel in my skin is the greatest gift. I'm really happy to be where I am.'

'How devastatingly sexy you make 58 look': Demi will next celebrate the 27th birthday of her youngest daughter, Wyllis designer Tallulah Belle Willis (R), this Wednesday

'2020 Christmas card': Moore is also mother to 32-year-old triple-threat Rumer Glenn (L) from her 11-year marriage to second husband Bruce Willis (2-L), which ended amicably in 2000

Moore (born Guynes) will next celebrate the 27th birthday of her youngest daughter, Wyllis designer Tallulah Belle Willis, this Wednesday.

The Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 model is also mother to 32-year-old triple-threat Rumer Glenn from her 11-year marriage to second husband Bruce Willis, which ended amicably in 2000.

On November 11, Demi wrapped her role in Amanda Kramer's sexually-charged fifties-set drama Please Baby Please alongside co-stars Karim Saleh and Andrea Riseborough in Butte, Montana.
Vietnam has prepared for an escalation of the Covid-19 infection cases and will strive for controlling the epidemic by February 6.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son said that the current Covid-19 outbreak is occurring in many provinces at a very fast speed of infection.

Only one day after the first patients reported in Hai Duong (No. 1552) and Quang Ninh (1553), Vietnam saw the highest number of Covid-19 cases on a single day  82 patients.

The Ministry of Health has assigned the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology to studying the genes of the virus samples, but according to information from Japan, this may be the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 recently detected in the UK. This strain spreads 70% faster than the original one and has now spread to more than 80 countries around the world.

Mr. Son said that the number of cases related to Hai Duong and Quang Ninh will continue to increase and spread to other provinces in the coming time.

Regarding the cause of the outbreak, Deputy Minister Son said that there are 3 main reasons.

The first is illegal entries from other countries to Vietnam.

Second, it is related to the safety of protective clothing of employees working at airports or border gates. Insufficient or improper protective clothing increases the risk of infection from SARS-CoV-2 positive passengers upon entry into Vietnam.

Third, ensuring safety of Covid-19 prevention activities in some quarantine zones is negligible.

According to Deputy Minister Son, the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 has increased transmissibility, so the most important measure is detection, fast tracing, isolation and zoning for stamping out epidemic.

The top priority at this moment is to trace all people who have contact with Covid-19 patients. We have taken drastic measures and in Quang Ninh, tests are not only for F1, F2, F3 but even F4 cases, he said.

The Ministry of Health has sent experts of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi Medical University, Bach Mai Hospital to Hai Duong province, the largest epidemic center at present, to assist the local agencies in performing Covid-19 tests.

The Deputy Minister of Health said that Vietnam had learned experience in previous outbreaks. In addition, the Ministry of Health has established sub-committees, including a logistics sub-committee to prepare a plan to purchase materials and equipment for the situation if Vietnam has 10,000 cases of Covid-19.

We (Ministry of Health - reporter) and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (head of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control) are determined to contain the epidemic within 10 days," Deputy Minister Son said.

Thuy Hanh

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/31/2021



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[ Spoiler Warning: This report contains spoilers revealing if Hazel and Tarik are still together or whether the couple broke up.]

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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.

star Hazel Cagalitan has been shown questioning whether she can trust Tarik Myers after he secretly reached out to their ex Minty on Season 8 of , so did Hazel and Tarik call it quits on their relationship or are they still together? What do the latest spoilers say?Tarik was a 43-year-old realtor and single father from Virginia Beach, VA, when he first saw Hazel, a single mother from Quezon City, Philippines who is now 28-years-old, on an Asian dating website.After three months of dating virtually and over the phone, Tarik traveled over 9,000 miles and 36 hours to meet Hazel in-person in the Philippines on : Before the 90 Days' second season.Tarik took a lot of heat from family and friends, especially his brother Dean, for pursuing a relationship with a woman overseas. Tarik's loved ones worried he was being scammed and Hazel was just after a Green Card.And Hazel wasn't exactly warm and affectionate with Tarik when they spent time together. She was shy and Tarik discovered she lived in the poorest of conditions with her family.But it didn't take long for Tarik to become completely smitten with the girl, and so he decided to propose marriage to her anyway before he traveled back to the United States.Tarik and Hazel were still engaged six months after : Before the 90 Days' second-season finale aired on TLC in October 2018.Tarik later returned to the Philippines several more times to visit Hazel, and in the meantime, he was waiting for Hazel's K-1 visa to be approved.Hazel even agreed to sign a prenuptial agreement for Tarik to prove that she was with him for love."She is beautiful on the inside and outside. She's like an Asian version of Angelina Jolie and I love her," Tarik said in a confessional on 's eighth season.At the time 's eighth season filmed, Tarik and Hazel had been together for two years and Hazel finally got approved for a K-1 visa.Hazel was going to meet Tarik's seven-year-old daughter Auri for the first time. Tarik apparently has majority custody of Auri, who stays with her father five out of seven days a week and lives with her mother on the weekends.Tarik shared how Auri has high-functioning autism and everything in his life revolves around her. Tarik hoped Hazel would love Auri and that they'd get along wonderfully.Hazel also has an eight-year-old son Harrey, and Hazel was having a tough time leaving him behind. Tarik and Hazel therefore planned to bring Harrey to the United States "eventually" in order to give the boy more opportunities in life.Tarik admitted he was "surprised" when he learned Hazel is bisexual, and he told her that Virginia Beach is "full of smoking hot women."Hazel apparently wanted to have a girlfriend on the side, and Tarik therefore wondered how that was going to work and whether Hazel was really in their relationship for him or just permanent residency in the United States."We're not even married yet -- and what you're thinking about is the girlfriend we need to find?" Tarik explained in a confessional."We've had some trust and jealousy issues in the past, so it does make me nervous. But she wants to go full steam ahead on this thing, so I hope we're really ready for it."Tarik revealed he had questioned Hazel's character one time but ended up being wrong.Tarik had been engaged for almost a year when he and Hazel had a big misunderstanding. Tarik recalled how they thought Hazel was pregnant at the time and so Hazel took one positive pregnancy, followed by two negative tests about a week later."So I'm thinking that she terminated the pregnancy, so I flipped out. I thought, 'I can't be with nobody who is going to do sh-t like this,'" Tarik explained."A woman can do whatever she wants with her body, but I think my feelings went all over the place because it's a trust thing. I thought she did it without talking to me, and I was like, 'This is over.'"Three weeks after their breakup, Tarik apparently started talking to a new woman named Minty from Thailand. Tarik said he had been "falling in like" -- not love -- with the girl, but he wanted to clean things up with Hazel before pursuing a new relationship.Hazel insisted to Tarik that a doctor had told her that she was never pregnant and her menstrual cycle had just been late. Hazel therefore forgave Tarik, who then came clean about his interactions with Minty.Hazel was upset at first but then suggested she wanted to talk to the "beautiful" Minty.Tarik had yet to tell close friends and family that Hazel is bisexual because he knew people would have preconceived notions, and Hazel having a girlfriend was simply going to be a part of their married life.Tarik revealed to Kia that he, Minty and Hazel all met in the Philippines about a year-and-a-half prior.Tarik suggested the girls had hooked up and everything was "beautiful" for two-and-a-half days."But Day 3, Hazel just put an end to it. Hazel felt like Minty was more into me than she was into Hazel," Tarik shared."Hazel could see I was just fascinated by Minty. It was refreshing to me to be able to speak in Thai and talk about all the stuff I experienced in Thailand, but there was this jealousy that came over Hazel immediately and it ended right there. Hazel told me to never contact Minty ever again."However, Tarik confessed he had texted Minty again a couple of weeks back. Tarik said he just wanted to check on Minty and make sure she was okay due to the coronavirus pandemic, and he insisted that he was going to tell Hazel but was a little afraid to do so.Tarik then picked Hazel up at the airport with flowers, and it had been four or five months since they last saw each other. He wore a powder blue suit for their reunion, and it was an emotional moment for Tarik.Hazel said she was "overwhelmed" with happiness and Tarik looked "so handsome" in her favorite color.Hazel said she really missed her son and hated saying goodbye, but the pair planned to have Hazel's son join them in America someday for a better life."This is the turning point in my life. It's like everything before her and then everything after her," Tarik said.On the drive to Tarik's home, Hazel was shocked by all of the big houses in America and how clean everything looked. Tarik's home was huge compared to Hazel's place in the Philippines considering Hazel lived in poverty.Hazel noted the house was big but messy, and Tarik told the cameras he and his fiancee have two different definitions of "clean."Hazel said coming to the United States was "a dream" but Tarik's house was big and overwhelming. She hoped she could eventually feel at home in Tarik's place.One day after Hazel's arrival, Tarik was ready to pick a venue for their wedding, but Hazel wanted their pace to slow down since she had a lot to adjust to.Hazel hoped she could become a loving mother to Auri, but she feared it might be difficult to take care of a child with special needs. Hazel anticipated loving Auri just like she loves her son Harrey back home.Hazel said her parents wanted her to get married in their church, but Tarik explained that he didn't want to marry in the normal, typical way and Hazel's church essentially freaked him out a little bit.Hazel said religion is important to her and she wanted to make her parents happy, but Tarik tried to talk her into marrying at Edgar Cayce's A.R.E., a cultural and spiritual center that apparently means a lot to him.The center was named after a famous psychic, but Hazel thought the place was weird and said she didn't want to get married there. Hazel, however, told her fiance that she'd think about it and they could compromise and make a decision together about their future.During Hazel's second day in America, she was shown unpacking her belongings and feeling a little bit overwhelmed.Tarik told Hazel that his daughter Auri always slept with him because she was scared of being alone in her room. Auri had been sleeping with him for seven years, and he said Hazel would have to be okay with that because the arrangement wasn't going to change.Hazel, however, worried Auri's constant presence would ruin their romance and intimacy, and she knew they'd need privacy as a couple. Knowing how close Tarik and Auri were, Hazel feared she wouldn't fit into their relationship.Auri recognized Hazel right away but was a little shy. Hazel picked Auri up and hugged her, and it was an incredibly sweet moment. Tarik said he was "overwhelmed" that Hazel and Auri were embracing each other, and Auri even put her head on Hazel's shoulders."I couldn't ask for anything more," Tarik said.Hazel thought Auri is very cute and sweet, but the interaction just made her miss her son even more.Tarik later hosted a party for Hazel and he hoped all of his friends would love her. Hazel hoped it wouldn't be difficult to fit in and she was admittedly a little nervous about the gathering.One of Tarik's friends Angela gave Hazel a gift, a beautiful scarf in her favorite color, and Hazel was so happy and grateful.Tarik and Hazel hoped to bring Hazel's son over to the United States in about a year or so. She was used to seeing her son once a week given the boy lives with his father and stepmother.Tarik was well aware Hazel had given up everything to be with him and he wanted to be her rock, and so he determined he must be honest and upfront with her about how he had texted their ex, Minty."I'm worried that if I tell her while she's still getting used to being away from her son, it might be too much for her," Tarik noted.With 85 days left to wed, Hazel told Tarik during a lunch out that she liked the United States but really missed the Philippines.Tarik wasn't sure when they'd be able to travel to the Philippines again considering COVID-19 was becoming a real issue, and he was also nervous to bring up the fact he had reached out to Minty when he wasn't supposed to.Hazel gushed to Tarik about the sexy women in Virginia Beach, and Hazel said she'd like to have a girl join their relationship so she could have a girlfriend and husband.Hazel apparently kept the fact she's bisexual a secret from her religious parents so they wouldn't disapprove of her lifestyle or dislike her.Hazel then told the cameras she had found something on Tarik's phone that worried her -- a message to her ex, Minty, from Thailand. Hazel said when Tarik and Minty would talk to each other in Thai, she felt left out and jealous."I was worried if he likes her too much, so we broke up with Minty," Hazel admitted.Hazel the told Tarik that she had discovered a message to Minty on his phone, and Tarik replied, "I mean, I was going to tell you. It's just this virus thing happened... It hit right in the city where she is, so I just wanted to text her and go, 'Yo, are you good?!'"Hazel asked why Tarik hadn't been honest with her right away, and he acknowledged that she was right.Tarik said he didn't have a problem with Hazel looking through his phone but it was concerning that she maybe didn't trust him fully and felt the need to check his messages to begin with.Hazel felt the virus was just an excuse to get in touch with Minty, but Tarik promised he wouldn't contact their ex again."It worries me if I can trust him," Hazel lamented.Tarik and Hazel are still a couple and their relationship appears to be thriving.Tarik uploaded a photo of Hazel in glasses on January 19, 2021 and added a funny caption with it."Me : I clearly text Minty to see if she was ok bc there was a big Covid outbreak in her city. Hazel : I put my glasses on to clearly see if this was BS. #Tarzel #90dayfiance #90daybaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #beforethe90days #rayban #allnatural," Tarik wrote.On January 16, Tarik posted a photo of Hazel standing in the sunlight with her eyes closed, and he captioned the image, "You are an original. You are misunderstood. You are ridiculed and hated on by many close to you. But you are still perfect."He continued, "I am an original. Misunderstood. Ridiculed and hated on by many close to me. We soak up the sun different. #Tarzel #90dayfiance #90dayfiancebaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #beforethe90days #nomakeup #nofilterneeded."A few days earlier, Tarik uploaded a photo of Hazel and his daughter flashing peace signs, showing they're still together as a family.Tarik also apparently rang in the New Year of 2021 with Hazel by his side.Tarik posted several photos of Hazel standing in front of a sunset, including two pictures of Hazel standing out of the sunroof of a car."Ok. So the house may have been a LITTLE messy," Tarik captioned the slideshow, referring to Hazel's first impression of his home in America."I'll make it up to you with a beautiful sunset. 2020 GO THE F AWAY ALREADY! BYE FELICIA! Everyone have a SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2021 #Tarzel #90dayfiance ##90daybaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #beforethe90days."On December 18, Tarik posted two selfies with Hazel in which she looked stunning in a burgundy dress and matching lip. In one of the pictures, she was kissing Tarik on the cheek."Hawt Sauws. Hella Hawt Sauws. #Tarzel Watch #90dayfiance Sunday at 8pm EST on @tlc #90daybaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #90dayfiancebeforethe90days," Tarik wrote alongside the images.One day earlier, Hazel posted a similar photo and captioned it, "Haters don't hate hate, haters hate LOVE.' #Tarzel #90dayfiance."Tarik reposted Hazel's quote on his own page saying he agreed with her, and then Hazel commented with multiple kiss-blowing emoticons.Tarik also posted a video of Hazel on October 25, 2020.In the video, Hazel told her fans, "I'm here to send good tidings and well wishes to your family and friends... I'm here for y'all! Have a good one!"Tarik captioned the Instagram post, "My beautiful Hazel is on Cameo now. Book her for all occasions. She is Hazel Cagalitan on Cameo. Thanks. #beforethe90days #90dayfiance."On August 28, 2020, Tarik posted a selfie of the couple, revealing they had watched Black Panther three times in one week together because Hazel loved it so much. He said it was "the first move we ever watched together."Tarik posted a photo of Hazel and her father on June 21 and gushed about how he raised 14 children in poor conditions."I thought I knew the difficulties of fatherhood until I met this man. He raised 14 children in conditions most of us only see on TV. Never once shirked his responsibility. The definition of a real man. Salamat Pa. Happy Father's Day," Tarik wrote.Tarik also wished Hazel a happy Mother's Day in May."When life dealt you crap, you turned it into fertilizer. I was proud of you before the cameras rolled. And I'll be proud of you... Well anyway. I'm your defense mechanism against anyone. And I mean anyone. Happy Mother's Day Zellybean," Tarik wrote alongside a photo of Hazel and her son.Back in October 2019, Tarik gushed about Hazel on Instagram."I had so many rules that you became the exception to. So many standards that you exceeded. Also, I'm forever grateful to you for pulling those knives out of my back that a smiling faced Judas shoved in. You are goals. #TarZel #90dayfiance #90dayfiancepillowtalk," he wrote.And in August, 2019, Tarik called his girl "an implausible, irreplaceable gift from God."In Summer 2019, Hazel gushed about Tarik and wrote, "Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure Im not dreaming. Sometimes I still cant believe that youre real and that ur mine.""I never thought that some1 as amazing as u would fall in love with someone as silly as me," she continued."But Im so glad that u did because my life has been nothing but wonderful. Thank u 4 coming into my life and for letting me show u how much u mean to me. #TarZel #ILoveYouHoney."Tarik and Hazel's posts about one another date all the way back to Fall 2018.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
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For the inauguration, Sanders wore a nondescript but practical coat made by Burton, the Vermont-based ski brand, along with a pair of old-school Fair Isle mittens, setting the internet ablaze. The mittens were made by Vermont teacher Jen Ellis from repurposed sweaters and given to Sanders as a gift. Ellis sells the mittens on her site, with all proceeds going to charity. Sanders has a shop on his website that includes items emblazoned with the now-famous image. The line of T-shirts named Chairman Sanders sold out almost as soon as they launched, raising $1.8 million for Vermont charities.
Gov. Kate Brown defended her decision to prioritize teachers for the COVID-19 vaccine as one of the tough calls shes had to make amid a vaccine shortage.

Reopening schools is paramount and necessitates immunizing educators, she said, pointing out the many shortcomings of remote learning, the social isolation students are experiencing and the urgency of the waning school year. And so, in a bold move that deviates from federal guidance, Brown put vaccines for teachers before older Oregonians, even though seniors account for more than 80% of the states COVID-related deaths.

As understandably angry as seniors are, Brown can make a case for delaying their immunizations to support the imperative of reopening schools. But her justification for this extraordinary decision falls apart if schools across the state dont actually reopen  a significant concern as some teachers unions question returning to in-person instruction.

Unfortunately, Brown already appears to be disavowing responsibility for ensuring schools reopen. With educators receiving vaccines now, Oregonians should expect and demand that she deliver. A failure on Browns part would be an unconscionable betrayal of the hundreds of thousands of seniors who are being forced to wait in service of a greater good.

While we disagree with the decision to postpone vaccines for older Oregonians, whose vulnerability merits prioritization, the die has been cast. We also believe schools can reopen safely even without vaccines, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reaffirmed last week, but recognize the political necessity of vaccinations to get schools open.

Earmarking vaccines for educational staff was a direct response to teachers insistence that they be vaccinated before returning to in-person instruction. But it wasnt Browns only action to encourage schools to reopen. Health metrics that were mandatory before schools could reopen are now advisory. Her education department issued new guidance for reopening, including extensive resources on how to offer instruction outdoors to limit spread. These are critical moves that recognize the urgency of getting students back into schools to meet their educational, social, health and many other needs.

But Brown has taken a hands-off approach to the brewing conflicts between school districts and their teachers unions, who are balking at returning to the classroom even with vaccines.

In Portland, where the states largest school district aims to reopen broadly for instruction in April, the teachers union president suggests teachers immunizations arent enough.

Our schools will be safe to open when our communities are safe, Elizabeth Thiel, president of the Portland Association of Teachers, told The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board. She declined to specify what would constitute safe, but noted that increasing community vaccination rates and fewer cases would help establish that baseline.

Teachers are concerned that, even vaccinated, they could spread the virus, potentially infecting any vulnerable people they live with or care for, she said. They worry that students could bring the virus home, with dire impacts on Black, Indigenous and other communities of color that show greater COVID-19 vulnerability, Thiel said. And despite the CDCs recent statement, she maintains theres still too many unknowns about the virus.

The ability of teachers to block reopening needs Browns involvement. But her spokesman, Charles Boyle, said in an email that solutions for reopening schools are complex conversations that must be resolved between school districts and local associations at the local level. He added that the governor is open to using every tool she has to get our kids back into the classroom this school year.

While the details of reopenings are best managed by school communities, whether they open should not be in question. As for what tools might Brown use? Boyle did not respond.

Here are a few: Brown can start by publicly calling on teachers unions to commit to reopening schools this year, even if that means extending the year into the summer. She can ask teachers who have no intention of returning to the classroom to delay their vaccines and free up doses for those who will. She and the Legislature should also explore what legal tools they have to require vaccinated staff to return to the classroom. And she should remind them of how many essential workers in food processing plants, grocery stores, social service organizations and more have been going to work without the benefit of a vaccine because thats what being an essential worker means.

The governor alone made the decision to vaccinate teachers in order to open schools. She must now own the responsibility of getting it done.

Because no matter how justifiable the reason to prioritize teachers, Brown opted to sell out older Oregonians. She should not sell out younger Oregonians as well.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board

Subscribe to our free weekly Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email:







South Korea's exports of electric vehicles (EVs) advanced nearly 66 percent on-year in 2020, data showed Sunday, despite the overall slump in the automobile industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic.







Outbound shipments of EVs came to US$3.9 billion in 2020, marking the first time for the volume to surpass that of hybrid cars, whose exports came to $2.5 billion last year, according to the data compiled by the Korea International Trade Association.







EVs accounted for more than half of the combined outbound shipments of eco-friendly cars, which were estimated at $7.1 billion.







Europe was the largest destination for South Korea's eco-friendly cars, taking up 68 percent of the total.







South Korea also shipped 955 units of hydrogen fuel cell cars in 2020, which marked 26.3 percent on-year growth.







The country was the world's fourth-largest exporter of EVs in the January-September period, the association added.







South Korea's combined exports of automobiles, meanwhile, reached $37.4 billion in 2020, down 13.1 percent on-year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to separate data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (Yonhap)


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 10:38:21|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The scale of China's public offering funds hit a record high by the end of 2020, data from the Asset Management Association of China showed.

The total assets managed by the funds reached 19.89 trillion yuan (about 3.08 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of December, according to the association.

The public offering funds were operated by 132 fund management companies, of which 88 were domestic firms, and the rest were joint ventures.

China's asset management industry expanded at slower paces in recent years as authorities tightened regulations to contain risks arising from wealth management products.

In 2017, draft guidelines unified rules covering asset management products issued by all types of financial institutions, requiring them to set leverage ceilings. Enditem
Tuesday

Learn about the world of metamorphosing insects from the entomologist Jessica Ware, a curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. In a live presentation from the California Academy of Sciences, Dr. Ware will talk about the life cycle and importance of various insects, including dragonflies and termites, and answer questions from viewers. This event is free.

When 1 p.m.

Where calacademy.org/academy-breakfast-club-livestreamed

Catch a screening of Disclosure, a documentary about depictions of transgender individuals on film and TV, and a conversation with the filmmakers, including Laverne Cox, an executive producer. Disclosure, the critic Teo Bugbee wrote in The New York Times last year, sets out to provide a transgender lens on film history. Tickets are free, although registration is required and closes 24 hours before the event.

When 10 p.m.

Where lacma.org/programs/film

Wednesday

Tune in to a conversation between Anna North and Esme Weijun Wang hosted by Green Apple Books in San Francisco. The two writers will discuss Ms. Norths latest novel, Outlawed, which tells the story of a band of outlaws in the American West who set out to create a safe haven for outcast women. This event is free, and attendance is capped at 500.

When 9 p.m.

Where greenapplebooks.com/event/virtual-event-anna-north-and-esme-weijun-wang
Amid Saudi Arabia's attempts at reform of its human rights record, reports say the country's textbooks have also revised to remove anti-Semitic and misogynistic passages.

The Washington Post reported that the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), an Israel-based group that monitors school curriculums, welcomed the changes.

IMPACT-se found that the books no longer include a religious prediction of a war in which Muslims would kill all the Jews  a prophecy it said had served as a foundation for much of the anti-Semitic attitudes in the Muslim world, said a report in the Israel Times.

What else has been omitted/revised?

- A section on sodomy supportive of capital punishment for homosexual relations.

- Praises for extremist martyrdom and its characterisation as the highest aspiration of Islam.

- Another trope, that Jews, identified as Zionist forces, use villainous methods, including money, women, and drugs to control the world has been omitted from the syllabus.

However, the monitoring group said in a statement that the the report did not find any new tolerant material being injected into the curriculum.

Examining the trendline of our 2002, 2008 and even 2019 reports of the Saudi curriculum, it is clear that these new 2020 textbooks represent an institutional effort to modernize the Kingdoms curriculum. The Saudi authorities have begun a process of rooting out anti-Jewish hate, said IMPACT-se CEO, Marcus Sheff.

But the group said anti-Israel content did still remain in the curriculum.

A "decontextualized and ambiguous story about Jewish wrongdoers, who are described as monkeys, is still present and Israel is still not legitimized and is not shown on maps of the region. Zionism has been depicted as a racist political movement.
Andrei Afanasyev, a freelance correspondent for RFE/RL's Russian Service, has been detained as he traveled to cover anti-government protests in Russia's Far East city of Blagoveshchensk.



The journalist was stopped by traffic police on January 31 ahead of nationwide protests against the jailing of prominent activist and Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.



Afansyev, who was in possession of a press pass and proof that he was on assignment, was taken to a local police station.



On January 24, when an estimated 4,000 people were arrested for participating in anti-government demonstrations across the country, Afansyev was briefly detained and members of his family were subsequently questioned about his activities.

Several RFE/RL freelancers were approached by police in the lead-up to demonstrations in 142 cities planned for January 31.



On the day itself, the independent monitor OVD-Info reported that multiple journalists were detained around the country ahead of the scheduled rallies.
The Lincoln Project is condemning co-founder John Weaver in the wake of allegations that the longtime GOP strategist made unsolicited sexual overtures to several young men, including one who was 14 years old at the time he received sexual messages from Weaver.

"John Weaver led a secret life that was built on a foundation of deception at every level. He is a predator, a liar, and an abuser. We extend our deepest sympathies to those who were targeted by his deplorable and predatory behavior," the group said in a statement Sunday.

The Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans who opposed former president Donald Trump, rose to prominence last year as they campaigned against Trump and others who supported him. Weaver, 61, helped co-found the group. Weaver previously worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich.

The New York Times published a report Sunday morning based on interviews with 21 men who alleged that Weaver sent them unwanted provocative messages or solicited them for sex, often in exchange for the promise of professional help.

The New York Times story followed reports about Weaver's behavior from earlier this month, including one by the American Conservative's Ryan Girdusky on Jan. 11 and by Axios on Jan. 15.

Weaver did not respond to a request for comment Sunday. Two weeks ago, he acknowledged the "inappropriate" messages in a statement to Axios and apologized, saying he had been closeted.

"The truth is that I'm gay. And that I have a wife and two kids who I love. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place," Weaver said in his statement then. "To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry. They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you."

Weaver has been on a medical leave of absence from the Lincoln Project since last summer and said he would not return to the organization.

On Sunday, the Lincoln Project noted that Weaver was never around other members.

"The totality of his deceptions are beyond anything any of us could have imagined and we are absolutely shocked and sickened by it. Like so many, we have been betrayed and deceived by John Weaver," the group's statement said. "We are grateful beyond words that at no time was John Weaver in the physical presence of any member of The Lincoln Project."

On Twitter Sunday, Girdusky - who broke the story earlier this month - blasted the Lincoln Project's statement as false, saying the group had been made aware of the allegations when he was reporting them out last year.

Girdusky, who has also worked as a political consultant for about 15 years, told The Washington Post that Weaver's past was like a "worst-kept secret" and that several men reached out to him after Weaver followed him on Twitter last May.

"Three young men DMed me and said 'please be careful, this is what he did to me,' and sent me their DMs with John Weaver," Girdusky said.

Girdusky said several of the men who told him privately about Weaver's behavior had also contacted Lincoln Project members as late as last August "and it was ignored across the board."

Steve Schmidt, a co-founder of the group, told the New York Times that they had heard "chatter" last summer Weaver could be in relationships with men, but denied they knew it was inappropriate.

"There was no awareness or insinuations of any type of inappropriate behavior when we became aware of the chatter at the time," Schmidt told the Times.
The LJP's membership in the NDA is being questioned because the party walked out of the alliance in Bihar and contested the Assembly polls against Nitish Kumar's JD(U)

New Delhi: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan is among the leaders invited to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting to discuss the ruling bloc's agenda for the Budget session of Parliament, party sources said.

However, Paswan will not be attending the meeting due to health reasons, they said, adding that he also skipped the all-party meet.

The invite to Paswan from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi to the meeting of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of the LJP walking out of the NDA in Bihar due to its opposition to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and contesting the state Assembly polls on its own.

Though the LJP could win only one seat in the Bihar polls, it inflicted serious damage on the JD(U), the tally of which fell to 43 from 71, triggering a backlash from Kumar's party, with some of its leaders questioning if Paswan could still be in the NDA at the Centre.

A vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Paswan has maintained that he remains an ally of the BJP at the Centre. Senior leaders of the saffron party had also criticised him for fielding candidates against the JD(U) in the Bihar polls.

The invite to Paswan for the NDA meeting indicates that the BJP, which has lost a few key allies, continues to see the LJP, which was founded by towering Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan, as a partner.
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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Protests against the COVID-19 induced regulations

By Veronika Malinboym

On January 28, protesters gathered outside of the Georgian Parliament in order to demand the lifting of the existing COVID-19 induced regulations. Representatives of the local NGOs and the For the people movement took to the streets with banners that read You cannot see the people outside of your jeeps, the country needs to be opened up. The protesters demand public transport to be reopened since it has recently been announced that the municipal transport will not be functioning until March 1, or until the number of COVID-19 cases decreases to 4%.Protesters claim that the government officials who are responsible for introducing the new regulations travel on expensive cars and do not understand the needs of the regular citizens. Meanwhile, the latter are forced to use taxis which is quite unfeasible given the current state of the national economy and widespread unemployment.People who introduce new regulations are sitting in the black [expensive] SUVs and do not understand the problems that we are faced with. They do not understand the socio-economic needs that we have. We are calling for the existing regulations to be lifted, said one of the activists.The protests are likely to continue on January 29, as the people are invited to beep their horns in defiance to the existing regulations as part of the Beep  the country needs to be reopened action.The Georgian government is planning to restore the work of public transport in all major cities across Georgia, apart from Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Rustavi. The residents of the latter three are unhappy with the governments decision and demand for municipal transportation to be resumed immediately.Prime Minister Gakharia announced that in the case of the number of infected persons decreasing to 4%, the process of gradual lifting of the existing regulations will begin earlier than previously planned.Earlier this week, a number of opposition politicians, representatives of the business sector, as well as ordinary citizens have also gathered in front of the administrative building of the Georgian government to demand the lifting of the existing restrictions. Protesters claimed that the existing regulations affected the social welfare of the country and violated the human rights of the Georgian citizens. One of the members of the Lelo for Georgia party claimed that the current government is failing to manage the ongoing crisis and called for a wise lifting of the existing restrictions.
Prayagraj : , Jan 31 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) to remove banners naming the top 10 criminals from all police stations.

The court said that it is a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution.

The banners, along with the names and identities of the criminals, also give information about their criminal history.

The court said it believes that it is unnecessary to publicly display information about criminals outside the police stations and is in violation of Article 21.

The court has also directed the DGP to issue circulars to all police stations in the state for this.

This order was given by a division bench of Justice Pankaj Naqvi and Justice Vivek Agrawal while hearing the petitions of Zeeshan, Balveer Singh Yadav and Dudhanath Singh on Saturday.

According to the facts of the case, the names of the petitioners have been publicly displayed in the list of top 10 criminals outside the police stations in Prayagraj and Kanpur. A petition was filed objecting to this.

The court said that neither politically nor socially, the name of a criminal is required to be displayed publicly outside the police stations by placing banners.

The court clarified that unless an order was issued against anyone under Section 82 (notice of attachment) of the CrPC, until then, displaying one's name in a public place is contrary to one's privacy and human dignity.

However, the court also said that there is nothing wrong in preparing the list of top 10 criminals by police for prevention and surveillance of crime.

The DGP, thereafter, has issued a circular to all the police stations of the state, instructing them to prepare a list of top 10 criminals.

Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
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New Delhi: Former Vice President of India Hamid Ansari in an exclusive interview to Zee News reiterated his 2017 statement that Muslims are not safe in India. Ansari spoke at length about several issues including secularism, safety of Muslims.

In the interview aired on Zee News on Saturday, Hamid Ansari reiterated what he wrote in his book that today there is no word of secularism in the government's dictionary.

Hamid Ansari claimed that secularism has almost disappeared from governments official vocabulary adding that most of his views on secularism is based on Bombai Judgement, which was delivered by Supreme Court.

When asked if there was a word in the government's dictionary before 2014, then his answer was - "Yes, but not enough."

The former Vice President said that during the last week of his tenure two incidents aroused resentment in some sections and the people thought that his statement has some hidden meaning. In his new book 'By Many a Happy Accident: Recollection of a Life', the former Vice President has also mentioned about his conversations and interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He responded to a range of counter questions from Hindu terrorism to appeasement and 'insecurity among Muslims', mob lynching and then Hamid Ansari left the interview.

#EXCLUSIVE | Former Vice president of India, #HamidAnsari in a conservation with Zee News speaks at length about #secularism, the safety of #Muslims in India and more @AmanChopra_ pic.twitter.com/4DhdXz0VAl  Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) January 31, 2021

'You were Vice President for 10 years, VC of MMU, Head of Minorities Commission, Diplomat, the country gave you so much but on the last day of your tenure you said that Muslims are insecure, what is the reason?

On this question, Ansari said that he has said this on the basis of public perception.

In this context, he also mentioned lynching. In a counter question, that lynching also happens to Hindus, Ansari said that might have happened.

When asked 'Why did you think that Muslims are insecure?' Ansari tried to evade by not giving any direct answer.

Former Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha chairman, #MohammadHamidAnsari in an #exclusive interview with Zee News.@AmanChopra_ pic.twitter.com/q4sLnnRdx7  Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) January 31, 2021

He was repeatedly asking to read the footnote of his book carefully. Meanwhile, he was reminded that the purpose of the interview is not to publicize his book but to question the things raised in it.

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari sidelined the question of 'insecurity among Muslims' and left interview suddenly.

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Ministers sparked confusion over the summer holidays today as they gave conflicting views on how 'normal' life will be in six months' time.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock raised the hopes of millions of Britons as he said that he expected a 'Great British summer' powered by the success of the vaccine rollout.

But less than half an hour after his local BBC interview, Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was 'dangerous' for ministers to go on television 'making promises about people's summer holidays'.

In addition a senior government health expert warned against rushing to lift the lockdown. Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins warned that relaxing lockdown measures would have to be done 'very slowly, very cautiously' to avoid a surge in infections.

Appearing on BBC Politics East this morning, Suffolk East MP Mr Hancock said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year.

'In six months we will be in the middle of, I hope, a happy and free great British summer. I have a high degree of confidence that by then the vast majority of adults will have been vaccinated.

'That is not just the clinically vulnerable groups but then going to all groups, people like me - I'm in my 40s and healthy and we will have got though everybody. 'That will give a high level of protection.'

It came as:

Figures showed daily positive Covid tests have fallen by 31 per cent in the past week to 23,275

Hospital admissions down by 16 per cent over the same period, and deaths down six per cent to 1,200;

German claims that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective in over-65s were rubbished by senior government adviser Professor Andrew Harnden

Mr Johnson signalled that he wanted to relax lockdown rules on exercise

Some of the UK's biggest firms, including John Lewis and Tata, said rapid workplace tests have prevented thousands of sick days and the closure of sites;

A major US study found proof that Covid-19 originated in China, undermining Beijing's claims it may have come from elsewhere.

The Health Secretary said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year.

Less than half an hour after his local BBC interview, Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was 'dangerous' for ministers to go on television 'making promises about people's summer holidays'.

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate. In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday

Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins warned that relaxing lockdown measures would have to be done 'very slowly, very cautiously' to avoid a surge in infections.

Irish PM blasts the EU over vaccine border closure threat Ireland's prime minister lashed out at the European Union today over its vaccines threat to Northern Ireland, admitting he was one of those 'blindsided' by the announcement. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had been given no advance notice of the intention by the EU to trigger Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol on Friday. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that the first he was aware of it was a public announcement by the bloc on Friday night. After invoking Article 16 to stop the unimpeded flow of vaccines from the European bloc into Northern Ireland, the EU later backtracked, following condemnation from London, Dublin and Belfast. It is understood that a compromise will see vaccines crossing between the Republic and Northern Ireland being recorded in Dublin, but will not be at risk of being blocked. Any move to prevent vaccines entering Ulster via the republic would effectively create a hard border that could have had serious ramifications for political stability. The Taoiseach said he articulated the 'very serious implications' the move would have and engagement began between his office and the office of president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. 'I had a number of conversations with President von der Leyen and, in the aftermath of those, I also spoke, of course, to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and we discussed the implications of all of this, and the importance of getting a resolution by the close of that evening, Friday evening, and thankfully the commission did issue a statement pulling back and reversing its decision.' Mr Martin also criticised French president Emmanuel Macron for suggesting - contrary to all available evidence - that the AZ jab did not work for those aged over 65. ''I don't think politicians should pronounce on the efficacy or otherwise of vaccines,' the Irish leader said. Advertisement

Speaking a short time later on LBC radio, Ms Truss said that the government's focus was on schools.

'We have to just focus on step by step and summer holidays, I'm afraid, are a lower priority than getting kids back to school,' she told the radio station.

'If there is one thing we have learnt during the coronavirus crisis so far, is how unpredictable things are, what things could emerge.

'I think it would be very dangerous for a government minister to go on your show making promises about people's summer holidays.'

She accepted that current rules which require quarantine and negative Covid tests would likely be 'quite permanent' and would be in place for the 'foreseeable future'

Later, speaking on Andrew Marr, she said there was a long way to go before the summer months.

The travel industry, both domestic and international, has been among the worst-hit by the repeated lockdowns over the past 10 months.

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate.

In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday, travelling to Cornwall with his osteopath wife Martha and their three children.

Speaking in the Commons Mr Hancock had said: 'I do have high confidence that the summer of 2021 will be a bright one without the sort of restrictions that made the summer of 2020 more restrictive. I've booked my holiday. I'm going to Cornwall.'

The success of the UK vaccines programme has fostered hopes that lockdown restrictions can be lifted sooner rather than later, with a review expected to take place late in February.

Last night Michael Gove said the Government is 'fully on course' to hit its target of vaccinating the 15 million most vulnerable individuals in the UK by mid-February, as official data showed 8,378,940 had received first doses.

It has set September as a target for vaccinating all adults in the UK.

However, Dr Hopkins today cautioned against excessive speed in lifting the lockdown, despite fears over the economy and the impact on schoolchildren.

'We have learnt, as we did on the first occasion, we have to relax things really quite slowly, so that if cases start to increase we can clamp down quite fast,' she told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.

'The NHS is going to be under pressure until the end of March, as normal in winter, but even more so with the amount of inpatients they still have with Covid-19.

'Any releases that we have will have to happen very slowly, very cautiously, watching and waiting as we go, with a two-week period to watch and see the impact of that relaxation because it takes that to see what's happening in the population.'

Meanwhile some social distancing may remain in place until the end of the year - while coronavirus vaccines would have to be 85 per cent effective to prevent a surge in deaths if restrictions were totally relaxed, scientists warned today.

Tony Blair: EU 'very foolish' over vaccines Tony Blair has criticised the European Union's short-lived move to override the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland under its vaccine export controls as a 'very foolish' move that jeopardised the peace process. The former prime minister, a vocal supporter of the UK remaining in the bloc, said Brussels' action in triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to control the movement of coronavirus jabs had been 'unacceptable'. The EU backtracked on the move, imposed unilaterally as it faces shortfalls on vaccine supplies, after facing universal criticism from London, Dublin and Belfast. Asked if the move was irresponsible, the Labour grandee told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'Yes, it was a very foolish thing to do and fortunately they withdrew it very quickly. 'I was somebody who negotiated the Good Friday Agreement, it's brought peace to the island of Ireland and it is absolutely vital that we protect it and that's why what the European Commission did was unacceptable but, as you say, fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.' Advertisement

Modelling passed to Downing Street warns that the UK could see a large spike in deaths if inoculation fails to significantly cut transmission.

A paper commissioned by SAGE subgroup SPI-M and produced by modellers at the University of Warwick showed a 'high uptake' was also vital to get the country back to normal without risking a third wave of Covid cases.

It also warned that even with Britain's breakneck vaccine rollout underway, the decline in deaths would be slow - and finds that even in a best-case scenario, lockdown would have to be kept in place until June to prevent another significant spike in deaths, according to the Telegraph.

The paper said: 'Only vaccines that offer high infection-blocking efficacy with high uptake in the general population allow relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions without a huge surge in deaths.'

The modelling, which helps to explain why Boris Johnson is so reticent to end the third national coronavirus lockdown, comes as the Government plans on presenting a 'roadmap' out of the economy-wrecking shutdown.

It follows an extraordinary spat between Britain and the EU where Brussels attempted to isolate the UK by imposing a vaccines blockade of Northern Ireland.

Boris Johnson handed the EU a stark warning that a vaccines blockade of Northern Ireland could kill British pensioners in 'spicy' late-night phone calls with Ursula von der Leyen.

The Prime Minister told the European Commission president that plans to stop 3.5 million doses from the Pfizer factory in Belgium the UK risked preventing people from receiving the second injection, forcing it into a hurried climbdown.

While a single vaccination gives some protection from coronavirus, both are needed to achieve the maximum impact and Mr Johnson told Ms von der Leyen the EU's hardline plan could lead to the deaths of the most vulnerable, including elderly grandparents.

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the Prime Minister made Ms von der Leyen abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent vaccines reaching the UK.

She immediately capitulated in a tweet sent out shortly before midnight on Friday.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss this morning said it was important to 'resist vaccine nationalism and protectionism', adding: 'The Prime Minister has spoken to Ursula von der Leyen. She's been very clear those contractual supplies won't be disrupted.'

Following the PM's diplomatic victory, Britain yesterday recorded a daily record for first-dose jabs  487,756  to bring the total to almost 8.4 million.

UK Covid cases fall 29% in a week to 21,088 and deaths fall by 3.7% with another 587 fatalities recorded as public health experts say impact of vaccine should be seen in 'two weeks' Coronavirus cases and deaths fell again today on last week as the latest official figures suggest that the national lockdown is helping to suppress the virus. Data from the Department of Health show that the UK recorded 21,088 daily Covid-19 cases today, down by 29.7 per cent from 30,004 cases last Sunday. The same figures also show that daily Covid-related fatalities fell by 3.7 per cent from 610 deaths last week to 587 deaths today. There are currently nearly 35,000 people in hospitals in the UK and 3,832 patients on ventilators, according to the latest official figures. The second wave has seen bigger numbers of coronavirus patients in hospitals, with 21,684 patients during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic last April. Grim new graphs lay bare the dilemma facing Boris Johnson as officials try to work out how to reopen the country without causing a third wave of coronavirus infections, as SAGE recommends keeping social distancing measures in place until 2022 It comes as Public Health England said the impact of Covid vaccinations in the over-80s should be seen 'over the next two weeks'. Dr Susan Hopkins, the Covid-19 strategic response director at the body, said rates a declining 'in all age groups' currently but it's 'a bit early to say' if the trend is due to the vaccine or more stringent lockdown measures. Speaking to BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Dr Hopkins said: 'What we would like to see is a divergence in the case rate in the over-70s and over-80s who have been vaccinated from the younger age groups, to show that they are declining faster. 'We have now hit 80 per cent of the over-80s being vaccinated and really fast numbers climbing in the under 80-year-old age group as well. 'We expect over the next two weeks to start seeing that impact of that vaccine in that age group, and also an impact on hospitalisation.' Advertisement

Another 598,389 Covid jabs are given out in UK - the highest total of the rollout so far - taking overall number of vaccinations to 8,251,146 Nearly 600,000 coronavirus vaccines have been given out in the past 24 hours in Britain, smashing the previous record of 491,970 jabs in a single day. The total number of people in the UK who have now received at least one dose of the jab, seen as the antidote for our way out of the pandemic, is 8,977,329. Government data up to January 30 shows of the 9,468,382 jabs given in the UK so far, 8,977,329 were first doses - a rise of 598,389 on the previous day's figures. Some 491,053 were second doses, an increase of 10,621 on figures released the previous day. The seven-day rolling average of first doses given in the UK is now 374,858. Based on the latest figures, an average of 401,512 first doses of vaccine would be needed each day in order to meet the Government's target of 15 million first doses by February 15. In England alone, nearly 550,000 vaccines were given, while a further 25,299 jabs were administered in Wales and 23,055 in Scotland. Figures for Northern Ireland have not been published. According to NHS England data, 7,792,996 were the first dose of the vaccine, a rise of 539,691 on the previous day's figures, while 458,150 were the second dose, an increase of 10,252, between December 8 and yesterday. This marks the highest number of jabs given to Britons so far as the government looks to bring the cycle of coronavirus lockdowns to an end by proceeding with its breakneck rollout of the vaccines. Volunteers are trained by St John Ambulance instructors to administer Covid-19 vaccines at Manchester United Football Club yesterday Lecturer Dr Jacquie White demonstrates drawing a solution into a syringe as she trains volunteer vaccinators to be deployed to assist in the national Covid-19 vaccination programme, in the Allam Medical Building at the University of Hull yesterday Advertisement

Boris Johnson told Ursula von der Leyen the EU's planned vaccines blockade of Northern Ireland could KILL British pensioners by preventing them getting a second jab in 'spicy' phone calls that forced Brussels to abandon the 'nuclear option'

Boris Johnson handed the EU a stark warning that a vaccines blockade of Northern Ireland could kill British pensioners in 'spicy' late-night phone calls with Ursula von der Leyen.

The Prime Minister told the European Commission president that plans to stop 3.5 million doses from the Pfizer factory in Belgium the UK risked preventing people from receiving the second injection, forcing it into a hurried climbdown.

While a single vaccination gives some protection from coronavirus, both are needed to achieve the maximum impact and Mr Johnson told Ms von der Leyen the EU's hardline plan could lead to the deaths of the most vulnerable, including elderly grandparents.

During two phone calls just 30 minutes apart, the Prime Minister made Ms von der Leyen abandon the 'nuclear option' of imposing a hard border on Northern Ireland to prevent vaccines reaching the UK.

She immediately capitulated in a tweet sent out shortly before midnight on Friday.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss this morning said it was important to 'resist vaccine nationalism and protectionism', adding: 'The Prime Minister has spoken to Ursula von der Leyen. She's been very clear those contractual supplies won't be disrupted.'

Following the PM's diplomatic victory, Britain yesterday recorded a daily record for first-dose jabs  487,756  to bring the total to almost 8.4 million.

The astonishing diplomatic drama came as:

Boris Johnson made European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ditch plans to stop 3.5 million doses of the Pfizer jab from reaching the UK from a factory in Belgium

Mr Johnson warned Ms von der Leyen (pictured) that her actions risked denying millions of British pensioners their second Pfizer injections

Last night vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi revealed Britain will help the EU fix its jab supply issue.

After Brussels backed down on its threat to block vaccine supplies at the border, Mr Zahawi said the focus has moved to 'collaboration' with the EU, reported The Sunday Telegraph.

Mr Zahawi said the UK had sent engineers to the Halix plant in the Netherlands to help with supply problems last month, and that there would be a continued tone of 'collaboration' with the bloc.

Ms Truss also struck a conciliatory tone this morning, hinting on Sky that the UK could export excess doses of vaccine abroad as long as it did not impact on the UK rollout.

'It's a bit too early to say how we would deploy excess vaccines. But we certainly want to work with friends and neighbours, we want to work with developing countries, because we are only going to solve this issue once everybody in the world is vaccinated,' she said.

'Some of these supplies there have been supply issues so we need to make sure the new drugs that are coming online are delivered, the population is vaccinated. But of course as we are developing that, we are also working with other countries about how we can help.

'Because it won't benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island and many other countries don't have the vaccine, because the virus will continue to spread, so we need to tackle this on a global basis.'

Conservative former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was a 'huge wrong step' for the EU to have triggered a provision in the Brexit deal to control vaccine exports.

He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge programme: 'It (the EU) got it completely wrong and I think the Government is being very wise to lower the temperature in a situation like this.

'Because this year the big threat, which is not something many people predicted, is around these new variants, particularly from South Africa and also Brazil.

'If we are going to tackle these new variants, and they could happen to be South Africa and Brazil this time, could be anywhere else next time, we are going to need to have high levels of close co-operation and collaboration across the world.

'We all know the problems that happened because we didn't find out about the virus in China as quickly as we might have, so we really do need to be working closely with everyone and we have the capacity to do that in this country with our world-beating genomics capacity.

'That's why I think this was a huge wrong step for the EU to take, but I think it's very welcome that it's been resolved.'

As part of an implicit 'peace deal' with the EU, No 10 yesterday adopted a conciliatory tone. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the EU recognised that it had 'made a mistake' and both sides agreed on the need for a 'reset'.

After Brussels backed down on its threat to block vaccine supplies at the border, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said the focus has moved to 'collaboration' with the EU

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster was less diplomatic, branding the EU's move an 'incredible act of hostility'.

Meanwhile Tory MPs were jubilant, with one describing the EU's surrender as Mr Johnson's 'Falklands moment'.

The Mail on Sunday understands that before Brussels was forced to blink twice, the Government had drawn up contingency plans to break any EU blockade.

Under a 'vaccine security exercise' adapted from plans for a No-Deal Brexit, supplies of the Pfizer jab could have been airlifted out of the continent.

The EU  and Ms von der Leyen in particular  were savaged by the European media for their handling of the row as governments across the bloc faced a backlash from their voters.

And with the EU having only vaccinated 2.5 per cent of its population  compared to 12 per cent in the UK  Ms Foster suggested that Northern Ireland could help to provide vaccine supplies to Dublin.

The simmering row over vaccines exploded on Friday evening when Brussels said it would trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement  thereby creating a hard border on the island of Ireland  and take other measures to stop supplies of the Pfizer vaccine from reaching Britain.

Mr Johnson called an emergency meeting at No 10 to decide the UK's response, then spoke to the Commission President just before 10pm to set out his demands and warn Ms von der Leyen her actions could threaten the Irish peace process.

They spoke again at 10.30pm when Ms von der Leyen agreed to issue a climbdown message that 'there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities'.

The fiasco has put Ms von der Leyen's position in doubt, with one senior EU source saying 'the disquiet is growing'.

Tory MPs on both sides of the Brexit divide heralded Mr Johnson's efforts. One Remainer said: 'If this had happened in 2016, I would have voted to Leave without blinking.'

Yesterday's daily death toll has plummeted as well, as official figures showed 1,200 have died after testing positive - an 11 per cent drop on last Saturday's 1,348 fatalities

The UK's Covid cases plunged yet again after 23,275 people tested positive yesterday - down 30.6 per cent on last Saturday

The UK has streaked ahead of Europe in terms of the number of vaccines administered (pie chart shows the number of vaccines given by January 26)

The Prime Minister visiting a French biotechnology laboratory in Livingston, Scotland

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said this afternoon the EU 'recognises they made a mistake' and 'stepped back' following the conversation between the two leaders

The move was slammed by Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster (pictured), who accused the EU of an 'incredible act of hostility'

What is Article 16 and why has the EU invoked it? Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol allows either the EU or the UK to override part of the Brexit trade agreement in relation to border controls in Northern Ireland. The protocol itself was designed to avoid a re-emergence of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. But in the deal, both parties agreed to a get-out clause, which could be used if the protocol was thought to be causing 'serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties'. However the EU has now invoked the clause, to put measures on vaccines coming from the EU to Northern Ireland. The move is being introduced amid a huge row between the UK and EU over vaccines supplies, with Brussels accusing the UK of 'hijacking doses'. The row started after Oxford vaccine maker AstraZeneca announced it would not be able to supply as many vaccines as it had first hoped to the EU by Spring. The EU has since unveiled plans for an export ban which could stop 3.5million Pfizer vaccines - made in Belgium - from being exported to the UK. The aim of this move will be to prevent the possibility of the UK bringing vaccines into Northern Ireland 'through the backdoor', by using the controls-free border to bring in vaccines from the EU. Advertisement

Another Tory backbencher said: 'This could be Boris' Falklands moment Ministers have played a blinder.'

But former Brexit Secretary David Davis warned: 'I fear we are still going to see them trying to do similar things by the backdoor.'

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said: 'The EU cocked up big time.'

Mr Gove said: 'I think the EU recognises they made a mistake in triggering Article 16... But now the EU has stepped back.'

The row came just before today's first anniversary of Britain leaving the EU.

Marking the day, Mr Johnson said: 'The destiny of this great nation now resides firmly in our hands. I take on this duty with a sense of purpose.'

He has asked former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith to set up a taskforce of MPs to 'think more inventively about how we boost growth, innovation and competition'.

Last night Ms von der Leyen tweeted: 'Constructive talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson tonight.

'We agreed on the principle that there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities.'

It came about an hour after a statement from the Commission outlining the detail of the export controls of vaccines.

It said: 'To tackle the current lack of transparency of vaccine exports outside the EU, the Commission is putting in place a measure requiring that such exports are subject to an authorisation by Member States.

'In the process of finalisation of this measure, the Commission will ensure that the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol is unaffected.

'The Commission is not triggering the safeguard clause.

'Should transits of vaccines and active substances toward third countries be abused to circumvent the effects of the authorisation system, the EU will consider using all the instruments at its disposal.

'In the process of finalising the document, the commission will also be fine-tuning the decision-making process under the implementing regulation.'

Following the conversation between the PM and Ms von der Leyen, an ally of Mr Johnson told the FT: 'The call was fine, hopefully that's the end of it.'

But the move by Brussels to initially say it was triggering Article 16 - seen as the nuclear option - left figures in Britain and Ireland reeling.

Stormont's first minister Arlene Foster called the move an 'incredible act of hostility' and this morning said the rift emanated from the 'EU's vaccine embarrassment and mismanagement'.

Meanwhile former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said the EU's move offered no understanding of the delicate political landscape of the island of Ireland.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today: 'Years have been spent trying to ensure goods will flow freely and there will be no hard border and last night the EU pulled the emergency cord without following any of the process that are in the protocol if one side wants to suspend it.

'And they did that, in my view, without anywhere near the understanding of the Good Friday Agreement, of the sensitivity of the situation in Northern Ireland, and it was an almost Trumpian act.'

European newspapers lashed out EU leaders on Saturday after the bloc tried to impose Covid vaccine controls on the Northern Ireland border. A leading correspondent for Germany's Die Welt paper savaged European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, saying she had committed an 'unforgettable Brexit own goal'

France's Le Monde editorial called the move 'deplorable', adding that Von Der Leyen had 'fortunately' given up on the inflammatory border decision

Elsewhere the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the EU's U-turn was 'welcome' but added 'lessons should be learned'.

In a statement on Twitter, he said: 'Welcome news, but lessons should be learned; the Protocol is not something to be tampered with lightly, it's an essential, hard won compromise, protecting peace & trade for many.'

Brussels had triggered the controversial Article 16 just 29 days after the UK and EU struck the post-Brexit trade deal when Britain left the transition period.

The EU's chief negotiator in that agreement, Mr Barnier, today called for 'co-operation' between Brussels and the UK over the supply of vaccines across Europe.

Mr Barnier told The Times: 'We are facing an extraordinarily serious crisis, which is creating a lot of suffering, which is causing a lot of deaths in the UK, in France, in Germany, everywhere.

'And I believe we must face this crisis with responsibility, certainly not with the spirit of oneupmanship or unhealthy competition. I recommend preserving the spirit of co-operation between us.'

Last night, Lord Ricketts, a former UK ambassador to France, accused Brussels of 'escalating recklessly in an attempt to get more doses [of the vaccine] from the UK'. He added: 'The EU is all at sea on this.'

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted: 'The European Union was originally inspired by Christian social teaching  at the heart of which is solidarity.

'Seeking to control the export of vaccines undercuts the EU's basic ethics. They need to work together with others.'

The World Health Organisation also said the export ban was a 'very worrying trend'.


Charter schools have popped up in malls, vacant manufacturing plants, former banks and other nontraditional places.

But the free public schools, which are funded by tax dollars and usually look and feel a little different from what students are used to, are just as legitimate as the longtime neighborhood school.

Even though students may be required to wear school uniforms, learn cursive writing, follow a character development plan, play an instrument, develop a business, or volunteer in the community, for example, its still school, but better, many say.

Tisha Harris decided to send her children to The Classical Academy in Academy School District 20 because the school is known for having sound academics and "the fact they touted small class sizes, which in turn gave the teacher more attention for each student."

Twenty-eight years after the first charters opened in Colorado, theyre more popular than ever, statistics show.

Theyve become desirable because theres something for everyone, said Amanda Oberg, spokeswoman for the Colorado Charter School Institute.

With leniency allowed in governance, curriculum and operations, charter schools use educational models such as classical education, Core Knowledge curriculum, project-based learning, language immersion, the Montessori technique, alternative education with adjustable schedules, early college programs, a focus on the arts, technical trades or technology, and other options.

Schools have autonomy from school districts, including on scheduling when school is in session, but are still held accountable by districts and the state and must meet benchmarks, said Harris, who's the spokeswoman for The Classical Academy.

Such choices have provided a lot of flexibility and expanded the different types of models available in a community, said Bill Kottenstette, director of school choice for the Colorado Department of Education.

While public school enrollment decreased statewide by 3.3% this school year over last, charter schools collectively showed a slight increase, he said.

Charter schools that began offering or already had online learning drove the growth, he said, which was likely influenced by the coronavirus pandemic forcing remote learning. Also, charter schools that provided in-person learning in the fall saw enrollment increases, he said.

Charter schools can be authorized to operate either by the public school district in which their building is located or by the Colorado Charter School Institute, which has 42 schools under its umbrella statewide, including 10 in El Paso County.

The schools collectively posted a 12% enrollment increase in the fall of 2020 over 2019, for a total of 20,749 students.

New charter schools opening, existing schools expanding grade levels and new programs, such as homeschool enrichment to help families that have decided to homeschool their children, contributed to the jump, Oberg said.

Two Colorado Springs schools under the Institute, Thomas MacLaren School and James Irwin Charter Academy, are among nine recently accredited with a Performance with Distinction rating. That places the schools in the top 25% of public schools in the state, as per reportable academic data.

Two in Colorado Springs, Mountain Song Community School and Colorado International Language Academy, recently had their contracts renewed.

And the Colorado Springs campus of Colorado Early Colleges will expand to add middle school students beginning in the fall. The school has operated a high school that promotes dual enrollment  students earn college degrees or certificates while in high school.

Colorado Military Academy, the states only prep program for younger students, added to its campus in the fall Orton Academy, which caters to students in grades 3-6 who struggle with reading because of dyslexia. Future plans include opening classes to kindergarten through eighth grade students.

Some charter schools that have contracts with local school districts also have grown.

Atlas Preparatory School in Harrison D-2, where 90% of students are Hispanic or Black, opened a $13.5 million elementary school and gymnasium with donations and grants last year to better prepare students to enter Atlas Middle School, officials said.

Eighty percent of fifth graders enter below the national average in math and 77% were below in reading. The school says its teaching can help kids catch up in two years.

Monument Academy in Lewis-Palmer School District 38 added a new 60,000-square-foot high school last semester to its offerings of preschool through middle school.

Liberty Tree Academy, which opened in D-49 in 2018 in a temporary facility for grades K-8, has built a permanent school for high school students and will open a second phase with 11 new classrooms in the fall. The school is affiliated with Hillsdale College for training in its "traditional American education."

The Classical Academy, the states largest brick-and-mortar charter school with 3,700 students on seven campuses, is so in demand, it already has a wait-list of 4,800 students for fall enrollment for grades K-12, Harris said.

But the list is very fluid, she said, and deceptive, since many students will get a seat, particularly the lower grades.

Just because there are a lot of names, doesnt mean you wont receive an offer, Harris said.
Democrats have an amazing array of third-world dictator tricks targeting their Republican opponents.

Item A is their bid to use the IRS to cut off Republican freedom of assembly.

According to Judicial Watch:

Reminiscent of the Obama Internal Revenue Services (IRS) witch hunt of conservative groups, a U.S. Senator who sits on the committee that oversees the tax agency is pushing it to revoke a student charitys nonprofit status. The veteran lawmaker, Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, says the conservative student organization, Turning Point USA, should lose its nonprofit rating because it held large events that could help spread COVID-19. In a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig the senator describes the gatherings as superspreader events. He specifically mentions a Palm Beach, Florida winter gala at the Mar-a-Lago Club famously owned by former President Donald Trump. According to press reports and social media posts, many participants gathered and mingled indoors without wearing masks, in violation of Palm Beach Countys COVID-19 regulations, Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, writes to the IRS chief. The powerful chamber has oversight over the IRS, among many other government agencies. In holding these superspreader events, Turning Point USA knowingly exposed hundreds of young people and staff working at the events to serious risk of infection, the letter continues. The legislator asks the IRS to review whether the group, which has more than 250,000 student members, should continue to enjoy its tax-exempt nonprofit status. Established law has long held that an organization is not eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) if a purpose of the organization is contrary to public policy or is illegal, the letter states, reminding the IRS commissioner of a three-part test established to determine whether an organizations activities are consistent with tax exemption under the code.

Which is a pretty impressive way of shutting conservative groups down. They're so concerned about superspreader events, they want to permanently shut down conservative groups themselves for their events so that conservatives can't assemble at all. Sounds pretty convenient for their purposes.

Not only do they want to take away our freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of religion, they'd also like to take away freedom of assembly. Just like they did during the Obama presidency when conservative groups such as the Tea Party were targeted by the IRS with long delays for approval and long intrusive questionaires about distant relatives. That targeting, according to some accounts, actually swung the election to the low-popularity President Obama in 2012.

Now they're back up to their dirty tricks, trying to use COVID as an excuse to shut conservative groups down and deprive them of their constitutionally guaranteed right to assembly. Instead of fining groups for violations or whatever is normally done, their plan is to shut the groups down.

Here's the hypocrisy of it: Joe Biden held a public inauguration of 1,000 handpicked people on Jan. 20, which most certainly was a superspreader event based on the failure of the participants to stand six feet apart, and for many, Joe Biden among them, wear masks.

Shall we shut the White House down on that logic. Rest assured, many Republicans would like it, but you can bet nobody's going to shut the Biden administration down for this same superspreader behavior.

Which goes to show how political these Democrats are, attempting to coopt the government into targetting and shutting political opponents, while doing the same things themselves. COVID sure seems like an increasingly handy weapon for amassing power in the eyes of Democrats.

This stinks.

Image: Logo, via Wikimedia Commons / public domain
Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to supply nine million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the European Union during the first quarter, the blocs executive branch said on Sunday.

The new target of 40 million doses by the end of March is still only half what the British/Swedish company had originally aimed for, triggering a spat between AstraZeneca and the EU last week.

Speaking after a call with seven vaccine makers on Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that AstraZeneca would also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled and expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

Step forward on vaccines.@AstraZeneca will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter (40 million in total) compared to last weekas offer & will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled.



The company will also expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 31, 2021

Ms Von der Leyen, who has come under intense pressure over the European Commissions handling of the vaccine orders in recent days, tweeted: Step forward on vaccines.

The EU is far behind Britain and the United States in getting its population of 450 million vaccinated against the virus.

The slow rollout has been blamed on a range of national problems as well as delayed approval of the vaccines compared to elsewhere and an initial shortage of supply.

The announcement last week that AstraZeneca would initially only supply 31 million doses to the EUs 27 member states due to production problems triggered a fierce dispute between the two sides, with officials in Brussels saying they feared the company was treating the bloc unfairly compared to other customers, such as the United Kingdom.

On Friday, hours after regulators authorised the vaccine for use across the EU, the commission announced that it was tightening rules on exports of Covid-19 vaccines, sparking an angry response from Britain.

Expand Close The AstraZeneca office building in Brussels (Francisco Seco/AP) / Facebook

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The commission has since made clear that the new measure will not trigger controls on vaccines shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to Northern Ireland.

Under the post-Brexit deal, EU products should still be able to travel unhindered from the bloc to the region.

EU member states praised the blocs executive branch last year for signing numerous deals with vaccine makers, saying the joint purchase using combined market weight of the entire bloc had ensured a fair distribution for all 27 countries at good prices.

In a statement, the European Commission said it planned to set up a specialised body to improve the blocs response to health emergency and deliver a more structured approach to pandemic preparedness.

As part of the effort, together with industry, the EU said it would fund design and development of vaccines and scale-up manufacturing in the short and medium-term, and also to target the variants of Covid-19.

The pandemic highlighted that manufacturing capacities are a limiting factor, it said. It is essential to address these challenges.
Last week I lost sleep reading an advance copy of a new book on how Covid came to hold the whole world in its cruel grip.

The book, 100 Days that Changed the World: The Coronavirus Wars by Irish author Barry O'Halloran, is a riveting, readable story that should prick our conscience.

For example, critics of the report on mother and baby homes, who treat the issue as a historical once-off to be blamed on the Catholic Church, should examine their selective reactions.

Among other questions, the book prompts this one: why have feminist journalists, so vociferous about our poor treatment of young women in the past, been so silent about the equally poor treatment of older women in the present?

I'm referring to how last February and March the elderly residents of nursing homes were callously and tragically forced into the front line of the pandemic.

A majority were women who we had handed over to nursing homes which heroically tried to cope with Covid, without the support they needed from the HSE.

These vulnerable citizens, like the unwanted babies of a previous generation, have been rendered largely invisible in today's society.

As Barry O'Halloran observes: "The care home calamity was both so tragic, and yet so preventable."

In fairness, the author admits this neglect was not unique to Ireland. Across the whole of the Western world, elderly residents were betrayed by health systems.

Yet the media, in Ireland and elsewhere, was easily diverted from dealing with the tragedy by a smooth press presentation.

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, darling of the US liberal media, authorised the wholesale transfer of old people from hospitals to care homes without requiring them to be tested for the virus.

Thousands have since died in those homes. Yet Cuomo won an Emmy award for the suave manner with which he conducted his press conferences.

Last Monday, however, his luck ran out. Letitia James, the New York State attorney general, who is also a Democrat, published a devastating 76-page report.

James accused the Cuomo administration of deliberately understating and massaging the numbers who had died in nursing homes by as much as 50pc.

It is likely there will be hell to pay in a litigious city like New York, where every coffin comes with a lawyer.

Luckily for our own medical grandees, most of the feminist journalists in Irish media showed scant interest in the biggest feminist story of the decade.

Looked at globally, however, it must be admitted that hardly an institution or a country in the world comes out well of the coronavirus crisis.

Barry O'Halloran, in a measured but gripping narrative, shows how this disease was spread throughout the world by a mixture of incompetence, inaction and a deliberate suppression of the truth.

China figures largely in his sombre story and one of the most compelling chapters gives a detailed account of what happened there in early 2020.

Speed is a crucial factor in dealing with any pandemic, but the attempts by the Chinese authorities to suppress the truth were a major factor in allowing this lethal disease to spread around the world.

China behaved so badly in this crisis that we can be certain of one thing. Joe Biden will be in no hurry to reverse Donald Trump's prescient distancing of America from China.

The most fundamental question posed by the author is how did the coronavirus first arise? In search of an answer to what is still a mystery, the author uses a wide range of Western sources, but also draws extensively upon Chinese evidence, largely ignored by mainstream Western media.

His conclusion, based on circumstantial evidence, gives little comfort to those who still believe that this global misery can all be traced back to a wet market in Wuhan.

Because O'Halloran takes a rigorous approach to evidence, he refrains from a categorical answer - but gives us enough evidence to reach a conclusion ourselves.

Readers of the chapter titled A Smoking Gun who apply the Sherlock Holmes dictum - when you've excluded the impossible, whatever remains must be your answer - will be able to make an educated guess.

One of the ironies revealed in this book is the difference between theory and practice. In October 2019, a few months before the pandemic broke, the Global Health Security Index ranked the preparedness of each of 195 different countries to deal with any "globally catastrophic biological events".

The top-rated country was the US, followed closely by the United Kingdom. But that meant nothing when the pandemic struck.

Although these two countries had well-resourced health systems, their initial responses to the pandemic were as pitifully inadequate as those of most Western countries.

At a global level, this book caustically criticises both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Chinese Communist party.

The author believes the WHO became so close to the Chinese regime as to badly damage its reputation.

He gives a forensic account of how the WHO repeatedly clouded the circumstances in which it was first informed by China about the Covid outbreak.

He goes on to show that China lied systematically to the rest of the world by covering up the true nature of the Covid-19 virus.

By mid-January 2020, when it could no longer be denied, China reacted by imposing a draconian lockdown on over 60 million people in central China.

This action received the enthusiastic support of the WHO, which praised China's actions as a model for other countries to follow.

But in reality China's actions spread the disease. Although it banned internal flights, it continued to allow international flights from this disease-ravaged area to the rest of the world.

Here the author produces powerful evidence that the initial outbreaks of Covid-19, in up to 90 other countries, were a direct result of people flying in from Wuhan.

But China was not the only sinner. O'Halloran is also critical of the EU, whose evasions and shortcomings were exposed under pressure from the pandemic.

In March of last year, Italy was in the eye of the Covid-19 storm and its citizens were dying in unprecedented numbers.

President Giuseppe Conte made a frantic phone call to the EU for assistance, but his call went unanswered.

Last November, the Commission spent 1bn on the prophylactic remdesivir. One week later, the WHO declared it ineffective against the virus.

Last week's vaccine debacle supports the author's criticisms. The EU Commission delayed for months before ordering large quantities of the AstraZeneca vaccine and is now offloading the blame for its poor oversight.

Barry O'Halloran's superbly indexed book is a must-read during lockdown. When your children or grandchildren ask you what really happened during the Great Pandemic, just hand them a copy.

100 Days That Changed the World: The Coronavirus Wars, by Barry O'Halloran, will be published at the end of February, price 15.99. For more details visit: www.100dayscoronavirus.com

When he was growing up in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in the 1930s and 40s, Joseph Sonnabend would watch his mother, a physician, make house calls in the middle of the night and talk with patients on the phone at all hours. He didnt want to follow that path, but he did study medicine and become a medical researcher, working alongside Nobel laureates in England on virology and immunology.

When he arrived in New York in 1969, he continued that research. But as a gay man, he was drawn into volunteering at the Gay Mens Health Project in Greenwich Village and saw a need for doctors who would treat this population. He opened his own practice in the West Village in 1978.

Dr. Sonnabend would become one of the most important figures in the fight against AIDS, if also one of the most unheralded. Both a clinician and a researcher, he described himself as the total package:

The other doctors who were treating AIDS didnt have the research experience or the instincts, he told Sean Strub of POZ, a magazine for people who test positive for H.I.V., in 1998. And the academic researchers  the top immunologists, virologists and so on  who had the expertise, didnt have the patients. I had both the background and the patients.

One of his hallmarks as a clinician was his devotion to his patients  making house calls in the middle of the night and taking phone calls at all hours.
Model 198s were envisioned as light airplanes , ideal for a wide range of applications, from executive flights to cargo hauling and even military use. It was capable of flying up to 11 people at a time, at a maximum speed of 225 mph (362 kph) and for up to a staggering 1,200 miles (1,900 km) at a time.Because so many of them were made, there is literally not a single place on this planet the range has not traveled to. From Argentina to Zaire and anyplace in between, many Model 18 variants made their mark in the past and, in some places, they are still in use today.The one youre looking at is military-bred, having been deployed back in its day as a navigation trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force. It served them without incident, as far as weve been able to find out, and was sold back in the 1970s to civilians, who used it for various purposes, but never as a freighter..Back in the early 2000s, it was converted to U.S. Navy configuration and has become a famous plane since, being featured in some of our time's most famous specialized magazines, and it was even the base for a diecast model airplane.The Beechcraft, now sporting a United States Marine Corps paint scheme, is for sale , and the asking price is just $189,500. For that, were told, the new owner should get not only a pedigree airplane, but also one fitted with some desirable creature comforts: six-place leather executive interior complete with a couch, writing table, headphone jacks and power outlets.

When the New York Times reported that Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.) was connected to a failed plot to overturn Georgias presidential election results, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro suggested Perry had run afoul of an obscure section of the Constitution.

Rep. Perry ought to familiarize himself with Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of our Constitution, Shapiro tweeted on Jan. 23. There must be consequences for this conduct.

Perry has confirmed the Times report that he introduced then-President Donald Trump to a sympathetic Justice Department lawyer, Jeffrey Clark, who hatched a plan to oust department leadership and use the weight of the countrys top law enforcement agency to invalidate Georgias Electoral College results. Its unclear how much Perry was involved other than connecting Trump and Clark. The plan never came to fruition.

We wondered, What does Section 3 say? And could Perry have any legal exposure because of it?

Heres what you need to know:

What is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment?

Section 3 bars public officials who swear an oath to the Constitution and who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof from holding public office.

Drafted after the Civil War, Section 3 was designed to block an armed rebellion against the government. In the years since, the provision has hardly been used. Mark Graber, a University of Maryland law professor, called it the most forgotten provision of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to those born in the United States and equal protection under the law.

Congress enforced Section 3 a handful of times during Reconstruction by refusing to seat elected members who had ties to the Confederacy, and once during World War I, when one member-elect was convicted under the Espionage Act, although the conviction was later reversed on appeal.

 READ MORE: Fact-checking Pat Toomeys claim that families with six-figure incomes would get thousands from Biden relief plan

Did Perry violate Section 3?

Probably not.

The Times reported that Clark pressured acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to send a letter to Georgia lawmakers informing them of an investigation into voter fraud that could invalidate the states Electoral College results. When Rosen refused to send the letter, the Times said, Clark attempted to replace him at the presidents urging. The plot eventually unraveled. There is no evidence of any widespread fraud in the presidential election.

In a statement, Perry acknowledged he brokered the first meeting between Trump and Clark and defended his effort to call for an investigation into baseless allegations of voter fraud.

My conversations with the President or the Assistant Attorney General, as they have been with all 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, he said.

 READ MORE: Fact-checking false claims about Pennsylvanias presidential election by Trump and his allies

Its unclear if Perry has any other connection to the plot. Perry, a York County Republican and Iraq War veteran, is a staunch Trump ally who has echoed his false claims of a stolen election. He defended Trump during the presidents first impeachment trial, attended Stop the Steal rallies after the election, and objected to the certification of Pennsylvanias Electoral College results.

Four constitutional-law experts we interviewed said Perrys behavior  which they called reprehensible, and even dangerous  does not violate Section 3.

Its a stretch to describe what he is alleged to have done as engaging in insurrection against the United States, said Kermit Roosevelt, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law. Frivolous, bad faith arguments deserve a sanction, sure, but thats not insurrection.

Shapiros office didnt elaborate when asked to explain why he believes Section 3 applies in Perrys case.

What happens next?

The Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General and the Senate Judiciary Committees new chairman are both investigating the alleged scheme and experts say they may consider whether Perrys conduct violated Section 3. Ultimately though, it would be up to Perrys colleagues in the House to determine any punishment.

 READ MORE: First it was fraud, then they just didnt like the rules: How Pa. Republicans justified overturning an election

In response to the deadly insurrection at the Capitol and the role Trump and other elected officials played inciting it, Rep. Steve Cohen (D., Tenn.) is crafting legislation that seeks to resolve open questions about how to implement Section 3. Such legislation is probably necessary, Graber said, because the provision hasnt been applied at all in more than a century.

We need to understand were in totally uncharted waters, he added.

If investigators and members of Congress ultimately conclude that Perry did not violate Section 3, the House could still reprimand, censure, or expel him. Expulsion, however, is exceedingly rare.

Our sources

History, 14th Amendment, Jan. 12, 2021

Lawfare, The 14th Amendments Disqualification Provision and the Events of Jan. 6, Jan. 19, 2021

WGAL, US Rep. Scott Perry responds to New York Times report he played role in President Trump contesting election, Jan. 25, 2021

York Daily Record, Whats next for U.S. Rep. Scott Perry? How he became embroiled in bid to overturn Trumps loss, Jan. 26, 2021

The Philadelphia Inquirer, First it was fraud, then they just didnt like the rules: How Pa. Republicans justified trying to overturn an election, Jan. 12, 2021

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Eight Pennsylvania Republicans in Congress will join a push today to reverse Trumps election loss, Jan. 6, 2021

U.S. Department Office of the Inspector General, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Announces Initiation of Investigation, Jan. 25, 2021

The New York Times, Impeachment Isnt the Only Option Against Trump, Jan. 12, 2021

PolitiFact is a nonpartisan, fact-checking website operated by the nonprofit Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
It has undermined Israel's aggressive vaccination campaign to bring a raging outbreak under control

Procession is latest display of ultra-Orthadox Israeli's refusal to honour the country's coronavirus restrictions

Thousands of densely packed ultra-Orthodix were seen in streets of Jerusalem in a public rejection of restrictions on outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people

Funeral procession was for Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died aged 99 and suffered from Covid-19

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Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis participated today in the funeral of a prominent rabbi in Jerusalem, flouting the country's ban on large public gatherings amid the pandemic.

Photographs showed the funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died at age 99 and had recently suffered from Covid-19, winding its way through the streets of Jerusalem in the latest display of ultra-Orthodox Israelis' refusal to honour coronavirus restrictions.

The phenomenon has undermined the country's aggressive vaccination campaign to bring a raging outbreak under control and threatened to hurt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March elections.

Densely packed throngs of people gathered outside the rabbi's home in a public rejection of restrictions on outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people.

Thousands of black-garbed ultra-Orthodox funeral-goers created a sea of black as they coursed past the city's main entrance toward the cemetery where Soloveitchik was to be buried.

The vast majority of the ultra-Orthodox Jews were not wearing face masks - and for those who had donned the protective face covering, many were wearing it around their neck or below their nose.

A sea of black: Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis participated today in the funeral of a prominent rabbi in Jerusalem, flouting the country's ban on large public gatherings amid the pandemic

The phenomenon has undermined the country's aggressive vaccination campaign to bring a raging outbreak under control and threatened to hurt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March elections

Shocking pictures showed the funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died at age 99 and had recently suffered from Covid-19, wending its way through the streets of Jerusalem in the latest display of ultra-Orthodox Israelis' refusal to honour coronavirus restrictions

Ultra-Orthodox Jews carry the body of prominent rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik during his funeral in Jerusalem

Densely packed throngs of people gathered outside the rabbi's home in a public rejection of restrictions on outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people

The vast majority of the ultra-Orthodox Jews were not wearing face masks - and for those who had donned the protective face covering, many were wearing it around their neck or below their nose

Police officers blocked intersections to traffic to allow participants to pass, but appeared to take no action to prevent the illegal assembly

Israeli media said Soloveitchik, a leading religious scholar who headed a number of well-known seminaries, had recently suffered from COVID-19

In shocking scenes, Ultra Orthodox Jews create a sea of black as they walk through the streets for the funeral

Police officers blocked intersections to traffic to allow participants to pass, but appeared to take no action to prevent the illegal assembly.

Israeli media said Soloveitchik, a leading religious scholar who headed a number of well-known seminaries, had recently suffered from COVID-19.

Israel's Health Ministry has recorded over 640,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and at least 4,745 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

At the same time, Israel has vaccinated over 3 million of its citizens - a third of its population and one of the highest rates per capita in the world - in what has become the world's fastest vaccine rollout.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the vaccine operation on December and set protecting Israel's most vulnerable cohorts as the benchmark for a possible reopening of the economy in February.

But a projected mid-January turnaround in curbing the spread of the virus did not transpire. Health experts say it will take several weeks for the vaccination campaign to have an effect on infection and hospitalisation rates.

At the same time, Israel has vaccinated over 3 million of its citizens - a third of its population and one of the highest rates per capita in the world - in what has become the world's fastest vaccine rollout. Pictured: An ultra-Orthodox Jew, who is not wearing a face mask, looks out onto the crowd below

Despite a third national lockdown, cases and deaths have surged among the part of the population that has not yet been vaccinated. Officials blame this on highly communicable foreign variants of the coronavirus

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews wear black as they take part in funeral for the prominent Rabbi in Jerusalem

A disproportionate number of Israel's coronavirus cases are within the country's ultra-Orthodox minority. The strictly religious community, which makes up around 11 per of Israel's 9.2 million people, has accounted for around one-third of the confirmed cases of the virus

Despite a third national lockdown, cases and deaths have surged among the part of the population that has not yet been vaccinated. Officials blame this on highly communicable foreign variants of the coronavirus.

But large public funerals like that for Soloveitchik in Jerusalem, and for a prominent Arab sheikh killed in Jaffa last week, have confounded efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

A disproportionate number of Israel's coronavirus cases are within the country's ultra-Orthodox minority. The strictly religious community, which makes up around 11 per cent of Israel's 9.2 million people, has accounted for around one-third of the confirmed cases of the virus.

Many ultra-Orthodox sects have kept schools, seminaries and synagogues open, and held mass weddings and funerals in violation of the law. Recent weeks have seen violent clashes between members of the ultra-Orthodox community flouting the rules and police officers trying to enforce them.

Ultra-Orthodox leaders say they have been unfairly singled out and argue the country's secular public does not understand the importance of public prayers and religious studies in their community.

Many ultra-Orthodox sects have kept schools, seminaries and synagogues open, and held mass weddings and funerals in violation of the law. Recent weeks have seen violent clashes between members of the ultra-Orthodox community flouting the rules and police officers trying to enforce them

Ultra-Orthodox leaders say they have been unfairly singled out and argue the country's secular public does not understand the importance of public prayers and religious studies in their community

Thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews do not wear face masks as they stand closely together - breaking national lockdown rules which permit groups of no larger than 10 to congregate

Gideon Saar, a right-wing Israeli politician challenging Netanyahu in upcoming parliamentary elections, criticized the prime minister on Twitter, saying 'the pictures from Jerusalem prove that Netanyahu has given up on enforcing the law for political reasons. This won't happen in a government headed by me. There will be one law for all and it will be enforced'

Israel's Cabinet was set to extend the country's general lockdown for an additional week Sunday evening as the infection rate remained high. Pictured: Women and children (left) join in the funeral procession in Jerusalem

Gideon Saar, a right-wing Israeli politician challenging Netanyahu in upcoming parliamentary elections, criticized the prime minister on Twitter, saying 'the pictures from Jerusalem prove that Netanyahu has given up on enforcing the law for political reasons. This won't happen in a government headed by me. There will be one law for all and it will be enforced.'

Israel's Cabinet last night extended the country's lockdown until Friday as the infection rate remained high.

Asked when he now anticipated a turnaround in cases and deaths as a result of the vaccine rollout, Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch said: 'Our goal is to achieve 5.5 million (fully vaccinated citizens) and I reckon that the moment we cross the 3-to-3.5 million (mark) you will already see change.'

'Everything that the Prime Minister predicted will happen, possibly with a few weeks' delay,' he told Kan public radio.

The government imposed the movement restrictions and closure of schools and non-essential businesses last month in an effort to clamp down on Israel's runaway pandemic

As of Saturday, 1.7 million Israelis had received the second dose of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine more than a week prior, achieving the maximum 95% protection, the Health Ministry said

Thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews stand together in a clear breach of coronavirus lockdown rules, which are in place to stem the spread of coronavirus and save lives

Ultra-Orthodox Jews stand together - many of whom are not wearing face masks - during the funeral procession

The Prime Minister wants to extend the lockdown, which is due to expire on Sunday night, but faces opposition from his coalition partner and political rival, Defence Minister Benny Gantz. Pictured: Thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews gather for the Rabbi's funeral, with some even climbing fences and road signs to get a better view

Israel's inoculation programme does not extend to the approximately 5.2 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where local authorities are organizing their vaccination programme separately. Pictured: Ultra Orthodox Jews take part in a funeral for the Rabbi

In a clear breach of coronavirus lockdown rules, scores of Ultra-Orthodox Jews gather for the funeral. Many did not wear face masks

The government imposed the movement restrictions and closure of schools and non-essential businesses last month in an effort to clamp down on Israel's runaway pandemic.

As of Saturday, 1.7 million Israelis had received the second dose of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine more than a week prior, achieving the maximum 95% protection, the Health Ministry said.

Around another 1.3 million had either received one dose and were awaiting the second or had received the second dose within the last week and so were not yet designated as fully vaccinated.

The conservative Prime Minister Netanyahu is up for reelection on March 23.

He wants to extend the lockdown, which is due to expire on Sunday night, but faces opposition from his coalition partner and political rival, Defence Minister Benny Gantz.

Israel's inoculation programme does not extend to the approximately 5.2 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where local authorities are organizing their vaccination programme separately.
If there are still persons who do not understand the importance of environmental conservation and preserving what little of the ecological balance we have after our two-legged predators have done with it, should they not be taught some basic lessons.

They might be too old to be sent to school having seen how some of them as parliamentarians behaved during the time of the last parliament. Even school-going children would remember how could they forget- some of our law-makers looking as though they had they had just stepped out of some grinding mill. So lavish they were with chilli powder.

If that is what the country can expect from those who make our laws then is it scant wonder that Charles Dickens was moved to write that the law is an ass. What that makes those who make the laws and others who interpret them I would not venture to comment.

This is a particularly nasty area seeing those who are convicted of murder or convicted and on appeal and are pardoned and wave goodbye to prison or remand or wherever they are incarcerated while some others who havent been found guilty or even charged languish in, at times, for years. This is now beginning to happen regularly with change of every government.

This kind of conduct, what some call revolving-door justice- has been going on for some time. Perhaps the day will come when it will be more convenient and certainly cheaper to toss a coin and decide to lock the fellow up or let him go and vote for you.

Despite all the hoopla about how lawful our nation would turn out to be before long and how the law will strike down anybody who violates the law and never mind who, things do not seem to turn out that way. I mean not everyone is above the law as some could testify.

It is the matter of the law breakers and those who wield the law and do not do so because the law breaker is above the law and a chum of a law maker or two or a second cousin from the mother-in-laws side that suffers from a pain in the mouth through overusing their power or influence and violating laws ad infinitum.

All one has to do-especially these days when some are locked down instead of being locked up- is to gather several newspapers or watch some investigative video clips or even some chat shows and you would find exposes on the grabbing of state land, the cutting of precious forests to clear land for roads, buildings, hotels, housing and much more.

What is worse is that most often this is done without the necessary authority and permits from the relevant authorities. And where are the authorized institutions that are expected to supervise the functioning of these institutions.

Often one hears top officials saying they did not know about the goings on or nobody told them about what was happening reminding you of that former president- no not Trump but Sirisena. The latters constant refrain was the repetitive no, no nobody told me.

It is rather difficult to swallow this did not hear or nobody told us, unless our institutions are now inundated with both the deaf and the dumb.

It was less than two weeks after the present government assumed office last August that some persons began clearing and widening a road inside the borders, it appears, of the Sinharaja Forest which had been conferred the honour of a World Heritage Site.

Only those who had no understanding of the value of the Sinharaja Forest or did not care what they were destroying as long they achieved their personal purpose of self- aggrandizement. At a press conference Nirupama Ranawake, MP and Chairman of the Matara District Development Council did admit that the road builders had not obtained the clearance from the relevant environment authority.

Who among the road builders did not know that was an essential requirement for the project to proceed particularly after it had once been stopped in 2013 for lack of clearance from the all the relevant institutions including the UNESCO that is responsible for the sustenance of the Heritage site.

If it had been stopped once for lack of proper authority would the owners have restarted the project without the relevant authority for the second time unless somebody did not care a damn for the law?. What Mr Nirupana Rajapaksa did not disclose at the time of the press conference were the names of the originators of this project and in whose name/names it is being done.

There are media stories circulating that the project appears to have expanded or extended beyond its initial boundaries which I cannot confirm.

Just the other day there was some hanky-panky as some of other media sleuths reported about the project to carpet and develop the Diyagala-Nallathanniya road in Ginigathhena, how large old trees have been cut down and the timber sold to some private merchant and other shenanigans in violation of by-laws or whatever they are now called which does not seem to matter because who cares anyway.

Again two weeks ago our sister paper Daily Mirror in a news story headlined Illegal clearing of Attidiya Santuary with powerful political patronage.

Around September last year there were reports for large wetlands near Puttalam being illegally cleared by the brother of a politician who himself was dabbling at local government level politics who had been arrested for having 2 acres or so of mangroves and animal life cleared to start a shrimp farm when already he is said to 8 or 9 other shrimp farms. Does this wetlands had been cleared for these too?

Does he have the faintest idea of what he has done to the area, if only to that? Does he know that the greatest danger to mangroves comes from shrimp farming and does he know what farm follows and extermination of wetlands?

Instead of sending the citizens of this country to military training (to fight whom pray? ) would it not be more fruitful and educative to give training in agriculture since many seem to be all at sea? ,

To destroy varieties of fresh water animal life and mangroves to satisfy his avariciousness and break the laws of the land while desecrating the land is surely not to show an iota of consideration for the future generation of this nation and thereby the lack of intelligence?.

There are a plethora of examples of destructive ecocidal activity and ecological criminality committed by politicians and their chummocracy, if one might call it. To them it might mean merely cutting down trees, clearing jungles by the side or rivers, sea and land which is said to be taking up usable land. The plants and animals that die are disposable, so the uneducated think.

It now seems a pity they did not learn more. Had they gone to school and learnt something useful instead of owning liquor shops or distributing liquor licenses and fattening themselves how much more gracious it would turning up on Poya day and praying to the deities instead of preying on the people.

(Neville de Silva is a veteran Sri Lankan journalist who was Assistant Editor, Diplomatic Editor and Political Columnist of the Hong Kong Standard before moving to London where he worked for Gemini News Service. Later he was Deputy Chief-of-Mission in Bangkok and Deputy High Commissioner in London before returning to journalism. )
Police have arrested a suspect and are searching for at least one other in connection to the robbery and life-threatening attack on renowned San Francisco private detective Jack Palladino, a source familiar with the investigation told The Chronicle on Saturday.

San Francisco police officials did not confirm the arrest or identify suspects in or out of custody.

The 76-year-old Palladino, whose clients included Hollywood celebrities and the politically powerful, remained unconscious and on life support with a massive head injury in a San Francisco hospital after the attack Friday afternoon in front of his Haight-Ashbury home.

The source who revealed the arrest spoke to The Chronicle on the condition of anonymity because police officials have not yet made the information public, but The Chronicle confirmed the information through jail records.

Palladinos wife and fellow detective, Sandra Sutherland, said doctors have told her there wont be any miracle recovery for her husband who, in any event, would not have wanted to live with profound cognitive impairment.

She said the assault that left him lying on the street was a reflection of her husbands storied career.

He went out the way he would have liked, in a dramatic confrontation with the forces of evil, she said.

Eric Luse / The Chronicle 1982

Sutherland said she was upstairs in their two-story yellow Victorian home on the 1400 block of Page Street when her husband left the house with his camera, as he often did in his spare time. She said he had left behind his phone and keys and speculated that he had perhaps bolted from the house to photograph something he saw outside, an action that might have led to the attack.

Palladinos stepson, Nick Chapman, said the investigator was assaulted by a man in the passenger seat of a passing car, who tried to snatch the camera strapped to Palladino. Chapman said strap marks around Palladinos neck showed signs of the struggle.

Somebody in the passenger seat tried to grab it and split, he said. He was dragged. He fell and hit his head.

Chapman said his stepfather was briefly conscious as he lay in the street but soon lapsed into unconsciousness.

The camera was recovered by investigators, who were examining it presumably to see if it contained images that could assist the investigation.

Palladino, who held private investigator license No. 79328, worked for nearly half a century on high-profile cases involving Bill Clinton, Huey Newton, Robin Williams and Patricia Hearst.

He grew up in Boston and attended UC Berkeley. He met Sutherland while the two were investigating brutality and abuse in a Long Island jail. They opened their San Francisco agency in 1977, specializing in fraud, medical malpractice and homicide investigations. Palladino is a skilled marksman who does not carry a gun because, he once said, they make investigators lazy.

Megan Cassidy and Steve Rubenstein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @megancassidy, @SteveRubeSF
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
The U.S. Air Force and its B-52 Bombers will be serving longer than any plane for the record. Even after the cold war, this strategic nuclear bomber serves U.S.'s interests till now.

In 2020, the Stratofortress found a new use as a long-range-patrol bomber, working in tandems in nonstop flights from U.S. Air Force Bases (AFBs) to the middle east.

Excellent airframe that has served decades

The B-52 Bombers first won the contract for a long-range bomber in 1946; it has been in action in many United States conflicts. It has been used in recent operations to send a message to Iran the U.S. as deadly serious, reported by Forbes.

When the long-range bomber first entered, the Air Force was not a separate service, with propeller jet engines on the initial plane. Years later, the bomber is still flying in relevant missions into the 2020s and beyond.

Initially the original fleet of Stratofortresses is supposed to be replaced by newer bombers. Instead, they will be staying on until the 2050s. It makes their service about a century, which speaks well for antiquated but updated aircraft. They will operate the newer B-2s and B-1 Bones but improved to keep up with modern warfare.

By contrast to younger aircraft in service, the long-range bomber is somewhat antiquated. But it has advantages, which is why it's still around.

Also read: Taiwan Independence Means War, the Province Is a Sovereign of China

Optimized design from Strategic bombing of Japan

In the 2020s, the extended operational range will focus on the Indo-Pacific with few U.S. outposts to counter China. Just like the situation in the middle east, the Chinese threat is another theater to fly in.

Flying fortress

It is a swept-wing design that flies at subsonic speed with no gassing up, 8,800 miles at 525 mph, and can refuel for longer ranges with a KC-135. Carrying 35 tons of bombs and missiles for attacking enemies from bases in the U.S.

Versatility

The B-52 doesn't just have long legs and a large payload. It is not like the B-1 Lancer, a supersonic bomber that first flew in 1974, the B-52 can perform nuclear deterrence missions. Unlike the B-2 Spirit that first flew in 1989, the B-52 exists in sufficient numbers to sustain conventional combat missions indefinitely against remote adversaries (only 20 B-2s in the fleet).

Best suited for bombing the enemy with maritime surveillance and sea control as needed in areas of conflict. These planes can fly for hours and can jam enemy communications as well. Stratofortresses have electronic countermeasures, towing dummies to confuse (towed decoy), and other means to defend themselves.

These are why B-52 Bombers will be serving longer, and its older systems are more cost-effective. Sometimes high tech is not enough, and Stratofortresses do the job.

Related articles:

US Navy Expands Testing of Unmanned Surface Vessels on Land to Conduct Firepower Analysis

US Sends First B-52s Over Persian Gulf, Biden Continues Trump's Policies





@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Perhaps the only virus moving faster than COVID has been the anger contagion that is spreading like a prairie wildfire. We are all suffering from fear and uncertainty. No one is enjoying being locked down, unable to travel and spend time with friends and families. The frustration and anger are mounting.

Perhaps the only virus moving faster than COVID has been the anger contagion that is spreading like a prairie wildfire. We are all suffering from fear and uncertainty. No one is enjoying being locked down, unable to travel and spend time with friends and families. The frustration and anger are mounting.

Last week I penned a column about Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowmans remarkable lack of leadership in two ways  by keeping City employee fitness facilities open while private gyms have been shuttered for months; and then his decision to blame the Province for a lack of clarity on the rules.

Winnipeg RHA Chair Wayne McWhirter is currently vacationing in Arizona. Columnist Kerry Auriat says the optics of McWhirters decision to are far more problematic than the realities. (RHA Website)

The hypocrisy in his actions absolutely drove my ire. Now, those of you who read my column regularly will know my hypocrisy-tolerance thermometer is always close to boiling. That being said, there are occasions that are more deserving of a verbal blast than others  Bowmans performance was one of those special occasions.

This week we learned in a Winnipeg Free Press report that Winnipeg RHA Chair Wayne McWhirter is vacationing in Arizona. The backlash, of course, is palpable, but is it deserved?

It is important to note a few items  McWhirter is a political appointment to the RHA board. He is a retired accountant who formerly worked at MNP in Winnipeg. To the best of my knowledge, RHA political appointees like McWhirter are not paid employees in any capacity. They may receive honorariums from the institutions, but they are not employees. My research indicates that the Chairs total annual compensation from this appointment is most assuredly well under $20,000.

Given his career, and my understanding about the number of hours McWhirter would be required to serve, it would be fair to consider his service as "voluntary". The amount of work can be formidable.

The Chair of the RHA does not set the rules about border travel, unlike the Premier and Prime Minister. We dont know his personal views on the lockdowns, vaccines, or any other health issue.

I dont know Mr. McWhirter, but I think we should be very careful attacking him or demanding "immediate accountability" as the Manitoba NDP has suggested.

(In the interests of full disclosure, I am also a political appointee, known as an Order-in-Council appointment, to the Brandon University Board of Governors. None of our OIC appointees are paid whatsoever for their service, including honorariums. I dont receive time off from my employer for this community service and am not compensated in any way. I am also the Treasurer of the Board and serve on several other committees. I have left the province and country on several occasions and have followed health orders including quarantine on my return.)

This episode isnt nearly as clean and simple as a politician saying one thing and doing another. Its just not.

McWhirter is not responsible for policy development in regards to health and travel orders. To the best of my knowledge, he has not been advising Manitobans about travel or other activities during this unprecedented time.

Let me summarize: McWhirter is a retired accountant, a snowbird, who is also volunteering his time in an effort to help Manitobans. According to his RHA profile, which I found online, he has a significant record of public service.

Thanks to the proliferation of technological advances including Zoom meetings, he may very well have attended the RHA meetings while on vacation in Arizona. (These appointments, including mine, generally require a significant amount of work.)

The optics of McWhirters decision to vacation in Arizona while serving as RHA Chair are far more problematic than the realities. It just doesnt look good for him to be vacationing there at this time, even though he is retired and volunteering. That is unfortunate but it is also reality.

Simply put, it just doesnt look good.

Unfortunately, Mr. McWhirter will be under public pressure to step down. Again, I dont know him, but I can appreciate the public embarrassment must be palpable. The government will then be forced to find another well-qualified individual to sit at the helm of a multi-billionaire dollar enterprise, and to do so knowing he or she is now required to live a life subject to the whims of an angry populace and media who are seeking to vent their anger. Good luck finding that person.
As the Democrats prepare to table President Joe Bidens long-awaited covid-19 economic relief bill, millions of Americans are hoping that a third round of stimulus check payments could be on the horizon.

Another wave of direct payments would be the third since the pandemic first took hold nearly a year ago. The CARES Act, signed into law in March 2020, provided a round of $1,200 payments and Decembers emergency relief bill included a further $600 stimulus check. Biden, feeling that the $600 was insufficient is offering a round of $1,400 payments to top up the amount to $2,000.

Republicans oppose Bidens stimulus bill

The American Rescue Plan was to be one of the flagship economic policies of the early months of Bidens presidency but it has faced opposition from Senators across the aisle. In recent weeks a growing number of Republican lawmakers have questioned whether the $1.9 trillion package is necessary.

The Democrats are expected to finally table Bidens proposal early next week, possibly on Monday, as they look to kick-start the process. However on Sunday a group of 10 Republican Senators have made a counter-offer, pitching a package worth just $600 billion.

This threatened to delay the third round of stimulus checks even longer but it seems that it has simply strengthened Bidens resolve to pass the bill that he proposed. Bidens national economic council director Brian Deese told NBC News that the President is open to ideas but would not be stalled.

What hes uncompromising about is the need to move with speed on a comprehensive approach here, Deese said.

Democrats willing to use reconciliation to pass Bidens covid-19 relief bill

The timing of the Republicans counter-offer, on the eve of Bidens bill being officially tabled in Congress, suggests that there will not be bipartisan agreement over the bill. Senate rules usually require a 60-vote supermajority for a bill to be passed, meaning that at least 10 GOP senators would have to side with the Democrats.

With that looking unlikely, Democrats are readying themselves to invoke a Senate mechanism known as reconciliation to pass the package without Republican support. On matters of budget and economic policy, reconciliation allows legislation to be passed with a simple majority, meaning the Democrats could do so with Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaker vote.

Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, Senator Bernie Sanders suggested that he would be willing to use reconciliation to ensure that financial support is offered throughout the unprecedented crisis that we face right now.

"Look, all of us will have differences of opinion. This is a $1.9 trillion bill. I have differences and concerns about this bill," Sanders continued.

"But, at the end of the day, we're going to support the president of the United States, and we're going to come forward, and we're going to do what the American people overwhelmingly want us to do."

It seems like a third round of stimulus checks is on the way but it will not be a quick procedure to get the package passed through both Houses. With the confirmation of Bidens Cabinet picks and the impending impeachment trial of former President Trump also scheduled for February, the Senate timetable is particularly busy at the moment.

Once agreed there is also the matter of distribution, although that improved dramatically for the second round of payments which were issued in January. With that in mind, it is unlikely that the third round of stimulus checks will appear in Americans' bank accounts before the second half of February.
(Newser)  Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 3,300 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten. Authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia has seen in years. Despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and tight police cordons, the protests again engulfed many cities, the AP reports. The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is Putin's best-known critic, was arrested Jan. 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.

story continues below

The US urged Russia to release Navalny and criticized the crackdown. "The US condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter. The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Blinken's call as a "crude interference in Russia's internal affairs" and accused Washington of trying to destabilize the situation in the country. The arrests Sunday took place across Russia's 11 time zones, according to OVD-Info, a monitoring group. In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security in the city center, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic, and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed. Police randomly picked up people and put them in police buses, but thousands marched across the city center for hours, chanting "Putin, resign!" Some of the biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia and Yekaterinburg in the Urals. "I do not want my grandchildren to live in such a country," said Vyacheslav Vorobyov, 55, in Yekaterinburg. "I want them to live in a free country."

(Read more Alexei Navalny stories.)
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Earlier this month, something happened in Europe. It didnt get as much media attention as the EUs massive funding plans for its energy transition, but it was arguably as important, if not more. A fault occurred at a substation in Croatia and caused an overload in parts of the grid, which spread beyond the countrys borders. This created a domino effect that caused a blackout and prompted electricity supply reductions as far as France and Italy. The problem was dealt with, but its only a matter of time before more problems like this occurthe reason: the rise of renewables in the energy mix.

Bloomberg reported on the incident citing several sources from Europes utility sector. While no one would directly blame the blackout and the increased risk of more blackouts on renewables, it is evident that Europes change in the energy mix is raising this risk.

The problem has to do with grid frequency. Normally, it is 50 hertz, Bloombergs Jesper Starn, Brian Parkin, and Irina Vilcu explain. If the frequency deviates from this level, connected equipment gets damaged, and power outages follow. The frequency is normally maintained by the inertia created by the spinning turbines of fossil fuelor nuclear, or hydropower plants. With Europe cutting its coal and nuclear capacity, this inertia declines as well, exposing the grid to frequency deviations.

The problem isnt posed by growing green electricity directly but by shrinking conventional capacity, the chief electricity system modeler at Cologne Universitys EWI Institute of Energy Economics told Bloomberg.

This is pretty much the same as saying it is not the pandemic that is wreaking havoc on the global economy, but the lack of enough healthy people to keep it going. Wind and solar power, for all their benefits, such as a much lower emissions footprint, do have drawbacks, as does every source of energy. In this case, the drawback is the intermittency of generation. This intermittency cannot maintain the inertia necessary to keep the grid at 50 hertz.

Related: Can Big Oil Surprise This Earnings Season?



Utilities know about the problem. It is not a question about if a blackout in some European regions will happen, it is only a question of when it will happen, said Stefan Zach, head of communication at Austrian utility EVN, told Bloomberg. A blackout might happen even in countries with high standards in electricity grid security.

But the problem is not being publicized enough to spur those in charge of decision-making into action. The Bloomberg report mentions things like energy storage and batteries, yet batterieswhere they are nowcannot replace the inertia-creating turbines of coal-fired power plants, which keep the grid buzzing at 50 hertz. They would help in a brief outage, but they cant keep millions of households and industrial facilities running. Take the worlds biggest battery to date, currently in construction in Australia: with its capacity of 300 MW/450 MWh, the battery can power half a million households. For an hour.

Problems such as what happened at the Croatian substation highlight one fact that few of those riding on the renewables bandwagon would like to talk about: that solar and wind capacity is maybe being added a little too quickly, while fossil fuel capacity is being retired a little too quickly.

Take Germany: it is fast reducing its nuclear and coal generating capacity. And yet, the country, which is the poster boy for renewable energy in the EU, is currently generating more energy from coal than from wind, simply because the wind does not blow permanently. It is also generating zero energy from solar at the moment because its winter, which does not make for the optimal conditions for solar farms.

Or take California and its rolling blackouts last summer when heat waves hit the state that gets a third of its electricity from renewable sources. At the time, officials refused to acknowledge this fact as a potential cause of the blackouts, but with or without acknowledgment, the fact remained: electricity output from solar farms declines as the sun goes down just when there is a surge in demand from households. At the same time, as it retires its natural gas plants, the state did not have enough backup generation capacity to make up for the lost supply.

Or heres another example: back in 2018, the UK went for nine days with zero power generations from wind farms. Why? Because of something called a wind draught. At the time, this event led to a spike in next-day electricity prices, and forecasts for calm weather for two weeks did not help. The UK government now wants to power the whole country with wind power, which in light of past events might be a little bit risky.

Renewable energy is a great thing. Once theyre manufactured, solar panels and wind turbines do not emit greenhouse gases for the duration of their production life. Solar specifically has become a cheap way to become relatively independent in terms of electricity supply if you happen to live in a sunny part of the world.

Yet solar and wind have been touted as a silver bullet solution to the emissions problem the planet is having, and they are not a silver bullet. There is no silver bullet solution. The sooner decision-makers realize this, the sooner they can start working on ways to reconcile renewables with grid reliability. Otherwise, we might see an unwelcome repeat of what many Soviet bloc countries experienced in the 1980stimed blackouts lasting months and even years.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:


In this Jan. 12, 2021 file photo, a health care professional prepares a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan, Israel. Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz's office said Sunday, that Israel has agreed to transfer 5,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize front-line medical workers. / AP-Yonhap



Israel has agreed to transfer 5,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize front-line medical workers, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz's office announced Sunday.



It was the first time that Israel has confirmed the transfer of vaccines to the Palestinians, who lag far behind Israel's aggressive vaccination campaign and have not yet received any vaccines.



The World Health Organization has raised concerns about the disparity between Israel and Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, and international human rights groups and U.N. experts have said Israel is responsible for the well being of Palestinians in these areas.



Israel says that under interim peace agreements reached in the 1990s it is not responsible for the Palestinians and in any case has not received requests for help.



Gantz's office said early Sunday the transfer had been approved. It had no further details on when that would happen. There was no immediate comment from Palestinian officials.



Israel is one of the world's leaders in vaccinating its population after striking procurement deals with international drug giants Pfizer and Moderna.



The Health Ministry says nearly one-third of Israel's 9.3 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine, while about 1.7 million people have received both doses.



The campaign includes Israel's Arab citizens and Palestinians living in annexed east Jerusalem. But Palestinians living in the West Bank under the autonomy government of the Palestinian Authority and those living under Hamas rule in Gaza are not included.



The Palestinian Authority has been trying to acquire doses through a WHO program known as COVAX. But the program, which aims to procure vaccines for needed countries, has been slow to get off the ground.



The dispute reflects global inequality in access to vaccines, as wealthy countries vacuum up the lion's share of doses, leaving poorer countries even farther behind in combating the public health and economic effects of the pandemic. It has also emerged as another flashpoint in the decades-old Mideast conflict, even as the virus has wreaked havoc on both sides. (AP)


President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has instructed completing Egypts Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS) nationwide in 10 years instead of the scheduled 15-years, finance minister Mohamed Maait stated on Friday.

El-Sisi believes the project is one of the tools to reform the healthcare sector in Egypt, pointed out Maait, who is also head of the UHIS.

"The president is continuously asking about the availability and adequacy of financial allocations for the UHIS," Maait added.

The six-phase healthcare scheme, which started experimentally in Port Said governorate in early 2018, was scheduled to cover Egypt by 2032, but, based on Maait's announcement, the project will be now completed nationwide by 2027.

The first phase, which includes Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, South Sinai, Luxor, and Aswan, was due to take four years to complete, with an estimated cost of $510 million.

Governorates with the lowest-income citizens have been given priority in the programmes schedule, with the capital Cairo relegated to the final phase.

Maait said the programme is expected to be rolled out in the rest of the governorates in the first phase this year.

The project will be supported by state-of-art automation technologies as part of the Digital Egypt strategy, a broader national plan targeting the digitisation of all government services countrywide.

The second phase of the scheme will include Luxor, Matrouh, the Red Sea, and Qena governorates.

The third phase will cover Alexandria, Beheira, Damietta, Sohag, and Kafr El-Sheikh.

The fourth will cover Beni Sf, Assiut, Minya, the New Valley, and Fayoum.

The fifth phase covers Daqahliya, Sharqiya, Gharbiya, and Menoufiya.

The last phase will cover Cairo, Giza, and Qalioubiya.

Over three million Egyptians have registered in the country's new healthcare insurance system in six governorates as of October 2020, the UHIS.

Egypt has been scaling up efforts to develop the healthcare infrastructure, including upgrading clinics and hospitals as well as constructing new health units nationwide.

The total cost of the new scheme is expected to hit EGP 210 billion ($13.38 billion) annually once the entire population, estimated in excess of 100 million citizens, registers in the new system.

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French President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Saturday to maintain his country's support for Lebanon in various fields, the National News Agency reported.

"France will stand by Lebanon during its current difficult circumstances and will support it in various fields, namely in cabinet formation," Macron told his Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun in a phone call.

Aoun thanked Macron for his support for Lebanon and his keenness to bolster Lebanese-French ties on all levels.

Macron announced a day earlier that France's road map for easing the crisis in Lebanon was still on the table and he plans to make a third visit to the country.
New Delhi, Jan 31 : It is said that effective dialogue can bring an end to a stalemate and lead the two parties to a reasonable settlement without confrontation.

Zafar Abbas New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) It is said that effective dialogue can bring an end to a stalemate and lead the two parties to a reasonable settlement without confrontation.

This is where the role of 'mediators' becomes not just crucial but also necessary to handle a volatile or potentially volatile situation, which sometimes can have devastating repercussions. From small trivial marriage disputes to issues as serious as international bilateral relations are often handled effectively through 'mediation'.

In the ongoing protests by farmers in the country over the three new central farm laws, despite a dozen-odd meetings, the deadlock between the government and the farmers persists and Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur on Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-UP borders have remained protest hotspots since November 26 last year.

Though the protesters were offered the Burari ground in the Delhi outskirts by authorities for their peaceful protest, the proposal was put down by a majority as they moved back to Tikri and Singhu borders to stage their protest in biting cold. What followed was a massive buildup of protesters at the border areas as all efforts by authorities to find a resolution to the agitation and clear the roads failed.

So, does that mean there are not enough 'mediators' to resolve the conflict and built up trust between the two sides? Mediation is a structured, interactive process wherein an impartial third-party assists the disputing parties to resolve points of conflict through the use of specialised communication and negotiation techniques.

Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution mechanism to resolve differences between two or more parties with concrete results. Typically, a third party -- the mediator -- assists the parties to negotiate a settlement.

On January 26, when the farmers held a tractor march inside Delhi, a video of Joint Commissioner of Police SS Yadav went viral on the social media wherein he was seen trying to calm down tempers between police and protesting farmers as they reached the Mukarba Chowk.

"Shanti se inko samjhao, varna ye hum logo ke upar se jayenge, maante ho? Jai Jawan Jai Kisan," he was heard saying in the video. He was seen raising his hand in the air as he raised the slogan 'Jai Hind'. This, to some degree, did help to control the volatile situation, which could have been worse otherwise.

In Shaheen Bagh protest, which later became the longest sit-in protest in India, predominantly by women, starting mid-December 2019 over Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Supreme court appointed senior advocates Sanjay Hegde, Sadhna Ramchandran and former bureaucrat Wajahat Habibullah as mediators to talk to the protesters. The interlocutors held multiple meetings, but failed to get fruitful results.

In February 2020, the Shaheen Bagh protesters also tried to march towards the Home Minister's residence. The South East DCP RP Meena and then Additional DCP Kumar Gyanesh met the 'dadis' or grandmothers of Shaheen Bagh with folded hands a few metres away from the protest site and convinced them to return, citing no permission for their march. The pictures of the two police officers with folded hands went viral as the old women reciprocated by placing their hands on the officers' heads with smiles. This gesture by police officers was widely appreciated.

Leaving some stray incidences, where individual efforts have yielded positive results in mediation, it seems on a larger scale there is still need for effective mediation process and some good 'mediators' in the country to bridge the gap between protesters and the authorities to find an amicable solution.

( could be reached at zafar.a@ians.in )
Jordanian short film TalaVision won two awards at the Max Ophuls Film Festivals 42nd edition, which took place between 17 and 24 January.

Having its world premiere in Germany on 18 January 2021, the 27-minute movie won both the jury and audience awards for Best Medium-Length Film, being the only film to garner two recognitions in the festival.

Tala'Vision focuses on the eight-year-old Tala (Aesha Balasem), who finds her solace in watching television, which is banned in her war-torn reality.

Young Balasem was praised by the audience for her first remarkable appearance in front of camera and for her sensitive depiction of the character.

The festival's jury said that the director, Murad Abu Eisheh, succeeded in making a film that carries an absolute poetic." They also underlined the great work of the director of photography, Philip Haines, and "the amazing actress, Aesha Balasem, who transferred to the viewers the feelings of her innocent and childish desire in the television. In just 27 minutes, the director created a compelling drama, full of longing for freedom and, above all, the desire for a normal life."

Directed by Abu Eisheh, Tala'Vision also stars Ziad Bakri as Taher and Khalid Al-Tarifi.

This year, the festival took place online through the event's streaming platform, which between 17 and 24 January recorded 39,054 film viewings by 12,795 registered users.

A total of 16 prizes worth EUR 118,500 were awarded to films across numerous sections.

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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By Arthur I. Cyr





The outgoing Trump Administration returned Cuba to the State Department list of state sponsors of terrorism. That was a strategic mistake. The move may have helped Republican Party domestic support, but limits our options in foreign policy.



In May 2015, the United States removed Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. This greatly facilitated exchanges between the two sides. Removal of banking restrictions proved to be especially significant.



President Barack Obama followed up by visiting Cuba. Calvin Coolidge had been the last U.S. president to visit the island nation, in early 1928.



Over time, the Communist dictatorship controlling Cuba has faced the growing reality of economic failure. Fidel Castro began a transition of power to younger brother Raul Castro in 2006. Four years later, Fidel suddenly reemerged in the media spotlight and proceeded dramatically to lament the shambles of the nation's economy.



Simultaneously, the Cuban government announced layoffs of 500,000 workers, combined with liberalization to encourage new businesses and foreign investment. So much for priority for workers. The Communist clique in Havana began courting foreign investment, while maintaining political control.



In 2009, the U.S. loosened extremely tight restrictions on travel and financial remittances. Telecommunications companies were able to pursue licensing agreements.



The Soviet Union, a vital subsidy source, collapsed approximately three decades ago. Venezuela provides limited aid, but that economy is now a wrecked basket case.



Enemies as well as admirers agree Fidel Castro demonstrated strong leadership before age and illness led him to retire. After taking power in early 1959, enforcer brother Raul handled bloody mass executions with efficient dispatch.



Fidel highlighted the new alliance with the Soviet Union by joining Nikita Khrushchev in a 1960 visit to the United Nations in New York. The Soviet premier was wildly disruptive at U.N. sessions, while the Cuban delegation provided a media sideshow, based at a Harlem hotel.



The Eisenhower administration began clandestine efforts to overthrow the regime, commencing a dark project to kill Castro. The successor Kennedy administration vastly escalated such efforts, including assassination attempts. But the assassination of President Kennedy abruptly ended such efforts. Alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had contact with Cuba intelligence officers.



Cuba became a far-reaching revolutionary force in Latin America, notably in Chile in the 1970s, where East Germany was influential. Cuban troops served as Soviet proxies in various Africa wars.



When Fidel stepped down, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorsed "peaceful, democratic change" in Cuba and suggested the "international community" work directly with the people. Earlier, President Dwight Eisenhower took this approach with the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. Cultural and educational exchanges  and limited trade  followed.



We should avoid direct attacks on the regime. For decades, the Castro brothers benefited by blaming problems on the Yankee imperialists to the north.



After the Castros took power, Cuba became extremely important in U.S. presidential politics. Democratic presidential nominee Senator John F. Kennedy fanned flames of hostility to Castro in the 1960 contest with Republican Vice President Richard Nixon.



The new Kennedy administration invaded Cuba with anti-Castro exiles. Disaster at the Bay of Pigs resulted.



Some Republicans oppose Cuba rapprochement. Cuban exiles concentrated in swing state Florida have provided reliable Republican votes since the Kennedy administration. However, Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona also joined President Obama's delegation visiting Cuba. A bipartisan Congressional visit to the country followed.



In 2016, Vice President-elect Mike Pence marked Fidel Castro's passing by publicly expressing hope for a democratic Cuba.





Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War" (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan.



Please, people of Trinidad and Tobago, I beg you to take Covid-19 very seriously. I dont want anyone of you to feel the pain I feel.

The weight of that tearful plea from Indian restaurateur Gautam Khanna ripped the heartstrings from the body in one forceful pull, on a quiet Wednesday morning in Arima.
London: Cindy had a comfortable lifestyle in Hong Kong  she owned several properties with her husband, they had a good business going. But last year she made up her mind to leave it all behind and move her family to Britain, and not even a global pandemic was going to sway her decision.

To uproot ourselves like this is definitely not easy. But things got uglier last year, the government was really driving us away, said the businesswoman and mother of two young children who didnt give her family name because she feared repercussions for speaking out against the Chinese government. Everything we value  freedom of speech, fair elections, liberties  has been eroded. Its no longer the Hong Kong we knew, its no longer somewhere we can call home.

Cindy, who landed in London last week, is one of thousands of Hong Kongers fleeing their hometown since Beijing imposed a draconian national security law on the territory last summer.

Some are leaving because they fear punishment for supporting pro-democracy protests. But many others, like her, say Chinas encroachment on their way of life and civil liberties has become unbearable, and they want to seek a better future for their children abroad. Most say they dont plan to ever go back.
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HC acquits man, while observing that demanding cash from wife is not harassment

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Nagpur, Jan 31: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has acquitted a man who had demanded money from his wife. The court noted that demanding money from the wife is a vague term and cannot be considered as harassment under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.

"The evidence is with regard to a quarrel between husband and wife where he used to beat her for money. The demand of money is a vague term and in absence of other particulars to establish the link, the offence of harassment, as contemplated under Section 498A, isn't made out," Justice Pushpa Ganediwala said, while allowing the petitioner, Prashant Jare's prayer for an acquittal.

ED arrests businessman Anoop Kumar Gupta in VVIP choppers money laundering case

"From time to time, he brought her back from her father's place and also issued notices for restitution of conjugal rights. Moreover, he took her to the hospital and refused to hand over her body to her father for the funeral," the court observed while stating that he was more interested in his wife's company rather than letting her go.

The marriage between the couple took place in 1995. However she died by suicide in 2004. The father of the wife lodged a complaint alleging that his daughter had been harassed for dowry.

The sessions court convicted Jare in 2008 for abetment to suicide. The High Court pointed out that their minor daughter deposed before the police that she was present at the time of the incident and Jare had beaten her mother and forced her to consume poison. The prosecution surprisingly registered the case as a suicide, the court noted in the order.

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Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 9:51 [IST]
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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Twitter has suspended a Christian magazine's account for reporting that one of President Joe Biden's nominees is a man who believes he's a woman.

The Daily Citizen, a publication of the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, tweeted on Jan. 19 that Biden's nominee for assistant secretary of health, Rachel Levine, "is a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman," along with a link to an article about the nomination.

As a result, the social media giant locked the magazine out of its account, informing the publication that the tweet violated Twitter's user rules forbidding "hateful conduct."

The Daily Citizen appealed the suspension but was informed that its account will remain locked until it deletes the tweet.

Twitter wrote in a subsequent email to the magazine: "Hi The Daily Citizen, your account, @FocusCitizen has been locked for violating the Twitter Rules. Specifically for: Violating our rules against hateful conduct. You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.



"Please note that repeated violations may lead to a permanent suspension of your account," the email said. "Proceed to Twitter now to fix the issue with your account."

The Daily Citizen said in its reply to Twitter that numerous media outlets have reported on the nomination and written in their articles that Levine was born male and remains a man who believes he is female. Levine has undergone elective cosmetic surgery and taken cross-sex hormones in an attempt to look more like a woman physically.

The magazine has insisted that it never promoted violence and rejected Twitter's claims that it violated its rules.

"As a Christian organization, we would never do so. We simply explained to our readers the appointment and defined what transgender women are  those born male who believe they are a woman, regardless of whether they have had opposite-sex hormones or surgeries.



"We believe Twitter's blocking of this tweet and lockdown of our account discriminates against Focus on the Family's The Daily Citizen on the basis of our religious affiliation."

Twitter has persisted in its insistence that the publication violated its user rules and rejected the publication's appeal. The platform said the ban would not be overturned.

Big Tech's censorship of voices who state biological facts in the context of transgender issues and policies has not been limited to religious or philosophically conservative accounts on the platform.

In November 2018, Twitter updated its policies to prohibit users from tweeting the birth names of trans-identifying people  which transgender activists refer to as "dead-naming"  or from using biologically accurate pronouns when tweeting about trans-identifying people.

Transgender advocates call the use of "he" to describe a male who identifies as female "misgendering." Both dead-naming and misgendering are akin to "abuse" and "violence," according to trans-activists.



For example, Twitter permanently booted radical feminist journalist Meghan Murphy from the platform after she tweeted that "men aren't women." Twitter took this action days before it instituted its trans-activist policy.

Murphy wrote in an editorial at the time that "while Twitter knowingly permits graphic pornography and death threats on the platform (I have reported countless violent threats, the vast majority of which have gone unaddressed), they won't allow me to state very basic facts, such as 'men aren't women.'"

"This is hardly an abhorrent thing to say, nor should it be considered 'hateful' to ask questions about the notion that people can change sex, or ask for explanations about transgender ideology," she said.



Courtesy of The Christian Post
They may get all the party invitations and have more friends, but good-looking teenagers are also more likely to fall foul of the law, according to a new scientific study.

Researchers found that the phenomenon of the 'hot felon' is grounded in fact after a four-year study of American adolescents.

The results came as a surprise to analysts, who had expected to find uglier people turned to crime after 'a life of rejection and frustration'.

Researchers found that good looking people are more likely to fall foul of the law

More than 700 high-school students aged 12 to 16 were asked to rate their attractiveness, and those who gave themselves a high score were found to be significantly more likely to get involved in drug-dealing, vandalism or shoplifting.

Researchers from Bowling Green State University in Ohio predicted that people who considered themselves ugly would have lower self-esteem and score highest as trouble-makers.

But the opposite was true, leading them to suggest it could be because good-looking pupils attract larger groups of friends, applying more peer pressure.

Professor Thomas Mowen, who published his findings in the journal Crime & Delinquency, said: 'We hypothesise that it has to do with popularity and friendships. Most types of offending behaviours are committed in groups.

So it's likely an outcome of the fact that being pretty equates to more friends and social connections which, in turn, results in more opportunities for offending.'

There is, however, some upside in being a good-looking criminal as previous studies have found judges are more lenient when sentencing attractive defendants than ugly ones.

The term 'hot felon' was coined when US police circulated a mugshot of gang member Jeremy Meeks, who after his release from jail dated Chloe Green, the daughter of Topshop tycoon Philip Green.
Recent graduate Asuka Law, 23, poses with her British National (Overseas), or BN(O), in her favourite part of the city and the place she would miss the most if she leaves, near a shopping mall, in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, on June 3, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

UK Opens New Visa Scheme to Hong Kong Residents

The UK government on Sunday officially opened a new visa scheme designed to offer holders of British National (Overseas) status in Hong Kong a path to citizenship at a time when freedom and human rights in the former British colony are under unprecedented threat from the Chinese regime.

The scheme, first announced last July after Beijings imposition of a draconian national security law for Hong Kong, allows BN(O) status holders to live, study, and work in the UK for five years and eventually apply for citizenship.

The UK has a historic and moral commitment to the people of #HongKong. From Sunday 31 January, the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa will be open for applications. Read more: https://t.co/xW9dtReYPD #BNO pic.twitter.com/8hdVs8CP3L  Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) January 29, 2021

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was immensely proud of having introduced the new scheme.

In doing so we have honoured our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomyvalues both the UK and Hong Kong hold dear, he said in a statement issued on Friday.

The same day, the Chinese regime retaliated by saying it would stop recognising BN(O) passports as travel and identity documents on Sunday.

Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during the weekly question time debate in Parliament in London, Britain July 1, 2020. (Parliament TV/Reuters TV via Reuters)

In response, the UKs foreign office said Britain was disappointed but not surprised by Beijings move.

Despite Chinas announcement, BN(O)s and their families will be able to use documentation other than BN(O) passports to take up this visa, said a spokesperson for Britains Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.

Hong Kong Watch, a British NGO, said Beijings move is alarming but also appears largely symbolic.

The national security law, which went into effect on June 30, 2020, criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, and collusion with foreign forces against the Chinese Communist Party, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Riot police detain a man as they clear protesters taking part in a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on the 23rd anniversary of the citys handover from Britain to China on July 1, 2020. (Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images)

Johnson made the visa offer to Hong Kong residents on July 1, after declaring the law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration as it violates Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong basic law.

We have been clear we wont look the other way when it comes to Hong Kong, Britains Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Friday. We will live up to our historic responsibility to its people.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian blasted the British scheme on Friday, saying it seriously infringes on Chinas sovereignty, grossly interferes in Hong Kong affairs and Chinas internal affairs, and seriously violates international law and the basic norms of international relations.

Benedict Rogers, chief executive of Hong Kong Watch, told NTD that he considers Zhaos accusation ridiculous.

Benedict Rogers talks to The Epoch Timess American Thought Leaders program in July 2019. (The Epoch Times)

It is the Chinese regime that has, not just once, but several times, committed very grave breaches of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Its broken its promises to the people of Hong Kong to uphold autonomy, and One Country, Two Systems, and Hong Kongs basic freedoms.

Rogers said the British visa scheme will not only help Hongkongers, but also benefit Britain.

Hong Kong people are, as a generalisation, entrepreneurial, dynamic, creative, very educated people with a lot of initiative, Rogers told NTD on Friday.

They are people who share the same values as us in the UK, the values of democracy, and human rights, and the rule of law.

Although they will need some help with settling down, he believes Hongkongers will bring a boost to Britains economy in the long run.

Jeff Zhang of NTD and Lily Zhou contributed to this report.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A small group of activists gathered at Borough Hall on Saturday, swearing an oath to defend the community values that they feel are not being represented in Congress.

The event, referred to by activists as The Peoples Inauguration, saw roughly a dozen Staten Islanders swear an oath to uphold the values they hold dear; values that they claim are not shared by newly-elected Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn).

We need a collective renewal, an accountability and a strong moral vision for the community that we can become, said community organizer Teresa Caliari. Were here today because there are many things that we are standing for that, unfortunately, our congresswoman is not standing for, and so were asking her today to consider these things.

Malliotakis noted that a majority of the community voted for her over former-Rep. Max Rose, indicating a desire for a departure from the way things had been handled by the past administration.

A large majority of the community fired Max Rose because he impeached President Trump after he lied and said he wouldnt, and marched with those demanding the NYPD be defunded. They voted for me because they wanted the opposite and thats exactly what Im doing. I respect their right to protest but Maxs supporters should not be surprised that Im doing things differently because thats the mandate I received from the voters, Malliotakis said.

VALUES AND INITIATIVES IN DISPUTE

Activists held up signs and spoke to the various values and initiatives about which they and the congresswoman differ, including coronavirus relief, healthcare, social justice, immigration reform, racial equality and more.

This is Staten Island. We are a voice of District 11, and since we dont have a voice in Congress with Nicole Malliotakis, we will show the voice of Staten Island and the voice of our community, said immigration attorney and advocate Cesar Vargas. For affordable healthcare. For immigration reform. For coronavirus relief and all these issues facing our community.

Activists in attendance repeated an oath, read by Vargas, to honor and defend the values that they hold dear.

I pledge to be an active American. To show up for others. To govern myself. To help govern my community. I will commit myself to my countrys creed. To cherish liberty as a responsibility. I pledge to serve and to push my country. When right, to be kept right. When wrong, to be set right. Wherever my ancestors and I were born, I claim America. And I pledge to live like a citizen, the oath states.

Our congress member has violated and betrayed her oath, but we will not, Vargas added.
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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Scientists in the Army Corps of Engineers and the University of Southern Mississippi are looking at a possible way to improve artificial oyster reefs and how such reefs affect threatened Gulf sturgeon - big, toothless fish that nose out worms, shrimp and other food from the mud and sand in the Gulf of Mexico and nearby estuaries.

Gulf sturgeon are among nine sturgeon species and subspecies native to North America and among at least five listed as endangered or threatened.

People have been creating artificial reefs at least since the 1830s to attract fish for commercial catches and recreational anglers and to create hard surfaces where tiny, free-floating oyster larvae can latch on and grow to marketable size.

But because they cover some of the muck where Gulf sturgeon search for prey, artificial oyster reefs have been considered bad for the armored dinosaurs, said Read Hendon, director of the University of Southern Mississippis Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

That makes it difficult to get permits for such reefs in areas designated critical habitat for the fish, said Hendon, who is working on the three-year project with research ecologist Safra Altman and fisheries biologist Todd Slack, both of the Corps' Engineer Research and Development Center.

Oyster reefs have been perceived as negative for Gulf sturgeon critical habitat. But is it perhaps the opposite? Hendon said in an interview.

The edges of such reefs - like many areas where one type of habitat changes to another - can have a wider variety of inhabitants and sometimes greater numbers of those species. This might be an overall benefit to Gulf sturgeon, Hendon said.

The hope is that increased productivity associated with the creation of the new reefs will improve nearby benthic invertebrate productivity, which will positively benefit Gulf sturgeon, Slack said in a news release.

In addition to about 1,730 miles (2,783 kilometers) of the rivers where Gulf sturgeon spawn, their critical habitat includes 2,333 square miles (6,042 square kilometers) of estuaries and ocean off of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and in part of Louisianas brackish Lake Pontchartrain and lakes linking it to the Mississippi Sound.

Another major thrust of the research is to find whether adding extra limestone at the start, middle or end of oyster spawning season helps establish the reefs and increase numbers of oysters and small creatures living just outside the reefs.

The researchers plan to create two squares of eight one-acre (0.40-hectare) plots of large limestone gravel, set out with an acre between each two plots. Each square will be in a different area, possibly one around Bay St. Louis and one around Biloxi Bay.

At each site, they hope to add gravel to two plots at a time in late spring, midsummer and early to late fall, leaving the other two plots alone.

Hendon said the study structured to be "not just a Mississippi study  this is something that could be widely used in the Gulf of Mexico and Southeastern United States.

The reef design can be replicated for research, and We expect that the actual research results will also be applicable to estuarine systems in other states for coastal waters that have similar salinity regimes and other ecological characteristics, he said in an an email.

The researchers want at least one set in Gulf sturgeon critical habitat, he said.

That makes for a difficult balancing act. In the Bay St. Louis area, sturgeon critical habitat is south of the Bay St. Louis Bridge  one of the areas hit hardest when the Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened twice in 2019. Fresh water pouring out of Lake Pontchartrain killed huge numbers of oysters in the Mississippi Sound.

The spillway also was opened in 2020 and 2018, and two other times in the past decade. The 2019 floods were worst. But similar flooding in the next few years could wipe out half of the experiment.

If it was easy, somebody would already have done it, Hendon said.
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Delhi, Jan 31 : More than 100 persons have been reported missing since the tractor rally taken out in Delhi on the Republic Day, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha said on Sunday while expressing deep concern over the issue.

"We are now trying to compile information about these missing persons, after which the issue will be taken with authorities. A committee has been constituted which includes Prem Singh Bhangu, Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, Avtar Singh, Kiranjit Singh Sekhon and Baljit Singh," the leaders of the conglomeration of more than 40 farmers' unions said at a press conference at Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border.

The Morcha also issued a number to gather information about the missing persons, on which the caller can register the full name, address, phone number and any other contact number and since when the person is missing.

The Morcha also condemned the arrest of freelance journalist Mandeep Punia and detention and subsequent release of another scribbler as well as the "government's attack on farmers' agitation by suspending Internet services at various protest sites".

"The Modi government does not want the real facts to reach the farmers and the general public, nor their peaceful conduct reach the world. The government wants to spread its lies about the farmers." The front leaders also questioned the siege of protest sites to prevent or dissuade the common people and media from reaching the Singhu border and other dharna sites.

"Despite several attempts to foment violence by the police and the government, farmers are still debating three agricultural laws and MSPs. We want to make it clear to all aware citizens that our Delhi front is safe and peaceful."

New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will fight bypolls in five municipal wards of Delhi municipal corporations (MCDs), attacking the BJP on two key issues.

AAP will try to convince voters that the BJP weakened Delhi's civic agencies financially despite being in power in all three MCDs for past 15 years. AAP will also corner the BJP over its failure in managing the city's civic issues.

The Delhi State Election Commission has on Wednesday announced MCD bypolls in five municipal wards - Rohini C and Shalimar Bagh of North MCD and Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri and Chauhan Bangar of East MCD on February 28. Results of bypolls will be declared on March 3.

AAP in-charge for MCD bypolls Durgesh Pathak told IANS that the party has prepared itself to counter BJP in each poll-bound municipal ward. Several teams of party workers have been deployed with several tasks, such as, meeting people and getting their views about BJP's 15-year rule in MCDs.

Pathak said, "We are prepared to fight by-polls. Several teams have been set up with different tasks for each. AAP workers will reach at every door and will tell the people presenting facts that how the city's municipal bodies have been financially weakened during BJP rule. We are taking the BJP as the main opposition as people of Delhi have rejected the Congress." In fact, the AAP had strategically started preparations for municipal bypolls from the first week of 2021 through organising Mohalla meetings across the municipal wards in the city. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had started organising meetings and within a period of two weeks the party had organised around 2,500 meetings in all municipal wards in Delhi even before the dates for bypolls were announced.

Pathak said, "In the last 15 years, the BJP has transformed the MCDs into a den of corruption and made them completely bankrupt. Due to the rampant corruption of the BJP today the MCDs have no money to pay the salaries of their own employees. Residents of the national capital are fed up with the corruption and they have made up their mind to give a strong response to the BJP." AAP leaders had earlier already announced that through these mohalla meetings, the party will tell people of each municipal ward of the city about financial mismanagement in MCDs in the last 15 years. The party has appointed nearly 600 speakers to address these mohalla meetings.

However, when asked, has the party finalised candidates for these five poll-bound municipal wards, Pathak replied, "We are in the process of finalising the names of candidates and it will be announced soon." Out of these five poll-bound municipal wards, four wards had been vacant since last year after the councillors had been elected to the Delhi Assembly. AAP had won in all four municipal wards (Rohini C, Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri and Chauhan Bangar). Whereas, Shalimar Bagh ward has been vacant since the death of Renu Jaju, who had won the seat on a BJP ticket.

In the last Delhi civic polls held in 2017, the BJP had won 181 seats, AAP was at second position with 49 seats, while the Congress had secured 31 seats. The elections for all 272 MCD seats in the capital will take place in 2022.
The scientists want to know where the virus originated, in what animal, and how it made its way into humans, something that could take years to figure out. The team is also planning to visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology and laboratories at state facilities such as the Wuhan Center for Disease Control, according to the Geneva-based WHO.

The scientists have already visited at least one of the hospitals in Wuhan that treated some of the first patients. "Just back from visit at Jinyintan hospital, that specialized in infectious diseases and was designated for treatment of the first cases in Wuhan," Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans said on Twitter. "Stories quite similar to what I have heard from our ICU doctors."

A cluster of cases was linked to the Huanan Seafood Market when the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019. Since then, the coronavirus has infected more than 102 million people worldwide and killed more than 2.2 million.

The Associated Press reports that Israel has agreed to transfer 5,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine to the Palestinians for front-line medical workers. Israel has been criticized for not providing vaccines to the Palestinians before but says it is not responsible for them.

The Australian city of Perth is on lockdown orders after a security guard at a quarantine facility tested positive for the coronavirus. Perth had not had a COVID case in ten months. The lockdown starts Sunday evening and ends Friday evening, if no more cases are uncovered. People will only be allowed out for essentials, including shopping for groceries and medicine. Bars, gyms and entertainment venues will be closed.

Russia reported Sunday that there had been more than 18,000 new COVID cases in the previous 24 hours.

 U.S. COVID Vaccination

In the U.S., the Associated Press has done an analysis of data from 17 states and two cities concerning the racial breakdown about who is receiving the COVID vaccine.

"Black people in all places are getting inoculated at levels below their share of the general population, in some cases significantly below," AP reported. That fact holds true, AP said, despite African Americans making up "an oversize percentage of the nation's health care workers, who were put at the front of the line for shots when the campaign began in mid-December."

In North Carolina, Black people are just a scant 11 percent of the vaccine recipients even though they are 22 percent of the population and 26 percent of the health care workforce, AP found. In comparison, AP reported, "White people in North Carolina are 68 percent of the population and 82 percent of those vaccinated."

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that Los Angeles County data has also revealed racial disparities in the COVID pandemic. The mostly Latino neighborhood of Pacoima, the Times said "has one of the highest case rates in the nation, roughly five times the rate of COVID-19 cases as much richer and whiter Santa Monica."

The U.S. remains the country with the most cases at more than 26 million, followed by India with 10.7 million and Brazil with 9.1 million, Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center said early Sunday.

The Pentagon on Saturday announced it would delay a plan to vaccinate the 40 prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying it needed to "review force protection protocols," John Kirby, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said in a tweet. The Pentagon has said it intends to vaccinate all the personnel who work at the detention center, or about 1,500 people. At that time, the vaccine would also be offered to the prisoners, none of whom have received a vaccination yet.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that as of Saturday morning, nearly 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been distributed and nearly 30 million had been administered. The CDC said 24 million people had received one or more doses, and 5.3 million people had received a first dose. The total includes both the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.
A young man who accelerated away from the Gardai and ended up crashing his van into the River Shannon had to be rescued from the water, Carrick-on-Shannon District Court heard last week.

Oisin Bancroft, Aughrim, Ballinaglera, Co Leitrim pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on December 18, 2018 at Knockmacrory, Rooskey, Co Leitrim.

Sgt Michael Gallagher said that on that date Gardai were on patrol in the Dromod area at about 2.10pm when they saw a Ford Fiesta van on the back road from Tooman to Rooskey. The driver attempted to shield his face as he passed them.

They pursued the van which accelerated away from them and drove through a dangerous crossroads without stopping and ended up crossing a T-junction onto the old N4 at Knockmacrory, Rooskey, going across the road, smashing through a fence and ending up in the River Shannon.

Mr Bancroft and others had to be rescued from the water by the Gardai and other services.

His solicitor, John Anderson, told the court that Mr Bancroft had previously appeared in court and Judge Kilrane had indicated at the time that he would reduce the charge to careless driving and leave him with his licence if he completed a Pro Social road safety course which re-educates and rehabilitates participants in relation to their driving behaviour.

Judge Kilrane asked the defendant why he drove like that on the day.

He said he was an idiot, he was naive and made a terrible mistake and regretted it.

He said he only had the vehicle five days and everything was not in order and he was afraid.

Judge Kilrane said he is particularly familiar with the road in question and said there is a particular dangerous crossroads with a completely obstructed view.

It's highly dangerous to cross that without stopping, it's dangerous in the extreme, he said.

He said the defendant then drove straight across the road in Rooskey, jumped the pavement and went into the River Shannon.

Judge Kilrane said it was extraordinary no one was killed in the accident or drowned in the river which is very deep at that point.

He said Mr Bancroft was 22-years-old at the time. One would imagine he would have more sense at that stage, he remarked.

Judge Kilrane noted Mr Bancroft had completed the Pro Social course, scoring 36 out of 40 points, the highest score Judge Kilrane had seen.

He told Mr Bancroft to be back in court one week later (Tuesday, January 26) with 500 and he would not be disqualified.

When the case came back before the court, the Judge was informed the money was in court but the case was further adjourned to February 16 next to link with another matter.


It is time for Budget 2021. Over this past month, Moneycontrol spoke to a cross-section of industry experts for their take on the much-needed measures that would benefit individual taxpayers immensely. Like every year, reducing the tax rates tops the wish list of tax payers. But this year, people have suffered income loss and job losses as well due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New tax regime: Very few takers

In fact, last year, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had introduced the new income-tax slabs. The existing income-tax regime continues, but for those willing to give up on several tax deduction benefits can shift to the new income-tax slabs. But the new income-tax structure found few takers. Four experts that Moneycontrol spoke to suggested that the new income-tax slabs must be made more robust, either by reducing the rates further or by allowing a few more tax deductions.

Reduction in LTCG needed

The Association of Mutual Funds of India too sent its wish lists. Among other suggestions, AMFI wants to increase the threshold of dividend distribution tax and bring about tax parity between unit-linked insurance plans and mutual funds. At present, if you get dividends from mutual funds in excess of Rs 5,000 a year, mutual funds deduct 7.5 percent TDS. This was earlier 10 percent, but was brought down as part of COVID-19 related relief measures that the government announced last year. AMFI wants this threshold to be increased to Rs 50,000 a year. Homi Mistry, Partner, Deloitte India says that Budget 2021 should also reduce long-term capital gains tax to 5 percent and increase the threshold limit to Rs 2 lakh.

Real estate segment expects a tax boost

The real-estate sector has also expressed its wishlist, as this section is one of the most keenly watched in every Budget speech. Experts have suggested that deductions of society maintenance charges be allowed in rental income. Experts who Moneycontrol spoke with on affordable housing stressed that the definition of an affordable home (Rs 50 lakh) must be enhanced because its virtually impossible to buy a house in this budget in big cities such as Mumbai and Delhi.
As part of a beefed-up Summer timetable, Luxair will introduce three new flight routes in Summer 2021.

Croatian Aviation reports that Luxair has announced the return to three Croatian airports in the 2021 summer flight schedule.

The airline plans to resume international traffic to Croatia at the beginning of the 2021 summer flight schedule, but the number of weekly operations remains minimal at all Croatian airports.

Luxembourg will connect with Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar, and all lines will operate only once a week.

The Luxembourg - Dubrovnik - Luxembourg line will be in operation from April 28 to October 2, once a week, on Saturdays. Between these two cities in the summer of 2021, Luxair will operate 24 return flights and offer a total of almost 3,650 seats.

The Luxembourg - Split - Luxembourg line will also operate once a week, on Sundays, from May 2 to October 10. Luxair will offer the same number of seats on the line to Split as to Dubrovnik.

The Luxembourg - Zadar - Luxembourg line will operate on Saturdays, from May 8 to October 2. Twenty-two return flights have been announced, with Luxair offering just over 3,300 seats between the two cities.

Luxair announced earlier this month that it is introducing the Luxembourg-Belgrade line. When asked about the possibility of introducing a line to Zagreb, the airline said that it actively monitors the market in Croatia and does not rule out the possibility of introducing a direct line to the Croatian capital in the near future.

On all routes to Croatia, Luxair will use DashQ400 aircraft with a capacity of 76 seats.

Further route announcements here
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday expressed dismay over NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's tweets criticising the farm laws, saying they were a mix of "ignorance and misinformation" about the legislation, and hoped that the veteran leader will change his stand after knowing the "facts".

In a series of tweets, Pawar had on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the `Mandi' system.

The tweets by Pawar -- who as the Agriculture Minister during the UPA period had pitched for these reforms -- came at a time when talks between the Centre and the 41 protesting farmers' unions have reached a deadlock.

Responding to the NCP leader's remarks, Tomar said Pawar, who is a veteran leader, is also considered well-versed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. "Pawar himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier."

"Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts," Tomar said on Twitter.

The minister countered Pawar's tweet which said that the amended Essential Commodities (EC) Act "may lead to apprehensions that corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stockpile and sell at higher prices to consumers."

"The apprehension has no basis. Under the EC Act, the central government can intervene in case of extraordinary circumstances including war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamities of grave nature," Tomar said.

He said the new laws encourage additional choice channels for farmers as they can sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with a hassle- free movement in and outside the state to realise a competitive and better net price for their produce.

"This doesn't affect the current MSP (minimum support price) system," he added.

Under the new ecosystem, the minister said, the mandis are not affected. Instead, they will be more competitive and cost-effective in terms of services and infrastructure; and both the systems will synergistically co-exist for the common interest of farmers.

Tomar said: "As he (Pawar)is such a veteran leader, I would like to believe that he was genuinely misinformed of the facts. Now that he has the right facts, I hope he will also change his stand and also explain the benefits to our farmers."

Pawar, in his tweets on January 30, had expressed concern over the removal of stock limits on food commodities under the amended EC Act.

"Stock piling limits have been removed on food grain, pulses, onion, potato, oilseeds etc. It may lead to apprehensions that Corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stock pile and sell at higher prices to consumers," he had tweeted.

The NCP chief also said that reform is a continuous process and no one would argue against the reforms in the APMCs or Mandi System.

"...a positive argument on the same does not mean that it is done to weaken or demolish the system," he noted.

The government has offered some concessions including keeping the new farm laws on hold for 1-1.5 years and the Supreme Court has set up a panel to look into the matter keeping the contentious legislation in abeyance for two months.

However, the agitating farmers' unions have rejected both and intensified their over two-month-long agitation on the borders of the national capital.

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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Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

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Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

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

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Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

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Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) tested positive for the COVID-19, but remains asymptomatic, after receiving the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, his office said Friday.

Why it matters: Lynch's case stresses the importance of continuing to social distance and wear a face mask even after getting vaccinated.

What they're saying: Lynch received a positive test result on Friday "after a staff member in the Congressman's Boston office had tested positive earlier in the week," Lynch's spokesperson, Molly Rose Tarpey, said in a statement.

"Congressman Lynch had received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and subsequently received a negative COVID-19 test prior to attending President Biden's Inauguration," she added.

Lynch "remains asymptomatic and feels fine," but will continue to "self-quarantine and will vote by proxy in Congress during the coming weeks."

Tarpey did not immediately respond to a question from Axios about when Lynch received each dose of the vaccine.

The big picture: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the companies that have developed the two vaccines authorized in the U.S., say their vaccines are about 95% effective at preventing people from getting sick after getting the second dose of their respective vaccines.

"It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after vaccination," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.

"That means its possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and still get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection," the CDC adds.

It is also not yet clear how effective the vaccine is against infection and transmission, but researchers say it should prevent people from getting sick.

Go deeper: We're selling the coronavirus vaccine short

Court grants agency two more months to complete probe into terror case

NGT forms 5-member panel to investigate on violation of environmental norms by JSW

NIA likely to take up probe into Israel embassy blast

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Jan 31: The anti- terror probe agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take up probe in connection with the minor blast near the Israeli Embassy.

A team of NIA officials had already visited the blast site on Friday evening and had collected evidence materials. The officials also carried out complete mapping of the area to identify the route and the persons involved in the blast.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police's Special Cell is questioning some people, including a few Iranian nationals on Saturday.

Will not let the culprits get away, India tells Israel after blast outside embassy

A team from the National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) of the NSG visited the spot for post-blast analysis, a senior officer said, adding that the findings will be shared with the Delhi Police team investigating the case.

The minor blast took place on Friday evening in a high-security zone of the national capital. No one was injured.

An envelope addressed to the Israeli Embassy and containing a note was found at the site of the blast, sources had said. It had reportedly suggest an Iranian link to the incident.

A case has been registered and the Special Cell is investigating the matter.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, January 31, 2021, 10:36 [IST]
Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday called a Congress Legislature Party meeting here on February 3 to discuss the farmers' issue and other matters concerning the state.

He also said that the Congress wants to bring a no-confidence motion against the BJP-JJP government in the next assembly session because the dispensation "has lost the trust of the people as well as some MLAs".

Hooda, who is the leader of opposition in the state, said in a statement that the farmers' agitation against Centre's new farm laws "has become a mass movement..."



The previous CLP held in December had passed a resolution in support of farmers protesting against the Centre's three agricultural laws.

"The people of the state are completely disenchanted with the BJP-JJP government and this is why the motion of no confidence, which will be brought by the Congress during the next assembly session, becomes all the more important. Through the no-confidence motion, the public will know which MLA stands with the government and which MLA is with the farmers," he said.

Hooda said the CLP meeting will consider the demands of the farmers and draw out a strategy to take forward their issues.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi's borders with and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


WASHINGTON -- "There are only two choices: Which one will it be?" the Chicago Teachers Union argued to its members. "Risk your life or your students' lives by going into dangerous buildings," or agree to strike if Chicago Public Schools go ahead with plans to reopen classrooms Monday.

Obviously, teachers, students and staffers with compromised immune systems or co-morbidities that put their health at risk should work from home. Alas, the Windy City union makes no distinction between healthy and unhealthy educators, while ignoring the data on the low risk that COVID-19 poses for healthy working adults and school-age children.

Everyone knows that remote education is failing students, especially immigrant children and others whose parents can't fill in the gaps that plague schooling by computer screen. Yet, somehow, education groups that ostensibly are committed to closing the achievement gap are willing to let this separate-but-equal education policy stand.

President Joe Biden likes to say that he'll "listen to the scientists." Apparently, there is an exemption to the science-first approach when teachers unions disagree.

Last year, governors, including Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, and school boards closed schoolhouse doors with total disregard for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that recommended schools close when an infected individual had been on campus or in hot spots, and then only for two to five days for sanitation purposes. Elected officials were in a panic, and panic trumped science.

Tuesday, the CDC released a study that found that with masking requirements and other mitigation efforts, Wood County, Wisconsin, public school transmission was lower than community spread. On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki poo-pooed that finding as particular to "rural" schools with different challenges than those in city districts.

Risk-averse Democrats can't admit they were wrong to shut down schools. Biden won't say it. His ostensible push to open most public schools within 100 days is a soft plan that puts off specific guidance and allows risk-aversion to rule the day. Because once you've convinced yourself that no-classroom instruction is safer, how do you open?

And you can see why. I mean, this is only about whether a generation of children is educated or stunted.

The 18 suicides of Clark County students since March? It's unfortunate, but not enough to move teachers unions in Chicago, Montclair, New Jersey, or Bellevue, Washington.

Americans are isolated right now. We don't know what we don't know about less visible changes wrought by the pandemic. When the return to normal begins, however, there will be no hiding the edge enjoyed by children who attended open public or private schools or whose educated parents were able to fill in virtual-learning gaps. Kids without those advantages will be more likely to fall behind for life.

Grocery store workers and nurses and hospital cleaning staff who did their jobs as essential workers will return their children to schools where teachers believed that classroom teaching was a bridge too far -- secure in the knowledge stay-at-home teachers would not lose a paycheck in the process.

I am sure that all those hospital workers and delivery truck drivers who did show up to work will be very understanding about their children getting a lesser education so that healthy pajama-clad teachers could be spared the risks which designated "essential workers" assumed.

The biggest lesson America's children can learn from the coronavirus pandemic is simple: Education is important, but not that important. Just ask your teacher.

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Capital city house prices have hit record highs despite the Covid-19 pandemic, with most suburbs rising in value on average.

Sydney's median house price soared to $1,211,488 after rising 4.8 per cent in the last three months of 2020, the latest Domain House Price report revealed.

The figure set a new all-time high, eclipsing pre-pandemic prices by nearly $50,000, as 115 suburbs across the city enjoy double-digit price rises.

A similar trend hit Melbourne, where property prices surged 5.3 per cent during the December quarter, bringing the median house price to a record-breaking $936,073.

Alexandria (property from the suburb pictured) topped the list of biggest median house price growth in Sydney over the 12 months to December

In the Harbour City, Alexandria, in the inner-west, topped the list for the biggest annual median house price growth, swelling 30.6 per cent to $1.9million over the course of last year.

Clovelly, in the eastern suburbs, came a close second, with the median house price jumping 29.9 per cent to $3.45million in the 12 months to December, while Cronulla, in the city's south, rose 27.5 per cent to $2.2million.

In the Lower North Shore, Normanhurst's average home price jumped 24 per cent to $1.45million, with Woollahra, in the east, rising 23.5 per cent to $3.395million.

Hunters Hill enjoyed a 22.7 per cent increase, bringing the median house cost of a home in the Lower North Shore suburb to $3.362million, while further north, in Mosman, property prices soared 22.5 per cent to $4.287million.

In the western suburbs, Rydalmere clocked a 22.4 per cent increase, with the average home now fetching for $1.175million.

Bexley, 19km south of the CBD, counted a 22.2 per cent rise to $1.1million, while North Epping, in Sydney's northwest, recorded 22.1 per cent to $1.65million.

Marsfield, in northern Sydney, bore the brunt of the downturn- with the median house (pictured) price plummeting 10.1 per cent to $900,000

Domain senior research analyst Nicola Powell said the extraordinary rise in house prices was due to suburbs recuperating downturn losses, driven by wealthy home upsizers.

'2019 was the trough in part they are regaining what they lost in the prior downturn,' Dr Powell told Domain.

'These higher income households have been less impacted [by covid]. Theyre seizing the opportunity [to buy]. Lower income households are more vulnerable to the financial strains of Covid.'

At the opposite end of the scale, Marsfield, in the city's north, bore the brunt of the downturn, dropping 10.1 per cent to a median house price of $900,000.

Barden Ridge, in the south, sank 9.8 per cent to $1.005million, while ritzy harbourside suburb Rose Bay fell 7.3 per cent to $3,800,000.

Summer Hill, in the inner west, copped a 6.7 per cent decline to $1,615,000 while Kingsford homes, in the east, fell 4.8 per cent to $1.975million and those in Neutral Bay from 4.8 per cent to $2million.

Blairgowrie (home in the suburb pictured) climbed 24.8 per cent over 2020, bringing the median house price to $1.142million

Property prices fell 3.4 per cent $1million in Campsie, 2.9 per cent to $1.573million in Bella Vista, and 1.9 per cent to $1.573million in Lane Cove North.

Meanwhile, coastal and popular inner city hubs saw the biggest price hikes in Melbourne as city-dwellers changed their lifestyle during the pandemic.

The median house price in Blairgowrie, along the Mornington Peninsula, climbed 24.8 per cent to $1.142million over 2020, making it Melbourne's biggest winner.

It was followed by McCrae, which rose 24.3 per cent to a median of $960,000, and Brunswick East which grew 23.3 per cent to $1.174million.

Port Melbourne tallied a 21.1 per cent growth, bringing the median property price to $1.665million, while South Melbourne rose 20 per cent to $1.584 million.

Median property prices skyrocketed 19 per cent to $1.255million in Ascot Vale, 18.2 per cent in Brighton to $2.872million and 17.8 per cent in Elsternwick to $1.993million.

Clayton (pictured) saw the biggest median house price drop in Melbourne, at 11.1 per cent

Rounding out the list, South Yarra recorded a 17.5 per cent increase to $1.824million, while Mounth Martha jumped 16.3 per cent to $1.105million.

Wealthy inner-city postcodes suffered the biggest blows, with median house prices dropping 11.1 per cent to $925,000 in Clayton and 10 per cent to $1.935million in Armadale.

The next biggest drops were in Albert Park, at 9.4 per cent to $1.817million, Caulifield North, 8.5 per cent to $1.916million and North Melbourne, 8 per cent to $1.150million.

Dandenong's median house prices plummeted 8.6 per cent to $550,00, while Balwyn felt a 6.4 per cent decline to $2.180million, and Niddrie 6.4 per cent to $982,500.

Sandhurst property's median reduced 4 per cent to $777, 500, while Warrandyte claimed the tenth position on the list, dropping 3.9 per cent to $1.105million.
The Hanoi Party Committee delegation has 63 delegates, representing more than 450,000 Party members of the city, attending the 13th National Congress of the Party.



Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue.

Hanoi Party leaders have been named in the list of the 200 elected to the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee, which includes 180 official and 20 alternate members.

Four elected comrades from the Hanoi Party Committee delegation are:

Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue, who is also head of the Hanoi Party Committee delegation at the 13th Party Congress.

Mr. Chu Ngoc Anh.

Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee and Chairman of Peoples Committee Chu Ngoc Anh.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen.

Deputy Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Thi Tuyen.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Son. Photos kinhtedothi.vn

Chairman of the Council and Director of the Vietnam National University-Hanoi Nguyen Kim Son.

The Hanoi Party Committee delegation has 63 delegates, representing more than 450,000 Party members of the city, attending the ongong 13th National Congress of the Party, which is schueduled to conclude on February 1.

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The reference price on the first trading day of OCB was VND22,900 (99 US cents) per share  quite an attractive price.

OCB went public on the HSX on January 28, 2021

Trinh Van Tuan, chairman of OCBs board, said: OCBs official listing on the HSX marks a very important milestone for the bank as part of our development roadmap. With the aim of mobilising capital to ensure financial capacity for a new growth phase, we believe OCBs initial public offering would significantly enhance the transparency, liquidity, and also bring maximum benefits to shareholders.

Sharing the strategy for the next 5-year period (2021-2025), the OCB chairman expected the bank to maintain a stable growth rate, with total assets and charter capital increasing from 20 to 25 per cent, annually.

"In the future, we will ramp up our main focus on selected customer segments, maintain sustainable growth in the leading banking group in Vietnam, improve asset quality through a risk management system according to international standards, and optimise digital banking-related services in a bid to drive growth and efficiency, Tuan added.

In 2020, Japans Aozora Bank decided to acquire a 15 per cent stake in OCB in a deal worth $139 million. This was the first M&A deal by Aozora in a foreign market since 2001 and made Aozora OCBs largest shareholder.

It also was one of the 10 eye-catching M&A deals in the 2019-2020 period, according to VIR.

However, the very first day of going public was not as rosy as expected. The frenzy of broad-based sell-off in Vietnams stock market has considerably hampered OCBs share price, down to VND18,350 (80 US cents) per share. However, experts believe with the banks ample fundamentals and potential, OCB will attract the attention of foreign and local investors alike.
UPDATE: Jacobsburg State Park bridge reopens after repairs to Tropical Storm Isaias damage

A bridge in Jacobsburg State Park that closed for repairs last year is closing once again in February, this time to repair damage from Tropical Storm Isaias, PennDOT said.

Starting Feb. 1 Jacobsburg Road, between State Park and Belfast roads in Bushkill Township, will close so crews can repair the bridge over the Bushkill Creek.

The project is expected to be complete by Feb. 26, weather permitting, said Ron Young, PennDOT District 5 spokesman.

Traffic will be detoured to State Park Road, Sullivan Trail and Belfast Road, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said in a release.

During the storm last August, which brought devastating flooding and damage to nine Pennsylvania counties, there was some light damage to concrete on the northernmost bridge pier on the Jacobsburg Road bridge, Young said.

The previous bridge work was part of a $2.9 million contract with Kriger Construction to repair five bridges in the Lehigh Valley. The additional repairs will cost about $50,000, Young said.

Other bridges on the repair contract are Route 143/Kings Highway and Steinville Road, both over Ontelaunee Creek in Lynn Township; the Minsi Trail Bridge over the Lehigh River and Norfolk Southern Railroad in Bethlehem; and Freemansburg Avenue over Nancy Run in Freemansburg.

Jacobsburg Road over the Bushkill Creek between Belfast Road and State Park Road will close for bridge repairs on... Posted by Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center on Wednesday, January 20, 2021

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A policeman detains a man while protesters try to help him, during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St Petersburg on Sunday (Valentin Egorshin/AP)

Thousands of people took to the streets across Russia on Sunday to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin.

More than 5,000 people were detained by police, according to one monitoring group, and some were beaten.

Russian authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia has seen in years.

Yet despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and notable displays of riot police, the protests again engulfed many cities on Sunday.

Mr Navalnys team quickly called another protest in Moscow on Tuesday, when he is set to face a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.

The 44-year-old, an anti-corruption investigator who is President Vladimir Putins best-known critic, was arrested on January 17 on his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.

He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement while recuperating in Germany.

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The United States urged Russia to release Mr Navalny and criticised the crackdown on protests.

The US condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

The Russian foreign ministry rejected Mr Blinkens call as a crude interference in Russias internal affairs and accused Washington of trying to destabilise the situation in the country by backing the protests.

Police detained more than 4,700 people at protests held in cities across Russias 11 time zones on Sunday, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests.

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing underground stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and shops to stay closed.

Mr Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Mr Navalny claims was responsible for his poisoning.

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After police cordoned off the area around the square, the protest shifted to another central square a mile away. Officers deployed in force at this location too, randomly picking up people and putting them in police buses.

But hundreds of others marched across the city centre, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief!, a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Mr Navalnys team.

Some later marched to the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Mr Navalny is being held, but met phalanxes of riot police who chased them back and detained scores.

Nearly 1,500 people were detained in Moscow, including Mr Navalnys wife, Yulia, who joined the protest.

Posting on Instagram before turning out to protest, she said: If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow.

Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow had arrested so many people that the citys detention facilities had run out of space.

The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters calls for freedom and change, Natalia Zviagina, the head of the groups Moscow office said in a statement.

The city of Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia saw one of the biggest rallies, with several thousand people marching across the city. Over 100 protesters were detained at this demonstration.

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Several thousand people marched across Russias second-largest city, St Petersburg, and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. More than 1,000 were arrested.

Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde, who chairs the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, condemned the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists and urged Russia to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.

In the far eastern port of Vladivostok, at least 120 people were detained after protesters danced on the ice and rallied in the city centre.

Meanwhile, as part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Mr Navalnys associates and activists across the country over the past week.

His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under two-month house arrest on Friday on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

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Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.

The Interior Ministry has issued stern warnings to the public not to join the protests, saying participants could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years. Those engaging in violence against police could face up to 15 years.

Nearly 4,000 people were reportedly detained at demonstrations on January 23 calling for Mr Navalnys release which took place in more than 100 Russian cities, and some were given fines and jail terms. About 20 were accused of assaulting police and faced criminal charges.

Shortly after Mr Navalnys arrest, his team released a two-hour video on his YouTube channel about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Mr Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, helping fuel discontent and inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Mr Putins time in office even as many ordinary citizens struggle financially.

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Mr Putin says that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property.

Mr Navalny fell into a coma on August 20 while on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent. Russian authorities have refused to open a fully-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming a lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

Mr Navalny was arrested immediately on his return to Russia on January 17 and jailed for 30 days on the request of the countrys prison service, which alleged he had violated the probation of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected Mr Navalnys appeal to be released, and another hearing next week could turn his three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.


Dubai Supreme Council of Energy has announced that there has been a marked increase in the clean and renewable energy share in Dubais energy mix which now stands at 9 per cent, thus exceeding the Clean Energy Strategy 2050 target.

As per this target, Dubai was to provide 7 per cent of its total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2020 and 75 percent by 2050, said the Council at its 63rd meeting held remotely.

The meeting, chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, discussed several topics including the precautionary measures taken by the Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) against Covid-19 and the councils decision to reduce fuel surcharge for electricity and water starting from December 1, 2020.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Energy, also attended the meeting along with the board members.

The members reviewed progress on Dubai Municipalitys Waste to Energy project to treat solid waste using direct burning technologies to generate thermal energy and convert it into clean electrical energy for export to the grid.

The plant has the highest thermal efficiency in solid waste treatment, which achieves Dubais strategies, said Al Muhairbi.

"On completion, the WtE project is expected to treat 5,500 tonnes of Dubai Municipalitys daily waste and produce 200MW of electricity by 2023," he added.

The Council also pledged their support to the production of green aluminium under the product name CelestiAL in Dubai.

Al Tayer said the initiative was a first of its kind in the world to produce aluminium using solar power in EGA operations.

"Dewa will supply electricity from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This project supports the competitiveness of EGA in the global market," he stated.

He pointed out that this 'green aluminium' was a vital product and ideal for industrial usage. "We expect this product to have an added market value, as it supports our efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable development in the UAE," he added.
Families and onlookers gasped, laughed and shrieked as a curious polar bear at the Assiniboine Park Zoo pressed its face near a viewing barrier, only inches away from young Milania Porpiglia on Saturday morning. Within minutes, two bears gave the delighted visitors a close-up play-fighting show, standing on their hind legs.

Families and onlookers gasped, laughed and shrieked as a curious polar bear at the Assiniboine Park Zoo pressed its face near a viewing barrier, only inches away from young Milania Porpiglia on Saturday morning. Within minutes, two bears gave the delighted visitors a close-up play-fighting show, standing on their hind legs.

The zoo opened its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday since closing in mid-November due to public-health orders. More than 500 people, mostly families, had dropped in for a visit by noon.

Manitoba Public Health green-lit the reopening earlier this month, provided the zoo kept its indoor exhibits closed and maintained a 25 per cent visitor capacity.

"As a large outdoor attraction with over 80 acres, we are pleased to be in a position to reopen and are looking forward to safely welcoming visitors back to the zoo," Bruce Keats, chief operations officer of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said in a news release Thursday.

The Porpiglia family  with socially distanced aunts, uncles and cousins in tow  seized on the opening days balmy weather to celebrate all the birthdays they had missed during Manitobas latest lockdown.

"We decided that since we cant all congregate together inside somewhere, well all come for a walk at the zoo," zoo member Anna Porpiglia said. "Instead of the little Zoom meetings that people usually do on their birthdays, we figured this is an opportunity to come out, see one another at a safe distance and do something that we love."

Anna Porpiglia said her family, most of whom were donning glittering "Happy birthday" tiaras, were able to safely manoeuvre around the zoos spacious grounds. She said she thinks the zoo could have stayed open during lockdown because people are outside, an opinion shared by other visitors the Free Press spoke with.

"I dont think that its any different than if you were to go outside for a walk," Anna Porpiglia said.

Zoo member Jenny Sendall and her two sons, Bauer and Bennett, also dropped in Saturday and said they were looking forward to visiting the tigers, Volga and Samkha.

"The kids just love coming here and seeing the animals, and its nice out," she said. "I was surprised when they closed, to be honest, because the paths are so wide."

"You can do so much outside, and its just family-friendly, too," Jenny Sendall said. "I was really sad when they closed because I didnt really understand why, knowing that they could still have restrictions in place."

Other families with young children such as the Mahs, Morrises and Woods, who often frequented the zoo before its closure, were also glad to see it reopen.

Five-and-a-half-year-old Benjamin Morris and his sister Brooke, 7, said they missed seeing the animals and chose coming to the zoo over other outdoor activities they could have done Saturday.

Their mother, Cindy, said she is comfortable coming to the zoo during a lockdown, provided it is safe for the animals.

Throughout each closure, zoo staff enhanced their "enrichment" activities for the animals, including human company, food hunts and new toys.

"Some of our animals certainly do pay attention when theres people around, and theyre quite curious and attentive to their human visitors. Others are less interested," said Laura Cabak, communications manager at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy. "I would imagine for some of the animals, having people back was probably a positive thing."

Cabak said although membership has been good, its been a challenging year for the zoo, which hasnt been able to continue some of its programming or open its venues for rentals.

"We are fortunate that we were able to reopen in May, and we had a pretty good summer," she said. "We hope, like everyone else, that things are going to improve here in Manitoba, but theres still a lot of uncertainty."

The zoo closed in March, reopened in May and closed again in mid-November. At 25 per cent capacity, the 80-acre area can host up to 1,250 socially distanced people at a time.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca

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Singhu Border, Jan 31 : It has been more than two months since the ongoing farmer protests began at the Delhi borders over the contentious farm laws. However, there has been a major turnaround in the situation at the borders since the January 26 violence.

The views of the people of Singhu village adjacent to the border may be divided over the farmers' movement but they are bearing the brunt and have been inconvenienced due to the closure of roads across the village.

Nearly 20,000 people live in Singhu village, some of whom have their own houses while most people in this village live on rent.

Due to the farmers' agitation at the border, the Delhi-Karnal road is closed and the main road connecting the highway to the village has also been closed due to security reasons. Due to this the people of the village are very upset.

A villager said, "Earlier it used to take some time to go from one's home to Delhi or Haryana's Sonepat or any other place, now it takes half an hour to go from the village to the main road." People going to Chandigarh or Haryana from Delhi also pass through this village due to which the roads of the village are filled with vehicles and there are traffic snarls witnessed for hours together.

However, to prevent traffic jams in the village, the Delhi Police have appointed an official who helps to guide people about the routes.

On the other hand, people have differing views about the farmers' protests, as some are upset with the protests while others are lending their support considering it as a fight for the rights of the farmers.

Rajpal, a resident of Singhu village who has been living here for the last 50 years, told IANS, "Every person is upset with this protest but we have not encountered any problems on behalf of the protesters. The traffic jam is causing a lot of trouble." "My son is the conductor of a DTC bus, he performs his duty. It is not safe to come here at night because of which he used to go by car but now he has started commuting on his scooty." Mahendra Singh, another resident of the village, told IANS, "The road in this village is one-way, only one vehicle can barely get out, if the other vehicle tries to move it gets stuck, how will one get out of this traffic jam?"

"If I want to go to Sonipat in Haryana, how can I go? I can't walk so far on foot." Vijay Singh has also been living in this village for the last 40 years. He said, "There is a lot of inconvenience caused with this protest, I had to go to Narela but I had to go round the whole village." "I just want to ask the government whether there are only farmers in this country? Is it the duty of other people to also live like this on the same border. There is a problem while commuting, if we do not go to work then what will we eat?" Vikas, a resident of Singhu village, said, "There is no problem because of this protest. The road in our village is closed which is the main issue. There is no problem with these protesters." According to the residents of the village, in the recent violence at the Singhu border people of the village were not involved. If their ID cards are checked, it would be revealed that they are not residents of Singhu village. "People from our village were not involved in the violence. The name of our village is being maligned."





Haiti - Obituary: Death of sociologist Anthony Barbier





Pradel Henriquez, Ministry of Culture and Communication, says he is "devastated" by the unexpected departure of the professor and sociologist, Anthony Barbier, who died on the evening of Friday January 29, 2021, at the age of 74, from serious consequences of respiratory problems.



Anthony Barbier was not just a political figure. He was above all an expert in Haitian public administration He was one of the founding fathers and an active member of the National Commission for Administrative Reform recalls the Minister "He was also from the 95s, one of the artisans of the main tool of civil service reform used by the Office of Management and Human Resources. He left 30 years later, without seeing this cherished dream come true, which he had always cherished, of a coherent, functional, dynamic and deeply restructured public administration at the service of our community [...] It is a very sad news. For our country has just lost one of its most illustrious sons, a tireless servant of the state and a first-class politician."



In addition, Henriquez underlines "Very few people in our area know that Anthony Barbier, public and politician, was also an important agent for the institutional cultural sector," specifying "in 1996 and 1997, Mr. Barbier was one of the artisans of the Culture Master Plan which was to prefigure a whole document of national cultural policy and interested, in its transversality, in a true integral development of our country."



"The Ministry of Culture, while offering its sincere condolences to his wife, journalist and press icon, Lilianne Pierre-Paul, to her relatives, to radio Quisqueya, and to all the political and intellectual class hard affected, welcomes the independence of spirit of this great militant who will have, in his own way, marked our political history. "



First reactions to the death of Anthony Barbier :



President Jovene Moise :

"I have learned of the death of sociologist Anthony Barbier. I appreciated the quality of his teaching as a Professor and his dedication as a great servant of the State. I bow to his remains and present my sympathies to his companion Lilianne Pierre-Paul."



Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe :

"I was moved to learn of the death of sociologist and politician Anthony Barbier. I salute the memory of one of the great public figures of these 4 decades. My saddened condolences to his family, his wife Liliane Pierre-Paul, and his comrades in the Opposition" Joseph jouthe



President of the Senate, Joseph Lambert :

"The death of Professor Anthony Barbier is distressing. I had the opportunity to appreciate the knowledge and insight of this eminent sociologist and politician. My sincere condolences to Liliane Pierre Paul, her family and her combat comrades."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Coal miners who formed the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox congregation in McAdoo bought their first church from Lutherans in Kelayres and dragged it to a corner on Washington Street with a mule team.

That was 1901.

Fifteen years later, they hired a New York City architect to design a brick church.

By Aug. 5, 1923, the new church was crowded to the doors for a wedding, the Standard-Sentinel reported.

As membership swelled, the congregation boasted a choir, Boy Scout troop and womens club. There were sales of paska bread and pierogies, a community tree lighting at Christmas and summer bazaar with music and a tempting menu.

When the church closed for good last summer amidst a pandemic, eight worshippers remained.

All of us were elderly, said Michael Klesh, who in 1976 joined the congregation where his wife, Michele, grew up.

We lost something. Part of our life is gone. It was a big loss. We still feel it. My wife said today, We have no church,  Klesh said Thursday.

For the final service on June 28, 2020, Archbishop Mark Maymon of the Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church in America presided.

Holy Trinitys possessions  antique icons, altar pieces and kitchenware  were divided among regional congregations.

The archdiocese sold the church, parking lot and parish house, without advertising them, for $75,000 on Nov. 17, 2020, to the owners of van Hoekelen Greenhouses.

Holy Trinity timeline 1896  McAdoo Borough founded

In addition to having their business offices a block away at 220 S. Hancock St., the van Hoekelens previously purchased and converted St. Kunegundas School, 34 E. Washington St., into apartments.

Klesh heard that the new owners want to renovate and sell or rent the parish house, but that they might preserve the church for community events.

A member of the van Hoekelen family on Friday didnt return a message asking about plans for Holy Trinity.

In the past, Holy Trinity opened to others. Three years ago, the church hosted a spaghetti dinner to raise money for an animal rescue group.

The local Lions Club decorated trees on the grounds as part of McAdoos celebration at Christmas at least back to 1983.

Parishioners informally dropped Russian from the churchs name to widen their invitation to the community.

We were trying to not really give anyone the impression it was only for Russian Orthodox parishioners. All were welcome, Gregory Kurtz said.

Kurtz, a former mayor of McAdoo, grew up in Holy Trinity, where his father and grandfather also worshipped.

Church members did most of the maintenance at Holy Trinity, he recalled, and Standard-Sentinel accounts bear him out.

To prepare Holy Trinity for its 50th anniversary celebration in July 1951, the newspaper reported that parishioners painted the parish house and church, which has two blue onion domes topped by crosses.

John Beregsen, who came up with the design for Holy Trinity in 1901, also was architect for other Russian Orthodox churches, including Cathedral of St. Nicholas in the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 1902.

Kurtz recalls the interior of Holy Trinity.

There were icons on canvas attached to the walls, marbleizing paint on the lower walls, stencil work throughout, Kurtz said.

His father, Michael, and brothers, Joseph and Michael Jr., helped with the painting while his own company connected the church when the borough installed new sewers.

From boyhood, Kurtz remembers attending church bazaars each summer with funnel cakes, cotton candy and snow cones.

As a child, it was something we all looked forward to. From our perspective, it was a day at the park with rides, food and everything kids love to have. We had a blast for sure, Kurtz, 55, said.

Church members staged the bazaars themselves. But as the congregation grew older and smaller, the members teamed with volunteers who helped McAdoo observe its 100th anniversary.

For the boroughs centennial celebration in July 1996, McAdoo had a parade, fireworks and entertainers. A barbershop group sang outside Holy Trinity.

In the years after that, community and church volunteers modified Holy Trinitys summer bazaar into an annual homecoming for McAdoo.

Church members continued making a pierogies and haluski for sales that helped pay the bills at Holy Trinity.

My wife and I would go in the morning when it was dark and be there til dark, said Victor Sherkness, who belonged to Holy Trinity for 10 years.

Before Holy Trinity closed, Sherkness left the congregation and started attending Christ the Savior Russian Orthodox Church, a half-hour away in Sugar Notch. Lately mobility issues and the pandemic have kept him at home. On Sundays, he listens to recordings of the liturgy on compact discs and thinks of the blue-domed church two blocks from their home where he and his wife spent so much time.

We really miss it, Sherkness said, Were not the only ones.
Jamie Dornan could find himself going up against his father when looking for acting roles after Professor Jim Dornan landed a small part in Marcella.

The retired obstetrician and gynaecologist, who once considered acting as a career, appears in the third series of the ITV drama, which stars Anna Friel and was shot in Belfast.

Professor Dornan appears as a deputy chief constable in the second episode of the latest season alongside Ray Panthaki, who plays DI Rav Sangha, Eugene O'Hare, who stars as Eddie Lyons, and Orla Mullan, who plays DS Roz MacFarlene.

He told Sunday Life: "It (the role) was pure chance. I was dining with my cousin at General Merchants on the Newtownards Road about two years ago when the director asked his companion who I was because I was familiar-looking.

"He told her he'd like me for a wee cameo, so that was that. I did have about two lines as well, but they seem to have ended up on the cutting room floor."

Jim was an obvious choice for the role since he has previous experience of playing a policeman, having appeared in The Fall, in which son Jamie played a serial killer, after Allan Cubitt, the writer and producer of the series, came up with the idea.

Professor Dornan previously said: "I met Alan socially and he asked me to take part in The Fall. Jamie had finished filming and had no idea I was going to be in it. It came as a real surprise when he found out."

Jim played Policing Board member John Porter, who quizzed John Lynch's chief constable over the fictional 'Belfast strangler' case. The role clearly gave him the acting bug.

"I really enjoyed it and it was a very interesting morning," Jim explained.

"I was very impressed with the professionalism of everyone involved and with the detail they went into to get it right. It was awe-inspiring."
Fans of Grape-Nuts are about to blow their tops because they cant find their favorite cereal.

A nation-wide shortage of the Post Consumer Brands popular high-fiber cereal has led to wide-spread panic among consumers who have a penchant for its earthy flavor and gravelly texture.

A message on Posts website acknowledges the current difficulties in locating Grape-Nuts, which, by the way, contains neither grapes nor nuts, and offers its apologies to customers who are feeling the strain. Created by the companys founder himself, C.W. Post, in 1897, Grape-Nuts has been regularly enjoyed by generations of consumers who enjoy being regular.

Grape-Nuts brand manager Kristin DeRock further sought to reassure customers that the deficit would be resolved and that the company had no plans to dump the cereal. As reported by Kate Gibson, DeRock stated in an email to CBS MoneyWatch that "First and foremost, we want to make sure that Grape-Nuts fans know that we have absolutely no plans to discontinue Grape-Nuts cereal."

DeRock also cited certain requirements particular to Grape-Nuts that render making them challenging: "Grape-Nuts is made using a proprietary technology and a production process that isn't easily replicated, which has made it more difficult to shift production to meet demand during this time.

Demand for the blend of hearty grains increased dramatically during the pandemic as more Americans enjoyed their first meal of the day at home rather than the office. According to Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN Money, although data from Euromonitor International showed that the ready-to-eat cereal market decreased between 1 and 2 percent each year from 2015 to 2019, the market grew by 20 percent (to about $10.6 billion) from 2019 to 2020.

With the news that Grape-Nuts should be back to its regular availability within a few weeks, loyalists are flush with pleasure.
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.

As lawmakers and Gov. Phil Murphy debate change to a bill that will launch legal marijuana sales in New Jersey, one Republican senator has introduced a bill that would allow residents to grow up to six weed plants at home.

Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Bergen, is the primary sponsor of S3407, introduced Thursday. The bill legalizes possession of six or fewer marijuana plants once Murphy signs a legalization bill into law.

The people of New Jersey made it clear in November that they want to lift the prohibition on cannabis, Cardinale said in a statement. Since then, the Legislature has spent three months fumbling around with what should have been a simple task, and complicated the legalization effort with countless fees, licensing and extra layers of bureaucracy.

Medical marijuana patients have long called for the state to allow them to grow their own plants. The strained medical cannabis program in New Jersey has led to high prices and product shortages, and those who want to grow their own medicine see it as a work around for the programs hurdles.

But Democratic lawmakers, while pursuing legalization, have said they do not want to allow home grow just yet. Cardinales bill would affect not just medical patients, but allow growing for personal use, too.

Currently, growing five plants or less can result in three to five years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Many states with medical marijuana programs allow patients to grow their own cannabis at home.

Cardinales bill is subject to Murphy signing the legalization bill (S21). Lawmakers passed it in December, but the governor has held off on signing until fixes are made to establish civil penalties, like fines and warnings, for those under 21 caught with marijuana.

The senator has not supported legalization, but has spoken up about allowing home grow in recent months.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the legalization bill in November, Cardinale asked why lawmakers were not considering home grow.

I was against home growing, he said, noting his initial stance. But weve had a referendum.

The referendum made it a legal substance, he said. I can understand when it was an illegal substance. But why do we prevent people from growing marijuana?

The bill has yet to be scheduled for legislative hearings.

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Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.
San Franciscos elite academic public high school would no longer admit students based on top grades and test scores, and instead use a random lottery system for admission, if the school board approves a measure fast-tracked for a vote.

The controversial proposal will head to the school board during a special meeting Tuesday, with a final vote expected a week later. Four school board members  a majority  have already signed onto the effort, meaning it is likely to pass.

For decades Lowell High School  one of the top-performing public schools in the country  has been considered a point of pride for the district and the city, something of a private school experience at a public school price. But the school has come under fire in recent years for its lack of diversity and instances of racism as the country faces a racial reckoning with the past.

The proposal comes less than a week after the board voted Tuesday to rename 44 schools  including Lowell  after determining the names were associated with slavery, oppression, racism and colonization. That vote garnered national headlines and sparked a brutal division in the city over the timing, with many parents criticizing the move as a distraction from reopening schools after 10 months of distance learning.

Now, the board will turn its attention to Lowells admissions process.

This is a response to ongoing racist attacks in our schools that must be addressed, said board President Gabriela Lopez. Board members Alison Collins, Matt Alexander and Mark Sanchez are co-authors.

The school board spent more than three hours at its last meeting discussing a recent incident at the school in which students participating in an anti-racism lesson were exposed to pornographic, racist and anti-Semitic messages and images.

Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle 2020

Student school board member Shavonne Hines-Foster, a senior at Lowell, tearfully said that such instances are not rare, that students of color frequently experience racist comments and interactions.

Lopez said community members as well as local and national Black leaders are behind the measure, which if passed would require the same admission process used at the districts other comprehensive high schools.

The proposal, however, is likely to draw significant opposition from families, students, alumni and public officials who say the competitive high school offers high-achieving students a public choice that competes with private school offerings, including a long list of Advanced Placement courses.

Families and alumni criticized the boards decision late last year to suspend Lowells competitive admission policy because of a lack of grades and test scores during distance learning. That changed the process for students admitted for the upcoming fall, and the new proposal is likely to intensify a debate about elitism and opportunity at the school.

When Lowell opened in 1856, the first public high school in the West, nonwhite students were not allowed to attend, board members said.

Lowell High Schools previous admissions process created a school that does not reflect the diversity of SFUSD students and perpetuates segregation and exclusion, according to the resolution.

Lowell, with nearly 2,900 students, currently enrolls less than 2% Black students compared with 8% districtwide and less than 12% Latinx students compared with 32% in all schools.

Black, Latinx, and Samoan Pacific Islander students in SFUSD often express concern they do not feel physically, emotionally or culturally safe and valued at Lowell, the co-authors wrote.

Asian American students represent 51% of enrollment at Lowell, compared to 29% districtwide. The boards proposal is likely to draw ire from the citys Asian American parents, who have fought in the past against policies they see as unfairly reducing opportunities for academically high-achieving students.

The resolution states that a return to the old admissions policy would violate state law that prevents comprehensive high schools from using selective enrollment. Previously, the district has said the admission process preceded that state law and therefore was not subject to it.

San Francisco Unified School District does not believe that any student or school is more or less elite than any other school, the board members wrote in the measure. All SFUSD high schools are academic schools.

The resolution would also create a community coalition to oversee an equity audit and create a plan to address the exclusion and ongoing toxic racist abuse that students of color, and specifically Black students, have experienced at Lowell High School since the schools creation.

Many parents support the idea or are open to changes at the competitive school, but have objected to what they see as a hurried process during a pandemic.

Lowell parent Ellen Schatz said she doesnt think the proposal is bad, but rather that it has been rushed and isnt transparent, especially during a pandemic.

I think all schools should have wide variety of Advanced Placement classes, all students should have access to great teachers, great classes, extracurricular activities and whatnot, she said. But theyre not doing it in a way that brings people on board.

Any student who wants to go to Lowell should be able to, she said. Students know what Lowells reputation is and wouldnt apply if they arent motivated to put in the effort, she said.

She also noted that the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts also has a competitive admission process  based on auditions  and a lack of diversity, but the board is not looking at changing that.

The racism problem at Lowell absolutely needs to be addressed, she said, and anti-racism policies need to be implemented throughout the district.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Independence Compromised View(s):

Come Independence Day next week (February 4), and what ought to be a day of joyous celebration, a day to pay homage to those forebears who went through 450 years of colonial rule and to all those who paved the way for freedom, alas, is being marked in a pall of gloom.

A damning report by a controversial international agency dubbed a cesspool of political bias, cherry-picking on events in Sri Lanka hangs over this nation. The country is not being toasted by the world community, or a part thereof. It is being roasted.

As this country regained its freedom 73 years ago, D.S. Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of an Independent Lanka, addressing the nation said; Today is a special day.. the control of our Lanka has again come back to us.

But has it, really? How much of that control over the countrys affairs remains with its leaders and how much of it continues to be dictated by external forces.

Ironically, these forces are spearheaded by Britain, the very nation that handed back our sovereignty taken by force at the turn of the 19th century. Struggling with its own problems at home, refusing to investigate gross human rights abuses by its own soldiers abroad even in modern times, British governments are dancing to the drumbeat of its vote-base.

Yet, this is the real world today that those in high office in Colombo have to come to terms with. Sri Lanka has allowed itself to be a soft target for sanctimonious bleeding hearts abroad, but the volleys of cannon fire come not only from across the seas, but from fifth columnists at home  no different to the fifth columnists who helped colonial powers to subjugate this country.

In the North, minority politicians are actively engaged in partnering international brigades to haul this country over the coals. While their illustrious predecessors joined hands with the majority community in the quest for freedom, these modern-day politicians are hard at work at the dismemberment of this island-nation.

Every Tom, Dick and Jane is now contributing their two pence to the report by the former Chilean president now head of the UN Human Rights Council that has charge-sheeted the Government not only for its state of denial of allegations of human rights violations during the armed insurrection by a terrorist group, but also for new dictatorial tendencies.

Recent Governments no doubt pussyfooted with accountability issues that were raised at the UNHRC. The LLRC (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission) was viewed with suspicion initially, but later acknowledged by the Geneva-based agency, and yet its recommendations were not vigorously pursued.

The LLRC, however, failed to name India as the country that sponsored the armed uprising in Sri Lanka, scuttling the countrys economic take off in the post-1977 period. Nor did it refer to the discrimination within the Northern community  an oppressive caste hierarchy that marginalised those in the lower spectrum of society and kept them away from the parliamentary process, forcing them on a different extra-parliamentary path.

All of this does not exculpate successive governments for not having turned the searchlight inward. They did not recognise the fact that foreign predators are hovering like vultures to prey on this country, especially when it is seen as tilting towards their own enemies in the world of global politics. Neither did they learn the lessons from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia  even the Soviet Union, Sudan etc., and how Western powers have changed the internal dynamics, and instigated regime changes in West Asia. In short, they have consistently refused to read the writing on the wall.

The Government is not investing enough in either personnel or resources for its foreign policy. Think-tanks expected to provide strategic studies are dormant and of no help to decision-makers. Professional Foreign Service officers have been sidelined in favour of political apparatchiks and relatives of ruling party members.

In the process, short-sighted decisions of political leaders for short-term benefits have propelled the country into long-term debt traps compromising the countrys bargaining power. Economically, it is in a deepening hole. To remain non-aligned, as it once was, has become a huge effort.

All the gains since Independence, especially in the spheres of universal education, health and welfare measures for the poor have been whittled away and the incumbent Government is facing a virtual firestorm. Trending towards authoritarianism is a fact. The monkey on the back is not only a UN resolution in Geneva, but a massive foreign debt burden; political freedom on the one side and economic freedom on the other are compromised.

A role for private sector in vaccine programme

And so, a plane-load of vaccines has eventually reached Sri Lanka from neighbouring India. Priding itself as the pharmacy of the world, India has deployed vaccine diplomacy to good effect by despatching half a million phials to Sri Lanka, a million to Nepal, two million to Bangladesh and lesser amounts to Bhutan and the Maldives in the South Asian region and even to the Gulf and the West Indies. On the day the Indian gift arrived, by a happy coincidence, China announced it would grant 300,000 of its vaccines to Sri Lanka.

COVID-19 vaccines have already become an international issue. The European Union is accusing one of the frontrunner manufacturers of violating contractual obligations, and the UNs health agency, the WHO, is urging economically poorer nations, especially in Africa not be ignored by the richer nations bulk buying available stocks in some sort of Vaccine Nationalism for this is a global fight against the virus, is not limited to one hemisphere.

The Government has just announced it will buy three million more phials but does not say when and where from. Private hospitals have been prevented from being partners in this exercise. No reasons for this exclusion have been forthcoming. Ugly stories of scrambles for agents abound. The Government took a year to get private hospitals engaged in the quarantine process. It must act faster to involve the private sector in what should be a national vaccination programme, not merely a state vaccination programme.
Police detained more than 1,000 people including dozens in Moscow during demonstrations across Russia on Sunday calling for the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a monitor said.

The OVD-Info monitor said 1,009 people had been detained, including 142 in Moscow where protesters were gathering in various locations after police locked down access to the city centre.





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

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- City Council President Kevin Kelley, who has led the fight to expose FirstEnergy Corp.s use of dark money to weaken Cleveland Public Power, has had a long relationship with the Akron utility.

Since 2015, FirstEnergy and a law firm that represents it have contributed $31,500 to campaign accounts Kelley oversees, records show.

In an interview, he stressed that he has not been influenced by the contributions, many of which he received before the scandal of House Bill 6 hit Clevelands doorstep.

The question is this: Did I act inappropriately? The answer is clearly no, Kelley said. You cannot find any vote that was influenced by a contribution, especially in this case.

Kelley said he plans to donate $6,000 in contributions linked to FirstEnergy to an environmental nonprofit. The move comes as the utility studies how it engages in the political process to ensure alignment with our corporate values, behaviors and strategies, according to a company spokeswoman.

An FBI affidavit filed last summer says FirstEnergy and its affiliates paid $60 million in bribes to former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and his allies involving House Bill 6, the billion-dollar legislative bailout of two nuclear plants once owned by a FirstEnergy subsidiary.

In recent weeks, Kelley has sought to subpoena records involving Consumers Against Deceptive Fees, a group that sought to undercut Cleveland Public Power, one of FirstEnergys chief competitors in Northeast Ohio. Consumers Against Deceptive Fees received $200,000 in FirstEnergy money in 2019. Tax filings show the funds were first sent through a nonprofit, Partners for Progress, which is at the heart of the Statehouse investigation.

On Thursday, Mayor Frank Jackson acknowledged that the city is contemplating legal action against FirstEnergy for its campaign against CPP.

Dark money in Cleveland

Kelley has said repeatedly that he wants to determine whether more money from the House Bill 6 scandal has been used in Cleveland. The money to Consumers Against Deceptive Fees was funneled through nonprofits, which do not need to disclose their donors.

The cash that flows through those organizations is referred to as dark money, which is far different than the campaign contributions given to candidates political committees. Those funds are a matter of public record.

Kelley became City Councils president in 2014. With it, he obtained control of the Council Leadership Fund, a campaign fund that helps bankroll the campaigns of many Council members and other state and local candidates.

During his time as Council president, the fund delivered thousands of dollars to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. Kelley also had hundreds of dollars donated to other causes.

Since 2015, FirstEnergys political action committee contributed $17,500 to the Council Leadership Fund. Roetzel & Andress, a law firm that represents FirstEnergy, gave $9,000 during that time, according to campaign finance reports.

One of the contributions from the law firm, for $500 in 2018, carried the name of Jennifer Varhola. She was a principal in Consumers Against Deceptive Fees, tax filings show. She was listed as a legal assistant at the law firm.

FirstEnergy also contributed $2,500 to Kelleys personal campaign account, Friends of Kevin Kelley. No other member of City Council received any funds from the Akron utility since 2015. Roetzel & Andress gave Kelleys personal campaign account $2,500.

Kelley said Roetzel & Andress, like many major law firms in the city, contributes to candidates and the Council Leadership Fund. The firms have many interests in city government that extend beyond one or two issues.

Kelley said his donations to an environmental group would include $1,000 from his personal campaign fund and $5,000 from the Council Leadership Fund. He said the contributions were given after Consumers Against Deceptive Fees formed in 2018.

Jackson, the citys mayor, received $7,000 from FirstEnergy and more than $9,000 from Roetzel & Andress since 2015. Jacksons campaign treasurer, Scott Finerman, said FirstEnergys political action committee did not give the mayor any contributions in the last election year, 2017.

If such funds were offered, they would not have been accepted, Finerman said. He said the earlier contributions from the company were received properly, were spent properly, were reported properly, and the current intent is not to refund or donate.

Donating contributions

Since FBI agents arrested Householder and his allies in July, some state legislators have returned FirstEnergy contributions to the utility.

No one wants to be associated with FirstEnergy right now, said Catherine Turcer, the executive director of Common Cause Ohio, a government watchdog group.

Transparency leads to accountability. Its not enough for public officials to divest themselves of FirstEnergy contributions. Legislators need to take steps right now to enable the public to follow the money and shine a spotlight on FirstEnergy and others so that we arent taken advantage of again.

Jennifer Young, a spokeswoman for FirstEnergy, said candidates returned eight checks from the utilitys political action committee. She said none of those candidates were involved in local races.

Young said the returned checks represent a small percentage of the checks issued last year. She said FirstEnergy has paused political contributions while we evaluate our participation in the political process.

Some state legislators have donated contributions from FirstEnergy to charity. George Lang, a Senate Republican from Southwest Ohio, gave $5,000 to a youth organization. Michael Sheehy, a House Democrat from near Toledo, sent $2,000 to an organization that helps feed and clothe the poor.

I just wanted to dissociate myself from [FirstEnergy], Sheehy said.

Jessica Thomas, the chief administrative officer for Roetzel & Andress, did not return an email seeking comment. She has said in the past that the firm does not comment on current or former clients.

Opposing FirstEnergy

Kelley, who is considering a run for mayor this year, said he has opposed FirstEnergy in other issues before Cleveland City Council.

In 2017, Council rejected an effort by TPI Efficiency to provide electric aggregation services to about 60,000 homeowners and businesses in the city who were not customers of CPP.

Westlake businessman Tony George served as agent for TPI, one of four companies that sought the contract.

The company awarded the contract would receive no money from the city but would gain permission to buy electricity in bulk and at a discount. It would then sell the power to those Cleveland customers who chose the aggregation services.

If TPI would have received the contract, it would have used a FirstEnergy affiliate as the supplier of electricity, city records show.

Kelley and Council, following the recommendation of the city administration, chose another company, Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council.

George then helped finance the collection of signatures for an initiative drive to reduce the number of Council members from 17 to nine. The group later withdrew its petitions.

George has contributed to Kelley and other members of Council. He and his family gave Kelley $4,000 total in 2016 and 2017. He said it would be wrong to take the contributions to Kelley out of context: Are you kidding me? There are hundreds of people who contribute. I have contributed to members of Cleveland City Council for 30 years, as well as other candidates.

Cleveland.com and Plain Dealer Reporter Robert Higgs contributed to this story.
Coach of the National Football team Terry Fenwick will have to do without the services of three players for his next CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against Bahamas.
The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has announced the launch of eKYC by financial institutions in the Kingdom as part of its initiatives for digital transformation in the sector.



The move follows the announcement of the national digital identity and the electronic Know-Your-Customer (eKYC) platform in April 2019.



The national eKYC platform, which was the first of its kind in the region targeting retail banks, financial services providers and money exchange networks, is operated by BENEFIT in collaboration with the Information and eGovernment Authority (IGA) and under the supervision of the CBB.



The platform provides a national digital identity database for financial institutions to securely verify the identities of their customers, validate their information and share data digitally before providing products and services. This includes retrieval of customer data from governmental entities including IGA.



BENEFIT has also developed the Application Programming Interface (API) for the platform, which allows for seamless integration with financial institutions core systems, digital channels and mobile apps. With the introduction of Open Banking in Bahrain, this also provides an opportunity for fintech companies to verify customers identities through their online and mobile applications.



Khalid Al Hamad, Executive Director of Banking Supervision at the CBB, said: "The CBB urges all licensed financial institutions to avail of this innovative and streamlined service and accelerate its efforts towards automating the maintenance of its customer data and reputation records, by implementing eKYC API integration with their core systems, digital channels and mobile apps.



We continue to support technological advancement in the sector to minimize cost while also fostering innovation and integration between financial institutions and fintech companies. This is also in line with the CBBs continuous efforts in developing the financial sector infrastructure in light of the Covid-19 repercussions to ensure appropriate solutions for electronic payment systems.



BENEFITs Chief Executive Officer Abdulwahid Janahi said: "It gives us great pleasure to continue developing the eKYC platform in an effort to drive digital transformation in the Kingdoms various sectors.



We have succeeded in enabling the integration of this digital platform into core banking systems and smart phone applications, and we are pleased to announce that Bahrain Islamic Bank has successfully integrated this platform into its core banking services system, while "ila" Bank offers customer on-boarding in a completely digital and autonomous manner through its mobile app, both based on eKYC API integration. We look forward to the use of eKYC services on a larger scale during the coming period.



The VCE of eTransformation in the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), Dr Zakareya Ahmed Alkhaja, confirmed that iGA cooperated with "BENEFIT" that implemented the technical development of the project, under the supervision of CBB. The project aims to provide an advanced comprehensive eSystem for financial entities to verify the identity of their customers and the validity of the information, before providing the financial services.



He pointed out that the authority has started providing identity verification services to the government sector, and this project complements providing the services to the private sectors, especially the banking sector, as the project will allow the it to start providing innovative, high-quality, secure data services that keep the privacy of individuals. That will lead to enhance economic growth and expand commercial activities in the Kingdom.



He said that the (eKYC) project is the first of its kind in the region and the first at the level of global applications in terms of cooperation between the government and the banking sector, as the implementation of projects globally is limited to cooperation between banks in the private sector. This project is also one of the first Projects using Block Chain technology in the Kingdom of Bahrain.  TradeArabia News Service
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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the basis of regional implications and the world. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of international Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.3% which is expected to reach US$ 101.6 Bn in 2027.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

Semiconductor is a material comprised of silicon usually, which conducts electricity more than an insulator but less than a pure conductor. The significant involvement of electronics in automotive applications and the accelerating adoption of smart electronic devices triggering the growth of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market. The innovations towards smart cars and connected cars with passenger comfort and safety during driving drives a huge opportunity in semiconductor industry. The advanced packaging techniques ensure higher performance, reducing the IC footprints in the device and longer battery life. The innovative packaging techniques are being used in the manufacturing of semiconductors which include 2.5D and 3D packaging through the technology. The IoT, connected devices and artificial intelligence are being integrated across various end use applications is expected to trigger the growth of the market. The rising demand in automotive sector, industrial goods, consumer goods and electronic devices are the key drivers for the market. However, the technology is changing very rapidly in the manufacturing equipment industry so it is a challenge for the manufacturers to move with the dynamic technology acting as a restraint for the semiconductor manufacturing equipment market. With the CAGR estimation of 5.3%, the research report provides a detailed overview of the industry, classifications and application in Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market. In the report, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Europe are the major regions taken into consideration for the geographical analysis for micro and macro environment. This report also states import & export consumption, demand & supply figures, price, cost, revenue and gross margins.

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Segment Covered

This market intelligence report on the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market has been segmented by Equipment type; its dimensions; its segmentation based upon application; the key manufacturers; growing market size & region-wise market. In terms of the Equipment types, Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market has been divided into Assembly & Packaging Equipment, Wafer Manufacturing Equipment, Test Equipment and Others. By Dimensions, it is classified into 2D, 2.5D and 3D. On the basis of the application, Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market has been classified into Semiconductor Electronics Manufacturing, Semiconductor Fabrication Plant and Test Home. By major regions, the report is classified into North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Europe. Asia Pacific is the leading region for the semiconductor equipment market consumption and it is expected to be the highest revenue contributor in the forecast period. The government in the countries of Asia Pacific took many initiatives to set up manufacturing plants at their respective countries like Make-In-India initiative.

Profiling of Market Players:

There are many multinational companies are investing in the growing markets of Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment. Most of the companies are focusing on the large chunk of potential consumers in APAC region. The key players observed in the study are  KLA Corporation, Hitachi High Technologies Corporation, Screen Holdings Co. Ltd, Teradyne Inc., Tokyo Electron Ltd, Advantest Corporation, ASML Holdings NV, Applied Materials Inc., Rudolph Technologies Inc., Lam Research Corporation, ACCRETEC, AMEC, EV Group, ASM Pacific Technology, Hitachi Kokusai Electric, Plasma Therm, Form Factor and Xcerra.

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 alsoprovided 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 2019-2027.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.

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Salient Features:

 This studyofferscomprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market, 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 of Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment 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 KLA Corporation, Hitachi High Technologies Corporation, Screen Holdings Co. Ltd, Teradyne Inc., Tokyo Electron Ltd, Advantest Corporation, ASML Holdings NV, Applied Materials Inc., Rudolph Technologies Inc., Lam Research Corporation, ACCRETEC, AMEC, EV Group, ASM Pacific Technology, Hitachi Kokusai Electric, Plasma Therm, Form Factor and Xcerra 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 Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, product manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment 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

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic outside his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa Jan. 26, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Trudeaus Basis for Proroguing Parliament Last Year Was Purely Political, Committee Hears

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus motivation for proroguing Parliament last summer in the midst of the WE Charity controversy was for political reasons, a parliamentary committee meeting heard on Jan. 28.

The decision to prorogue  was purely for political reasons and not anything else, said Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski, a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

The reasons are crystal clear and we all know it. The prime minister prorogued Parliament in August of last year for one simple reasonto shut down the committees that were investigating the WE Charity scandal.

Liberal, NDP, Bloc, and Conservative members participated in the meeting to explore whether the prorogation of Parliament was justifiable. Three experts presented their study of the prorogation and took questions from the MPs.

At the time Trudeau ordered the prorogation, which lasted from Aug. 18 to Sept. 23, several House committees were looking into the WE issue. Those all ended with the prorogation.

Because of the WE Charity scandal, the government was facing very uncomfortable questions on a daily basis, Lukiwski said. The media was reporting on a daily basis about the WE Charity scandal, social media was ablaze with commentary about the political scandal, so the prime minister did what he thought he needed to do to avert a political crisis.

Trudeau said at the time that the reason for the prorogation ahead of the throne speech on Sept. 23 was so the government could reset the approach due to unforeseen changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

WE Charity co-founders Craig (L) and Marc (R) Kielburger introduce Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau as they appear at the WE Day celebrations in Ottawa on Nov. 10, 2015. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

The WE controversy revolved around the governments decision to pay WE Charity $43.5 million to manage a grant program for student volunteers, despite the organizations close ties to Trudeau and his family. Trudeau and former finance minister Bill Morneau, who also had close ties to the charity, failed to recuse themselves from the decision.

Trudeau and his family members were paid by WE for speaking at some of its public events.

Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull said at the meeting that the governments reason for the prorogue was similar to former prime minister Stephen Harpers reason for suspending Parliament back in early 2010.

He quoted Harpers spokesman Dimitri Soudas as reported by the Toronto Star, saying the decision to prorogue Parliament was to engage with constituents, stakeholders, and businesses in order to listen to Canadians, identify priorities, and to set the next stage of our agenda.

Turnbull asked the committee to consider that, given the deep economic social impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic had on Canada and the world, it was reasonable for Trudeau to suspend Parliament in order to recalibrate and reset the agenda.

Wouldnt that make sense? he said.

NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus speaks during a news conference on Parliament hill in Ottawa on Dec. 16, 2020. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

A government report issued at the end of October outlined the rationale for the prorogation in light of the pandemic, in order to ensure that ours and future federal governments remain transparent with Canadians in all aspects of governance, including the use of prorogation.

Lori Turnbull, an associate professor of political science at Dalhousie University, one of the experts who testified, said the report offers the Liberals justification that they made the decision to prorogue based on the unprecedented and unanticipated circumstances facing the government at the time.

The global pandemic was both a public health and an economic crisis. The speech from the Throne that was delivered in December of 2019 did not and could not foresee the situation and therefore wasnt was no longer useful or relevant as a plan for the future, Turnbull said, referring to the content of the report.

Turnbull said the prorogation allowed the government to work on a new plan and provide a new speech from the Throne. She noted that the report didnt cover the WE Charity controversy.

Bloc MP Alain Therrien said he didnt see any difference in the governments approach as a result of the prorogation.

They said that they wanted to restart the situation, and when they prorogued Parliament, we thought that that would be a change in their policies, or their outlook, political outlook.  I didnt feel that that was the case, he said.

Lukiwski said the throne speech was mainly fiscal in nature.  We didnt need a throne speech for that. It didnt fundamentally change the agenda of the government.

It was about shutting the WE scandal down, NDP Ethics critic Charlie Angus said of the prorogation. He accused Trudeau of using the prorogation to obstruct investigations by both the Finance and Ethics committees, saying such actions demonstrate a level of toxic disdain for democracy and thwart accountability.

Lukiwski said the prime minister and several of his senior officials should testify before the committee and explain why Parliament was suspended.

We need to be able to question them on their thinking behind prorogation, he said. We need them to answer questions.

Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos said he wasnt sure why the Conservatives have tried to politicize this further.

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Making presentations at the 13th National Party Congress, Secretaries of provincial Party Committees who were born in the 1970s proposed many solutions to develop their localities and the country in general in the coming time.

Party Secretary of Quang Ninh Province Nguyen Xuan Ky

Party Secretary of Quang Ninh Province Nguyen Xuan Ky proposed strengthening decentralization between the Government and ministries and agencies; and between the Government, ministries, agencies and local authorities associated with binding responsibilities, enhancing inspection, supervision and control of power.

He also suggested piloting the application of a number of specific mechanisms and policies to increase autonomy in budget management, investment and development, and mechanisms for mobilizing financial resources for development investment for some key localities.

Faced with high requirements for the Partys inspection and supervision during the 13th term, Party Secretary of Da Nang City Nguyen Van Quang suggested that the Party Central Committee and the Politburo of the 13th tenure to more strongly and drastically direct the inspection, supervision and discipline of the party from the central to grassroots level.

At the same time, it is necessary to continue to improve and concretize documents on inspection and supervision to meet practical requirements, with close coordination between party agencies and authorities to ensure timely uniformity in regulations and implementation guidelines.

The Party Chief of Da Nang also proposed summarizing and drawing up lessons from the mistakes and shortcomings of the party organizations and party members through the inspection and supervision process. The Central Party Committee should have a mechanism to help localities deal with difficulties in overcoming consequences of mistakes and shortcomings in the state management in recent years.

He also proposed that the Central Party Committee implement early mechanisms to encourage and protect cadres who have innovative thinking, who dare to think, dare to do, dare to make breakthrough, and dare to take responsibility for the common good, as a basis for inspection, supervision, and discipline of the party to be facilitated.

Ben Tre Provinces Party Secretary Phan Van Mai expected that ministries and central agencies will complete the regional planning and put it into implementation, creating mechanisms and policies for the Mekong Delta to develop sustainably, to adapt to climate change, and to become one of the dynamic, highly efficient economic centers, commensurate with the region's potential and geostrategic position.

Mai also suggested that the National Assembly, the Government, ministries and central agencies develop mechanisms and policies to attract investment in developing comprehensive infrastructure for the Mekong Delta. In particular, an investment mechanism to develop a coastal driving force corridor connecting Ho Chi Minh City and these provinces.

Shifting from "Agricultural production thinking" to "Agricultural economic thinking"

Party Secretary of Dong Thap Province Le Quoc Phong made recommendations in order to effectively implement the transition from "Thinking of agricultural production" to "Thinking of an agricultural economy" to adapt to climate change and market trends.

The youngest provincial Party Chief said that it is necessary to study and consider separation of the regulations on the development of agricultural cooperatives into a separate Law or Decree of the Government; and at the same time, support the development of the model "High-tech agricultural business incubator".

Mr. Phong also proposed paying attention to organizing and building a complete database of information on the agricultural sector, information on investment activities as well as the needs of the domestic and foreign market for each agricultural product in order to assess, forecast the movement of the market, and make appropriate recommendations.

Party Secretary of Yen Bai Province Do Duc Duy

The Party Secretary of Dong Thap also suggested that scientific research is needed to quickly have optimal solutions and timely investment in climate change adaptation and the decline in quantity and quality of fresh water sources for domestic and production activities, especially the reduction of the Mekong River flow and salt water intrusion in the Mekong Delta.

Party Secretary of Can Tho Le Quang Manh proposed focusing on synchronously completing the development and application of science and technology. Institutions for the development and application of science-technology should be urgently perfected in the direction of effective support for competition between research organizations and enterprises applying science and technology and from there focus on promoting organizations and businesses that can commercialize knowledge in the best way.

Party Secretary of Bac Giang Province Duong Van Thai was interested in promoting the application of science and technology, and the achievements of the industrial revolution 4.0 in production to create a breakthrough development.

Towards building a modern agriculture to meet development requirements, he proposed considering and amending the Land Law in the direction of accumulating and concentrating land on a large scale to suit the current agricultural commodity development; and to intensify trade negotiations to expand export markets for agricultural products.

Party Secretary of Yen Bai Province Do Duc Duy asked the Party Central Committee to pay attention to and invest in mountainous provinces, particularly prioritizing investment in transportation and grid systems.

Duy said that in order to achieve the goal of sustainable poverty reduction and protection of forest resources and watershed ecological environment, the Party Central Committee should study and have specific policies to support localities in management, development and protection of watershed forests, water resources protection and socio-economic development.

Thu Hang - Tran Thuong
A member of the Afghan government's peace negotiating team said on January 31 that if the Taliban doesn't return to peace talks in Qatar soon, the Kabul government could recall its representatives before a deal is reached.



Government negotiator Rasul Talib told a news conference that the Afghan team is waiting for the return of the Taliban leadership to Doha, where a second round of peace talks began this month but have made little progress.



Talib said the Taliban should "stop spreading baseless remarks" and return to the negotiating table. He said the Taliban "does not have the guts for peace. They are spreading nonsense around."



There was no immediate response from the Taliban.



Talib's comments came after members of the Taliban leadership recently traveled to Iran and Russia for discussions on the negotiations.

U.S. President Joe Biden's new administration has said it plans to review the peace agreement signed last February between the United States and the Taliban.



The Afghan negotiating team praised that decision to review the U.S.-Taliban peace deal, saying the deal favors the Taliban.



Talib asked Biden's administration to withdraw its forces in a way that prevents a security vacuum in Afghanistan and eliminates the possibility of more militant attacks in the country, both against the United States and other countries.



Reuters reported on January 31 that international troops plan to stay in Afghanistan beyond the May deadline envisaged under the Taliban's deal with the United States.



Reuters said four senior NATO officials had confirmed the report on condition of anonymity, with one official quoted as saying "there will be no full withdrawal by allies by April-end."



"Conditions have not been met. And with the new U.S. administration, there will be tweaks in the policy," the NATO official said. "The sense of hasty withdrawal which was prevalent will be addressed and we could see a much more calculated exit strategy."

After discussions in Moscow on January 29, the head of the Taliban delegation, Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanikzai, said the Taliban expects the United States to fulfill its pledge to withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan by May.



Stanikzai has also demanded the resignation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, calling his administration an obstacle to peace



Hosting a meeting with a Taliban delegation in Tehran on January 31, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammd Javad Zarif called for the formation of an "all-inclusive" Afghan government.



That Taliban delegation, headed by its co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, arrived in Tehran on January 26 at the invitation of Iran's Foreign Ministry to exchange 'views on the peace process in Afghanistan."



In mid-January, the Pentagon announced that the U.S. military has met its goal of reducing the number of its troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Tenants of a pub group controlled by two of Britain's richest men are mulling legal action over rent demands.

Billionaire investors David and Simon Reuben face a rebellion by 250 tenants after their Wellington Pub Company offered to scrap or lower rents for nine months  but only if tenants agree to extend their leases by five years.

Turning the screw: Publicans say they feel under pressure as they cannot afford to pay rent while deprived of income

The publicans say they feel pressured to accept as they cannot afford to pay rent while deprived of income, and are considering a class action against Wellington.

A source said: 'Wellington is securing for itself an additional five years of inflated rental income. To withhold rent support for Covid-affected tenants unless they agree to such a reversionary lease is extortion.'

Other pub chains, such as Shepherd Neame and Greene King, have waived rents or cut them by 90 per cent if pubs are shut.

The Reuben brothers have an estimated wealth of 16billion. Their portfolio includes aviation firms and Doncaster and Chepstow racecourses.

Tenant Steve Porter, who runs the Shipwright's Arms in Shaldon, Devon, said he was getting 'further into debt', with requests for rent support unanswered. In December, Wellington increased his annual rent by 400.

He said: 'We are dealing with landlords with no scruples and no morals.'

Wellington declined to comment. It previously said in October last year it had agreed rent concessions with over half its tenants, alongside 'an extended lease agreement'.
Taiwan coast guard patrol boats along the coast of Pratas Islands in a file photo. (Photo by C.C.)

Taiwan Says Chinese Fighters, US Aircraft Both Entered Defense Zone

TAIPEISix Chinese fighter aircraft and a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft entered the southwestern corner of Taiwans air defense identification zone on Sunday, the islands defense ministry said, in an unusual admission of U.S. military activity.

Tensions have spiked over the last week or so after Taiwan reported multiple Chinese fighters and bombers flying into the zone last weekend, in an area close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the northern part of the South China Sea.

The Chinese missions coincided with a U.S. aircraft carrier group entering the South China Sea for what the U.S. military termed a routine deployment. The United States has criticized the Chinese flights.

Taiwans Defense Ministry said a total of seven Chinese aircraft flew into the same waters near the Pratas Islands on Sundaytwo J-10 fighters, four J-11 fighters and a Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft.

It added that a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft was also present in the same southwestern part of the defense zone, but neither named the aircraft type nor provided details of its flight path, which it does for all Chinese flights.

It was the first time Taiwan had mentioned the presence of a U.S. aircraft since it began near daily reports of Chinese activity in its defense zone in mid-September.

Taiwan rarely speaks publicly about U.S. activity near it, normally when U.S. warships sail through the Taiwan Strait, though diplomatic and security sources say there are frequent U.S. air and naval missions close to the island.

The United States, like most countries, has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is the islands most important international backer and supplier of weapons.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) toughened its language towards Taiwan last week, warning after its stepped up military activities that independence means war and that its armed forces were acting in response to provocation and foreign interference.

The CCP claims Taiwan is a part of its territory and has never renounced the use of military force to bring the island under its fold. Additionally, the Chinese regime sees Taiwans ruling party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as an independence force.

The DPP traditionally advocates for the island to formally declare independence from the mainland, in contrast to its main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which leans pro-Beijing.

While Taiwan has never formally declared independence, the island is a de-facto independent nation-state, with its own democratically-elected government, military, and constitution.

The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
Ahora | Mensaje a la Nacion del presidente de la Republica, @FSagasti.#NoBajemosLaGuardia

?? En vivo: https://t.co/UZQn9FhDmF
The CEOs of Exxon and Chevron reportedly discussed a potential merger of the oil giants, a combination that would have seismic implications for the energy industry.

Exxon CEO Darren Woods and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth held the talks "shortly after the coronavirus pandemic took hold," the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday afternoon, citing anonymous sources.

Exxon representative did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Chevron spokesperson Braden Reddall said in an email, "As a matter of policy, we do not comment on market rumors or speculation."

The reported merger talks came as the oil industry was grappling with the plummeting price of oil amid a global economic crash stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak. Oil prices temporarily plunged below $0 in April amid a global glut of crude but have since recovered to trade at more than $50 per barrel.

Still, the oil industry faces increasing pressure from governments throughout the world that are seeking to combat climate change, which is worsened by fossil fuels like petroleum.

A motorist drives by an Exxon sign displaying gas prices in Opa-locka, Fla., on July 19, 2017.

Linked to Trump rally: Grocery chain Publix says heiress not connected to company

Retirement planning: Saving money easier when you set rules for yourself

It was not immediately clear how a potential combination of Exxon and Chevron would impact American consumers. Gasoline prices are tied closely to the price of oil but have remained below $3 on average for several years due to a global surplus of production.

The Wall Street Journal described the negotiations between Exxon and Chevron as "preliminary" and not "ongoing but could come back in the future."

The two oil companies trace their roots back to John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil monopoly, which U.S. regulators broke up more than a century ago.

Exxon was worth about $190 billion, while Chevron was worth $164 billion.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Exxon, Chevron merger talks: Oil giants held discussions, report says
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EACH AND EVERY DAY, my colleagues and I hear about how New Hampshires high property taxes are an unsustainable burden on hardworking Granite Staters. According to a recent report from US News and WalletHub, New Hampshire has the third-highest property tax rates in the country. For young wor
HomeAid Houston, a 501(c)(3) charity of the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA), that builds transitional shelters for Houstons homeless care agencies, takes great pride in the development of partnerships with various media outlets around the city that donate time and services.

One of the longest partnerships HomeAid has is with the Houston Chronicle  it has donated space for the stories in its Homes section each weekend for nearly 15 years, and also added the stories to its online presence. These articles highlight the agencys projects and help to educate the readers about homelessness in Houston.
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A member of the public walks her dogs down an empty high street in the city centre of Exeter, England. Dan Mullan/Getty Images

The number of flu cases in England this winter has plunged to levels not seen in more than 130 years.

New data published by the Sunday Times shows the prevalence of flu is around 95% lower than normal.

Experts believe cases are low due to ongoing lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As coronavirus cases continue to surge in England this winter, the number of people suffering from flu has plunged to levels not seen in more than 130 years, experts told the Sunday Times.

Medical experts said flu appears to have been "almost completely wiped out" after rates plummeted by a whopping 95%.

According to data obtained by the Times, the number of those who reported influenza-like illnesses to their GPs was 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to a five-year average rate of 27.

The data comes from the second week of January, which is normally the peak time of the influenza season in which thousands of people are hospitalized.

The number of hospital admissions in England for flu was zero as of mid-January.

"I cannot think of a year this has happened," Simon de Lusignan, a professor of primary care at the University of Oxford told the Times.

Read more: Coronavirus variants threaten to upend pandemic progress. Here's how 4 top vaccine makers are fighting back.

John McCauley, director of the World Health Organization's collaborating center in London told the Times that the collapse in numbers was "unprecedented."

But while this might be good news overall, some scientists who are developing a vaccine for next year's flu season are struggling because of the few samples they now have to work on.

"It's a nightmare to work out what comes next," said McCauley. "If you have flu away for a year, then immunity will have waned. It could come back worse."

Experts have previously said that flu rates have been lower this year due to ongoing lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures.

Story continues

The low flu numbers in the country offer a stark difference to its coronavirus cases.

Almost 4 million people have contracted the virus in the UK since the beginning of the pandemic and more than 105,000 have died, according to a tracker by Johns Hopkins University.

The country, which has been in a third lockdown since early January, has been aggressively rolling out vaccinations. More than 8 million people have already received their first dose, according to a government website.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Cotonou, Benin (PANA)  The Arab funds and banks are supporting the response to the COVID-19 and the establishment of health infrastructure in Benin through a series of financings recently granted to the country, official sources said on Sunday in Cotonou
Hyderabad, Jan 31 : Some BJP activists on Sunday attacked the house of TRS MLA Challa Dharma Reddy in Hanamkonda protesting his remarks on construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Police said some BJP leaders and workers attacked the legislator of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) with stones and eggs.

BJP leaders and activists of Warangal Urban and Warangal Rural districts were allegedly involved in the attack. The attackers broke window panes and damaged furniture.

Police rushed to the scene and arrested the attackers. Assistant Commissioner of Police Jitender Reddy said the situation was immediately brought under control.

Trouble began during a protest organised by the BJP in front of the MLA's house. Protestors, raising slogans of 'Jai Sri Ram', started pelting stones.

On learning about the incident, Panchayat Raj Minister E. Dayakar Rao visited Dharma Reddy's house and enquired about the incident.

The BJP had taken strong exception to the remarks made by Dharma Reddy. While addressing a meeting three days ago, the MLA from Parkal had questioned why should people of Telangana donate for the temple in Ayodhya when there was already a Ramalayam in Bhadrachalam. "We have Lord Rama in Bhadrachalam. Who we need this Rama?" he asked the BJP leaders.

While stating that he was not against the idea of constructing a temple, the TRS legislators remarked: "God is for all and not just for you." He alleged that the BJP party leaders were politicising the issue.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, Dharma Reddy reiterated his remarks. He also wanted to know why no account was being maintained about the donations for Ram temple.

The TRS and the BJP have been engaged in a slugfest over Ram temple over last few days.

Another TRS legislator K. Vidya Sagar Rao had slammed BJP leaders for donation drive for the temple. "They are doing a new drama. Everyone is a devotee of Lord Rama. Why do we need a Ram temple in Ayodhya. We have Ram temples in every village," he had said.

Vidya Sagar Rao also had to face the ire of BJP workers, who accused him of insulting religious sentiments of Hindus.

Meanwhile, state minister and TRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao condemned the attack on Dharma Reddy's house.

In a statement, he said that there is no room in democracy for physical attacks.

He said all those who believe in democracy should condemn the act of BJP leaders who are resorting to physical attacks after failing to convince people with their arguments.

Rama Rao said BJP was crossing the limits of rational criticism to indulge in physical attacks and this was not appropriate in Telangana politics. "TRS wants value based politics in Telangana. BJP should realize that TRS has the strength to protect its cadres and every worker," he said.

KTR, as Rao is popularly known, told BJP leaders that if they test the patience of TRS cadres, they will not be able to move freely. "TRS has the power to counter BJP's physical attacks. We have already warned BJP that our patience has a limit. Still, we are moving ahead with patience and as a responsible political party. BJP should not forget that TRS is a party born from a movement." He urged intellectuals to question the BJP which is trying to create a divide in the peaceful Telangana society.
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Federal mining licensors at Nigerias Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) are looking to February 12 to commence the revocation of some 2,763 mineral titles whose holders have failed to pay outstanding yearly service fees in a new aggressive revenue drive designed to swell governments coffers in 2021.

The titles at risk of federal axe represent 25 per cent of the total 10,959 mining operators registered in Nigeria, according to data from the Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals Development as of December 31, 2020.

An MCO report spelling out this plan, issued from the office of its Director-General, Obadiah Nkom, and made available to PREMIUM TIMES, warns that all Mineral title holders whose titles had been previously revoked by this Office, are also required to pay up all their outstanding liabilities prior to the revocation of their Mineral Titles in line with Section 155 of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, failure of which necessary steps including legal action shall be taken against them to recover all the outstanding fees or liabilities as the case may be.

The Mining Cadastre Office is the nations body responsible for the management and administration of mineral titles in the country, and on the list of titles now threatened by this new order, Small-Scale Mining Lease (SSML) titles accounted for 1,173 licenses of the total defaulters (42.45 per cent of the total defaulters), followed by 767 Exploration License (EL) titles holders (27.76 per cent], 688 Quarry Lease (QLS) titles licenses (24.9 per cent), while only 135 Mining Leases (ML) titles (4.89 per cent) are currently at risk.

Mining licensors also warned that Mineral titleholders who are in default in the performance of their statutory obligations that this notice also serves as an intention to revoke their titles for non-compliance, if they fail to remedy all their defaults in a fortnight from 12 January this year when the order was originally passed to them.

Mining Cadastre Office Accruals

The mining sector contributed 69.47 billion to the federal purse in 2018, representing an increase of 16.69 billion or 31.63 per cent over the previous year, 2017, according to data from NEITI in its current report, which indicated that the Mining Cadastre Office contributed N1.57 billion in 2018, a decrease of 21.95 per cent of N2.01 billion it made in 2017.

ALSO READ: British firm begins gold mining in Nigeria

Figures for 2019 are unavailable in the public data spaces but Mr Nkom who leads the Mining Cadastre Office team told PREMIUM TIMES earlier this year, that the agency made 50 per cent of the total revenue generated by the entire Ministry of Mines and Steel Development that year. He also said the target for 2020 could not be met due to the global pandemic that struck at the beginning of the year and disrupted the entire process.

Mineral Title Acquisition

The Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) is charged with the responsibility of administration and management of mineral rights and titles through the application for or competitive bidding process in a transparent manner.

The application involves an online submission of completed forms that are subject to further review and evaluation. The applications are either accepted or declined based on the criteria met. Upon acceptance, the applicant pays fees and the license is issued on a first-come-first-serve basis.

For competitive bidding, the minister sets guidelines and invites interested investors through advertisements to bid for EL and ML only. The committee, therefore, reviews and evaluates the bidding process based on the set criteria. The winner emerges and the license is issued which is subject to the payment of a prescribed fee.

According to NEITI, MCO issued a total of 1,230 licenses in 2015, consisting of Reconnaissance Permit (RP), EL, ML, SSML, and QLS. In 2016, it issued 1,465 licenses, 1,580 licenses in 2017 and 1,516 licenses in 2018.

A title may be subject to revocation as stated in the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act by an approval from the Minister if the titleholder fails to pay up the annual service charge after a 30-day prior notice through a registered post address.
COVID is everyones job now, but not everyone reacted to this emergency the same way, said Loretto President and CEO George Miller, who recently named Daniels the hospitals 2020 employee of the year. Jonathan tries to help every department in the hospital. His energy, his teamwork, his willingness to help  even when it has nothing to do with what he does  is just so impressive.
NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("Restaurant Brands" or the "Company") (NYSE: QSR) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and docketed under 21-cv-00148, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired Restaurant Brands securities between April 29, 2019 and October 28, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

If you are a shareholder who purchased Restaurant Brands securities during the Class Period, you have until February 19, 2021, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Restaurant Brands is one of the world's largest restaurant chains with over 27,000 Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes restaurants in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories as of December 31, 2019.

On April 24, 2018, Restaurant Brands announced a new strategy designed to improve performance within the Company's Tim Hortons brand. Specifically, the "Winning Together Plan" would focus on three key pillars: restaurant experience; product excellence; and brand communications.

On March 20, 2019, Restaurant Brands announced "Tims Rewards"a new loyalty program for Tim Hortons customers in Canada. Under the Tims Rewards program, customers would be eligible for a free hot brewed coffee, hot tea, or baked good after every seventh paid visit to a participating Tim Hortons restaurant. On April 10, 2019, Restaurant Brands announced that it was expanding the Tims Rewards program to include customers in the U.S.

Throughout the Class Period, Defendants repeatedly touted the implementation and execution of the Company's Winning Together Plan and Tims Rewards loyalty program. On the heels of the Company touting the benefits of these initiatives, the Company completed two stock offerings on or about August 12, 2019, and September 5, 2019, collectively resulting in proceeds of approximately $3 billion to insiders.

This Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts, about the Company's business and operations. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's Winning Together Plan was failing to generate substantial, sustainable improvement within the Tim Hortons brand; (ii) the Tims Rewards loyalty program was not generating sustainable revenue growth as increased customer traffic was not offsetting promotional discounting; and (iii) as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis.

On October 28, 2019, mere weeks after the offerings were completed, investors learned the truth about Tim Hortons' hyped growth initiatives when the Company announced disappointing financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019. Specifically, Defendants acknowledged that "results at Tim Hortons were not where we want them to be with global comparable sales dipping into negative territory" and admitted that "discounting [associated with Tims Rewards] is slightly more than offsetting the traffic levels, which is causing a little bit of softness in sales."

On this news, the price of Restaurant Brands common shares declined $2.59 per share, or approximately 4%, from a close of $68.45 per share on October 25, 2019, to close at $65.86 per share on October 28, 2019.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

www.pomerantzlaw.com



Susan Collins and some other Republicans are trying to get Biden to agree to a $600 billion COVID package that they came up with. Good thing Bernie and other Democrats won't go for it.

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They must have taken out a lot of what biden proposed.

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I love how they offer nothing when they're in the minority and expect to get what they want instead of Dems just passing their own bill. If Manchin kicks up a stink then let him take the blame for people getting nothing.

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All the moderate Democrats who are opposed to getting rid of the filibuster are so stupid if they think that there is going to be any sort of bipartisanship going on.

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the issue is that manchin is not where the blame will fall. "we had both chambers and the presidency and tried to pass x but got obstructed by our own party" is not going to be a winning message in 2022.

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Its because the republicans have steamrolled over the Democrats for the better part of the last decade, they still think they can do it. The dems need to grow a spine, and actually act like they hold hold the majority.

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Yeah, Dems have the votes. That $600 billion won't do shit and then people will blame the Dems when they're not getting relief.



Pass a Covid relief bill via budget reconciliation in the next week or so and move on. We don't need any Republicans to come along if they don't want to.

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Hopefully Susan Collins will learn her lesson when they tell her to suck rocks.

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I enjoyed Jon Stewart only following Arby's and Arby's post and his reply lol I had almost forgot that running joke. I haven't watched the Daily Show since he left

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 new @ajc/@UGA poll in Georgia...



NET APPROVAL/FAV/SUPPORT:

 Trump: -17

 Kemp: -9

 Raffensperger: +13

 Biden (transition): +25

 Biden (fav): +11

 Abrams: +10

 Ossoff: +10

 Warnock: +17

 Dems: +6

 GOP: -26

 $2000 checks: +56

 impeachment: +6https://t.co/o2M5T3gxu7  Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) January 30, 2021



+56 for $2,000 checks



the way warnock's seat is as good as gone when republicans exploit the "immediate $2k checks" messaging to "means tested $1.4k checks in may" reality +56 for $2,000 checksthe way warnock's seat is as good as gone when republicans exploit the "immediate $2k checks" messaging to "means tested $1.4k checks in may" reality

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I would fucking cry. Warnock is a historic win and needs to stay in office to represent the Black community & PoC in the former confederacy in Congress.

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I wish we had snow!! It's just rainy and kind of cold here :( I wish I could go to the bookstore to just get out of my house and out of my head for awhile.

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so rainy and blah :(

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They said we would get snow on Christmas and it ended up being like 70 degrees. The meme about NC weather and how you can have all 4 seasons in a week is so true 



Hope you and your family are having a nice Sunday tho!

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Imma buy a gamestop share tomorrow. Fuck wall street.

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People getting all up in arms about a $15 minimum wage is so funny to me when that amounts to $31,200/year. Still not enough to live comfortably in a lot of places.

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It makes me wanna cry tbh because that was what ppl were asking for like ten years ago. It should be $20 now

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Oh yeah, it definitely should be more than $15 now. Bernie Sanders had a great post on Twitter talking about how McDonalds workers in Denmark make $22/hour. It's so ridiculous that people are getting paid so little in the US.

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Yep, by the time it takes effect people will need 20-25 minimum. The fact that there are (a lot) of people who think that being an adult working full time is not enough to deserve a living wage is infuriating.

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For real!! What kind of universe do we live in where $15/hour is enough to live comfortably in say the Bronx or Manhattan or Boston?

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I don't understand why people are even against it. Like, $7.25 an hour isn't enough for anyone in this country.

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And thats BEFORE taxes and healthcare.

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Every time I see comments on Twitter and Reddit about how the $15.00 is unfair because people should just get a better job to be paid what theyre worth, I cant help gnashing my teeth.



$15.00 is nothing, especially when you live somewhere with a high cost of living. Of course the immediate response is just move, as though that doesnt cost money on its own.



Its just so frustrating. I live at home-and pay rent-but cant afford to get my own place because rent in my area is close to 3/4 of my paycheck and this is despite me making over $15.00 an hour and usually not including utilities. And its not just me. So many people at my job-a hospital-have second jobs because they cant make ends meet. Nurses, technicians, registrars...they all do it.



People are just so selfish; because they suffered, everyone else should suffer too. The only thing that depresses me about raising federal wages is that it generally doesnt help anyone who already makes more than that. I wish they did something for cost of living.



Edited at 2021-01-31 09:55 pm (UTC)

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You wouldn't be able to afford your own place with that in my state (MD). You'd have to have a roommate or 5.



(on a side note: I just looked it up and our minimum wage is only $11.75 when iirc we're the most expensive state in the country wtf. I honestly thought we had $15 minimum already, fucking shameful.

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Cost of living is pretty low where I'm at compared to where I grew up. $18/hr for two people still couldn't afford a 2br tiny apartment.

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Meghan is trying sooo hard to pander to both sides now that she knows shes on the chopping block

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I wonder if 45 will have any lawyers to present a case on his behalf. But then again, they could have Rudy fart for three hours as a defense and the sedition party will vote to acquit.

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Looks like he picked up a couple new lawyers today. I wouldn't bet that he'll keep them.

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I know the GOP will vote to acquit no matter what.



BUT I really am looking forward to the case that the impeachment managers are going to present. And the news better cover the fuck out of it. Because if they present a good case, that could really impact public perception.

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There also needs to be a 9/11 type of commission into everything that went on to make January 6th possible.

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Because if they present a good case, that could really impact public perception.



this is fantasy

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People who believe 45 was sent by God to hold public executions of the Democrats who let Jewish people build space lasers to start forest fires and have sex trafficking rings in restaurant basements arent gonna watch the senate trial and be convinced that hes guilty.

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people watched the insurrection live on tv. if people don't already believe trump is bad and should be held accountable they're not going to now.

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Ontd are you buried under snow this weekend?



It's 75f/24c out today, so no.

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we have a windchill (or RealFeel) of about 0F right now.

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It's snowing but we won't get enough for me to not be able to go to work tomorrow 



But today is nice. I watched The Thin Man and made turkey chili mac and cheese.

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Ha, this is how I feel every Thursday night, since Friday is my Monday. Like please give me one good, heavy snowstorm this winter so I can have some time off.

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Snow is God's way of telling us to stay in bed all day.

It's a survival response. Fight or flight.

Fly under your covers and fight anything that tries to move you from them.

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Republicans remain useless. I would like a glimpse into the future to see what finally ends this pointless party

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Nothing will. They won't stop until they are dictators.

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Just make it $2k per month until pandemic is over, vaccinate everyone, take money from war, trump and his band of GOP criminals, and the wall fund. We have the money! Weve done bail out after bail out without batting an eye.

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I wonder if theyre sitting on evidence/building a case before expelling Marjorie Taylor Green and the rest of the NegaSquad. A couple of weeks ago there were rumblings that there was proof of collusion/assistance from members of the House and those have gone silent, but I think its just being hush hush while evidence mounts





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This, plus some stuff Pelosi and AOC have said make me wonder how much is going on behind the scenes. I want to knowwwww but if it means getting things done correctly then I can wait lol

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I really hope youre right. I want them gone.

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I hope youre right. McCarthy was going to have a stern chat with MTG, but that was before he went to maralago. The GOP has no plan to eject these crazy assholes, probably just tell them to keep their crazy on the DL for a minute. They need 2/3 to remove someone from Congress, and I dont think they have it. I want to have the hope that Nancy has more up her sleeve, but I doubt it.

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The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Blinkens call as a crude interference in Russias internal affairs and accused Washington of trying to destabilise the situation in the country by backing the protests. On Sunday, police detained 5021 people at protests in cities nationwide, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests, surpassing some 4000 detentions at the demonstrations across Russia on January 23. Loading In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed. Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny claims was responsible for his poisoning. Facing police cordons around the square, the protest then shifted to other central squares and streets.

Police were randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses, but thousands of protesters marched across the city centre for hours, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief!  a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalnys team. Loading Im not afraid, because we are the majority, said Leonid Martynov, who took part in the protest. We mustnt be scared by clubs because the truth is on our side. At one point, crowds of demonstrators walked toward the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held. They were met by phalanxes of riot police who pushed the march back and chased protesters through courtyards, detaining scores and beating some with clubs. Still, demonstrators continued to march around the Russian capital, zigzagging around police cordons. In Moscow, nearly 1500 people were detained, including Navalnys wife, Yulia. If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow, she said on Instagram before turning out to protest.

Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow have arrested so many people that the citys detention facilities have run out of space. The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters calls for freedom and change, Natalia Zviagina, the groups Moscow office head, said in a statement. Several thousand people marched across Russias second-largest city of St. Petersburg, chanting Down with the tsar! and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. More than 1000 were arrested. Some of the biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk in eastern Siberia and Yekaterinburg in the Urals. I do not want my grandchildren to live in such a country, said 55-year-old Vyacheslav Vorobyov, who turned out for a rally in Yekaterinburg. I want them to live in a free country. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who currently chairs the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists and urged Russia to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.

As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalnys associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put Friday under a two-month house arrest on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests. Loading Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests. The Interior Ministry issued stern warnings to the public, saying protesters could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years. Protests were fuelled by a two-hour YouTube video released by Navalnys team after his arrest about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putins time in office while poverty has remained widespread. Demonstrators in Moscow chanted Aqua discotheque!  a reference to one of the fancy amenities at the residence that also features a casino and a hookah lounge equipped for watching pole dances. Putin says neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property. On Saturday, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed that he himself owned the property. Navalny fell into a coma on August 20 while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and the pilot diverted the plane so he could be treated in the city of Omsk. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent. Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming lack of evidence that he was poisoned.
Queenslands Police Commissioner says she expects more men to be charged over the gang rape of two teenage girls in a Brisbane park.

Four men have now been charged with a combined 160 offences stemming from the assault in a park in Calamvale in Brisbanes south on December 28 last year.

Calamvale District Park, where the gang rape is alleged to have taken place.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll said on Sunday that the investigation into the assault is ongoing, and she expected more of the men involved to be charged in the coming days.

This is a sickening incident, and something those young girls will have to live with for the rest of their lives, Ms Carroll said.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh cast aspersions on the intelligence agencies for failing to gather inputs on the bomb blast near the Israel embassy in Delhi while condemning the incident on Sunday. Terming the intelligence failure as 'shameful', the Congress leader alleged that the agencies were only gathering information and derailing the ongoing farmers' protests in the national capital and around its borders. Incidentally, other leaders of Digvijaya Singh's party had also blamed intelligence agencies for being unable to prevent the violence on January 26 as the tractor rally went berserk in Delhi, leading to a flag that wasn't the Tricolour being unfurled at the Red Fort.

I strongly condemn the bomb blast near Israeli Embassy. Violence has no place in our Indian Ethos.

What are our Intelligence Agencies doing? Only gathering information and planning how to derail Farmers agitation? Shameful.  digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) January 31, 2021

READ | Delhi Blast: Israel Envoy Dr Ron Malka Assures Bilateral Ties With India Remain Undeterred

IED blast near Israel Embassy

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off around 5:05 PM on Friday while the Beating Retreat ceremony marking the end of Republic Day celebrations was ongoing nearby, causing a minor blast near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. While no injuries were reported, windows of a few cars in the vicinity on Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road were found shattered. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report on the incident whereas NSA Ajit Doval also took stock of the situation on Friday evening, also speaking to his counterpart in Israel.

READ | 'Some Nations Might Be Threatened By Bilateral Ties': Israel Envoy Dr Ron Malka On Blast

An alert was issued at all airports, important installations and government buildings in view of the blast, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said. The exact location of the blast was outside Jindal House, a few metres away from Israel Embassy. As per inputs then, an envelope addressed to the Israeli Embassy containing a note was found at the site of the blast. As per sources, the envelope was addressed to embassy officials but no further details were divulged on its contents. The Delhi Police has recovered pieces of a cold drink can, ball bearings and a half-burnt pink scarf from the spot.

READ | 'India-Israel Ties Targeted, Both Sides Investigating': Envoy Dr Ron Malka On Delhi Blast

'Some Nations Might Be Threatened By Bilateral Ties': Israel Envoy

A day after an IED went off near the Isreal embassy in Delhi, Israel's Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka stated that the explosion has been considered as a 'terror attack' targeted at the embassy on APJ Abdul Kalam Marg. Dr Malka asserted that the investigation is underway and all the pieces are being brought together to identify those behind the attack. He also hinted that the attack might be to hinder Israel-India relations as it was carried out on a day when both the countries marked the 29th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Speaking to Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, the Israeli envoy said, "The investigation is unfolding. We are collecting every piece of information and evidence and eyewitnesses. Putting all the pieces together and trying to create the full picture and we are advancing in that. Our strong assumption is that it is indeed a terror attack against the embassy. Now we are trying to understand who is standing behind this attack. Hopefully, we'll find out and bring it to justice."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday expressed "full confidence" in the Indian authorities in ensuring the safety of Israelis and Jews in India following the blast.

As Ajit Doval spoke to his Israeli counterpart Meir Ben-Shabbat and updated him on the situation and ongoing investigation, the update was conveyed to Prime Minister Netanyahu, sources said to PTI.

Netanyahu asked to convey to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi that Israel has "full confidence that the Indian authorities will do a thorough investigation of the incident and ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews who are there", the officials said.

The two sides agreed to continue full cooperation through all channels, they said. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi and assured him of "fullest protection" to diplomats and the mission.

READ | Bengal SP Who Arrested BJP Workers For 'goli Maaro' Slogan Quits; Denies Political Entry
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MOSCOW - Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 5,000 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov)

MOSCOW - Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 5,000 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten.

The massive protests came despite efforts by Russian authorities to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia had seen in years. Despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and tight police cordons, the protests again engulfed cities across Russia's 11 time zones on Sunday.

FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2016, file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, joins businessman and billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, during to a visit to the construction site of the Kerch Strait bridge in Kerch, Crimea. Putin has said that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the lavish Black Sea residence property featured in a video Alexei Navalny's team released. shortly after his arrest. On Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a close Putin associate and his sometimes judo sparring partner, claimed he owned the property. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin, File Pool Photo via AP, File)

Navalny's team quickly called another protest in Moscow for Tuesday, when he is set to face a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.

The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is Putin's best-known critic, was arrested on Jan. 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement when he was recuperating in Germany.

The United States urged Russia to release Navalny and criticized the crackdown on protests.

Police block a street before a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Blinken's call as crude interference in Russia's internal affairs" and accused Washington of trying to destabilize the situation in the country by backing the protests.

On Sunday, police detained more than 5,000 people in cities nationwide, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests, surpassing some 4,000 detentions at the demonstrations across Russia on Jan. 23.

Police officers search a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed.

Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny contends was responsible for his poisoning. Facing police cordons around the square, the protest shifted to other central squares and streets.

Police were randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses, but thousands of protesters marched across the city centre for hours, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief!"  a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalnys team.

Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

Im not afraid, because we are the majority," said protester Leonid Martynov. We mustn't be scared by clubs because the truth is on our side."

At one point, crowds of demonstrators walked toward the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held. They were met by phalanxes of riot police who pushed the march back and chased protesters through courtyards.

Demonstrators continued to march around the Russian capital, zigzagging around police cordons. Officers broke them into smaller groups and detained scores, beating some with clubs and occasionally using tasers.

Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo)

Over 1,600 people were detained in Moscow, including Navalny's wife, Yulia, who was released after several hours pending a court hearing Monday on charges of taking part in an unsanctioned protest. If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow, she said on Instagram before turning out to protest.

Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow have arrested so many people that the city's detention facilities have run out of space. The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters calls for freedom and change, Natalia Zviagina, the groups Moscow office head, said in a statement.

Several thousand people marched across Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, chanting Down with the czar! and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. Over 1,100 were arrested.

Police officers detain a man during a protest near the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Alexei Navalny is being held, in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Over 1,600 were detained by police, according to a monitoring group. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Some of the biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk in eastern Siberia and Yekaterinburg in the Urals.

I do not want my grandchildren to live in such a country," said 55-year-old Vyacheslav Vorobyov, who turned out for a rally in Yekaterinburg. "I want them to live in a free country.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who currently chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists and urged Russia to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.

People clash with police during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalny's associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under a two-month house arrest Friday on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.

The Interior Ministry issued stern warnings to the public, saying protesters could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.

Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)

Protests were fueled by a two-hour YouTube video released by Navalny's team after his arrest about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putins time in office while poverty has remained widespread.

All of us feel pinched financially, so people who take to the streets today feel angry, said Vladimir Perminov who protested in Moscow. The government's rotation is necessary.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Tens of thousands of people are protesting across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in wave of nationwide demonstrations that have rattled the Kremlin. Many chanted slogans against President Vladimir Putin. Activists say police detained more than 3,300 protesters across the country on Sunday, including over 900 in Moscow. (AP Photo/Denis Kaminev)

Demonstrators in Moscow chanted Aqua discotheque!  a reference to one of the fancy amenities at the residence that also features a casino and a hookah lounge equipped for watching pole dances.

Putin says neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property. On Saturday, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed that he himself owned the property.

Navalny fell into a coma on Aug. 20 while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and the pilot diverted the plane so he could be treated in the city of Omsk. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent.

Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

Navalny was arrested immediately upon his return to Russia earlier this month and jailed for 30 days on the request of Russias prison service, which alleged he had violated the probation of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected Navalny's appeal to be released, and the hearing Tuesday could turn his 3 1/2-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.


Jaipur:

Slain gangster Anandpal Singh's family member have demanded a CBI enquiry into his death and have refused to cremate him. The demand has continued eight days after he was gunned down by Rajasthan Police in an encounter.

On Saturday, police had handed over Anandpal's body to his daughter Yogita Singh and maternal uncle at their hometown in Sanvrad in Nagaur district following a fresh post-mortem,which a local court had ordered after the family moved court.

"In the re-postmortem application, family members had demanded that Supreme Court guidelines on encounter befollowed. We followed it and investigation has been handed over to an independent, higher officer under the supervision of IG, Bikaner," Nagaur SP, Paris Deshmukh said.

Family members have been demanding a CBI inquiry in the encounter and were not accepting the body unless the government refers the case to CBI. However, after fresh post-mortem at the Churu district hospital, family members on Saturday accepted the body and have kept it on ice slabs in their home till their demand it met.

"Elaborate security arrangements are in place in Ladnusub division where the village is situated," SP Nagaur Deshmukh said. Anandpal, who had managed to escape from police custody while being taken back to a high security prison in Ajmer from a court in Nagaur in September 2015, had taken shelter in a house in Churu. He was killed in an encounter with police last Saturday.

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Married At First Sight is set to return in a matter of weeks, with a brand new batch of brides and grooms on the hunt to find true love.

And while viewers have witnessed a few successful romances blossom on screen, some contestants have hit headlines for all the wrong reasons since their drama-filled seasons aired.

As the show prepares for its long-awaited return, Daily Mail Australia looks back at some of the biggest scandals to plague MAFS alumni over the past few years:

Telv Williams' 'white powder' scandal

Scandal: In March 2018, leaked footage surfaced of MAFS star Telv Williams snorting a white powder off a stripper's bottom. In images first published by Woman's Day, the FIFO worker was also seen posing next to the topless dancer while holding a bag of white powder in his mouth

In March 2018, leaked footage surfaced of Telv Williams snorting a mysterious white powder off a stripper's bottom.

In images first published by Woman's Day, the FIFO worker was also seen posing next to the topless dancer while holding a bag of white powder in his mouth.

In May of the same year, Daily Mail Australia obtained more footage of Telv snorting white powder from a stripper's breast, believed to be taken on the same night.

A regretful Telv later revealed on Sean Thomsen's podcast, The Seany Show, that he was 'disappointed' and 'very embarrassed' by the leaked footage.

Shocking behaviour: In May, Daily Mail Australia obtained footage of Telv snorting white powder from a stripper's breast. Telv later revealed on Sean Thomsen's podcast, The Seany Show, that he was 'disappointed' and 'very embarrassed' by the leaked footage

He explained that the video was filmed during the 'hardest couple of months' of his life, when he was taking drugs and partying to cope with a difficult breakup.

He said: 'I regret that because the three months - that period of me taking drugs, partying - was the time when I broke up with my partner, and it was probably the hardest couple of months of my entire life.

'Going through the breakup with the mother of my children was definitely the hardest thing just because I was so scared to be a single dad. That was really hard.'

Ines Basic's drink-driving charge

Sentenced: In 2019, Ines Basic was sentenced to 70 hours of community service and disqualified from driving for three months after pleading guilty to drink driving at Cleveland Magistrates Court in Brisbane

In 2019, Ines Basic was sentenced to 70 hours of community service and disqualified from driving for three months after pleading guilty to drink driving at Cleveland Magistrates Court in Brisbane.

On Christmas Day the year before, the legal assistant got drunk on vodka and rammed her vehicle into her sister Ena's car as it was parked in the driveway of her Redland Bay home, 9News reported.

In court, Ines's lawyer Ivan Sayad explained that his client's illegal behaviour was the result of being 'ridiculed' by her sister for appearing on reality TV, before Ines herself defiantly told the court: 'I would never drink and drive, but the b***h pissed me off!'

Family drama: Ines's lawyer Ivan Sayad explained that his client's illegal behaviour was the result of being 'ridiculed' by her sister for appearing on reality TV, before Ines herself defiantly told the court: 'I would never drink and drive, but the b***h pissed me off!'

According to the prosecutor, Ines had been 'carrying on like an idiot' and screaming obscenities during the incident, which took place at around 7pm on December 25.

She had been drinking vodka since 10am and, following her argument with her sister about appearing on MAFS, yelled: 'I'm gonna f**king burn your f**king house down!'

In sentencing, Magistrate Deborah Vasta told Ines to 'get some perspective on life'.

Vasta hoped the community service would help Ines understand the 'real fabric of society' and escape from the 'bubble of artificiality' she has been living in.

Nic Jovanovic's explicit video nightmare

In February 2019, Nic Jovanovic's on-screen wife Cyrell Paule (both pictured) claimed an explicit tape of him was circulating online on social media

In February 2019, Nic Jovanovic's on-screen wife Cyrell Paule claimed an explicit tape of him was circulating online on social media.

Cyrell alleged that the video was not 'from the show' and originally 'came from someone in Perth'.

The following month, Nic claimed he was aware of the video being circulated online, but said he had no idea of how it was leaked.

Speaking to Western Australia's Hit Network's Heidi, Xavier & Ryan, Nic said: 'We don't know how it got out. It's not a nice situation.'

Regret: The following month, Nic claimed he was aware of the video being circulated online, but said he had no idea of how it was leaked

He also said he regretted making an 'unfortunate' comment about 'marriage' in the intimate video.

Firstly, Nic cleared up the buzz around the video to the radio hosts, clarifying, 'It's not a sex tape, that's for sure! And I want to make it clear it was from a few years ago.'

The electrician went on to say: 'There was a comment made in it that was said, but it was referring to the other party that was going through a divorce and it was a really really unfortunate thing to say.'

He said the clip was with someone who had recently been divorced, adding, 'I made a comment saying it was tough being married. It was not a sort of joking thing and the other party that's involved is pretty upset about things and I'm pretty upset too.'

Natasha Spencer's revenge porn attack

Nightmare: Natasha Spencer, who soared to fame in the most recent season of MAFS, became the victim of a revenge porn act last year

Natasha Spencer, who soared to fame in the most recent season of MAFS, became the victim of a revenge porn act last year.

The financial analyst revealed she became a nervous wreck when she first discovered the private video was being circulated on social media.

She told Woman's Day: 'A close friend of mine who works in construction told me the video was being passed around by tradies.'

The video is believed to have emerged on February 4 2020, the day Natasha's wedding to Mikey Pembroke was watched by more than a million Australians.

It was not made by anyone from the show.

Heartbroken: Natasha said she had prepared herself for scrutiny when she signed up for Nine's reality show, but had never expected to have her privacy invaded in this way

Natasha said she had prepared herself for scrutiny when she signed up for Nine's reality show, but had never expected to have her privacy invaded in this way.

'I knew there would be interest in my personal life, but this has gone too far,' she said of the revenge porn leak.

Natasha, who reported the incident to NSW Police, added that her experience should be a warning to other young women.

'Don't do it! By all means enjoy sex, get what you want, but don't get behind the camera,' she said.

Amanda Micallef 's GoFundMe backlash

Amanda Micallef set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for her to move from Melbourne to the Gold Coast last year after struggling during Victoria's strict covid-19 lockdown period.

Detailing her struggles amid the coronavirus pandemic, Amanda said she created the page after becoming so 'broken' and having 'run out of ideas to survive'.

Amanda was blasted by fans for collecting more than $5,000 via the GoFundMe page to help 'start her brand new life' in Queensland when so many were struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

That's rich: Amanda Micallef (pictured) set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for her to move from Melbourne to the Gold Coast last year after struggling during Victoria's strict covid-19 lockdown period

The 34-year-old told The Wash that she was 'dumbfounded' by the criticism, adding that trolls 'want to kick you when you're down'.

She also shared a video to her Instagram Story at the time, telling her followers: 'I'm actually not working full-time.

'For those that think that I am, yes, I sell a few programs online, but my business has been severely struggling because of COVID,' the personal trainer added.
Charlayne Hunter-Gault speaks at the Holmes-Hunter Lecture in The Chapel in Athens, Georgia on Thursday, February 15, 2018. The Chapel was full with people attending the lecture to hear Hunter-Gault, one of the first African American students to enroll at The University of Georgia, speak. (Photo/Emily Haney, emilyhaney.com)
DANBURY  The magnet schools lottery is experiencing a decline in student applications, but district officials wont allow that to hurt the schools funding, according to Assistant Superintendent Kevin Walston.

The Academy for International Studies (AIS) is down about 150 to 160 applications from previous years, Walston said in a Danbury Board of Education meeting last week.

We feel like we still have enough applications to fill the seats at AIS, but our numbers are still down, Walston said in the meeting.

Of the 627 applications received, approximately 555 were for Danbury seats, Walston said. Despite Danbury students comprising the majority of applications thus far, both numbers for Danbury and external district applications are lower.

The lack of applications from other, non-partner districts could potentially affect the 70 to 30 ratio the school strikes to balance each year between Danbury students and others required by the state. At most, students from other districts can make up 40 percent of the Danbury magnet schools and at minimum, 30 percent.

Maintaining the 70 to 30 ratio instead of the 60 to 40 ratio allows the school to maximize the number of local students attending while lightening the load on other Danbury elementary schools and without affecting its funding, Walston said.

Even though the lack of applications can threaten the schools ability to meet the minimum ratio, Walston said the district would never revert to an 80/20 ratio and partner school districts, such as Brookfield, would still be bound to their agreement.

Partner schools commit to a certain number of seats every year and honor that commitment through a pre-determined tuition payment, which means the tuition for those seats would not change.

Despite there being fewer Brookfield applications, the downscale wont affect their commitment nor lottery.

We would never go 80/20. If that numbers (the external seats) lower, no matter what we do, the ratio for the Danbury side will not be more than 70 percent, he said. We cannot afford for it to impact our bottom line, so we would withhold those seats from Danbury.

The district would withhold the extra seats if necessary so the schools funding is not negatively impacted.

In other years, the influx of magnet school applications allowed the district to have a sort of backup contingency pool of students allowing it more options, Walston said. However, this year that contingency pool might not exist because of the decreasing applications.

The district recently stepped up its recruitment efforts in the last year or two, Walston said, which allowed it to target areas where fewer applications came from and attract more students.

Megan Shaw whose son attends and twins will soon attend the Academy of International Studies  stayed up all night when she was seven months pregnant, waiting for the clock to strike midnight Jan. 1 so she could enter her son into the lottery.

Thats how bad I wanted him in the school, Shaw said. I heard great things about it and it just sounded like the perfect school.

Its like a private school education but its free, she added.
There are no UberEats deliveries or parents dropping off takeaway at Homestead Senior Secondary College, in Melbournes west.

When Homestead opened its doors last year, it decided to use some equity funding  money usually allocated for support staff and additional resourcing for children  for a free school lunch program.

Principal Michael Fawcett said the meals were designed to bring our cohort together and establish that adult culture of socialising. And because of COVID and the huge amount of families in Point Cook who lost jobs  it had that additional benefit that I know families have been rapt about.

Homestead Senior Secondary College students lining up for a free school lunch.

Homestead provides three healthy meals a week, such as lasagne, curries and noodles, for about $4 a head.

In the gloam, you hear the whine of the terrifying hound Cu-Sith from the valley. Your blood curdles. You have already heard the legend that any soul who hears the bark of the wild dog three times would be petrified into the silence of the hills, and would never return from the underworld where demons and fairies roam. Doomed forever!

The history of Scotland, its rich culture, beliefs, and local myths are so closely intertwined that sometimes you cannot possibly tease out reality from the fantastical. Mythical beasts like that Cu-Sith are believed to be roaming around the hills, valleys and even isolated islands. So it is no surprise that imaginative entrepreneurs have been working hard for centuries to bottle the ethereal beasts, just for the thrill of it. Did I say, bottled? Yes, literally so.

Cask88, a family-owned business house based in Edinburgh and one of the world's foremost experts in rare and unique whiskies, had long been wondering about capturing the soul of such Scottish myths and legends in the bottles they trade.

Soon with the help of leading distilleries in Scotland, they decided to bring out a few unique single cask expressions. In their Folklore series.

Ben Nevis 45 year old

The first one was a 45-year-old whiskey that featured the legendary hound named Cu-Sith. The beast with its murderous bark that once gave sleepless nights to the locals today finds itself been tamed, ladled and sipped by whisky aficionados.

The Ben Nevis 1972 Single Malt was aged in a sherry hogshead for 45 years before it was bottled in 2017.

Sip it slowly. Your nostrils won't fail to pick the massive attack of fruit aromas as you put the glass to your lips. The sweet taste of the dark amber liquid would simply bowl you over and see, you are now more than ready to follow the dreadful hound to any distant hell. Cheers!

Arran 22 Year old

Riding on the wave of popularity as the first in the Folklore Series had won three prestigious awards in a row, Cask88 soon brought out another phenomenal expression - Arran 22 Years. The second release carries forward the folklore theme by adopting another legendary creature from Scottish culture - Selkie.

Who is Selkie?

It is hard to pin Selkie under a label. Selkies are dubious in nature, have multiple personalities. They are predatory, they are prey too. People believe that they can see them sunning on some beachside rock, with their skin lying by their side. If you are a lover, recently got rejected and hence dejected, be warned when you get near. You are a potential meal for Selkies. You'd be lured into the bottom of the big pond by these innocent-looking creatures. Instead, if you a loafer, just mooching around the beach half in earnest looking for a bride, do not go any further than a Selkie. Hush! Get close to one and steal its skin, without which a Selkie cannot return to the home, I mean, the ocean. Kudos! You've got your girl! Lead a happy married life with the selkie. PS: But never, never in your life, let her get anywhere near the place where you hide that stuff, that underwater skin, your once stole. Or else, she is history, remember.

Arran 22 Years captured the attention of whisky enthusiasts all around the world. The outstanding cask distilled in 1987 was bottled in the year 2019.

Laphroaig 19 Year old

A single cask of 19-year-old Laphroaig was chosen to become the third release in the Folklore series. Cailleach Beira was the presiding deity of the new expression. Beira, being the mother of Gods, has the power to raise even mountains. She also carves glens and fills lochs to the brim. Like the Selkie, Beira too has two different lives. When there is enough light in the sky she is carefree, harmless, and a bit lazy. But don't fall for it. Come winter, her brows wrinkle, her face hardens, she gets out for trouble. Beira unleashes her cold terror over the landscape until it is time for the summer King to wake up from his slumber to fight the woman.

Tasting the fiery whisky you'd see how excellently Laphroaig has caught Beira's temperaments in the bottle. The outstanding whisky is kept in a hogshead for 17 years before being re-packed in 2017 in a 1st fill Chateau Leoville-Las Cases Bordeaux Barrique.

Nuclelavee 31 year old

The first thing your eyes would fall in a place like the Orkney Islands, Scotland is the great ring or rings of standing stones that speak of life since the neolithic age. Long, cold and dark winters, the raging sea, and the angry winds that whip across the archipelago for the perfect ambience for the birth of nasty creatures that take refuge in the shades. The most terrible of these is Nuckelavee, a beast so foul that it doesn't even let eyewitness accounts survive. With the body of a horse, with skin flayed off exposing veins and blood-dripping (black in colour) muscles, it rides in with its head blazing a single red eye. The vapours that spew from its mouth could wilt crops and even leave livestock to sicken and die.

A single cask of 31-year-old whisky distilled at Highland Park distillery tries to capture the brooding darkness of Nuckelavee. The expression started off its life in a refill sherry cask and was then finished in Rivesalles fortified French wine hogshead. It is the blackness of whisky that first strikes your eye. Perhaps they wanted to capture the soul of Nuckelavee in the liquid.

Whisky aficionados all over the world are now waiting eagerly for the fifth and sixth expressions of the legendary folklore series. "And what rough beast," as Yeats asks in his famous poem, "its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"
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Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions.

Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 22:00:50|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and three others wounded on Sunday when the Kurdish militia opened fire to disperse protesters in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah, state news agency SANA reported.

Crowds of people took to the streets in Hasakah to protest against the siege laid by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to government-controlled zones in the province, SANA said.

The SDF set up more checkpoints in Hasakah and arrested a number of civilians, it added.

The SDF has been laying a siege to government zones in Hasakah since Jan. 19, preventing the entry of food and other necessary items.

The SDF controls most of Hasakah while the government only has a few zones, including the airport of Qamishli city, in control. Enditem

In an American Thinker post Tom Lifson poses the question Is karma coming calling for Killer Cuomo? Tom notes:

Disgraceful as was Cuomos sending thousands to death, his lies and excuses blaming everyone but himself for the carnage are even more repulsive, at least on a rhetorical level. In an epic Twitter thread, Tom Elliott chronicles the cowardly and mendacious antics of the son of a guv. Read the whole thing. Twitter is not allowing me to embed the tweets, so I post a couple of screen grabs, which wont allow you to play the videos. If your stomach can stand the lying and hypocrisy, do click on the link about and subject yourself to this bullying weasels pathetic blame-shifting.

I have embedded all the tweets to which Tom refers below. I apologize in advance for the repetition, but they are linked and difficult for me to disentangle. Elliotts takedown is a work of art. He introduces it with the observation: In light of the NY AG confirming @NYGovCuomo has been lying about the death toll resulting from his ordering Covid patients into nursing homes, lets revisit how hes handled questions into this issue  Revisit this:

In October, Cuomo said these deaths werent his fault, instead blaming the nursing homes' staff for bringing Covid into their facilities "Weve done a full study of it, the virus came into nursing homes from the staff. https://t.co/BJO287OFtf  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 28, 2021

Cuomo then pivoted to blaming the Trump Administration, claiming federal guidelines: resulted in Covid patients being moved into New York nursing homes https://t.co/PYy3fd2Bl8  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 28, 2021

Cuomo, asked about the directive he signed specifically ordering Covid patients into NY nursing homes, Cuomo dodged again, blaming cruel and reprehensible Trump for creating the impression he did anything wrong https://t.co/EcpWwMUCvn  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 28, 2021

A couple weeks later, Cuomo claimed the story was a conspiracy cooked up by the Trump DoJ. "They have done a terrible job on Covid from day one, and they want a counter-defense  the conspiracy theyre trying to spread just has no factual basis.https://t.co/duh15NaeHH  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 28, 2021


Beer. Its the drink of the masses, a beverage many from all walks of life enjoy.

Beer. Its the drink of the masses, a beverage many from all walks of life enjoy.

Such has been the case around the world throughout the ages, and right here in Winnipeg for generations.

The craft-brewing scene in our city has exploded in recent years, and its undoubtedly a wonderful time to enjoy beer from here, as crafters produce styles for every taste and season.

Prohibition shift WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES During Prohibition, which in Manitoba began in 1916, many brewers shifted their operations, owing to their products becoming suddenly illegal to purchase (although there were numerous exceptions that allowed alcohol to be consumed for religious and medicinal purposes, with many doctors simply issuing ale prescriptions to anyone who asked). click to read more During Prohibition, which in Manitoba began in 1916, many brewers shifted their operations, owing to their products becoming suddenly illegal to purchase (although there were numerous exceptions that allowed alcohol to be consumed for religious and medicinal purposes, with many doctors simply issuing ale prescriptions to anyone who asked). Drewrys made Maltum and Hopum, two non-alcoholic beers. They were marketed to people of all ages, even nursing mothers. An ad in 300 Years of Beer reads nursing mothers will find a daily glass or two of Maltum Stout of great benefit as it is a valuable blood making and strengthening tonic. On this matter, Wright and Craig note, In the days before truth in advertising, manufacturers could make claims about the health-giving properties of their beverages without regulation. Drewrys also began to bottle a line of Golden Key soft drinks  the most famous of which was its Drewrys Dry Ginger Ale. McDonagh & Sheas, meanwhile, marketed their Near Beer with the help of their Clydesdales. Empire Brewing Co.  which operated in Brandon between 1899 and 1931  sold a temperance beer instead of its lager, stout, and English-style Empire Ale. Temperance beers exploited a loophole in Manitoba and Saskatchewan Prohibition regulations that stated beer containing two per cent alcohol or less was not considered an alcoholic beverage. Breweries were sometimes guilty of shipping carloads of temperance beer along with a few specially marked barrels of strong beer to prevent detection from government liquor inspectors, Wright and Craig noted. The American Temperance Brewery, located at 358 Flora St., also experimented with brewing fruit ciders, but lasted only a few years. In June 1923, Manitoba voted to repeal Prohibition, and a new Government Liquor Commission, which imposed tight restrictions on the sale and possession of alcohol, was ushered in. Close

But the current generation of trendy taprooms and Peg-based brewers is far from the first to sell suds to the fine folk of the 204.

Brewing in these parts began with the Hudsons Bay Co. The HBC had been providing beer as a provision for its employees since Zachariah Gillam  captain of the Nonsuch  first brought it to the Rupert House trading post in modern-day northern Quebec in September 1668.

Beer was brewed throughout Ruperts Land thereafter, and by 1694, there were active post breweries in Fort Albany, Fort Severn, Moose Factory, Nelson House and Rupert House, Graham Stinnett wrote for the Manitoba Historical Society in 2014.

Beer was generally kept in house, though. It wasnt popular among trading partners the way higher-alcohol spirits such as whiskey, rum and brandy were, and the costs of shipping raw ingredients for beer production to such remote areas were far greater than the costs of importing rum from the West Indies.

By the 1810s, the Red River Settlement began to take shape and in 1830, Lower Fort Garry was established. Beer began to flow there soon after.

In 1845, construction of a whiskey still, brewery and malting house began at Lower Fort Garry, mostly with the goal of providing potables to the British Royal First Warwickshire of Foot, a regiment stationed there to bolster British dominance in the settlement and ward off a potential invasion by the United States.

While HBC owned the only brewery, it wasnt without competition.

Early breweries in Manitoba included Stone Fort, operating out of Lower Fort Garry and supplying provisions to the Royal First Warwickshire of Foot, a regiment stationed there to bolster British dominance in the settlement and ward off a potential invasion by the United States. (Steve Lambert / The Canadian Press files)

Throughout the settlement there were also home brewers, whom the HBC and settlement officials disliked because it meant the loss of taxation and represented a threat to the monopoly they sought to create. A barley shortage hampered the new brewerys early production and led to an uptick in sales for these unofficial purveyors.

The DIYers were tolerated as "the risk of an unsatisfied military detachment loomed larger," Stinnett noted.

The HBC brewery eventually got up to speed. The Stone Fort, as it came to be called, became "a pinnacle of the craft during the fur trade and an icon of settlement life in Red River," Stinnett wrote.

The Stone Fort operated until April 1880, when "demolition men set upon the structure with hammers, tearing down the smokestack, unearthing the plastered wood lath walls of the cellar and hauling the boil kettles and malt kiln out by horse cart."

One of the home brewers who competed with the Stone Fort was Celestin (Whiskey) Thomas.

A bootlegger and agitator against local liquor laws, Thomas began brewing in 1859 out of his log-cabin home in St. Paul. "A trail running from St. Paul to the east side of Stony Mountain was widely known as the Whiskey Thomas Trail for his frequent deliveries of beer and liquor to the northern settlements," Stinnett wrote. (The municipality of St. Paul did not split into East and West until 1915.)

Thomas was one of the first to make tracks to Winnipeg. In 1873, the year the city was incorporated, he opened the Winnipeg Brewery at the corner of Broadway and Colony Street.

At the time, there was a creek running through the area called Colony Creek, from which the brewery drew its water.

However, Thomas wasnt the first in the area. James Spence, for whom the West End street is named, also operated a brewery on Colony Creek called the Burnell/Spence Brewery or the Maryland Brewery, between 1868 and 1873.

One early beer baron and city pioneer to arrive on the scene shortly after was Edward Lancaster Drewry (yes, that rhymes with "brewery," so perhaps this is a case of nominative determinism).

The London-born Drewry travelled to Winnipeg by canoe from St. Paul, Minn., in 1875 at age 24. During his visit, he saw potential, despite his 1940 obituary reading that Winnipeg "was little else than a conglomeration of queerly constructed shacks" at the time.

In 1877, the energetic entrepreneur moved his family north and purchased the idle Hermchemer and Batkin Brewery at Redwood Avenue and Main Street, immediately expanding it and ramping up production to 20,000 barrels within a few years.

By April 1878, Drewry already had ads in the Free Press touting his extra porter, "brewed from the best malt and hops, especially for bottling, and highly recommended by physicians."

Drewrys became popular across Western Canada and produced a number of different beers out of Winnipeg in the 60 years to follow, including a cream ale, a lager, a pilsner, an "American style" beer and Drewrys Standard Lager.

Yes. That Standard Lager.

A bottle of the Beaver Brand Ginger Beer produced by Winnipegs Plessier and Sons in 1950. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

Recognizing Winnipeggers famous frugality, Drewrys was marketed as an affordable offering. Take, for example, a Free Press ad from April 1915, which touted Drewrys American style, as an option this "is better and costs less"; the net cost of a dozen pints was just $1 if you bought two cases for $3 and returned the bottles.

A 1924 Free Press feature on "the model kitchen" literally waxed poetic about Drewrys offerings:

"Of all the drinks worth drinking, Drewrys is the best/it adds a zest to every meal, a drink of the golden west/its sparkling, pure and beautiful, you cant go wrong, dont fear/so order a case sent to your place/in your home use Drewrys beer."

Drewry himself was an engaged citizen with "unbounded faith" in the city.

In the early years of his brewery, it was well north of city limits. According to the book 300 Years of Beer: An Illustrated History of Brewing in Manitoba by Bill Wright and David Craig, he declared: "If Winnipeg grows to the extent I believe it will, my location will be handy enough. If the town doesnt grow, then I might as well be out of the way as in it for my business will be a failure anyway."

He was also an advocate of buying local. All Drewrys bottles came from the Manitoba Glass Co. in Beausejour.

He was a member of Winnipeg city council from 1883 to 1884, the Conservative MLA for North Winnipeg from 1886 to 1889, and was the first chairman of the parks board from 1894 to 1899. He was also a member of the board of the Winnipeg General Hospital for 40 years.

He expanded his brewing empire to the U.S. in the 1930s  purchasing breweries in Evansville and South Bend, Ind.  and the Winnipeg plant closed in 1940, having been sold to the Great Western Brewing Co.

Drewry died the same year, on Nov. 2.

Brewmaster John Chang pours a Canadian on the Molson bottling line in 1980. The rise of the national macro-brewers began in the 1950s, facilitated by a steady rise in home beer consumption. (James Haggarty / Winnipeg Free Press files)

"No man was more closely associated with the whole growth and progress of Winnipeg than Mr. E.L. Drewry," read an article in the Free Press after his death. "He was a genial and popular citizen, deserving the respect in which he was so widely held quietly and unostentatiously he played a very worthy part in this community."

In the U.S., Drewrys lived on until 1972, and there was an attempted revival by a Chicago-based entrepreneur in 2013.

While Drewrys enjoyed longevity, many other breweries were short-lived. These include but are not limited to the Elmwood Brewery (1904-1905), Lyonne Bros. (1905-1907), Imperial Brewery (1907-1908), the Crown Brewery (1908-1910) and the Blitz Brewery (1910-1911).

Drewrys used horse-drawn wagons to make its deliveries, as did McDonagh & Shea Brewing, founded by Irish expats John McDonagh and Patrick Shea.

Shea, born in County Kerry, arrived in Manitoba in March 1882, a few years after Drewry. He had previously spent 12 years in the U.S. overseeing railway construction.

Upon his arrival, he turned his attention to the hospitality industry. He and McDonagh operated the Waverley Hotel at the northeast corner of Main Street and Higgins Avenue, which became a popular rough-and-tumble watering hole among Canadian Pacific Railway workers. (It was eventually demolished to make way for the Royal Alexandra Hotel.)

"With the burden of owning a busy hotel and saloon, perhaps the two young men realized the real money lay in making beer instead of selling it," Wright and Craig wrote.

This realization challenged Drewrys dominance.

Three years later, McDonagh and Shea acquired "Whiskey" Thomass Winnipeg Brewery for $16,000. While the pair rebranded the brewery as McDonagh & Shea, Thomas relocated to Pembina, N.D., and opened the Pembina Brewing Co., which operated until Prohibition took hold in the U.S.

McDonagh died in 1893, but Shea kept the business going under the same moniker. It became known as Sheas Winnipeg Brewery Ltd., or simply Sheas, in 1926 when it had to be reincorporated owing to the provinces new liquor production rules.

Shea continually expanded his operations and his beers could be found in Saskatchewan and northern Ontario. His true strength, though, was getting hotel owners to serve his quaff.

"Brand loyalty was created by using discount incentives or even going so far as to holding the hotel mortgage," Wright and Craig wrote. "By 1916, McDonagh and Sheas was considered to be one of the largest breweries on the Prairies."

By the mid-1920s, Shea  known affectionately as "Papa Shea" by his employees  was wealthy and well respected like Drewry.

"Public spirited, he never hesitated to support a worthy cause that benefited the community and his acts of kindness and generosity were countless," Wright and Craig wrote.

The Clydesdale horse became famous as mascots for Budweiser, but did you know August Busch Jr. bought the original team from Winnipeg brewer Patrick Shea? (Tyler Kaufman / The Associated Press files)

You know the Budweiser Clydesdales? They were sold to Anheuser-Busch by Patrick Shea himself.

Shea was an active Clydesdale breeder and his eight-horse team became a powerful branding tool. His heavy draft horses won prize after prize on the western show circuit, and at shows in Minneapolis and Chicago, too.

They eventually caught the eye of August Busch Jr., who purchased Sheas team for $31,000. Budweiser debuted "its" Clydesdales in St. Louis, Mo., on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the end of U.S. Prohibition.

Shea died that same year after an illness. Beer parlours stayed closed until 1 p.m. on the day of his funeral in tribute.

Twenty years later, Labatt purchased a 91 per cent stake in Sheas for $9 million. By then, more than 50 per cent of shares were owned by the General and Misericordia hospitals.

Some explanation is necessary. Frank Shea  Patricks son, who died at age 44, just three months after his father  had transferred his stake in the company to his wife, Ethel. When Ethel died in 1952, she bequeathed her $2.5 million in shares to the two hospitals. "Each hospital ended up making over $1 million in the sale. The General Hospital put its funds toward the construction of a new Childrens Hospital in 1956, while Misericordia put its money toward the construction of its Cornish Wing in 1957," Winnipeg history buff Christian Cassidy noted in his blog, West End Dumplings.

The Shea name disappeared in 1958 when the company was renamed Labatts Manitoba Brewing Ltd. The Broadway and Colony location operated until 1979, when it was closed and torn down. Beer had been brewed there for more than 100 years.

Modern-day brewers, such as Doug Seville, president of Two Rivers Brewing Co., seen in a 2001 photo, have taken locally produced beer to places their predecessors never even dreamed. (Mike Aporius / Winnipeg Free Press filex)

Unfortunately, there just isnt time to cover in detail all the brewers whose beers were refreshing accoutrements to Winnipeg life, such as Mulvey Avenues Pelissiers, St. Joseph Streets Kiewels, or Stadacona Streets Edelweiss and Riedle Breweries.

Each of those could warrant a feature of its own, as could the rise of macro-brewers Carling/OKeefe, Molson and Labatt from the 1950s onward. Wright and Craig call this the "Eastern Invasion," facilitated by a steady rise in home beer consumption post Second World War.

It wasnt until provincial legislations were relaxed in 2016 to allow craft brewers to serve their offerings on site without having a restaurant that Winnipegs new generation of beer barons and baronesses began to burgeon.

These entrepreneurs arent so different than those who came before. Their taprooms are tucked throughout the city, just like breweries of Winnipegs early years. They use different tools  Instagram, clever can designs, merch lines  than their predecessors to market themselves, but have similarly made their offerings synonymous with city life. Their influence outweighs the modest buildings from which they ply their trade.

They dont have Clydesdales like Shea, a big brewery on the river like Drewry, or the backing of a giant corporation like the HBCs Stone Fort. But they do have the same spirit of the figures before them and the same goal: to provide top-notch tipples  that drink of the masses  to thirsty Winnipeggers.
A police officer checks identification cards as people queue up to check in for domestic flights ahead of the country's national "Golden Week" holiday at Beijing's Capital International Airport. (PC- AFP/Nicolas Asfouri)

China has temporarily banned entry of foreign nationals travelling from Canada, even if they hold valid Chinese residence permits for work, the Chinese consulate in Toronto said.

"All foreign nationals who hold valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and reunion are temporarily not allowed to enter China from Canada," the consulate said in a statement on its website on Saturday.

Entry with diplomatic and service visas will not be affected, it said.

The suspension comes as Canada clamps down on cross-border travel due to COVID-19 concerns. Canada reported 4,255 new cases on Saturday, with 19,942 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

All airline passengers arriving in Canada will be required to take a COVID-19 test at the airport and wait in a hotel for up to three days at their expense until the results arrive, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.

In coming weeks Canadian vacationers returning from the United States by land will have to show a negative COVID-19 test result before being allowed entry.
Japan discovered three new types of the UK COVID-19 strain, previously not detected in the country, and now discovered in patients with no travel history abroad.

Japan fears spread of new UK COVID-19 strain

According to a research group studying coronavirus cases at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, three patients at the hospital were diagnosed with three new types of the UK COVID-19 strain, which were not detected in Japan before. The three patients infected with mutation of the UK strain have not traveled abroad. The group said in a statement on Friday that there is a high possibility that the variants spread in Japan.

During November through late-December, the patients were hospitalized, with two of the three experiencing severe symptoms. Previously, the new UK strains had not been detected in the country outside of airport quarantine areas, as per the research group. According to Bloomberg via MSN, the new UK COVID-19 strains were previously found in Japan, including the one discovered earlier this month in four passengers arriving in Brazil. In late December, the variant was also found in South Africa and was detected in Japan.

Since the beginning of this year, Japan witnessed a surge in new COVID-19 cases, with new infection numbers stuck more than 1,000 per day in the capital in the recent weeks. A state of emergency is set to remain in place until February 7, covering level prefectures.

Hiroaki Takeuchi of the research group spoke at a briefing on Friday, urging that measures should be strengthened in Japan's borders to avoid the arrival of more new strains of the coronavirus, the national broadcaster NHK reported.

Read also: Pregnant Women With COVID-19 Can Provide Their Babies With Antibodies, Study Reveals

Japan Governors extend COVID-19 state of emergency

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said they need to impose strict precautions as the number of COVID-19 infected people remains high. The increased COVID-19 strain and growing numbers of infected patients cause the country to run out of hospital beds, as per News Track Live. The medical care system in the prefecture remains "extremely strained," Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa said.

These governments' concerns are due to the medical experts' pinpointing that the COVID-19 situation in Tokyo remains extremely severe despite cases showing a slight decline in recent days. Medical experts suggest the metropolitan government be cautious for the highest level on its four-tier scale.

They highlighted that the average is about three times higher than the peak reached in the second wave of COVID-19 infections that hit last summer. So far, Japan reported 384,670 COVID-19 cases, while the country's death toll stood at 5,611.

Read also: Trudeau: Canada's COVID-19 Vaccines are Safe from EU, Limiting Exports

Japanese companies roll out cautious welcoming COVID-19 survivors

Several companies face a new struggle as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to spike in the Tokyo metropolitan areas and other urban centers nationwide. Companies are worried about what to do with workers who tested positive for COVID-19 and are returning to the office after recovering and completing their quarantine period.

According to the Ministry of Health Welfare and Labor, almost 240,000 people in Japan are believed to have recovered from COVID-19 as of mid-January. Japan Times reported that the growing tally of coronavirus survivors is enough for a Nikkei.com article to recommend that it's common for people to know someone who tested positive for the virus.

Last spring, people who had tested positive for the COVID-19 and had been released from the hospital care after their recovery were confronted by some blatant samples of discrimination.

Read also: 150 National Guard Members, 38 Capitol Police Officers Test Positive for COVID-19 Since US Capitol Riot

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
That 70s Show was a beloved FOX sitcom that ran from 1998 until 2006. The series is still celebrated and rewatched by many fans today. Still, there are people who wonder  what is Wilmer Valderramas character Fezs real name?

Wilmer Valderrama | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Wilmer Valderrama understands the weight of playing Fez on That 70s Show

Often, Fez was the butt of the joke on the show. But for Valderrama and many viewers, Fez represented so much more.

I remember when I got That 70s Show, it was a big deal for my family and a big deal for me, Valderrama told Yahoo in 2016. But I really didnt know what it represented. I didnt know that eventually [Fez] was going to be representing so many of us, coming to a country to learn a culture and to assimilate.

Time and again, fans would approach Valderrama and thank him. Without Fez on That 70s Show, some fans felt like they didnt exist.

Fez is a nickname

That 70s Show follows a group of friends navigating their growing pains in the 1970s. The sitcom follows Eric Forman (Topher Grace), his girlfriend, Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), and their group of friends: Jackie (Mila Kunis), Hyde (Danny Masterson), Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), and of course, Fez.

Valderrama is from Venezuela, but his That 70s Show characters origins are unknown. Upon meeting this Foreign Exchange Student from somewhere, the teens of Point Place, Wisconsin, use the acronym F.E.Z to both describe and address Valderramas character.

Throughout That 70s Shows run, Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith) used several cultural references to address Fez, including Hadji, Tonto, and Ahmad.

Fezs real name is a combination of every character on That 70s Show

That 70s Show often teased the idea of revealing Fezs real name, including the episode where Fez is asked his real name, only for the bell to ring and drown out his answer completely. It wasnt until an interview with ABC News celebrating the 10th anniversary of That 70s Show that Valderrama revealed his Fezs true name.

Valderrama was the one who decided what Fezs real name was  a conglomeration of Eric, Donna, Hyde, Jackie, and Kelso.

That 70s Show Cast | Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

RELATED: That 70s Show: Wilmer Valderrama Paid $500 for This Piece of Show Memorabilia

I said that is what Fezs real name is because that is what he is, he explained to ABC. He is a little bit of all the characters on That 70s Show.

The That 70s Show cast remain part of Wilmer Valderramas life

The group of friends That 70s Show followed was tight-knit. Many fans might find comfort in knowing Valderrama and the rest of his castmates remain close today.

[We] would laugh all day long and pretend to be actors, Valderrama told Studio 10 regarding his time on That 70s Show.

[When] you spend eight years and 200 episodes with a cast, you know for a fact that this is going to be a forever friendship. What we experienced and the time we experienced it was unique. We were the outcasts. We were the rebels of television.

He also said the cast still connects for dinners now and then and have even toyed with the idea of a That 70s Show movie.
Auckland, Feb 1 : Thousands of people from across New Zealand celebrated the upcoming Chinese New Year at the 2021 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day event in Auckland.

The annual event, one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations in New Zealand, was joined by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Opposition leader Judith Collins and many distinguished guests, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

In her keynote speech, Ardern said that the 2021 Chinese New Year represented an opportunity to acknowledge the past year and to look forward to 2021 with optimism and with hope.

"People born in the year of Ox, are known to be honest, consistent, hardworking and generous. Those character traits of the Chinese community, who have joined New Zealand and contributed to New Zealand for over 170 years with all of those many traits", said Ardern.

Ardern also mentioned the economic ties between New Zealand and China, particularly the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement upgrade that was signed this week.

"Alongside the renewed commitment to our people-to-people links, stands our on-going commitment to our economic and trade ties, which are equally long and deep and important to us," said Ardern.

"It is a really important milestone for both countries, and shows the strength of our relationship," said Ardern.

Ruan Ping, Chinese consul general in Auckland, said in his opening remark that New Zealand was now well positioned for post-pandemic recovery.

"For 12 years, The China-New Zealand FTA has brought huge benefits to both countries and peoples. The upgrade protocol involves multiple areas such as trade, investment and rules, making China-New Zealand free trade more efficient. I am convinced that by working together, China and New Zealand will achieve more tangible results in pragmatic cooperation and friendly relations," said Ruan.

Traditional Chinese performances including lion and dragon dances, Wushu performances, face-changing performance, magic shows, singing and dancing were showcased in the celebration.

Free facemasks and hand sanitizers were provided during the event to the general public for additional safeguarding people's health, although facemasks were not mandatory by government regulation. People were also encouraged to scan the NZ Covid Tracer App for contact tracing.

New Zealand is currently at Covid-19 Alert Level One with no restriction on public gatherings.
One man is dead and another injured after they were shot in Sydneys south.

Police responded to reports of gunshot fire on Macmahon Street in Hurstville about 11pm on Saturday.

They found two men -- Mustafa Naaman, 29, who was shot dead, and another, 23, who was left injured after suffering gunshot wounds -- were found inside a Mercedes stopped nearby, NSW Police said.

Police said it was unknown how many attackers were involved. However, the shooting was suspected to have been a targeted attack.
But being on his own for the first time is still kind of scary because of so many uncertainties out there, he admitted when we sat down to talk on Wednesday. After being institutionalized for nearly 40 years, hes now going to have far more freedom but also more responsibilities and more accountability than the highly-structured regimes hes been used to since age 21 when he was incarcerated.
HARRISBURG  The state Senate approved legislation Wednesday to enhance the penalties for child pornography, while also establishing the Task Force on Child Pornography, according to state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Dallas, who sponsored the bill.

Senate Bill 87 was overwhelmingly passed by a bipartisan vote of 46-2.

Baker explained that Senate Bill 87 was previously sponsored by the late state Sen. Dave Arnold, who passed away earlier this month. The legislation would boost penalties in cases of child pornography in which the child is under the age of 10 or is prepubescent. This includes penalties for anyone who views, possesses, disseminates, photographs, videotapes or otherwise depicts these children engaging in sexual acts.

With the recent passing of Senator Arnold after his courageous battle with cancer, I am pleased that this important measure has received swift Senate approval, Baker said. This bill was something that our colleague Dave Arnold was firmly committed to, as a professional who devoted himself to enforcing laws and securing justice for crime victims, as a proud and caring parent, and as someone possessed of strong moral conscience.

Baker noted that the bill also allows the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to develop sentencing enhancements for those who sexually abuse children that are known to them.

In addition, the bill would create a special Task Force on Child Pornography to review laws pertaining to child pornography and make recommendations to improve the investigation and prosecution of offenders to ensure the perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable. The Task Force will recommend any necessary changes in state statutes, practices and policies relating to child pornography.

Baker explained that a similar version of this bill was unanimously passed by the Senate in October, during the last legislative session, but was unable to reach the finish line before the end of the year.

Senate Bill 87 now advances to the House of Representatives for consideration.
In George Orwells masterpiece 1984, he said, The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.

To guide you along this path, I bring to your attention implausible things you are expected to believe this week.

Things that are not graft.

Outrageously generous book deals to present and former officials.

The Obamas $65 million book advances still lead the way to the most lavish, though the notion that even Democrat politicians relatives, like Chelsea Clinton, would offer ghostwritten pap worth anything is something you just have to believe.

Generous speaking fees.

The $25 million the Clintons garnered for just six months of speeches in 2014 and 2015, you must regard not as bribes for access and influence, but as well-earned compensation for minutes worth of pearls of wisdom. Not just former presidents and would-be presidents are the recipients of such largesse. Janet Yellen, the Biden pick for Secretary of the Treasury, for example, raked in $7.2 million in speaking fees from Wall Street and large corporations like Citi, Goldman Sachs, Google, City National Bank, UBS, Citadel LLC, Barclays, and Credit Suisse. The Great Iggy (an online friend) must be in error when he questions these fees:

These fees are for what? Some pointless stupid boilerplate speech that does not and cannot, in itself, contain anything of value to the payers. So its value is in the form of access and influence only; which used to be called graft and influence peddling.

Charitable Shakedowns.

You must ignore the suggestion that plea bargains in which the government gives a settlement payment to a bureaucrats favorite nonprofit constitutes anything unethical. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions halted this practice. If the new administration reverses this ban, avert your eyes from bad thinking. If the government claims a corporation ripped off yourself and fellow citizens illegally, you should be grateful they have to pay up to the agency heads alumni association or some left-wing advocacy outfit. Why should you be compensated for the harm done to you? And from the viewpoint of the defendant, why not grease the palms of the prosecutions favorites with some small amount rather than go through the expense and aggravation of defending?

Congressional Stock Trading

If you believed Hillary Clinton made so much money investing shrewdly in cattle futures and not out of some manipulation, you will certainly agree that speaker Nancy Pelosis $1 million investment in Tesla stock call options shortly before the Biden administration announced it planned to make the federal automobile fleet (645,000 cars) electric was just another example of stock trading genius by a high-ranking politician.

Theres certainly no graft in providing lucrative deals for politicians families.

Ignore Hunter Bidens deals with Ukraine and China and Joes brother James, who took out $650,000 in personal loans from a company that bankrupted local hospitals while trading on his brothers name and connections to the campaign. Or his brother Franks farming for clients for the law firm hes connected with advertising with the not too subtle hint of access.

2. You can Trust Dr. Fauci

Governor Andrew Cuomos handling of the China Virus was appropriate even though he placed the virus carriers in nursing homes and ignored the presence of the USNS Solace, the Javits Center, and Samaritans Purse hospitals which were fully staffed and ready to assist.

Dr. Fauci was right to praise him. Ignore the New York Attorney General Letitia James, who investigated and announced this week that the Cuomo administration failed to report thousands of COVID-19 deaths of nursing home residents after forcing these homes to admit COVID-19 patients. And you know you can ignore Jamess report and credit Dr. Faucis praise of Cuomos performance because Joe Biden said Dr. Fauci isnt just one of our foremost experts on combating viruses -- he is a good man and a tireless public servant.... Our administration, and our country, will be stronger because of his guidance.

Dr. Fauci is one of our foremost experts on combating viruses and is totally nonpartisan. Ignore his waffling and misstatements.

This is the man who dictated coronavirus policy in the Trump administration. If mistakes were made, as the Biden administration claims, they are Faucis. Yet, astonishingly, Fauci told CNN Friday that a lack of candor from the Trump administration had cost American lives. If peoples lives really were at stake last year, why did he wait until now to tell us? Chalk it up to another convenient fib from a habitual fibber, who has deceived us on everything from masks to herd immunity. Even if you decide these are not lies but lapses of judgment by Fauci, they had potentially lethal consequences. Take, for instance, Faucis serenity back on January 21 last year, when he assured us that the virus convulsing China at the time is not a major threat for the people of the United States and this is not something the citizens of the United States right now should be worried about. [snip] The following week, he was at it again, vehemently opposing President Donald Trumps proposed flight ban from China, which Biden at the time decried as xenophobia. [snip] Then there was Faucis advice on masks. Back in March, when the coronavirus was decimating New York, he told us masks were useless. Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks, he told 60 Minutes. Three months later, he did a backflip: Masks work... to prevent you from infecting someone else... but also, it can protect you to a certain degree. [snip] Turns out he lied about herd immunity, too. In December, Fauci admitted to the New York Times that he had slowly but deliberately been moving the goal posts on the percentage of the population that needed to be vaccinated before herd immunity against COVID-19 was reached. When polls said only about half of all Americans would take a vaccine, I was saying herd immunity would take 70 to 75 percent. Then, when newer surveys said 60 percent or more would take it, I thought, I can nudge this up a bit, so I went to 80, 85, he said. Fauci is not precise with numbers, which is odd for a scientist who professes to care about facts. For instance, on Bidens first day last week, Fauci said we would have 100 million people vaccinated in the first 100 days and specified he meant both primary and boost shots, a total of 200 million shots in arms. On Sunday, he was forced to clarify that, because there was a little bit of a misunderstanding. What were talking about is 100 million shots in individuals. The 100 million goal is fake anyway, since were already there. In the week before the inauguration, 912,000 shots were administered per day, according to Bloomberg News tracker. On Inauguration Day, it was 1.6 million shots.

Disregard the Medias covering up for both Cuomo and Fauci.

Janice Dean, who lost family members in the New York nursing home mismanagement, must not be listened to. Trust Lester Holt to fairly report:

@JaniceDean So @NBCNews @LesterHoltNBC @TODAYshow censored one of my friends who lost a loved one in a nursing home. She wanted to say @andrewcuomo failed us in the interview and they told her to say New York failed us instead. The mainstream is STILL protecting this guy. Disgusting. Shame on you @LesterHoltNBC @NBCNews @TODAYshow. New York State did not fail us. The governor, his administration and his health department FAILED US. You are a disgrace to all families. Just like @andrewcuomo.

You should trust Holt to provide a clear account and not bloggers like Yaacov Apelbaum who nailed Cuomos horrid nursing home policies last May.

3. All the White House efforts on the China virus are based on sound science, not politics

So when the White House calls for Florida restaurants and bars to close their doors, contrary to Governor Ron DeSantis directives to stay open, you must ignore Richard Grenells criticism of Governor Gavin Newsom and its application to the White House plan for Florida. Logic is now banned thinking.

Richard Grenell @RichardGrenell It makes no sense to let people fly on an airplane for 5 hours but not be inside a restaurant or a gym for 1 hour. Open up our businesses! @GavinNewsom must be recalled. 10:07 AM  Jan 30, 2021

Im 79 years old, and all the protocols indicate I should be among the first eligible for the vaccine. Although my D.C. ward (3) is mostly white and rich and taxpaying, too many of its residents want the vaccine, so its going first to wards where people have been most affected by the virus (and are in significant numbers still refusing to take it). Having registered at numerous sites, its still unavailable to me. On the other hand, if I had been a participant in terrorism against the U.S. like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others locked up in Guantanamo Bay, I would be scheduled to get it ahead of most Americans (until backlash compelled them to "pause" that plan). Dont ask. Dont question. Surely our leader has good reasons behind this.

4. Show trial and Impeachments are the Way to Unity

Daniel Greenfield explains, for those who are slow learners. Questioning an election is now sedition and incitement. A Capitol wrapped in barbed wire and with streets filled with National Guardsmen is not using a fake state of emergency, friends.

The show trial of President Trump and the city full of soldiers is just the opening act to the Great Purge of a domestic terrorism crackdown on anyone who ever retweeted the wrong meme. Biden will embed a domestic terrorism office in the NSC, making the NSC's former abuses under Obama routine as a system meant to track foreign enemies is instead used to surveil domestic political opponents. Heading the effort will be Joshua Geltzman, who had formerly falsely claimed, "No, Black Lives Matter is not a terrorist organization." Inside of a month, Democrats had redefined riots and election challenges from the highest form of patriotism to an attack on democracy. And by democracy, they mean the Democrat Party. Popular leaders dont take their false oaths of office in a deserted city surrounded by barbed wire and military checkpoints manned by 25,000 troops. Nor do they engage in show trials of their predecessors or unroll massive efforts to surveil, arrest, and silence their opponents. Thats not the stuff of healing, but it is how you unite a country at gunpoint under your rule. After four years of vowing to remove President Trump by any means from massive riots to illegal eavesdropping to coups, the Democrats declared an emergency because a few Republicans had done 10% of the things they had been doing, but without dressing up as human genitalia. Democrats had been collecting bail fund donations for mass arrests in post-election protests and even a separate fund to raise money for the families of anyone killed in violence on or around Election Day. And then they pivoted from prepping body bags to declaring that insurrection was a national emergency which will require the National Guard to sleep in parking lots where they wont annoy Democrat House members until Biden sees his own shadow. That or the show trials wrap up before they get around to mandating that all future elections take place at Democrat campaign offices preceded by poll tests about equity and white privilege. Meanwhile the Democrat media went from writing sympathetic pieces about BLM lawyers throwing Molotov cocktails at the police to demanding a thorough purge of every single person who had ever questioned the idea that Joe Biden might not be the most popular politician ever.

Any day now I expect the publishers who toss favors at Democrat officeholders to print and distribute gratis Bidens Little Red Book for us to memorize, or redo paintings of him as they did in Russia of the doddering fool Brezhnev bedecked with dozens of medals.
Sweden-based SSAB who showed interest, has ended talks to buy the formers Netherland business, including Ijmuiden steelworks. During the Q4 of 2020, SSAB announced it was in discussions with Tata Steel concerning a possible acquisition of the IJmuiden steel mill and associated downstream assets. In a statement on Friday, SSAB said after deeper analysis and discussions, it became clear there were limited possibilities to integrate IJmuiden into the SSAB strategic framework. Discussions with Tata Steel have therefore concluded, statement added.

Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO at SSAB said, We have carefully evaluated Tata Steel IJmuiden and have concluded that an acquisition would be difficult for technical reasons. We cannot be sufficiently certain that we could implement our industrial plan with the preferred technical solutions as quickly as we would wish". He added, We cannot align Tata Steel with Ijmuiden our sustainability strategy in the way desired". The view was most likely that the transaction would not meet SSAB financial expectations.

SSAB said the point behind the discussions concerning Tata Steel IJmuiden was based on our customers clear desire for a strong supplier of a broad range of fossil-free steel. Highlighting that the transition to fossil-free steel is a top priority for SSAB, Lindqvist said: We are continuously on the lookout for possibilities to invest and step up the pace of this transition". The failure in SSAB talks comes as a setback for the Tatas as, it was looking at deleveraging its highly debt-ladden assets, especially in the overseas market. However, with steel market firming up, fresh opportunities could be explored later, sector experts said. TATA shares declined post announcemnet from SSAB.

Tata Motors launches Limited Edition Tiago, know price, specifications and other details

Singapore Airlines will not come with Tata group to buy Air India

TATA to launch Moderna vaccine in India, Covid 19 Vaccination

TCS's market capital surges, become country's most valuable company
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR

DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thor Explorations Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: THX) (Thor or the Company) announces the resignation of Mr Oliver Andrews from the Board of Directors with immediate effect. Mr Andrews joined the Board as the nominee from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) where he served as an Executive Director and the Chief Investment Officer. Mr Andrews has retired from the AFC and resigned from the Board of Thor in accordance.



Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: On behalf of the Company I would like to thank Oliver for his invaluable contribution to our progress through what has been a transformational phase for Thor where we made the investment decision to proceed with construction of the Segilola Gold Mine in Osun State, Nigeria, in conjunction with achieving full project funding. We wish Oliver all the best for his future endeavours.

About Thor

Thor Explorations Ltd. is a Canadian mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in Nigeria, Senegal and Burkina Faso. Thor holds a 100% interest in the Segilola Gold Project located in Osun State of Nigeria and a 70% interest in the Douta Gold Project located in south-eastern Senegal. Thor also holds a 49% interest in the Bongui and Legue gold permits located in Hounde greenstone belt, south west Burkina Faso. Thor trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol THX.

THOR EXPLORATIONS LTD.

Segun Lawson

President & CEO





Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase securities. The securities to be offered in the offering have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the benefit or account of, a U.S. person, except pursuant to an available exemption from such registration requirements.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented constitutes forward looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, and is subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Companys ability to fully finance the Project, to bring the Project into operation or to produce gold from the Project, and the use of the proceeds. The words may, could, should, would, suspect, outlook, believe, anticipate, estimate, expect, intend, plan, target and similar words and expressions are used to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this news release describes the Companys expectations 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.
Accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of indulging in corruption, Union Minister Smriti Irani said on Sunday that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided foodgrains for 80 crore people of the country for eight months during the pandemic, the rations were looted by the party in the state.

Maintaining that over 50 crore mandays were created under 'Garib Rojgar Yojana' for migrant workers returning home, Irani claimed that "it did not happen in Bengal".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in June last year launched the employment scheme for migrant workers who had returned to villages from cities, during the coronavirus lockdown, to help them get jobs near their home and help in the development of villages.

Read | TMC's health scheme a hoax: BJP's Rajib Banerjee

"The Prime Minister provided five kg rice and one kg dal for 80 crore people of the country for eight months through 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana', but in Bengal, TMC looted it during the lockdown," she said addressing a BJP rally here.

Claiming that Shramik Special Trains arranged by the Centre were termed 'Corona Express' by Mamata Banerjee, Irani said, "I want to ask her whether sons and daughters from Bengal working in different parts of the country are considered viruses by her."
Charleston County voters demonstrated again Tuesday that theyre willing to vote for the best candidate, not just their preferred party. File/Lauren Petracca/Staff

A Liberal candidate has broken her silence after the party leader stood in front of her to stop her from answering questions about her husband's homophobic views.

Western Australian opposition leader Zak Kirkup was in Bently on Friday talking to reporters about a $50million manufacturing election promise with Victoria Park candidate Amanda-Sue Markham.

Mrs Markham was speaking about working as an intensive care nurse when she was asked about her husband Pastor Campbell Markham's public comments on homosexuals and women.

Pictured: Amanda-Sue Markham speaking to reporters about being an intensive care nurse

'Your husband's made some pretty extreme comments about homosexuality in terms of having homosexuals cleansed and healed. Is that your view?' the reporter asked.

Before she could respond, Mr Kirkup stepped in to deflect the question.

'I think that it's important we continue to talk about the critical strategic and manufacturing fund we've announced here today,' Mr Kirkup said.

When asked about why Mrs Markham couldn't speak for herself, he insisted the the topic not deviate from the multi million-dollar deal.

Pictured: The moment Zak Kirkup stood in front of Mrs Markham to shield her from questions about her husband

Pictured: Pastor Campbell Markham with his wife and Liberal candidate Amanda-Sue Markham

'She just came off night shift and getting out there amongst the community, we're here today to talk about the critical manufacturing and strategic fund to make sure we can help make sure WA is as resilient as possible into the future,' he said.

Mr Markham's controversial opinions made headlines in 2016 when his wife ran for the Liberals in Tasmania and helped oppose the legalisation of abortion in the state.

He has publicly described homosexuality as 'sinful', 'shameful' and 'degrading' in personal blogs.

In his 2015 self-published book Who Should I Marry?, he said a Christian woman 'will only marry a man who can lead her' and a Christian man will 'only marry a woman to submit to her husband'.

West Australian Liberal Party leader Zak Kirkup poses for a photograph outside the Parliament of Western Australia in Perth on November 24

Mr Markham also suggested people who look at pornography 'cancel and rip out your internet connection, smash your laptop and smartphone' to avoid 'misery now' and hell after death.

Mrs Markham finally broke her silence this weekend, but refused to say whether she supports her husband's views and claimed her faith should not be an issue in the election.

'As a candidate, I should be considered on my own merit as a woman,' Mrs Markham said, according to the West Australian.

'I know there are many people who don't share my religion, but I don't believe my faith - which I have never sought to make an election issue - should be the subject of constant interrogation by the media.'

Mrs Markham said she was 'more than capable of forming my own views' and said she was a 'passionate member of the community'.

Mr Kirkup later held a second press conference where he argued candidates are not responsible for comments made by family members.

Mrs Markham (pictured with her husband) said she is 'more than capable of forming my own views' and said she was a 'passionate member of the community'

'I have to make the point though that [those comments were] made by a third party and not by a Liberal Party candidate and they absolutely do not represent the Liberal Party's views,' he said.

'Ultimately, more than anything, I just want to make it very clear the comments made there I'm not in any way in support of.'

When he was again asked why Mrs Markham couldn't answer the questions herself, Mr Kirkup said he was speaking on behalf of the party.

'You have me here as the leader of the Liberal Party making it very, very clear that it is not the position of the Liberal Party, it is not a view that I support or endorse in any way shape or form,' he said.

WA Premier Mark McGowan also asked why Mrs Markham was shielded from answering questions.

'The views expressed by the man (Mr Markham) I saw on the TV last night obviously are completely unacceptable and pretty disgraceful, so I just want to put that on the record,' he said.

Mrs Markham is running against Hannah Beazley, daughter of former federal opposition leader Kim Beazley, in outgoing treasurer Ben Wyatt's seat.

She said she believes in freedom of religion.
An American meteorologist had a surprise guest during her weather report after her nine-month-old son waddled into shot.

Leslie Lopez was giving the report for ABC7 from home when her son, Nolan, appeared and attempted to walk between her legs.

Without missing a beat, she picked up her son and carried on with the rest of her report.

She said at the end of her segment: He walks now guys, so Ive lost all control.

Mr. Friday made a surprise appearance this morning.  https://t.co/9mkYDwLJvX  Leslie Lopez (@abc7leslielopez) January 28, 2021

The moment went viral on Twitter, with people, including a number of celebrities, complimenting Ms Lopez for how she handled the interruption.

Pitch Perfect and Hunger Games actress Elizabeth Banks tweeted: Luv this. Moms doing their thing. Go @abc7leslielopez!

Dan Rather, journalist and former evening news anchor, added: Sometimes working from home means unexpected cameos. A tip of the Stetson to this pro, @abc7leslielopez, and her assistant for the heart-warming weather forecast.

Ms Lopez replied: This is a wonderful compliment from someone who is on the Mt. Rushmore of broadcasting. It means a lot and made my year. It also means a lot to my babysitting husband who was on the hot seat until your tweet came through.

It also attracted the attention of Robert Kelly  a professor who shot to fame after his two children interrupted his BBC interview in 2017.

He tweeted Ms Lopez: Picking up your son without missing a beat was a pretty smooth move. Very nice.

Hmm. Maybe I should have tried that, but if I think it would have been tough seated with two of them. Congratulations.

With more people working from home during the pandemic, its not the first time a young child has made a cameo appearance during a TV broadcast.

In July, Dr Clare Wenham from the London School of Economics was being interviewed on the BBC when her daughter interrupted to ask the name of the person she was speaking to.

In a separate incident on the same day, Sky News foreign affairs editor Deborah Haynes was interrupted by her son walking in to ask for biscuits during a live report from her home.
New York: As amateur investors banded together this past week to squeeze Wall Street hedge funds by sending GameStops stock prices to dizzying heights, some novice traders, like 10-year-old Jaydyn Carr of San Antonio, have seen their long-term investments pay off.

In December 2019, Jaydyn, then 8, was buying discounted games at GameStop and wishing for an Xbox One. Spying a way to use her sons enthusiasm for video games to teach him about investing, Jaydyns mother, Nina Carr, decided to invest in 10 shares of GameStop at $US6.19 ($8.10) each for a Kwanzaa gift.

Jaydyn Carr, a 10-year-old from San Antonio, Texas was given 10 GameStop shares that cost $US6 apiece two years ago as a Kwanzaa gift from his mother Nina. Amid the GameStop trading frenzy, Jaydyn is reeling from excitement after selling his shares for about $US3200. Credit:Photo courtesy Nina Carr

Carr handed her son a certificate she created from an online template to explain to him that he was the owner of a tiny part of GameStop. She told him the gift was in keeping with the spirit of ujamaa, or co-operative economics, one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

She added alerts on her phone and computer to track the stocks progress. Over the past few months, she noticed it steadily rise. But on Wednesday, to the shock of Carr and her son, the value of GameStop shares surged, soaring 1700 per cent since December after millions of small investors, many spurred on by social media, came together to put a squeeze on at least two hedge funds that had bet GameStops shares would collapse.

The Center for Puppetry Arts proudly welcomes Sarah Dylla as the new Museum Director. Sarah joins the Center for Puppetry Arts with over 11 years in the field of public humanities creating narratives about how history and the humanities intersect.

We are thrilled to welcome Sarah to the Center of Puppetry Arts, and her expertise in bridging education, historical research and the creative arts will enable the Center to design a rich diversity of experiences for our audiences in Atlanta and nationally during these unprecedented times, said Executive Director, Beth Schiavo.

Through her work and research in the public history field, Sarah Dylla aims to bring the history of puppets and puppetry to life for new audiences and shed light on lesser-known stories. Most recently, Sarah served as the Curator for the Atlanta History Centers current exhibition about the history and impact of the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic Games, now on view at the Atlanta History Center. Prior to moving to Atlanta, Sarah held positions in the special collections libraries at Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, the Savannah Music Festival, and Virgin Islands National Park. Sarah holds degrees from the University of Virginia (B.A., Art and Art History, '09) and Brown University (M.A., Public Humanities, '16).

We want our content to be as interactive and animated as the topic. Museums are places of fun, experimentation, and learning. Our goal is to bring in rotating content so visitors have new experiences every time they visit the Center. Whether its a new exhibit, new web-based content, or another innovative way to connect theatre and education, puppetry offers an opportunity to enhance the ability to be experimental, creative, and imaginative said Dylla.

Center for Puppetry Arts is a unique cultural treasure  a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened, and entertained. Since 1978, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculum-based workshops, and the hands-on Museum as well as Digital Learning and Outreach programs. Center for Puppetry Arts is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and is supported in part by contributions from corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals. Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and the City of Atlanta Mayors Office of Cultural Affairs. These programs are also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Center is a member of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA/ASSITEJ).The Center also serves as headquarters of UNIMA-USA, the American branch of Union Internationale de la Marionnette, the international puppetry organization.

A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Samuel Cassidy felt like he could finally exhale a bit his past week.

His 50 assisted living facility residents and almost all of his 20 staff members just had received their second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Walden III had done it. The Wind Gap personal care home made it to the vaccine, through the first year of the pandemic, without a single coronavirus case.

Its a remarkable feat as COVID-19s ravaged Americas nursing homes and long-term care facilities. More than one-third of the nations 433,000 coronavirus deaths have been reported among nursing home staff and residents

I think its been a lot of hard work and preparation and more than a little luck, Cassidy, whose family has owned the facility for more than three decades, said following Tuesdays vaccination clinic.

Some of that luck came into play when Wind Gap Pharmacy called Cassidy on Dec. 28 and asked him if Walden wanted to host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. The pharmacy showed up the next day and started putting shots in arms.

Its a simple act thats proven to be one of the hardest parts of Americas largest vaccination campaign. Just over half of the 47.2 million vaccine doses distributed nationwide have made it into peoples arms.

Pennsylvanias administered about half of the 1.8 million doses its received, according to the state. (The state is opting to hold second doses in reserve to ensure everyone receives both shots; 77% of first doses have been given, while 20% of second doses have.)

Pennsylvania is ranked sixth in the nation in terms of first and second doses administered, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The current allotment is enough to vaccinate about 900,000 people, just shy of a quarter of the 4 million Pennsylvanians currently eligible.

The supply is not keeping up with demand, raising questions about the best ways to vaccinate the states most vulnerable residents as demand among healthy seniors grows.

The (federal partnership) is bringing vaccine directly to the facilities, which is critical since most people in a long-term care living situation cannot easily leave without assistance, said April Hutcheson, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, adding that vaccination efforts for long-term care facilities are projected to be complete by the end of February or beginning of March.

Thus far, about 130,000 nursing home and long-term care residents and staff have received one or both doses of the vaccines through a federal program that tasks pharmacy giants CVS and Walgreens with vaccinating people in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

Pennsylvania has about 133,000 people living in nursing homes, long-term care and assisted facilities, staffed by about 122,000 workers. Facilities are seeing high vaccine uptake by residents, but some vaccine hesitancy amongst staff.

The state is allocating 64% of its weekly Pfizer vaccine distribution to the partnership, Hutcheson said. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has contracted with Rite Aid to vaccinate older residents who live in care facilities that dont meet the federal programs criteria.

At Gracedale in Northampton County, the states largest nursing home under one roof, every resident who could be vaccinated has received their first dose, county Executive Lamont McClure said. But only 48% of the 650 employees have opted to get the shot, despite the county offering a $750 bonus. McClure understands the hesitancy but said getting inoculated is key to beating back the virus.

Ultimately you are in a nursing home and at one point in this pandemic 85% of the people dying from COVID in Northampton County lived in long term care facilities, he said. If you want to save lives or livelihoods, getting vaccinated in a nursing home is where the fight really starts.

Nearly 63,000 nursing and personal care residents have tested positive for COVID-19 statewide, and almost 12,000 workers have contracted the virus. Nearly half of the 21,000-plus people who have died from the coronavirus in Pennsylvania lived in long-term care.

In the Lehigh Valley, 3,906 nursing home residents and 850 staff members have been infected with the virus. Its claimed the lives of at least 765 people.

Some of Pennsylvanias most vulnerable nursing home and long-term care residents are still waiting for shots as people 65 and up are now scrambling to find available COVID-19 vaccines across the state after they were added to the states highest priority vaccine group.

Adam Marles, president and CEO of LeadingAge PA, which represents nonprofit senior housing providers including several in the Lehigh Valley, said expanding eligibility while raising concerns about vaccine shortages is extremely frustrating for providers, residents, and families of personal care homes and assisted living residences. There are some nursing homes that still have not had their first vaccine clinic, he said.

Most of the (assisted living and personal care) facilities in Pennsylvania are still waiting on dates for their first vaccination clinic, Marles said. We seem to be extremely far behind other states in rolling out vaccinations in these settings, and we fear this already devastatingly slow process will only get worse.

Gov. Tom Wolf expected the available vaccine supply to increase to cover the 4 million eligible Pennsylvanians, but it has not, something Wolf called frustrating last week.

The vast majority of assisted living and personal care homes wont have clinics for weeks from now, Marles said. We have the people we have known for nearly a year are most at risk but we dont have them prioritized the way we know they should be.

Marles worries about how many lives will be lost as we wait for the supply to catch up with demand. He would like the Wolf administration to be more open to collaboration on how to get more people vaccinated quickly. His organizations offered to help organize vaccine clinics in retirement communities and senior affordable housing to reach this elderly population where they live.

We have hundreds of older adults in one place. It makes no sense to have them travel to another site rather than bring vaccine clinics to them, Marles said. Use the vaccine as efficiently and effectively as you can.

CVS Health has administered the first round of coronavirus vaccines in nearly 8,000 skilled nursing facilities nationwide and second doses will be done within the month, the company said. Walgreens finished first doses in all of its partner nursing homes this week and expects to start assisted living facilities in the coming week, the company said Monday.

CVS worked very closely with Gracedale to perform the herculean tasks of vaccinating about 535 residents and 312 employees, McClure said. Gracedale just finished its second round of four clinics and a third round is on the calendar.

Its a huge task and the representative at CVS have been wonderful, he said.

There have been problems, like too few technicians and a very long consent form, which can be challenging with the elderly, McClure said. Ultimately, McClure thinks blame lies with the prior presidential administrations response.

Just like the entire response to the pandemic, the federal government made an absolute mess of the vaccine rollout, he said. Clearly the cupboard is bare of vaccine now and that is an absolute travesty.

At Genesis HealthCare, which operates facilities across the Lehigh Valley and in Warren County, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard Feifer said all of its affiliated nursing homes nationwide have received the first does of the vaccine via CVS through the federal partnership. CVS will return for the booster shots in three to four weeks and vaccinated anyone missed in the first round and return a third time to administer the last booster shots.

The company is not mandating staff get vaccinated, but it is stressing the importance of vaccinations with family and employees. Genesis is participating in a CDC effort to monitor vaccine safety in frail elderly residents who were not included in vaccine trials, Feifer said.

Vaccination is the critical third leg of the stool, along with personal protective equipment and testing, in stemming COVID-19 spread in nursing homes and protecting residents and healthcare workers, Feifer said. This is unquestionably the biggest vaccination effort ever undertaken and will help prevent further tragedies, especially in this vulnerable population.

CVS could not hold clinics at assisted living and similar facilities until states activated that phase of the vaccination campaign, the company said in a statement. Most state, including Pennsylvania, selected dates well into January. First-doses at long-term care facilities partnered with CVS will be completed by mid-February.

There definitely has been a good amount of finger pointing. The state has pointed to the partnership, the pharmacies have pointed back to the DOH., Marles said. It is not entirely clear where the fault lies. There is probably some on both sides.

Cassidy signed Walden up for the federal program, but as an assisted living facility Walden landed in line behind skilled nursing facilities, like Northampton Countys Gracedale.

We got assigned a rep and I just waited and waited for any kind of news, Cassidy said of the federal program.

So, when Wind Gap Pharmacy called offering a clinic the next day, it felt like a miracle. The pharmacy is holding at least five clinics a week, said Brittany Walters, a pharmacy tech and head of marketing.

For resident Lois Wuebber, it was a huge relief. Shes grateful Walden leadership opted to lock the facility down ahead of state orders. That early decision kept residents and staff safe, she said.

I feel great now, said Wuebber, 81, noting if she was still living at home shed likely not be vaccinated yet. I dont feel so scared anymore.

Nearly all of the states elder care facilities have opted into the partnership, according to the department of health. Those that did not or did not qualify largely are being covered by the Rite Aid agreement.

Opting out of the federal partnership at the last minute helped Walden protect its residents and staff more quickly, Cassidy said.

West Virginia, a leader in the U.S. vaccine roll out, opted out of the federal plan to create a network of pharmacies and paired them with about 200 long-term care facilities, The New York Times reports. By the end of this week, West Virginia expects to have delivered a second round of shots to the nursing homes.

Pennsylvania pharmacy and elder care groups this week wrote Wolf urging him to request a jurisdiction transfer to push out the rest of the vaccination campaign via long-term care pharmacies. Its signed by the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, the Pennsylvania Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association, the Pennsylvania American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and Marles organization.

The groups called it critical to ensuring vaccine access in rural, isolated, and smaller skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, personal care and congregate care environments.

Walden III resident Pearl Eberts moved from her Bath home to the facility in January of 2020, right before the coronavirus pandemic. But Waldens strict coronavirus protocols kept her feeling safe throughout. Shes perplexed some people refuse to wear a mask.

It made me feel real good I got it. I am lucky, the 101-year-old said after receiving her second dose. Id rather be here safe than home all by myself.

Walden shut its doors to visitors before Pennsylvania locked down as Cassidy grew worried watching the virus sweep through Seattle-area elder care facilities. It implemented universal masking, shutdown new admissions and started COVID-19 testing protocols.

Cassidys family has owned the assisted living facility Walden III for more than three decades. He grew up skipping its halls, visiting residents, and hes been at the helm for 11 years.

It has been the hardest year we have had in this industry, Cassidy said.

The ability to partner with a local pharmacy, many residents are already familiar with, was wonderful, he said.

Wind Gap last week opened up the vaccination pool to people 65 and over. The phones never stop ringing and Walters, from the pharmacy, says shes working long hours trying to get the doses distributed to the community.

When the pharmacy opened at 7:30 a.m. on a recent morning, there was already a line of walk-ins hoping to score the coveted vaccine.

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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.
Concerns were raised at this months Kilkenny County Council meeting over the fact that the N77 Road from Ballyragget to Henebrys Cross is currently not being looked into by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Among the voices of concern on the matter were Cllr David Fitzgerald (FG), Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick (FF) and Cllr John Brennan (FG).

Im very disappointed that the Ballyragget to Henebrys Cross Road hasnt been included in the councils road update, Cllr David Fitzgerald told senior council engineer Seamus Kavanagh.

Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick, who has raised concerns over the safety of the road on numerous occasions, echoed Cllr Fitzgeralds comments.

Its one of the most dangerous roads in the county and for it not to be on the list with TII beggars belief, he said.

Senior engineer Seamus Kavanagh told the councillors that the road had been examined in the past by TII and no immediate causes of concern were detected.

I will raise the matter with TII again and look into the prospect of further studies and the feasibility for improvement works, he added.

Cllr John Brennan added to the discussion by saying anybody who actually drives the road regularly and uses it daily will tell you it is very dangerous in spots.

Collision

Meanwhile, a traffic collision occurred on the N77 near the turn-off for Conahy on Monday. There were no serious injuries.
It may only be February but The End will be one of the best local dramas youll see this year.

You can thank the exquisite relationship between Dame Harriet Walter and Noni Hazlehurst for plenty of that success. Their friendship as two seniors lifts off the screen and ignites a captivating tale from insightful writer Samantha Strauss (Dance Academy, The Wrong Girl).

It says Do not resuscitate!' Edie tells British paramedics after a botched suicide attempt, but having survived a fall from her first floor window, she is whisked away by family to Queensland.

Daughter Dr. Kate Brennan (Frances OConnor) and children Persephone (Ingrid Torelli) and Oberon Brennan (Morgan Davies) welcome Edie to a Gold Coast retirement village which frankly, horrifies the poor woman.

You went with tacky. she quips -just a touch of her blunt personality that underpins the dark humour.

Emerald Fields village is pure GC, with manicured lawns, lagoons, Tai Chi, aqua aerobics, motorised scooters and Dawn (Robyn Nevin) aka Queen Bee of the pearl necklace sets. Edie is also neighbour to the worrying Art (Roy Billing), still mourning the loss of his wife years after her passing.

Thankfully she connects with wild child Pamela (Noni Hazlehurst) whose memories of the 60s & 70s still colour her sunset years.

I had the best tits in Melbourne. Or South Yarra anyway, she recalls.

Meanwhile Dr. Kate is tested at work by ailing patient Beth (Brooke Satchwell) and boyfriend Josh (Luke Arnold) for an assisted suicide -something that contravenes all her ethics.

Theres also a poignant subplot involving teen trans son Oberon who is fighting for acceptance. This leads to a sensitive performance from Morgan Davies.

As the series progresses, Edies desire to end her life is challenged by a renewed zest for life. Pamela helps Edie to discard her inhibitions in performances that are both brave and delightful. In the hands of lesser performers this would be a good show -they elevate it to so much more.

Writer Sam Strauss also swings her pen-dulum from joy to pain, allowing her cast to show real depth. Walter, Hazlehurst and Davies are stand-outs here, showcased by beautiful direction from Jessica M. Thompson and Jonathan Brough.

But theres also a stellar support cast including John Waters, Alex Dimitriades, Brendan Cowell and surprising cameos from the likes of Val Lehman, Hazel Phillips, Ian McFadyen, Tony Barry and more (what no Lorrae Desmond?).

These are half hour episodes which Foxtel is screening as doubles. But be warned, youre at risk of both laughing and crying, an elusive emotional double in TV.

The End is really rather special.

The End airs 8:30pm Tuesday on FOX Showcase.

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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on Plasma Coating Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Plasma Coating Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the basis of regional implications and the world. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of international Plasma Coating Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the Plasma Coating Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of X.X% which is expected to reach US$ XX.X Mn in 2027.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

The Plasma Coating market size was valued at US$ 9.4 Bn in 2018 and it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% from 2019 to 2025. The product demand is triggered from the industrial gas turbines industry due to its growing preference over the hard chrome coatings. The application of Plasma coating is increasing for its cost effective technical procedures. It is being widely used due to its non-polluting features such as low toxic gas emissions, electrical resistance, thickness capabilities and corrosion protection. The Plasma Coating is being used in variety of industries. The rapidly growing industries like automotive, paints & coatings, packaging and medical is driving the market for the materials. The plasma carbide coating is widely used on landing gear in aircrafts as it provides an exceptional wear and corrosion resistance. The product of the coating is used to coat various parts of the automobile such as engine, fender, body, suspension system and moulding which makes the automotive as key application segment. Moreover, the number of geriatric population is rising at an accelerating pace and old people is susceptible to the risk of bone fractures and dental problems. Plasma coating has the ability to improve clinical outcomes when applied on implant surfaces for the patients. The plasma coating technique is cost effective and the raw materials used are environment friendly. With the CAGR estimation of X.X%, the research report provides a detailed overview of the industry, classifications and application in Plasma Coating Market. In the report, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Europe are the major regions taken into consideration for the geographical analysis for micro and macro environment. This report also states import & export consumption, demand & supply figures, price, cost, revenue and gross margins.

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Segment Covered

This market intelligence report on the Plasma Coating Market has been segmented by Plasma Coating type; its segmentation based upon application; the key manufacturers; growing market size & region-wise market. In terms of the Plasma Coating types, Plasma Coating Market has been divided into Plasma Ceramic Coatings, Plasma Metal Coatings, Plasma Thermal Barrier Coatings and Plasma Carbide Coatings. On the basis of the application, Plasma Coating Market has been classified into Automotive, Aerospace, Medical and Others. By major regions, the report is classified into North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Europe. The global market is led by North America region which accounted for major market share in 2017 and this trend is expected to continue over the given forecast period of 2019 to 2027.

Profiling of Market Players:

There are many multinational companies are investing in the growing market of Plasma Coating. Most of the companies are focusing on the large chunk of potential consumers in North America and Europe. The key players observed in the study are  New England Plasma, A&A Thermal Spray Coatings, Metallic Bonds LLC, TURBOCAM International, White Engineering Surface Corporation, Wall Colmonoy, Montreal Carbide Co. Ltd, Carpenter Technology Corporation and Praxair Surface Technologies.

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 alsoprovided 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 2019-2027.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.

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Salient Features:

 This studyofferscomprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Plasma Coating Market, 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 of Plasma Coating 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 New England Plasma, A&A Thermal Spray Coatings, Metallic Bonds LLC, TURBOCAM International, White Engineering Surface Corporation, Wall Colmonoy, Montreal Carbide Co. Ltd, Carpenter Technology Corporation and Praxair Surface Technologies.

 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 Plasma Coating Market caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, product manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Plasma Coating 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

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v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events. Identify key partners and business development avenues

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/plasma-coating-market/124

The government has garnered Rs 19,499 crore through CPSE disinvestment and share buyback so far in 2020-21, as against the Rs 2.10 lakh crore budget target set for the entire fiscal year ending March 31.

With COVID-19 related delays impacting big ticket strategic sales and listing of insurance behemoth LIC, the government is likely to miss the budgeted disinvestment target by a wide margin in this financial year.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in her budget for 2020-21 set a target of raising Rs 2.1 lakh crore from privatisation, sale of minority stakes in state-owned companies and share buyback by

While Rs 1.20 lakh crore was to come from stake sale in CPSEs, Rs 90,000 crore was to be mopped up from share sale in financial institutions.

As many as 4 Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bharat Dynamics, IRCTC and SAIL have come out with offer-for-sale (OFS) this fiscal year. This fetched Rs 12,907 crore to the exchequer.

Besides, initial public offering (IPO) by IRFC and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders together fetched Rs 1,984 crore.

Moreover, selling of government stake in private companies held through SUUTI and other transactions garnered about Rs 1,837 crore. So far in current fiscal year, 4 state-owned companies -- RITES, NTPC, KIOCL, NMDC-- have completed share buyback which got Rs 2,769 crore to the exchequer.

A buyback, also known as a share repurchase, is when a company buys its own outstanding shares to reduce the number of shares available in the open market.

The government is also looking to sell its entire 26.12 per cent stake in Tata Communications Ltd (TCL), erstwhile VSNL, through OFS and strategic sale route in the current fiscal.

The process of privatisation of Air India, BPCL, Pawan Hans, BEML, Shipping Corp, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, and Ferro Scrap Nigam Ltd (FSNL) is underway.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NEW DELHI: Dump data of mobile calls, Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR), CCTV footage of nearby hotels and pick and drop details of those who availed cabs are thoroughly being examined by the investigators to get a breakthrough in the ongoing probe in connection with the minor blast near the Israeli Embassy, sources said.

Israel's ambassador to India Ron Malka, meanwhile, said there are enough reasons to believe it was a terrorist attack but they are not surprised at the event as the alert level had been increased for past few weeks following intelligence inputs. According to sources, police questioned some persons, including a few Iranian nationals and a cab driver who dropped two persons near the blast site just before the explosion.

Police also faced some challenges as most of CCTV cameras were not functional at the time of incident, an official said. Details of foreigners who came to Delhi recently are being examined.

Teams from the National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) of the NSG and Delhi Police's Special Cell visited the spot for post-blast analysis on Saturday. A senior officer said NBDC's findings will be shared with the police team investigating the case.

"We have recovered some CCTV footage but have not obtained anything concrete yet as most of the CCTV cameras in the area near the embassy are non-functional," an official source said.

An envelope addressed to the Israeli Embassy and containing a note was found at the site of the blast, sources had said. A case has been registered and the Delhi Police's Special Cell is investigating the matter.

"The investigating agencies are checking IPDR of the area to check whether the suspected persons used internet to communicate instead of call.They are also checking the CCTV footage of the nearby hotels," a source said.

The source said that dump data of mobile calls, which were active hours before and after the blast, are also examined.

They are collecting data from the cab services of the persons who were dropped in the nearby area of the spot just before the incident happened.

In an interview with PTI, Ambassador Malka also said the investigations will look into all possible angles, including whether there are any links to the 2012 attack on Israeli diplomats here while events around the world are also being examined to find any related operations or activities at any destination.

"These attacks by those seeking destablisation in the (West Asia) region cannot stop us or scare us. Our peace efforts will continue uninterrupted," he said when asked whether the attack was aimed at derailing Israel's peace efforts with various Arab countries.

There were some media reports that in a note that was found near the blast site, the explosion was described as a "trailer".

Initial investigations revealed that the IED was planted in a flower pot on the median near Jindal House on A P J Abdul Kalam road outside the Israeli embassy, sources said on Friday.

A burnt scarf has been recovered from the spot, which has seen for forensic examination, official sources said, adding that a screenshot of Telegram application is circulating where the Jaish-Ul-Hind allegedly took the responsibility of the attack, however, its authenticity could not be confirmed.

Police said that they are examining it to ascertain its authenticity.

Another source said that forensic experts have also collected some samples from the crime scene that will ascertain the chemical composition used in the low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED).

Official sources said ball bearings seized from the spot were found scattered on the ground and the impact of the explosion was felt within a radius of 20-25 metres.

The minor blast took place on Friday evening in a high-security zone of the national capital. No one was injured.

The blast took place when President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were present a few kilometres away at the Beating Retreat ceremony at the culmination of the Republic Day celebrations.

The explosion took place on a day when India and Israel marked the completion of the 29th anniversary of establishment of their diplomatic relations.

Live TV
Persecuted evangelicals in Mexico help Traditionalist Catholics break free from pagan idolatry

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Most Americans presume that Mexico is a Christian country, unaware that many Mexicans who identity as Catholic regularly practice a form of pagan idolatry, according to Universidad Cristiana de Mexico President Jaime Castro.

Castro leads an evangelical Christian university in Queretaro, Mexico. As Mexican Christians share the Gospel, they often face persecution from Mexican traditionalist Catholics, he told The Christian Post.

Unlike Christianity, traditionalist Catholicism relies on giving gifts to the gods in exchange for health, good fortune and protection from evil. They often participate in animal sacrifices to the gods and worship saints, incorporating practices from pagan Aztec beliefs.

I was a pastor, and I have the experience to know some American Catholics. They werent like [Mexican Catholics]. The syncretism between Catholics that came to Mexico adopted every idol and every goddess [from the Aztec religion], he said.

Castro told a story to illustrate the difference. Once, a Catholic parish in the U.S. noticed that it had many Latinos in the area. Leaders brought in a bilingual priest and invited Hispanic Catholics into the American Catholic church. Three-hundred-and-fifty new people arrived.

The shock came when the Dia de los Muertos happened. Catholic seniors were scared about what the [Hispanics] were doing in their parish  idols and skeletons and offerings and all these rites that were not biblical. Its just to show Latin American Catholicism is very different, he said.

Syncretism worships Catholic saints as pagan gods, said Castro.

People give saints offerings to get favors. Cartel members usually make offerings to saints who have a reputation for granting success for both evil and good actions.

The Catholic Church has officially condemned devotion to Mexicos most infamous cartel death saint, Santa Muerte. However, Mexican Catholics worship other saints as an expression of syncretism. Some argue that Mexicos Virgin of Guadalupe represents an Aztec mother goddess, but Pope John Paul II canonized the man who allegedly first had a vision of her.

Syncretist Catholics who worship saints are responsible for almost all the persecution against Mexican Christians, said Castro. Although evangelical Christianity has been in Mexico for 120 years, it still faces hostility from local Catholic communities. The government may allow religious freedom, but local people often ostracize, threaten or attack Christians. The worst persecution happens in remote areas where the government cannot exert its power.

Christian advocacy group Open Doors USA's World Watch List ranks Mexico as the 37th worst country for Christians to live in due to the high rate of persecution of believers. The threats surrounding the Church include secularist pressure, syncretist persecution and cartel violence. Persecution in Mexico increased in 2020 because COVID-19 hampered the Mexican government from using its power to protect believers.

Mexico has three main religious zones, said Castro. Most evangelical Christians live in the south, Catholics dominate central Mexico, and northern Mexico is increasingly secular and materialist due to the influence of American culture.

[The state of Oaxaca] has a lot of mountains, many isolated communities, and its hard for the government to establish safety for Christian missionaries. Some are killed, some get expelled from their villages. That still happens in Oaxaca and Chiapas. It also happens in Central Mexico and Hidalgo, he said.

Small towns in Mexico have many Catholic festivities. A community leader will ask each local family for money or resources to support the festival. When evangelical Christians refuse to support it, town authorities refuse to provide them with community resources like public school, he said.

They do not allow Christians to receive any services from the community if they dont support [Catholic festivals], he said. Thats against the law, but its happening. An evangelical church tried to hold a revival two years ago and asked to rent the city hall. They quickly answered, no. Why? We dont have a permit for you. The next weekend the Catholic church had a festivity.

Despite these setbacks, the percentage of Mexican evangelical Christians has grown by 49% since 2010. According to a survey Castro cited, 11.2% of Mexicans now practice evangelical Protestantism. According to the Joshua Project, that figure is 10.39%.

Catholics in Mexico dont call themselves Christians, the pastor said. But the knowledge they already have of the Christian faith gives evangelists much to work with. Sycretists already know the basics of the Christian faith, he said, adding that they need to turn from transactional saints to a personal God.

When you want to do door-to-door evangelism, almost every door you go to knock on has a sticker that says, This home is Catholic. We do not accept propaganda from other religions, said Castro. Evangelical Christians are doing a great job and the Gospel is being spread. The most optimistic people will tell you that we are within 15-to-20% evangelical Christian in Mexico.

When people convert from traditionalist Catholicism to Christianity, their families change for the better, he said. Catholicism in Mexico forbids divorce, but it doesnt teach married men how to be good husbands. Often, they spend money on alcohol and have affairs with other women. Some men even have secret second families.

[When men become Christians], the home becomes strong and they have more opportunities, said Castro. The head of the house used to spend a lot of money on alcohol, on parties. But now he becomes more committed to his marriage and becomes a committed father, a committed husband, and it makes a difference in the community.

Living a responsible life has such a significant impact that families become financially better off, he argued. Castros parents were missionaries and the community where they ministered accused them of paying people to convert because people had more money when they left Catholicism.

Evangelical Christianity also brings real knowledge of the Bible and a community that supports believers, he said. New Christians rejoice for the opportunity to learn about and understand the Bible.

They dont understand why the Catholic churches dont preach so people understand. In Catholicism, they dont have a fellowship. You walk in. You walk out. You dont talk with anyone. Evangelical churches in Mexico provide a fellowship, Castro said.
JERSEY CITY  In July of 1975, Michelle Derito opened Michelles Salon at 3700 John F. Kennedy Blvd. She said she remembers being excited, yet nervous that the shop wouldnt to make it.

Exceeding her expectations, it flourished with weekly customers who became her family for 45 years. But the life of the salon was cut short on Saturday, at 5 p.m., as she closed the store for the last time and said goodbye.

Derito, 73, is one of COVID-19s latest victims of business owners who had to close up shop due to lack of business. Derito told The Jersey Journal on Sunday that she was hurting, but it was for the best  even after over four decades of service.

I couldnt keep up with the bills... I tried to hold on as long as I could, Derito said. I know some people closed right away near the beginning of the (lockdown), but I held on. I tried. It wasnt easy.

As Derito completed her final appointments at the salon, she said she cried, and her customers did too. But the owner said she knows many others have gone through the same sadness because of the impact of COVID-19.

As of December 2020, about a third of New Jerseys small businesses were permanently closed, NJ Advance Media reported. A Yelp September report showed 163,735 businesses closed nationwide due to COVID-19.

Derito said she received $1,000 when the city was funding COVID-19 relief for storefront small businesses, but since then, she hasnt been able to receive another grant. She said one of the reasons she was denied was because she is the sole employee of the salon. In the beginning, Derito had one other employee, but she later left and Derito ran the salon herself up until Saturday.

I just cant keep up with the payments... I had to close before it got worse, Derito said.

When COVID-19 cases surged and struck the state  and country  in mid-March. She locked up her storefront and didnt return until the first week of June.

When she reopened, she said her regular clients were hesitant to visit in-person due to the infectious virus. Some would come in, but would already have their hair colored from home coloring kits.

The money wasnt there anymore, she said.

Deritos journey into the business started after she graduated high school in Union City.

She went on to a hairdressing school where she got her license as a hairdresser in 1965. Then, for three years, she worked for the previous owner of the JFK Boulevard salon. He was set to retire, but Derito bought the place for $5,000, she said.

But it didnt take too long for customers to start walking in for haircuts and colors. She soon established a relationship with clients as she received them hourly, she said.

But as she said goodbye to the JFK Boulevard storefront on Sunday, she noted shell be working at Salon St. John, another hair salon on the Boulevard, which she said has been open for 60 years. She said she doesnt want to retire yet.

I wouldve definitely stayed open if it wasnt for such financial issues, Derito said.
Photo: NSR

Thanks to rescue crews and a snowshoer passing by, two 16-year-old boys out snowboarding were rescued late Friday night on Mount Seymour from a dangerous spot. The snowshoer travelling nearby on the mountain heard the teenager's calls for help and contacted search and rescue.

On Saturday (Jan. 30), North Shore Rescue (NSR) posted about the incident to their Facebook page. The rescue was described as complicated due to avalanche warnings and deep snow. CTV News later reported speaking to a member of the NSR search team.

A snowshoer was passing by Suicide Gully (on Mount Seymour) and heard two people calling for help, the Facebook post reads.

A pair of snowboarders gone missing from the Mount Seymour ski hill were also reported by the father of one of the missing boys.

Search crews were deployed to the area to locate the calls for help, and shortly after Field teams moved into the area, however, due to avalanche danger (the search crews) were only able to get within 400 metres of the two boys, the NSR post continues.

NSR members were able to guide them to their location, however, travel was very difficult due to the deep snow.

CTV News Vancouver spoke with Doug Pope, who managed the search for North Shore Rescue.

We had to be very careful in making our way down to those two boys to keep our own team safe, he said.

Crews didnt reach the stranded teenagers until about three hours later, working their way into the gully.

They had (the) Suicide bluffs up above them, so they had cliffs loaded with snow right above them and they were in steep avalanche terrain themselves, Pope said.

Avalanche Canada had also sent out an alert that day, urging people to stay out of the backcountry on the North Shore mountains due to dangerous snow conditions, adding a special avalanche warning for the region.

(The boys) say they made a wrong turn and boy they did make a wrong turn (by) ending up in Suicide Gulley, Pope said.

They were not equipped for those conditions. Once they were down in there, there was no real way for them to make their way back under their own power, he added.

Once the two boys and fields teams met up, NSR members provided snowshoes, avalanche beacons, and headlamps, and they snowshoed out via a route with less avalanche danger.

- With files from CTV News Vancouver
Gettyimagesbank



A political controversy appears to be brewing over the Seoul government's possible attempt years ago to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant, after a local broadcaster on Thursday disclosed the existence of relevant government documents.



SBS TV, citing prosecutors investigating the destruction of government documents related to the closure of an aging nuclear reactor by some officials of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2019, reported that a number of files on inter-Korean energy cooperation, including the planned construction of a nuclear plant in the North, were among the deleted documents.



Last month, prosecutors in the central city of Daejeon indicted three energy ministry officials on charges of destroying 530 kinds of computer documents linked to the closure of Wolsong-1, the country's second-oldest nuclear reactor, right before the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) requested the submission of the documents in December 2019.



The BAI had opened an audit into the closure of Wolsong-1, in southeastern South Korea, as it emerged as a hot-button issue after President Moon Jae-in decided in 2017 to phase out nuclear power generation in line with his energy policy.






MBABANE  Eswatini is among 21 countries in Africa that will get funding from the World Bank to support their health and economic recovery.

The financial institution has set aside a sum of E376 billion to assist with many aspects including facilitating the procurement of vaccines for African countries.

This was revealed by World Bank Group President David Malpass at the Virtual Meeting on the Africa COVID-19 Vaccine Financing and Deployment Strategy last week.

He stated that COVID-19 has had a heavy toll on the people of Africa in terms of lives lost and the severe economic impact that is hitting the most vulnerable the hardest and tens of millions of people are falling into extreme poverty.

consequences

He said the ongoing loss of human capital would have crippling long-term consequences - through lost jobs and job training opportunities, school closures, missed vaccinations, the regression in health and nutrition, and elsewhere.

Its vital to prioritise the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines as they estimated that every month of delay costs the African continent E207 billion (US$13.8 billion) in lost GDP which is in addition to the loss of lives and human capital.

As President Ramaphosa emphasised, vaccinations are a huge undertaking for every country. The World Bank can assist with many aspects including facilitating the procurement of vaccines. Inoculating populations will require delivering the vaccines safely and effectively. Cold chain equipment, energy infrastructure, logistic, transport, community engagement and trained human resources are all key areas needed for effective deployment of vaccines, he shared.

Malpass said where there are gaps in readiness; they should work quickly to fill them. He said since the outbreak of COVID-19 last March, the Bank has committed E376 billion (US$25 billion) to African countries to support their health and economic recovery, and we expect to commit an additional E225 billion (US$15 billion) by June.

Our Board has authorised up to US$12 billion (E179.9 billion)to support countries in their vaccination efforts. Weve begun taking individual vaccination programmes through the Board. Last weeks funding for Lebanon will help vaccinate over 2 million people, with vaccines expected to arrive from the manufacturer in early February, he submitted.

vaccine

Malpass continued to say, Were preparing emergency vaccine financing projects in 21 countries in Africa, including DRC, Ethiopia, Niger, Mozambique, Tunisia, Eswatini and Cabo Verde to name a few. The funds are available now, and for most African countries, the financing would be on grant or highly concessional terms. IFC is working to mobilise financing for vaccine production and therapeutics focused on developing countries.

He said in implementing our vaccines programmes, they working directly with governments, including financing their purchases from vaccine manufacturers and via COVAX and for deployment efforts, they are working with partners such as the WHO and UNICEF.

I urge you to focus and prioritise efforts toward these funding programmes, and not slow the momentum through complex contracts and intermediaries. Our financing is available today and vaccine manufacturers are eager to work with countries on delivery dates and direct contracts, he said.

He said their Country Directors and Country Managers have been in contact with all of the countries. He encouraged those countries that have not yet requested World Bank support to send a letter to their World Bank Country Director asking for support for vaccine procurement and deployment from the E179.9 billion (US$12 billion) facility and the bank looks forward to receiving these letters so that its teams can expeditiously support you.

To conclude, we urge leaders of African countries to move quickly to secure vaccinations for their populations, and to avail themselves of the financing available from us and other partners to help with this. The World Bank Group stands ready to work swiftly with our clients and partners to respond to this pandemic, he concluded.







Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 51F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 19:47:37|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Israel has agreed to provide some 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli defense ministry said on Sunday.

A spokesperson with the ministry confirmed to Xinhua that Defense Minister Benny Gantz has authorized the delivery of the vaccines.

Local Israeli media reported that the vaccines will be used for Palestinian medical workers.

The move comes after United Nations officials and human rights groups urged Israel to provide vaccines to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel has launched its own large-scale vaccination rollout following purchases of vaccines from drug companies Pfizer and Moderna. Enditem
Nicola Sturgeon could push for an independence vote before Christmas even without Boris Johnson's approval, an SNP minister has suggested.

Michael Russell said the vote could be held six months after Holyrood passes a referendum bill, which should take place in June.

Last week the SNP's constitution minister said the Scottish government would stage another vote if the prime minister continued to refuse one, reported The Times.

On the subject of Scotland's break from the UK he said: 'I think its really impossible to say when it will be.

'I hope very soon but I think it is dependent upon the pandemic subsiding. Best practice for referendums suggests that six months should expire between the legislation and the referendum.'

Michael Russell (pictured with Nicola Sturgeon) said the vote could be held six months after Holyrood passes a referendum bill, which should take place in June

The vote in 2014 was rejected by 55 per cent to 45 per cent, but Scottish nationalists hope Brexit had a substantial impact on the opinions of the nation. Some 66 per cent of Scots voted to remain in the EU in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister flew to Glasgow last week as part of efforts to sure up the union. He will be travelling to the country every two months to boost Scots' opinions of the UK.

Since entering office in July 2019, Johnson has travelled to Scotland on four official visits and two campaigning trips.

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon's handling of the coronavirus crisis won over swathes of Labour and Tory voters, according to a poll published last week.

A survey conducted by Savanta ComRes showed Ms Sturgeon's personal ratings are up, with 76 per cent of voters believing her to be intelligent, an increase of three points.

Last week the SNP's constitution minister said the Scottish government would stage another vote if the prime minister (pictured) continued to refuse one, reported The Times

Some 74 per cent of respondents said she is a strong leader, also up three points, and 57 per cent believe she is genuine, up two points.

More than a third of 2019 Labour voters said the SNP's response to the pandemic means they are now more likely to vote for the party in May, with 13 per cent of 2019 Tory voters saying the same thing.

Meanwhile, a majority of Scots continue to support Scottish independence, with the latest survey putting support for 'Yes' at 57 per cent and 'No' at 43 per cent.

The poll numbers are likely to prompt alarm bells in Labour and Conservative headquarters.

A survey last week suggested the SNP was on course for a crushing victory at Holyrood elections in May

A poll by Savanta ComRes found 57 per cent of Scots back independence while 43 per cent back staying part of the UK

They suggest the SNP could be heading for an even stronger than expected showing at the elections in May.

The Savanta ComRes survey of 1,016 Scottish adults between January 8 and 13 for The Scotsman suggested some 53 per cent of people intend to vote for the SNP.

Some 19 per cent intend to vote for the Tories with Labour a close third on 18 per cent and the Lib Dems next on six per cent.

The SNP figure of 53 per cent is down two per cent while the Tories are down one per cent and Labour is up two per cent.

Almost half (46 per cent) of 2019 Labour voters said their impression of Ms Sturgeon has improved since the start of the pandemic with 36 per cent of 2019 Tory voters saying the same.

Some 14 per cent of 2019 SNP voters said they are now more likely to vote Labour in May while eight per cent of 2019 SNP voters said they are now more likely to vote Conservative.

Boris Johnson is shown the Lighthouse Laboratory used for processing PCR samples, during a visit to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus on January 28 in Glasgow

While Ms Sturgeon's personal ratings have continued to rise, those of her challengers - Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard - remain largely static, according to Savanta ComRes.

The survey also suggested the 'Yes' campaign would win a relatively comfortable victory if there was a re-run of the 2014 independence referendum.

The poll found 57 per cent of likely voters would choose independence while 43 per cent would vote for the status quo.

The 'Yes' campaign's lead has narrowed by two points since December but the continued support for breaking away will be cause for concern in Downing Street as Boris Johnson tries to protect the Union.

Ms Sturgeon has said she wants to hold a second referendum on independence soon after the Holyrood elections but Mr Johnson is adamant he will not grant permission for another poll.

The PM has repeatedly said he believes the 2014 vote settled the matter for a generation.
Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

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Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

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Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

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We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

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OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

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Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

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That area was effectively sealed off, and what I understand about those suburbs is that people in the northern beaches stay in the northern beaches, as opposed to a suburb where a lot of different people are coming through and able to spread it more widely. The latter describes the location of the Casula cluster - a busy transport hub - from which multiple large clusters were seeded across Sydney, including more than 100 cases linked to two Thai Rock restaurants that were later traced back to Casula via genomic sequencing. There was also an amazing response to the call for testing during the northern beaches outbreak, which helped identify what was going on early, and what might help stop it, Dr Stanaway said. The time of year may have had an impact. The mid-year outbreaks occurred in winter when people were more likely to gather indoors - posing a higher risk of transmission than outdoor gatherings in summer, Dr Stanaway said.

Health authorities had a key advantage once the Berala cluster was detected: they knew the source of the cluster. Having already identified the patient transport workers and the link to hotel quarantine, hopefully they were then able to find most people linked to those few transmission events, most notably the Berala BWS exposure site, Dr Stanaway said. The worry about Berala is that [current] testing rates arent high so there is a risk of low level transmission and another cluster popping up, she said. Epidemiologist and head of the public health interventions research group at UNSWs Kirby Institute Professor John Kaldor said there were some strong similarities and clear differences between the Crossroads and Avalon clusters. Firstly, multiple transmissions in each cluster occurred on a single evening at a pub or RSL club. In Avalons case, transmissions were spurred on by a second day of multiple transmissions at a bowling club. The source of the Avalon cluster was still not known, while the Crossroads source was detected relatively quickly as a Melbourne man who had arrived in Sydney just before the NSW-Victoria border closed.

But the relatively small scale of the outbreaks in the global context means few conclusions can be definitively drawn as to why the Avalon and Berala clusters were brought under control in a fraction of the time it took for the Crossroads cluster to subside, Professor Kaldor said. The degree you can really draw comprehensive epidemiological conclusions about what distinguishes this outbreak from another is quite limited. Its an analysis worth doing but it is unlikely to provide definitive conclusions, he said. We are limited in our ability to understand the differences, in a good way, by our success. For researchers, that makes it harder to understand these things but, from a public perspective, its great news. There is no question that contact tracing methodology has been perfected over time. Decisions about who should be isolated and who should be followed up have been improved and tightened.

Loading The only actual lockdown in NSW was the northern beaches in December and it was reported that the geography made the area more amenable to lockdown than other parts of Sydney. But all of this is speculative. Low testing numbers were of concern to health authorities yesterday. There were 8811 tests reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday night, down from the previous days total of 10,504. With restrictions on gatherings having eased across Greater Sydney, it is even more important that people keep up their guard and remain on the lookout for any signs or symptoms which could indicate COVID-19, the health ministry said in a statement. While NSW has now seen 14 days without a known locally acquired case of COVID-19, the virus may still be circulating in the community among people with mild or no symptoms. We have previously seen successive days of no local cases, only to see cases re-emerge.
The husband of a British woman detained on trumped-up spying charges in Iran has slammed the Foreign Office after being told to keep quiet on her case.

Richard Ratcliffe is angry after UK officials passed on threats from Tehran, warning that his wife Nazanins elderly parents could be harmed if he did not stop criticising the regime.

Now he fears the mother-of-one will not be released when her five-year jail term comes to an end in March.

He said: This is as good as an example you are going to get when they [the Foreign Office] are facilitating threats to the family from the regime.

You are the Government, your job is to protect people. The only reason why she is in prison is because of your debt in the first place. We were all shocked.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 42, was detained in April 2016 during a visit to see family in Tehran and subsequently jailed for spying - charges she has consistently denied.

Jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella in 2017. Mr Ratcliffe believes his wife has been kept as a 'hostage' by the Iranians to force the British government to pay back a 400million debt

She was held in the notorious Evin jail for four years, where political prisoners are usually tortured, but is currently under house arrest at her parents home after Covid swept through the overcrowded cells.

Her husband believes she has been kept as a hostage by the Iranians to force the British government to pay back 400million the regime claim is owed from a 1970s military contract that was not honoured.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been travelling with her daughter Gabriella, now six, (pictured together during a temporary release in 2018) who was cared for by relatives in Iran until eventually coming home to her father in 2019

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and has so far refused to pay the sum.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been travelling with her daughter Gabriella, now six, who was cared for by relatives in Iran until eventually coming home to her father in 2019.

The charity workers younger brother Mohammed has also fled Iran for London following fears for his safety.

Earlier this month when news of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes imminent release emerged, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that negotiations between Britain and Iran had intensified, and the Government was leaving no stone unturned.

Now, Mr Ratcliffe fears that the Iranians will charge his wife again with a second offence of spreading false propaganda about Iran, which they have been threatening with since November.

Mr Ratcliffe fears that the Iranians will charge his wife again with a second offence of spreading false propaganda about Iran

A FCDO spokesman said: The Foreign Secretary and FCDO remain in close contact with both Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family, and continue to provide our support.

We do not accept Iran detaining dual British nationals as diplomatic leverage.

'The regime must end its arbitrary detention of all dual British nationals.

'We continue to do everything we can to secure the release of all dual British nationals so that they can be reunited with their loved ones.
Vietnam re-elects Nguyen Phu Trong as party chief

Nguyen Phu Trong, 76, was elected to a rare third five-year term as Vietnam's Communist Party chief after he was granted an exception to party rules that say people over the age of 65 should retire. Photo: Reuters

Vietnam's ruling Communist Party re-elected its 76-year-old chief Nguyen Phu Trong for a rare third five-year term on Sunday, as the Southeast Asian country battled its biggest coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic began.



Trong, who emerged on top in a power struggle at the last congress in 2016 and has spearheaded a "blazing furnace" crackdown on corruption in the last five years, was granted an exception to party rules that say people over the age of 65 should retire, cementing his position as one of the country's strongest and longest-serving leaders for decades.



"Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was elected to be the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, term XIII," the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.



Trong's re-election as party general secretary came at a five-yearly party congress in Hanoi, where 1,600 party delegates from across Vietnam are concluding eight days of meetings, mostly behind closed doors, to pick a new leadership team, aiming to bolster Vietnam's ongoing economic success  and the legitimacy of the party's rule.



Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is officially led by four "pillars": the chief of its Communist Party, the most powerful post; a president; a prime minister; and the National Assembly chair.



While ascent to the highest levels of Vietnamese politics is governed by party regulations, in reality the highly secretive process revolves around building consensus and vying for control of the decision-making Politburo.



That means exceptions to rules can be granted  especially if consensus on the top candidates cannot be reached.



President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Trong on Sunday, the official Xinhua news agency reported.



Since taking office in 2011, Trong has built up a power base that saw him emerge on top in a showdown with former prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the last congress in 2016.



His crackdown on corruption, described by government critics as politically motivated, has seen dozens of high-level officials, including one Politburo member, sentenced to lengthy jail terms.



Trong's re-selection by members of the ruling Communist Party came as Vietnam battles a new Covid-19 outbreak that has infected at least 221 people and spread to at least eight cities and provinces in the country, including the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City and the capital, Hanoi. (Reuters)


Police officers stand during a demonstration against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures and their economic consequences at Heroes' Square in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Hungarians Protest Against Lockdown Despite Gathering Ban

BUDAPESTRestaurant workers were among hundreds of people protesting against coronavirus lockdown measures on Sunday in Budapest, and at least 100 restaurants planned to re-open even as the government threatened them with heavy fines.

People attend a demonstration against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures and their economic consequences at Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government has said it could only start easing the measures if the number of coronavirus cases falls sharply, or if large numbers of Hungarians are inoculated.

Hungary became first in the EU this week to sign a deal for Russias Sputnik V COVID vaccine and Chinese Sinopharms vaccine.

People wearing Salvador Dali masks attend a demonstration against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures and their economic consequences at Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Current lockdown measures include a night curfew and closing secondary schools, and all restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway meals.

We have had enough of the mass destruction of businesses, the organizers of the rally said on Facebook.

A man gestures during a demonstration against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures and their economic consequences at Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Hungary, with a population of around 10 million, had reported a total of 367,586 cases as of Sunday and 12,524 deaths. New infections have been dropping but over 3,500 people are still in hospital.

The protesters wore masks but defied rules that ban public gathering, so police started asking for documents on the scene.

A man gestures during a demonstration against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) measures and their economic consequences at Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Organizers said that well over 100 restaurants across Hungary had joined a campaign to reopen on Monday, even as the government sharply raised fines by decree on Saturday. Restaurants that receive guests now face fines of between 1 million forints to 5 million forints ($16,990), and could be forced to close for 6 months.

Orban said on state radio on Friday that people could die if we do not bear with the restrictions for a few more weeks  It is not a solution if people go out and violate the rules.

($1 = 294.2800 forints)

By Krisztina Fenyo and Krisztina Than

In another attack on Centre, Congress leader on Sunday alleged that the Chinese Army is building a new road and post in Sikkim. He dared the government to talk about China.

"Do not be afraid too much, Dare to talk about China today!" he tweeted (translated from Hindi) attaching a picture of a news report with the headline "Satellite pictures showing the activities of China building new road and post at Sikkim Border."

This comes as several Indian soldiers were injured in a brawl with the Chinese soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the Naku La area in Sikkim. The Indian Army on Monday clarified that it was a "minor face-off" between the troops on January 20.

The face-off was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols, the Army said in a statement.

Earlier, tweeted, "China is expanding its occupation into Indian territory. Mr 56" hasn't said the word 'China' for months. Maybe he can start by saying the word 'China'.

(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 city of Chula Vista is refusing to release the names of people who applied to operate marijuana businesses in the countys second-largest city, a decision that has drawn criticism from at least one member of the City Council.

In January, Chula Vista received 124 applications from entrepreneurs who want to open dispensaries, delivery businesses, or cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and testing facilities.

Those applications contain the applicants names. The dispensary and delivery business license applications identify which City Council district they plan to open their business in.

Chula Vistas spokesperson Anne Steinberger, after consulting with the City Attorneys office, declined to release copies of the applications to The San Diego Union-Tribune, according to an email sent Jan. 25 in response to a public records request filed Jan. 22.

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But Councilman John McCann said the process should be more transparent.

The city is moving from an illegal market to a regulated market concerning a psychoactive mind altering recreational drug, he said in a statement. The process should be fully transparent in making sure we get the most ethical and qualified owners that provide the highest degree of safety for our communities, so all the applicant names should be available to the public for scrutiny.

The citys response to the newspapers records request states that the applications are not public records. Chula Vista listed three exemptions to public record laws:

At this time, the City will not disclose cannabis applicant information pursuant to Government Code sections 6254 (f), License Investigations, and 6255, Deliberative Process, and Evidence Code section 1040, Official Information. The City intends to provide applicant information following the ranking process.

When asked when the ranking process would be completed, Steinberger said she did not know, partly because that is being done by a third party.

Thursday afternoon, City Attorney Glenn Googins clarified that the names of the applicants are being withheld from the public because of technical issues the city had processing the applications.

We are continuing to sort through those issues and as soon as we have that clarified we will be able to provide you with the names of the applicants, he said.

Googins added that he will meet with his office Friday to determine what specific information from the applications will be made public.

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Experts at the First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to more open and accountable governments, do not believe Chula Vistas use of the License Investigations exemption applies to the marijuana business license applications.

That exemption is commonly used by licensing agencies who are investigating wrongdoing, said David Snyder, the executive director of the First Amendment Coalition.

An example of this is law enforcement agencies not wanting to release records about a case for fear of disclosing the identity of a confidential informant.

This exemption is to keep confidential law enforcement-type investigations or investigations by licensing agencies that go to some issue of violation of a rule or statute, Snyder said. The mere process of granting applications I dont think qualifies as an investigative record.

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Even if Chula Vista believes the applications review process requires some sort of investigation, only specific portions of the application should be withheld from the public, Snyder said.

So it there were legitimate concerns about proprietary information or maybe some security concerns, the city can handle those concerns by redacting certain information that can be withheld, but just the identity of someone who submitted an application, I dont see how that can be validly withheld from the public, he added.

Speaking about the technical issues, Councilwoman Jill Galvez said the city received so many applications that the system crashed several times. The city set a size limit on the files and many applications included pictures and maps.

Quite frankly, the volume crashed the system, Galvez said.

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Because of the crash, it is possible that applicants sent the same file more than once or sent partial files. This makes it difficult for the city to have a precise count at this point, Galvez added.

Chula Vistas denial of the newspapers records request makes no reference to this technical problem and Steinberger never mentioned it during almost two weeks of email correspondence with the Union-Tribune.

Galvez said information on the applications will be made public as soon as the crash issue is resolved.

I agree that transparency is our goal, she said. The city should provide data that is not proprietary as soon as possible, when the above-mentioned issue is resolved.

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Cities around San Diego County have taken different approaches to regulating the marijuana industry.

Vista listed the name of every applicant on its website. Oceanside shared the name and proposed location of every applicant with the Union-Tribune.

Chula Vista has a two-tier process.

Phase one applications must have financial information to ensure applicants have the $250,000 liquid assets requirement, background checks for owners and managers, basic business plans including the type of marijuana business they plan to open, biographical information to fulfill experience requirements, and a general location that identifies which council district they plan to open the business in.

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Applications that meet the minimum requirements will be ranked based on their qualifications, liquid assets, business plan and operating plan. Applicants with the highest scores move on to the second phase.

During the second phase, applicants identify specific locations. They also present site plans, emergency action plans, security plans, and more detailed operational plans.

Councilman Mike Diaz said he supported the citys decision to withhold the names.

We need to make sure the process is fair and I think staff is doing that, he said. My job is to provide policy and we did that. Now its staffs turn to execute the policy.

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Architecture and design streaming platform screens these highlights this month.

Louis Kahns Tiger City (113 mins)

Bangladesh / USA 2019 (Available from Feb 1)

Art historian and filmmaker Sundaram Tagore travels in the footsteps of Louis Kahn to discover how the famed American architect built a daringly modern and monumental parliamentary complex in war-torn Bangladesh. This very personal fourteen-country odyssey delves into Bangladeshs quest for democracy, how Kahn brilliantly wove together Eastern and Western forms, and the power of great architecture to embody the highest ideals.

Coast Modern  (56mins)

USA/ Canada 2012 (Available from Feb 8)

Travelling along the Pacific North West coastline from LA to Vancouver, the film showcases the pioneers of West Coast Modernist Architecture, and the homes that have become their legacies. Stepping inside the most inspired dwellings on the west coast, we feel how the light and space of a classic Modernist home can work in collaboration with the natural environment. Dion Neutra tells us that the way to live is to have the comfort of being inside, yet you have the feeling of being outside, and it is this established principle that contemporary Modernist architects are emulating and evolving.

This relaxed journey takes us across three generations of Modernist architecture, all finding beauty in their own times, and all taking us back to the basics of true living  a sense of place, light, and a deep connection to the earth. Interviewed in Coast Modern are some of the most respected names in architecture, including James Steele, Barbara Lamprecht, Ray Kappe, Hernik Bull, Pierluigi Serraino, Michael Folonis, Dion Neutra, Douglas Coupland, John Cava, Barbara Bestor and legendary photographer Julius Shulman.

Design vs Build (2 x 20mins)

USA 2020 (Available Feb 22)

One impressive project. Two unique perspectives. Design vs. Build is a new series that explores the differences in how the Architect and the Builder see a project as it moves from an idea to the construction phase and then a finished structure. Each episode features a different residential or commercial project with interviews from architects, designers, project managers, and more as they walk you through the project from their point of view.

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NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Boston Scientific Corporation ("Boston Scientific" or the "Company") (NYSE: BSX) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 20-cv-05894, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise, acquired Boston Scientific securities between April 24, 2019 and November 16, 2020, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased Boston Scientific securities during the Class Period, you have until February 2, 2021, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Boston Scientific develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. The Company's products include, among others, the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System, which is a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ("TAVR") product. Boston Scientific announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ("FDA") approval for the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System in April 2019.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System's product delivery system was dysfunctional and threatened the continued viability of the entire product line; (ii) as a result, the Company had materially overstated the continued commercial viability and profitability of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On November 17, 2020, Boston Scientific announced a global recall of all unused inventory of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System, citing "complexities associated with the product delivery system." Boston Scientific further announced that "[g]iven the additional time and investment required to develop and reintroduce an enhanced delivery system, the company has chosen to retire the entire LOTUS product platform immediately."

On this news, Boston Scientific's stock price fell $3.00 per share, or 7.89%, to close at $35.03 per share on November 17, 2020.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

www.pomerantzlaw.com


It's not unusual for celebrities to give their children unique, and sometimes, bizarre names with a not-so obvious meaning.

But it turns out George Clooney was having none of that when he and his wife Amal Alamuddin welcomed their twins to the world three-and-a-half years ago.

The acclaimed actor's rationale was that life under the glare of his fame would be trouble enough for his kids without having weird names to boot.

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Bucking the ttrend: George Clooney revealed that he refused to give his twins weird celebrity names, in an interview with AARP; he is pictured on Jimmy Kimmel Live in December 2020

After being known as the perpetual bachelor during the early years of his career, Clooney turned that single, ladies man persona upside down when he married Alamuddin in September 2014.

He then earned the 'family man' title when the couple became parents to twins -- a boy and a girl -- in June 2017.

When deciding on what to name their children, the two-time Oscar-winner was insistent that they didn't follow the unusual name trend; so they decided on Alexander and Ella.

'I didn't want, like, weird-a** names for our kids. They're already going to have enough trouble. Its hard being the son of somebody famous and successful,' The Descendants star explained in an interview with AARP.

His rationale: The acclaimed actor and director said his kids would have enough trouble under the glare of his fame to give them unusual names

Clooney's confession comes after he spent a good nine months in quarantine, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, at his home in Los Angeles.

Like many people during lockdown, the actor directed much of attention to his kids, and he started making time for things he had been putting off.

One of his lesser known talents happens to be sewing, which has been put to use since the coronavirus was deemed a pandemic in mid-March 2020.

'I do a lot of sewing the kids' clothes,' Clooney told the February/March issue of the magazine. 'And my wife's dress that tore a couple of times. I was a bachelor for a long time and didn't have any money, and you have to learn how to repair things.'

He also revealed that he fixed his wife ripped dress after years learning how to do repairs himself as a long-time bachelor.

Jack of all trades: George Clooney opened up about sewing his children's clothing and exchanging letters with his wife Amal Alamuddin during the AARP interview

'If we were on an island and you had to pick somebody to help you survive, I would pick me. Ask all of my friends and they would pick me, too. I can make a waterspout out of this and a pitcher out of that.'

The actor has made himself useful around the house as the family hunkered down in lockdown, and decided to stain the furniture and interiors and exteriors of his home.

'It was getting dingy, and I had buckets of stain, and I was, like, "Well, what else am I going to do?" It made me feel better. And I put chicken wire all around the dog yard,' he said.

The pandemic has also not stopped his passion for letter writing.

Quality time: The actor has made himself useful around the house as the family hunkered down amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and decided to stain the furniture and interiors of his home

Clooney has an appreciation for letters, and has some from Walter Cronkite, Paul Newman, and Gregory Peck framed and hung up around his house.

The actor and his wife will also exchange letters every few months, which is a tradition that has been ongoing despite the health crisis.

'Even in lockdown, I'll write a letter and slip it on her desk, or she'll write a letter and leave it under the pillow,' he said of their romantic gestures to help keep the relationship spontaneous.

Sweet touch: The actor and his wife will also exchange letters every few months, a tradition that has not stopped during the health crisis

With Clooney fast approaching his 60th birthday, the Kentucky native confessed he had turned down offers to appear on the cover of AARP for about 10-years.

He did, however, contemplate doing it as a joke when he celebrated his 50th birthday.

'I wanted to do a funny bit, which would be Sexiest Man Still Alive. I would have done some funny picture, like with a walker,' Clooney said in the interview.

Most recently, Clooney directed and starred in the science fiction film The Midnight Sky, which began a limited theatrical release in December 2020, before being released on Netflix.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (January 31, 2021) addressed the 125th-anniversary celebrations of 'Prabuddha Bharata', a monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order, started by Swami Vivekananda.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is following Swami Vivekananda in empowering the poor.

Referring to Swami Vivekanand's letter to the Maharaja of Mysore and to Swami Ramakrishnananda. Prime Minister underlined two clear thoughts in Swami Ji's approach to empowering the poor. First, he wanted empowerment to be taken to the poor, if the poor themselves cannot easily go to empowerment. Second, he said about India's poor, "They are to be given ideas; their eyes are to be opened to what is going on in the world around them, and then they will work out their own salvation."

PM Modi asserted that this is the approach with which India is moving ahead today.

"If the poor cannot access banks, then banks must reach the poor. That is what the Jan Dhan Yojana did. If the poor cannot access insurance, then insurance must reach the poor. This is what the Jan Suraksha schemes did. If the poor cannot access health-care, then we must take health-care to the poor. This is what Ayushman Bharat scheme did. Roads, education, electricity and internet connectivity are being taken to every corner of the country, especially to the poor. This is igniting aspirations among the poor. And, it is these aspirations that are driving the growth of the country," Prime Minister Modi noted.

Addressing the 125th anniversary celebrations of Prabuddha Bharata. https://t.co/UOPkG8gjW8  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 31, 2021

He stated that Swami Vivekananda named the journal 'Prabuddha Bharata' to manifest the spirit of India.

"Swami ji wanted to create an 'Awakened India', beyond just a political or territorial entity. Swami Vivekananda saw India as a cultural consciousness that has been living and breathing for centuries," said Prime Minister Modi.

PM Modi said that India's proactive stance during the COVID-19 pandemic is an example of Swamiji's approach of not feeling helpless in a crisis.

"Similarly, instead of complaining about the problem of Climate Change, India went for a solution in the form of the International Solar Alliance. This is the Prabuddha Bharata of Swami Vivekananda's vision being built. This is an India which is giving solutions to the world's problems," PM Modi pointed out.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness that Swami Vivekanandas big dreams for India and his immense faith in India's youth are reflected in India's business leaders, sportspersons, technocrats, professionals, scientists, innovators and so many others.

He asked the youth to move ahead by following Swamiji's advice in his lectures on Practical Vedanta where he talks about overcoming setbacks and to see them as a part of the learning curve.

Terming Swami Vivekanand as a spiritual giant, a highly elevated soul, Prime Minister Modi stressed that he did not renounce the idea of economic progress for the poor.

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A 17-year-old youth has pleaded guilty to murdering an 18-year-old mother-of-two whose body was found stuffed in a wheelie bin in Western Australia last year.

The body of Bethany* was found outside a hospital in the mining town of Newman on May 6, 2020, just four weeks after she gave birth to her second child.

Bethany was a Martu woman whose traditional lands cover 13.6 million hectares in central Western Australia.

The woman's body with severe head injuries was found outside the hospital in Newman, 1,178 kilometres northeast of Perth at 4am on Wednesday, May 6, last year

Police believe she may have been stoned to death before her body was placed inside the bin and dumped outside the medical facility.

The teenager, who can't be named due to his age, had been expected to stand trial.

However the youth has pleaded guilty to the murder charge at Perth Children's Court earlier this month, the West Australian reported.



The boy has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on February 11.

He has been in custody at the Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre since the body was found.

Bethany had just given birth to a son, Justin, and already had a one-year-old son, Nate, when she sustained severe head injuries during an altercation in her home town of Newman.

The young mum's body was found in a wheelie bin outside Newman Hospital (pictured)

It is believed her death was related to a family violence incident, the Northwest Telegraph reported at the time.

The young relative of the woman allegedly wheeled the bin with her inside to the house of an elder before taking it to the hospital at 3.45am, pressing the after hours button and leaving the scene.

She was found by two nurses around 4am and pronounced dead soon after.

It was not clear whether she was alive when she arrived at the hospital and police have never revealed exactly how she died.

Rocks were seized by police during an investigation into Bethany's death.

Local police called in an extra 12 officers from Perth in case of trouble in the town in the wake of the killing but no trouble eventuated.

Instead, a tribal elder man known to the teenage boy was physically punished through a traditional tribal payback, The West Australian reported.

Pictured: Police at one of three crime scenes established for the investigation

No complaints were made about the punishment, with tensions eased locally since it was performed, police said.

'Police can confirm a respected elder attended a culturally appropriate location, where he underwent his obligations according to cultural traditions,' a police spokeswoman told the Weekend Australian in October.

Police did not identify which traditional punishment was used but according the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia it could include 'spearing', 'physical beating', 'banishment' and' 'repercussions for other family members'.

*Name has been changed for cultural reasons

Kildare tourism organisation Into Kildare has lined up a series of events and celebrations to mark St Brigids Day on February 1.

A number of virtual events and activities are planned from walks on St Brigids Trail and exciting Feile Bhride (Festival of St Brigid) online activities, that are set to see the people of Kildare celebrate and honour Irelands much loved Patron Saint.

Feile Bhride is organised annually by the Solas Bhride Centre  a purpose-built centre dedicated to the spiritual legacy of St Brigid.

Events lined up this year include a competition for children to make a St Brigids cross.

The competition has two categories, under 10s and over 10s, and entrants could win vouchers for Whitewater Shopping Centre and family entry to Lullymore.

CEO of Into Kildare, Aine Mangan said: Kildare has a deep-rooted connection with St Brigid which dates back many centuries, so it is fitting that we mark and honour the great work she did for the people of Kildare and indeed, Ireland. This year more than ever, we want people to get outdoors and visit the St Brigids Trail and absorb the history and locations that she herself crossed in her past. In addition, our virtual events are great ways for families to learn more about St Brigid and the incredible legacy she left behind her.

Visit: ww.intokildare.ie or follow Into Kildare on social media for more information on the programme of events.

New Delhi, Jan 31 : Punjabi actor turned activist Deep Sidhu, who is wanted in connection with the Red Fort violence on January 26, on Sunday uploaded a video on his verified Facebook account even as teams of Delhi Police raided various places in Punjab to track him down. In the video, he is seen talking in Punjabi and claiming he has not done anything wrong.

In the 15 minute long video titled 'Straight from my Soul' on his verified Facebook page, Sidhu is seen giving an emotional statement.

"... leaving my whole life behind, I came to join in the Punjabis in their protest. But nobody saw anything and I was labelled a traitor. All I did was raise a voice for your rights. Since so many months, I've been meeting everyone on roads, in tents. Now a single man is being made a traitor," he was heard saying.

In just two hours, the video was viewed 19,000 times and received 11,000 comments.

After the violence that broke out during the farmers' tractor rally in the national capital on January 26, the Delhi Police have arrested 84 persons in various cases of rioting and causing damage to public property, besides registering 38 cases at different police stations.

Has the President to go it alone? View(s):

Whether the President has to go it alone is the question posed today to the public through the media. This question arose in the context of the Sena caterpillar menace, wild elephants, and such other problems faced by farmers in the Anuradhapura District, after the President visited Anuradhapura, alone, to look into these problems.

On an earlier occasion the President similarly visited the office of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, also alone, to find out how things are happening

In recent newspaper articles, Prof N. A. de S. Ameratunge asks: Must the President have to do all that alone?

These lapses have a chain effect on law and order which fall in the hands of Ministers Ali Sabry and Sarath Weerasekera. As discussed in earlier articles, the attention given law and order was more of a problematic nature than needs to be given for its advancement and improvement. The big question that is asked is: Has the President then got to go it alone?

Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera is the focal person. How Minister Weerasekera expects to revamp the police as heralded by him in a declaration is yet to be seen. How Minister Weerasekera would then advise the President is again barely clear. And just later, January 7, 2021, Minister Weerasekera promises to stand by police officers who do their duty. Can this be yet another mere utterance which may not lead to concrete steps being taken to revamp the police.

Be that as it may, law and order is a serious problem today. Details are well known. Law and order problems are through violent crime, underworld activity, drug peddling, security, religious strife and various disputes. Where then does Minister Weerasekera come into the picture? What is the revamp of the police he is talking of, and how does he hope to stand by the honest policeman? None of these is spelt out. Are these too mere dumb and inane utterances on the part of the Minister?

If he can only metamorphose from the myopic, regimented and conceited views, Minister Weerasekera can offer the following advice to the President. The crux of much of the problem is crime intelligence. Crime intelligence, rather the failure of it, runs through all the policing. This is the critical issue evident on the crime scene for well over a decade or more  failure of crime intelligence for anticipation, and preparedness for counter action.

The concept of community policing: The police are the people and the people are the police is the age-old tried-and-tested method of collecting crime intelligence. For unknown reasons the priority given to intelligence gathering by the rank and file of the Police Service has died down. Instead, now, hi-tech surveillance has come into vogue. Cost-free intelligence gathering has been replaced with high cost surveillance cameras. Commissions, needless to say, are proportionate to the costs! Their purpose too has come into question. Intrusion into peoples privacy seems to have taken precedence over crime intelligence.

Investigation after the crime has helped somewhat; investigation helped where intelligence was totally absent in the matter of the Easter bombings. But of how much use is the crime intelligence gathered in crime investigation by Police after the crime is committed?

These cases are followed up later in the hands of the AG and the Courts, and even of the Prisons at the end of the judicial process. The problems of laws delay, of the malfunctioning of the court process are legion.

Intelligence gathered during investigations then get no follow up. Can Justice Minister Sabry contend with these to frame his advice? Can he hope to advise the President on law and order in this respect in the name of Justice, a process within his purview? There is unfortunately no media or other expert coverage on this.

The issue of law and order equally engages Justice Minister Sabry, Public Security Minister Weerasekera, their Ministries and officials, all together. The need, therefore, is their coordination. The idea of separation of powers, however, keeps them apart, since that separation is profitable and remunerative to professionals in the law process for justice. Coordination, instead, would block filthy lucre.

Like in other spheres, the President will rely on the Army. But here too he will run into a problem. The Rathupaswala syndrome may reflect the difficulty. The problem may, perhaps, be congenital. The President so left alone would yet fall back on the military. But the military will be less helpful. For the military inevitably think on different lines. They do not converge with the thinking of others.

This then is an age-old problem. Socratic thinking grappled with this problem from centuries ago. Each of us is naturally not quite like anyone else, but rather differs in nature; different men are apt for the accomplishment of different jobs Who would do a finer, one man practising many arts, or one man one art? One man, one art. Plato Republic Book ii p 370 b. These thoughts of old may help the media and the experts, even today, to grapple with this problem.

Such intelligence and insight, as Prof Ameratunge in his capacity can contribute, will surely help. Can a dentist act like a surgeon? Can the Army deal with the Sena Caterpillar/Fall Armyworm, or animal husbandry? There are of course other due experts. Trust they too will assist the media to clear the confusion.

General Eisenhower, supreme commander of the allied forces that won WW 2, and was the 34th President of the U.S.A. (1952-1961) was not left alone. A wide array attended on him. He did not want to be left alone because he knew the value of the varied experts around him from far and wide and he had the capacity to deal with the expertise of them all. He did not appoint only one class of hurrah-boys just to boost his ego and pander to him. And when he left office, America was the strongest, most influential, and most productive nation in the world. This reference is useful to summarise in few words, all that is said above.

(The writer is a Retired Senior Superintendent of Police. He can be contacted at seneviratnetz@gmail.com; T.P. 077 44 751 44)

Imagine seeing a tax form pop up in the mail that indicates that you need to claim an extra $5,000 or more in taxable income on your federal income tax return. And you never, ever saw a dime of that money?

But now, are you supposed to pay taxes on it? Whoa, whats that about?

Were looking at a shocking tax time headache for potentially millions of victims of ID theft nationwide. They really dont owe extra taxes but they will spend extra time trying to clear up a mess triggered by widespread phony unemployment claims in 2020 in order to file their federal 1040 tax return.

How to report fraud in Oregon

Robert Pennock was surprised to see a 1099-G show up that reports $5,772 in taxable income. Thats money, allegedly, that he received in state unemployment benefits through the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency in 2020.

If he received unemployment benefits, it would be taxable income. But he was not laid off during the pandemic. He did not face any furlough. He never applied and never received state unemployment benefits.

Pennock works as a reading specialist for Hulsing Elementary School in Canton, Mich. He teaches students from kindergarten through the fifth grade.

He did get a couple of clues in the summer that something was up. The human resources office for the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools spotted that unemployment claims were being made in his name in June.

He confirmed with HR that he did not file for unemployment. Hes thankful that his employer is trying to help him work out the mess.

He said he immediately went to the Michigan UIA website and filed both fraud and identity theft claims.

It appeared to him, he said, that those jobless claims were not paid out since he received letters in the mail that his unemployment claim was denied for various reasons.

And I figured that would be the end of that, said Pennock, 55, who lives in Plymouth Township.

It wasnt. He received the 1099 in the mail around Jan. 22 or so.

Pennock, whose wife Pamela typically prepares their tax returns by using tax software, is researching what he needs to do next.

Pennocks mother just passed away at age 89 last week, the same week he got the troubling 1099. He had only been able to visit her once in the past year in Ohio during the pandemic.

My mother used to say it will all work out in the wash, he told me Tuesday. And Im sure it will.

On Thursday morning, he had more hope that his mothers words could come true.

Good news, Pennock emailed me. They are sending a corrected 1099 and directed me to Form 6349, available on the UIA website, which I am to complete and return. The form is titled Statement of Identity Theft.

Hes not angry with the state Unemployment Insurance Agency, as he knows how swamped people who work there must be.

My anger lies with the people who are taking advantage and stealing money from people.

Massive jobless fraud sweeps the country

All across the country, professional crime rings used stolen ID information to file fraudulent unemployment claims in 2020.

The problem is that if your information was used to file phony jobless claims, the state could soon issue you a Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments, issued in your name. Unemployment benefits are to be included in taxable income that goes on Schedule 1, Line 7 of a 1040 return.

Experts say you cant just ignore this 1099, as this is income that has already been submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. The incorrect 1099 might create extra headaches and delays when it comes to getting any tax refund.

Ideally, you want the state Unemployment Insurance Agency to issue you a corrected 1099-G to both you and the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS notes in its own publications that you want to contact whoever issued the 1099 if it is not correct.

If you still havent received the corrected 1099 form by the end of February, the IRS said, you may call the IRS at 800-829-1040 for assistance.

But, realistically, how long might that take? Will you receive a corrected form or an answer from the IRS in time to meet the April 15 tax filing deadline? How long would you have to wait for any tax refund that youre owed?

Remember, the IRS will not even begin processing tax returns until Feb. 12. Thats slightly more than two weeks later than last year.

The IRS website has a guide on identity theft. See IRS.gov/identitytheft.

Local retiree questions what to do with 1099

Now I have a 1099 that says its for $4,880, said Karol Settergren, a retired high school counselor.

Taking a close look at the 1099, she said, it shows that withholdings of $488 for federal income taxes and $270.40 for the state.

It has my Social Security number on here, she said.

Now, Im just concerned what happens when I go to file my taxes.

Settergren, 73, did not file for unemployment benefits in 2020.

She remembers that she did get some paperwork in the summer that said she was denied her claim for unemployment benefits because she didnt provide enough identification. She did not keep that letter.

Again, though, she did not expect a problem since she received information saying the claim was reportedly denied.

Its just another thing to deal with, she said. It seems like everything is going wrong in this year of COVID-19.

Last year, a large-scale imposter scheme hit state unemployment systems across the country. Many times, the crooks filed claims for people who didnt lose jobs, such as school teachers, retirees and even some small business owners.

On Monday, California officials confirmed that the state paid out more than $11 billion in unemployment claims relating to fraud during pandemic, according to The Hill.

Con artists found phony jobless claims attractive and a way to steal generous jobless benefits of up to $1,000 a week offered in many states early during the pandemic.

In March, Congress passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act, which included a $600 supplemental federal unemployment benefit and offered benefits to workers who normally wouldnt qualify for state benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

The crooks were very successful. It was estimated that at least $36 billion could have been scammed out of the system nationwide, according to according to the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Labor.

Tax professionals scramble

Your first step when you receive one of these letters has to be to contact the issuer of the 1099-G, usually the state unemployment office, and inform them of the fraud and ask for a corrected 1099-G, according to Mark Luscombe, principal analyst for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting.

Luscombe said you do not want to include the amount on the 1099-G on your tax return if it was fraudulent.

Hopefully, you can get the state unemployment agency to correct the 1099-G and file a corrected version with the IRS, but if not attach a statement to your tax return that the 1099-G was a response to a fraudulent application that you are trying to get corrected and you did not apply for and did not receive any unemployment benefits, Luscombe said.

Yes, expect more headaches, too.

State unemployment offices have been overwhelmed with valid requests for unemployment benefits as well as fraudulent ones, so their response may take a while, Luscombe said.

He would not be surprised if it could take several months for some to resolve these issues.

The State of Michigan warns of potential delays in its letter: Please be patient. The rampant imposter fraud and identity theft across the country requires that UIA individually review each claim of suspected fraud. If you have already provided information to the UIA, there is no need to resubmit information unless asked by UIA.

The Michigan UIA will investigate a report of identity theft. Once identity theft is confirmed, UIA will issue a corrected 1099-G to both you and the Internal Revenue Service, according to the states letter.

States across the country are issuing these 1099s to fraud victims and alerting the victims on what to do next.

The State of Washington, for example, notes on its website: When criminals fraudulently claim benefits in someone elses name, we must investigate and confirm fraud before we can update the IRS.

Colorado has a form online to report an invalid 1099 for its ID theft victims, as does Oregon.

Luscombe said ID theft victims can expect that they will be asked for some documentation, such as verifying that you are still employed with your employer.

You also want to document all the steps you have taken to correct the fraud and the names and dates involved when you reported the ID theft. You may want to contact your local police department to document the fraud.

If you have a valid claim for unemployment benefits in addition to the fraudulent claim having been filed, the fraud process could also hold up your valid claim for benefits, Luscombe said.

Youd want proof that you are a victim of ID theft and that the benefits should not be taxed because a scammer received the money, not you.

The strange 1099 means you must try to limit future ID theft, too.

ID theft victims are encouraged to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission, which is monitoring unemployment benefits fraud on a nationwide basis. Go to IdentityTheft.gov. A special tab on the right corner directs you to claims about unemployment benefits identity theft.

Take time to check your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com to see if there is evidence of other fraudulent activity, perhaps credit cards that are opened in your name by crooks.

The IRS notes that you can place a free one-year fraud alert on your credit reports by contacting any one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies online or through their toll-free numbers. The bureau you contact must tell the other two. Call Equifax at 800-525-6285. Experian: 888-397-3742. And TransUnion: 800-680-7289.

Experts say you might request a fraud alert or credit freeze from the three credit reporting agencies. If you opt for a credit freeze, you would have to have the freeze lifted if you need to take out a loan or apply for credit yourself.

Whatever you do, dont just toss this 1099-G in the trash. Its better to try to deal with this problem sooner, rather than later.

Susan Tompor is the personal finance columnist for the Detroit Free Press.
As a warehouse manager at a Food 4 Less in Los Angeles, Norma Leiva greets delivery drivers hauling in soda and chips and oversees staff stocking shelves and helping customers. At night, she returns to the home she shares with her elderly mother-in-law, praying the coronavirus isn't traveling inside her.

A medical miracle at the end of last year seemed to answer her prayers: Leiva, 51, thought she was near the front of the line to receive a vaccine, right after medical workers and people in nursing homes. Now that California has expanded eligibility to millions of older residents - in a bid to accelerate the administration of the vaccines - she is mystified about when it will be her turn.

"The latest I've heard is that we've been pushed back. One day I hear June, another mid-February," said Leiva, whose sister, also in the grocery business, was sickened last year with the virus, which has pummeled Los Angeles County - the first U.S. county to record 1 million cases. "I want the elderly to get it because I know they're in need of it, but we also need to get it, because we're out there serving them. If we're not healthy, our community's not healthy."

Delaying vaccinations for front-line workers, especially food and grocery workers, has stark consequences for communities of color disproportionately affected by the pandemic. "In the job we do," Leiva said, "we are mostly Blacks and Hispanics."

Many states are trying to speed up a delayed and often chaotic rollout of coronavirus vaccines by adding people 65 and older to near the front of the line. But that approach is pushing others back in the queue, especially because retired residents are more likely to have the time and resources to pursue hard-to-get appointments. As a result, workers who often face the highest risk of exposure to the virus will be waiting longer to get protected, according to experts, union officials and workers.

The shifting priorities illuminate political and moral dilemmas fundamental to the mass vaccination campaign: whether inoculations should be aimed at rectifying racial disparities, whether the federal government can apply uniform standards and whether local decision-making will emphasize more than ease of administration.

Speed has become all the more critical with the emergence of highly transmissible variants of the virus. Only by performing 3 million vaccinations a day - more than double the current rate - can the country stay ahead of the rapid spread of new variants, according to modeling conducted by Paul Romer, a Nobel Prize-winning economist.

But low-wage workers without access to sick leave are among those most likely to catch and transmit new variants, said Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because there are not enough doses of the vaccines to immunize front-line workers and everyone over 65, he said, officials should carefully weigh combating the pernicious effects of the virus on communities of color against the desire to expedite the rate of inoculation.

"If the obsession is over the number of people vaccinated," Besser said, "we could end up vaccinating more people, while leaving those people at greatest risk exposed to ongoing rates of infection."

The move to broaden vaccine availability to a wider swath of the elderly population - backed by Trump administration officials in their final days in office and members of President Joe Biden's health team - marks a departure from expert guidance set forth in December, as the vaccine rollout was getting underway.

A panel of experts advising the CDC recommended that the second priority group include front-line essential workers, along with adults 75 and older. The guidance represented a compromise between the desire to shield people most likely to catch and transmit the virus - because they cannot socially distance or work from home - and the effort to protect people most prone to serious complications and death.

People of color and immigrants are overrepresented not just in grocery jobs but also in meatpacking, public transit and corrections facilities, where outbreaks have taken a heavy toll. Black and Latino Americans are three to four times more likely than White people to be hospitalized and almost three times more likely to die of covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, according to the CDC.

The desire to make vaccine administration equitable was central to recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

"We cannot abandon equity because it's hard to measure and it's hard to do," Grace Lee, a committee member and a pediatrics professor at Stanford University's School of Medicine, said at the time.

On Wednesday at a committee meeting, Lee said officials need both efficiency and equity to "ensure that we are accountable for how we're delivering vaccine."

"Absolutely agree we do not want any doses in freezers or wasted in any way," Lee said.

But efficiency has won out in most places.

Some state leaders, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, acted on their own, lowering the age threshold to 65 soon after distribution began last year. Others followed with the blessing of top federal officials.

Biden's advisers have said equity will be central to their efforts, calling access in underserved communities a "moral imperative" and promising, in a national vaccination strategy document, "we remain focused on building programs to meet the needs of hard-to-reach and high-risk populations." In the meantime, they have similarly encouraged states to broaden vaccine availability to a larger segment of their older populations without providing guidance about how to ensure front-line workers remain a priority.

Experts studying health disparities say prioritizing people over 65 disproportionately favors White people, because people of color, especially Black men, tend to die younger, owing to racism's effect on physical health. Twenty percent of White people are 65 or over, while just 9 percent of people of color are in that age group, according to federal figures.

"People are thinking about risk at an individual level as opposed to at a structural level. People are not understanding that where you work and where you live can actually bring more risks than your age," said Camara Phyllis Jones, a family physician, epidemiologist and past president of the American Public Health Association. "It's worse than I thought."

The constantly changing priorities have made the uneven rollout all the more difficult to navigate. There is confusion over when, where and how to get shots, with different jurisdictions taking different approaches in an illustration of the nation's decentralized public health system.

While praising the effort to expand access and speed up the administration of shots, Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said increasing reliance on age-based eligibility "must not come at the expense of the essential workers helping families put food on the table during this crisis.

"Public health officials must work with governors in all 50 states to end the delays and act swiftly to distribute the vaccine to grocery and meatpacking workers on the front lines, before even more get sick and die," he said.

Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, said the only way to ensure front-line workers get the vaccines they need is to involve them and their union representatives in decisions about eligibility and access. Unions, she said, could also be tapped to conduct outreach in hard-to-reach communities, including those not conversant in English.

"Essential workers who've been on the front lines both in health care but also across the service and care sectors - child care, airline, janitorial, security - face extraordinary risk," she said.

Leiva, a 33-year member of UFCW Local 770, said the celebration of essential workers should come with recognition of their sacrifice, which is unevenly felt across racial groups. When the virus tore through the grocery store, she said, "every single one of them in that cluster was Hispanic."

But with hospitals dangerously full in recent weeks, and less than half of distributed vaccine doses administered, many states broadened their top priority groups to include older adults, hoping to lessen the burden on hospitals and expedite vaccine administration.

Protecting people 65 and older, officials say, saves the lives of those who face the gravest consequences and reduces the stress on intensive care units. Risk for severe covid-19 illness increases with age; 8 out of 10 deaths reported in the United States have been in people 65 and older.

Older people in the United States have also encountered enormous hurdles in gaining access to the vaccines. Faced with overloaded sign-up websites and jammed phone lines, they have sometimes spent nights waiting in line.

In more than half the states - at least 28, by one count - people 65 and older are in the top two priority groups, behind health-care workers and residents in long-term care facilities. As a result, front-line workers either fall behind the older group or are squeezed into the same pool, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.

"When you make that pool of eligible people much bigger, you're creating much longer wait times for some of these groups," said Jennifer Kates, a senior vice president at the foundation.

Front-line workers often labor in crowded conditions. Some live in multigenerational households. By contrast, many older adults are retired, have greater access to sign-up portals and have more time to wait in lines outside of clinics, health officials said.

"The 65-year-old person who is wealthier and can stay home and isn't working and is retired and can ride it out for another two months ... is less likely to get infected than the person who has to go outside every day for work," said Roberto Vargas, assistant dean for health policy at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced Jan. 13 that the state was "significantly increasing our efforts to get these vaccines administered, get them out of freezers and get them into people's arms" by increasing the number of people eligible to receive shots. "Everybody 65 and over - about 6.6 million Californians - we are now pulling into the tier to make available vaccines."

On Jan. 25, Newsom said the state would move to an age-based eligibility system after vaccinating those now at the front of the line, including health-care workers, food and agriculture workers, teachers, emergency personnel and seniors 65 and older.

The abrupt changes confused local health officials.

Julie Vaishampayan, public health officer in San Joaquin Valley's Stanislaus County, said the county had just finished vaccinating health-care workers and was getting ready to reach out to farm laborers at a tomato-packing company and food-processing workers. When the state added those 65 and older, the county had to pivot abruptly,as it faced a quintessential supply-and-demand dilemma.

"There isn't enough vaccine to do it all, so how do we balance?" she said in an email. "This is really hard."

In Tennessee, teachers were initially promised access but then were told to wait until people 70 and older got their shots. The state's health commissioner, Lisa Piercey, said she was moving more gradually through the age gradations so as not to crowd out workers, treating the federal framework as guidance, which is often how officials have characterized it. "It's not an either/or situation," she said in an interview this month.

But with vaccine supply sharply limited, priorities had to be narrowed. By vaccinating older residents, she said, the state was also protecting its medical infrastructure by reducing the likelihood that older people, who are more likely to be hospitalized, would fall ill. Once there is more supply, she said, she would be able to amplify aspects of the state's planning geared toward underserved and hard-to-reach populations. "I can't wait to manifest that equity plan."

In Nebraska, the health department in Douglas County, which includes Omaha, prioritized older residents over "critical industry workers who can't work remotely" after the state expanded eligibility to residents 65 and older, according to a January news release. Meatpacking workers, grocery store employees, teachers and public transit workers were bumped lower in line.

Omaha's teachers union had wanted its approximately 4,100 members to get shots before the district resumes full-time, in-person instruction for elementary and middle school students Tuesday. Now, they must wait until late spring, said Robert Miller, president of the Omaha Education Association.

"The fear, it goes hand in glove with going back to school five days a week," he said, despite CDC reports that schools operating in person have seen scant transmission. "We've had some teachers who have multigenerational homes, who live in the basement, ... and they can't interact with their parents. We have some teachers who are staying at a different apartment away from their elder loved ones."

Some state leaders sought to defend broadening eligibility to more of the elderly population, saying it was consistent with efforts to address racial disparities. Illinois had reduced the age requirement to 65, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said recently, "in order to reduce covid-19 mortality and limit community spread in Black and Brown communities." His office did not respond to a request for comment about how lowering the age threshold would have that effect.

In Massachusetts, state leaders announced Jan. 25 that people 65 and older and those with at least two high-risk medical conditions were next in line, ahead of educators and workers in transit, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, and public works and public health.

That means Dorothy Williams, who runs a day-care center in a predominantly Black community where the infection rate is among the highest in Boston, has to wait. Her center stayed open throughout the pandemic, caring for children of essential workers, many of them in low-wage jobs in hospitals or nursing homes.

She recognizes the long hours and the exposure risks of those health-care aides. That means "we're exposed," she said, "each and every single day." She has been able to keep the coronavirus at bay, but two weeks ago, she had a scare that forced her to close and get everyone tested after a child became ill. The tests came back negative, but the fear remains.

"We are at risk," she said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein contributed to this report.
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Washington, Jan 31 : Stephen Lynch, a Democratic lawmaker from Massachusetts, has tested positive for Covid-19 after he was vaccinated against the virus earlier this month, the media reported.

In a report published on Saturday, The Hill news website said that Lynch had received a second dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine and has tested negative before attending the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden on January 20.

"This afternoon US Representative Stephen F. Lynch received a positive test result for Covid-19 after a staff member in the Congressman's Boston office had tested positive earlier in the week," Molly Rose Tarpey, a spokesperson for the lawmaker, said in a statement on Saturday.

Tarpey said that Lynch plans to isolate and will vote by proxy over the coming week, the news outlet reported.

He remains asymptomatic.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it takes "a few weeks" for the body to build immunity after vaccination.

This means that a person could be exposed just before or right after the jab and still get infected.
Haryana will organise peace march in every block of the state from February 3 to 5 in support of farmers protesting against the Central agri laws, said state Pradesh Committee (HPCC) president Kumari Selja on Saturday.

"Haryana will organise peace march in every block of the state from February 3 to 5 in support of farmers protesting against the Central agri laws and also for promoting brotherhood and harmony," Selja told reporters.

"BJP government was crossing all limits of shamelessness. All tactics were being adopted by the party to declare the farmers as traitors," she alleged.

The state party chief asked "what type of patriotism is the BJP exhibiting? It should remember that the families of these farmers have sacrificed their lives for the country. Members of their family are on the borders."

"BJP members are attacking farmers who are peacefully agitating at the sites, where the police remained a mute spectator. Farmers are being threatened and intimidated by the police at the behest of the BJP. False cases are being filed against them," she added.

Condemning the Haryana government's decision to stop mobile internet services in the state, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala yesterday demanded 'immediate' resumption of services.

The Haryana government on Friday suspended all mobile internet, SMS, and dongle services in 17 districts including Sonipat, Palwal, and Jhajjar till 5 pm on January 30. The voice calls, however, are exempted as earlier from the suspension.

(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.)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Parents of children with physical, intellectual and developmental (I/DD) disabilities say their children are still the forgotten population nearly one year since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began.

Through no fault of their own, many schools and day programs for the I/DD community on Staten Island and throughout the state shuttered during the pandemic, forcing those who rely on the assistance, specific programming, therapies and continuity to stay home  many without services.

Suzette Violante said the toll its taken on her family and on her 23-year-old daughter Brianna -- who has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal and is wheelchair bound -- is intense.

Brianna, she said, is cognitively there; its like shes trapped in a body that doesnt work.

There have been no programs for kids with cognitive abilities. Its been almost a year now since the pandemic started and were still struggling trying to find programs and services for her, Violante, an Annadale resident, told the Advance/SILive.com through tears.

The experience has been heartbreaking, she said, after spending years to get her child to a certain point only to then watch her regress at home for months.

We want to give her a reason and a purpose to wake up every day; thats the hardest challenge. The main thing is to keep her spirit up because the moment they give up, thats it, she said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have repeatedly said the COVID-19 vaccine is the way to return to normal, however, there is little medical research on whether the vaccine is safe for those with developmental disabilities even though they are more likely to die than those without disabilities.

A PRECARIOUS SITUATION

Maryann Virgas son Matthew, now 23, was born 10 weeks premature and, as a result, has severe spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is non-verbal.

It has been an uphill battle for Virga, a West Brighton resident, since Matthew graduated from the Hungerford School when he became an adult -- many adult day programs arent equipped to handle his severe disability.

She finally found him a place at Lifestyles for the Disabled after much work on both ends and then the pandemic happened.

Now, Matthew sits in his wheelchair in front of a computer for Zoom lessons for four hours a day.

Its a very precarious situation were in thats only been complicated by the [coronavirus] pandemic, Virga said.

I GOT LUCKY

Noreen Boffa and her daughter Ariel Mulford, 17. Mulford, who has cerebral palsy. (Photo courtesy of Noreen Boffa)

Noreen Boffa of Annadale said she got lucky when she found a school in Manhattan that could take her daughter, 17-year-old Ariel Mulford, in July.

Ariel has cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities. Before the pandemic, she received physical, occupational, speech, and other therapies daily at the Hungerford School full-time.

When the pandemic hit, Boffa was responsible for her daughters therapies, which she said was a challenge.

It took a bit to get back in the swing of things, Boffa said of the new school. Ive only seen improvements but its different, she said.

Ariel is one of the lucky ones; there hasnt been much, if any, regression, a contrast to what so many other families have seen when their disabled children dont have access to needed services.

This population needs the structure and the routine, Boffa said.

While she feels thankful for Ariels services, Boffa still feels forgotten amidst the pandemic.

In a certain aspect we feel forgotten; with testing and not knowing if the vaccine will work, how it will impact the population, the educational aspect of it all, she said.

Boffa plans to discuss the vaccine with Ariels pediatrician and neurologist during an appointment next month, even though she knows there havent been studies and is unsure if she will get Ariel vaccinated even if she is eligible.

VACCINES MAY NOT BE ACCESSIBLE FOR MANY WITH DISABILITIES

We dont know if the vaccine is safe for her, if it will interact with all of the other medications that shes taking and because nobody has even bothered to acknowledge [this population] we just dont know, Violante said.

As with most issues surrounding her daughter, its up to her to research and fiercely advocate for Brianna.

Like many other aspects of life in the I/DD community, understanding how vaccination will be tolerated is a complex issue  there are a multitude of different abilities and disabilities and medications that are used to treat them.

There are nearly 80,000 developmentally disabled residents across New York state. Even if vaccination were clearly safe, this population currently isnt eligible -- except for those 65 or older -- even though some are considered high-risk because of complicating medical conditions in addition to their physical disabilities.

According to FAIR Health, people with I/DD are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than patients without disabilities.

Currently, only those who have weakened immune systems are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in New York, however, the definition is vague.

Cuomo and de Blasio have both said theyre waiting for further guidance from the federal government, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), before adding those who are immunocompromised and disabled.

We continue to do everything possible to get as many New Yorkers vaccinated as quickly as possible. Currently over 7 million New Yorkers are eligible for the vaccine, but our weekly allocation of doses from the federal government was cut without any explanation. We are encouraged by the new administrations announcement that we will get a 16% greater allocation, and we hope to continue to receive more doses and guidance on this issue, the state Department of Health (DOH) told the Advance/SILive.com when asked specifically why it couldnt add those with disabilities to the eligibility list.

FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER.
Virgis Lithuania

Virgis was born and raised in a small town in Lithuania under the communist regime. In this context of poverty and hypocrisy, Virgis realized from an early age the importance of having real moral and spiritual values.

Intelligence, culture and belief constitute a defence against the regime for his mother who sent him to art school when he was 12 years old. This was his first experience with art. There he discovered the culture and the arts of the free countries of the West: his vocation as an artist was born. Naturally he turned to study art at the University, and after graduation he became an art teacher at a secondary school. The Gorbachev regime somewhat freed society and Virgis could finally indulge in its creation.

In the 90s, he began offering his work in various local exhibitions. At the time, the artwork of Marc Chagall was the inspiration of a great majority of his work. The meeting with two French artists, Anne de Beaufort and Michele Volsy, was a milestone in his artistic life, and Virgis instinctively changed the nature of his work and devoted himself to abstract painting.

He uses oil paint on canvas to express emotions and feelings: fear, grief, joy or worry. For Virgis, these feelings are as abstract as real as life.

Today, artists like Stanley F. Kline, Robert Motherwell, Pierre Soulages and Dubuffet are references for Virgis. He is a professor of painting and graphic art in an art school in Lithuania.

Virgis finds inspiration in his environment and what it conveys. His painting is sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. Through his abstract work he speaks of the uncertainty of life. The difficult context in which his vocation as an artist was born determines all his work and gives it its strength and depth.
Christian nurse falsely accused of blasphemy by co-worker, tied and beaten in Pakistan

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A Christian nurse in Pakistan and her family have gone into hiding after being accused of committing blasphemy by a Muslim co-worker. Many across the country are upset after videos surfaced online of her being attacked by coworkers.

Tabitha Nazir Gill, a 30-year-old Christian nurse, was accused of blasphemy Thursday at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital in Karachi city in Sindh province, where she worked for nine years, the United States-based persecution advocacy organization International Christian Concern reports.

A Muslim co-worker, who was not identified, allegedly made the accusation after a personal dispute over receiving cash tips from hospital patients.

According to the ICC report, the hospitals head nurse instructed all medical staff not to receive cash tips from patients. Gill reportedly remained the co-worker who she saw collect money from a patient about the instruction.

The co-worker then falsely accused Gill of committing blasphemy.

According to sources that spoke with the nonprofit, hospital staff beat Gill after tying her up with ropes and locking her in a room before police arrived. She was taken into police custody.

However, police released Gill as they did not find any evidence against her. But ultimately, police were pressured to file charges.

Gill and her family have fled to an unknown location in fear of vigilante violence, the persecution watchdog stated.

Police provided protection to Gill and tried to resolve the issue, a source told ICC.

However, a mob of hundreds of Muslims gathered at the local police station to force the police to register an FIR [formal complaint] against Gill, the source told ICC. This FIR was lodged today [Friday].

In Pakistan, blasphemy  insulting Islam or its prophet Muhammad  is a crime that is punishable by prison time or even the death penalty. The blasphemy law, embedded in sections 295 and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, is frequently misused for personal revenge.

It carries no provision to punish a false accuser or a false witness of blasphemy. But Pakistan imprisons more people on blasphemy charges than any other country in the world.

Islamist extremists also use the law to target religious minorities Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyyas, and Hindus.

In Pakistan, blasphemy allegations forever ruin the lives of the accused, even if proved to be false, ICC Regional Manager, William Stark, said in a statement.

We call on Pakistani authorities to thoroughly and fairly investigate this false allegation and bring the false accuser to justice. Pakistans blasphemy laws must no longer be allowed to settle personal scores or incite religious hatred. Too often, these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minorities.

According to the Union of Catholic Asia News, police registered Gills blasphemy case under section 295-C of the Pakistan legal code, the section punishable by the death penalty. The outlet notes that a midwifery student accused the nurse of saying that Prophet Ishmael was born of adultery and insulted Muhammad.

A video that surfaced online of Gill being beaten at the hospital drew the ire of a Muslim cleric Maulana Tahir.

It is with great grief I request Prime Minister Imran Khan and state leaders to take notice. The police investigation proved that she didnt commit blasphemy, he stated in a video message on Facebook. The faces of the attackers are clear in the video. They should be given strictest punishment as well so that a violent or a religious fanatic cannot misuse the 295 [blasphemy] law to harm minorities and settle a personal score in the name of religion.

Tahir stated that the blasphemy law is causing minority girls to face mountains of tyranny.

Try to amend this law, he was quoted as saying. Nobody should suffer. Prophet Muhammad urged to protect creation for the will of Allah. Minorities deserve equal rights to live and worship peacefully.

Between 1987 and 2017, 1,534 people in Pakistan were accused of blasphemy, according to ICC, which also says that at least 238 of those accusations were made against Christians.

Christians only make up 1.6% of Pakistans total population. Pakistan is listed by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for religious freedom and is ranked as the fifth-worst country when it comes to the persecution of Christians.

The worlds attention was drawn to Pakistans blasphemy law after Christian mother of five Asia Bibi was sentenced to death and served over 10 years in prison before Pakistans Supreme Court acquitted her in 2018. Her acquittal drew the ire of radical extremist groups as many protested in the streets and threatened to kill the Supreme Court judges responsible.

The threat of communal violence following a blasphemy allegation is also real. In 2014, Christian couple Shehzad and Shamah Masih were burned to death in a brick kiln over false accusations they ripped pages from the Quran.

The brother of a U.S. citizen is also facing the possibility of being sentenced to death in Pakistan on trumped-up blasphemy charges. The brother, Shakeel Anjum, urges the Biden administration to pressure that country to release his brother, Nadeem Samson.

By March-end, 47-year-old Samson will go before Pakistans Lahore High Court to plead against blasphemy charges, Anjum told The Christian Post earlier this month.

On Nov. 24, 2017, a man named Abdul Haq allegedly told police that Samson had opened a fake Facebook account where he allegedly posted blasphemous material. He asked for an immediate police raid on Samsons home to catch him in the act.

Police captured Samson and a police report claimed that he had admitted to the crime, which, his brother said, was done under torture.

Police are accused of beating Samson for three days until he admitted to the crime, the brother recalled.

We are not free to pray [in Pakistan], Anjum argued. We do not say anything and we are charged for blasphemy. This is a question of genocide of Christians in Pakistan. They just destroyed three years in trial. They are destroying the lives of blasphemy victims.
School & Education

By Ls Cohen Published: January 31 2021

Two $500 scholarships are available for resident high school seniors.

Graduating seniors who are pursuing a career in engineering are encouraged to submit an application for one of two $500 scholarships from the Town of Brookhaven Highway Superintendents Association.

Highway Superintendent Daniel Losquadro announced the availability of the scholarships and invited residents graduating from high school this year to apply.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and high school transcript, with a 400-word maximum essay about why they plan to pursue a career in engineering. Applications can be submitted to kdandrea@brookhavenny.gov by Friday, February 19, 2021.
Prime Minister addressed the nation in the 73rd edition of his radio show, on Sunday. The Prime Minister's speech - the first on the show this year, comes a day before his government presents its annual budget that is expected to boost spending on job-creation and rural development to mend an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Farmer unions are continuing their protests against three agriculture laws that the government enacted in September. Angry at the new agricultural laws that they say benefit large private food buyers at the expense of producers, tens of thousands of farmers have been camped at protest sites on the outskirts of the capital for more than two months now.

India was "deeply anguished" by the insult to the flag on last week, said Prime Minister, referring to farmers breaching the Red Fort in Delhi. Modi spoke about protesters hoisting flags at the Fort after hundreds of them deviated from agreed routes and breached the heart of Delhi. Farmers commandeered cranes and used ropes to tear down roadblocks miles from routes approved by the police, forcing the police in riot gear to fall back and let them pass during celebrations.

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The skeleton of a friar with two broken legs resembling a medieval 'hit and run', probably from a cart accident that killed him, has been unearthed by Cambridge archaeologists.

The team from the University of Cambridge were examining skeletal trauma from 314 skeletons buried at three locations in the city between the 10th and 14th century.

The friar, identified by his burial place and belt buckle, suffered two broken thigh bones as a result of what researchers believe was a cart accident where he was struck by the wagon.

Skeletons were recovered from across the social spectrum including a parish graveyard for ordinary working people, a charitable hospital that buried the sick and destitute, and an Augustinian friary that buried wealthy donors alongside clergy.

The skeleton of a friar with two broken legs resembling a medieval 'hit and run', probably from a cart accident that killed him, has been unearthed by Cambridge archaeologists

Pictured, remains of numerous individuals unearthed on the former site of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist, taken during the 2010 excavation

Their findings reveal the extent of hardship suffered by all classes at this time with one female victim almost certainly bearing the marks of domestic violence.

The team catalogued the nature of every break and fracture to build a picture of the physical distress people suffered by accident, occupational injury or violence during their daily lives.

Of the 314 skeletons buried, 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.

Results from x-ray analysis revealed 44 per cent of working people buried in the parish cemetery of All Saints by the Castle from the 10th to 14th centuries suffered some form of broken bone by the time they died.

For people buried at the Augustinian Friary or by the Hospital of St John the Evangelist  individuals who were of higher social standing or suffering from illness  this figure drops to 32 and 27 per cent, respectively.

The worst fractures reported in the study were seen on a friar who had both his femurs, the thigh, bone broken in two (pictured)

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)

Fractures were more common in male remains, at 40 per cent, compared to 26 per cent of female remains across all burials.

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.

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.

Lead study author Dr Jenna Dittmar, from the After the Plague project at the University's Department of Archaeology, said: '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.

'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.

'These were people who spent their days working long hours doing heavy manual labour.

Members 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

'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 of Cambridge was just starting to develop at this time, with the first stirrings of academia occurring around 1209.

Cambridge was mostly a provincial town of artisans, merchants and farmhands with a population of 2,500 to 4,000 people by the mid-13th century.

While the working poor may have had 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 by his burial place and belt buckle, with two broken thigh bones.

Dr Dittmar said: 'The friar had complete fractures halfway up both his femurs.

'The femur 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.

'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.

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

The team uncovered another friar who 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 around four per cent 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.

Dr Dittmar said: '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.

'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.

Lead study author Dr Jenna Dittmar, from the After the Plague project at the University's Department of Archaeology, examines a bone from the excavation

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 who were retired locals paying to live at the hospital, much like a modern old-age care home.

In 1511, the hospital was dissolved to create St John's College.

It was later excavated by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU), during university renovations in 2010.

Researchers found the remains of some of the poorest in town at a church graveyard in the parish of All Saints.

Founded in the 10th century, the parish was in use until 1365 when it merged with a neighbouring parish after local populations fell after the Black Death bubonic plague pandemic.

While the church itself has never been found, the graveyard 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.

Dr Dittmar said: 'Those buried in All Saints were among the poorest in town, and clearly more exposed to incidental injury.

'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.'

CAU excavated the Augustinian Friary in 2016 as part of building works on the University's New Museums Site.

Records show 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 research was published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 19:50:21|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Somali President Mohamed Farmajo has called for a consultative meeting between his government and leaders of the federal member states (FMS) to discuss electoral issues ahead of polls.

Farmajo said the Feb. 1-3 meeting to be held in Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug State is expected to unlock the deadlock on the electoral process and pave way for the delayed parliamentary and presidential elections.

"As part of our efforts on the Sept. 17 elections agreement, I will have a three-day consultative forum with FMS Leadership in Dhusamareb from Feb. 1st to 3rd, 2021," he said in a statement issued on Saturday evening hours after holding talks with representatives of the international community in Mogadishu.

The Somali leader whose term into office expires on Feb. 8 said he will later on Feb. 5 address the two Houses of Federal Parliament on national progress especially on federal elections.

The meeting comes after Jubbaland and Puntland federal states which had earlier rejected the composition of the electoral commission and its capacity to hold a free, fair and credible vote and demanded its overhaul, accepted to form their respective electoral committees.

Leaders of the two federal member states also proposed a meeting between the five-member states and the government to resolve the contentious issues to pave the way for free, fair and credible elections.

The UN in Somalia on Sunday welcomed the planned consultative meeting and urged Somali leaders for each agreement in line with the Sept. 17 agreement.

"The UN in Somalia welcomes president Farmajo's leadership convening a federal government-federal member states forum in Dhusamareb and urges Somali leaders to reach agreement in a spirit of compromise on the raid implementation of the September 17 electoral model," the UN said in a tweet.

Analysts say holding the 2020 universal vote is considered critical for the sake of entrenching the federal system of governance, which is required to appease communities and regions claiming systematic exclusion and marginalization for decades.

The Horn of Africa nation last held one-person, one-vote elections in March 1969 when the government was overthrown in a bloodless military coup. Enditem
Nancy Sinatra said that she'll 'never forgive Trump voters' and that she contemplated moving to another country if the former president had managed to win a second term.

Sinatra, 80, was an outspoken critic of former President Trump throughout his administration, spending her time advocating for climate change, women's rights and healthcare during his four years in the White House.

'I couldnt believe that this great nation had sunk so low,' Nancy told the Guardian of the fact that Trump had been voted into office back in 2016.

'Ill never forgive the people that voted for him, ever. I have an angry place inside of me now. I hope it doesnt kill me,' she added.

While reflecting on the 2020 Election results, Nancy said that 'We squeaked by [in the election]. I dont know what I would have done if Biden had lost.'

Nancy Sinatra (pictured in 2015) revealed that she will 'never forgive' Trump voters for making his presidency possible in 2016

Nancy said that she 'couldnt believe that this great nation had sunk so low' when Trump was elected. Trump is pictured on January 12

She added that 'it crossed my mind to move to another country' if Trump had won reelection.

Fortunately, she wouldn't need to, as Trump left the White House - and Washington DC - when Biden was inaugurated on January 20.

While Air Force One flew away carrying the Trump family one last time, Nancy's father's hit song, My Way,' played on the loudspeakers. It was the same song that Trump had chosen for his dance with Melania Trump during his inauguration in January 2017.

After hearing that Trump had played 'My Way' during his 2017 inauguration, Nancy tweeted - then deleted - 'Just remember the first line of the song. And now the end is near.'

Nancy (pictured with her father, Frank, in 1967), has said that Frank 'actually did loathe' Trump

Trump (left) is pictured with Frank Sinatra (right) in 1988. Frank allegedly once told Trump to 'go f**k yourself' during a negotiation over concert fees

Looking back on the deleted tweet, Nancy said: 'Yeah, I was probably too outspoken for my own good.'

In her defense, she said 'But my passion was running so high.'

Nancy said that she takes great pains to avoid even saying Trump's name.

'Ive always tried desperately never to mention it, and if I did it would have been with a lowercase "t,"' she said.

In July 2020, Nancy revealed in a tweet that her father 'actually did loathe' Trump, while replying to a tweet Mia Farrow wrote, which stated 'Frank Sinatra would've loathed Trump.'

Farrow was Nancy's stepmother for a brief period, after marrying Frank in 1966. Farrow and Frank divorced in 1968.

While tweeting with fans in 2019, Nancy was asked if her father and Trump had ever met, to which she replied: 'Yes. It didn't go very well.'

At least part of the bad blood between her father and Trump dated back to an incident in 1990 that was chronicled in Frank's former manager's 2017 book, The Way it Was.

Eliot Weisman - who managed Frank from 1975 to 1998 - said that Frank had told him to tell Trump 'go f**k yourself' following a negotiation that feel apart, after Trump refused to pay Frank's performance fee for a series of gigs in 1990 at the opening of Trump's Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

During the negotiation, Trump allegedly said that the price of the 12 dates Frank was scheduled to perform on was 'a little rich,' as well as deciding that he didn't want additional acts, who had been part of the original deal, to perform, including Sammy Davis Jr, who had just been diagnosed with cancer.

After Weisman told Frank about what Trump said, Weisman wrote that he could either Tell Trump to 'go f**k himself' or give Frank Trump's phone number so Frank could tell Trump that himself.

Weisman wrote that he returned to Trump's office and told him: 'Sinatra says "go f**k yourself."'

On Twitter, Nancy revealed that Frank 'was a registered Democrat all of his life but voted Republican occasionally.'

Frank endorsed Republican Ronald Reagan when he was up for a second term as Governor of California in 1970 and also supported Republican Richard Nixon for re-election in the 1972 presidential election. He also endorsed Reagan's 1980 presidential run.
Tens of thousands of people turned out across Russia on Sunday for a second consecutive weekend rally in support of a jailed opposition leader, Aleksei A. Navalny. But where the protesters went, so did the police, meeting them in sometimes brutal clashes.

The protests started in Russias far east and swept across the vast nation, though crowds in some cities appeared to be smaller than last weekend. Demonstrators numbering in the thousands turned out in St. Petersburg, the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk in Siberia, Moscow and elsewhere. More than 4,000 people were detained.

Even before Russians gathered, the Kremlin made it clear that police officers would be out in great numbers. Officers mostly responded with arrests. But by early Sunday afternoon, reports of police brutality against protesters had surfaced in several cities  including the possible use of electric shock devices on demonstrators and the beatings of others.
Turkmenistans National Commission for UNESCO held a regular meeting in Ashgabat. The Commission discussed a number of issues relating to promoting the historical and cultural monuments of Turkmenistan for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Particular attention was paid to the pace of work for nomination of Akhal-Teke horse breeding and Turkmen Alabai breeding to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The meeting participants discussed prospects for enhancing interaction with UNESCO in the framework of the project Creative Cities Network. They exchanged views on the draft proposal to include Ashgabat in Design nomination of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

The Commission also discussed issues relating to multilateral cooperation through UNESCO. In particular, the meeting participants noted the importance of the agreement signed the day before by the ministries of culture of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on the joint promotion, management and protection of the components of the serial transnational nomination Silk Road: Zaravshan-Karakum Corridor in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021


Apparel industry to join govt. vaccination scheme View(s):

Sri Lankas apparel sector is pushing for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate its workers.

The apparel industry will be targeting the inoculation of this vaccine on its own workers and in this respect is in discussion with the government to import stocks of the vaccine, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) General Secretary Tuli Cooray told the Business Times.

The authorities have requested the apparel sector to establish a database of their workers and their locations, he said.

This is required to ensure that the mass scale vaccination programmes could be carried out once the vaccine arrives in the country from the locations in which these worker factories are located.

At present the apparel sector is in the process of identifying the 250,000 workers working in the industry and compiling their locations.

Discussions are also underway to ensure the government is not burdened with the purchase of these vaccines but that the apparel sector itself will contribute to purchasing it for its workers, Mr. Cooray.

(SD)

The farmers' protest may dominate the Parliament proceedings this Budget session as floor leaders of various political parties raised the issue during an all-party meeting convened on Sunday by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu at his official residence in Delhi.

The government expressed concern that in this part of the session, an extensive discussion on only farm laws may not be possible. "We are ready for detailed discussion on all issues. But if the opposition parties still have apprehension on the farm bills, they should mention it in the reply to the President's motion and they will get a reply from the prime minister himself," Parliamentary affairs minister Prahlad Joshi told CNN-News18.

The assurance, however, has not convinced opposition parties. While Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma didn't say it clearly, they indicated that their party would continue to demand for discussion on farm bills.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told CNN-News18, "We are extremely concerned about the state of affairs on farmers' issue and the government response. We will be raising this issue in Parliament."

CPI(M) leader Elamaram Kareem said, "It is a very serious matter and must be discussed. We will be giving notice for that in Rajya Sabha."

At the all-party meeting, Naidu appealed to leaders to ensure effective functioning of the House during the ongoing important Budget session. The vice president further said that the Upper House will now sit on February 13, instead of 15 Naidu as, he said, more time is needed for discussion on Motion of Thanks to President and Budget.

The Business Advisory Committee has allocated 10 hours each for reply to President's address and Budget Session.. The prime minister's reply to the motion of thanks to the President's address is likely to be held on February 8.

Sunday's meeting saw presence of various political party leaders, including former PM HD Deve Gowda, AIADMK MP Navaneethkrishnan, Keshav Rao from TRS, Vijaysai Reddy from YSR, Sanjay Singh from AAP, RCP Singh of JDU and Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party.

From the government, besides Joshi, MoS Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan, Union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot along with chief whip Shiv Pratap Shukla were present. Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, Piyush Goyal, who are MPs of Rajya Sabha, were also present.

Anbumani Ramadoss, Sharad Pawar, Derek O'Brien Vaiko and GK Vasan were among leaders who expressed regret for not being present at the meeting.
In 2018, fashion designer Helen Cody was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent eight intense months of treatment, including a double mastectomy. "Once you are hit with a terrifying diagnosis," she says now, "you're told all these frightening things, in a quite clinical setting: What will happen to you, what your treatment will be. You're in this awful place where your brain starts to go completely bonkers.

"What you need is, not to go googling stuff - that kind of generic information is poison to you, stay away - what you need is somebody with real experience. What's lacking in the clinical setting is a person who can say to you, 'I've been through this'. Once we hear something real and relatable, we're all so much better able to manage."

In the case of serious illness - cancer - it can be hard to describe the complicated mix of emotions you go through to someone who hasn't been through it. To anyone who hasn't felt their heart thud in terror at the smell of a hospital waiting room, or watched the counting down of hours and minutes on a dose of chemotherapy, there will always be an abstraction to these things. That's as it should be.

But for those who know, there is a community of the wounded, those who have walked the same road, that is immensely powerful.

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Often, this is something formal. For example, the wonderful services offered by Arc Cancer Support which could be the first port of call for anyone diagnosed with cancer, and wanting to talk to someone who understands the place in which they find themselves.

Or indeed Breast Cancer Ireland, which has an Ambassador programme. Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland, describes it thus. "Each ambassador assumes a mentoring/buddy support role with all new case study participants where we endeavour to match those with similar diagnosis in order to help them along their journey." This buddy system, she says, has created lifelong friendships over the years and is an invaluable resource.

Sometimes, however, it is informal, almost haphazard; guided by nothing except decency. Helen calls this "the pay-it-forward club", and describes herself as "a fully fledged member".

The people who could do that for her - be that for her - were vital. And they weren't necessarily people she had previously been close to.

"These people came along almost out of the blue," she says. "One woman, who I knew through a friend of a friend, rang me up a few days before I was due to go in and have my operation, and spent an hour on the phone telling me everything to expect. It took my anxiety levels right down. I was so much calmer and so much better able to deal with what was ahead of me."

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"Before my diagnosis, Domini Kemp and I were kind of friendly," says Helen of the food entrepreneur, founder of itsabagel and Feast Catering and author of several books including The Ketogenic Kitchen, written with Patricia Daly, "but I really got to know her then, because of how incredibly brilliant she was. She was one of the first people I rang - I think about three days after I got the double mastectomy diagnosis. My husband and family knew, of course, but I hadn't talked to anyone else. I couldn't, it was just so overwhelming. I didn't know what to say, where to begin. But I knew Domini had been through something similar, so I rang her. She was in college and when I said, 'I need to talk to you,' she said, 'is it business?' I said, 'it's health,' and I told her.

"Immediately, she said, 'where are you, I'm coming to meet you now.' We met in the Clarence Hotel and we spent four hours, talking, crying - I did most of the crying - but we were still able to laugh too. She was so incredibly warm and knowledgeable and measured and calm and intelligent. I probably didn't even take in half of what she was saying - I was quite in awe of her!

"The fact that she did that for me, said, 'OK, I'm downing tools, I'm coming to tell you everything I know about what's going to happen, what you need to watch out for' - you can't put a price on that. It's the most calming thing: knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Someone else who's been through it who can speak to you from that lighted tunnel end, who can say, 'yes, that happened to me too, and this is where I am now'."

And, Helen says, "that continued. She never stopped caring, she never stopped ringing. When I was in hospital, she dropped in beautiful balms, oils, little yummy things to eat. It just blew me away, how incredibly thoughtful and lovely it was, that on her day off she was prepared to traipse around and get all these things and come to the hospital - which I'm sure is a very hard place for anyone who's been through cancer because it brings you back to your own treatment - and check in on me."

Everything Helen says strikes a chord with me. Brings me back to the time of my own cancer diagnosis in 2015, and the discovery - amid the shock and misery of those days - of a whole world of kindness, from people I knew, and many whom I didn't. Strangers or friends of friends who got in touch to offer comfort, for no reason other than they knew the pain I felt. One of those in particular - the writer Emma Hannigan - was heroic in the way she made time and space for me amid her own more serious diagnosis. She made me laugh even in the depths of misery, and inspired me with her grace and humour.

When I ask Domini now why she dropped everything to be with Helen that day, why she had done the very same for me a couple of years previously, she says simply, "It's what you do. Because if you've been through it, you know. Your cancer friends are a hugely important part of your community. They are able to keep you in check. Their door is always open and you're able to say things to them that you don't want to burden others with."

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It's knowledge she herself acquired the hard way: "The year 2013 began badly for us," she says wryly. "I had been sick with adult whooping cough at the start of the year and then found a small lump in my left breast, for which I was referred to the breast check clinic. Right before my appointment, our mum very suddenly passed away. She'd had Parkinson's and dementia and was in full-time care, but it happened very suddenly and it really knocked me sideways. I reluctantly went in for the triple assessment the week after her funeral, and some small part of me knew it was not going to be good news. I was right - the lump I had found was, in fact, a tumour. And more bad news followed: two more tumours in the same breast. That meant chemo and a mastectomy, plus radiotherapy."

Domini remembers the terrible loneliness of those first weeks.

"I kept wishing someone (really, my mum) would come sweeping into the hospital, yell at the doctors, roar the place down and demand that I be treated with something other than what was being proposed, such as six months on a beach in Thailand," she says. "I had so much fear, and was desperate to be 'rescued'."

Of course, 'rescue' isn't possible. But help and support are. "That's when I discovered that friends who've had a cancer diagnosis are different. The weight of their words carries a compassionate authority that helps drown out a lot of noise. When you're diagnosed, there is such a lot of noise - most of it is well-meaning, but it can become a burden. When I was first diagnosed, Sarah Tomkin (tragically no longer with us) and her husband Oisin were a source of not just vital information, but also huge comfort and true friendship. They knew the drill and understood the importance of good food and enjoying each and every moment."

And there were others. "The night before I was due to start chemo, I started to get myself into a real state. Keelin Shanley (also, tragically, no longer here) did the kindest thing and spoke to me at length, calmly and gently talking me off the ledge and letting me know that although chemo was tough, I would get through it. She was like the guardian angel of calm, rational and comforting sense. Patricia Daly's knowledge absolutely transformed my life and approach to health and well-being. These women were vital to me, and I have since tried to do the same for anyone about to start treatment."

Of that phone call with Helen, Domini says: "Helen and I had been friends, but that day she called me and we met, after her diagnosis, our friendship fundamentally changed."

It's not simply about an exchange of information and reassurance - vital though that is - it's also about an openness that cuts through the facade most of us put up at times. "We all have our barriers, our walls," Helen says, "the ways we want to be seen and present ourselves. But the level of human kindness when you're willing to show your vulnerability, is astonishing.

"At the time I was in treatment, I was posting quite a lot on Instagram. I was always very open about my diagnosis. It suits some people to be very private about it, but I found I was very empowered by not doing that, by coming out and talking about it and letting people know, this is what's happening to me.

"And there was this incredible support - amazing lovely messages, from people I'd never heard of before. I'll never forget one day in particular, my hair had fallen out, and I'd put a hat on and I was going to go out, and I just felt so self-conscious. I took a photograph of myself, and I said, 'OK, you are going to put yourself together and you're going to get out and have a walk and you're going to feel good today. Put a picture up and let people know, your hair's gone, but you're still going...' And I just got this wave of support and love and messages. I was so grateful to feel I hadn't been forgotten."

That kind of rawness deepens friendships, and turns acquaintances into soul mates. "When you can be that vulnerable with somebody and talk about really personal things - it washes away all level of strangeness or not knowing the person," Helen says. "But you can only do that with other people who have known really hard times, or what I call 'the interrupted life', meaning a life interrupted by tragedy. I learned it first when my son died, and I learned it again when I had cancer."

Of course, true kindness is a system that cuts both ways and for most of us who know this territory, we will move seamlessly between being the giver and the receiver: both parts of an informal web of support and love woven between people who have learned the hard way how much it means to hear a voice saying "I know what you're dealing with".

"I am a fully fledged member of the 'pay-it-forward' club," Helen says, "and I'm so happy to be so. I have stopped my car in traffic when I get a call from somebody I don't know. When that happens, I will park the car and give them whatever length of time they need to ask the questions, to talk, to discuss things.

"I'm not saying I'm a guru or anything - I'm certainly not - but I've been through it, and now I'm well again, and sometimes, that's what people need to hear.

"If I can, I'll do this for anyone. Because I know the effect it can have. I look back now and I'm so well, and I think about the people who made a massive difference to me and I will never forget the love that I feel for them and how grateful I am to them for that. When everything seems bad, little things can make such a huge difference; those little good things are vital."

It was a role Helen played in her friendship with Holly Kennedy, who tragically died of breast cancer last September.

"I first saw Holly at a breast cancer charity breakfast," Helen recalls.

"There were about 20 of us, all telling our stories. At that time, I was still getting chemo and it was quite overwhelming for me to be there. I felt very insecure around all these people who were much further along than me in the recovery process. Holly was seated on the other side of the room - she had this sweet, sparkly little face and was full of joy. She was post-treatment then, full of optimism, she had set up Happy magazine and was just so full of joy at doing this thing that could help others. She made a big impression on me."

Helen didn't see Holly after that - although she read Happy, the magazine that Holly started for those who have survived cancer - until she got an email from a stranger, to say that Holly's cancer had returned, that she was doing a drug trial in America and needed to raise funds.

"She was 36," Helen says, "with a little boy, Andrew. I kind of stopped everything when I read that. I downed tools in my own job and decided I wanted to help Olive, the lady who was running the fundraising, to raise money for her. I was sending emails to everybody I knew, anyone I'd ever worked with, I just really wanted to help her."

She began to visit Holly - "dropping in fresh fruit, yoghurt, homemade food, clean night clothes. I was so moved by her determination, her fight."

However, it became apparent that Holly's cancer had gone too far, that effective treatment was no longer possible.

"I remember standing in a health food shop," Helen recalls, "looking around at all the shelves, thinking, 'where is the miracle thing, the ointment, that will cure this?' I was frantic.

"I wanted Holly to know that I felt really, really lucky to have met her, and really happy to be her friend. That she had made a huge impact on me, and that what she did with Happy magazine had helped so many people."

Holly's death, when it came, "was like losing a dear, dear friend, and that might sound weird, when I hadn't known her for so long. But I believe you can love somebody even if you haven't known them all that long, if you have that kind of connection".

It's that connection - invisible, adamantine - that links those of us who have been unlucky enough to go through cancer. And it is a wonderful positive force. But also a painful one.

As Domini and Helen talk, for all the good things we mention - the support and help and love - the memories of those like Keelin, Holly, Emma, Sarah, who have died, are strong and vivid.

Cancer is a vicious, unpredictable disease, and not everyone survives it. The truth of that gives urgency to this idea of "paying it forward", passing something from those who have known the loneliness and misery of a diagnosis, to those who are new to the world.

We aren't doctors, or scientists - our help is limited - but it is very, very human. From each according to her ability, to each according to her needs, in a cycle that is sometimes punctuated by loss and trauma, but also by immense strength and hope.

For further information on Breast Cancer Ireland's Ambassador Programme, email info@breastcancerireland.com or visit breastcancerireland.com
Members of a Chinese medical aid team share knowledge and experience about COVID-19 with Gambian medical staff. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Gambian President Adama Barrow expressed gratitude to a visiting Chinese medical team for their contributions in helping the West African nation fight the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday.

Barrow made the remarks while meeting members of the medical team dispatched by Northeast China's Liaoning province.

China has provided strong support for Gambia's anti-epidemic fight by offering technical support and material assistance, and dispatching a medical aid team, which is a clear manifestation of the profound friendship between the two nations, Barrow said.

The medical team, which departed from Shenyang on Nov 8, has worked in Gambia for about 90 days. The team consists of nine medical experts specializing in fields that include intensive care medicine, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and hospital infection control. They are experienced and several had helped Central China's Hubei province battle the epidemic.

The team has held many meetings to share their experience in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and provided knowledge and treatment skills training for nearly 200 local health workers, said Wu Xingmao, leader of the medical team and deputy director of the Critical Care Medicine Department at Shenjing Hospital of China Medical University.

The medical team's work also was hailed by Gambian Minister of Health Ahmadou Samateh. He said he believed Gambia will prevail over the pandemic soon with China's help.

Samateh also expressed hope in strengthening cooperation and exchanges between the two nations in the fields of medicine and health.

Ma Jianchun, Chinese ambassador to Gambia, said this team is the longest-serving among medical teams China has sent to foreign countries to help in the COVID-19 fight. He said he hopes the experience and lessons the team gained in the three-month mission can be promoted in other African countries.
A GIRL who hosts a weekly podcast interviewing adults about their jobs was thrilled to meet a television star.

Gwen Rose quizzed comedian Joe Lycett, whom she had watched presenting the BBCs The Great British Sewing Bee, during an hour-long virtual chat for her show, Gwen Gets To Work.

The seven-year-old, who lives in Caversham, has recorded more than 30 episodes, which are released on most Mondays.

Friends and relatives have streamed or downloaded it thousands of times since she launched it as a way of keeping busy during last years first coronavirus lockdown.

Since then, Gwens guests have included Paula-Mae Weekes, president of Trinidad and Tobago, Formula 1 pit technician Rich Lane, of Lewis Hamiltons Mercedes racing team, and Karen Edwards, headteacher at her school, the Heights primary in Gosbrook Road.

Her chat with Lycett was organised by a mutual friend of her mother Emily Smeaton. He talked about the challenges of continuing to work during the covid-19 outbreak and the pair bonded over their love of fake fur jackets.

Gwen asked if he had considered competing on Strictly Come Dancing after a recent guest appearance but he said he didnt like the thought of dancing in front of others and joked that the terms and conditions put him off.

He admitted to getting nervous before performances but said: Its a good thing because it shows that you care about what youre doing.

Ms Smeaton, who runs the Hypergallery art gallery in Market Place, Henley, said: He must have been very busy filming as he was all over the telly during the festive season but he replied very quickly agreeing to do it.

He told us he loved the idea and was really good with her. They had a really good yarn and he showed us his Christmas tree, which was fun. She told him that she loves his jokes and wasnt particularly nervous.

She enjoyed it loads because he was such a nice guy. Its probably more nerve-wracking to interview someone you know very little about, though she does her research and is getting more confident.

Gwens chat with Her Excellency Ms Weekes was arranged by her stepfather Kwesi Clement, a music producer who hails from the island and who edits Gwens interviews.

They discussed Trinidad and Tobagos culture and traditions, including its dances, and what it is like living near the sea.

Ms Smeaton said: The president was really lovely and Im sure it was good publicity for her country.

It was amazing to talk to someone of her status and from the other side of the world.

Gwen interviewed Mr Lane in October when Hamilton won his 92nd grand prix at Nurburgring in Germany, beating the record set by Michael Schumacher.

Ms Smeaton said: She got a real buzz from talking to someone who was so enthusiastic about their job. He was really excited to explain the basic ideas, like the fact that a cars braking power is more important than its speed, though some aspects went over her head.

When interviewing her headteacher, Gwen asked her if she had a secret stash of wine in her office like Mummy does. Mrs Edwards replied no.

Asked what other careers she might have pursued, she said she had considered becoming a stuntwoman but then remembered she was afraid of heights.

That got Gwen a bit of kudos with her classmates because the headteacher is a god-like figure to them, said Ms Smeaton.

Shes really proud of everything she hs done since this started and there was one episode where she got her friends to ask the questions, so it has been a good way of building relationships in a challenging year.

Gwen has enjoyed learning about all these exciting jobs and it has given her a sense of whats out there.

I think shes most interested in reporting or teaching as a career. She loves that process of talking to people from all walks of life and it gives her a real sense of accomplishment.

To listen to the podcasts, visit https://link.chtbl.com/NdiUrRGS
Channel Seven's Andrew O'Keefe has been charged with common assault (Domestic Violence) after an incident in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Chase Australia host allegedly assaulted haematologist Orly Lavee, 41, at an apartment in Randwick, in Sydney's inner east.

Andrew, 49, was taken to Maroubra Police Station in the early hours of Sunday morning, where he was charged.

The Chase Australia host Andrew O'Keefe, 49, is facing domestic violence charges in Sydney after allegedly assaulting woman, 41

The alleged incident occurred just before 1am at a Randwick unit.

A NSW Police spokeswoman confirmed that officers from Eastern Beaches Area Command attended the unit after reports of an altercation.

The police also applied for a provisional apprehended violence order to protect Dr Lavee, with the order preventing OKeefe from approaching or contacting her.

Released on bail: Andrew, 49, was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station in the early hours of Sunday morning, where he was charged

The former Weekend Sunrise host was released on police bail, with conditions preventing him from contacting Dr Lavee, except through legal representation.

He must also not assault, molest, stalk, harass or intimidate her, and is prohibited from attending her workplace or her $2million apartment and intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging any property that belongs to or is in the possession of Dr Lavee.

The matter will first be heard in court on Thursday.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Seven for comment.

Order: The Police also applied for a provisional apprehended violence order to protect Dr Lavee, with the order preventing OKeefe from approaching or contacting her

Issues: The star separated from his wife Eleanor in late 2017 and once had a stint in rehab

On Sunday, O'Keefe faced rumours that he was being replaced on Seven by Rove McManus in 2021 after the star's battle with 'exhaustion' in 2020.

A spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, before news broke of his arrest, that Andrew was a 'valued member' of the Channel Seven family.

'Andrew O'Keefe has been a valued member of the Seven on-air family for many years and he continues to appear on air as host of The Chase Australia,' they said.

The spokeswoman went on to say: 'The speculation about his future and alleged replacements is baseless, ill-informed and wrong.'

Andrew has been the host of the popular quiz show since 2015. He has had a number of breaks in the past 18 months in order to take care of some personal health issues.

The star separated from his wife Eleanor in late 2017. The former couple share three children: Barnaby, 15, Rory, 12, and Olivia, eight.
CAGLIARI, JAN 28 - Italian police on Thursday arrested a 20-year-old man in Cagliari on charges of spreading revenge porn featuring his ex girlfriend. The man is also accused of stalking the woman for months and issuing death threats against her, police said. The alleged victim, also 20, was said to have been "terrorized" when she phoned police and filed a complaint. The pair had gone out for about two months. (ANSA).
In August, Hothi filed a case of defamation against Musk in Alameda County Superior Court. In his lawsuit, Hothi has contended that Musk was instrumental in spurring an online hate campaign against him. After the revelation of Hothi and his brother's identity in 2018, Musk posted a tweet in 2019 in which he tagged Volkswagen, asking about Hothi's connections to the company. Following the tweet, Hothi was on the receiving end of a viral hate campaign and racial abuse online, which culminated in Hothi taking to Twitter and stating, "This is my promise. Tesla is a zero. Elon Musk will go to prison". Photo: Twitter
Mrs. Lieber also taught her students where milk came from. She would inflate a rubber glove, fill it with chalky fluid, tie it off and poke holes in the fingers  and it became like an udder, her daughter Ellen Lieber said.

And she took them to a nearby farm, where the children would acquire rhubarb that she would mash in a foley mill at the school, add sugar to and serve to the class.

Mrs. Lieber, who taught for 40 years, first in Brooklyn and then in Queens, died on Jan. 25 in a hospital in Glen Cove, N.Y. She was 102.

Her family said the cause was complications of Covid-19. She had a stroke in December.

Sylvia Schultz was born on Jan. 15, 1919, in Brooklyn. Her father, Morris, was a tailor, and her mother, Mary (Perlin) Schultz, was a homemaker. After graduating from New Utrecht High School, Sylvia received a bachelors degree in education from Hunter College and began teaching.
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He studied at Turin, worked as a chemist until the age of 24, and in 1943 he resisted Nazi occupation of Italy with a group of countrymen. Italian fascists arrested him, turned him over to the Germans, and sent him to Auschwitz in 1944. He arrived on a train packed with six hundred and fifty people. He was imprisoned in the concentration camp for a year. Later he would write, of six hundred and fifty, three of us were returning. He survived the concentration camp in part because he was a chemist and so he was sent to work in a rubber factoryinside and away from the relentless winter.

Primo Levi became renowned as a Holocaust survivor and as a writer. If I hadnt had the experience of Auschwitz, I probably would not have written anything. He left Auschwitz needing to bear witness. The memories were burning inside me, but he recorded them with a scientists exactitude. His writing about Auschwitz was celebrated because he refused to aggrandize the horrors. He understood that the facts were enough.

In 1987, Primo Levi died by suicide at the age of 67. He had confided in a friend days earlier that he was in severe depression. Fellow Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel eulogized him: Primo Levi died at Auschwitz forty years later.

As a descendent of Holocaust survivors, a medical student, and a writer, there are many reasons why I admire Levi. There is a small but meaningful lesson that I value among his many accomplishments: he unified his scientific work and writing. I used to think that I would have to choose between medicine and literature. Levi proved otherwise. He showed how systematic thinking elevated his prose while imagination animated his scientific contributions.

In both his memoirs and his scientific papers, he humanized as much as he could to make his observations accessible for his readers. He once called sodium a degenerate metal; he mocked chlorides as riffraff in general. He brought his subjects to life in ways that were unimaginable to me. He even humanized his captors in Auschwitz so that his readers would have to confront the fact that such wretched figures could be neighbors or parents.

In medical school, I began experimenting with a new writing style, inspired by Levi, where I would humanize an inanimate object. I once got stuck while I was researching ways to implement artificial intelligence into the workflow of medical students and physicians. I could imagine how the new technology might work, but not how it would make people feel. I turned to Levi for guidance. I brought an artificial intelligence program to life: first I gave it a voice, and then an attitude. My new device either snickered in dismay or nodded approvinglyits only way to impart informationwhenever a doctor considered a diagnosis or ordered a new test. One of the consequences of this pseudo-A.I. device was that despite its exceptional accuracy, physicians began to jeopardize patient care in defiance of its condescending nature. This writing exercise allowed me to consider different perspectives of the science.

Levis imagination brought life to his scientific work. As I pursued an interest in dementia care, I watched many physicians administer assessments, prescribe medications, and counsel families without deviating from standard procedures. One doctor stood out by recommending a creative care program that uses improvisational storytelling activities to bring meaningful care into the lives of patients with dementia. The activity encourages people to enjoy each others company because stigma, social isolation, and a lack of purpose contribute to worse health outcomes and lower quality of life. This creative approach to dementia care reminded me of Levi by invigorating the human elements that dementia obscures.

I began leading my own creative care sessions with my classmates at a nearby assisted-living facility. We brought in silly pictures to a group of twelve patients, asked questions, and made up stories about the images. The results sounded like personalized Mad-Libs comics. While the stories were entertaining, the most meaningful moments came when patients would linger afterwards to talk about houseplants or baking bread. Both students and patients had their personalities on full display. If Levi were trying to change dementia care, I think I saw how he would display our shared humanity.

What connects a playful writing activity, creative dementia care, and the monumental works of Primo Levi is a commitment to cultivating the humanity in science. Levi saw personality in chemicals and scientific principles in people. He dismantled barriers between science, creativity, and writing. He created a roadmap to integrate multiple disciplines and showed his readers new perspectives. Levis legacy is undoubtedly his survival of Auschwitz and how he lived and died afterwards, but I will always appreciate how he united science and writing.

David B. Ney is a medical student and can be reached on Twitter @davidbney.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com





Video by Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-min



For almost a year, world has been fighting a battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, a truly unprecedented, once-in-a-century health crisis, and while many countries hoped they were past the worst, many, including South Korea, are now grappling with new outbreaks.



However, in an attempt to create COVID-19 vaccines and end this health crisis there has been an incredible level of cooperation and rapid mobilization in the biotech world on a global scale.



The Korea Times sat down with Francis Van Parys, commercial vice president of Cytiva Asia Pacific, to learn more about how the scientific community is responding to the pandemic and the great demand for COVID-19 vaccines from around the world.



Cytiva is the world's leading provider of technologies and equipment for bio-manufacturers, helping them to produce treatments quickly and efficiently. Cytiva is currently teaming up with numerous biotech companies including biotech giants in Korea to expedite COVID-19 vaccine development and manufacturing.





Below is the full transcript of the interview with Francis Van Parys, who joined us on the third episode of our series of interviews with CEOs and top executives of global companies.





Q. For our viewers to better understand what your company does to enhance global health, could you tell us what Cytiva actually does to support the development of protein-based therapeutics and future treatment?



: So we are a start-to-finish bioprocessing provider so we essentially provide them with manufacturing solutions. If you kind of simplify and compare to what you do in a kitchen, in fact we sell the pots, the pans and the ingredients for the soup so essentially it's a combination of hardware and raw materials that are being used in the process to ultimately develop a protein-based drug. Protein-based drugs are biological drugs with a biological function as opposed to chemical drugs. They're typically more efficient, more impactful than typical chemical drugs and so they require a complex manufacturing system and developing system and so Cytiva is there to support the research and development as well as the manufacturing of those therapies.



Q. South Korea has some of the world's most innovative biopharma companies today. What does investing in the Korean market and supporting the growth of the industry here really mean for Cytiva?



: Well, remarkably Korea is our third biggest market globally so the innovation, the academic power, the scale that's happening here in Korea is unprecedented. We have some of the biggest infrastructure for manufacturing of biological drugs based in Korea. We have some of the biggest biosimilar product producers based in Korea and so we've been working with them for multiple years, more than decade. The concentration of the manufacturing scale in Korea is very important which is one of the reasons why we have a consultancy center based in Song-do which ultimately helps both large companies as well as starting bio-techs as well as academic partners with scale-up services, process development services, training center.

Our mission today with these companies is to enable them with further productivity so they can manufacture at lower cost and therefore provide more access to more patients for these drugs as well as provide additional infrastructure as they are continuing to expand and expanding their production capacity and we are honored and privileged to be part of that ecosystem.



Q. South Korean biotech companies such as Samsung Biologics, Celltrion and Seegene are also part of your extensive list of clients. What are the crucial technologies that Cytiva provides for these companies that enable them to efficiently develop healthcare products?



: Seegene is another example of a diagnostic company where we are the tools providers so we provide components which then are used in diagnostic tests. In this case, most recently for COVID-19. What it actually means to them is not necessarily purely the manufacturing scale. It's also how we help them drive productivity, drive their costs down, do more with less so minimize the usage of raw materials, optimize and introduce new technologies that help them produce faster, lower doses and therefore you know giving access to a broader scale of patients.



Q. So as a global life sciences leader in development and manufacturing, how is your company specifically responding to today's pandemic?



: Large players in every continent have asked us to accelerate the production of some of those critical raw materials which they need and we have responded to that. We are also adding shifts around the manufacturing facilities around the world including in Asia but also in the U.S. We are expanding by adding new production lines and we're looking at doing further investments which we haven't announced yet but adding more manufacturing capacity to ensure that the ongoing demand for vaccine manufacturing which will likely go into 2022, we anticipate, to ensure that we are ready for it. In fact, we've hired globally about 1,700 people over the last five months and that's on a total of 7,000 so you can see the scale at which we are doing this.

And that's happening across the industry at the same time. The logistics providers are doing the same. People like FedEx, UPS, DHL are investing to ensure the cold chain is there to be distributing those vaccines. The pharmaceutical companies are looking for additional capacity for those that are not manufacturing COVID-19 treatments to ensure that they can use the excess capacity for COVID-19 applications so I think it's happening across the industry, creative solutions and that's coming together into what will be an unprecedented delivery of vaccines that we haven't seen before.



Q. Cytiva has also partnered with various companies in the Asia Pacific region recently to combat COVID-19 and facilitate vaccine development. Can you tell us more about these collaborative efforts?



: Well, you mentioned the word collaboration and I think that's a really important one because the challenge that we are facing, no single institution or private company or government can face this alone and so collaborations are absolutely critical. With Takara Bio, a company in Japan, we've looked to improve their manufacturing process so that they can manufacture in more doses and also go to market faster.

In Korea, we have a number of examples where we are the tools provider for diagnostic tests. We're working with some of the major players here as well to develop their monoclonal antibody for therapeutics for COVID-19.

So we have a diverse set of collaborations which we play different roles in different stages of the development of the drug and you know that keeps us very busy at the moment.



Q. You have mentioned before that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought together the scientific community across the world so can you tell us about the effect that the pandemic has had on the scientific community worldwide and in Korea?



: I think we have not seen an effort of this scale before and if you think about the challenges that are involved with developing a vaccine starting from understanding the disease, understanding the biological mechanisms that are involved with treating it or providing a vaccine for it then studying the efficacy, the safety of that drug, looking at what manufacturing process we need, making it robust, ensuring there is a supply chain behind that manufacturing process and then later on the distribution. That whole set of challenges requires a lot of different stakeholders to collaborate in a way that has never been needed and never been possible to this extent. To develop a therapeutic and vaccine program for things like Ebola it took about 40 years for 300 programs to be active. It took about five months for a thousand programs to be active for COVID-19. So just in terms of scale, it's unprecedented for sure. It shows that the scientific community can do amazing things when the need is high. It shows that the innovation is at the sky high level at the moment and that's very promising for the overall healthcare ecosystem and the healthcare industry.



Q. There are more than five billion vaccine doses in advanced orders. Sounds pretty sizable. So what challenges are you seeing in fulfilling this demand?



: There's logistical challenges. There's obviously the infrastructure of the pharmaceutical companies which is insufficient. There's the supply of the raw materials which is somewhat insufficient and so there are challenges at every step of the way. Will we have sufficient vaccines available to serve the needs? Most likely. Depends on the number of programs that will be approved but I think the industry is doing a heroic job in terms of getting to the number of doses that we need.



Q. Since the COVID-19 outbreak global demand for South Korea's medical products, for example the COVID-19 test kits, has soared and local drug makers are also speeding up vaccine development. Is Cytiva looking for further collaboration with South Korean biotech companies?



: Yes, absolutely. So we are supporting various programs. We are actually involved in most of the active programs in South Korea in various forms. So I mentioned already being a tools provider to some of the diagnostic tests including people like Bionote or Seegene. We are involved in the manufacturing of the therapeutic that Celltrion is developing in terms of the raw materials that they use to do so for clinical trials at the moment but that's progressing quite well. We're enabling other players to manufacture some of the global vaccines so you may be aware some of the U.S.-based vaccines are also being manufactured in different locations around the world by partners of that pharmaceutical company and so where that is the case we enabled that as well. There's a number of biotech companies that are doing their own development of vaccine candidates and therapeutic candidates and we are helping them with scale-up developments and research services.



Q. South Korea has received praise across the globe for its proactive and thorough response to the pandemic early on. What are some steps the Korean government can take to continue this positive momentum as the pandemic continues?



: They've done a terrific job they also recently announced the purchase of 40 million doses of vaccine which shows that the Korean government is acting with determination and very swiftly to ensure the population has access to the vaccine. It's now to the companies to deliver those and they have an efficient distribution system for the population to have access to those vaccines. I have no doubt whatsoever that will be organized in a highly efficient and organized manner. Clearly the strategy is working while the economic impact is actually minimal so I think we should be considering ourselves very lucky to be in this country and be able to benefit from going through a challenging situation in a very well managed manner.



Q. What can we expect to see from Cytiva in the next five years especially in Korea?



In our industry, innovation is very fast. We talked about that before, we need to stay current with new therapies that are being developed and so as a solution provider and a manufacturing enabler we need to continue to invest in technologies. You know, one of the key elements of our future is to grow with biotech. There's so much innovation happening at the biotech community that we feel we need to be very close to them and so in order to help them with scale-up services, training personnel. I mean, one of the biggest limiting factors in the industry is we don't have enough professionals that can actually work in this industry so training is a big thing and with that we look with a very positive mind toward the future and we're optimistic about where we'll be in five years from now.




India stands fifth in the world after inoculating over 37.44 lakh people till Sunday, the Health Ministry said, stressing 2,06,130 beneficiaries have received shots till 7 pm on 30 January, the 15th day of the inoculation drive .

"Globally, India stands at the fifth position (as on 29th January, 2021) in terms of the number of vaccine doses administered within the country. This is despite the fact that many countries had initiated their vaccination campaign before India," a statement from the Health Ministry read.

"As of January 31, 2021, till 8 AM, a total of 37.44 lakh (37,44,334) beneficiaries have received the vaccination under the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination exercise," the Health Ministry said.

"In the last 24 hours, 2,44,307 healthcare workers were vaccinated across 5,275 sessions," it added.

"68,962 sessions have been conducted so far," it further said.

America topped the list in terms of the number of coronavirus vaccine doses administered, followed by UK, Israel, and UAE.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India, which is running the world's biggest coronavirus vaccination drive, is the fastest in inoculating its citizens.

"Just as India's war against coronavirus became an example to the world, similarly our vaccination programme is also becoming an example to the world. India is conducting the biggest vaccination drive in the world. Do you know what is an even better matter of pride? We are not only running the world's biggest vaccination drive but we are also the fastest in vaccinating our citizens," Prime Minister Modi said in his 73rd episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'.

"In merely 15 days, India has vaccinated more than 30 lakhs COVID-19 warrior, while a rich country like the US has completed the same target in 18 days and the UK in 36 days. The Made in India vaccines are not only a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat but they are also a symbol of self-pride," he added.

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Mokpo Mayor Kim Jong-sik directs regarding preparation of a temporary COVID-19 inoculation center at the South Jeolla provincial city's indoor gymnasium on Jan. 30. Courtesy of Mokpo City Office



South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell back to below 400 Sunday, but health authorities may extend tougher virus curbs amid a continued rise in cluster infections, mostly tied to mission schools.



The country added 355 more COVID-19 cases, including 325 local infections, raising the total caseload to 78,205, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).



The figure was lower than 458 cases Saturday and compared with 469 on Friday and 497 Thursday.



The tally fell back to the 300s for the first time in five days. The decline appeared to be due largely to fewer tests over the weekend.



New virus cases recently spiked again due mainly to cluster infections from unauthorized education facilities run by a local Christian missionary group, called the International Mission (IM). Cases tied to IM mission schools came to 368 as of Saturday.



Amid a flare-up in virus cases, health authorities delayed their decision on whether to extend or relax the current social distancing rules later in the day.



Since Dec. 8, the country has imposed Level 2.5, the second highest in its five-tier scheme, in the greater Seoul area and Level 2 in other regions. Bans on gatherings of five or more people have been in place almost across the entire country.



After the third wave of the pandemic peaked at a record high of 1,241 on Dec. 25, new virus infections fell to a two-month low of 346 on Jan. 22.











Health officials deliver boxes of daily supply to TCS International School, a private educational facility, in Gwangju's Gwangsan District on Jan. 27. The school, one of the mission schools in the country operated by International Mission, a South Korean missionary entity preaching Christian doctrines in English, has reported more than 100 cases of COVID-19 including students and teachers who stayed there together. Yonhap
Nigeria recorded fewer COVID-19 infections and deaths last week compared to the previous week, PREMIUM TIMES review of official data shows.

In the January 17- 23 week , this paper reported that 11, 659 persons tested positive for the virus, which is 18 per cent higher than the preceding weeks record of 9,880.

That week also reported 82 deaths, a 14 per cent increase from the preceding weeks record.

However, between Sunday and Saturday (January 24-30), 9,955 persons tested positive for the viral disease, a 14 per cent reduction from the number reported in the week before.

On the other hand, 76 lives were lost to COVID-19 complications last week, a seven per cent reduction when compared to the previous weeks record.

The reduction may be due to the decrease in the number of tests carried out during the week.

According to the data provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the public health agency collected 61, 180 samples for testing  lower than the 87,092 tests carried out in the previous week.

Since the pandemic broke out in February last year, the country has carried out 1,302, 410 tests.

The reduction, however, does not suggest a victory over the second wave of the pandemic as the positivity rate is higher than 16 per cent.

As a result, public institutions and officials have continued to appeal for people to adhere to safety precautions such as maintaining social distance and wearing face masks.

President Muhammadu Buhari last week also signed a bill criminalising violation of the safety protocols.

The law provides for wearing of face masks, hands washing, and the use of hand sanitisers, amongst other regulations. It stipulates a penalty of a fine or a prison term of six months for offenders.

Less recoveries, too

Further analysis showed that the number of COVID-19 patients discharged last week reduced, too.

While 10,534 patients were discharged in the previous week, 7811 recovered and were discharged last week.

As of the time of filing this report, 25,267 patients were receiving treatments across isolation centres in the country and in their various homes.

Nigeria so far

As of the time of reporting, Nigeria has 130, 557 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of this figure, 103, 712 have been discharged and 1,578 deaths have been recorded in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

A breakdown of the confirmed cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 48,919 cases, followed by FCT  16, 863, Plateau  7, 892, Kaduna  7, 603, Oyo  5, 404 and Rivers  5, 260.

Others are Edo  3, 779, Ogun  3, 356, Kano  2, 952, Delta  2, 323, Ondo  2, 288, Kwara  1, 936, Katsina  1, 838, Enugu  1, 738, Gombe  1, 606, Nasarawa  1, 764, Osun  1, 516, Ebonyi  1, 423, Abia 1, 220, Bauchi  1, 142, Imo 1, 116, Borno  946, Akwa Ibom  845, Anambra  893, Benue  848, Sokoto  748, Bayelsa  669, Niger  688, Adamawa  631, Ekiti  568, Jigawa  460, Taraba  412, Kebbi  267, Yobe 241, Cross River 195, Zamfara  203 and Kogi  5.

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Lagos State remains the epicentre of the disease with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths in the country.

The other five states with the highest numbers of cases are FCT, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo and Rivers states.

Of the 36 states and the FCT, only Kebbi and Kogi did not record a new case last week.

Timeline last week

On Sunday, 964 new cases were reported in the country.

On Monday, 1430 fresh cases were reported and on Tuesday, 1, 303.

On Wednesday, 1861 were reported, while on Thursday and Friday, 1, 400 and 1114 fresh cases were reported respectively.

On Saturday, 1833 new cases were reported, bringing the Nigerian tally of confirmed cases to 130, 557 as of 11:55 p.m. on January 30.
Hong Kong: EU vaccine exports monitored

The Government today said it is gravely concerned about the European Union's (EU) announcement of implementing an export control mechanism, and if necessary, banning the export of COVID-19 vaccines.

The EU's announcement stated that it will strive to ensure the new regulation does not affect the exports under advance purchase agreements already entered into between vaccine manufacturers and third parties.

The Government has proactively followed up with the vaccine manufacturers it has advance purchase agreements with to ensure that the vaccines procured can be supplied to Hong Kong as scheduled.

It has indicated to Fosun Pharma that it should reach out to the various relevant parties to ensure that the Fosun/BioNTech vaccine to be exported for supply to Hong Kong under the advance purchase agreement will not be affected.

The Government will closely monitor the development of the situation.

It will also continue to negotiate purchase agreements with vaccine manufacturers from around the world and the Mainland to obtain more supplies of vaccines which meet the criteria of safety, efficacy and quality, and strive for the early supply of the vaccines to Hong Kong.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-30. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Spain's tourism minister, Reyes Maroto, said on Saturday that she hopes that national tourists will enable a restarting of tourism at Easter.

"It is difficult to foresee, but if the health security conditions are met, Easter - for us (the government) - could see a restart of national travel." The government, she assured, is working on a reopening of tourism.

At an international level, there could be a reopening in summer, if the situation with the pandemic improves and the vaccination process is accelerated. Once international mobility recovers, Spain will be well positioned as a tourist destination. "Spain, along with Italy, continues to be the preferred country for travel."
Former President Donald Trump has abruptly parted ways with five lawyers handling his impeachment defense, just over a week before the Senate trial is set to begin, people familiar with the situation said Saturday.

Those departures include his lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, whose hiring was announced earlier this month, a person familiar with the situation said. Four other lawyers who were reported to be joining, including Deborah Barbier, a criminal defense lawyer in South Carolina, are also leaving, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.

Trump had pushed for his defense team to focus on his baseless claim that the election was stolen from him, one person familiar with the situation said. A person close to Trump disputed that that was the case but acknowledged that there were differences in opinion about the defense strategy. However, Trump has insisted that the case is simple and has told advisers he could argue it himself and save the money on lawyers. (Aides contend he is not seriously contemplating doing so.)

The decision for Bowers to leave was mutual, another person familiar with the situation said, adding that Trump and Bowers had no chemistry  a quality the former president generally prizes in his relationships. Trump prefers lawyers who are eager to appear on television to say that he never did anything wrong; Bowers has been noticeably absent in the news media since his hiring was announced.

Jason Miller, a Trump adviser, said that the former president and his aides had not made a final decision on our legal team.

Bowers is the only lawyer whom Trumps aides had confirmed would defend the former president. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trumps who represents South Carolina, was said to have helped line up Bowers, a well-known figure in the political world there who was working to establish a broader team.

The departures of Bowers and Barbier were previously reported by CNN. A third lawyer, Josh Howard, of North Carolina, is also no longer part of the team, another person familiar with the situation said. And two other lawyers from South Carolina, Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris, will also no longer be involved, one of the people familiar with the situation said.

Trump is due to file a response to the House charges by Tuesday.

The question of who will represent Trump in his Senate trial has vexed him and his advisers since it became clear that he would become the first American president to be impeached twice.

This month, Democrats in the House, joined by 10 Republicans, charged Trump with incitement of insurrection for his role in instigating a violent mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress convened to affirm President Joe Bidens victory in the November election.

Bowers is the only lawyer whom Trumps aides had confirmed would defend the former president. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally of Trumps, was said to have helped line up Bowers, who was working to establish a broader team.

During various investigations while he was in office, Trump has struggled to find  or retain  lawyers to defend him.

Trumps lawyers from his impeachment trial last year are not expected to be involved this time. They include Jay Sekulow, former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and his deputy, Pat Philbin, and another lawyer who worked in the West Wing, Eric Herschmann.

Rudy Giuliani, who worked as Trumps personal lawyer during the special counsels investigation into whether the Trump campaign in 2016 had colluded with Russian officials, has made no secret of wanting to defend Trump in the second impeachment trial.

But Giuliani is a potential witness because he spoke at a rally of Trump supporters on Jan. 6, hours before hundreds marched to the Capitol and rioted. Almost all of Trumps advisers blame Giuliani, who encouraged Trumps desire to find ways to overturn the election results and to call their legitimacy into question, for the latest impeachment.

They also blame him in part for Trumps first impeachment, which was driven by the former presidents interest in pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Biden family. Giuliani repeatedly encouraged Trump to believe baseless allegations related to Bidens son, Hunter, and his business activities in Ukraine.

The second impeachment trial is set to begin on Feb. 9. This past week, 45 Republican senators voted in support of a measure brought forward by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., calling the trial unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office. That all but five Republican senators voted to challenge the constitutionality of the trial suggested a likely acquittal for Trump.

Democrats have pushed back, noting that Trump was impeached by the House while still in office.

Still, the question of constitutionality is likely to be a key part of Trumps defense. And his advisers were buoyed by the show of Republican support for the Paul measure, believing it was an indication that Trump would be spared a conviction.

The Senate needs a two-thirds majority, or 67 votes, to convict Trump, meaning 17 Republicans would need to cross party lines to side with Democrats in finding him guilty. An additional vote, this one requiring a simple majority, would be needed to disqualify him from holding office again. Still, most of his aides say they doubt he will run for office again.

Maggie Haberman c.2021 The New York Times Company
A staff member displays a sample of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at a vaccine production plant of China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Sinopharm) in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Hungary's approval of the Chinese vaccine demonstrates its recognition of and trust in the safety and effectiveness of the Chinese vaccine, and attests to the fine tradition of the two countries helping each other in times of difficulty, said Wang.

BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday that with joint efforts of China and Hungary, vaccine cooperation will definitely become an upgraded version of anti-COVID-19 cooperation between the two countries.

Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto.

Wang said he is glad to know that Hungary has approved import of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, adding that China attaches great importance to Hungary's urgent desire to strengthen vaccine cooperation with China.

Hungary's approval of the Chinese vaccine demonstrates its recognition of and trust in the safety and effectiveness of the Chinese vaccine, and attests to the fine tradition of the two countries helping each other in times of difficulty, he said.

COVID-19 inactivated vaccine products are seen at a packaging plant of the Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

China will, based on China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership, facilitate Chinese enterprises' export of the first batch of vaccines to Hungary, he added.

Overcoming the impact of the pandemic, mutual beneficial cooperation between China and Hungary has maintained a sound momentum, Wang said.

According to the Chinese foreign minister, in 2020, the volume of bilateral trade achieved a hard-won growth of more than 14 percent year on year, and at the third China International Import Expo last year, among all Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC), the volume of transactions Hungary reached with China was the highest.

Wang said China will, as always, support bilateral cooperation in various fields, and is pleased to see more Chinese enterprises invest and develop businesses in Hungary.

Medical supplies donated by the Chinese government are seen at the Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, on April 29, 2020. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

China also hopes that Hungary will continue playing a constructive role in pushing forward China-CEEC cooperation and relations between China and the European Union (EU), he said.

For his part, Szijjarto said Hungary attaches great importance to developing its relations with China.

The country is ready to deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields, and play an active role in China-CEEC cooperation and EU-China relations, he said.

Hungary thanks China for its strong support in vaccine cooperation, and hopes that China will speed up the approval process to facilitate Hungary's purchase of vaccines in China, Szijjarto noted.

He said the Chinese vaccines will help Hungary save more lives and accelerate the resumption of work and production as well as economic recovery.
Your bedtime position is crucial to getting a restful night, as sleep behaviour expert James Wilson reveals

Why can you fall asleep tucked up like a dormouse yet wake in the night to find you are lying face-down with creases indelibly folded into your skin?

There has been conjecture on the secrets sleeping positions may reveal about personality, or the psychological implications of favouring your right side. But the truth is we have little control over our bodies while we rest.

At intervals throughout the night  between three and six times  we naturally lift out of deep sleep, partly so the brain can check we are safe and body temperature is optimal, and partly to trigger a shift in position if the brain is receiving messages signalling pain or discomfort, explains sleep behaviour and environment expert James Wilson (aka the Sleep Geek). He works with big brands and athletes, advising on optimal sleeping arrangements to maximise performance. He is also a regular on morning TV and the resident sleep expert for More 4s documentary series The Secrets of Sleep, which tackled the issues faced by Britains worst sleepers.

If youre putting pressure on your joints, this can be enough to spoil sleep quality and lead to tossing and turning, he says.

Wilson believes sleeping positions are more to do with learned behaviour and what you find comforting. You might sleep on your front if thats how you were placed as a baby, or because you snore when lying on your back, he says. You might favour your left side because you subconsciously like to face the door or your partner. If you had a narrow bed as a child you might have a propensity to sleep in a rigid straight line.

Some positions can do more harm than good, however. Sleep is a time of recovery, when the body needs to be relaxed, Wilson says, but certain positions put strain on the back and joints, meaning the body spends seven or eight hours in an active state, which can lead to discomfort and ultimately pain and injury.

Despite potential risks, he says, drastic action to avoid these positions (such as the old wives tale of sewing a cotton reel into a pyjama top to stop you lying on your back and snoring) can raise stress levels and ruin sleep. Instead, he recommends putting yourself to bed in the ideal position (above) and if you wake to find yourself spread-eagled or face-planting, return to the foetal position. Forty-five minutes on your front wont cause damage, he says, but eight hours might.

So what does the way you sleep reveal about you, and is it doing more harm than good? James Wilson talks us through the six most common positions, opposite.

The perfect position

Lying on your side hugging a pillow with a cushion or pillow between your knees

The best position to put yourself in for sleep  and the one you should aim to stay in for as long as possible  is lying on your side in a foetal position with your knees slightly bent and your hands as if in prayer, says Wilson. This ensures minimal pressure on your joints and keeps your spine in perfect alignment. You can maximise the comfort (and increase the chance that you stay in this position) with a supportive pillow thick enough to keep your head in line with the rest of your spine. I also recommend putting a pillow between your knees to relieve pressure on the hips and to keep the spine straight. Ideally, hug a body pillow (or an ordinary pillow if sharing the bed with a full-length pillow seems a little odd). Hugging something is comforting and makes us feel emotionally secure. Being propped up and comfortable like this increases the probability that you will stay on your side and not slip around to lying on your front.

Coffin

Lying on your back, hands by your side

I have clients who swear they fall asleep like this and wake up in exactly the same position in the morning without moving, says Wilson. The truth is they probably do move without realising. This position can be comfortable if you have the correct pillow support under your neck, and, ideally, another pillow under your knees to soften the curve in your spine and take the pressure off your back. But this position does mean you are more likely to snore if the tissues in your throat relax when you are asleep and fall back, restricting your airway.

Side-lying

In a foetal position on your left or right side

This is the best position to sleep in as long as you have a good supportive mattress and pillow, says Wilson. Most of us feel more comfortable and comforted in the foetal position, and as long as you keep a bend in your legs and stack one leg on top of the other, you put minimal strain on your back and joints. Problems can occur if your pillow is too slim or easily crushed (I dont recommend a feather pillow) as this can put a strain on your neck as it tips backwards and can cause your top shoulder to flop forwards, putting stress on that joint.

Starfish

Lying on your back, arms and legs spread wide

I dont believe sleeping like this has any connection to extrovert personalities, which has been suggested in the past, says Wilson. It is likely to be a position adopted by those who enjoyed a big bed from a young age, and theyve got used to stretching out. Similarly, tall people can sleep diagonally across the bed, and the habit is hard to shift. Both positions can put strain on the lower back if your mattress isnt supportive enough, and they can trigger disputes if you take up a considerable proportion of a shared bed.

Face plant

Face down, head to side, arms up above your head

This is common, particularly in people who snore or have sleep apnoea as they find it easier to breathe, and also with those who were put on their front as babies, says Wilson. However, you could get shoulder and neck problems from holding your arms above your head and twisting your face to one side, and soreness in your lower back, hamstrings and knees as your body works to hold you in line. Youre also more likely to wake up repeatedly as the body shifts to a more comfy position because it requires more effort to turn you over.

High kick with folded arms

Lying on your side with top leg in a kicking motion

Although side sleeping is the healthiest, problems can arise if you find yourself with poker straight legs, or the top leg pulled up as if taking a huge stride, says Wilson. Straight legs put pressure on the hamstrings and knees, and a high kick is hard on the hips. Waking with folded arms could be a sign of stress and your body trying to self-soothe. This can happen if you unconsciously feel guilty about falling asleep with your back to your partner. This arm position puts pressure on the shoulders, elbows and wrists.

Hands-up

Lying on your back, arms above or under your head

This can run in families  I find myself doing it and my youngest daughter does it, too, explains Wilson. It could be a response to having insufficient space to starfish. Lying like this is OK for short periods  it is usually a position adopted to drop off to sleep and just before you wake. But holding your arms above your head for long periods puts your shoulders under strain, which may cause sufficient discomfort to wake you when you change position. It could also increase your risk of protracted shoulder problems.
Video: Depoe Bay's Boiler Bay Headland A Hypnotizing Chunk of Oregon Coast

Published 01/30/21 at 6:26 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon)  Along a rather intensely-traveled bend in the highway of the central Oregon coast, just before you get to Depoe Bay, Boiler Bay and its state park, Boiler Bay State Scenic Wayside, sit huddled together. One is actually the headland next to the bay; the other is the tiny bay itself.

With both, expect the unexpectedly gorgeous.

From the headland, here you can view Boiler Bay from a bit more of a distance. Watch - and get hypnotized by - the endless waves that come wandering past here, one by one, then crashing into a neighboring cove.

Picnic tables, plenty of grassy spots and full restroom facilities help add to the beauty and convenience on this mini-headland.

Getting into this spot is tricky, with the entrance to the north and the exit to the south (a little confusing if you're heading north on Highway 101). But once you get there, you'll find expansive views all over.

There are almost three different distinct areas to this park. To its south are views towards Depoe Bay and a bundle of rocky structures that provide more than a few opportunities for large, stormy waves to crash upon and make an enormous spectacle.





Straight out to sea, there's a fenced area which is leads closer to the tip of the headland, and is harder to deal with when those Oregon coast winds are going bonkers. It may knock you around quite a bit.

To the north, there's a sort of cove-like area, with views of more rocky slabs where stormy waves do incredible acrobatic acts. Also, from here you can watch waves sail into Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint and work their wintry magic.





Wherever you're standing, the views of winter storms are phenomenal, and will leave lasting memories on those who manage to catch them at the right time.

The other part of Boiler Bay is even more precarious to enter and especially to exit. Just slightly north of the main state park sits the tiny gravel pullout that is the entrance to what the area is named for: the boiler from a shipwreck from 1910.

The J. Marhoffer wrecked here back then, with all crew escaping but the ship ran rampant and by itself for awhile, on fire, before finally smacking the reef here in a powerful explosion. That boiler still remains.

Entering this cove via the steep and slippery slope is not advisable when its rainy and certainly not during stormier periods. People have died here on more than one occasion. MORE PHOTOS BELOW

SPEND THE NIGHT NEAR BOILER BAY

Inn at Lincoln City. 15-min drive to Boiler Bay; directly in front of the famed D River Wayside and right on the river. Queen to king rooms w/ whirlpool tubs, pet-friendly, 100% smoke free. Complimentary breakfast, free WIFI, a business center, accessible elevator, large DVD library, and 24-hour lobby caters. All rooms coffee maker, microwave, refrigerator, flat screen TV, hair dryers, and AC. Enjoy an ocean view overlook of the D River Beach or the lake. Lakeside fire pit. 1091 SE 1st Street. Lincoln City, Oregon. (541) 996-4400. Website here.

Keystone Vacation Rentals in Depoe Bay. Luxury oceanfront condos in Depoe Bay and Lincoln City. Beachfront or up high at whale watching vantage points. Often w/ private hot tubs, wi-fi, access to indoor pools and even a theater. Most sleep four. Other highlights include gourmet kitchens, river rock fireplace, plasma TV, washers and dryers, fitness center, pool table, beach patio, BBQ, covered parking, massage chair. Some have access to a conference room. Depoe Bay and Lincoln City. (503) 443-1414). www.KeystoneVacationsOregon.com

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NEW DELHI: After more than ten months of closure due to the ongoing coronavirus COVID 19 pandemic, schools for students of Classes 1 and 2, is all set to reopen from February 1 in several states. The decision to open schools has been taken in view of the number of coronavirus cases steadily dropping in the country. It is to be noted that several states resumed physical classes on a voluntary basis for class 10th and 12th in the month of January.

Here is a compiled list of states that have decided to reopen schools in February 1.

Maharashtra: Thane and Pune districts in Maharashtra have decided to reopen schools from January 27 and February 1 respectively, municipal corporations in both districts issued strict coronavirus guidelines. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) allowed reopening of schools for Classes 5th to 8th from February 1, while in Thane, students of Classes 5th to 8th have to attend school from January 27.

Punjab: Following the conditional approval of the state government, all government, aided and private schools are set to reopen for class 1 and 2 and pre-primary classes from February 1," a statement from the state government quoting Punjab School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla said. Students from Class 5 to 12 had started going to school on January 7.

Andhra Pradesh: The Andhra Pradesh government has granted permission for reopening of classes 1 to 5 from February 1. The schools will function full day for elementary classes. The state education department has issued guidelines in this regard. However, it is to be noted that students will attend the classes only with the written consent of parent or guardian. According to the guidelines, each section should have only 20 students. Schools for classes 6 to 12 and colleges in the state re-opened in November last year.

Haryana: Schools in Haryana will reopen for Classes 6 to 8 from February 1, according to an order issued by the Department of School Education. For Classes 6 to 8, schools timings will be between 10 am to 1.30 pm. Students will have to bring a certificate from any health centre or a doctor to certify that they do not have any COVID-like symptoms. They will also have to bring a written consent from their parents before coming to schools. Students who wish to continue their studies through the online mode, as has been imparted to them during the past 10 months, can avail this facility as before.

Gujarat: The offline class of grade 9 and 11 are going to resume from February 1. Earlier, the state reopened the school for classes 10 and 12 on January 11.

Telangana: Telangana is going to reopen the schools for Class 9 to 12 in February. Earlier, the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had announced the reopening of college classes from February 1.

Meghalaya: The northeastern state is all set to resume classes for higher education institutions from February 1. To be noted, most of the schools of Meghalaya have already resumed offline classes earlier this year.

Jammu and Kashmir: The SOP to resume classes from February has been announced and higher education institutions in the summer zone of the Jammu region will resume the offline classes for grade 10 to 12 from February 1. Whereas, in the Kashmir Division and winter zone areas of Jammu Division, the higher education institutions will resume offline classes on February 15.

Karnataka: Schools in Karnataka is all set to reopen from February 1 for Class 9, 10, and Pre-University classes.

Himachal Pradesh: The classes for 8-12 in schools is now set to reopen from February 1. Schools that lie on hilly region in the state and have longer winter vacations will resume classes from February 15.

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An immunocompromised woman staying in the same hotel that produced WAs first local COVID-19 case in 10 months has warned the hotel is primed for more cases thanks to inadequate ventilation and poor PPE use.

Arsiyanti Ardie arrived in WA from Jakarta on January 21 and was sent straight to the Four Points by Sheraton in Perth where she said hotel staff were being provided with poor quality PPE that was not being worn properly.

Arsiyanti Ardie fears for her health in hotel quarantine at the Four Points in Perth.

I kind of look down the hallway to look at the guards sitting on their phones and they will have their masks below their nose and hanging loose, she said.

And the workers are just not in the right PPE. They need to be protected too and its not that hard to hand out the proper masks and show them how to use them; they are wearing one anyway.
Police arrested three people from outside the region on drug charges after finding crystal methamphetamine worth $46,000 hidden under the hood of their vehicle in the air filter.

The bust occurred Friday as a result of an investigation by the Scranton Police Department's Special Investigations Division and Street Crimes Unit into the sale of crystal methamphetamine in and around the city, police said Saturday.

The arrests occurred when the three suspects arrived at an unidentified local hotel with intent to deliver crystal meth, police said.

Officers executing a search warrant found a large amount of crystal meth with a street value of $46,000 hidden in the air filter of the defendants' vehicle, police said.

Police identified the trio as Richard Smoke Oakley, 50, Javier Rivera Lopez, 42, and Justine Thorn, 29, of Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Oakley also possessed 9 grams of the drug, police said.

The defendants face felony drug charges, police said.
MOSCOW: Riot police broke up protests across Russia on Sunday in support of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, detaining more than 4,500 people who had braved the bitter cold and the threat of prosecution to demand he be set free.

In a massive show of force, police imposed a sweeping security lockdown in the heart of Moscow, sealing off streets to pedestrians near the Kremlin, closing metro stations and deploying hundreds of riot police as snow fell.

At one point, a column of protesters marched towards the prison in northern Moscow where Navalny is being held, chanting "Let him go!". In another scene, a crowd raised its hands above its heads in front of a row of riot police and chanted "we`re not your enemies".

Navalny, 44, was arrested on January 17 after returning to Moscow from Germany where he had been recovering from a nerve agent poisoning in Russia last summer. He accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder, which the Kremlin denies.

His dramatic return to Moscow despite the obvious threat of arrest and the second straight weekend of protests at his jailing pose a challenge for Putin who has dominated the Russian political landscape for over two decades.

Yulia, a 40-year-old protester in Moscow, said she had joined the rallies despite having a panic attack the night before because of worrying about repercussions for taking part.

"I understand that I live in a totally lawless state. In a police state, with no independent courts. In a country ruled by corruption. I would like to live differently," she said.

Police said protesters could face criminal prosecution for attending or calling for an unauthorised demonstration and warned they could spread COVID-19.

Navalny`s allies used social media to repeatedly change the location of their rally, scattering the crowds over different parts of Moscow and making it harder to disperse.

Police put turnout at Sunday`s Moscow protest at around 2,000 people. Reuters reporters estimated crowds of several thousand, smaller than last weekend.

In St Petersburg and Moscow police used force to detain protesters and were occasionally seen using tasers. One protester had a bloodied, bandaged head. At least 4,567 people were detained nationwide, including 1,450 in Moscow, according to OVD-Info, a protest monitoring group.

Yulia Navalnaya, the Kremlin critic`s wife, was among those detained. She was later released.

"If we stay quiet, then they could come for any of us tomorrow," she wrote on Instagram before joining the protests.

The protest is a test of Navalny`s support after many of his prominent allies were targeted in a crackdown this week. Several, including his brother Oleg, are under house arrest.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned what he said was the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists, and called for Navalny`s release.

Russia`s foreign ministry responded by accusing the United States of hypocrisy, meddling and seeking to encourage the protests as part of a strategy to contain Russia.

"Everyone knows well what the United States does in those cases - it opens fire to kill," it said.

The West has told Moscow to let Navalny go and his allies have appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on 35 people who they say are Putin`s close allies.

In the far eastern city of Vladivostok, video footage showed protesters chanting "Putin is a thief" as they linked hands and marched in temperatures of around -13 Celsius (8.6 Fahrenheit). Police detained more than 100 people in the city, OVD-Info said.

Dozens turned out in Siberia`s city of Yakutsk despite temperatures of -42 Celsius. Eleven were detained in Tomsk, the Siberian city that Navalny visited before suddenly collapsing on a domestic flight last August, OVD-Info said.

Navalny is accused of parole violations which he says are trumped up. A court is due to sit on Tuesday to consider handing him a jail term of up to three and a half years.

Leonid Volkov, a close ally of Navalny outside Russia, called on protesters to come to the court house to support him.

Seeking to galvanise his followers, Navalny put out an online video this month that has been viewed over 100 million times, accusing Putin of being the ultimate owner of a sumptuous Black Sea palace. The Kremlin leader has denied this.

On the eve of the protests, Arkady Rotenberg, a businessman and Putin`s former judo sparring partner, said he owns the property.
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As Nigeria continues to record relatively high cases of the COVID-19 infection, the presidency has warned against violations of safety guidelines issued to curtail the spread of the virus.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement issued on Sunday, said further violations of the protocols could lead to fresh lockdown.

The statement indicated that the Buhari administration is reluctant to lock down the country because many citizens will not have food on the table without venturing out for their day-to-day business.

The Buhari administration is most reluctant to lock down the country and continues to emphasize the non-pharmaceutical measures and the only way to avert lockdowns is to observe these measures as put in place by the Presidential Task Force, Mr Shehu wrote.

Nigerians have come a long way from the dreaded lockdown and the administration is unhappy about any prospects of bringing it back as many citizens will not have food on the table without venturing out on a day-to-day business.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic is a threat to the population and the national economy.

Protecting public health is one of the sacred duties of any responsible government and the administration will not abdicate that responsibility.

He appealed to Nigerians to give their maximum cooperation for the success of the policy.

Few weeks after the detection of the first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari imposed a five-week lockdown on the country in March last year. This was followed by a series of lockdowns as part of measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Wearing of face masks, washing of hands regularly with soap and clean water, and practising social distancing are parts of the non-pharmaceutical interventions in place to limit the spread of the virus.

Increasing cases

Since early December, there has been an upscale in reported cases and deaths from COVID-19 as the country experiences the second wave of the pandemic.

As of Saturday night, the number of people infected with COVID-19 stood at 130,557 after 1,883 new cases  one of the highest daily figures the country has witnessed  were reported in 23 states across the nation on Saturday.

According to NCDC data, the COVID-19 death toll in Nigeria stood at 1,578 in total as of Saturday.
A woman walks past signs posted at the homeless encampment beside the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2018. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Man Pretending to Be Homeless Student Exposed as Registered Sex Offender

Police in Lake Forest, California, arrested a registered sex offender carrying meth after encountering him as a beggar claiming to be a law student.

The arrest came after a Lake Forest homeless liaison officer patrolling the shopping centers off Lake Forest Drive and Rancho Parkway Jan. 27, encountered a homeless person asking for food, according to a Facebook post by Lake Forest police.

The officer approached the person to offer resources that could help him.

While talking to him, the officer discovered during a records check that the man was a registered sex offender and found that he was in possession of meth and drug paraphernalia.

Because the individual was lying about being a student in what may have been a ploy for increased donations, Lake Forest police urged the community to donate to charities that help homeless people instead of giving money directly to individuals.

We understand residents are eager to help those in need, police said in a social media post. The City of Lake Forest encourages residents to give responsibly by donating to a charity that serves those experiencing homelessness rather than directly to the individual. 

Carrie Braun, public information officer for the Orange County Sheriffs Department, which contracts its police services to the City of Lake Forest, said that while homelessness is not a law enforcement issue, they do utilize a homeless outreach team to try and help those experiencing homelessness.

She also noted that the advice to donate to charities assisting people experiencing homelessness instead of directly to homeless individuals commonly comes from nonprofits, not the sheriffs department.

I do believe weve seen a slight increase in our interactions with individuals experiencing homelessness, but I think its important to remember that homelessness is not a law enforcement issue, Braun said. So, we assist with individuals who are experiencing homelessness specifically through our homeless outreach team.

Braun also told The Epoch Times that the individual was arrested specifically for being in possession of meth, not because he was pretending to be a student.
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A plane-load of Western Australian politicians was caught in mid-air on its way to Canberra by Sunday's shock lock-down announcement.

At least one passenger on the flight is understood to have visited one of the many exposure sites flagged by West Australian Premier Mark McGowan.

Politicians on Qantas flight QF 856 include Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Attorney-General Christian Porter.

Most of Labor's federal MPs from WA are also understood to have been on the plane except for Patrick Gorman.

A Qantas flight full of politicians heading from WA to Canberra have been caught mid-air by the shock lockdown announcement (stock image)

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ben Morton was also aboard along with an unknown number of Parliamentary staffers, The Australian reported.

The politicians were heading to Canberra for the next three sitting weeks of Parliament, and their plane took off from Perth minutes before Mr McGowan announced the snap five-day lockdowns.

Now they will have to quarantine in Canberra with parliamentary officials saying they must immediately report to staff at Canberra Airport on arrival.

Landing was scheduled at 6.40pm local time in Canberra, while WA's lockdown takes effect at 6pm, WA time.

'As directed by the Speaker, all WA Members and Staff must report to the SAA and Whips staff on arrival at the gate in Canberra airport,' advice from the presiding officers of parliament states.

'You will be directed to quarantine until further advised by the whips office.'

Attorney-General Christian Porter was onboard the flight

ACT Health issued a statement on Sunday evening just after the plane's scheduled landing time requesting passengers to go directly to their hotel accommodation.

'ACT Health is requesting that passengers arriving on a flight from Western Australia today go directly to their accommodation and to minimise their interactions with other people,' the statement said.

Deputy Chief Health Officer Vanessa Johnston asked the travellers to take extra precautions.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds was also aboard the flight. Some MPs reportedly demanded the flight turn around and head back to Perth

Perth, Peel and the South West will enter a strict lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population

'ACT Health advises that all passengers should wear a mask and go directly to their accommodation,' she said, telling them to also follow all directions from the WA Health authorities.

Dr Johnston said ACT Health was monitoring the situation in WA, would make decisions on any new information and would contact the passengers tomorrow.

'Of course, any person who starts to experience symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested immediately,' she said.

Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan held an emergency press conference on Sunday

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan announced the snap five-day lockdown on Sunday after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested positive to coronavirus and visited at least 15 locations around the city.

Perth, Peel and the South West will close beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - covering about 80 per cent of WA's population.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the days ahead will be difficult for WA residents; they may also be difficult for him with key cabinet ministers sent to their hotels to quarantine

The three regions will be closed off to each other with meaning banned from travelling between them without an exemption. Road checkpoints will be set up to ensure compliance.

The infected employee worked two shifts at Sheraton Four Points in Perth's CBD, and was stationed on a floor where at least one returned traveller was diagnosed with the UK strain of the disease, which is up to 80 per cent more infectious than the original Chinese coronavirus.

LOCKDOWN RULES Residents in Perth, Peel and the South West are required to stay home, except for the following four reasons: - Shopping for essentials like groceries, medicine and necessary supplies - Medical or health care needs including compassionate requirements and looking after the vulnerable - Exercise, within their neighbourhood, but only with one other person and only for one hour per day - Work, where you cannot work from home or remotely If you do leave home, for one of the four reasons you will be required to wear a mask at all times outside and if you need to work indoors, then wearing a mask in the workplace is also mandatory Mask wearing on public transport is also mandatory Advertisement

Mr McGowan said genomic sequencing is already underway, but it would be reasonable to accept that the man contracted the mutant strain, and that his close contacts would test positive in the coming days.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders.

As per the lockdown orders, residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for four reasons; shopping for essential goods like groceries and medicine, seeking medical treatment, exercise for one hour per day and work if a person cannot work remotely.

All pubs, clubs, playgrounds and gyms in Perth will close, while restaurants will be open for takeaway only and visits will be banned to care homes and hospitals.

Schools will remain closed - they were supposed to reopen on Monday for the first day of the year.

Restrictions have also been reintroduced for funerals - limiting them to just 10 people for the duration of lockdown.

Weddings have been cancelled during the lockdown period.

Residents must wear face masks at all times they are outside and face masks are also compulsory at indoor workplaces.

Masks are mandatory on public transport.

Anybody within the locked down regions were urged to stay put to avoid potentially spreading the virus to regional and vulnerable communities.

'We are strongly encouraging that everyone in this area who is from another WA region, stay here,' Mr McGowan said.

'Do not travel further outside of this area until the lockdown is over.'
(CNN)  The European Union has been locked in a very public and acrimonious fight with AstraZeneca over vaccine delays.

The temperature may have cooled slightly after a meeting late Wednesday, which both sides said was constructive, but the problem hasn't been fixed yet and the stakes for EU countries are high.

These are the battle lines: AstraZeneca says it can't deliver as many doses as the European Union expected. The European Commission, which ordered the vaccine on behalf of EU member states, says this is unacceptable, and the drugmaker must find a way to increase supply.

The dispute is playing out against a dire backdrop. EU countries including Germany are running low on vaccines, the death toll is mounting, and the slow rollout of shots across the bloc is threatening a very fragile economic recovery from the pandemic.

What's the latest?

Tensions eased after Wednesday's meeting between AstraZeneca and EU officials. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the discussion with AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot had a "constructive tone," but she requested more information from the company on its deliveries.

"We regret the continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule and request a clear plan from AstraZeneca for the fast delivery of the quantity of vaccines that we reserved for [the first quarter]," she said on Twitter.

The British-Swedish company committed to closer coordination following the meeting.

"We had a constructive and open conversation about the complexities of scaling up production of our vaccine, and the challenges we have encountered. We have committed to even closer coordination to jointly chart a path for the delivery of our vaccine over the coming months," a spokesperson said.

The numbers

The dispute began on Monday when EU officials said they had been told by AstraZeneca that production problems meant the company would supply "considerably fewer" doses in the coming weeks than had been agreed.

The European Commission has ordered 400 million doses on behalf of EU member states and is poised to start rolling them out across the bloc once the vaccine is approved, possibly this week.

"Pharmaceutical companies and vaccine developers have moral, societal and contractual responsibilities which they need to uphold," Kyriakides told reporters on Wednesday. "The view that the company is not obliged to deliver [vaccines] ... is neither correct nor acceptable."

EU officials have declined to specify the scale of the AstraZeneca vaccine shortfall, and the company hasn't given details. But the shock development came as the European Commission was still trying to assess the impact of Pfizer slowing EU deliveries of the vaccine it developed with BioNTech while a manufacturing facility was upgraded.

What does AstraZeneca say?

Soriot told the Italian newspaper la Repubblica on Tuesday that AstraZeneca was not able to guarantee the timing of EU deliveries because countries such as the United Kingdom were quicker to finalize orders. There are also crucial differences in the EU and UK vaccine contracts.

"The contract with the UK was signed first and the UK, of course, said 'you supply us first,' and this is fair enough," Soriot said. Three months later, when the European Union wanted to be supplied "more or less at the same time" as the United Kingdom, AstraZeneca was not able to make that commitment.

"Our contract [with the European Union] is not a contractual commitment. It's a best effort. Basically we said we're going to try our best, but we can't guarantee we're going to succeed. In fact, getting there, we are a little bit delayed," he said.

The European Union has acknowledged it signed a "best effort" agreement with AstraZeneca.

It's not clear whether EU officials have any more cards to play regarding the contract dispute. One EU diplomat noted that the European Union has been quick to start legal proceedings in the past, and would be instructing lawyers now if it believed AstraZeneca had breached its contract.

Why can't AstraZeneca make more vaccine or divert supplies?

Soriot acknowledged in the interview that his company had experienced problems at one large manufacturing facility in Europe. He said the early phase of vaccine production is often "complicated," and the company is "basically two months behind" where it wanted to be.

"Would I like to do better? Of course. But, you know, if we deliver in February what we are planning to deliver, it's not a small volume," said Soriot. "We are planning to deliver millions of doses to Europe, it is not small."

Belgian authorities conducted an "inspection" of AstraZeneca's production facility in the country this week.

The goal of the inspection, which was requested by the European Commission, was "to ensure that the delay in the delivery of the vaccines is indeed due to a production problem at the Belgian site," said a spokesperson for Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke.

AstraZeneca says it has built more than a dozen regional supply chains to produce its vaccine, collaborating with over 20 partners in more than 15 countries.

"Each supply chain was developed with input and investment from specific countries or international organizations based on the supply agreements, including our agreement with the European Commission," it said.

The European Union suggested on Wednesday that doses produced at AstraZeneca's plants in the United Kingdom should be used to fulfill its order. AstraZeneca says this can only happen once UK supplies have been delivered.

"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," said Soriot.

Why are tensions so high?

The pandemic is still rampaging across Europe, and many countries are being criticized for slow vaccine rollouts.

Germany marked one year since the virus arrived on Wednesday, with the country showing no signs of reduced infections. Earlier this week, Portugal reported a record number of daily deaths in 24 hours. Strict lockdowns are in force in countries around the bloc.

Meanwhile, vaccine supplies in Europe are running desperately low.

The German government expects the country to face shortages in its supply of doses for at least another 10 weeks, Health Minister Jens Spahn said. The country has vaccinated only around 2% of the its population.

Germany's vaccine commission recommended on Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine not be given to people older than 65, citing a lack of data on its effectiveness in the age group, further complicating distribution plans in Europe's largest economy.

The situation is also dire in parts of Spain. The regional government of Madrid has decided to stop administering first doses of vaccines for the next two weeks due to growing uncertainty over the supply situation.

"We need more doses urgently," said regional vice president Ignacio Aguado.

The European Union and national governments are coming under huge pressure as a result.

"We are in a pandemic. We lose people everyday. These are not numbers, they are not statistics, these are persons, with families, with friends and colleagues," said Kyriakides.

 Luke McGee, Niamh Kennedy, Claudia Otto and James Frater contributed reporting.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Europe has a vaccine shortage. So why is it fighting with AstraZeneca?"


HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, MI -- Two men were hospitalized after rear-ending a snow plow and landing in a ditch, police said.

Deputies with the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office responded shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday. Jan. 31 to Quincy Street and John F. Donnelly Drive for a report of a black SUV in a ditch, with two people pinned inside the vehicle.

Upon their arrival, deputies found a 2008 GMC Acadia in a ditch. An initial investigation shows the Acadia was headed east on Quincy Street, per a Ottawa County Sheriffs Office news release.

The driver, a 35-year-old Holland Township man, did not see the front loader clearing snow on Quincy Street ahead of him and rear-ended the vehicle.

The impact caused the Acadia to go off the road and into a ditch, police said. The driver was pinned in the vehicle and had to be extricated by Holland Township Fire/Rescue.

A passenger in the Acadia, a 40-year-old West Olive man, was able to get out of the vehicle with help from the deputies.

Both occupants, whose names have not been released, were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

No additional injuries were reported by police.

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What 10 other weather forecasters are saying about Michigans weekend snowstorm

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Multiple fire departments battle Hudsonville area fire at excavating business

Holland house fire injures one

(Image: AFP)

A local court has rejected an application seeking injunction against the use of "Covishield" as brandname by the vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India (SII), the company said on Saturday.

SII is producing a coronavirus vaccine named Covishield, co-developed by the University of Oxford and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca. The Indian government has purchased 11 million doses of Covishield vaccine.

While the court order was not available immediately, the lawyer of Cutis-Biotech, which had filed the suit, said it would file an appeal in the high court.

Also read: Inside the world's biggest vaccine factory, India's Serum Institute

On January 4, Cutis-Biotech, a pharmaceutical firm, filed a suit in the civil court claiming it was a prior user of the brandname Covishield, and sought to restrain SII from using the name.

SII had told the court that the two companies operate in different product categories and there is no scope for confusion over the trademark.

"Court has rejected the application," said SII''s lawyer Hitesh Jain.

Advocate Aditya Soni, lawyer of Cutis-Biotech, said the order copy was not yet available, but operative order was read out in the court. "We will file an appeal against the order in the high court," he said.
Kabul, Jan 31 : At least 12 people were killed in blasts across Afghanistan, officials have confirmed.

In a deadly car bomb which hit a military base in Shirzad district, Nangarhar province on Saturday morning, eight soldiers were killed, the provincial government confirmed in a statement.

The Taliban outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to media hours after the blast, Xinhua news agency.

The armed group's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said "50 security personnel were killed and injured in a suicide vehicle bomb" that targeted a military base.

But his claims of the casualties are yet to be verified.

Later, a magnetic bomb struck a police van in Kabul's Pol-e-Company area in Police District 5, injuring one civilian, police said.

Hours later, another blast struck a car in Salim Carawan area of Police District 4 of Kabul city, killing one person and injuring three others, police spokesman Ferdaus Faramarz said.

Similarly, a roadside bomb struck a rickshaw in Panjway district, Kandahar province,, killing three civilians including a child, provincial police spokesman Jamal Barikzai confirmed.

Violent incidents mostly in the shape of target killing has been on rise over the past couple of months amid the tough and slow peace dialogue between negotiating teams of the Afghan government and Taliban group in Doha.

The second round of intra-Afghan talks after more than three weeks of break resumed on January 6 without significant progress.

According to local media reports, no official dialogue has been held between the two sides over the past 10 days.

Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said last week that he had instructed the government negotiating team to focus on ceasefire and violence reduction to make the talks succeed.

However, the Taliban has demanded the resignation of the Afghan president from power as precondition for ceasefire and making peace.

A member of Taliban negotiating team Sher Mohammad Abas Stanikzai, according to media reports, has said that the armed group was ready "to make peace if Ashraf Ghani resigns" from power.

President Ghani has rejected the demand, saying that he is not the obstacle to peace rather he is a champion for peace in Afghanistan.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning and two Coastal Flood Advisories for New York City starting Sunday night as a noreaster is expected to dump up to 10-inches of snow on Staten Island.

The Winter Storm Warning will be in effect from 7 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Two Coastal Flood Advisories were issued from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, and 8 p.m. Monday until 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Minor to locally moderate flooding is expected in the most vulnerable locations near the waterfront and shoreline, particularly Monday night, said Accuweather.com in an alert.

Forecasters say to expect around one to two feet of inundation above ground level in low lying, vulnerable areas. Some roads and low lying property, including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes/businesses with basements near the waterfront may experience shallow flooding, according to Accuweather.com.

For the first Coastal Flood Advisory, one to one and a half feet of inundation above ground level expected in vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline, said AccuWeather.com. For the second Coastal Flood Advisory, one to two feet of inundation above ground level expected in vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline.

HAZARDS

Notify NYC warns travel could be very difficult to impossible. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches, roads may be dangerous, and strong winds may cause power outages, said a Notify NYC alert. The alert urges New Yorkers to use Use mass transit if possible.

PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

The Notify NYC alert urges New Yorkers to:

Use caution when walking, biking, or driving.

In case of a power outage, charge cell phones.

Gather supplies.

Turn refrigerator/freezers to a colder setting.

During an outage, stay clear of downed power lines.

Turn off all appliances.

Keep refrigerator/freezer doors closed to prevent food spoilage.

Do not use generators indoors.

If you have a disability/access needs, or use Life Sustaining Equipment (LSE) and need immediate assistance, dial 911. For weather information, please visit www.weather.gov/okx

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Hollywood power-players are using private jets to fly hundreds of miles and even offering $50,000 'bribes' to get their hands on the coronavirus vaccine.

Strict rules in California limiting the shots to over-65s and medical workers has led to 'vaccine tourism', with celebrity agents and studio heads travelling to Florida, Hawaii and even Alaska, where age limits do not apply.

Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis brought in legislation limiting the jab to those who can prove they are resident in the state after it was revealed that of the 1.1 million people vaccinated in Florida, 39,000 did not live there.

Richard Parsons, former boss of communications giant Time Warner, is one of the few 'Covid tourists' who admitted jumping on a private jet to get a vaccine in Florida.

The 72-year-old  who did not break any rules  said: 'It's orderly and sensible. You make an appointment. You get an appointment.'

Hollywood power-players are using private jets to fly hundreds of miles and even offering $50,000 'bribes' to get their hands on the coronavirus vaccine. Richard Parsons (above), former boss of communications giant Time Warner, is one of the few 'Covid tourists' who admitted jumping on a private jet to get a vaccine in Florida

Mexican TV host Juan Jose Origel, 73, was widely condemned last week after he flew to Miami from Mexico City to get the shot and bragged: 'Thank you #USA. It's sad that my country did not offer me that security.' (Above, he shared a photo on his Twitter account that captures the moment he is given the vaccine)

Strict rules in California limiting the shots to over-65s and medical workers has led to 'vaccine tourism', with celebrity agents and studio heads travelling to Florida (above), Hawaii and even Alaska, where age limits do not apply

The 72-year-old  who did not break any rules  said: 'It's orderly and sensible. You make an appointment. You get an appointment.'

Doctors in Los Angeles have also claimed that some of Hollywood's super-rich are trying to 'bribe' their way to a vaccine.

Beverly Hills doctor Robert Huizenga (above) said he had been offered in excess of $10,000: 'We've been offered bribes. We see people taking planes to every location'

Beverly Hills doctor Robert Huizenga said he had been offered in excess of $10,000: 'We've been offered bribes. We see people taking planes to every location.

'We've seen people try to get into the healthcare profession or on staff [lists] at nursing homes so they qualify for an early vaccine.'

One tycoon in his early 40s even claimed he was his elderly mother's carer to get a Covid shot.

Another doctor from Cedars-Sinai, known as the 'hospital to the stars', said: 'It's ridiculous. I've been asked if a $25,000 or $50,000 donation to the hospital will help.

'One guy, an agent for an Oscar-winning actor, jumped on a private jet to Hawaii because he discovered a vaccination opening there.'

Unsurprisingly, there has been public outrage against those who bend the rules.

Mexican TV host Juan Jose Origel, 73, was widely condemned last week after he flew to Miami from Mexico City to get the shot and bragged: 'Thank you #USA. It's sad that my country did not offer me that security.'

But one woman wrote: 'My husband has terminal cancer and can't get the shot. Are you proud of yourself for playing the system?'
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Australias former top diplomat says the government needs to approach China with more nuance and be wary of being drawn into a United States policy of confrontation with Beijing.

Philip Flood, secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade between 1996 and 1999, said the current low point in relations between Australia and its biggest trading partner had been caused by both parties.

Relations between China and Australia have reached new lows amid a bitter trade dispute. Credit:

The call for a shift in strategy comes after New Zealand Trade Minister Damien OConnor suggested Australia should speak with a little more diplomacy and respect towards China.

China last year imposed more than $20 billion of trade strikes on Australian exports and its senior government officials have refused to return the phone calls of Australian ministers after the Morrison government pushed for an independent inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.